Rants of The Archer

Fountain Pen Review: Scriveiner Luxury EDC Stunning Matt Green Pocket Fountain Pen

2024-06-24T07:00:00.004+08:00

I had fun doing my previous review of an amazing pocket fountain pen, so I'm doing a new review of another amazing pocket fountain pen!

Many people include a pocket fountain pen in their everyday carry (EDC). Pocket fountain pens are popular because they combine the benefits of regular fountain pens with the added advantages of portability, durability, and convenience. Pocket fountain pens are small and lightweight, compact and portable, and practical and convenient. They don't take up too much space, fit easily in small pockets, and come in different materials, colors, and designs. Using a well-crafted pocket fountain can elevate the simple act of writing into a more thoughtful and enjoyable experience.

I have tried several pocket fountain pens, and they are fun and cool to use. I like including pocket fountain pens in my EDC because they easily fit pen cases and the smaller pockets in my bags. Several months ago, I received a couple of pens from Scriveiner London to try and review, and I chose this EDC pocket fountain pen in matte green as my first review for this award-winning brand from London. The Scriveiner Luxury EDC pocket pen is a pocket-sized fountain pen designed as an EDC. It's made from aluminum and comes in different finishes, including matte black, red, and blue. This pocket fountain pen uses a fine or medium Schmidt nib and comes with ink cartridges and a converter for use with bottled ink.

Scriveiner's presentation box and a smaller box for ink cartridges.

The Stunning Matt Green pocket fountain pen is beautifully presented in the Scriveiner box. A hidden compartment underneath the pen tray contains papers and ink cartridges.

Aside from the pen and converter, the box also contains a guide, two spare cartridges (one black, one blue) in an envelope under the pen tray, and a warranty Card.

Scriveiner pens are produced by Scriveiner London, founded by entrepreneurs Yanning Li and her husband Justin Lowes. The couple identified a gap in the market for a British brand of high-quality pens and journals sold at affordable prices. They launched Scriveiner London in the United Kingdom in 2019 and introduced the 'Classic' pen range, an identifiably elegant British product. The Classic pen range was later followed by the 'EDC' line, a series of pocket pens available in different materials and colors.

In April 2023, Scriveiner London became the recipient of the first-ever King's Award for Enterprise: International Trade. The prestigious award recognizes the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of affordable luxury stationery. The brand won the award for its outstanding success in global expansion, having grown international sales by more than 600% over the previous three years.

The Scriveiner EDC pocket pen is made from aluminum and anodized with a matt green scratch-resistant finish with a silver chrome accent. The aluminum barrel has threads at both ends, so the pen can be posted securely. When capped, this pocket pen slips easily into pockets. When posted, it becomes a full-sized pen. While this pen is postable, I can still write comfortably without the cap being posted.

This pocket pen is made from aluminum and is scratch-resistant. This allows the pen to be put inside pockets with the usual 'pocket' contents—coins, keys, perhaps a knife—and still look like new.

When the cap is posted, this pocket pen becomes a full-sized pen at five inches.

Here are some useful measurements and specifications of the Scriveiner Luxury EDC Stunning Matt Green Pocket Pen:

Length, capped: 4.7 in | 11.9 cm
Length, uncapped: 4.5 in | 11.4 cm
Length, posted: 5.0 in | 12.7 cm
Weight, whole pen: 29 g | 1.0 oz
Body material: Anodized aluminum
Cap: Aluminum, screw on, postable
Clip material: Stainless steel
Nib: #5 Schmidt available in F, M, or B
Filling mechanism: Converter or ink cartridge

Scriveiner pocket pen's barrel, ink converter, section, and cap.

The compact design of pocket pens makes them convenient to use, but their small size could present challenges in their ink capacity. The Scriveiner EDC pocket fountain pen uses short international cartridges or a converter for filling ink from a bottle. Scriveiner's ink converters are threaded, to be screwed onto the section. This prevents the converter from being accidentally misplaced and avoids messy ink spills.

The Scriveiner EDC pocket fountain pen has a clip! Most pocket pens are clipless, but this pen sports a durable and well-designed clip.

The EDC pen's cap ring is imprinted with the Scriveiner logos.

The cap's finial is flat and carries the stylized 'S' Scriveiner logo.

Scriveiner London is using German-made Schmidt nibs in their Classic and EDC fountain pens for smooth and effortless writing. This Stunning Matt Green EDC pen has a medium Schmidt nib that wrote smoothly out of the box.

The capped Scriveiner EDC is longer than the Kaweco Sport, Atelier F F2, and Wancai Mini, measuring 4.7 inches. When the cap is posted, it easily becomes a full-sized pen at 4.9 inches. Because of its longer barrel, the Scriveiner pocket pen is still comfortable to use even if the cap is not posted.

The EDC with my pocket pens, including a Kaweco Sport, Atelier F F2, and Majohn Wancai Mini. When they are capped, the Scriveiner EDC pocket fountain pen is longer than these pocket pens...

...but appears almost the same length as a Kaweco Sport. The Scriveiner EDC pocket fountain pen has a longer barrel, which makes writing still comfortable even without the cap posted.

To test how the Scriveiner EDC pocket fountain pen writes, I filled it with matching green ink, Robert Oster Eucalyptus Leaf. Filling the pen with ink was easy to do using the converter included in the box. The medium Schmidt nib wrote smoothly, and I had no discomfort or fatigue writing this piece. The Scriveiner EDC pen is lightweight and easy to use and I'm very happy that I can use this pen for regular writing.

The medium Schmidt nib wrote smoothly! And I love that the pen and ink matched.

I am very happy with the Scriveiner EDC pocket fountain pen and I am recommending it to anyone who wants to know this award-winning brand and explore its unique designs. This is a beautiful pocket fountain pen and I'm glad to have it in my collection. Get one for your collection.

Rants of The Archer thanks Scriveiner London for providing the Matte Green EDC pocket fountain pen in this review. The EDC and Classic pens are available in Scriveiner's online store (https://scriveiner.com/products/scriveiner-luxury-edc-fountain-pen-medium-stunning-matt-green-pocket-pen-chrome-finish?_pos=1&_sid=99f713a21&_ss=r).

To learn more about Scriveiner, visit their website at https://scriveiner.com/ or follow them on social media:

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/scriveiner)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/scriveiner)

X (https://x.com/scriveiner)

YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/scriveiner)

Fountain Pen Review: Atelier F F2 Titanium Gr. 5 Teal and Light Gold

2024-06-10T07:00:00.004+08:00

In March 2023, I wrote about a new and upcoming pen brand in the Philippines, f-inks. After more than a year, the brand has created F1 pens in various designs using Titanium and stainless steel. With the success of the first pen design, the creator behind f-inks (now Atelier F) introduced a new and unique pen—a pocket fountain pen made from Grade 5 Titanium with a #6 JoWo nib and an ink cartridge designed specifically for it.

Pocket pens have several advantages that make them useful for everyday carry. They are portable and their compact size is designed to fit comfortably in pockets or small bags. While pocket pens offer portability, they have some downsides, too. They have limited ink capacity due to their compact size, they can be easily misplaced and could be prone to ink leaks. These challenges have been addressed in the F2 pocket fountain pen.

Atelier F's presentation box is crafted from wood and features an elegant floral design, along with the ink drop and stylized "F" logo.

The F2 Titanium fountain pen in the presentation box alongside an extra ink converter made by Atelier F and an international short cartridge.

The F2's Certificate of Authenticity. Atelier F now includes a Certificate for each of the pens that they sold.

I've had the chance to review numerous fountain pens, and I am truly impressed by the innovative designs created by individuals. One of these remarkable individuals is Francesco, the brains behind Atelier F. He has a unique approach to pen design, resulting in exceptional and well-crafted pens. In one of our conversations, Francesco e mentioned that his fountain pen design incorporates elements from some of his favorite pens. He named his pens the "F" pen, inspired by his name and the qualities he aims to achieve in his products: friendly, fine, flawless, fantastic, fabulous, and fair. I think he should also include functional, fascinating, fearless, and futuristic on that list!

The F2 fountain pen is sturdy but lightweight. Don't let the size fool you!

Here's another brilliant idea from Francesco. Atelier F produced the F2 using Titanium Grade 5, the most widely used titanium alloy. This material has a very high strength, scratch- and crack-resistant up to 300°C, with outstanding corrosion resistance. Titanium Grade 5 is the perfect material for the F2. I tried keeping it in my pocket with keys and some loose change. I also added it to my carry-all pen pouch that has sharp tools—clips, scissors, a metal ruler, a craft knife, and tweezers—it did not get any scratches and still looked shiny and new every time I used it.

If you think this pocket pen is short, you are right that it is. However, this pen transforms into a full pen when the cap is posted. The F2 pen measures 3.9 inches only while capped, but becomes a long pen at 5.9 inches when posted. It weighs 35 grams only, a light pen that is very comfortable to use.

Here are some useful measurements and specifications of the F2 Titanium:

Length, capped: 3.9 in | 9.9 cm
Length, uncapped: 3.6 in | 9.1 cm
Weight, whole pen: 35 g | 1.2 oz
Body material: Titanium
Cap: Titanium, screw on, need to post
Clip material: No clip
Nib: #6 JoWo available in F, M, B, or elastic EF or F
Filling mechanism: Proprietary ink converter from Atelier F
Accessories: Pen syringe, Leather pen sleeve

The F2's cap, section, ink cartridge, and barrel. The ink cartridge was specially made to fully fit the F2's short barrel and has three times the capacity of short international ink cartridges.

The compact design of pocket pens makes them very convenient, but their small size also presents some challenges. For instance, their size might not provide the most comfortable grip for extended writing sessions. Additionally, their ink capacity is greatly affected by their small size, and it can be tricky to fit a decent amount of ink into a small pen, leading to pens running out of ink faster. Most pocket pens use short international cartridges that hold around 0.7ml of ink. However, Atelier F addressed this design challenge by creating its own ink cartridge for the F2 fountain pen. When you purchase an F2 pen, it comes with two of these cartridges, each capable of holding three times the amount of ink found in short international cartridges.

The F2's ink cartridge fits perfectly inside the pen's short barrel. This design avoids the common problem of accidentally misplacing ink cartridges in wider pen barrels.

The F2's cap top bears Atelier F's logo of ink drop and the stylized "F".

Francesco uses #6 JoWo nibs in Atelier F pens, including the F2. The F2 is the first pocket pen I have seen with a #6 nib as most only carry the smaller #5 nibs.

At less than 4 inches, the F2 fountain pen is a compact pocket pen that is almost the same length as a Kaweco Sport, but longer than the tiny Majohn Wancai Mini. When the F2's cap is posted, it is longer than the Sport and is the same length as a capped TWSBI ECO or Lamy Safari.

The F2 and two other pocket pens that I have, the Kaweco Sport and Majohn Wancai Mini. The F2 is almost the same length as the Sport when they are capped...

...but becomes a full-length fountain pen once the cap is posted.

The F2 is a full-length standard-sized fountain pen like the TWSBI ECO or Lamy Safari when it is uncapped and posted.

It's even longer than these two pens without their caps!

The F2 fountain pen with its older sibling, the F1 SS pen I reviewed last year.

To test how the F2 fountain pen writes, I filled it with one of my favorite wet blue inks, J. Herbin Éclat de Saphir. The medium nib wrote smoothly, and I had no discomfort or fatigue writing this piece. The F2 pen is lightweight and easy to use. I'm happy that I can use this pen for regular writing. The F2, like its Atelier F pen sibling F1 SS316, is such a unique and remarkable pen that I am proud to have in my collection.

The medium JoWo nib in the F2 fountain pen wrote so smoothly!

I am happy with the F2 Titanium pocket pen! The design is amazing and people are always curious about this pen. It's a well-designed pen that's sturdy, lightweight, and easy to carry around. The F2 is meant for long-term use and I definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to explore and know this brand. I'm excited to try and see Francesco's new designs in the coming months! Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Francesco and Atelier F for providing the F2 Titanium fountain pen for review purposes. Atelier F fountain pens are available for purchase from Atelier F or from Kailash Ramchandani's PenGrafik.

To learn more about these beautiful and well-crafted pens, follow Atelier F on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/f_inks.22/).

Fountain Pen Review: 2024 Lamy Safari Special Edition Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry

2024-06-03T07:00:00.003+08:00

2024 Lamy Safari Special Edition Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry

In the latter part of 2023, people started talking about the special edition Lamy Safaris for 2024. Some hoped for colored clear Safaris, and others wished for more pens in textured matte finish. In early January, photos of the two Lamy Safari pens for 2024 began showing up. There were mixed reactions to the new pens. Some did not believe the pens were real, others thought they were fake, and many did not like the design. Even I thought they looked like Safari frankenpens!

When Lamy formally announced the release of the two new Safaris, the pens became mostly anticipated, and everyone—including me—waited to get their hands on Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry, the 2024 Special Edition Lamy Safari pens.

Lamy Philippines promptly sent the fountain pens as soon as they received their stocks. Upon receiving the 2024 Safaris, I realized that they are beautiful and unique. It would be a huge loss not to include them in my collection. The two new fountain pens introduced this year have some unique features for the first time, such as different grip section colors, matching cap finials and section colors, matching inks, and labeled boxes!

Lamy Safari Pink Cliff in its pink-themed Lamy box.

