The Pencilcase Blog | Fountain pen, Pencil, Ink and Paper reviews

REVIEW: MONTBLANC MEISTERSTUCK 149 CALLIGRAPHY FLEX NIB FOUNTAIN PEN

For probably the first time in the history of this blog, I'll try to keep it short today (keyword: "try"). Why? Well, the pen we'll take a look at today is really nothing different from the Montblanc 149 I already reviewed a few years ago (HERE)... except for the nib! This is Montblanc's Calligraphy special edition of their iconic flagship fountain pen, which comes with a specially developed flexible nib!

The Calligraphy Meisterstück with flexible nib is a special edition in a new series of "Calligraphy" pens with unique nibs (a new version with different specialty nib will supposedly still launch this year, effectively replacing the flexible nib variant). And I'm a bit late to the game with this review. My particular pen (that I purchased from site sponsor La Couronne Du Comte - Check out their new website, BTW!) took an unfortunate - and long - detour via Hamburg (Montblanc's HQ) because the nib slit was cut off-center. I typically don't complain about that sort of thing as long as it's not too bad or doesn't hamper performance. But on a 900€ pen, I feel like a little nitpicking is permitted. Oh, and it did actually make the nib noticeably scratchier, so I guess having it out of my hands for 6+ months to be replaced (perhaps it took the scenic route?) was the right - and necessary - judgment call to make. But it did, of course, delay this review to the point where this pen is nearing the end of its availability (sorry for that!).

Anyway, as I said, this is just a plain, stock Meisterstück 149. The box has a custom imprint for the Calligraphy release on the outer sleeve, but inside is just the normal large clamshell box for a regular 149. A bottle of Montblanc's calligraphy ink isn't included, either. Even though Montblanc released two special edition inks along with the Calligraphy pens. A spectacular special edition 146 with gold leaf decoration was also available, which did set itself apart in terms of aesthetics. Combine the words 'gold leaf' and 'Montblanc' in a single sentence though, and the price gets steep... So I settled for the 149, which I imagine has the upper hand for flex writing anyway, since the larger #8-sized (in Montblanc's numbering #9) nib is already soft on its own.

Let's get straight to the business end: the flex nibs look fantastic. I think the monotone nib with simple but elegant figure-eight swirl is one of the best Montblanc nib designs I've seen in a while (maybe close second to the Heritage Rouge Et Noir's Snakehead design!). Montblanc typically excels in nib designs though, so I guess it's hardly a surprise that this too is an aesthetically pleasing release.

Functionally, I had high expectations for this pen. Montblanc typically goes for reliable performance with their nibs, so I was curious to see how that'd translate into their first venture in a modern flex nib. The answer is: good. Maybe even great. But as you'd expect, not without its limitations.

The nib tipping is ground noticeably finer than their typical nibs. It's supposedly an EF, but with a line as fine as 0.2 -0.3 mm without pressure, I'd say it's more like an EEF in Montblanc's standards. The fact that it's so fine is also why even the slightest off-center slit is an issue, the right tine was extremely thin on my faulty pen. Anyway, on the replacement pen I received, the nib is actually very pleasant to use, even for normal writing. It's surprisingly smooth for such an extremely fine nib, although of course, you should still expect a bit more feedback than with Montblanc's regular nibs. If you have a very light hand, it could serve for normal writing.

With the slightest pressure, the nib immediately starts opening up and you get a slightly wider EF to F line width, with noticeably heavier ink flow. The Calligraphy flex nib is positively soft when you start pushing it more. It takes a small but balanced amount of pressure, enough to give a controlled writing experience, but not too much as to cause fatigue. It's quite a responsive nib with good snapback, meaning that the tines close back up fairly quickly when varying pressure while writing - it doesn't feel mushy.

In terms of line variation, the internet says 0.3 mm EF (EEF) to 1.6 mm (BB), but I find that optimistic. I could consistently go up to 1.0-1.3 mm lines without feeling like I'm pushing the nib too far. In the grand scheme of things, this qualifies the Calligraphy Flex as a 'semi-flex' nib, not quite vintage full-flex. That said, the nib definitely benefits from the extremely narrow tipping. It automatically gives more impressive line variation even though the maximum line width isn't necessarily outlandish.

The Calligraphy Flex nib seems to be mated to the standard, plastic 149-style feed. I don't know if it's adjusted to suit this nib's ink demand better, but I don't think so (it's relatively wet but not necessarily gushier than my 149 with BB nib). The plastic feed does a fair job - more than fair, actually - but it's definitely the weak link of this pen. Performance is a bit hit or miss. Sometimes it keeps up great, but often it buckles under rapid and continuous flexing, especially when you push the line variation to the max. It helps to take your time when writing, which holds true for any flex pen, really.

I performed my writing"stress test" (see above) with Pelikan Edelstein Onyx, an ink I use for testing all flex nibs for a fair comparison. Onyx is a fairly well-behaved, wet ink, but you can see that at the end of the test it couldn't keep up with the relatively fast pace and heavy flexing. For a worst-case scenario like this, the feed's performance isn't half bad. Yet I can't help but think that an ebonite feed (like the 149 used to have!) could've helped in providing a richer, more consistent ink flow that's more able to keep up with a demanding nib like this.

Overall, the Calligraphy Flex performs very similarly to the Pilot #15 FA nib that I tried on the Custom 743 (review HERE), despite being two very different pens. Both have nibs that are very responsive and capable of providing excellent line variation. The Montblanc Calligraphy nib has maybe a slight edge over the FA nib because the line thickness starts out a bit finer. They are, however, also both limited by the performance of their feeds.

Montblanc being Montblanc, The Meisterstück 149 Calligraphy Flex is not a cheap gateway into modern flex pens. You have to be certain that flex nibs are the thing for you - and you specifically want one with a white star on the cap! - before putting 905€ (roughly 875$ without VAT, from La Couronne Du Comte) on the table for one. I think that speaks for itself. 905€ translates into a 100€ premium over the standard 149, a serious chunk of change for just a different nib!

I do like it though. It's a pretty pen (if you like the classic Montblanc look) with a beautiful nib design IMHO. The extra-fine nib grind and very decent flexibility make for one of the more expressive line variations I've come across in modern flex nibs, and it's a pleasant writer overall. I've yet to find a modern flexible fountain pen without a single compromise, so even with the middling performance of the feed, the Montblanc's 149 Calligraphy Flex manages to rank quite highly in my search for the perfect modern flex!

PS: I failed to keep this post short, didn't I?

Note: I purchased this product at a discount from site sponsorLa Couronne Du Comte, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

I'm a huge fan of Leonardo Officina Italiana and I think it's more than safe to say that I'm not alone with that sentiment. Leonardo makes exceptionally good pens, that start at a - for this day and age - relatively good value-for-money price point. But apart from the incredibly popular Momento Zero (reviewed HERE) and Furore, they're also making a name for themselves in the higher segment - the price range where typical luxury Italian brands tend to (or used to) reside - with various limited and small-batch releases in the past year or two. Leonardo's higher-end pens are absolute attention-grabbers, and don't shy away from unique materials and finishes... their latest Cuspide being no exception!

Standard packaging for the Cuspide, but it does depict the inspiration for the Cuspide material!

I typically tend to hesitate just long enough for those releases to sell out before I can empty my wallet on them, but just like with the Momento Zero Grande Art Deco, the Cuspide was an instant-buy for me. I immediately messaged Joost from Appelboom to secure a spot on the pre-order list - Thanks for penabling, Joost!

The new Cuspide is all about the material I think, and - to me at least - it falls right in line with a few other brands' recent efforts to bring innovative and unique materials to the table. I've talked before about Montegrappa's creation of Montegrappite, and Pineider's Arco Oakacrylic, both offering something that might be able to take over the holy grail status that celluloid enjoys right now.

The 'Cuspide' material is made up of multiple layers of colored acrylic, fused together with black resin. I went with the Olive Green finish, which is one of four colors available (along with Nocciola, Mineral Grey and Blue Sea), each of which is characterized by a very obvious pearlescent swirl. The layered pattern and contrast inside the material do indeed remind me of Omas' famed Arco Bronze and Arco Verde celluloid. The name 'Cuspide' - or cusp - refers to the "rounded point" shape (hence the spear tip on the packaging!) that returns quite clearly in the layers of the material.

The Olive green colorway, being the darkest of the four, is probably the least contrasting finish available, but the way the material is cut still brings out the 10 to 15 layers that make up the acrylic rods. I do quite like the toned down and rustic look of the Olive green though. The material is befitting for a model that overall harkens back strongly to classic fountain pen designs of the 20th century.

Trims on the Cuspide are available in gold or rhodium plating. The gold trim inevitably adds to the pens' vintage look. In the end, I went with the rhodium finish, which I think pairs extremely well with the Olive Green material.

The Cuspide next to the Momento Zero Grande 2020 in the 'Sand' colorway - both fantastic materials!

The Cuspide isn't based on a model that's otherwise available as a standard edition from Leonardo. It's maybe easiest to compare it side by side to the Momento Zero Grande (I reviewed the old style MZ Grande HERE, but pictured above is the new 2020 version!), but you'll see that the design is not as similar as you might expect at first...

The Cuspide doesn't have pointed finials, for example.

The barrel doesn't have a long tapered shape like the Furore or even Momento Zero, but rather widens subtly towards the middle of the barrel, before tapering down slightly towards the piston knob. The keen eye might also notice that the narrow clip of the Cuspide is a bit longer than the one on the Momento Zero Grande.

The most notable difference between the Momento Zero Grande and Cuspide is of course the dramatic cap-to-barrel transition from the relatively thick cap to the much narrower barrel of the Cuspide. The harsh transition is quite a departure from the sleek and streamlined transition on the Momento Zero and Furore (Grande) - which is also really the only criticism I have about this pen. The cap lip is a bit TOO sharp. It's also the only negative mark in terms of fit and finish, that I could find. The pen as a whole is far from poorly made, but that cap lip definitely would've benefitted from just the slightest rounded edge, to make it a bit less harsh to the touch.

As with a lot of limited releases from Leonardo, the cap band gets a unique engraving to set it apart. I particularly like the "crosshatched" triangle pattern on the wide center band (accompanied by two adjacent thinner bands), the same pattern also returns on the band just above the piston knob. I found it especially quirky that the lines in the pattern are slightly irregular by design, so some lines are slightly wider than others - somehow it creates a slightly more intricate look. Another interesting detail - or lack thereof - is that the Cuspide isn't branded on the barrel as usual. In fact, the only branding on the entire pen is in the nib engraving.

The Cuspide's 'Classic' piston left, versus the MZ Grande's piston right.

As all larger pens in Leonardo's current lineup (the Cuspide is technically not called a 'Grande' model, but it is almost the exact same size as a Momento Zero Grande), the Cuspide comes equipped with a piston. Interestingly, it's not the same as those on the standard Momento Zero Grande and Furore Grande models. The so-called 'classic' piston mechanism has no metal internals, yet feels more substantial and precise when operating. The piston knob turns smoothly and with just the right amount of resistance to let you feel that you're actually doing something (in other words: it doesn't feel like a captured converter!). I don't know what exactly makes it Classic, but it works very well so I have no complaints here. The ink capacity is a bit lower: 1.2 mL, compared to the 1.5 mL of the regular piston mechanism.

L to R: Pelikan M1005, Maiora Impronte, Leonardo Momento Zero, Momento Zero Grande, Furore Grande, Cuspide, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Cuspide measures 14.8 cm/ 5.83" capped, and 13.4 cm/ 5.28" uncapped, which makes it just a smidge shorter than the MZ Grande, but it's still a considerably large pen. While the Cuspide's maximum diameter around the cap band is the same as on the MZ Grande (16.75 mm/ 0.66"), the barrel is notably narrower. At 30 grams, the Cuspide is fairly lightweight and nimble for its size and is about 5 grams less than the MZ Grande.

Weird place to put the LE number, but the section design is great!

Underneath the cap, the Cuspide also sports an entirely different design. You get metal threads here, which is perhaps the only element on the entire pen that sort of breaks with the 'vintage' styling of the Cuspide. The threads aren't block-cut, but they aren't particularly sharp, either. The section transitions in one almost seamless flow into the threads, and then the barrel, so it's a fantastically comfortable pen to hold and write with.

Talking about the section: it has a more traditional, slightly tapered design with a pronounced flare towards the nib, which is perhaps the first time Leonardo steps away from their typical two-stage section shape. The section doesn't taper down much, so with an average diameter of about 12.5 mm (0.5"), it's noticeably wider in the hand than the Momento Zero, where I find my grip gets pushed towards the narrower part of the section.

The Cuspide comes with a Jowo- sourced 14k gold nib. Aesthetically speaking, it's not the most interesting nib to look at, but that's really the only criticism I can come up with. It would've been nice to see the crosshatched pattern also return on the nib imprint. Similar to the Grande models - sits on an ebonite feed that's made in-house, which is one of my favorite features of the 295€ MZ Grande, but it's even better paired with this excellent gold nib. I went with a broad nib here, which is rather stiff as most JoWo nibs tend to be, but it's glassy smooth and the ebonite feed provides an incredibly rich, wet flow (possibly even too wet for some!).

It's smooth, it lays down a consistent, broad line, the feed keeps up perfectly, and the nib doesn't seem to dry out over the course of a couple days either... Except for looks, it's an excellent nib in any way possible IMHO. And no, before you ask, Appelboom's in-house nib specialist Anabelle doesn't tune any nibs on pens that I review (although if you purchase a pen from Appelboom, definitely make use of the free "tune & smooth" option on the order page, so you're sure every nib will perform as it should!).

The Leonardo Cuspide is a limited edition of just 70 pieces per color. But even at the indisputably steep price of 850€ (820$ without VAT from Appelboom), I'm sure these will move fast! You can probably tell I'm having a hard time finding negatives about this pen - believe me, I tried! If anything, the Cuspide has to go against rather strong competition from Leonardo's own pens. The 295€ Momento Zero Grande for example (494€ with a gold nib, for apples-to-apples comparison): also a well-built pen with piston and ebonite feed that comes in a variety of lovely materials. Maybe that does cannibalize a few of their own sales, but it doesn't make the Cuspide any less great. I really enjoy the vintage-inspired design of the Cuspide (come to think of it, that's also what drew me to the Art Deco!), and the layered acrylic is stunning. Above all, the out-of-the-box writing experience is spot-on. What's not to like?

