Musings on pens. How exciting!

[fountainpenfanatic]

The Edison Herald

Hey guys! I hope you’re all well. Before we begin, please accept my apologies for the lack of updates. I have been crazy busy with work and have only now just got the chance to write up this review! That being said, I have received multiple pens over the past few weeks, all of which will be reviewed. For more info, see my Instagram at @fountainpenfanatic

Nonetheless, let’s get under way with the review!

In all honesty, the Edison Herald is a pen that I would often look at, but never really got the impulse to buy. The $150 price tag is not too appealing, and there were plenty of other pens I wanted to spend that money on. However, I am a sucker for a bargain. So, when the opportunity to get a Herald for a discount price from a friend on Instagram came up, I jumped right on it!

The Packaging

The box in which the Herald comes is one of those awkward trying-to-hard situations. The outside is some-sort of faux crocodile leather which unfortunately looks a little cheap and nasty. However, the inside of the box is finished very nicely with a soft velvet-like material which makes up for the poor outward appearance. Plus once you open the box, you get to see the beautiful masterpiece housed inside.

If Edison are to continue providing boxes which attempt to look more expensive than the are, they should perhaps look to Conklin and their housing for the Duragraph (which was by far the nicest ‘cheap’ box I have ever experienced).

One final thing about the packaging; inside the box was a card with the Edison info and a thank you. This is a nice touch. 

The Pen

This pen is absolutely glorious to look at. There is a real depth to the acrylic from which it is made, and it feels amazing to hold in the hand. Uncapping and capping the pen is lovely as the threading is smooth as silk. Other than that, the barrel is not too girthy - so for those who like big pens, this may not be for you - but is a nice size to write with, especially for prolonged periods.

There is a small ‘Edison Herald’ engraved into the barrel which I feel is a homage to the vintage pens which had similar imprints. I love this little finishing touch and often find myself looking at it and noting how it really makes the pen.

The only critique I would have about the pen itself is that the finial sits flush with the cap. This is a perfectly fine design, however the clip band housed within the acrylic has caused a slight bump meaning the finish isn’t entirely smooth. This is a minor issue with this fundamentally great pen, but I thought it worth noting nonetheless.

The Nib

I had read lots of conflicting things about Edison nibs, however this one is great. It is a two-tone steel medium nib which is furnished with some scroll work and the Edison logo.

Whilst it’s not the smoothest nib in the world, it has a refreshing balance of smoothness and just the right amount of feedback.

The quality of this nib actually has me thinking about ordering a gold one just to try it out.

Overall

Something about this pen just made me fall in love with it. I couldn’t find any real issue to complain about, and can quite easily say that it has been in my daily carry ever since I bought it.

Comparing it to my other acrylic pen (the Duragraph), the Herald is in a league of its own. That being said, it is nearly three times the price.

I would recommend this pen, but I would also hold out and see if you can get it on sale. I would say $100 is more so a fair price, as opposed to the current asking of around $150.

Rating

8 out of 10.

Fountainpenfanatic

Thanks for reading! Please use my ask box if you have any comments or suggestions!

[fountainpenfanatic]

The Big, The Almighty, The M1000

Hey guys!

As you may have seen in my last few posts, I picked up a Pelikan M1000 at an estate sale a few weeks ago. I thought I’d give it a review, focussing on whether it’s worth the usual $500 price tag. 

I will say here that in the luxury fountain pen world war of Mont Blanc v. Pelikan, I am a Mont Blanc man. I love the sleek black resin, the red hue it has, and the white star caps. And yet, the M1000 did make me question my allegiance here. 

The M1000 has only been produced by Pelikan since 2003, and this particular pen is a few years post-prodcution.

The Pen

Whopping. Humongous. Ginormous. Any word that connotes big. This pen is extremely large. It’s longer than anything I have ever owned/used/seen before, and the girth is in a league beyond imaginable. The size is just amazing. For me anyway.

The pen is larger than almost anything else on the market, so I would recommend trying it out before purchasing. The usual selling point is that this pen is great for signatures; use it in meetings, to sign treaties etc. I have, however, used it to take extensive notes in college (see next section for writing experience). 

This particular model is finished in the green tortoise shell style. It looks classy, and also feels classy. 

The weight of the pen is great. It’s not too light, nor is it too heavy. It is, however, a tad heavier than the Mont Blanc 149 (the M1000′s biggest rival). 

The cap and ends are furnished in black, and the pen is adorned with 18 karat accents. There is a Pelikan atop of the cap, although this particular image is different to those in production now. The clip is also finished so as to look like a pelican with a long beak. 

The Nib

As with the pen, the nib is HUGE. When writing, it feels as if the pen is held inches away from the page by the 18 karat nib. 

The nib work is quite nice, the two tone nib is adorned with a pattern and the Pelikan logo.

As for the smoothness? Out of this world.  

This pen probably writes a little smother than my Mont Blancs. For me, this makes mistakes and annoying accidental ink-on-page lines more common and as such I prefer the tiniest amount of feedback in the MB nibs. That being said, if you’re in the market for a smooth pen, then dig deep into those pockets because this is the pen for you. 

The only thing that I dislike about this nib is that it is prone to creep. Whilst this is only an aesthetic problem, for the price tag, I would want this pen to be perfect. Because of this, I am planning on sending this pen away to a nibmeister, so perhaps a smooth/tune of the tines will fix this issue. I will keep you updated. 

Overall

Buy it. 

If I can happily tell people that Mont Blanc’s are worth their price tag, then this Pelikan is worth the asking prices. 