Lamy Safari Violet Blackberry in the violet-themed Lamy box. Both fountain pens come with a Z28 Lamy ink converter and a T10 ink cartridge.

Lamy released the 2024 Special Edition Safari pair in packaging similar to that of previous years, such as Dark Lilac (2016), Petrol (2017), All Black (2018), Pastel (2019), Candy (2020), Origin (2021), and Strawberry and Cream (2022). The old, bulky plastic pen boxes are no longer used. Lamy now uses laminated cardboard boxes with the year's color theme, or a combination of gray and the pens' colors. The laminated pen box is enclosed in a plain white sleeve. This year, Lamy has added a small detail to the boxes that I really like — the boxes of the 2024 Safari pens are labeled with the pens' color models!

The 2024 Lamy Safari pen boxes are labeled! Neat! This helps a lot in organizing boxes and pens.

The Lamy Safari Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry are available as fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. The fountain pens have the following measurements and specifications:

Colors: Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry
Material: ABS plastic
Length, capped: 5.5 in | 14.6 cm
Length, uncapped: 5 in | 13.2 cm
Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
Full pen weight: 15 g | 0.53 oz
Cap: Snap-on, postable
Clip material: Stainless steel
Nib: Interchangeable nibs in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Kanji, or italics (1.1, 1.5, 1.9mm)
Filling mechanism: Lamy T10 Giant ink cartridge or Lamy Z27 or Z28 ink converter

For the first time, the Special Edition Lamy Safari pens have different colors for the grip sections. Both sections have a textured matte finish.

The Lamy Safari is often considered a beginner or student fountain pen. The 2024 Special Edition includes two pens with different finishes. The Pink Cliff pen has a textured matte finish on the cap, section, and barrel, similar to the pens from 2020 (Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango), 2021 (Terra Red and Savannah Green), and 2022 (Strawberry and Cream). On the other hand, the Violet Blackberry pen has a glossy finish on the cap and barrel and a textured matte finish on the section. These pens are made from sturdy ABS plastic, which is the same material used in Lego blocks, keyboard keycaps, refrigerator walls, and the filament commonly used in 3D printers. The Lamy Safari was first introduced in the 1980 Frankfurt exhibition (read more in Lamy's Company History) and has been in regular production since then. Despite some fountain pen enthusiasts' low regard for this plastic pen, many fans around the world collect the Safari and its aluminum cousin, Lamy AL-star.

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry come with matching black nibs and spring-loaded, oversized clips. These pens are reliable, sturdy, and durable workhorses. They feature ergonomically shaped sections or grip areas to ensure comfortable writing over long periods. In addition, the Lamy Safari's unique ink window allows you to see how much ink is left in the cartridge or converter.

Lamy Safari's iconic spring-loaded clips. This year's pens have black clips. Lamy has not released a special edition pen with a chrome clip since 2020.

The Safari's triangular section is ergonomically designed to make writing easier — it helps users get a firm and secure grip on the pen. An anti-slipping brake near the end of the section prevents a user’s fingers from slipping onto the nib while writing. Some people find the section's design uncomfortable, but I find it very helpful.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are fitted with sturdy, long-lasting stainless nibs. These nibs are interchangeable for the Safari and for other Lamy fountain pens, which are very useful. A Safari fountain pen has the same feed and nib as those on the Vista, Al-Star, Joy, Nexx, and Studio.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are filled with ink using a converter or a T10 ink cartridge. The proprietary piston-operated Z28 converters are used to fill Lamy fountain pens with ink from a bottle and included in the box.

The medium nibs on the Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry wrote smoothly out of the box, and they are perfect for my thin-stick handwriting.

I have been collecting Lamy Safari fountain pens for several years. Most special edition pens have the standard black textured matte cross finials, while the more unique ones have shiny dot-button finials (like the 2009 Pink and Creme Orange editions) or cross finials in the same colors as the pens (Aquamarine (2011), Green (2012), Pastel Collection (2019), and Candy (2020)). Some pens have finials that match the clip colors (Flame (2004), Blue and Red, a.k.a. the Superman Safari (2006), and Red Safari for China (2012)). However, the two pens for 2024 not only have different color sections, but their finials also match their grip sections.

The finials of Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry match the pens' sections.

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry have matching colors for their sections and finials.

Lamy Pink Cliff has a textured matte blue-gray finish for the barrel and cap, with a matte pink for the section and cap finial. The nib and clip are black.

Lamy Violet Blackberry has a shiny dark purple finish for the barrel and cap and a light purple in matte finish for its section and cap finial. The nib and clip are black.

Pink and purple/violet Lamy Safaris and Al-stars, left to right: Powder Rose (2019), Light Rose (2023), Pink (2009), Vibrant Pink (2018), Black Purple (2009), Lilac (2023), Violet (2020), Dark Lilac (2016), Violet Blackberry (2024), Pink Cliff (2024), and Silver Blue (1997).

In previous years, Lamy has released inks to match their fountain pens. For most years, Lamy releases an ink to match a Safari and another one for the year's Al-star. This year, Lamy did something different by launching two matching ink colors for the Safari fountain pens for the first time. The Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry fountain pens have matching inks with the same names.

Pink Cliff—despite its name, this ink is actually a deep navy blue ink with medium shading. It has no shimmer but exhibits some copper sheen. Pink Cliff is not a heavily saturated ink, and I like how it wrote with the medium nib on my Pink Cliff.

Pink Cliff ink to match Pink Cliff Safari. This ink is available in a T52 50ml bottle or a 5-pack T10 cartridges.

Pink Cliff is a deep navy blue ink with medium shading and no shimmer, but has some copper sheen.

Violet Blackberry is one of Lamy's two new inks for 2024. It is a deep purple-black ink with some shading. Similar to Pink Cliff, this ink does not contain any shimmer, but it dries with a beautiful gold sheen. It is not highly saturated and has a slightly wet flow, which provides a smooth writing experience with the medium nib in my Violet Blackberry pen.

Violet Blackberry ink and pen. This ink is also available in 50ml bottles and 5-pack T10 cartridges.

Violet Blackberry is a deep purple ink with some shading and a beautiful gold sheen.

Lamy inks through the years.

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry with beautiful copper and gold sheen.

This is my first fountain pen review in more than a year. I missed blogging and reviewing, but I couldn't do it for a long time while attending classes. In February, I underwent a scary medical procedure, and the love and care that my family and friends provided helped immensely in my healing and recovery. I am forever thankful to them, and I dedicate this comeback review to them. In my search for text to use in my writing sample, I focused on gratitude and came across this perfectly wonderful story of the two branches of gratitude.

What's good about the 2024 matching Lamy Safari and fountain pen inks? I didn't have to look hard for inks that would match the Safari fountain pens. The two Safaris wrote smoothly, without the nibs needing tuning or modifications. The Safaris are comfortable pens to use because they are made from lightweight material. I have not inked a Safari in a long time, and I'm glad I'm using them again.

The two branches of gratitude—a beautiful story.

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry pens are special edition pens for 2024. When stocks run out, Lamy will likely not produce them again. But these pens are still widely available, so you can still get them for your collection!

Rants of the Archer thanks Times Trading and Lamy Philippines for providing the Lamy Safari Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry fountain pens and inks for review purposes. Lamy Safari pens are widely available from reputable pen sellers worldwide. For a global search of Lamy sellers worldwide, follow this link. In the Philippines, Lamy pens, inks, and accessories are available from Times Trading Company, Lamy Philippines, the Lamy Concept Store in Makati, National Bookstore outlets, Scribe, and Everything Calligraphy.

For inquiries, visit the Lamy Philippines website (https://www.lamyphilippines.com/), email them at customerservice@lamyphillipines.com, or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lamyph.

Fountain Pen Review: f-inks F1 SS316 Fountain Pen

2023-03-27T07:00:00.005+08:00

It's been a week since the 2023 Manila Pen Show. Fountain pen enthusiasts are still raving about the show, getting their "grails," and "posting their "hauls." But hey guys, you're in for a new and happy surprise in the coming weeks! Did you know? A new brand of really good fountain pens is launching in the Philippines! The new and upcoming series of fountain pens from f-inks made of titanium, aluminum, and stainless steel is coming very soon, and Rants of The Archer is honored to publish the first-ever full review of the F1 SS316 fountain pen from f-inks! It's another "fountain pen first" for this blog!

In early February, I came across fountain pens made of titanium in our local pen group. After some discussion with the creator and developer behind f-inks, I checked the pens and agreed to do a full fountain pen review of their stainless steel pen. I only have a few metal fountain pens, and the ones that I have are either made of aluminum or brass. When I received f-inks' F1 SS316 fountain pen, I used a fountain pen that is made from solid stainless steel for the first time. The SS316 surprised me; it was love at first sight and more love at first write!

f-inks fountain pens are presented in a wooden box with etched art and the stylized "F" and ink drop logo. I like this box because it's sturdy and ensures the safety of the pen inside. It can also be repurposed as a pen box for several pens.

Here's the F1 SS316 fountain pen inside the presentation box.

I have reviewed many fountain pens and am amazed at the creativity of people who produce extraordinary pens. Francesco, the man behind f-inks, is one of them. He thinks out of the box, and his pens are unique and designed well. In one of our conversations, Francesco said that his fountain pen design is a synthesis of some of the elements of his favorite pens. He calls this design the "F" pen, derived from his name and the words he strives for in his products: friendly, fine, flawless, fantastic, fabulous, and fair. He should add functional, fascinating, fearless, and futuristic to the list!

f-inks F1 SS316 fountain pen, a sturdy, solid, and firm pen made of pure stainless steel. This pen is very smooth and glossy in person. The "markings" that you will see in some of the photos in this review are my reflection and some machine marks.

Francesco describes the F pen's design as a minimalistic female shape. It's a beautiful shape that is also comfortable to hold as you write. The gap between the cap and the barrel is meant to lessen the friction between the two pen parts and avoid scratches or markings from repeated movements when capping/uncapping the pen.

The F pen is also available in a titanium version, and he is working on an aluminum pen and combination models of stainless steel + aluminum and titanium + aluminum. It's exciting to see these pen models in the coming months.

The F1 SS316 has a minimalistic female shape, a shape that is comfortable to hold while writing.

I'm sure you all want to know how long and heavy this stainless steel pen is. The F1 SS316 is a full-sized fountain pen, measuring 5.62 inches while capped. It weighs 128 grams, and while that weight is heavy for a pen, it's not uncomfortable nor does it make writing difficult. Here are some useful measurements and specifications of the F1 SS316:

Length, capped: 5.62 in | 14.27 cm
Length, uncapped: 5.3 in | 13.5 cm
Weight, whole pen: 128 g | 325 oz
Weight, pen uncapped: 91 g | 3.21 oz
Weight, cap: 37 g | 1.30 oz
Body material: Stainless steel
Cap: Stainless steel, screw on, does not post
Clip material: No clip
Nib: #6 JoWo available in F, M, B, or elastic EF or F
Filling mechanism: Standard international converter

While the F1 SS316 weighs much more than the average fountain pen, other elements help make it comfortable to use. The length of its barrel provides balance while writing. If this pen's barrel were shorter, that would cause discomfort. The section's design and shape also contribute to an enjoyable writing experience. Notice that the section has no threads for the cap on the area where it joins the barrel. The threads for the cap are on the section's lips near the nib.

The F1 SS316 fills with ink through a standard international converter.

Engraved on the cap's top is f-inks logo of ink drop and stylized "F"

These are threading on the pen's section and barrel. Notice the thick stainless steel used on this pen. That means sturdy, solid, and (almost) unbreakable.

Francesco uses #6 JoWo nibs on his pens at the moment, but he is open to using other compatible brands in the future, including using flex and ultraflex nibs. I got an elastic EF nib in my pen.

The F1 SS316 fountain pen is a full-sized pen. Capped or uncapped, it shares almost the same length as a Lamy Al-star and TWSBI ECO. Uncapped, however, it's longer than a Laban 325. The SS316 fountain pen's size provides balance and helps in a comfortable writing experience.

From top: TWSI ECO Rosegold, Laban 325 Snow, F1 SS316, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, and Lamy Al-star. While the F1 SS316 shares almost the same length as the Al-star and ECO, it is shorter than the 325.

Uncapped, the F1 SS316 is longer than the 325.

To test how the F1 SS316 fountain pen writes, I filled it with one of my favorite wet blue inks, J. Herbin Éclat de Saphir. The elastic EF nib wrote smoothly, and I had no problem writing this piece. I was very careful with the elastic nib because this is my first elastic nib, but it wrote very well, with the light spring adding to the lovely writing experience. The pen is heavy, but I did not notice the weight while I wrote. I'm happy that I can use this pen for regular writing and maybe for ink art, too! The F1 SS316 is such a unique and remarkable pen.

The elastic EF nib wrote so smoothly! Instead of a simple one-sentence quote, I chose a longer text for this writing sample to check if I will have any discomfort. I'm glad to report that there was none, and it was an enjoyable writing experience.

The F1 SS316 can also transform! You can swap the pen's nib with a pencil tip and voila! You now have a stainless steel pencil! These pencil tips are inexpensive and are easily available in stationery shops.