Note: Appelboom is a sponsor of this site. I received a discount on this purchase, which enabled me to write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

A new brand today... Or well, not really. Tibaldi is of course no new name to the market, with a long history in pen making (well over a century, in fact!). The brand went under in the sixties, then dabbled around until 2001 (with the most notable pen in that second period without a doubt being the illustrious Tibaldi Impero!), and ultimately was picked up by Montegrappa somewhere in 2004. Montegrappa initially used the Tibaldi name for extremely high-end limited editions, and maybe most notably for collaborations with Bentley and Bugatti... not that those were really all that memorable considering the price, in my opinion. But now, out of nowhere, Montegrappa has seemingly rebranded the Tibaldi name and given it a proper focus on modern and trendy luxury pens, watches and accessories at a more reasonable mid-tiered price point. All of a sudden, Tibaldi became interesting again!

I've got two Tibaldi pen reviews in the pipeline for you (of three - soon four - models in total right now), and right off the bat, I can tell you that these are pretty nice pens! We'll start with perhaps the pen that intrigued me most: the Tibaldi Perfecta! As soon as I saw this pen on Stilografica's website, I knew I had to give it a go, so thanks to the kind folks at Stilografica for making that possible!

If anything, I think the current Tibaldi incarnation has a very clear path ahead of them, of what they want to do and how they want to do it. Their stylistic, fresh-but-also-classic design approach shines through even in the packaging. It's just cardboard, really, so it's nothing overly fancy. And yet it's still solid, hefty and flawlessly finished with a fun geometric print on the sides and a bright orange paper outer sleeve. It's probably silly to be impressed by a cardboard box, but in this case I am.

Anyway, on to the pen! The Tibaldi Perfecta is a slightly smaller pen, taking strong design cues from the hugely popular safety pens of the early 1900s, a design style that's also the basis for the very popular - and now sadly long sold-out - Montblanc Heritage 1912. In contrast to the MB 1912 though, the Perfecta only inspired its superficial design from the safety pen. Underneath the surface, it's a modern cartridge converter-filled pen, and lacks the retractable nib mechanism that the 1912 is known for (even though it appears as if the Perfecta's barrel ends in an actual turning knob - but it does not!). The Perfecta comes in two colorways: this sleek all-black version, and an even more vintage-inspired version with a contrasting beige/black flecked acrylic for the cap!

Even though you don't actually get a safety pen out of the Tibaldi Perfecta, I still very much appreciate its' design! It certainly does feel vintage-inspired, and yet it also takes a rather minimal approach in the smaller details on the pen:

The subtle branding around the cap lip,...

The square guilloché bands around the cap finial, section and two more at the back of the barrel (which, as I said, creates sort of a visual divide between the barrel and piston knob even though it's all a single piece), and the sleek, modern-looking clip.

I don't like my clips this bendy

I've said it multiple times before, but for those that don't know: I'm a stickler for clip design! And this one, unfortunately, isn't working for me. The design in itself is quite ok. It's very bulky but as I said it's another modern detail that clashes nicely with the overall vintage inspiration of the Perfecta. The problem is the material it's made out of: rubber! I think it's a thin bent piece of steel (which you can see where it's attached to the cap), cast into a piece of rubber. It sort of sags a little, and bends when you pull it up to attach to something - it doesn't feel reassuringly strong to me.

Most importantly though, the rubber is a dust magnet and it just distracts from the otherwise very well-executed design. Ok That's all. Clip rant over.

L to R: Platinum #3776, Leonardo Momento Zero, Montegrappa Zero, Tibaldi perfecta, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Perfecta is what I'd describe as a medium-sized pen, coming in at 13.7 cm/ 5.39" capped, and 12.4 cm/ 4.88" uncapped. Even though that's technically a little below what I'd consider a comfortable size for my hand, I'm willing to be somewhat lenient here because the slightly tapered up barrel shape (the widest point is actually at the decorative bands at the back!) and balance make for an overall pleasant fit in the hand, still. The total weight of 25 grams is enough to make it feel like a sturdy pen, but remains unobtrusive in the hand. You do get a nice, comfortable section with a pleasant diameter (12mm/ 0.47") and threads at the front. But to make optimal use of the size of the Perfecta, I did find my grip to rest on the threads at the front of the section, and even a bit on the step right in front of it.

The threads are flattened off enough so to not be an issue for my grip, but the step is of course noticeable. Interestingly, Tibaldi seems to have removed the step in a recently updated version, where the part in between the nib and threads is now slightly longer and has a gentle taper to ease the transition (Anthony from UK Fountain Pens reviewed the updated version HERE). That should be a positive improvement in terms of comfort.

The cartridge/converter filling Perfecta is refilled by unscrewing the small front section right in front of the threads. With fairly little information to go by, I must admit it took me a hot minute of trying to figure out where exactly it opens up. The c/c filling system is ok, but nothing to write home about. The section has some metal parts, so you cannot eyedropper it - should you be wondering if that's the way to get at least a bit of the vintage safety filler vibe!

The nib is supposedly supplied by Bock, something I can agree with after writing with the Perfecta for a while. It's a rather simple-looking nib with a cool laser-engraving of Tibaldi's eagle-like (?) logo (Sorry, I don't know my birds! But I do know that I like the modern Tibaldi logo) that works well. The steel nib is stiff, but it's a smooth and hassle-free writer that isn't plagued by hard-starting issues or skipping, so I can't really complain. Perhaps the biggest feature of the Perfecta (and any Tibaldi pen, for that matter) can be found underneath the nib, though!

... Yes that's right, an ebonite feed! Can we just all agree that these should become the standard on pens, even in this mid-tier price range? Very rarely do I come across a pen with ebonite feed that actually worsens the performance. Perhaps they are sometimes a bit too gushy, but that can simply be fixed by 'setting' the feed with mild heat or warm water. In general, though, ebonite feeds play nicer with inks than plastic feeds do (they have better 'wettability', to throw a technical term at it). Tibaldi takes a moderate approach to their ebonite feed setup: it's balanced, not gushy but not dry either. Above all, ink flow is consistent and keeps up flawlessly. It's nice to see Tibaldi bring ebonite feeds to their entire catalog. I do wonder why they do it though, and their mother company - Montegrappa - does not?

I must say, the Tibaldi Perfecta took me by surprise for a second, and I was intrigued right from the get-go. I'm intrigued by this old-but-new brand, and I'm liking the style they convey with everything from the packaging to their marketing material. (Obviously, Montegrappa knows how to run a pen brand!) I really quite like the Tibaldi Perfecta. The vintage-inspired design is nice, its a very decent writer overall, and it's offered at a fair price point. While 195€ (about 190$ without VAT from our site sponsor Casa Della Stilografica - Get 10% off with discount code 'Firenze'!) is not cheap by any means, we've talked before about how 200-300$ seems to be the new mid-tiered price bracket that a lot of brands are moving into. With that in mind, I certainly think the Perfecta has everything it takes to play along with similarly priced competition from other Italian brands like Leonardo, Maiora, or even some of Montegrappa's own pens.

This product was provided on loan by Casa Della Stilografica, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

One week, and three reviews of Italian pens (Earlier this week we looked at the Leonardo Cuspide and Tibaldi Perfecta), you could say that's a trend! Yes, I do have a thing for Italian pens, and in particular I have (or rather, had) a thing for Delta pens...

It just so happens that two of the three pens I reviewed this week have a common history related to Delta! The Italian company that gave us the Dolcevita (one of my all-time favorite pens!) was run by two proprietors: Ciro Matrone (whose children Mariafrancesca and Salvatore now run Leonardo), and Nino Marino from the brand we're looking at today - Maiora.They both went their separate ways after the demise of Delta. But double the number of brands, double the number of fun products, innit? So you don't hear me complain!

So today we'll be looking at the first fountain pen design from Nino's new brand: the Maiora Impronte. In a way, the Maiora Impronte follows a similar design cue to the Leonardo Momento Zero. You'll probably see this comparison being made quite often, and not completely without reason. Both pens unmistakable take on distinct characteristics from Delta. The Italian style is easily recognizable in both pens, so to speak! But they do separate quite themselves quite clearly I think, especially in terms of finishes and when looking at the smaller details.

In contrast with Leonardo's more classic looks (traditional rolling wheel clips, recognizable decorative bands, and other small details), I find Maiora follows a more minimal and modern approach, without completely discarding the typical classic 'Italian design'look and feel. It's still a pen with character, not just sleek, clean lines.

The Impronte is a cigar-shaped, flattop pen with pronounced pointed finials. The Impronte has a pronounced angular, fairly sleek design. There are a couple thin decorative bands scattered across the pen, but it never comes across as too ornamental or cluttered. The cap is stubby and tapers down very straight towards the cap finial. In contrast, the barrel is elongated and has a slightly more rounded taper to it, stretching out into a long and narrow blind cap at the back. You'll definitely notice that the Impronte's cap is short in proportion to the rest of the pen, which adds some visual appeal to the overall shape.

Maiora's logo incorporates V-shapes, arranged in a star-like pattern, with a nib subtly hidden inside the logo. The V-shape returns in the clip design, which is probably my favorite element on the entire pen because it's so meticulously crafted. The solid, cast clip, with its pointed shape, has a stepped design. The top face of the clip is polished, which contrasts nicely with the matte sides.

In terms of functionality, this is certainly not the easiest clip to use, but I don't typically clip my fountain pens to things, so that's not really a dealbreaker for me personally. In this case, I'll gladly take looks over functionality. Maiora (and daughter-company Nettuno) seem to use casting techniques quite often for the trims on their pens (Delta did, too!). I appreciate them going the extra mile to incorporate traditional techniques like this in a modern-day pen!

What really sets the Impronte apart for me, is the unique choice and combination of materials. Also, it's orange. I like orange pens - for whatever reason - so they had me hooked right away! The 'original' colorway (it doesn't actually have a name!) that I was sent here, combines three different resins and finishes: matte black, glossy black, and an orange-gold-black 'spaghetti resin'.

Black swirls and subtle translucency on once side of the barrel...

... but rotating the pen reveals bright yellow-orange streaks with strong chatoyance!

The orange spaghetti resin is a combination of different acrylics, mated together as little strips. It's a combination of black swirled acrylic with gold flecks scattered in it, and different shades of orange resin with varying degrees of translucency and chatoyance to them. There's a lot of variety in the material depending on how you rotate it, giving a nice interplay of light and dark. While the combination of finishes may sound like a cacophony, I think it's really well-executed and the colors work together quite harmoniously. Especially the combination of the spaghetti resin with matte black parts is quite striking.

It's probably worth noting that, if you prefer silver trims on your pens, you're out of luck with the Maiora Impronte in this orange colorway. There are other versions though, like the blue Capri, that come with silver-colored trims. The Impronte'orange'is only available with gold-plated hardware, which does match the orange and black color scheme quite well.

My only gripe with the matte cap is that the finish is slightly inconsistent across the length of the cap (for the life of me, I couldn't capture it in the photos, but it's visible irl). It's probably a small production error on this particular pen (people I talked to didn't have this on their Maiora's), but worth noting nonetheless. Otherwise, I have absolutely no complaints about construction and fit and finish of the Impronte.

L to R: Pelikan M800, Edison Collier, Leonardo Momento Zero Grande, Leonardo Moment Zero, Maiora Impronte, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari.

The interesting thing about the sizing of the two versions of the Impronte is that the 'Standard' and 'Oversized' versions are seemingly very similar, at least on paper. (It remains to be seen how the small increase in size changes the way the oversized Impronte feels in use!) But in any case, the regular model is already quite a serious, large pen. It measures 14.7 cm closed, and 13.3 cm uncapped. The regular Impronte has a diameter of about 16 mm, and the section, while relatively short, is nice and wide (about 12 mm at the widest point) with a strong concave profile that really locks your grip securely in place.

The way the section takes your grip forward makes it so you're not really holding the pen right on the threads or slight step towards the barrel. Not that either of those things came across as particularly bothersome to me (the threads are fairly shallow and unobtrusive, and the step is rounded off and not too drastic), but you can notice them a little bit.

With a weight of 27 grams in total, the Impronte is not too heavy at all. Most of the weight sits fairly close towards the grip because of the strongly tapered barrel, so the balance is right, even with the cap posted.

Another common trait between Delta, Leonardo, and Maiora is their use of 'captured converter'-type filling systems. Some people don't like that - I actually don't mind. It gives you the ability to swap between converter and cartridges as you please, but it still retains a bit of the style and 'user experience' of using a piston-filled pen. Maiora implements it properly, with a screw-in converter that has a metal twist knob on the back with 'Maiora' laser-engraved on it, and plated to match the rest of the gold-colored trim.

The JoWo-made nib on the Maiora Impronte is an excellent choice in terms of writing experience, but if I may pick some nits, I'd like them to do away with the classic scrollwork imprint, and just keep the modern Maiora branding to better fit the rest of the pen.

The JoWo B nib performed excellent out of the box, and exactly as you'd expect from a quality steel nib. It's stiff as a nail - as Jowo's tend to be -, but the broad tipping is perfectly smooth and it lays down a generous, wet line of ink. Jowo nibs are consistently decent writers, so I can't really complain there. The Impronte has a tendency to dry out juuust a little bit over the course of several days. Interestingly this issue never persists for long no matter how long the pen hasn't been used. Flow immediately picks up right after that first hesitating line, so it's not that bad.

While I can't say that I like that Delta stopped a few years ago, I'm pleased to see both ex-business partners still continuing in their trade and keeping the Delta DNA alive in their own respective ways. That being said, while Leonardo and Maiora's common history is nice and reflects in an aesthetic that will most likely speak to Delta fans, I also stand behind letting each brand's products speak for themselves. In that view, I think Maiora's modern and slightly experimental design language of the Impronte is an excellent starting point for them to establish a new and fresh brand identity. I'm curious to see where they take it from here!

In terms of pricing, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Maiora offers the Impronte both the regular and oversized versions of the Impronte for the exact same price. While I'll still have to compare this regular version to its' oversized sibling in the future, I do like that you can choose purely based on the aesthetic or comfort difference between the two, instead of having to also factor in cost. I think their price of 180€ (175$ without VAT from site sponsor Appelboom) is correct, and competitive in today's market. It lines up perfectly with Leonardo's current pricing of the Momento Zero and Furore, and many other Italian pens with similar specs.