The pen is a little too oversized for prolonged periods of writing, although these are by no means impossible. 

If you want to make a statement, buy this pen. If you want a silky smooth writing experience, buy this pen. And if you want a pen that will last a lifetime and probably be an heirloom, buy this pen. 

If you are in the market for a big pen, I am still inclined to recommend the MBs. But, if you were to buy this Pelikan, I thoroughly believe you will not be disappointed. 

Rating

9.5 out of 10. 

Fountainpenfanatic

Thanks for reading guys! If you have any comments/suggestions/questions, please use my ask box!

[fountainpenfanatic]

Parker Duofold

Hey all!

As you may have seen in my last post, I picked up an Orange 1998 Parker Duofold at an estate sale a few weeks back. 

For those that are in the market for a vintage Duofold, I thought I’d give it a review for you!

In case you didn’t know, Duofolds are considered the archetypical fountain pen - they are the pen that most people think of when the words ‘fountain pen’ are uttered. Because of this, they don’t come cheap on the likes of eBay (this particular model has asking prices ranging from a couple of hundred right the way up to just shy of $1000). So, the primary question of this review is; would they be worth this amount?

The Pen

The barrel of the pen is made from bakelite (which feels like high quality plastic), as is everything else bar the 14 karat nib and ornaments. It surprisingly has a bit of weight in the hand, and does feel very solid. Whilst perhaps a bit of an oxymoron, this pen feels like it is made from expensive plastic - maybe because ‘precious resin’ and the likes had not quite took off at the time of production? 

The clip is the traditional parker arrow, which distinguishes this beauty from earlier editions.  

The cap is furnished with a ‘Parker Duofold’ insert which I find a nice finishing touch. 

The Nib 

Well, to be frank, it’s not the smoothest pen that I own. But nor is it scratchiest. There’s actually very little feedback, but it doesn’t quite glide across the page. 

The aesthetics of the nib are great - a parker arrow is present and looks great in the two-tone style. 

I would probably say here that the main selling point of this pen lies in the overall look as opposed to the writing experience.

Overall 

I actually love this pen. 

As I said earlier, for many, this is a grail pen. Whilst the writing experience isn’t the best out there, it certainly is great. Combined with the looks and feel of the pen, I think it is fair to proclaim this pen worthy of grail status - especially when the rarity factor is taken into consideration. 

I may send this pen away to a nibmeister to see if a reset of the tines will make it smoother or adjust the way it writes (given that this is a nearly 20 year old pen owned and used by someone else). If I do this, you guys will be the first to know!

As for whether this is worth the asking prices out there today?

No. 

If you can pick one up at an estate sale for a decent price, DO NOT let it go. But I certainly wouldn’t pay upwards of $175 for this pen. 

Rating

7.5 out of 10. 

Fountainpenfanatic

Thanks for reading guys! If you have any comments/suggestions/questions, please use my ask box!

[fountainpenfanatic]

Hey guys!

Last week I picked up a Conklin Duragrph in Forest Green with a medium nib from the Fountain Pen Hospital for $47 (+ tax). Here are my thoughts and feelings after using it for a couple of days.

Packaging

The lacking that comes with the pen actually took my by surprise! The box is…

[penguinsandpaper]

Is the finial on the barrel made of plastic or metal?

[fountainpenfanatic]

In all honesty it’s a little hard to tell. I’d be inclined to say it feels like plastic, although this may be thanks to the paint. I have scratched the the edge at some point and silver is showing through, which may suggest there’s metal under there!

[fountainpenfanatic]

Conklin Duragraph Review

Hey guys! 

Last week I picked up a Conklin Duragrph in Forest Green with a medium nib from the Fountain Pen Hospital for $47 (+ tax). Here are my thoughts and feelings after using it for a couple of days. 

Packaging

The packaging that comes with the pen actually took my by surprise! The box is huge, embossed with gold ‘Conklin’ logos inside and outside the lid, and has a faux-silk lining in which the pen sits. 

The Duragraph comes with a standard international converter included, and there are an additional two cartridges (one blue, one black) inside the case too. 

The Pen

The pen itself is made from acrylic. At $47, the finish and quality is pleasing. It has a shimmering surface in the light and is adorned with chrome accents. Being made from acrylic, the pen is very light so for those who like heavier pens, this one is not for you! Another issue I have found with this pen is that it is rather uncomfortable to post - it becomes way too top-heavy. These criticisms aside, the pen is of great quality - especially for the price! 

Aside from the barrel and cap, I found the Conklin converter a tad shoddy. It screws into the feed housing, but the threading in the plastic of the converter needed cleaning and picking at before the twist became smooth. This wasn’t hard to do, and at the price point is understandable. 

The Nib

I elected to take my Duragraph in a medium nib, although the line also includes a fine and an italic. They are all steel, and the medium and fine are two tone. 

As a writer, it’s relatively smooth. There is a little feedback, and there is hardly any line variation. For me, I prefer my nibs slightly smoother, but this is by no means scratchy. 

Overall

Conklin have pulled off a great feat here - they have produced a second tier pen (above the Lamy Safaris and Pilot Metropolitans) of which the quality exceeds the price. The pen itself is lovely, although the nib could be improved upon (as could any steel nib in my opinion). 

I don’t think this pen will be a daily carry for me, but it will certainly stay inked and ready to be used. 

I would recommend this to a friend, but be sure to also make them understand the things that bug me a little. 

Rating 

6.5 out of 10. 

Fountainpenfanatic

Thanks for reading guys! If you have any comments/suggestions/questions, please use my ask box!