I am happy (and still giddy) with the F1 SS316 fountain pen! I'm still amazed at how this pen was designed and made. Every day, I spend time just holding it and writing with it. It's a well-designed pen that's sturdy and not sensitive to compounds that are usually harmful to our pens, including rubbing alcohol. These pens are meant for long-term use and I definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to explore and know this brand. I'm excited to try the titanium F1 pen and see Francesco's new designs in the coming months! Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Francesco for providing the F1 SS316 fountain pen for review purposes. F1 SS316 and F1 Ti gr.5 fountain pens are available for purchase from Kailash Ramchandani's PenGrafik.

To learn more about these beautiful and well-crafted pens, follow f-inks on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/f_inks.22/).

The Manila Pen Show is Here!

2023-03-15T07:00:00.022+08:00

And here are 6 people with seriously swoon-worthy handwriting!

Catch them at the Manila Pen Show at the Holiday Inn and Suites, Makati City, on March 18-29, 2023.

Everyone’s most formative memories have to do with learning to write in script. The satisfaction of looking at your immaculate, handwritten notes is something everyone can relate to even today, with the advent of technology that has taken us away from the simple act of writing with pen and paper.

Even if you can’t write that well, the sight of other people’s neatly spaced writing can still take your breath away. Here are some people whose handwriting can inspire you to pick up the pen and practice your way to becoming the scribe of your dreams.

1. Leigh Reyes

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A post shared by Leigh Reyes 🖋☕️🎧 (@leighpod)

Aside from being an award-winning advertising creative, Leigh Reyes is an avid pen collector. "The thrill of acquisition does fade, and in its place the joy of discovering newness in what one already owns glows more brightly," she writes on her website (https://leighreyes.com).

On Leigh's Instagram (@leighpod), you can see her handwriting prowess in her photos of handwritten notes. She also gamely answers questions about all things pens and writing.

On Saturday, March 18, 2023, Leigh will give a workshop at 2:00 PM, titled “Mad Scientist.” She will also moderate the panel discussion featuring fountain pen collectors on Sunday, March 19 at 3:45 PM.

2. Imma Frias

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A post shared by Imma (@dyosaimma)

Imma Frias started her calligrapher journey in 2013. She has been a calligraphy instructor since 2014, and penmanship in 2016. "Calligraphy is something that is therapeutic… once you get the hang of it, it’s actually soothing," she told The Lasallian a few years back.

Visit Imma's Instagram (@dyosaimma) to see her deeply satisfying works of handwritten art. At the Manila Pen Show's Saturday opening, Imma will lead a Handwriting Hangout at 10:30 AM. She will host Modern Calligraphy with Flex Pens on Sunday, March 19.

3. Lorraine Castañeda

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On Lorraine Castaneda’s Instagram (@calligraphyspot), she calls herself a “Purveyor of calligraphy appreciation, teacher of beautiful writing, and a stay-at-home time traveler.” All those things are true: her beautiful handwriting would not look any different from a passionate love letter written in the 1800s.

On March 18, 3:00 PM Castaneda will be heading a talk on Fountain Pens for Kids of AllAges, proving it is never too early to start enjoying the art of handwriting.

4. Clement Dionglay

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If you thought fountain pens could only be used by those who write in elaborate script, you haven’t seen Clement Dionglay’s Instagram (@clemdionglay). Clement's occasional italic calligraphy and neatly written words in her stick-font style, along with her impressive collection of Lamy and TWSBI fountain pens are on Instagram. She also shares her fountain pen and ink reviews on Instagram.

5. Pao Alfonso

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Pao is also a fountain pen enthusiast who likes to write in print, Her Instagram account (@the.serial.doodler) showcases her thoughts on the world of pens. “Nib preferences really do change over time. I started out preferring fine nibs, then fell in love with medium and stub nibs. Now I’ve come full circle and prefer fine nibs again.” Pao's drawings, accompanied by her writing, work as mini food reviews of places she's enjoyed.

6. Toni Santos

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Toni Santos’ Instagram feed (@toniscalligraphy) features her calligraphy, with thoughtful handwritten quotes and song lyrics that offer inspiration and occasionally humor. Other than being a pen collector, she also collects notebooks. On March 19, she will be heading a talk about Fountain Pens for Kids 7-12.

This article was distributed by MullenLowe MARC for the 2023 Manila Pen Show which is happening at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Makati City (5th Floor) on March 18-19, 2023, from 8:00AM to 6:00PM. A portion of the Manila Pen Show's proceeds will go to Save the Children Philippines and their Life-Changer for Children program. For a full list of exhibitors and speakers, schedules, and general updates, please check @manilapenshow and #manilapenshow2023.

Fountain Pen Review: BENU Euphoria Forest Pond

2023-02-27T07:00:00.005+08:00

In my other job, I write science articles on biotechnology. I write about breakthroughs and research results, mostly on major food and feed crops. When news about Russia's invasion of Ukraine broke out, we saw a lot of news about wheat, an important staple food feeding millions around the world. A Twitter influencer said the war is hitting plates directly across the globe as Ukraine is a major grain producer. My thought went further than my plate and out to my friends at BENU in Moscow which is one of the world's producers of unique and beautiful fountain pens. It's been a year since, and BENU has found a new home in Armenia, producing writing instruments and accessories in Yerevan.

My last BENU fountain pen review was in 2021, the Talisman Foxglove. BENU has produced many beautifully-designed fountain pens since then, including some wonderful hand-painted ones in their signature Euphoria and Minima collections. These hand-painted pens are one-of-a-kind BENU online store exclusives, and some of them are numbered. This review is already my sixth BENU fountain pen review, but it's a special one because this hand-painted pen called Forest Pond from the Euphoria series is from the Yerevan workshop and an online store exclusive.

BENU Euphoria Forest Pond fountain pen, an online store exclusive.

BENU launched the Euphoria series on October 15, 2020. It is a collection of fountain pens devoted to different sources of pleasure such as a beautiful flower, sea and travel, exotic places, poetry, music, a favorite cocktail, and delicacies. Each pen in the series is inspired by things that bring joy and add color to life. Aside from Forest Pond, the hand-painted Euphoria fountain pens are White Christmas, Northern Light, Dream, Summer Meadow, Midsummer Night, October Fall, Beam Me Up, and Early Bird.

The Euphoria is a faceted pen with a section designed for comfortable writing. It's a long pen at almost six inches capped, but it's not a heavy one. Capped, this pen weighs 26 grams, and approximately 15 grams when uncapped, which is just right in the hand. The screw-on cap can be easily posted, as the barrel end is slightly tapered for this, but I prefer to write with my fountain pens unposted.

The Forest Pond fountain pen features hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies.

The Forest Pond fountain pen features hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies on a pearly aqua-blue background (see details of these hand-painted items below). Blue and green glitter foil added to the pen's material creates an illusion of the play of light in the depths of a forest pond, adding vibrancy and vividness. A true piece of art, this unique pen has been lovingly handmade and hand-painted with a series of multicolored layers. This process takes up to five days to complete and results in the pen's impressive depth of colors and unique glare.

BENU Euphoria fountain pens can be filled with ink using cartridges or converters.

BENU Euphoria Forest Pond fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

Length, capped: 5.86 in | 14.9 cm
Length, uncapped: 5.4 in | 13.7 cm
Length, cap posted: 7.1 in | 18 cm
Weight: 26 g | 0.9 oz
Body material: High-quality resin
Cap: Screw on, postable
Clip material: Stainless steel
Nib: #6 Schmidt, stainless steel in F, M, or B
Filling mechanism: Standard large international size converter or ink cartridge

BENU has kept their pens' clip design consistent from the Supreme model to the Tattoo, Tessera, and Euphoria. Their standard clip is stainless steel, which adds gloss and shine to the pens. Stainless steel is also durable, and the clip's top can be pressed so it can be easily posted to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

Euphoria fountain pens have the standard BENU stainless steel clip which adds gloss and shine to the pen. Note that the BENU logo in the hand-painted Euphoria pens is painted white. Logos in regular Euphoria pens are not painted.

These are the hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies in the Forest Pond's barrel. The depth and color in these hand-painted details are amazing!

BENU fountain pens are fitted with stainless steel Schmidt nibs that are manufactured by JoWo and then hand-assembled at the Schmidt factory in St. Georgen, Germany. Hand assembling ensures every unit gets special attention, resulting in a truly superb nib quality. These nibs are smooth, wet, and juicy.

BENU Euphoria fountain pens' long sections help a lot in writing comfortably.

BENU has continuously used Schmidt nibs on their pens. I love that they are consistently smooth, wet, and trouble-free. They write so well out the box! For a while now, I have shifted to using Medium and Fine nibs from Broad and stubs. BENU's Fine nibs are smooth writers!

My first BENU fountain pen was the Classic Ghost White Silver, a short, clipless pocket pen. They are now called the Minima. Through the years, BENU has released several pens, and I am very fortunate to have some of these pens that are crafted well by their design team led by the Chief Designer and BENU Co-Founder Alex Semanin. These pens are truly work of art.

Some of my BENU fountain pens. From top: Tattoo, Tessera, Euphoria, and Talisman.

I'm a proud owner of three BENU Euphoria fountain pens. From top: Forest Pond, Scent of Irises (now sold out), and the 2021 Limited Edition Halloween Orange.

The Euphoria, a full-length fountain pen, shares almost the same length as my pen from On A Whim Woodworks (second from bottom), but it has a thicker middle section. Capped, it is longer than a Lamy Safari, TWSBI ECO, and Leonardo Momento Zero. Uncapped, it's still the longest pen in this group. Despite its length and thicker middle section, this pen is well-balanced and comfortable to use. BENU designed the section and grip of this pen to be ergonomically correct for long periods of writing.

From the top: TWSBI ECO-T Blue, Leonardo Momento Zero Positano Blue, BENU Euphoria Forest Pond, On A Whim Woodworks Peacock Springs, and Lamy Safari Blue.

Uncapped, Euphoria is still the longest pen in this group. Note this pen's long section.

I took a long time choosing the ink for this pen. I wanted to fill it with orange ink to match the goldfish but changed my mind. I also wanted to try green and red but decided to finally use Robert Oster Signature True Blue. The Fine Schmidt nib wrote smoothly out of the box. I did not experience hard starts, skipping, or uneven ink flow. The Schmidt nib wrote very well. The Euphoria is an enjoyable fun pen, and its long section helps in writing comfortably.

The Fine Schmidt nib wrote smooth and wet out of the box. This pen is going to my pen case of daily writers!

I am very happy and proud of the BENU Euphoria Forest Pond and I am recommending it to anyone who wants to know the brand and explore its unique designs. This is a beautiful pen and I'm glad to have it in my collection. BENU is an excellent pen maker who uses only the best materials and takes great care in manufacturing their pens. Get one for your collection.

In the last five years, BENU has created pens for different series depicting bold, unique, and eye-catching designs. Aside from the Euphoria Collection, BENU currently has eight other pen collections, and I'm including their descriptions below:

Skull & Roses, fountain and rollerball pens inspired by one of the most popular motifs that represent the eternal struggle of good vs evil.
Hexagon, features the pattern of nature’s most perfect six-sided polygon shapes. True inspirations for those who prefer edgy geometry design!
Briolette, pens with a striking faceted contour. Long briolette-like cuts prevent the pens from rolling and enable the true color and brilliance of the material to emerge.
Minima, portable pens with compact, streamlined faceted bodies. Their small size conveniently fits into pockets and bags.
Ambrosia, 5 unique pens named after a colorful and flamboyant flower, to honor the nectar that was drunk by the Greek gods to preserve longevity and immortality.
Talisman, pens that allow you to step into the hypnotizing realm of folklore. Inspired by myths and legends, the collection fuses elements believed to bring luck, protection, money, or love.
Euphoria, pens devoted to different sources of simple, hedonistic pleasures, such as favorite music, a beautiful scene, an exquisite cocktail, or a delicacy.
Scepter, inspired by a century-old symbol of power, this collection of pens offers a glimpse of a majestic staff as depicted in the history of civilizations, ancient legends, and modern fantasy stories.

Rants of The Archer thanks BENU for providing the Forest Pond fountain pen in this review. The Euphoria series is available in BENU's online shop. The Forest Pond, an online store exclusive, retails for US$280. BENU pens are also available in international retailers in the US, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. See the retailers list here.

To learn more about BENU, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing BENU pens, visit their website at https://www.benupen.com/ or follow them on social media:

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/benupen/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/benupen/)

Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico Emerald

2023-02-13T07:00:00.001+08:00

Do you know that wonderful feeling you get when you have outdone yourself? That is how I felt when I held the new Momento Magico fountain pen from our friends at Leonardo Officina Italiana. They have outdone themselves again with the redesigned ink window and a new color for the Momento Magico — the Emerald. It was love at first sight, and looking at this beautiful emerald fountain pen is like standing at the shore and gazing at the breathtaking beauty of the waters at Amalfi Coast.

Have you noticed that the Magico has a different cap band than the other fountain pens from Leonardo Officina Italiana? The Magico collection is inspired by the time of dramatic changes in ancient Greece when trade opened up between the city and southern Italy and Sicily. With trade came cultural changes, too, including poetry, architecture, and art. From music, visual arts, and film came the modern inspiration for the Momento Magico, the 1962 Roberto Rossellini film Anima Nera.