NOTE: This product was provided by Maiora, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

Otto Hutt is celebrating their centennial anniversary, and they're taking the opportunity to make a push towards the higher end market. Pretty much their entire celebration year is built around a unique limited edition at a price point significantly higher than you'd typically expect from the German brand!

Celebrating anniversaries with expensive limited editions seems to be a trend more than ever. Lamy released the 2000 50th anniversary Black Amber a few years ago, Platinum had their exuberantly priced Prime Platinum last year (at 10K, clearly not an easy pen to move, even though 'only' 100 were made!), very recently Diplomat announced the pricey 90th-anniversary celebration 'Zepp', and Otto Hutt celebrates its centennial with the all-new Design C. But limited editions are a tricky business to get right. Otto Hutt took a gamble with their new Design C, so how did they do?

Before we start: when I say 'expensive', I mean expensive! The Design C is a 2500€ pen. It costs almost 5 times as much as their current flagship pen, the Design 07 (reviewed HERE), and it was admittedly very hard to shake that thought, while testing the Design C. A pricetag like that inevitably changes your perception about a product. I mean, they sent a pair of gloves along, urging me to be very careful with their review sample. That sort of sets the tone.

On a completely unrelated sidenote, the attentive reader will have noticed that the Design C is the first Otto Hutt that's not marked by a number. Although in this case, the C is used as a Roman numeral, so it represents 100 - the 100th anniversary for Otto Hutt. Clever!

Let's actually look at the pen! The Design C is a complete overhaul of the design language of Otto Hutt. In a way, it follows closely to the latest Otto Hutt Design 03 (reviewed HERE). With the help of designer Mark Braun, an ultra-minimal pen is brought to the table in a way that suits their evolution towards more modern, and clean aesthetics. Effectively transitioning the brand away from the 'old' Otto Hutt with more traditional looks and a lot of silver finishes. But it's exactly that history in producing various writing instruments in silver that is still a big part of the concept of the Design C. It's a 71-gram chunk of solid sterling silver.

Quite literally, This is quite a chunk of pen you're holding in your hand! Monolithic, straight and mostly featureless, with slightly domed - but unadorned - finials. It's extremely simple, yet certainly striking, in a way. The proportions of the Design C follow the golden ratio. But the golden ratio looks a bit weird on pen, so you get a design with a relatively short cap and long barrel.

Stripped of unnecessary features, the Design C is maybe most characterized by the two small solid 18k gold 'indices' right above and below the seam between cap and barrel. These two dots functionally act as a roll-stopper for both cap and barrel, but aesthetically they break up the, mostly unadorned, sterling silver surface of the Design C.

I must say, the perfectly polished sterling silver surface is a bit daunting. It's a fingerprint magnet of course, but sterling silver also notoriously doesn't stay immaculate and beautifully polished! Call it patina, but after two or three days that pristine pen you see in the pictures started to look a bit less pristine... and yes, that's WITH the gloves and extremely careful handling!

Some smaller details like the engravings on the piston knob are etched in a tiny and neat font, making them stand out very little in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps those engravings look a bit too clean though, it may have been nice if they had done those by hand, to signify the skill and craftsmanship that's involved in working with precious metals. Then again, it's a minimal design they were after, so I guess minimal branding fits the bill.

The Design C comes presented in a very large presentation box. Included are a polishing cloth, a nice booklet, and a bottle of permanent blue ink, which seems to be a fairly nice darker blue color. I didn't dare to put a permanent ink in this loaner pen though, so I went with a more benign fill of Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire instead.

Also included in the box is a custom leather pen case. It's wet-formed around the shape of the Design C, and it looks quite ok from afar. Unfortunately, the second you pick up the case, you'll immediately feel that it's not the kind of case you put a very expensive pen in. It feels light and cheap, and the edges are weirdly sharp, to the point where I think it might add more micro-scratches to the delicate finish of the Design C than it prevents (ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it still doesn't feel very premium). Additionally, it's a very awkward size for something that's custom-fitted for this specific pen. The entire case is bulky, and the flap extends extremely far beyond the actual length of the pen. Surely for a 2500$ pen, the case is overall underwhelming.

L to R: Ennso Piuma, Pelikan M1005, Montblanc 149, Otto Hutt Design 06, Design 07, Design C, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Design C is not a terribly large pen, but it's extremely dense and space-optimized. At 14cm/ 5.51" closed, the Design C fits right in with other Otto Hutt pens, that's to say: not too large. However, the C turns into a notably large pen when uncapped! Of all pens in this lineup, the Design C starts second to smallest in line, but ends up as the largest pen in the hand at 13.5cm/ 5.31". That's impressive and functional.

The cap takes about two (very smooth!) turns to uncap. Underneath, the satin black section creates a stark contrast with the shiny silver outside. The stainless steel section is PVD coated, and at least on this well-tested sample that passed a lot of hands before me, the finish is still flawless so it seems durable enough to hold up. The wavy texture of the section is strongly reminiscent of the Lamy Persona/Imporium (reviewed HERE). It provides a secure grip, but it's quite uncommon so it definitely takes some time to get used to. There's a relatively steep step towards the barrel of the pen, but the section provides enough space so you don't have to rest your fingers on the step. Together with the comfortable diameter of 11-12 mm, the section is overall quite pleasant and comfortable to hold.

The solid silver and stainless steel construction of the Design C makes for an incredibly solid-feeling pen. Unfortunately, it's quite noticeably back-weighted, because of the complex mechanism for the filling system that we'll touch on in a minute. I'm quite ok with heavier pens, but the trick is having all that weight balance properly in your hand - the Design C is noticeably a bit off, in that regard.

The cause of the back-weighted balance is Otto Hutt's Pull+Twist piston filling mechanism, specially designed for this pen. It's a big selling point for the Design C. Undoubtedly a lot of engineering and designing effort went into its creation... But I'm simply not blown away by it. The piston engages by pulling the piston knob out a couple millimeters, after which it functions like a normal piston filler. It's more complex and finicky than it looks though, and the fiddling it takes to activate and deactivate the mechanism distracts from the user experience. When the mechanism is actually engaged and you're ready to fill the pen, it is a bit squeaky and feels very light and unsubstantial (like a captured converter, not a proper piston mechanism). There's a bit of play on the mechanism as well - not too surprising, given how many moving parts there are! - which sometimes rattles just the tiniest bit. As I said, kudos to Otto Hutt for trying to do something different... but I think it needs a bit more fine-tuning to feel as premium as it should.

The nib is a #6 18k gold one. It's made by JoWo and sits on a stock JoWo feed, but the nib design itself is completely custom. I quite like how it's two-tone, but the plating isn't separated by the imprint itself. Instead, only the o | h logo - Otto Hutt's new branding style - is centered on the nib, with a few simple lines surrounding it. It's quite different and not too cluttered - I like it.

I like even better how it writes. A pretty regular JoWo experience, I guess, but JoWo makes killer gold nibs so that's not a bad thing. It's perfectly smooth, responsive, and definitely on the wetter side. It has a slight bit of bounciness to it for a cushioned writing experience. The nib also doesn't dry out over extended periods of time. Excellent marks for anything concerning the nib and overall writing experience.

If you haven't read Antony's (UKFountainpens) interview with designer Mark Braun, I'd suggest you go do that before reading on. It's interesting to get a look in the head of the designer, but it also highlights some of the marketing around the Design C that I don't get behind.

For one, Mark Braun insists on categorizing the C as 'Democratic luxury'. In his eyes, you only need to buy this one, high-quality pen and have that for the rest of your life. Surely, that's an ideology. While this is most certainly an heirloom-quality pen, it is most likely not the only pen you'll ever buy, and especially not the only pen you'll use every day... Certainly, I wouldn't feel comfortable using a 2,5K pen every day of the week. I also don't think anybody who's not deeply into pens would shell out 2500$ on a whim, and have the Design C as their be-all-end-all pen. Having a heirloom-quality, EDC pen definitely doesn't mean it has to cost as much as the Design C.

Secondly, using the term 'Democratic luxury' is also a bit contradictory. Being a piece of democratic luxury would imply moving away from a business model that uses limited availability and exclusivity as a way to control their brand image, and prices that intrinsically target only the lucky few. If 2500$ for a limited edition pen is no longer viewed as 'exclusive', please let me know, because that would mean my perception of pricing and accessibility is quite far off! Funnily enough, in his interview with Anthony, Mark Braun also admits that this pen is very expensive BECAUSE it is an anniversary edition and therefore more exclusive, which contradicts once again his entire reasoning.

Remember how I started this review, pointing out that even Otto Hutt's top-of-the-line Design 07 doesn't come nowhere near the Design C's hefty retail price of 2436€ (2380$ without VAT) from retailers like our site sponsor La Couronne Du Comte (Though you can get 10% off with our discount code 'penthusiast'!) While markups like these are certainly not unheard of for limited editions from well-established high-end brands like Montblanc, Namiki, etc., it's not something every brand can justify doing. Even though I'd consider Otto Hutt to be a premium brand, this is uncharted price territory for them, so they don't necessarily have the customer base and loyal following that expects to pay this much for a pen. TL;DR - It's not a Montblanc Writer's edition that can pull off an exorbitant price, 'just because'!

That being said, I think the Otto Hutt Design C is a good pen in most ways - except maybe the filling system - and even an exceptional pen in certain ways. I, for one, am obviously quite a big fan of the minimal and futuristic design approach they took, and for once I think it's an example of a pen where a collaboration with a famous designer DOES work out quite well (I'm looking at you, Visconti Iopenna!). I'm sure the target audience for this pen exists somewhere out there, but they may just have to still find Otto Hutt on their path. I'm definitely curious to see if the Design C marks the first step in an effort from Otto Hutt to position their brand (even more) upmarket!

Note: This product was sent on loan by Otto Hutt, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

Esterbrook released their own line of pen cases last year - the NOOK - but they literally revised it even before I had the chance to review it! The revised version however, theEsterbrook NOOK Navy - we'll call it v2 for now - is quite a strong departure from the concept of the original NOOK, in some cases for the better, in other instances... well, let's have a look, shall we?

The looks have certainly changed quite drastically, not in the least because of the more structural changes they made to the way the case functions. If anything, the overall shape of the NOOK is still very much sizeable and bulky. It's also still of course a hard pen case, with a sturdy inner structure that provides rigidity to the case.

Stylistically though, the NOOK took quite a 180-degree turn from the very classic, cognac leather-look and paisley interior fabric of the first version, to a more modern and younger blue faux-leather and bright red fabric interior with the modern Esterbrook 'X' logo (yes, I still refuse to call that an 'infinity' logo) imprinted all over it. Not to mention the contrasting red stitching all over the exterior of the case!

The magnetic pushbutton closure and double front flap design (not dissimilar from the split tailgate of some SUVs!) replaces the two-part construction of version one, and that's a good thing. One of the major issues with version one was the risk of sliding out the 'pen drawer' while holding the case upside down, and having your pens plain fall out. The new design prevents that by having a clear top and bottom, but also implements elastic bands throughout each slot, so the pens are secured in place even when the case is open.

The cutouts for the elastic could've been finished a bit cleaner

The elastic bands are both a good and a bad bullet point on my list. Good: the premise works, pens are indeed securely kept in place. Even smaller or shorter pens that would otherwise roam freely and happily throughout the case, stay put. But the flip side is that the elastic is placed in a somewhat awkward position, I feel. Being dead-center in the middle of the slots, you have to maneuver pens underneath it, and it can be a bit tricky or tight depending on the size of the pen. If they had moved the elastic down to about 1/3rd the height of the case, it probably would've been much easier to take pens in and out.

The slots at either side of the case are also a bit less easy to use, due to how the elastic is attached underneath the bottom of the case (see picture above), so you have to manually lift the elastic up to slide a pen underneath. It's - in essence - a functional design, but I think it could be implemented just a little bit better, still... maybe something for version three?

Visconti Dreamtouch (top left), Franklin-Christoph Penvelope 6(top right), Esterbrook NOOK v2 (bottom left), Franklin-Christoph NPV (bottom right)

Top to bottom: Franklin-Christoph NPV, Galen 10-pen case, Visconti Dreamtouch, Esterbrook NOOK v2, Franklin-Christoph Penvelope 6

The first NOOKs were absolutely massive, so luckily they managed to slim down version 2 just a bit. Make no mistake, these are still large cases though! Regardless of the version (1-, 2-, 3-, 6- and 12-pen capacity!), the NOOK cases are 17.2 cm/ 6.77" tall, and 3.5 cm/ 1.38" thick. The slots are all roughly 1.8-2 cm/ 0.75" wide. The 6-pen case is 14.7 cm/ 5.79" wide, but since those numbers are more than likely absolutely useless, I put it up against some other cases with a 6 pen capacity, and the similarly-sized Galen 10 pen case. The NOOK is the second-to-largest of the bunch, with only the Franklin-Christoph Penvelope 6 being a good bit larger still.

In terms of size, the massive hardcover flap obviously takes up a ton of space when opened up (and obviously you want it open, to look at your pens!). I hoped they would've made it so the front flap can fold behind the back of the case (maybe even function as sort of a kickstand?), but that's not the case... maybe another idea for a future version three?

L to R: Esterbrook JR, Estie, Estie Oversized, Montblanc 149, Pelikan M1005, Platinum #3776, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari, Kaweco Sport, SCHON DSGN P6

The NOOK's large form factor has one obvious benefit: space! Despite being almost one centimeter less tall, the slots are still spacious at 15.8 cm/6.22" by 2 cm/ 0.79", enough to accommodate very large pens - like Esterbrook's own Estie Oversized (reviewed HERE), although the elastic makes getting those in and out a bit trickier. Only the single pen case is a bit of an outlier here, being less space-efficient and thus less convenient for larger and wider pens than its larger brethren! Overall, the slots are noticeably more padded than on the old version, and the fabric for the interior feels softer to the touch too. I definitely feel more comfortable putting expensive pens in this case than in version one.

Overall, in terms of functionality, the NOOK hits a real high note, maybe with exception of the somewhat unfortunate placement of the elastic. A lot of pen cases struggle finding a good balance between offering functionality for either very large, or very small pens. The NOOK is actually one of the first cases I'ce come across that manages to accomodate substantial pens, yet pocket pens don't get lost in a sea of space either! No matter what size, the NOOK offers excellent protection for your pens.

My biggest gripe with version two of the NOOK is that it feels noticeably less premium than its predecessor, while still coming in at the same price. While the fake leather feels nice (a bit softer and more 'real' than the first version), fit and finish could definitely be better. The edges of the leather aren't always nicely trimmed and tucked in, and all parts of the case are glued (in some areas you can see the glue between two parts), with the stitching existing purely for aesthetic reasons.

Aesthetically, the Esterbrook NOOK v2 is a bit more out there compared to the more classic styling of most other pen cases, but that's down to personal preferences. While the red and blue color scheme is perhaps not my first choice, I do enjoy the NOOK from a practical point of view. It has been a staple in my daily carry for a while now, and there's no denying that it does what it's supposed to do: protect pens! My biggest gripe with the NOOK v2 Navy is the MSRP. I feel like the construction quality is subpar with what I'd expect for a case that starts at 85€/ 85$ (single), and goes all the way up to 175€/ 175$ (12-pen) (from our site sponsor La Couronne Du Comte, get 10% off with discount code 'penthusiast'!).

Perhaps Esterbrook took advantage of Visconti doing away with the reasonably priced Dreamtouch pen cases and replacing them with the much more expensive 'VSCT' leather collection, so the NOOK doesn't really have direct competition from other brands in their price range? That being said, I hope Esterbrook can find a way to up their build quality because that's where I feel this version of the NOOK still leaves something to be desired...

NOTE: This product was provided by Esterbrook (Kenro), so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

Stilform. By now, you've probably heard of this German-based minimal design brand, born in the cradle of crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Certainly, if you frequent this little space on the interwebs, you've come across one of my reviews of their earlier Kickstarter projects: The Stilform Kosmos pen, or Ink fountain pen. Their latest design follows in Stilforms - by now well-known - style, with more magnetic mechanism action of course, but built around a different style of refill: We're looking at the Stilform Arc gel pen (currently available for preorder). Stilform sent one over for review and I've been playing with it for the past couple of months now, so I think it's about high time I give my opinions on it!

The Arc can still without a doubt be classified under the minimal design moniker, no surprises there. Designwise, the Arc utilizes elements we've seen before on Stilform's Ink fountain pen: a straight cylindrical overall shape, two large flats that run the entire length of the pen, pronounced chamfered edges, and a rounded cap finial.

The featureless -almost monolithic - design of the Arc is interrupted slightly by the introduction of a functional design element at the back of the barrel: a noticeable step-down, and a short cylindrical part (also with nicely chamfered edges, of course!) protrudes from the barrel to seat the cap securely when posted. Interestingly, with the cap removed, the front and back of the pen are almost perfectly symmetrical...with the exception of the pen tip that extends out the front, of course.

Stilform being Stilform, the barrel has magnets too, so the cap is held on magnetically even when posted...and it aligns with the flat sides too! Attention to the small (and sometimes hidden!) details is the name of the game with minimal design, and Stilform provides with surprisingly complex engineering under the hood, especially for a pen that looks so deceivingly simple from the outside! The magnets in both the cap and the barrel finial are adjustable to make the cap align both when closed, AND posted. If you order just the pen itself, that should be a non-issue, as alignment is checked during assembly (For what it's worth, my pen came perfectly aligned out of the box).

However, the Arc can also be purchased with a magnetic ruler that acts both as, well... a ruler, and a desk pen-style base. I didn't receive the ruler add-on to try out, so I can only say that it looks kind of cool from the pictures (although we've seen a couple pen+ruler combos from various brands on Kickstarter, and I've never felt too strongly about any of them, to be honest!). The magnet of the ruler can be misaligned out of the box, so they include a tool to adjust the magnets of the pen. Clever!

The aluminium version I was sent has an anodized finish in the Night sky blue finish. The finish has held up very well in the few months I've been using it - and I've used it quite a bit, I have to say! Some very minor wear spots are beginning to show at the edges where cap and barrel meet... probably because I'm quite a fan of fidgeting with the magnetic mechanism, so some wear is to be expected!

L to R: Ensso Piuma, Stilform Kosmos, Stilform Arc, Stilform 'old' Kosmos Ink, Stilform New Ink, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Stilform Arc measures 14.3 cm/ 5.61" closed, and 12.3 cm/ 4.84" open. With the cap posted (I found myself using it like this most of the time) it's still a very comfortable size: 14.9 cm/ 5.87". This aluminium version has a pleasant 25g total weight, while the titanium version comes in at a more hefty 37g.

The Arc is notably quite slim, with a diameter of 10.5 mm/ 0.41" that goes down to 9.2 mm/ 0.36" at the thinnest part because of the flat sides. Compared to the new Ink fountain pen that was made a bit thicker and larger overall, the Arc is a bit of a departure and my hand required some adjusting to it, finding a comfortable way to grip it. The way you hold the pen is also obviously influenced by the two flat sides that run the entire length of the pen, where I found it most natural to rest my thumb on one of the flats. Unlike the Ink fountain pen, where a completely round section underneath the cap provides you with a comfortable grip, The Arc doesn't have a dedicated section, so you hold the pen somewhere along the barrel instead.

That said, the design does make sure that you can hold the pen as far up the barrel as you desire, and the fact that the cap posts so securely (the satisfying posting mechanism makes it one of the select few pens that I use posted almost exclusively!) makes it a lengthy pen so you have all the freedom to hold it as you please.

The Arc is a gel pen, and as such it comes stock with a Pilot Juice Up needlepoint-type gel pen cartridge. With the Pilot Juice critically acclaimed as an excellent refill, it's not a strange choice, although it is interesting to see something other than Pilot's G2 (even though it's no secret that I love that refill to bits!). The Juice Up is supposed to be a hybrid between needlepoint and a traditional gel refill, but that's mostly down to how the tip looks. Using the G2 0.5 mm refill as a benchmark, the black ink of the Juice Up - also 0.5 mm, although of course other line widths and different colors are available - looks a bit less pitch-black compared to the G2's, and the line width is essentially the same.

After some experimentation, I was pleasantly surprised to see that, besides the Juice and Juice Up, a wide variety of refills can actually very easily be made to fit: from Pilot's own G2, and other G2-sized rollerball or gel ink refills (This website very handily presents all refills in terms of size, the 111.1 mm length refills on this page should fit), even Parker-style ballpoint refills (and all the variations that exist on that type of refill) work if you put a short spacer (a piece of an empty gel ink cartridge works fabulously to 'hack' refills!) behind it to make up for the difference in length.

I have to say, Stilform continues to impress me with every product they create. That's not surprising of course, their formula of minimal design and magnetic mechanisms, combined with a keen eye for the smaller details, simply works. At a certain point, I hope they'll also dare to stray from the beaten path and create something completely different... but for the time being, I think the Arc is an excellent pen, and a good addition to Stilforms growing product catalog. At the time of writing, the Stilform Arc is available for preorder from Indiegogo, at a discounted price of 55€, but even at the future MSRP of 70€ I think it's still quite fairly priced. The titanium version is substantially more expensive (MSRP of 129€), which is a bit less friendly on the wallet - as is expected for most titanium pens on the market.

This product was sent to me by Stilform, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

Even in a weird year like 2020, there are still certainties in life: one, of course, being that first Friday of November, it's Fountain Pen Day! Of course, you should always take good care of your fountain pens, but today is the day to do something extra: buy them flowers, or a box of chocolates... Ok, maybe that's a bit weird, just enjoy some peaceful writing today, or clean that one pen you've had inked in your pen case or desk drawer for far too long (we're all guilty of doing this, aren't we?), that's an option too!

But let's start the FPD celebrations with a giveaway, shall we! With the help of Esterbrook and Fountain Pen Day, I've got a fantastic Esterbrook-themed swag bag to give to one lucky winner! The contents are pretty insane: one of Esterbrook's new JR fountain pens, an Esterbrook NOOK single pen case to keep it nice and cozy, a custom vintage Esterbrook-themed stamp (never thought I'd say this about a stamp, but it's super cool!), and of course a bunch of Fountain Pen Day stickers, pins and bookmarks, so you can show off your nerdiness in style!

Participating is simple. All you have to do for a chance to win, is enter in the Rafflecopter widget below and complete one or more tasks, easy peasy! The more tasks you complete, the more chances to win! This giveaway will run for five days, starting today.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RULES: Open worldwide! Giveaway ends 11/7/2020. The winner will be chosen via random.org, and announced in a separate post. The winner will be contacted directly via email, if he/she fails to reply within one week, a new winner will be picked. Only entries with valid email address are eligible to win. Invalid entries are denied.

Want to stay up-to-date on giveaways and new content? Follow The Pencilcase Blog on INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, FACEBOOK or subscribe to the NEWSLETTER!

I was very excited about the Montegrappa Zero when it was first announced. Not in the least because it's the second pen Montegrappa has made available through their Configuratoreplatform(I appreciate how Montegrappa's Custom pens offer something completely unique in the pen industry!). But even in this off-the-shelf black/ruthenium colorway, I think it's a fantastic pen - one of my favorite designs so far, from the people in Bassano Del Grappa (The hometown of Montegrappa).

From a distance, you'd be excused for thinking the Zero is a boring, normal pen. It's eerily normal, even, coming from the creators of the Chaos pen (and many other over-the-top designs). But there's more to the Zero than it lets off. Look closely, and the Zero actually has so many small details, it's really quite beautifully designed! The inspiration is clearly drawn from watch design, with an interplay of brushed and polished surfaces and beveled edges everywhere.

The cap finial is a 3D Montegrappa logo, inset in a watch-like bezel, and topped off with sapphire glass - great attention to detail. Oh, and the metal trims on the Zero are machined from Br8 bronze, an alloy that's - you guessed it - popular in watchmaking!

Other than that, the Zero is indeed nothing too outrageous. It's a pretty sleek, modern design for Montegrappa, especially in this gunmetal and black finish (there's also an even more murdered-out'Ultra Black' finish). The cap is straight, and the barrel tapers down gradually towards the back to allow for the cap to post. Trim rings are thick and prominent parts in the design, both on the finials, and the center band. The clip is rectangular, again with nicely beveled edges, and the Montegrappa logo engraved in cursive. The Zero perhaps looks a bit clunky from a distance, but the details are definitely there.

L to R: Platinum #3776, Leonardo Momento Zero, Pelikan M805, Montegrappa Zero, Tibaldi Perfecta, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Zero is a decently sized pen, a bit larger than - but overall comparable to - the Pelikan M800. It measures 14.3 cm/ 5.63" capped, and 12.9 cm/ 5.08" uncapped. The section has a comfortable diameter of around 10.5 mm/ 0.41". The zero weighs 32 grams in total, giving it just the right amount of substance, without being heavy. The barrel is tapered specifically to allow the cap to post, and it does so very securely (the inside of the cap has a plastic liner and threads, so it doesn't feel like you're damaging the barrel when you post. That being said, I don't really like the way the Zero balances in the hand with the cap posted. I don't know why, I just find it much more comfortable and balanced unposted, but maybe that's just me.

The metal block threads are crisp and cleanly cut, and received the same beveled edges and brushed finish as the rest of the trim - they certainly went out of their way to create a very uniform and coherent design down to even the smallest details. While the threads are certainly a bit sharper than on most Montegrappa pens (which are typically rounded off and buttery smooth!), you'll only notice that when you deliberately run your finger over them. While writing, the threads are unobtrusive, and actually offer a comfortable and gradual transition from section to the barrel.

Montegrappa has always had great nib designs, but now the JoWo-made writing end also performs the part

The Zero, like all other Montegrappa pens these days, carries a Jowo-made nib (this one is steel, but a gold nib is available at a hefty 200€ premium). The fine nib seems to have a more balanced ink flow than some other Montegrappa pens I've tried recently, but that's not a bad thing.

I find JoWo's finer end of the spectrum tends to have a bit more noticeable feedback, but it's certainly not nearly as pronounced as on Montegrappa's old nibs (which were dry and borderline scratchy). Overall, this fine nib is a very pleasant, balanced everyday writer. I've said it in every Montegrappa review I recently did, but I'll repeat it once more: Montegrappa's switch to JoWo has significantly bumped up the writing performance of their steel-nibbed pens!

I've been thoroughly impressed with some of Montegrappa's more recent offerings (the highlight definitely being the Mia Meteor Storm, that I reviewed not so long ago!), and the Zero positions itself firmly at the top of my list. It's a distinctly more modern design than what we're used to from Montegrappa, but they made it their own by going all out on the small details - it's like a fine watch, but instead of telling the time, you can write with it.

Also, like fine watches, the Zero isn't cheap - 350€/ 408$ (at Appelboom) is what you'll pay for a version like this, but of course, the cost can creep up when you start playing around with the Configuratore. That may make it a tough sell against the excellent MIA, but I'd still pick the Zero over Montegrappa's more affordable offerings like the Elmo (reviewed HERE) or Parola, any day of the week!

REVIEW: MONTEGRAPPA ELMO FANTASY BLOOMS FOUNTAIN PEN

Note: This product was sent on loan by our site sponsor Appelboom, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

Our FPD 2020 giveaway has officially ended! Who will take home the fantastic swag bag from Esterbrook, complete with a brand new Esterbrook JR fountain pen, and NOOK pen case?

The winner, as chosen by the Random number generator:

Sunny Chan

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Thanks again for all the support, and thanks for entering the giveaway! Didn't win this time, or missed out on the giveaway? Don't worry, there will of course be more giveaways in the future! Always stay up-to-date on current giveaways and new blog posts by following The Pencilcase Blog on INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, FACEBOOK or subscribe to the NEWSLETTER!

Not so long ago, the Tibaldi Perfecta pleasantly surprised me (review HERE). And today we're taking a look at anotherTibaldi: the N.60 (or "Modello 60") fountain pen.

With pens like the Perfecta and N.60, Tibaldi is returning to the company's roots, stepping away from the high-end pens they were known for in most recent years, and instead focusing on recreations of their own vintage designs of the previous century. I think their "re-envisioning" opened up quite a bit of potential going forward. We all know that vintage-inspired pens typically are quite well-received, and so the N.60 - in that regard - should be an interesting pen as well.

Tibaldi N.60 next to the smaller Tibaldi Perfecta

As I said, the N.60, just like the Perfecta, is heavily drawn from vintage Tibaldi pens. I didn't know before I recently got to talking with the people of Tibaldi, but they actually have quite a long-standing history in pen manufacturing. All the way back to 1916 in fact, so there's plenty of material to draw inspiration from!