The historic inspiration of this pen is expressed in the fretwork on the cap band representing the decoration from the period of artistic awakening known as “Geometric Art.” The colors of the materials of Momento Magico are inspired by Rossellini's film and the moments found within it, while the special resins and the metal trims show the artistic glory of that time in history. And this is why the Magico has a different cap band.

The box sleeve for the Momento Magico Collection (right) has the special geometric art that is also the pens' cap bands. Inside the box are the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen and a Certificate of Authenticity.

I reviewed the Millefiori from the first batch of Momento Magico pens. The Millefiori's resin is a combination of red, green, brown, and blue. The Magico Emerald is bluish-green with swirling silver and deep green, almost like ocean waves. Just like the other Leonardo fountain pens, the Emerald has a high gloss finish that is so shiny and smooth! This beautiful finish is done by Leonardo's expert artisans. The new Magico Collection has four colors: Emerald, Millefiori, Pietra Salata, and Black in either matte or glossy finish.

Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Magico Emerald

Here are some of the important details about the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen:

Length, capped: 5.7 in | 14.5 cm
Body length, barrel to nib: 5.2 in | 13.2 cm
Length, cap posted: 7.65 in | 19.4 cm
Full pen weight without ink: 23.8 g | 0.84 oz
Body material: Resin
Trim: Gold or Silver/Chrome
Cap: Screw on, postable
Clip material: Stainless steel
Nib: No. 6 steel or gold in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm) with an ABS feed; Elastic Extra Fine or Fine nibs are also available but only in the silver version
Feed: ABS
Filling mechanism: Piston; ink capacity is 1.5 ml

Momento Magico fountain pens can be completely disassembled using the piston created by Leonardo helps to disassemble the pen for cleaning. The wrench is easy to use in taking the piston assembly out of the barrel. Once the piston assembly is taken out of the barrel, the wrench stays secured to the assembly which is a huge help in putting it back into the barrel after cleaning. The wrench, made from 316L steel, the same steel used in high ranges watches, is sold separately. (See how the piston wrench works in my review of Magico Millefiori.)

The Magico can be fully disassembled for cleaning.

Inspired by Greek art, the Momento Magico's cap has a different band from most of Leonardo's fountain pens which are mostly simple bands. The fretwork central band in a letter M pattern comes from the Geometric Art period.

While other Leonardo pens have markings on their barrels, the Momento Magico has its branding on the cap, above the ascending geometric lines of the cap band.

The Emerald's body is so shiny! I love the vibrant color and glossy finish of Leonardo fountain pens.

The 2022 Magico fountain pens have redesigned ink windows. The ink windows of the new fountain pens are shorter, perhaps only half the length of the earlier Magico pens. There are also matching ring bands in the new pens' ink windows, these were not installed in the previous pens. Note that the ink window in the new pens is no longer visible when the pen is capped. The tiny ink window gap in the first version of Momento Magico pens was not well-liked, and the redesign is a good improvement to the 2022 Magicos.

The Momento Magico's new ink window is shorter and has matching ring bands.

Momento Magico fountain pens are fitted with No. 6 steel or gold nibs that are screwed into the section. The available nibs are Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm). An elastic nib in Extra Fine or Fine is also available. The Momento Magico fountain pens are also fitted with an ABS or black ebonite feed and they have a 1.5 ml piston filling capacity that is produced in-house. This Emerald fountain pen is fitted with a juicy and smooth Medium nib that wrote so well out of the box.

The Emerald's Medium nib writes smooth, juicy, and very comfortable to use.

The marking to indicate width is engraved on the nib shoulder.

Below are some photos of the Emerald side-by-side with the Millefiori for comparison:

Momento Magico Emerald (2022) and Millefiori (2021) – the packaging and presentation for both pens remain the same.

The cap, clip, and clip band are all the same.

But the gap in the ink window that is visible in the 2021 Millefiori is no longer visible in the Emerald.

Here is the comparison of the ink windows of the two fountain pens. The 2021 Magico has a longer and simpler ink window. The 2022 Magico has a shorter ink window with matching ring bands.

The Momento Magico is a full-sized fountain pen that shares the same length and diameter as the Momento Zero and Furore. It also looks very similar to the MZ, but the differences are also very obvious: slimmer clip, cap band design, ink window, and piston-filling mechanism.

Capped, the full-sized Momento Magico fountain pen shares approximately the same length as Laban 325, Esterbrook Estie, and Lamy Al-star, but longer than a TWSBI ECO. Uncapped, all of five pens share the same length.

From top: TWSBI ECO Turquoise, Laban 325, Leonardo Momento Magico Emerald, Esterbrook Estie Gold Rush Frontier Green, and Lamy Alstar Aquamarine.

I always try to fill my pens with matching ink colors, and I filled the Magico Emerald with Robert Oster Signature Marine, a matching bluish-green ink. The Momento Magico's piston mechanism worked well, and the Medium nib wrote smoothly without the need for adjustments or tuning.

I chose this happy song because the Magico Emerald reminds me so much of the sea!

The Momento Magico is another well-designed fountain pen from the expert artisans in the workrooms of Leonardo Officina Italiana. These fountain pens are fully handmade in Italy using high-quality, lovely resin and include a full lifetime mechanical warranty. Like its pen cousins, the Momento Magico Emerald is a delight to look at, wonderful to use, and great to keep. Get one for your collection!

This postcard tells the Leonardo story.

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Facebook and Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen lineup making special pens for other brands and getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have quite a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. I'm always excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop, and I'm sure more exciting pens are coming in 2023.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Momento Magico Emerald fountain pen for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, visit the Leonardo Officina Italiana website or follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, Stilo & Stile, and Fontanna Penna.

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, Pen Chalet, Atlas Stationers, and Endless Pens.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik).

Fountain Pen Review: Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age

2023-01-02T07:30:00.032+08:00

It's the New Year and Rants of The Archer welcomes 2023 with a brand new fountain pen review! To start the year here's another "fountain pen first" for me and this blog, an Urushi fountain pen from Japan's Wancher Inc., the Oita-based company led by Taizo Okagaki and his team. Last year, I collaborated with Wancher in my first-ever review of their flagship fountain pen model, the Dream Pen in True Ebonite. Following the success of the first review, Wancher sent two beautiful fountain pens from their Sekai Collection, together with a leather pen case and a discount code for everyone who buys a Sekai fountain pen! (Details at the end of this review.)

I've been using fountain pens for almost 15 years now, and I've seen many pens from other fountain pen collectors. But the pens from Wancher are so unique that using them becomes an unforgettable experience. The fountain pen in this review is a Sekai Tsugaru Urushi in Midori-Age finish. I'm not a fan of green pens or inks, but this green and red Urushi fountain pen is beautiful, it's exquisite, and it's like no other pen I've seen or used before!

Wancher's packaging of their fountain pens is in traditional Japanese presentation boxes.

I love this traditional Japanese wooden box that Wancher sends their pens in. A monoprint of a fountain pen and sakura are printed on the cover, together with Japanese Kanji that says "special writing instrument." Inside the box, the Sekai fountain pen is safely tucked inside a pen kimono, together with a pack of ink cartridges, a guarantee certificate, an instruction manual, and a certificate of authenticity of the Sekai fountain pen. These traditional Japanese wooden boxes remind me of the wooden box that my father made for my class project when I was a young school kid, which I later filled with stationery, bookmarks, stickers, clippings, and other ephemera.

The Wancher traditional wooden presentation box includes the Sekai fountain pen in the pen kimono, a pack of ink cartridges, a guarantee certificate, an instruction manual, and a certificate of authenticity.

The Sekai fountain pen collection embraces the idea of connecting the world with the arts, inspired by the World Tree in many mythologies. Sekai fountain pens are made from precious woods such as ebony and sandalwood, and then crafted with Urushi, Maki-e, or simply decorated with a high-quality Japanese Sterling Silver clip. I am new to Urushi and how it's done, but Wancher provides an excellent description of the process. According to Wancher, Tsugaru Urushi refers to lacquerware made in the city of Tsugaru in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Known as one of the most skill-intensive Urushi techniques, Tsugaru-nuri is sophisticated yet stunningly beautiful with its unusual finish.

Sekai Tsugaru fountain pens are crafted with Kara-nuri, a high-quality Tsugaru-nuri technique that shows distinctive speckled patterns created by four to six different Urushi color lacquers. With this technique, many layers of different Urushi are applied to wooden or ebonite surfaces using a spatula-like tool, called a shikake-bera. Urushi lacquer is then allowed to dry for three to four months, after which artisans will start polishing to even the surface. The final finish becomes smooth and glossy, showing mottled patterns. It's amazing to know that the whole process takes several months and is totally done by hand.

Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age

I had a hard time choosing pens from Sekai Collection because all the pens are beautiful! I chose Midori-Age for its unique green and red colors, and I am happy with my pen choice. It is a medium-sized pen, measuring 5.52 inches while capped and 5.02 inches uncapped, weighs 23g, is well-balanced, and is comfortable to use for writing.

This green and red fountain pen is a perfect starter for the year!

This Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age pen has the following specifications:

Length, capped: 5.52 in | 14 cm
Length, uncapped (nib tip to barrel's end): 5.02 in | 12.7 cm
Full pen weight: 23 g | 0.81 oz
Body material: Base materials are natural precious woods such as ebony and sandalwood.
Trim: None
Cap: Ebonite, screw-on, can be posted
Clip: None, but Wancher offers a selection of roll stoppers
Nib: No. 6 Jowo stainless steel in Fine, also available in Extra Fine, Medium, Broad, Stub 1.1, or Stub 1.5. Wancher also offers other nibs, including a Jowo gold-plated stainless steel, Wancher 18k rhodium-plated, and Wancher 18k solid gold.
Filling mechanism: Cartridge or converter, both supplied with each pen
Color: Green, with visible streaks of red, black, and gold; also available in Karashi-Age, Ro-Age, Kuru-Age, Aka-Age, and Ao-age

Sekai Midori-Age fountain pen can be filled with ink using a converter or standard international ink cartridges, both are included in the box.

Wancher notes that this Urushi fountain pen is made using the Kara-nuri technique, where many different lacquers were applied using the shikake-bera, a spatula-like tool. Some traces of this tool can be seen on the pen's surface. These are not defects but a unique charm and artistic trait of the pen itself.

Midori-Age up close. The Urushi on this pen is bright and vivid.

The Urushi lacquer is so smooth and glossy that I could not get this image without the fabric's pattern's reflection on the pen's cap and barrel ends.

I'm glad that Wancher sent this fountain pen with a Fine nib. The stainless steel Jowo nib bears the Wancher logo and the nib width (F). It is wet and writes smoothly the first time I inked it. It wrote so well out of the box without any modification or priming prior to use. This nib is one of the smoothest Fine nibs that I have ever tried.

Wancher also offers other nibs for their fountain pens, including stainless steel (SS) and SS gold-plated Jowo (Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.1, and 1.5), Wancher SS and gold-plated SS nibs, rhodium-plated 18k gold (Medium or Broad), and 18k solid gold (Medium or Broad). They are even offering Christmas nibs in Extra Fine and Medium with bells and snowman designs.

This western Fine nib is wet and smooth! One of the smoothest Fine nibs I've ever tried.

Here is the Sekai Midori-Age fountain pen with the Dream Pen True Ebonite.

The Sekai Midori-Age is a medium-sized fountain pen, and it has almost the same length as a Leonardo Furore. It is shorter than the Tibaldi Bononia, Wancher Dream Pen, and Esterbrook Estie Oversize. The section (grip) is also more slender than most of the pens in this line-up, but it is very comfortable to hold when writing.

From the top: Leonardo Officina Italiana Furore Arancio, Tibaldi Bononia Seashell Mist, Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age, Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red, and Esterbrook Estie Rocky Top OS.

These pens all have No. 6 nibs.

To test how the Fine nib in Midori-Age writes, I filled it with matching green ink, Robert Oster Mistletoe, a Truphae exclusive. It was my first time using this green ink, and RO Signature Mistletoe looked so good in Midori-Age's wet Fine nib. I chose a quote from one of my favorite books written by a Japanese author, The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa.

I'm pleased that the stainless steel Fine nib wrote smoothly out of the box, without the need for any adjustments or tuning. I did not experience any hard starts or skipping. The pen wrote smoothly, and I had a fuss-free writing experience with a well-balanced fountain pen.

A combination of firsts — first time to use this green ink in this green pen, writing my first page of book quotes in this Apica notebook. A perfect triple match!

Wancher provides each pen with its own pen kimono. The thick kimono protects the Sekai Midori-Age fountain pen.

I know I said this in my Dream Pen review last year, but in experience as a fountain pen collector and reviewer, I did not imagine being able to try an Urushi pen from Japan. I have seen Urushi pens in other people's collections and they are truly beautiful. The Midori-Age is a wonderful and amazing pen and sometimes I spend minutes just looking at it, enjoying its beauty and thinking of how long it took for this pen to get this beautiful. I am very happy and pleased with the Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age fountain pen, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the brand and its fountain pens. Wancher has been making unique fountain pens since 2011, with the commitment to use the finest materials and craftsmanship in their products. So what are you waiting for? Get a Wancher Sekai fountain pen in your collection!

Yes, you want to get one! Our friends at Wancher have kindly offered a discount code for everyone who reads and follows Rants of The Archer! Use the code ARCHER10 at checkout and get 10% off on any Sekai fountain pens that you will purchase! That's an amazing discount for you! Go get a Sekai now!

Rants of The Archer thanks Taizo Okagaki and Wancher Inc. for providing the Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age in this review. This pen is available at Wancher starting at US$450.

To learn more about Wancher Inc. and its offerings, visit its website at https://www.wancherpen.com/. For updates, promos, and giveaways, follow Wancher on social:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wancher_official/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WancherGlobal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wancher_global
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf-0nR5YYuh17DGVVYT4Mlw

Fountain Pen Review: 2022 Lamy Safari Special Edition Strawberry and Cream

2022-12-19T12:30:00.003+08:00

2022 Lamy Safari Special Edition Strawberry and Cream

The year 2022 is about to end, and we will soon welcome a new year. In my part of the world, this time of the year is full of festive gatherings and celebrations with family and friends, filled with food, more food, music, and colorful decorations. What better pen color to end my 2022 reviews than a vivid, bright, and super happy red? It fits the season, it brings so much energy and a happy vibe to my blog and social media pages, and to everyone who sees my review photos.

Lamy is about to announce the 2023 Safari colors, and I have not published my review of the 2022 Safaris — I'm delayed by so many things going on around me. But here's my review, and here are the two delicious 2022 Special Edition Safari colors, Strawberry and Cream.

Strawberry Safari is not the first red Safari, but it's the first Safari that has a matching red body (cap + barrel), barrel ring, clip, and finial. It's totally bursting with energy and happiness! The Cream Safari, on the other hand, looks so neat with a matching cream body, barrel ring, clip, and finial. This Safari reminds me so much of pastillas de leche, sweet milk candies made from water buffalo milk and served for snacks or dessert here in the Philippines.

Lamy Safari Strawberry in its special edition box in the same red color.

Lamy Safari Cream in its special edition box. Each of the two pens comes with a Z28 ink converter and a T10 cartridge.

Lamy released the Special Edition Safari pair in packaging similar to that of Dark Lilac (2016), Petrol (2017), All Black (2018), Pastel (2019), Candy (2020), and Origin (2021). Instead of the old, bulky plastic pen box, or the regular gray board box, Lamy used laminated cardboard boxes with the year's color theme for their special edition pens. The laminated pen box is enclosed in a plain white sleeve.

The Lamy Safari Strawberry and Cream pens are available as fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. They have the following measurements and specifications:

Colors: Strawberry (red) and Cream (cream/beige)
Material: ABS plastic
Length, capped: 5.5 in | 14.6 cm
Length, uncapped: 5 in | 13.2 cm
Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
Full pen weight: 15 g | 0.53 oz
Cap: Snap-on, postable
Clip material: Stainless steel
Nib: Interchangeable stainless steel in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or italics (1.1, 1.5, or 1.9mm)
Filling mechanism: Lamy T10 Giant ink cartridge or Lamy Z27 or Z28 converter

The Strawberry and Cream fountain pens have a textured matte finish similar to Petrol, Dark Lilac, All Black, the 2020 pens Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango, and last year's Savannah Green and Terra Red.

The Lamy Safari is a student pen, and many people refer to it as a 'starter pen' or a 'newbie fountain pen.' The Strawberry and Cream Safari fountain pens have the same matte finish as the special edition pens from 2020 (Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango) and 2021 (Terra Red and Savannah Green) made from sturdy ABS plastic – the same material used in Lego blocks, keyboard keycaps, refrigerator walls, and the filament commonly used in 3D printers. Introduced in the 1980 Frankfurt exhibition (read more in Lamy's Company History), Lamy Safaris have been in regular production since then. Despite some fountain pen enthusiasts' low regard for this plastic pen, many fans around the world collect the Safari and its aluminum cousin, Lamy AL-star.

The Strawberry and Cream Safaris have a textured matte finish for both barrel and cap, colored spring-loaded oversized clip, and stainless steel nibs. The Strawberry Safari has a red clip, finial, and barrel ring, while the Cream pen has a cream/beige clip, finial, and barrel ring. These workhorse pens are reliable, sturdy, and durable. They have ergonomically shaped sections (grip area) to help users write comfortably for long periods of time. The unique ink window of the Lamy Safari shows how much ink is left in the cartridge or converter.

The clips of the Strawberry and Cream Safari fountain pens match their bodies' colors.

The 2022 SE Lamy Safaris have the same-color finials as the pens' bodies.

The Lamy Safari fountain pens have a triangular section that is ergonomically designed to make writing easier — it helps users get a firm and secure grip on their pen. An anti-slipping brake near the end of the section prevents a user’s fingers from slipping into the nib while writing. While some fountain pen users find the triangular grip uncomfortable, I do not find that at all. I actually do not notice it when I'm using my Lamy fountain pens.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are fitted with sturdy, long-lasting stainless nibs. These nibs are interchangeable with the Safari and other Lamy fountain pens, which is very useful. A Safari fountain pen has the same feed and nib as those on the Vista, Al-Star, Joy, Nexx, and Studio.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are filled with ink using a converter or a T10 ink cartridge. The proprietary piston-operated Z28 converters are used to fill Lamy fountain pens with ink from a bottle and are included in each pen purchase.

The Strawberry pen has a Medium nib, while a Fine nib is installed in the Cream pen. The Medium nib wrote well, with moderate wetness from the Robert Oster Fire Engine Red ink. I have not inked the Cream pen yet, I want to look for a light brown ink that will fit its color.

The Lamy Safari Strawberry's vivid and bright red color gives off a happy vibe. It's bright, it's red, and it's a Lamy Safari! What a happy fountain pen to have!

I will always think of sweet and creamy pastillas whenever I see or use my Lamy Safari Cream. It's like holding a big bar of white chocolate or a big, fat stick of sweet pastillas de leche!

In my search for text to use as a writing sample for the 2022 Safari pair, I looked up recipes for strawberries and cream. I was surprised to see so many! Then I saw a short article about the history of the famous dessert. I was even more surprised to know that it is rooted and associated with a sport — tennis! My search for a short text to write became a three-hour fascinating read about strawberries, clotted cream, and Wimbledon.

I tried so hard to match the ink to the Strawberry Safari's vivid red color. I wanted Diamine Poppy Red, but I have long used up my bottle of this ink. I found a close one — Robert Oster Signature Fire Engine Red. I loved writing with the Medium Lamy nib which is moderately wet with a bit of feedback. I don't ink my Lamy fountain pens often, and the Medium nib in my Strawberry Safari is a new addition to my 'happy writing' nibs.

I didn't know that strawberries and cream are Wimbledon staples! But it's useful to know these things and I wouldn't have found out if I didn't write this review of Lamy Safari Strawberry and Cream.

The Safari Strawberry and Cream fountain pens are a pair of bright and happy pens and I love using this pair, especially the Strawberry. I feel happy holding and using a beautiful red fountain pen, it feels like I'm writing with all the happiness in the world! It's comfortable to use because it is made from lightweight material. It's sturdy and durable, and will surely withstand the rough and tumble of long use.

The Strawberry and Cream pens are a special edition pair for 2022, and when stocks run out, it's likely that Lamy will not produce them again. But these pens are still widely available in most pen stores, so you can still get them for your collection!

Rants of the Archer thanks Lamy Philippines and Times Trading for providing the Lamy Safari Strawberry and Cream fountain pens for review purposes. Lamy Safari pens are widely available from reputable pen sellers worldwide. For a global search of Lamy sellers worldwide, follow this link. In the Philippines, Lamy pens are available from Times Trading Company, through the Lamy Concept Store in Makati, and kiosks at National Bookstore outlets around the country. While some stores may still have restrictions due to COVID-19, Times Trading accepts online orders. Email them at customerservice@lamyphillipines.com or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lamyph.

Fountain Pen Review: BlueDew Writer Lapis

2022-12-12T07:00:00.004+08:00

I have always loved the color blue. From the light ones — azure, cyan, turquoise — to darker shades — navy, cobalt, midnight — but even more the bright and happy blues of ultramarine, sapphire, and lapis. I always have a blue fountain pen in my daily carry, and my five can't-live-without fountain pen inks are all blue, including the vibrant and intense but notorious Baystate Blue. When I read that BlueDew Pens' latest Writer series has a bright blue pen called Lapis, I knew it will be a must-have for every fountain pen collector.

To most of us fountain pen users, collectors, and enthusiasts, our pens can be more than just writing tools. Sometimes we use our fountain pens as accessories, just like we pair our clothes with watches, shoes, bags, and jewelry. BlueDew's Writer series are not only excellent fountain pens, but they are also fine accessories with a unique feature — each Writer fountain pen's clip is adorned with a genuine sapphire!

BlueDew Writer Lapis was sent in this functional protective pen case. A BlueDew flex replacement nib for the Writer series is also included in the package.

Last year I had the chance to do a review of one of BlueDew's new Flex pens. It was a unique experience trying the BlueDew flex nib because it's one I'm not scared to use because they are meant for comfortable flex writing. These flex nibs are proprietary stainless steel, rust-resistant, and most of all, they have a line variation of Japanese Extra Fine to western double broad!

The Writer fountain pens are designed with a vintage feel in mind, but they also have the most classic fountain pen design, the cigar-shaped body. They have straight bodies including caps and barrels, and their ends are rounded. The Writer has gold trims, and it looks perfect with the bright blue Lapis. Classy, stylish, and elegant. The Writer fountain pen has the following measurements:

Length, capped: 5.7in
Length, uncapped: 4.9in
Length, cap posted: 6.4in
Full pen weight: 28g
Material: Resin
Colors: Onyx, Lapis, Rose Quartz, Emerald, and Demonstrator
Trims: Gold
Clip: Gold-plated metal adorned with a dew-shaped sapphire
Cap: Threaded, screw-cap
Nib: Stainless steel F nib or BlueDew flex nib (sold separately)
Filling mechanism: Vacuum pump filler

The cigar-shaped Writer fountain pen has a vintage feel, and the gold trims look perfect with the bright blue Lapis color of the pen's body.

The Writer's cap is designed to be fully airtight to ensure that the nib does not dry and it is wet and ready to write every time.

Writer fountain pens have a vacuum filler system. It works well, and the pen fills with ink perfectly.

The cap has three bands, with a dew-shaped sapphire in the clip.

A closer look at the sapphire. BlueDew proudly states that while other brands use plastic as gemstones, those they use in the Writer fountain pens are genuine sapphire stones.

The Lapis has a glossy finish and the barrel is almost translucent.

I am happy that BlueDew offers a regular, non-flex nib for the Writer series. The new gold-plated stainless steel Fine nib has a heart-shaped breather hole, designed to be slightly soft for a forgiving writing experience. This nib is available in F as of writing, but BlueDew promises that new nibs for the Writer series will be available soon. The Writer fountain pens can also be fitted with replacement BlueDew flex nibs for the Writer series pens.

BlueDew now offers non-flex nibs. The stainless steel Fine nib (right) has a vintage-inspired heart-shaped breather hole. The BlueDew flex nib (left) for the Writer series is not tipped, so it can write finer lines. Both nibs sport the big "B" which is sometimes mistaken to indicate a B (broad) nib.

The BlueDew Writer Lapis is a full-length fountain pen that shares almost the same length with other cigar-shaped fountain pens — Leonardo Officina Italiana Furore and Esterbrook Estie. It's also about the same length as a TWSBI ECO or Lamy Al-star. Uncapped, though, it's shorter than these four pens.

From top: TWSBI ECO Cerulean Blue, Leonardo Furore Aquapetra Rose Gold, BlueDew Writer Lapis, Esterbrook Estie Gold Rush Frontier Green, and Lamy Al-star Ocean Blue.

Uncapped, the Writer Lapis is shorter than the four pens in this line-up. This does not affect this pen's performance and writing comfort.

The Writer Lapis was sent to me with a replacement BlueDew flex nib. Again, I am not a fan of flex nibs, but I enjoyed using it this time. I was so scared of using it and writing ugly cursive, so I thought I'd do my own style. I love it! I love that I can use this ultra-flex nib to write in my thin stick font style.

I tested this pen using a wet and matching bright blue ink, J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir. The Lapis wrote nicely, and the flex nib did not disappoint. It did not skip or railroad, and I did not get any feathering or bleeding despite the wet J. Herbin ink. I enjoyed writing with the BlueDew flex nib.

The BlueDew flex nib writes thin like a Japanese Extra Fine and can go wide as a western BB.

I wanted to doodle using the non-flex Fine nib, and I tried it on this 90gsm Canson sketchpad paper. The Fine nib wrote well, even wetter than most of my Fine nibs. I'm so happy with this pen and ink combination, they look so perfect together!

I did a blue doodle! Using the same J. Herbin ink, I swapped the flex nib with the stainless Fine nib. It wrote smooth and not scratchy like other Fine nibs.