The original celluloid Modello 60, if you look it up online, is indeed immediately recognizable here. The N.60 is quite a large pen, with a subtly curved, flattop design. From to the stepped finials with 'jewel' inlays (a design element also found on vintage Esterbrooks and Parker Vacumatics, for example) on cap and barrel,...

... the tie-shaped clip,...

....the three small cap bands, to even the pinched shape of the cap lip,... all the details of the original made its way into this design, which is really cool. I like that they stayed true to the original. Some modern interpretations seem to try too hard to do things differently, they miss the ball completely (Esterbrook JR, I'm looking at you!), and ultimately lose connection with their historical counterparts.

The design feels positively vintage, down to the material choice. Of course no longer celluloid like the vintage counterparts, but they're nice flecked resins nonetheless. I particularly like this more subtle ruby red colorway, it has some nice chatoyance in the dark red flecks. You can also go for more vibrant green or amber yellow, or perhaps the bold blue-yellow flecked 'Samarkand', which mimics one of Tibaldi's vintage transparent blue flecked celluloids (They sent me a coffee table book with information on historical models, so I can now pretend like I know these kinds of things!).

Maybe the only thing I'm not so fond of with the N.60, is the functionality of the clip. It's true to the original clip design, yes, but it's far from practical in my opinion. The clip is very springy (good), but it hugs too closely for it to actually be able to slide over the edge of a pocket or a pen case slot.

L to R: Platinum #3776, Esterbrook JR, Esterbrook Estie, Tibaldi Perfecta, Tibaldi N.60, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

For a recreation of an older pen, the N.60 may look a bit too large to really be truthful to the original. But actually, the original Modello 60 was supposedly fairly similar in size. The N.60 measures 14.9cm/ 5.87" capped, and retains a very comfortable length of 13.3cm/ 5.24" when uncapped, making it quite a sizeable pen. The section measures roughly 11.7mm/ 0.46", which is slightly on the wider side but should fit most grips quite well.

Talking about grip: writing with the N.60 is a treat! The section isn't extremely long, but it tapers nicely and flares out right before the nib. There's no step to speak of, the threads are almost not noticeable, and the fairly light total weight of 28g makes it a fatigue-free writer. I found it plenty long to use unposted, but posting is possible if you so desire.

Just like the Perfecta lacked the safety filler mechanism of its vintage counterpart, the N.60 has a standard cartridge/converter filling system instead of the original Modello 60's piston. The converter is a screw-in type, just like Montegrappa's pens (remember, Tibaldi is part of Montegrappa!), so it can't come loose accidentally. Of course, a piston filler would've been nice, but then again that would've inevitably also reflected in the price.

As mentioned in the review of the Perfecta, Tibaldi outfits their pens with steel nibs by Bock. I like the modern Tibaldi logo laser etched on the nib, but perhaps a more vintage-appropriate design would've fit the overall aesthetic a bit better?

It's good to see more and more brands go back to using ebonite feeds!

As last time, the N.60 also benefits from an ebonite feed, which provides a fairly heavy ink flow that I like. The steel medium nib is smooth, but not glassy smooth, it has just the slightest bit of feedback to it. It's a well-behaved nib, and together with the comfortable design, the N.60 offers a very complete package for long writing sessions.

Tibaldi is specifically targeting a younger, more business-oriented audience with their new product lines, and they seem to be keen on keeping within the 150-200$ price range. The N.60 in particular, is priced very reasonably at 185€ (179$ without VAT) at Appelboom (use discount code 'friend' for 10% off!), about the same as the Tibaldi Perfecta I reviewed earlier.

I honestly have nothing but praise for what Tibaldi is doing right now. Between this and the Perfecta, they managed to perfectly capture vintage designs in well-made, modern pens. The ebonite feeds are a nice thing to see these days, they are good writers, and the price is in line with what I'd expect to pay for a pen like this. The 'new' Tibaldi brand may still need some time to regain traction with the larger audience after their complete rebranding. But the way I see it, I think they can definitely stand up to competing Italian brands like Leonardo,Maiora, and the like.

Pen cases and pen storage boxes are at least equally big business as the pens we put in them. That makes sense, we want to protect our prized possessions after all... and in a stylish way too, if possible!

So today we're looking at something I actually have never tried out: pen boxes! I got in touch with Breton (Absolute Breton), a luxury and custom leather goods maker from Spain, up until recently perhaps one of the more obscure brands on the scene, but they seem to be slowly gaining traction within the community especially for their leather 'Travel' pen cases.

We're not looking at the Travel pen cases today though, instead Breton sent over the 11-pen box with glass lid(their products don't seem to have actual names). I was actually surprised because I didn't know Breton also made pen boxes like this. In fact, it seems that I didn't know much about the brand at all. If you have some time to peruse their website, I'd definitely urge you to do so. Breton is known in the industry for their custom work on yacht interiors and upholstery of suitcases to accommodate everything from watch or pen collections, to entire minibars. They even make custom safes for watches and pens, fully upholstered in leather, of course!

So yeah, we're talking really high-end products here, and serious eye candy, to say the least! But anyway, back to the pen box, because there's quite a lot to talk about...

PEN CASE REVIEW: ABSOLUTE BRETON PEN DISPLAY BOX

I'm all too often put off by pen boxes due to their often gaudy, ornamental, and very classic designs, which doesn't fit my personal style at all. This had me a bit worried about the design of Breton's pen box, because I tend to associate their brand with a fairly classic look and styling. The Breton pen box managed to change my opinion, though, with a pleasantly modern design.

It's a nice, straightforward rectangular design, unadorned from all sides and covered entirely in leather. Of course with a glass window in the lid that takes up almost the entire top of the case for a more or less unobstructed view of the pens inside.

The box has no handle to open the lid, so on both sides of the case, you'll find oval indentations through which you can lift the lid. I like this solution because it means there are no knobs or handles sticking out from the case, and no metal hardware is visible for a clean and simple look.

The style of leather further aids in providing the Breton pen box with a modern appearance - although of course you can choose from a selection of leather types and colors when you order from them directly (for example with crocodile leather, you'd clearly step away from the modern appearance of the finish I tested!) Unfortunately, I have no idea what the exact name or specification is of this leather, but it's some kind of perforated, black leather. All I can say is that it's very soft to the touch, and it looks modern - which fits the overall design of the box. The perforated leather reminds me of steering wheels in luxury sports cars, which is quite cool. The inside of the box is finished in light grey microfiber material, giving an overall muted color scheme.

It's subtle, but the pen box is angled about 5 degrees towards you, because of two sturdy metal feet at the back. The feet are rounded, so I don't expect them to damage the surface you put the box on, but I would've preferred if they were rubberized to keep the box from sliding. Because the box does like to slide around a bit, especially since it's surprisingly lightweight without any pens in it (with 11 pens inside, the case becomes rather heavy, of course!). Some high-end pen boxes feel weightier, which might be associated with quality, but I honestly have no complaints in terms of build quality so I think it would be unfair to make the same association here.

In fact, I'd say the build quality is downright excellent. The leather on the outside is neatly applied (the perforated pattern doesn't show any stretching or warping anywhere), corners are nicely tucked in, and no seams or unfinished edges are visible. The bottom of the case is finished with a durable fabric to prevent wear.

If I'm being very picky, maybe one area where I do think they were a bit too fanatic (if that's even possible?) about the finishing, is in covering up the lid hinge. This strip of leather covering the hinge, overlaps on the top of the lid, causing a slightly bulkier finish and more seams than necessary. In my opinion, having the hinge visible wouldn't distract from the overall clean aesthetics of the case.

Talking about the hinge, it's probably my favorite feature of the Breton pen box! It's incredibly well-adjusted to the weight of the case and requires just the right amount of force to neatly lift it open without having to brace the rest of the box. You can literally open it with a single finger, and the hinge is nicely dampened, so even when you let it fall closed, it shuts relatively quietly. The lid only opens to less than a 90-degree angle. It would've been nice if it opened up a bit further to give more unobstructed access to the pens inside. It's not really a dealbreaker though.

L to R: Wahl-Eversharp Decoband, Scribo Feel, ASC Bologna Extra, Pelikan M1005, Montblanc 149, Leonardo MZ Grande, Conid Kingsize, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The entire 11-pen box (other sizes are also available) measures 26cm/ 10.2" by 18 cm/ 7.1", and is about 5cm/ 2" deep at the highest point. To give some perspective, Visconti's - now discontinued - Dreamtouch 11-pen case isn't much smaller, measuring 26.5cm/ 10.4" by 16.5cm/ 6.5" by 3.5cm/ 1.4". So the Breton pen box manages to be quite compact and doesn't take up too much space on your desk.

On the inside of the Breton 11-pen box, you'll find a rather interesting layout for the pen slots, which don't cover the interior top to bottom. The pen slots only run up until about two cm from the top of the case, where a horizontal 'channel' cutout interrupts the pen slots. I assume the design is meant to provide easier access to taking out the pen by the cap, but the functionality of this design quirk depends quite strongly on how large the pens are.

The slots of the Breton box are wide (pens up to 21mm/ 0.83"), and every square inch of the interior is lined with an incredibly plush and soft microfiber material. The slots are concave too, not just flat, so your pens can be neatly aligned and will stay that way. Larger pens have ample space, even going into really oversized territory. Up until 16cm/ 6.3" long pens - effectively the size of theASC Bologna Extrapictured above - will fit... but barely! Ideally, you'd want to stay below that 16cm threshold, because it just looks a bit weird when it's squeezed in there like that.

The Breton 11-pen display box made me look at pen boxes differently, I have to say. I've always been a bit wary of them and used to prefer pen cases for their more versatile (read: portable) nature. But there's a certain elegance of having your pens displayed on your desk, and especially a smaller box like this is not too terrible in terms of the space it takes up on your desk. In fact, there's also 3- and 6-pen variants available in this design, which may be even more appropriate if you just want to keep a couple daily carry pens on your desk. Particularly the modern looks of the Breton pen box appeal to me, especially since so many brands (from budget to extremely high-end) stick to a very classical styling that just doesn't' resonate with me.

Given Breton's luxury status, I expected a price tag to match, so I was pleasantly surprised by this 11-pen box's price point. While 271€ is arguably still a lot of money for a case that only holds 11 pens, it can certainly be a lot worse when looking at other high-end brands like Agresti or Ladon, which are easily double the price for a similar setup. Breton's website offers these pen boxes in different sizes (up to 34 pens - 491€), with a variety of leather options to choose from. But of course, you can always inquire about a fully bespoke design (although you might have to dig a bit deeper into your wallet for that!).

This product was sent to me by Breton, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

REVIEW: MONTEGRAPPA ZERO CARAMEL FOUNTAIN PEN

If you recall my review of the Montegrappa Zero a couple weeks ago, you'll know that I'm quite a big fan of this new(er) model. Even more so, I think it's one of the better pens Montegrappa has released in recent years, despite looking pretty nondescript and maybe plain from a distance. Perhaps the Zero's apparent normalcy is Montegrappa's biggest achievement of all - It certainly is quite a departure from the eccentricity and bling you'd usually expect from them!

A short recap of the Zero: A straight, modern design with bulky and prominent bronze trims, beveled edges all around, contrasting and crisp brushed finishes, and as the - almost literal - cherry on top a sapphire-glass inlay in the cap finial that holds the Montegrappa logo. It's basically a watch but reincarnated in pen-shape, and yet all these unique details are hidden in plain sight - nothing feels excessive, out of place, or try-hard.

Today we're looking at a different version of the Zero, this is the Montegrappa Zero Caramel, a US regional exclusive designed by US distributor Kenro. Luckily they were kind enough to send one across the pond for me to check out!

Let's start with the elephant in the room: While the black/ruthenium version of the Zero fell straight under the 'modern and sleek' category, the Zero Caramel is an attention-grabber, to say the least. In watch equivalents, I think it would be a solid-gold Rolex. A bit gaudy, but you kinda want it anyway. That being said, while I certainly wouldn't ever actually buy a gold watch, the Caramel speaks to me in a way not too many flashy pens do.

The Caramel gets its name from the unique Montegrappite resin used for this particular pen, and it's befitting for sure: streaks of white, yellow and golden, caramel brown run along the length of the pen, and create a sense of depth and texture (a bit of transparency, too) that I simply haven't seen very often before on an acrylic pen (I think it's best compared to Jonathon Brooks' Primary Manipulation, but more linear and with much finer and more delicate 'texture' inside the cast). I already was a fan of Montegrappite with the MIA Meteor Shower (review HERE), and the Caramel manages to live up to the expectation again. Personally, I find the Meteor Storm has a slightly more striking color palate (I tend to like darker, more muted colorways of course), but this Caramel certainly is nothing to scoff at!

For me, more so than caramel candy, the Zero Caramel reminds me of Mille-Feuille pastry. Both in color and the texture of the many layers of pastry goodness. Especially in the finials of the Zero, where the material is displayed at its best, you can clearly see the many thin streaks of colored resin that make up the Montegrappite.

Completely off-topic, but one of the major reasons why I especially like to deal with Kenro (and their daughter-brand Esterbrook) for reviews like this one, is their incredibly friendly and professional attitude, and not in the least their openness to criticism. As you can imagine, creating content involves a lot of back and forth with brands and pen stores, and there's an immense variation in the type of interactions you come across. Brands like Kenro are the kind of PR interactions I want to see, I think they reflect quite strongly their customer service and engagement in the community. Case-in-point: the Caramel pen they sent me had a crack in the cap upon arrival. Barely noticeable to the naked eye (and my camera), but it cracked right at the clip fixture, the thinnest, most fragile part of the cap. Kenro dealt with this swiftly though, and exchanged the pen straight away.

Platinum #3776, Montegrappa MIA, Montegrappa Zero, Montegrappa Zero Caramel, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

For the full specs and size comparison of the Montegrappa Zero, I'd like to redirect you to my review of the regular Montegrappa Zero (HERE). You'll find all the technical information over there. For now, I'll just keep it at this: the Zero is a very comfortable pick for an everyday writer.

Still one of the best nib designs out there?

The nib is again, of course, a JoWo-made slab of steel, but gold-plated for the occasion. A solid 14k gold nib (with identical design) is also available. The gold nib adds a healthy premium over the already steep base price of the Zero - more on that later - and I find the steel JoWo nibs to perform just fine. The medium nib on my particular pen is downright excellent. It lays down a fairly wet, true-to-size western medium line, and writes consistently as I expect from JoWo. I can't help but feel like Montegrappa's JoWo nibs always tend to have a slight hint of - pleasant! - feedback to them, more so than other JoWo nibs... but it could also be my brain playing tricks with me, associating it with the old writing feel of Montegrappa's steel nibs?