This new series from BlueDew is truly a must-have! The Lapis, as well as the Onyx, Rose Quartz, Emerald, and Demonstrator has a beautiful body and wonderful nibs to try. The new non-flex nib gives people the chance to use BlueDew pens using a regular nib. It's smooth and writes well. The BlueDew flex nib is well-designed for flex writing, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to try flex nibs or calligraphy. It's meant for long use and does not wear out quickly. If you want to try a fountain pen with a vintage feel, that fits flex and non-flex nibs, and fills through a vacuum mechanism, then go for a BlueDew Writer! Get one (or two) for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks BlueDew Pens for providing the Writer Lapis for review purposes. The Writer fountain pens are available from BlueDew Pens starting at US$145 each. The BlueDew flex replacement nibs specific to the Writer series pens are available for $35.00 a pair. For inquiries, send an email to bluedewpens@gmail.com. To learn more about BlueDew Pens, visit their website or follow them on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueDewPens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluedewpens/

Fountain Pen Review: Limited Edition Esterbrook Camden Oktoberfest

2022-12-05T07:00:00.006+08:00

Did you know that there is an annual festival where people drink a lot of beer? Yes, it's Oktoberfest! Traditional beer is a key feature of Oktoberfest, held yearly in Germany and many cities worldwide. Served in big glass steins, Oktoberfest beer comes in different flavors and colors — from pale to amber to dark brown — served with sausages, pretzels, and pickles. Imagine the flavors and the colors of Oktoberfest! As a beer enthusiast, Oktoberfest is one of my life's grail events, an entry to tick off my bucket list soon.

Did you know that there is an Esterbrook pen inspired by beer and Oktoberfest? Yes, there is! Our friends at Esterbrook Pens have released a new limited edition pen that is reminiscent of the two-week celebration in their Camden pen model. Camden Oktoberfest is a pen that celebrates "all things bratwurst, beer, and Bavaria" and comes in a stacked acrylic design of orange, red, and grey/white. This Esterbrook fountain pen is new to me; it's my first Camden, and my first Esterbrook pen review in almost a year. And while most of us are more familiar with the Estie, the Camden is an Esterbrook pen model that is now becoming popular with several new releases, including the three pens in the Northern Lights series — Icelandic Green, Manitoba Blue, and Alaska Purple.

The Camden Oktoberfest was sent to me in this 1-pen Esterbrook British Tan Pen Nook.

The Camden pen model is named after Camden, New Jersey, the city where entrepreneur Richard Esterbrook started the Esterbrook Pen Company in 1858. The Camden pen collection speaks of a time in the 1930s when Camden, NJ, was at its most prosperous and home to some of the most important innovations of its day, including RCA Victor, where, in 1933, an experimental TV station broadcast would be the first signs of technology that would ultimately eclipse the radio. "As RCA was producing millions of records, Esterbrook was producing millions of pens."

The Camden Oktoberfest fits snugly into the Esterbrook Pen Nook.

The Camden Oktoberfest is a limited edition pen available as a fountain pen or rollerball with gold or palladium/silver trims. Each pen's barrel color is unique, and no two Oktoberfest pens have the same stack of colors. My Camden Oktoberfest is a bright and happy combination of red, grey, orange, and white. It has gold trims and a wonderful nib surprise — the new Esterbrook Flex nib!

The Camden has the following measurements:

Length, capped: 5.6in
Length, uncapped: 5.1in
Length, cap posted: 6.6in
Full pen weight: 26g
Material: Resin
Trim: Gold or Palladium/Silver
Clip: Gold- or silver-plated metal
Cap: Threaded, screw-cap
Nib: #6 steel Jowo available in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium Broad, Stub, or Esterbrook specialty nibs Scribe, Needlepoint, Journaler, or Flex
Filling mechanism: Esterbook converter or cartridge (both are included with purchase)

Esterbrook Camden Oktoberfest, a lovely pen that will always remind me of a sweet, loving, and beautiful mama cat and her kittens.

This Camden fountain pen arrived at a challenging time for me. The week before it was delivered, my second cat, Penny, whom I rescued as a stray barely two months ago, had just crossed the Rainbow Bridge with her five kittens after a week's battle with the bacteria Klebsiella oxytoca. Penny was ginger; her fur was similar to the Camden's bright orange and white colors. I was surprised not only by the pen that Esterbrook sent for review but also by the timing and the color similarity between the Camden and Penny. It was the perfect orange pen at such a perfect time to remember a beautiful orange cat. Despite its name Oktoberfest, I now call this pen Penny to remember my cat and her five ginger kittens.

The Camden has a cushion closure cap that prevents the nib from drying out.

One of the Camden's features that I like is the cushion closure cap that keeps the pen's section sealed and prevents the nib from drying out when capped. You have to push the pen into the cap slightly, and it closes with a twist. When you uncap the pen, the cushion seal almost pushes the pen out of the cap. The Camden's sleek clip slides easily into a shirt pocket or pen holder.

The Camden Oktoberfest fills through standard international cartridges or converters; both are included in the box.

Like the materials of Esterbrook's other fountain pens, the Camden Oktoberfest comes in beautiful acrylic with bright and vivid colors. The stacked colors of orange, red, and white in the Oktoberfest’s acrylic are a perfect reminder of beer, sausages, and the happy celebrations of Oktoberfest. The same color combination reminds me of Penny's white and orange (ginger) fur. Whenever I use the Oktoberfest fountain pen to write, it is as if I am touching Penny’s soft fur.

The Oktoberfest barrel is almost translucent with a colorful combination of gray, red, orange, and white.

The Camden's finial is a flat metal engraved with the Esterbrook Eternity logo.

The Esterbrook logo is engraved on the cap.

One of the best features of this pen is the nib. Esterbrook sent the Camden fountain pen with an Estie Flex nib! The Estie Flex is a stainless steel flex nib created by JoWo, and it has the same quality and attention to detail that goes into Esterbrook's traditional line-up of nibs. The Estie Flex was designed to provide some pliability at the nib's point. This nib is available as EF Flex and Fine Flex, but only in silver trim. It is now part of Esterrbook's permanent collection of nibs.

The Estie Fine Flex nib, the latest nib in Esterbrook's line-up of nibs.

The Camden Oktoberfest is a full-length fountain pen, sharing almost the same length as an Estie Oversize while capped. It's longer than a TWSBI ECO, Lamy Safari, or Esterbrook JR. Uncapped, it's almost the same length as the Estie OS, TWSBI ECO, and Lamy Safari.

From top: Esterbrook Estie Rocky Top Oversize, Esterbrook JR Paradise Orange Sunset, Esterbrook Camden Oktoberfest, TWSBI ECO Sunset Orange, and Lamy Safari Creme Orange.

Uncapped, the Camden is almost the same length as the Estie OS, TWSBI ECO, and Lamy Safari.

To test how this beautiful fountain pen writes, I filled it with one of my favorite orange inks, Esterbrook Tangerine. The pen wrote smoothly out of the box. The Estie Flex nib wrote smoothly, there were no hard starts or writing skips, no inky blobs, and I had no trouble writing. I'm not a big fan of flex nibs, but the Estie Flex is perfect! I'm so happy I can use this pen for regular writing, italic calligraphy, and ink art, too! The Camden Oktoberfest is such an enjoyable pen. It's beautiful, elegant, and unique and can be used for long writing periods without discomfort. I also love that this flex nib is very easy to manage. I can write without being overly careful to "flex" the nib. And flexing it is also very easy to do.

Why not write something about beer? I wanted to, but this song is a reminder of Penny. When she and her kittens were sick, I kept hearing this song everywhere — at the vet clinic, from our neighbors, in the car — and I didn't know who sang it! Last November 16, while I was at the hospital with my father, this song played again, and I was so moved because it was the first month since Penny left us. I searched for it and learned it's a song by a famous local band, Ben&Ben. Though remembering Penny is still sad, I smiled listening to Leaves because I felt that Penny was telling me, "All will be alright in time, Mama."

"All will be alright in time."

I am thrilled with my first Camden fountain pen review, and I feel giddy whenever I hold and use it because I remember Penny. I also love it because of the happy colors in its cap and barrel. It's like I'm holding a beautiful stick that spits out happiness in orange-colored ink! I recommend this pen to anyone who wants to explore and know this excellent brand and this limited edition series. It's a beautiful pen and truly well-built for long-term use. Get one for your collection!

The Oktoberfest is a wonderful pen to use. Get one now!

Rants of The Archer thanks the Esterbrook Pen Company and Kenro Industries for providing the Camden Oktoberfest fountain pen, Estie Flex nib, and the British Tan Pen Nook for review purposes. Camden fountain pens, Estie Flex nib, and Pen Nook are available at Esterbrookpens.com. Aside from the regular Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, and Stub (1.1) nibs, Esterbrook now offers specialty nibs, including Journaler, Scribe, Needlepoint, and Flex (Extra Fine Flex or Fine Flex).

In the Philippines, Esterbrook pens and accessories are available at Scribeph.com.

To learn more about the Esterbrook Pen Company, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing their pens, visit their website at https://www.esterbrookpens.com/ or follow them on social media:

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/esterbrook_official/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/esterbrookpens)

Fountain Pen Ink Review: Vinta Inks The Awareness Project Collection

2022-10-24T07:30:00.008+08:00

For their anniversary last March, Vinta Inks celebrated with the Fairytale Collection. Before that, they launched their first Capsule Collection. Since its launch four years ago, Vinta Inks have introduced many fountain pen ink colors that are now favorites of many fountain pen users here and abroad. Now, the ink fairies at VInta Inks have mixed another colorful surprise for us.

Have you heard about Vinta Inks' recently-launched ink collection? Surprise! Early this October, Vinta Inks launched The Awareness Project, a collection of five brand-new ink colors that take inspiration from selected vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, and critically depleted animals in the Philippines. With the launch, Vinta Inks donated part of the sales to three of their chosen primary foundations to recognize and help further their courageous conservation efforts! Vinta Inks chose the World Wildlife Fund-Philippines, the Philippine Eagle Foundation, and Haribon Foundation as the recipients of their donation from the sales of The Awareness Project Collection. Each of the three foundations received PhP10,000 from Vinta Inks to support their conservation efforts.

Want to see the five beautiful ink colors? Read through this review and browse the photos to see the beautiful colors of Tandikan, Nahan, Isabela, Haribon, and Ibid. Also, I added information for each of the animals that the inks took inspiration from.

The ink colors from The Awareness Project were launched in early October and all five colors are now available through Vinta Inks online store.


The ink collection from The Awareness Project is available in 30ml spill-proof amber glass bottles with plastic caps. Vinta Inks sends their ink bottles wrapped in Saran Wrap to prevent leaks and spills.

The Awareness Project by Vinta Inks

The Awareness Project by Vinta Inks have five unique, enigmatic, and extraordinary colors that took inspiration from selected endangered animals in the Philippines. These inks are shading, sheening, and shimmering all at the same time. The five ink colors are the following:

Elusive Blue [Tandikan 2000] – dusky, purplish blue with pink shimmer
Solitary Teal [Nahan 2010] – teal with silver shimmer
Liquid Sepia [Isabela 1999] – sepia-toned with gold shimmer
Apex Silver [Haribon 1994] – grey with silver shimmer
Sailfin Green [Ibid 1829] – light green with electric blue shimmer

Please click this image to see the different expressions of the five colors. Each ink swatch in this set has two parts: the upper half is a swatch of the ink without or less/fewer shimmer, while the lower half shows the shimmer.

Elusive Blue | Tandikan 2000

Elusive Blue | Tandikan 2000

Elusive Blue | Tandikan 2000 is a delicate, dusky, purplish blue ink with a pretty pink shimmer. It shades well and has a darker undertone of the same color, which makes it all the more beautiful. The shading and shimmer will be more visible in wider nibs, but I used it in a pen with a fine nib and the shading and shimmer were both visible. Tandikan has excellent flow and wrote smoothly.

Tandikan 2000 is inspired by the Palawan peacock-pheasant. The Palawan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis), locally known as Tandikan, is a medium-sized bird endemic to the Philippines and found in the humid forests of Palawan Island in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago. Adult males have highly iridescent electric blue-violet, metallic green-turquoise dorsal plumage. The female is slightly smaller than the male. Its contour plumage is cloudy silt in coloration. Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, and limited range as well as hunting and capture for trade, the Palawan peacock-pheasant is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (Palawan peacock-pheasant. (2022, May 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palawan_peacock-pheasant)

Tandikan is a dusky purplish blue ink with a pink shimmer.

This blue ink shades well and has a darker undertone.

Solitary Teal | Nahan 2010

Solitary Teal | Nahan 2010

Solitary Teal | Nahan 2010 is a soft teal ink with a light green undertone and fine silver shimmer. The combination of teal, light green, and the silver shimmer gives this ink an almost pink-to-orange overlay. In a medium Lamy nib, it looks darker than the ink swatch, but the silver shimmer is very visible. Nahan is a wet ink and has excellent flow.

Nahan 2010 is inspired by the pygmy blue whale. The pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), first identified in 1966, is a subspecies of the blue whale found in the Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean. It has a large head and a shorter tail giving it a tadpole-like shape. The pygmy blue whale appears blue when it is underwater, but appears grayish blue when it rises above the water. Recent studies have confirmed sightings of a pygmy blue whale in the Bohol Sea between 2010 and 2019 -- a first in the Philippines since the 19th century. (Pygmy blue whale. (2022, October 13). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_blue_whale)

Nahan is a soft teal ink with a light green undertone and fine silver shimmer.

Nahan appears darker in a medium nib with the silver shimmer very visible.

Liquid Sepia | Isabela 1999

Liquid Sepia | Isabela 1999

Liquid Sepia | Isabela 1999 is a sepia-toned ink with pink tones and rich gold shimmer. It appears earthy and light golden brown. It has beautiful shading and an almost green overlay where it pooled and dried. This ink flows well and wrote smoothly from a medium Lamy nib.

Isabela is inspired by the Philippine freshwater crocodile. The Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis), also known as the Mindoro crocodile, is one of two species of crocodiles found in the Philippines. It is endemic to the Philippines and is a relatively small, freshwater crocodile. Philippine crocodiles are golden-brown in color, which darkens as they mature. C. mindorensis is considered to be the most severely threatened crocodile species in the world, listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Since October 2021, the IUCN has classified C. mindorensis as Critically Depleted. (Philippine crocodile. (2022, October 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_crocodile)

Isabela is a sepia-toned ink with pink tones and a rich gold shimmer.

Isabela has beautiful shading and an almost green overlay where it pooled and dried.

Apex Silver | Haribon 1994

Apex Silver | Haribon 1994

Apex Silver | Haribon 1994 is a grey ink with hints of purple and green and silver shimmer overlay. It shades well and shows the purple and green tones beautifully. The silver shimmer gives the grey color an elegant finish and also makes it look like a festive ink color. Haribon has a good flow and wrote well in a medium Lamy nib.

Haribon is inspired by one of the world’s rarest birds of prey, the great Philippine Eagle, also known as the monkey-eating Eagle, or by its native name, Haribon. The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is a critically endangered species endemic to Philippine forests in eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. It has brown and white-colored plumage and a shaggy crest. In 1994, the IUCN and BirdLife International listed this species as critically endangered, with about 600 estimated to be left in the wild. (Philippine eagle. (2022, October 14). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_eagle)

Haribon is a grey ink with hints of purple and green and silver shimmer overlay.

The silver shimmer of Haribon gives it a festive look.

Sailfin Green | Ibid 1829

Sailfin Green | Ibid 1829

Sailfin Green | Ibid 1829 is a "light-hearted and playful" green ink with a brown sheen and an electric blue shimmer. It shades well and has a beautiful darker green halo when it dries. The brown sheen and electric blue shimmer give this ink a bright pattern that changes intensity depending on the light. Ibid is nice flowing and smooth ink, and of all the five colors of The Awareness Project, this color is my favorite.

Ibid is inspired by the Philippine sailfin lizard. The Philippine sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus), locally called Ibid was discovered by Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz in 1829. It is an oviparous lizard endemic to several Philippine islands. Ibid is a protected species in the Philippines as it is a target for exotic pet collectors and is sought after in the international pet trade. It is now classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The Philippine sailfin lizard is large and usually grows to a length of two and three feet and has very bright color patterns. (Philippine sailfin lizard. (2022, September 20). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_sailfin_lizard)

Ibid is a "light-hearted and playful" green ink with a brown sheen and an electric blue shimmer.

Ibid shades well and has a beautiful darker green halo when it dries.

I have absolutely enjoyed working on the swatches and writing samples for these five lovely, beautiful, and meaningful inks from Vinta Inks. All five ink colors show the endangered animal that inspired them, and they are all fabulous!

Do you want to contribute to the cause of the three foundations and their conservation efforts? Do you want to experience these lovely inks? Get them now! All five inks are available from the Vinta Inks online store. Vinta Inks ship their inks internationally through regular mail or courier. You can also get Vinta Inks in selected retailers in the US, Australia, Europe, South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Here is a list of these retailers.

Rants of the Archer thanks Vinta Inks for providing The Awareness Project Collection for review purposes. To see their ink collections, visit the Vinta Inks website or follow them on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inksbyvinta/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inksbyvinta/

Notebook Review: Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80gsm Regalia Paper

2022-09-26T07:30:00.001+08:00

Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80gsm Regalia paper.

I'm back! It's been six months since my last blog review. It's been a hectic, toxic, and trying period that has kept me from using and enjoying my fountain pens. I still have several fountain pens, ink, and paper products waiting to be reviewed. Last April, I said I'll rest for a month. But May came, then June, and before I knew it, it was already September. I wanted to go back to writing about pens and ink and paper. I really wanted to. But work got me. Health issues got me. And I got stuck waiting for that golden moment when inspiration strikes, and I could go on spilling words like there's no tomorrow. I kept asking myself, could I still do it? I wasn't sure, and that surprised and scared me. But last Friday, while I chatted with a friend, she reminded me of going back to my gift, and so here I am, writing and happily spilling words again on Regalia paper in my Recorder notebook that my friend Kailash Ramchandani of PenGrafik sent over to me to review. Regalia is a special proprietary paper created by our awesome friends at Endless Stationery in Madras, India.

The new Recorder Notebook from Endless Stationery, the world's most ink-friendly notebook. The leatherette cover looks professional, classy, and elegant.

The Recorder Notebook is not new to me. In August 2020, Endless Works sent me my first Recorder Notebook to review. It was a thrill writing on the Recorder's 68gsm Tomoe River paper. It's an elegant black notebook with a black leatherette cover and I used it for note-taking, writing ideas for my blog, and doodling colorful art. But the thin TR paper sometimes bothered me, so this new Recorder Notebook with the brand new 80gsm acid-free Regalia paper is perfect!

The Recorder Notebook is made to be the world's most ink-friendly notebook. Available in A5 size (8.3 × 5.6 inches), the new Recorder Notebook has 187 numbered pages of 80gsm acid-free proprietary and ink-loving Regalia paper suitable for fountain pens, inks, micron, and sketch pens. The in-house thicker Regalia paper has a zero-tolerance policy towards bleeding, ghosting, and feathering so we all get the smoothest writing experience. The acid-free Regalia paper also ensures the notebook's contents will last a long time.

I received the Deep Ocean dotted Recorder and the dark blue leatherette cover looks professional, classy, and elegant. It has a blank Table of Contents that one can easily fill out so it's easy to keep track of notes and ideas inside the notebook. The two page markers in dark blue and turquoise would surely help anyone find their way through their Recorders. And if anyone needs a sheet of paper, there are 16 perforated sheets at the back of the notebook to tear without affecting the rest of the pages in the particular signature. The Recorder also has an expandable inner pocket in the back cover to hold ephemera, receipts, tickets, and other bits of paper. It is also meant to store page guide sheets that Endless designed to keep users on track.

Endless Stationery offers the Recorder in four colors: Infinite Space (black), Forest Canopy (green), Deep Ocean (blue), Crimson Sky (red), and Mountain Snow (light gray). All five colors are available with ruled, dotted, squared, and blank pages.

The Recorder Notebook's front and back covers are imprinted with the Endless Stationery logos. On the front cover: the long line signifies content and the ellipsis (three dots) "proceeds to infinity." The lower part of the back cover is imprinted with ENDLESS.

The Recorder Notebook's inside cover page is designed with empty circles to resemble the Endless logo's ellipsis. A blank box in the upper part of the page is meant for writing the owner's name and other details.

The designers of the Recorder thoughtfully built this notebook. It has two pages for a Table of Contents so it's easier to keep track of what's inside the notebook.

The Recorder's pages are numbered and this feature is helpful in creating a directory for the notebook's contents.

The new Recorder has two page markers, the signature turquoise page marker of Endless Stationery, and another one in the same color as the notebook's cover. The Ocean Blue notebook has the dark blue and turquoise page markers.

Loving the Recorder's rounded page corners. No sharp, pointed corners to bite into my hand and arm while writing. Also, rounded corners are less prone to fraying, so the cover and inside pages won't be worn down easily.

The Recorder Notebook has an expandable inner pocket in its inside back cover. I do not usually use these pockets because their contents create bulges and make it uncomfortable to write on the notebook's pages, but this notebook's back pocket is also meant to hold the Recorder's guide sheets.

Because this new Recorder Notebook has new paper, I was really excited to try writing on it. I tested the Regalia paper using some of my still-inked fountain pens with different nibs — fine, medium, and broad. The Regalia paper is so smooth, it's truly a joy to write on! My pens' inks did not bleed, and I did not see any feathering or ghosting.

My pen and ink test on Regalia paper did not have any feathering or bleeding.

Then I also tried writing on a whole page of the Regalia paper and it's true! Regalia paper is a joy to write. I used my TWSBI 530 with a wet medium nib inked with Iroshizuku Asa-gao to do this test. The TWSBI wrote smoothly on Regalia paper. No feathering, and certainly no bleeding. The ink on the stamp I used for the date did not bleed, too. I did some ink swatches at the back of this test page and though the Robert Oster Fire Engine Red ghosted a bit, it did not soak the paper to the other side of the sheet. Regalia paper is truly an excellent paper for fountain pen ink!

I did write on two pages of the Recorder Notebook to test Regalia paper. The ink from my wet and juicy TWSBI 530 did not bleed.

Here is the back side of the sheet. The Fire Engine Red ink is wetter than the two blue inks and almost bled to the other side of the sheet. Fortunately, it did not bleed through.

I also did an ink art on the Recorder's Regalia paper using a Leonardo Furore with Robert Oster Orange Zest. The color in this ink art is amazing and Regalia paper helps make ink colors pop out and look radiant on it!

The Recorder Notebook with Regalia paper is an excellent, well-made notebook, and is one of the most ink-friendly papers available in the whole world today. I love its features: Table of Contents, numbered pages, rounded corners, and numbered pages. Regalia paper is so friendly to fountain pens, and the Recorder has that simple, "classic notebook" elegant look. The leatherette cover is durable, the signature turquoise elastic strap keeps the pages together, and the round page corners prevent fraying. This notebook is perfect for journaling, calligraphy, note-taking, ink swatching, or for simply writing down thoughts and ideas. With the Recorder, ideas are endless! Get one for your pens!

The Recorder notebook in this review is provided by PenGrafik, the exclusive seller of Recorder Notebook and Endless Stationery products in the Philippines. Visit PenGrafik on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik) and see their many offerings!

Fountain Pen Review: Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red

2022-04-11T07:30:00.005+08:00

I have been using fountain pens since 2008. I have used and owned many fountain pens, many of them made from acrylic, special resin, and ABS plastic — tough, durable, and made to last the tumble and stumble of daily use. Last February, an offer to review a fountain pen added a new material and pen to my collection and brought a new product to Rants of The Archer. Wancher Inc., the Oita-based company that Taizo Okagaki built in 1987 sent me one from their flagship fountain pen model, the Dream Pen in True Ebonite.

The Dream Pen is Wancher's first flagship fountain pen model. I still remember the frenzy during Wancher's launch of their Kickstarter campaign for the Dream Pen in 2018. Back then, they offered three models: True Ebonite, True Urushi, and True Maki-e. The launch was a huge success, and now the Dream Pen has 14 models, including several types of urushi, a Titanium, and the highly-coveted Raden.

Wancher's traditional Japanese presentation box.

Sand Red is my very first Wancher fountain pen, and I love its packaging in a traditional Japanese wooden box. The box has a nice monoprint of a fountain pen and sakura tied together by a deep red elastic band with tassels on both ends. Inside the box, the Sand Red fountain pen is safely tucked inside a pen kimono, together with ink cartridges, an instruction manual, a postcard, and a guarantee certificate. The Wancher box reminds me of the box that my father made for me when I was a young school kid, which I filled with stationery, bookmarks, stickers, clippings, and other ephemera.

The Wancher traditional wooden presentation box includes the Sand Red fountain pen and pen kimono, a Tsugaru Urushi pen pillow, ink cartridges, an instruction manual, a postcard, and a guarantee certificate.

This Wancher pen is also my first ebonite fountain pen. I am glad that Wancher recommended the Dream Pen because I like the traditional and minimalist cigar-shaped design of the pen. The Dream Pen's simple design speaks elegance and I had a hard time choosing one from the eight pens in the True Ebonite series because all the pens are beautiful! I chose Sand Red for its unique and uncommon red color, and I am happy with my pen choice. It is a large pen, measuring 6.05 inches while capped, and 5.24 inches uncapped, but it is well-balanced and comfortable to use for writing.

Sand Red is a very unique pen. Made from ebonite, an excellent material from natural rubber that is durable and has a warm feel for handwriting. Ebonite has been used in making fountain pens since the early 20th century, but its complex production process turned manufacturers to other materials that are easier to work with. Wancher is now using the finest ebonite from Japan as an homage to traditional fountain pen manufacturing, combining vintage materials and minimalist design.

Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red

I noticed that the color of Sand Red changes according to the intensity of light. In bright light, it appears almost like dark pink to pale red. However, in low light, Sand Red looks like a dark cherry red.

The Wancher Dream Pen Sand Red fountain pen has a unique red color.

My Sand Red fountain pen has the following specifications:

Length, capped: 6.05 in | 15.36 cm
Length, uncapped (nib tip to barrel's end): 5.24 in | 13.30 cm
Full pen weight: 26 g | 0.92 oz
Body material: Ebonite
Trim: None
Cap: Ebonite, screw-on, cannot be posted
Clip: None, but Wancher offers a selection of roll stoppers
Nib: No. 6 Jowo stainless steel in Medium, also available in Extra Fine, Fine, Broad, Stub 1.1, or Stub 1.5. Wancher also offers other nibs, including Jowo gold plated stainless steel, Wancher 18k rhodium-plated, and Wancher 18k solid gold.
Filling mechanism: Cartridge or converter, both supplied with each pen purchase.
Color: Sand Red; also available in Marble Red, Marble Blue, Marble Purple Gray, Marble Green, Marble Brown, Matt Black, and Silk Black.