Pricing... Well, I knew the Montegrappa Zero isn't a cheap pen, but I was still caught a bit off guard when I checked the Kenro website: the Montegrappa Zero Caramel has an MSRP of 495$ (695$ with the gold nib)! While retail prices vary (quite strongly) between 400 and 475$. Especially around the 400$ mark, that's more or less in line with what these pens cost in Europe. But even at that low-end of what the prices seem to fluctuate between, it's still without a doubt a very hefty price for a pen with a steel nib.

I've praised the Zero before, and I'll do that again here. I still think it's a fantastic, and different design from Montegrappa. And especially this Caramel exclusive edition from Kenro is another fantastic showcase of Montegrappite resin! But to say that this is not an impulse buy... would be an understatement for sure.

NOTE: This product was provided by Kenro, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post contains affiliate links.

I was quite surprised when I realized that I haven't done an ink review in over two years! I guess I've just been more than occupied with all the (fountain) pens, pen cases, and notebooks. With well over 200 bottles, and more creeping in every year, I surely haven't forgotten about ink, I'm just very bad at reviewing them (If you really want to deep-dive into inks, I highly recommend Mountain of Ink. Kelli does an incredible job over there with 1000+ comprehensive ink reviews!).

But when Bookbinders Design (an Australian stationery and design store) contacted me and asked if I was interested in trying the Limited edition Robert Oster Australis inks, I obviously couldn't say no - I'm a big fan of Robert Oster inks, they're a permanent fixture in my rotation of inked pens. What's even more, Bookbinders is offering a full set of the Australis inks to one of our readers, so read on to the end to participate in this inky giveaway!

The Australis Limited Edition inks comprise a set of four colors (individually available), inspired by the hues of Australian nature, the ocean, the vegetation and I'd like to assume Australis Oak is inspired by the characteristic color of Uluru. Or at least, that's what I make of it, because there's no real backstory to go along with these four limited edition inks (there's also no info on how limited they are). Then again, finding inspiration in the colors of Australia's continent is nothing new for Robert Oster. They are proud of their Australian roots, so the Australis inks fit right in a wide variety of other Australia-inspired inks (like Aussie Gold, Sydney Darling Harbour, Australian Sky Blue, etc).

INK REVIEW: ROBERT OSTER AUSTRALIS LIMITED EDITION

Australis Hydra is a teal-ish turquoise blue just like the Australian ocean. I'd tend to catalog it closely to the excellent Lamy Turquoise, but Hydra actually has a noticeably more green hue than what I'd call a 'true' turquoise.

Australis Rose is a dusty pink, which is a color that Robert Oster typically does very well (such as the excellent Cherry Blossom).

Australis Tea is a fairly vibrant light green, that leans slightly towards to the yellow side of the spectrum.

Finally, Australis Oak is a light burnt orange/ terracotta. It's probably my favorite color of the lot, as I do tend to favor brown and orange inks in general.

In general, the Australis inks are a bit 'dusty' and tend to lean towards slightly lower saturation and lighter color, though I'd still classify all four colors as bright and vibrant. Perhaps Hydra is just a tad bit more saturated and vibrant than the others, which also makes it the most legible color for normal writing. Needless to say, I wouldn't categorize any of the Australis inks as office-appropriate... at least I wouldn't use them at work (but maybe that says more about my boringness than the qualities of the ink?).

Hydra, with its higher saturation, is also the only ink to exhibit a subtle pink sheen, but only in the wetter ink swabs or perhaps in really wet nibs. In my written samples on Rhodia paper, the sheen didn't really show through. Australis Oak, Rose, and Tea, all have a decent amount of shading. Hydra shades as well, but I find it not quite as pronounced as with the other three, since it already has a darker base color. All four inks show a nice crisp, dark outline where the ink is allowed to pool, a characteristic that I particularly enjoy.

The Australis inks are well-behaved. They dry with crisp and clean outlines, without a noticeable tendency to feather. I did see some slight bleeding on Rhodia paper, but only with the ink swabs, for normal writing that's a non-issue. As Robert Oster inks tend to go, the Australis colors all exhibit fairly average wetness. It's not problematic or bothersome, but they certainly do feel a touch drier to write with.

I must say, I thoroughly enjoy the more muted palette of the Australis inks. None of the colors really stand out too much - no bright sheen or wildly unusual colors - but they make for a nice set. The Australis inks also tie in very well with the other muted and dusty colors in the Robert Oster catalog (like Lemongrass, Green Olive, Dusky Pink, and Summer Storm, to just name a few of my personal favorites). In fact, these muted tones are exactly the type of inks that draws me towards their brand. On top of that, Robert Oster inks are generally consistent, high-quality inks, and the large 50mL bottles are priced fairly, I find. At Bookbinders, Robert Oster inks retail for 21.95 AUD, which (after exchange rates) is surprisingly consistent with both the European (16.5€), and US (17$) pricing.

Now, for the Giveaway...

Enter the Rafflecopter Widget below for your chance to win a full set of the Robert Oster Australis inks. This giveaway is generously sponsored by Bookbinders Design Australia. Participating is simple: all you have to do for a chance to win, is enter in the Rafflecopter widget below and complete one or more tasks, easy peasy! The more tasks you complete, the more chances to win! This giveaway will run for one week days, starting today.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RULES: Open worldwide! Giveaway ends 11/7/2020. The winner will be chosen at random, and announced in a separate post. The winner will be contacted directly via email, if he/she fails to reply within one week, a new winner will be picked. Only entries with a valid email address are eligible to win. Invalid entries are denied. Giveaway open worldwide, but please note that shipping times will depend strongly on the destination, due to COVID restrictions.

This product was sent to me by Bookbinders Design Australia so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.

REVIEW: LEONARDO FURORE GRANDE FOUNTAIN PEN

I'll be honest with you, the original Furore never appealed to me in the same way that the Leonardo Momento Zero (review HERE) did. I'm just partial to flattop designs, that much is certainly clear when I look at their overwhelming representation in my personal collection. That's not to say that I can't enjoy a good torpedo-shaped pen like the Furore of course, but subconsciously I'll always be drawn towards flattop designs (or semi-flattop, or whatever you'd like to call the Momento Zero's general shape).

The Furore Grande next to the Momento Zero Grande

And then Leonardo introduced the Momento Zero Grande (review HERE). With the Grande's upgrades over the Momento Zero towards a more 'mature' filling system (now in 2020 even a true piston filling mechanism), a fantastic ebonite feed that's made in-house, and just an overall very nice oversized design, the Momento Zero Grande was Leonardo's #1 product for me. The Grande is a more expensive pen, that's right, but it also feels much more well-rounded. And frankly, for everything it offers, it's still very competitively priced IMHO.

So the Furore didn't stand a chance, and - for me at least - had to live in the shadows of the MZ Grande for well over a year... Until last month, when we saw the release of the Leonardo Furore Grande, which levelled the playing field!

As you'd expect, the Furore Grande enjoys the same upgrades as that other Grande, but let's first look at the design. I would've compared the Furore Grande to the regular Furore, but I have to shamefully admit that I still don't own one (I'm trying one out soon, though, I promise!). The simple, streamlined Torpedo shape of the Furore returns almost completely unchanged on the Grande version - except bigger of course -, down to the double cap band (instead of the triple bands on most of the Momento Zero Grandes) and of course the recognizable rolling-wheel clip.

Comparing the Furore Grande to the Momento Zero Grande, it's clear that they both draw inspiration from the same well. For example: the cap design - which was changed on the Momento Zero for their 2020 updated collection - has the same streamlined gradual transition from the cap bands towards the slightly narrower barrel. I must say I actually enjoy the design of the Furore Grande more so than I anticipated. It looks and feels much more streamlined and uncluttered compared to the MZ... even though they really aren't that different apart from the finial design.

The Furore Grande Hawaii next to the equally beautiful MZ Grande in Dark Hawaii

The Furore Grande launched in four colors: blue, blue, blue, and... purple. Frankly, I think the color palette could've been a bit more diverse, but you won't hear me complain too much because one of those blue materials is the blue Hawaii spaghetti resin, and it's just spectacular!

That being said, I do wonder if there's not at least something to be said for a simple and elegant black colorway? If you look at the entirety of Leonardo's portfolio, I feel like a few basic (read: less colorful) finishes may be missing. But then again, things seem to be going just fine for their more colorful and experimental material choices, so it's probably not coincidental that that's the path they seem to be focused on.

L to R: Pelikan M1005, Maiora Impronte, Leonardo Momento Zero, Momento Zero Grande, Furore Grande, Cuspide, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

Where even the regular Furore is already quite a large pen, the Furore Grande obviously takes that a step further. With its 15.6 cm/ 6.14" capped, it's .6 cm/ .24" longer than the - already large - MZ Grande, and it just towers out above all the other pens I put up against it for comparison. Uncapped it's still a very sizeable 13.7 cm/ 5.39". Interestingly, with its considerable footprint, and the addition of a fully metal piston mechanism, the Furore Grande still weighs in at 'just' 30 grams total, which is a very comfortable weight. The streamlined and strongly tapered profile of the Furore Grande makes it so it doesn't feel larger than the MZ Grande, even though it most certainly is.

The section design hasn't changed from the Original Furore, Momento Zero, and Momento Zero Grande, which will be fine for some people, but a point of criticism for others. It has a comfortable diameter to hold, but indeed the 'stepped' shape is not to everyone's taste, and I get that. In fact; I wasn't convinced by it either, and it took me some time to adjust to it when I tested the regular Momento Zero (maybe it's a mental thing because it looks odd?), but especially on the MZ Grande it managed to persuade me. With the Furore Grande as well, I don't have any issues with the section design. Threads aren't too bothersome to the touch, the step is minimal and rounded off nicely, and the overall larger size of the Grande models certainly does fit my preference quite well.

I already briefly touched on the piston mechanism, because just like the Momento Zero Grande 2020 model, we're also getting a 'real' piston-filled pen here. I had nothing intrinsically against the captured converter system of the first MZ Grande, in fact it did offer the possibility to check the ink level (something you cannot do with this pen!). But I do think having a real piston - especially the fully metal ones that Leonardo refers to as their 'Vintage' piston - adds a bit to the premium feel. Ink capacity is generous, about 1.5 mL (at least on paper, I haven't actually tested this for myself).

There has been some discussion online about the piston knob being loose and able to rotate freely when not operating it, and indeed it can come loose when you accidentally twist the knob (though the mechanism doesn't engage straight away, so it's not like you'll have ink squirting out when that happens). However, when screwed closed tightly I've found it to stay put quite well, and it doesn't move or rattle at all while writing.

Leonardo continues to use a mix of Bock and JoWo for their nibs (although it seems that the majority of nibs on the Grande models these days comes from JoWo. The Steel 1.1mm stub on the Grande Furore that I was sent for review is, in fact, also JoWo. It's a nice stub, and I enjoyed getting back into the writing experience that these untipped steel stub nibs offer - after not having used one of those for quite a while. It has some tooth to it, that I find quite enjoyable, and the custom ebonite feed creates a fantastic rich flow for this, somewhat more demanding, stub nib. The 1.1 stub width is also a re-discovery in terms of how practical it still is compared to normal round nibs. It's certainly a beefy nib, but it gives wonderful line variation, and I actually found it to still be relatively usable in day-to-day writing tasks (where a 1.5mm stub would certainly be too wide for that).

The feed certainly helps to provide a responsive writing experience. I'm very pleased to see more and more brands turn back to ebonite feeds, which almost always offer a noticeable benefit in terms of the ink flow consistency, which in turn lifts up the entire writing experience. I have quite a few Leonardo's with ebonite feeds now, and so far they've always been very reliable and juicy writers.

On a side note (Probably unrelated to the feed, and more so having to do with the internal design of the cap), I've found the Grande models to be substantially less prone to drying out when capped. That was an issue I encountered on the original Momento Zero, but none of the Grande models that I've tried after that - including this Furore variant - have dried out on me, even after multiple days or even weeks of little to no use.

I've been waiting for a Grande release of the Furore, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. The streamlined shape is something different from Leonardo, and it has grown on me. If you like bigger pens like I do, the Furore Grande - just like the MZ Grande, of course - offers a very enticing option: As always, the Italians don't disappoint in terms of design and beautiful materials, but they're also just very well-made pens, and the piston-filling mechanism and ebonite feed are two great features that - in my mind at least - justify the 295€/ 295$ (at our sponsors Casa Della Stilografica, La Couronne Du Comte, and Appelboom) price tag.

NOTE: This product was provided by Leonardo Officina Italiana, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own. This post does not contain affiliate links.

REVIEW: PEBBLE STATIONERY TRAVELER'S UNDATED PLANNER

Getting close to the end of 2020, many of us are probably looking into a new planner to start off 2021 organized (or at least try to be organized, in my case!). While there are certainly high-quality planner options available, many mainstream brands leave a lot to be desired from the paper quality for fountain pen use. That's why Pebble Stationery, an Australian brand I encountered last year with their fantastic Pocket Tomoe River notebooks (reviewed HERE), created this: the Pebble Stationery Traveler's undated planner - of course filled with Tomoe River paper... but do you need that in a planner?

At least for now, Pebble launched their undated planners in a single size, made to fit Traveler's notebook covers. Therefore, it follows the sort of narrow-and-tall form factor that's unique to the regular Traveler's company leather notebook cover. It's exactly as tall as a standard A5 notebook, but about 4 cm narrower (11 cm by 21 cm / 4.33" by 8.26"). Because of the 52 gsm Tomoe River paper, the 140-page (70 sheets) planner remains extremely thin.

I'm not necessarily a fan of the brand-specific form-factor, but at least the Traveler's products are so popular that they have become a more-or-less standardized form factor these days. You can find quite a few other brands adopting it and creating products to use within or alongside the Traveler's Company ecosystem. That being said, I don't have a Traveler's notebook cover, so I can't speak for the practicality in combination with the Traveler's system, but luckily Pebble's planner can also perfectly be used as a stand-alone product.

The leatherette cover is thin and flexible (you can easily fold the cover backward without issue), yet more durable than typical paper stock covers which can crease or tear after longer use. My particular review sample came in a dark navy blue colorway, which is subtle and business-appropriate for sure, there's also a red version available. The cover has a pleasant leather-like texture and doesn't show much wear at all, even after almost two months of daily use.

The undated planner has two narrow ribbon page markers, and the first page has a dedicated space for your name and contact information - in case your planner gets lost. But in terms of physical features, that's about it. There's no back pocket, but more importantly, there's no elastic or other way to keep the planner closed. The leatherette cover is elastic and flexible, so after a few times of opening it, you'll find that the cover doesn't want to stay closed at all. That's a bit annoying, but it wouldn't be an issue when using the planner inside a Traveler's cover, of course.

Now, for the inside of the Pebble undated planner: Across the 140 pages, there are three main sections that make up the general structure of the planner, as well as 6 empty dot grid pages for extra notes. But as the name suggests, nothing is actually dated: days, months, or years aren't set in stone, so you can use the planner how - and when - you like.

The planner starts with a four-page overview of the year. Granted, there's very little space to write things in the individual boxes, but it could work well as sort of a 'table of contents', to keep track of birthdays, holidays or special events.

The next 12 double-page spreads are monthly overviews. I actually like these layouts because they do offer a bit more space, yet you can still get a quick glance at the entire month, laid out over two adjacent pages. Each day of the month has its own box, and you get dot grid paper to keep your agenda items neat and organized.

Then the major bulk of the planner is 52 weekly spreads. On the left side of the two-page spread, you get seven boxes (with dot grid) for each day of the week. Again, you have to fill in the dates yourself, which is useful if you sometimes skip weeks/months (during holidays, for example). The right side is just an empty page of dot grid paper, for notes. The daily structure doesn't have a bullet-point system or anything like that, so you can choose whichever structuring method works best for you.

These small ink smears are scattered all throughout the planner at this point

The main selling point of the Pebble planner is the Tomoe River paper, but it's also my biggest gripe about it. Don't get me wrong, I love TR paper, but there's a time and place for it. And maybe a planner is not that time and place?

I use a planner for work, and at work, I'd say efficiency and functionality beats neat writing and ink shading. For practicality considerations, I don't tend to use fountain pens at work very often. In fact, I write mostly with a gel pen (most often the fantastic Tactile Turn Bolt Action pen!), so the benefit of having fountain-pen friendly TR is already non-existent. But the real issue is the long drying times of TR paper: At the end of the meeting when you quickly add in a new meeting date before leaving the office, and you close the planner a bit too fast... that's an ink smear right there. You have to use it consciously.

Inherently, due to the extremely thin TR paper, you'll also get quite a bit of ghosting. I typically only use Tomoe River notebooks on a single side of the page (yes I know, wasteful), but the Pebble undated planner utilizes both sides of the page, so you can't really avoid show-through. That being said, the show-through is noticeable, but not to the extent that it makes writing illegible.

The Pebble Stationery Traveler's undated planner is a well-crafted, durable and functionally laid-out planner that I actually enjoy using (that in itself is already quite the compliment!). Being made specifically for the Traveler's notebook ecosystem didn't hold me back from using it as a stand-alone planner, although obviously it'll integrate more seamlessly if you already own and use a Traveler's notebook.

The Tomoe River paper is both a blessing and a curse. If you use your planner in a more aesthetically pleasing and creative way than I do, TR will certainly add character. But from a purely functional, work-related point of view, Pebble's planner doesn't necessarily benefit from the paper choice, maybe it's even a bit unpractical at times - except for the fact that it keeps the planner thin and lightweight.

At 17.99$ (17.95€ at our sponsor La Couronne Du Comte), Pebble's planner comes in reasonably priced compared to traditional offerings from Moleskine, Leuchtturm or Filofax.

NOTE: This product was provided by Pebble Stationery Co., so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

That's a wrap on the Robert Oster Australis Inks giveaway! Thanks again to Bookbinders Design Australia, who graciously sponsored this giveaway! Who will take home this beautiful set of inks, inspired by the colors of the Australian continent? Find out below...

The winner, as chosen by the Random number generator:

John D.

(@dictsonary)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sometimes, it's the simplest products that create the most lasting impression. As a fan of minimal design and clean aesthetics, I tend to buy a lot of pens that follow that statement closely: (most often) metal fountain pens, with a sleek and cool, almost sterile appearance.

The pen we're looking at today, the Eboya Houga, certainly classifies as a minimal design, but other than that it's the polar opposite of what I just described. It's constructed out of warm and characterful ebonite, handmade to order (!) in Tokyo. Due to their small-scale production, you might not have heard of Eboya before. They're quite scarcely available outside of Japan, with our new sponsor, Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery, being the only EU-based store I know that carries them.

The Eboya Houga is as simple as can be, anything but 'ornate', and the presentation isn't excessive or luxurious, either: The simple cardboard packaging isn't much to write home about, and the pen doesn't even come with a converter (Although you do receive a handmade pen sleeve and a Faber-Castell branded converter when you buy your Eboya from Sakura). The focus lies entirely with the pen itself, and the craftsmanship that goes into its simple form, which - to me - is a very Japanese thing. What you see is what you get.

The design of the Houga is so minimal, in fact, that your eye is immediately drawn to the material. Since Eboya is a daughter-company from Japanese ebonite manufacturer Nikko, it comes to no surprise that the one and only material Eboya uses for their pens, is ebonite. Nikko ebonite is widely known as some of the finest ebonite you can buy, and the simple designs of Eboya pens offer an ideal canvas to show off the fine textures and colors of the materials. This 10th-anniversary edition 'Kouffuu' is an excellent example of how stunning ebonite can be, but all the regular marbled colorways are very good-looking, too.

Ebonite, unlike acrylics or celluloids, is a fairly two-dimensional material, in that it doesn't show intricate depth and color gradation in the material. Instead, opaque streaks of color swirl around in a deep black base, giving a very subtle hint of color. The 10th-anniversary edition 'Kouffuu', is an ebonite with subtle streaks of red and blue, as well as bright beige, mixed together in a delicate swirl. The 10th-anniversary limited editions are re-introductions of four materials from ten years ago and are extremely limited in availability (though the pens aren't individually numbered). The last two 10th anniversary pens, in the colors Bokusui and Zakuro, are still available at Sakura. But once they are gone, they're gone!

More so than with other materials, I find that ebonite really shines (pun absolutely intended) when it's polished extremely well, but it can also just as easily look dull when it's not quite done right (black ebonite pens often look a bit 'dull' compared to black acrylic, but not this one). It just so happens that Eboya really differentiates themselves from the pack, when it comes to polishing. The ebonite is shinier than any other modern ebonite pen I've come across. The excellent polishing brings out the pattern of the material and makes the black appear darker.

L to R: Leonardo MZ Grande, Pelikan M800, Pelikan M1005, Montblanc 149, Eboya Houga, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

Eboya is one of the very few pen brands (that I know of) that offers all their models in three sizes (small, medium and large), giving some freedom in choosing the form factor that best suits your hand. I went for the large version, not only because it's the only size in which the 10th-anniversary pens are (were) available, but also just because I like oversized pens, sometimes it's that simple.

It has to be noted though, that the Houga L is a SUBSTANTIAL pen, with an impressive footprint that's perhaps not always the most practical. It's long (15cm/ 5.9"closed, 13.5cm/ 5.31" uncapped), but most of all the Large Houga is very, very wide (1.8cm/ 0.71" at the widest point). I'm seeing somewhat of a trend in the pen industry (or is it just my perception?): we've arrived at the point where the - once considered massive - Montblanc 149 gets dwarfed regularly by newly released pens, and the Eboya Houga (at least in the Large size) does no different. I personally don't mind this shift towards larger pens, but I know not everyone appreciates thinks the same way about that. But then again, Eboya does offer small and medium versions for a more practically-minded alternative!

That said, the all-ebonite construction of the oversized Houga does keep the weight down at a reasonable 33g. The section is quite a bit narrower - a fairly reasonable 1.25 cm/ 0.5" diameter - compared to the wide barrel, which makes for a rather substantial step behind the threads (and it's fairly sharp). The large section and comfortable concave shape allow for your grip to mostly avoid the step, although you'll still notice it to a certain extent, regardless of how you hold the pen.

I already alluded to the excellent craftsmanship on Eboya pens, and I really think that's one of the strong suits of the brand. It's hardly noticeable that these pens are turned by hand (although the slight variation in shape from one pen to another, gives it away). Machining is precise and clean, with tight tolerances, and top-notch polished finish. Cap and barrel walls are machined thick and sturdy, which gives a solid impression that's immediately noticeable when you pick up the pen. Threads are very smooth and precise, and uncapping is surprisingly fast (less than one full rotation).

As an interesting snippet of brand history: Eboya once - until a few years ago - made Japanese eyedroppers in-house. But these days the Houga is a plebeian cartridge/converter-filled pen. In terms of practicality, I don't really mind that. Eyedroppers (you can of course still use any Eboya as a regular eyedroppered pen) aren't always the most practical in day-to-day use. However, the fact that they don't even include a simple, generic converter from the factory is an oversight, and a corner they absolutely shouldn't have cut on a pen this price.

The plain Bock nib doesn't look out of place, but Eboya could've done more with it

Eboya uses German-made Bock nibs, which is a bit atypical given Japan's undefeated nib know-how. For a pen this large, the #6-sized nib is disproportionately small, a #8 nib would've looked more balanced on the Large version of the Houga (In fact, they're already offering the Hakobune large with #8 nibs at an upcharge!). As for the nib design itself: while the stock Bock logo engraving is simple and not too cluttered (matching the overall understated design of the pen), it would've been nice to see the nibs personalized with the Eboya logo engraved on there instead.

I've found most Eboya's I've tried so far to be excellent writers out of the box. The 14k gold nib broad nib on this particular pen is nice and smooth and lays down a fairly true to size line with a distinct stubbish character. The nib started out a bit dry for my liking (much dryer than the other Eboyas I've used, which were all quite wet), so I adjusted it to increase the ink flow a bit. It's still not a gusher now, but the balanced ink flow has no problem keeping up with everyday writing. It's unfortunate that the company doesn't make their own ebonite feeds, which would certainly mean an uplift in writing performance - not to mention it would be the cherry on top for a company so heavily focused on ebonite products!

There's a lot to like about the Eboya Houga. It's one of the relatively few Japanese brands that still rely heavily on artisanal production, and their expertise in ebonite production and machining (through mother-company Nikko) shows in the impeccable level of finishing. That, in itself, makes them stand out from other ebonite pens. The Houga in particular has a certain elegance through the simplicity of the traditional Japanese design, and the way it puts the spotlight entirely on the beautiful material.

If one thing, I'd like to see Eboya experiment (again) with different filling systems and in-house ebonite feeds. While the gold nibs are quite good as-is, there's room for a more personalised writing experience. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation, considering the price you'll pay for one of these pens. The Houga retails for anywhere between 450€ and 570€, depending on the size (S/M/L) you choose. For the 10th-anniversary limited edition collection, you'll have to chime in a rather hefty 725€. (the LE materials are a bit more unique, but the standard ebonites are a decent amount less expensive, and frankly just as pretty if you ask me!)

Disclaimer: I bought this pen from my own funds. Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery is a sponsor of The Pencilcase Blog, but the making of this review was in no way sponsored or influenced. This post does not contain affiliate links.

It's been rather quiet here on The Pencilcase Blog, as I've been taking a few weeks off during our university's winter break, to recoup from a rather hectic and strange year (to put it mildly). Yet I decided to come out of my winter hibernation, early, to close 2020 definitively with a recap of my favorite products of the year.

Despite 2020 being terrible in many ways, it surprisingly was not that bad in terms of new pen releases. Many of the bigger (and smaller) brands were plagued by factory shutdowns and supply chain issues, and yet there was still a great deal of exciting, and often innovative products that I really enjoyed getting acquainted with. Just so you know: I've decided to draw the arbitrary line for this list to products I've actually reviewed during the year, even if those products themselves weren't technically released in 2020.

EBOYA HOUGA FOUNTAIN PEN

I had been eyeing Eboya for a very long time, ever since I first saw their pens in person at Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery. These minimal, Japanese Ebonite pens have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. The perfectly polished ebonite finishes are impossible to capture in photos, but in real life the quality is hard to miss. With Eboya's launch of four 10th anniversary ebonite finishes, I saw my opportunity to add an Eboya to my collection. It's really a thing of beauty. The writing experience isn't quite what you may expect from a Japanese pen, as they're just stock 14k gold Bock nibs, but there's just an inexplicable appeal to these pens... If you've seen or used one in person, chances are you'll know what I mean!

Full review | Buy it here: Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery

TIBALDI N60 FOUNTAIN PEN

The Italian Tibaldi was a new discovery for me this year. That is, Tibaldi in its' latest, rebranded form. With a history that spans over a century, Tibaldi went through quite a few iterations to arrive where they're at today. The rebranded Tibaldi creates mid-tier products (quite the opposite of the extremely high-end limited editions they used to make since the beginning of the 21st century!) with a modern, professional appeal. The vintage styling on a lot of the new Tibaldi pens is impeccably executed, taking strong design cues from early-day Tibaldi pens - especially the N.60 does this particularly well. The N.60 is a large, very comfortable writer, and just like all Tibaldi pens, comes with an ebonite feed - the return of several brands back to the (often superior) ebonite feeds being a particularly positive trend of the most recent years!

Full review | Buy it here: Appelboom

LEONARDO FURORE GRANDE

I didn't review the new 2020 version of the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande this year, despite it easily being my favorite pen throughout the year (safe to say my collection of them expanded quite a bit over the course of the year, hehe!), hence why it didn't make this year's list. 2020 Marked a big year for Leonardo, and among the many products they released (like the beautiful - if not rather expensive - Cuspide), the pen that maybe surprised me the most was the Leonardo Furore Grande: A close companion to the Momento Zero, but in the cigar-shaped Furore style. While the Momento Zero's shape holds my personal preference, the Furore Grande made me look into the Furore's more streamlined design more (and I may or may not have added a regular Furore to my collection as well).

Full review | Buy it here: Casa Della Stilografica

FPR HIMALAYA ULTRA FLEX FOUNTAIN PEN

The FPR Himalaya is the cheapest pen on this list, proving you don't need to spend top dollar to have a fun writing experience. The Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya - specifically the one outfitted with the Ultra Flex nib - is an Indian-made pen with a modified steel flex nib. It's temperamental and far from perfect in many ways. But the flex performance - while certainly finicky - outperforms several modern flex pens many times the price! Its' finicky nature may even be part of the fun, as the FPR Himalaya's ebonite feed provides an excellent low-stakes starting point to experiment with heat-setting - a useful skill to learn, now that - as mentioned earlier - ebonite feeds are becoming more and more prevalent again!

Full review | Buy it here: Fountain Pen Revolution

SCHON DSGN POCKET SIX FACETED FOUNTAIN PEN

My year-end list wouldn't be complete without a few metal pens. And this year I've enjoyed three, from three very different but equally passionate brands. The first one on the list is the Schon DSGN Pocket six (or P6). An incredibly tiny metal fountain pen, fitted with a large #6 nib. Even the base version of the P6 is cool in itself, but when Ian (who manages to extremely passionately convey his craft on social media, be sure to follow him there!) showed off his machined, faceted versions of the P6 in brass and copper, I knew I had to get one. This is by far the most expensive 'machined metal pen' I've ever purchased, but it's also the most incredible. The precise, semi-random faceted pattern is a product of months of engineering, experimenting, and perfecting, and it came out FAN-TAS-TIC!

Full review | Buy it here: Schon DSGN

GRAVITAS FOUNTAIN PEN

Another 'machined metal pen' that made it on my list, comes from Irish designer Ben Walsh, who kicked off his new brand Gravitas Pens this year despite not reaching his funding goal on Kickstarter in September. Ben didn't let that setback stop him from pushing through and getting Gravitas off the ground. I've had the pleasure of reviewing two pre-production prototypes of the Gravitas Fountain pen and Twist ballpoint, and I was thoroughly impressed with the incredibly thoughtful design, and clean looks. I'm looking forward to trying out the production version of the Gravitas FP in bronze, which is currently making its way to me from Ireland, and IF it manages to even just come anywhere close to the prototypes I tried, I think it'll receive a spot among my favorite metal pens.

Full review | Buy it here: Gravitas Pens

KARAS PEN CO. INK V2 FOUNTAIN PEN

Unlike the young and upcoming Gravitas brand, Karas Pen Co. is of course one of the big, established players in the industry. Yet after many years, Karas still managed to impress me in 2020 with the updated - and much-improved - Ink V2 fountain pen. Features like the 'Sta-Fast' sealed cap, more comfortable block threads and section design, improved machining quality, and individually QC'ed Bock nibs, showcases Karas' continued effort to improve on their products. I've found Karas Pen Co. pens to always err a bit more on the expensive side. But the extra level of care, especially the nib testing (each Karas fountain pen comes with a handwritten test card), offers a major added value and justifies the slightly higher price point of Karas pens, at least IMHO.

Full review | Buy it here: Karas Pen Co.

ESTERBROOK ESTIE SPARKLE FOUNTAIN PEN

2020 Was also the year I discovered the Esterbrook Estie, and not too long after: the Estie Sparkle! The Estie itself was nice, a very solid allrounder of a pen, but the Estie Sparkle (especially in the Oversized size) managed to really captivate me. Even though I never thought I'd like a sparkly pen, it's not hard to see how the dark red diamondcast resin would be able to change my opinion. Particularly this red colorway manages to both be subtle and dark enough for my taste, yet still catch the eye with a brilliant shimmer. The Estie oversized is a solid, very large pen. The large size maybe prevents it from being the most practical in use, but it offers a great, uncluttered canvas for the Diamondcast material to ~~shine~~ sparkle. Yes, this pen is a stark contrast to my usual preference - it's also very expensive - and yet it still clicked with me straight away.

Full review | Buy it here: La Couronne Du Comte

OTTO HUTT DESIGN 03 FOUNTAIN PEN

I've reviewed quite a few Otto Hutt pens in the past year (four, to be precise), and they've all been consistently high-quality - something I already knew to expect from my first encounter with the brand a couple years ago, when I reviewed the Design 04. Of all of them, I came away most impressed from the Design 03: it perfectly embodies Otto Hutt's effort towards a more modern, design-oriented brand, which obviously resonates with my personal preference. The contrast between how slender and nimble the 03 looks, versus how solid and hefty it feels in the hand, manages to surprise me each and every time I pick it up. Furthermore, Otto Hutt's nibs are consistently top-notch. The Design 03 is an easy recommendation if you haven't yet tried an Otto Hutt!

Full review | Buy it here: Penworld

ABSOLUTE BRETON PEN DISPLAY BOX

I'm always on the lookout for good ways to store, carry, and protect my pens, and the Absolute Breton Pen Display Box was a first for me in terms of trying out pen boxes. Where I've always leaned towards pen pouches and cases for their portability, they almost never offer a way to proudly display all the beautiful pens inside, pen boxes are the complete opposite of that trade-off, but I'm happy I finally gave them a go. Not only is the Breton Pen Display Box beautifully made by hand (in Spain) it's also a very functional, modern, and not-too-large option that can still comfortably hold 11 large pens and display them on your desk or cupboard. For a premium, handmade product, completely finished in leather, it's also not too outrageously expensive (relatively speaking, of course).

Full review | Buy it here: Absolute Breton

And with that, let's leave the dumpster fire that was 2020, behind. Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all a warm, happy, and - most of all - healthy 2021! Thanks also, for the continued readership - you're awesome!

The start of the new year is also the perfect time to thank my fantastic sponsors for their continued support. These sponsors help keep this blog going, graciously providing products and making it possible to keep creating new content and hosting giveaways. Go give them a follow on social media, browse their webshops, and don't forget to use the discount codes that some of them provide if you decide to make a purchase!

Disclaimer: Some of these products were provided for review, however, this didn't impact this article. The above list is based solely on which reviewed products I used and enjoyed most throughout the year. There are no affiliate links in this post.

In the 1900's, Parker used to be one of the brands to beat, with amazing pens - coveted to this day - like the Vacumatic, Duofold, and the Iconic Parker 51 (the latter actually making its return soon!). But the market has changed since then, and nowadays, Parker is no longer in the prominent position they once had. Especially among pen enthusiasts and collectors, their modern pens receive fairly little attention - understandable, as Parker has been focused on the low-to-mid tiers (like the quintessential, Parker Jotter), and especially recently directed their focus at a business-y'young professionals'-type of audience. The really iconic models from back in the day are mostly gone nowadays, with the exception of the Duofold (which I reviewed HERE), although it seems to remain more in the background.

That's not a knock on Parker's business model, it just shows that they cater to a different, wider audience, not just the more avid enthusiasts like me and you. In fact, it's Parker's status as 'that one pen brand everyone knows' that makes their entry- and mid-level pens quite interesting to review. After all, pens like the Jotter and Parker IM are so prevalent, chances are that these have been, or will be, the gateway pen into the hobby for a lot of beginning pen enthusiasts!

So let's take a look at the Parker IM, then. These pens were sent to me for review by Parker themselves. This model has been a fixture within Parker’s collection, with surprisingly little changes throughout the 10+ years of its existence. The IM today, still looks and feels very familiar to the IM I used to write with in high school back in 2009 or '10.

The design of the IM represents a fairly simple and straight shape, with subtle tapers towards the chunky, unadorned finials that end in a flat top.

The ballpoint mimics that design for the most part, down to the 'center band' that breaks up the transition from the straight barrel towards the strongly tapered, glossy plastic section. Parker went through a complete rebranding a few years ago, and that brought along a few minor changes to the design, such as the two thin lines in the center band, but mostly saw the introduction of new colorways and finishes.

The standard version of the IM comes with a plastic section now

The most prominent change to the IM is the separation of the collection in two distinct tiers: the standard versions, and the 'premium' versions. While the IM that I had in high school (I lost it, unfortunately) had a brushed metal section (thus making it a fully metal pen), the standard IM now comes with a plastic section with plastic threads. Credit where credit is due: the plastic section shows no injection moulding marks, and is nicely polished. But the threads look like they could be a weak point in the design, and show some wear from threading into the metal barrel threads after a while. If you want a metal section, you have to bump up to one of the Premium finishes. The Premium IM looks quite different from the regular versions, finished with a geometric pattern engraved on the cap and barrel, it has a bit more, ehm, 'pizzazz'... but also comes at a rather substantial uptick in price. I'd keep my recommendation with the more subdued finishes of the standard versions.

In general, the IM is a very business-appropriate pen. The design is sober and unobtrusive, and the different colorways (with the exception of the more elaborate Premium finishes) are mostly subtle and dark tones that would work well in any professional environment. In that regard, Parker caters perfectly to its target audience, but perhaps they're not exciting enough for real pen-addicts? Talking about finishes, the pens that were sent to me are part of the latest 'Achromatic' collection. In their effort to modernize the brand, these black and grey matte finishes with sleek black PVD trims, fit right in. The black-on-black Achromatic is my personal favorite, for a very modern and unassuming look.

L to R: TWSBI Eco, Faber-Castell Loom, Pilot Metropolitan, Parker IM ballpoint, Parker IM fountain pen/rollerball, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000, Lamy Studio

From the size comparison shots, it shows that the IM is not a particularly large pen - at least the fountain pen and capped rollerball aren't. With a capped length of just 13.7 cm/ 5.39", and 11.8cm / 4.65" uncapped (the rollerball is a few mm longer when uncapped, measuring 12cm/ 4.73"). The section isn't too long and allows your grip to move forward towards the nib, which makes it a bit less obvious that the pen is really quite short. In this instance, posting the cap is actually a very valid way to create a more full-sized pen (although it may scratch the matte finish of the barrel in the long run). Posting transforms the IM into a 15.4cm/6.06" long pen, which is comfortable and not too long, and the balance remains very centered in the hand. The section is on the thinner side, tapering down to just 9mm/ 0.36" towards the front. It does transition quite nicely into the barrel, with a minimal step that's not at all bothersome in my grip.

The ballpoint is a slightly different story, as it isn't particularly small at 13.6cm/ 5.36" closed, and 13.8cm/ 5.49" open, the barrel has a comfortable diameter a little over 11mm/ 0.44", though it tapers down rapidly if you hold it closer towards the front.

The fountain pen and rollerball weigh 26 and 31 grams, respectively. The ballpoint is the lightest, weighing in at 23 grams total. That's not too heavy for mostly metal pens. But considering their smaller footprint, it's enough to make the IM feel solid and durable. Fit and finish are excellent on all pens. Two minor remarks I found: specifically on the all-black version, the matte black coating on the cap and barrel does tend to wear near the edges, showing the brass base material underneath. And the ballpoint has a slight rattle inside the mechanism when it's deployed, but it isn't too audible while writing.

The IM (fountain pen and rollerball) have a snap-cap. I've always liked how the cap of my old IM closed, and I'm happy to see that it still has that nicely damped and smooth action when you put the cap on, with a muffled but reassuring *clack* at the end. The cap sits on tight and secure, and there's no play or wobble to it.

The fountain pen uses Parker's proprietary refills, and requires a pretty expensive converter (not included) if you want to use bottled ink.

On the writing end, the capped rollerball (far left), and ballpoint (far right), are pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Parker obviously knows how to make a decent refill, and so both write quite well. The rollerball lays down a consistent, crisp, dark black line on good quality paper (rollerball refills have a tendency to feather on cheaper copy paper). The blue, 1.0mm ballpoint refill is also fairly standard-issue, with a line that's not as dark as I'd maybe like, but it's at least fairly consistent and writes without blobs or stutters. For the ballpoint, I'd be tempted to swap it out for a Parker-style gel ink refill, such as Parker's own gel refill - as I prefer gel ink over ballpoint.

The most interesting here is of course the fountain pen, so let's take a little more time to talk about that. First of all, the nib on the IM has seen quite a drastic change in shape and styling, coming from the narrow, almost tubular nib designs that Parker used to use on their lower-end offerings (The 2009 example on Parkerpens.net - a fantastic reference for old Parker models - shows what the old nib used to look like). This current version of the IM has a more normal, flared-out nib shape, and the three arrow-shaped lines engraved on the nib face offer a modern look that matches the rest of the IM's clean and simple design.

The nib - while larger than the old-style nib - is noticeably small (not uncommon for pens in this price range) but does perform exactly the way it should. The steel, black-coated nibs are nails and don't provide much character. Line widths run true to western sizes, but unfortunately, the IM only comes with F or M nib options. The nibs offer just a little feedback and are smoother than I expected (Black coatings usually add some 'texture' and create a bit more feedback). Ink flow is nicely balanced and keeps up without fault. More importantly, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer reliability of this pen. The nib doesn't seem to dry out at all, even after a couple weeks of not being in use - I’m pleasantly surprised.

The Parker IM is a no-nonsense pen, in a way that I'd perhaps come to expect from Parker. The design is inoffensive, business-appropriate, and - if I'm being critical - almost a bit unremarkable, if it weren't for the Achromatic color scheme that adds a modern and sleek look. I really don't have anything to complain about these pens though. They do what they're supposed to do, which is perhaps the most important aspect of a pen in this low-to-mid-tier price range!

The Parker IM ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen retail for 28€/34$, 37€/45$ and 50€/61$ respectively (at our site sponsor Penworld, use discount code 'pencilcase' for 10% off your order!). While that's substantially more than I remember paying for my original IM fountain pen back in 2010, I think it's not an outrageous price, although it shouldn't be any higher (the Premium IM is an additional 30$, which is simply too much to justify for a metal section and different finish). It may be difficult for the Parker IM to stand out from the crowd in a price range where there's a lot of serious competition from pens like the Faber-Castell Loom, Lamy Lx, or even something like the more affordable TWSBI Eco, but that doesn't make the IM any less of a valid option to look into.

Now, for the GIVEAWAY...

Enter the Rafflecopter Widget below for your chance to win a full set of Parker IM Achromatic pens in black: one fountain pen (medium nib) + one rollerball + one ballpoint (total value 140$!). The prize in this giveaway is generously provided by Parker. Participating is simple: all you have to do for a chance to win, is enter in the Rafflecopter widget below and complete one or more tasks, easy peasy! The more tasks you complete, the more chances to win! This giveaway will run for one week, starting today.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RULES: Open worldwide! Giveaway ends 17/1/2021. The winner will be chosen at random, and announced in a separate post. The winner will be contacted directly via email, if he/she fails to reply within one week, a new winner will be picked. Only entries with a valid email address are eligible to win. Invalid entries are denied. Giveaway open worldwide, but please note that shipping times will depend strongly on the destination, due to COVID restrictions.

This product was sent to me by Parker so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.

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