Sand Red can be filled with ink using a converter or standard international ink cartridges, both are included in the box.

Another key feature of the Dream Pen series is its compact air-tight caps to prevent ink from drying out in the nib and avoid hard starts. The mechanism also ensures a secure cap closure. However, this cap doesn't have a finial, and the screw-on cap cannot be posted, but this is not a problem for me as I rarely post my pens.

Ebonite up close. Sand Red ebonite is smooth and polished to a high gloss.

I chose a medium steel nib for Sand Red, for my current writing preference. The stainless steel Jowo nib bears the Wancher logo and the nib width (M). It is wet and wrote smoothly the first time I inked it. It wrote so well out of the box and did not need any modification or priming prior to use.

Wancher also offers other nibs for their fountain pens, including gold-plated stainless steel Jowo (Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.1, and 1.5), rhodium-plated 18k gold (Medium or Broad), and 18k solid gold (Medium or Broad).

This western Medium nib on a Japanese fountain pen is a gusher! It's wet and writes smoothly.

The Sand Red is a large fountain pen, and it has almost the same length as the Esterbrook Oversize and Edison Collier. It is also longer than the Montegrappa Miya 450 and Leonardo Furore. The Sand Red's section (grip) is slender than most of the pens in this line-up, but it is very comfortable to hold when writing.

From the top: Esterbrook Estie Rocky Top Oversize, Montegrappa Miya 450, Wancher Sand Red, Leonardo Furore Zenzero (Ginger), and Edison Collier Antique Marble.

No. 6 nibs fit all these wonderful fountain pens.

To test how the Sand Red's nib writes, I filled it with new red ink from Robert Oster. RO Signature Direct Sun looks so good in Sand Red's wet medium nib. I'm pleased that the stainless steel nib wrote smoothly out of the box, without the need for any adjustments or tuning. I did not experience any hard starts or skipping. The pen wrote smoothly, and I had a fuss-free writing experience with a well-balanced fountain pen.

New red ink for my new red fountain pen. Robert Oster Signature Direct Sun is a perfect match for Sand Red.

Sand Red's Medium nib writes like a Broad! But I'm not complaining, as it writes so smoothly. I am rereading Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore and I love this part of the book's first chapter.

Aside from watches and fountain pens, Wancher also offers different accessories, including leather cases, wooden cases, and pen pillows. Wancher has kindly offered to include a pen pillow for Sand Red and I chose the Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow. It is crafted with Kara-nuri, a high-quality Tsugaru-nuri technique that illustrates distinctive speckled patterns created by four to six different Urushi color lacquers. I have yet to save up for my first Urushi fountain pen, but the Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow will fill my Urushi wish for now. This Pen Pillow is a nice addition to a pen collector's set of accessories.

Wancher's Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow - Aka-age

In my time and experience as a fountain pen collector and reviewer, I did not imagine that I will try an ebonite pen from Japan, or even own one. I have always dreamed of getting an ebonite and an urushi fountain pen, and Sand Red came along. It's a wonderful and amazing pen and sometimes I spend minutes staring at it, just enjoying its beauty. I am very happy and pleased with the Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red fountain pen, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the brand and its fountain pens. Wancher has been making unique fountain pens since 2011, with the commitment to use the finest materials and craftsmanship in their products. What are you waiting for? Get a Wancher fountain pen in your collection!

Wancher provides each pen with its own pen kimono. My pen's kimono is thick and protects my Sand Red fountain pen.

Rants of The Archer thanks Taizo Okagaki and Wancher Inc. for providing the Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red and Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow in this review. Sand Red is available at Wancher starting at US$200, while the pen pillow retails for US$80.

To learn more about Wancher Inc. and its offerings, visit its website at https://www.wancherpen.com/. For updates, promos, and giveaways, follow Wancher on social:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wancher_official/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WancherGlobal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wancher_global
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf-0nR5YYuh17DGVVYT4Mlw

Fountain Pen Review: The Good Blue R615 Fountain Pen Matte Black

2022-04-04T07:30:00.007+08:00

I first saw the fountain pens made by The Good Blue on Instagram. I got curious about the CNC-machined fountain pens made from aluminum and stainless steel. I thought that these pens must be durable, sturdy, and perfect for daily use. Then I saw that these pens have flex nibs, something I dread using fountain pens. Oh, wait! They have a non-flex, wet medium nib! I reached out to The Good Blue and was surprised to learn that the UK-based pen company has a local distributor in the Philippines! The Good Blue is sold exclusively by my friend Kailash Ramchandani's PenGrafik. Two weeks later, I received a Matte Black R615 fountain pen with a non-flex Happy Medium nib and a spare Fine Flex.

The Good Blue is a London-based start-up that uses 3D printing and CNC machining to prototype and manufacture fountain pens. Born out of the pandemic, when most of us were forced to slow down and stay indoors, the manufacturer rediscovered his love for fountain pens, ink, calligraphy, and writing. He soon found that fountain pens with flexible nibs are expensive and began creating flex pens for himself. After careful design and several prototypes, he is now ready with a fountain pen with amazing flex that is well-made and affordable, the R615 Fountain Pen.

The Good Blue Fountain Pen is well-packaged in a tin box.

The fountain pen and spare nib inside the tin box.

The Good Blue R615 Fountain Pen 2022 series is available in Matte Black and Silver that can be fitted with any of the five different nibs that are interchangeable. Flex nibs are available in a variety of materials, including stainless steel, titanium, and gold.

The Matte Black fountain pen's body is made from high-grade 6082 aluminum that is anodized matte black for protection and durability. The grip section is machined from untreated 304L stainless steel that is precision textured with surface roughness for an ergonomic grip.

The Silver fountain pen's body is also made from high-grade 6082 aluminum that is clear anodized for protection and durability. The grip section is machined from untreated CZ121 brass, precision textured with surface roughness for an ergonomic grip. The grip is expected to develop a patina over time.

The Good Blue R615 Fountain Pen Matte Black 2022 Series

The Matte Black's anodized body and stainless steel grip look elegant and neat.

The R615 fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

Length, capped: 5.90 in | 13.8 cm
Length, uncapped: 5.40 in | 12.5 cm
Pen weight with full converter: 46 g | 1.6 oz
Weight, barrel and section: 35 g | 1 oz
Material: Anodized 6082 aluminum and untreated 304L stainless steel
Cap: Screw-on, not postable
Clip material: No clip
Nib: No. 6 two-toned Medium nib; also available in four different flex nibs
Filling mechanism: Converter, included in the package

The R615 Fountain Pen can be filled with ink using a standard international cartridge or a converter if filling from bottled ink. A Schmidt converter is included in the pen package.

The R615 fountain pen can be inked using international standard cartridges or through a converter. A Schmidt K5 converter is included in the pen package upon purchase.

This fountain pen has a unique roll-stopper! A flat-plane stops the pen from rolling off, and the barrel and cap screw back aligned every single time. However, this alignment is sometimes off with the section, which triggers the finicky me. It doesn't affect writing, though.

I requested a non-flex nib, and this is what they call Happy Medium, a wet, monoline medium with no flex. This medium nib is perfect for everyday writing.

The Good Blue and Kailash offered a spare FineFlex nib for me to try. The FineFlex nib with a specially designed polymer feed is meant for "wetter writing and juicy swells."

Missing a clip? The Good Blue R615 fountain pens do not have clips, but one side is a flat-plane that serves as a stopper so the pens don't easily roll-off.

Capped, the R615 Fountain Pen is longer than a Lamy Safari, Gravitas Entry, YStudio Portable, and Kaweco DIA2. Uncapped, it is slightly shorter than the Gravitas Entry, but longer than the other four pens.

Fountain pens in black, from the top: Lamy Safari All Black, Gravitas Pens Entry, R615, YStudio Brassing Portable, and Kaweco DIA2.

To test how the Happy Medium nib writes, I filled the R615 Fountain Pen with Robert Oster Signature Australis Rose, a charming pink ink. The Happy Medium wrote smoothly and wet, as promised. It wrote very well and I had no trouble writing with it at all. The R615 Fountain Pen is an enjoyable pen that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort. It is not heavy for my hand, despite being made out of aluminum and stainless steel. It is durable, sturdy, and tough, just perfect as an everyday fountain pen.

Happy Medium is a happy nib! It's wet and smooth, perfect for daily use!

The FineFlex nib is just perfect for people like me who are not into flex nibs. The FineFlex nib has the right amount of flex just enough not to freak me out! For future FineFlex nib users: fill the pen with wet ink to facilitate faster flow into the nib-feed unit.

I am happy with the R615 Fountain Pen in Matte Black, and I'm wanting the Silver pen, too! I definitely recommend this pen to anyone who wants to explore and know this brand. It's a beautiful pen and is designed well for long-term use. I read that new pens are coming to The Good Blue in April. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks The Good Blue and Kailash Ramchandani/PenGrafik for providing the R612 Fountain Pen Matte Black for review purposes. R615 fountain pens are available for purchase on The Good Blue website. In the Philippines, it is available from PenGrafik.

To learn more about these beautiful and well-crafted pens, follow The Good Blue on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegoodblueco/).

Fountain Pen Ink Review: Cozy Comforts by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × micahfinds

2022-03-28T07:30:00.003+08:00

In the previous two years during the pandemic, we saw pen companies and brands come up with new and exciting products that kept most of us—including me—entertained and motivated at the same time. It's always inspiring and moving when people work together to bring out excellent products for others to enjoy. Products from such partnerships are not only well-crafted and full of details, they are designed from the heart with their intended users in mind.

One such product is the most recent ink set from Robert Oster Signature that the most creative @micahfinds designed for EndlessPens. Cozy Comforts, a six-color fountain pen ink collection is an EndlessPens exclusive, inspired by six soothing sounds, smells, sights, and sensations. Inspired by tea, coffee, books, campfire, and stars, these beautiful and vibrant fountain pen inks evoke feelings of comfort, ease, and satisfaction. Rants of The Archer has the pleasure of introducing to fountain pen enthusiasts all around the world the EndlessPens exclusive Cozy Comforts by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds.

Cozy Comforts, a brand new ink collection exclusive to EndlessPens.

Cozy Comforts by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds

Cozy Comforts are six beautiful ink colors with shading, sheening, and shimmering properties. The six colors are the following:

Tea Time – a green ink inspired by the color of matcha green tea
Coffee Date – milky brown ink inspired by lattes
Old Book Smell – rich red-brown ink inspired by worn and torn leather-bound books
Soft Kitty Warm Kitty – cool grey-blue, inspired by the coat of the Russian Blue cat.
Campfire Crackle – shading orange ink with a black sheen and a touch of shimmer
Stargazer – a dark sheening teal ink with blue and silver shimmer, reminiscent of stars lighting up a night sky.

Six colors in Cozy Comforts fountain pen ink set. Please click the photos in this review to zoom in.

Cozy Comforts Tea Time

"Tea Time is a desaturated green ink inspired by the color of matcha green tea, paired with gentle conversations, mindful journaling, or grounding meditation."

Tea Time, the only green ink in the set, is a lovely fountain pen ink color. It has a yellow undertone that makes it more unique than other tea, olive, or moss green inks such as Robert Oster Crocodile Green and J. Herbin Vert Olive. Tea Time reminds me of late afternoon tea with friends or a warm cup on a cold, rainy night. This ink is very expressive of the color undertone with beautiful shading, especially if used in fountain pens with wide nibs. It is well-behaved and has excellent flow.

I used two types of paper for this review, Canson 90gsm sketch paper, and Tomoe River Paper 68gsm in LiveNotes notebooks from PenGallery. Tea Time appears lighter in the Canson sketch paper and a bit darker in Tomoe River Paper. It did not feather or bleed on both papers, but dried faster on Tomoe River Paper.

Cozy Comforts Tea Time by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds

Tea Time has a strong yellow undertone.

This green fountain ink is very expressive and has wonderful shading.

Cozy Comforts Coffee Date

"A milky brown ink inspired by lattes, and the company of those who make you feel like your favorite self."

Coffee Date is a warm, golden-brown fountain pen ink inspired by milky coffee, a pleasure I have forgone for several years now. This fountain pen ink has medium shading and a subtle yellow to orange undertone. It is a bit lighter than the Robert Oster crowd favorite Caffe Crema and has less red than J. Herbin Ambre de Birmanie. The first time I saw the color of Coffee Date, I thought of caramel instantly, and looking at my writing sample felt like I am smelling caramel toppings on a cup of coffee. Coffee Date is well-behaved and has excellent flow. It did not feather or bleed on both Canson sketch paper and Tomoe River Paper.

Cozy Comforts Coffee Date by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds

Coffee Date is lighter than Robert Oster Caffe Crema, and is more golden brown that the red-brown J. Herbin Ambre de Birmanie.

Coffee Date has medium shading and dries a beautiful golden brown.

Cozy Comforts Old Book Smell

"Old Book Smell is a rich red-brown ink inspired by worn and torn leather-bound books. Running your fingers through the spines as you walk through library and bookshop aisles."

Old Book Smell is a rich, luxurious red fountain pen ink with a dark brown sheen. It has medium saturation but flows and dries well. It is darker than Robert Oster Signature Red Candy and almost similar to Diamine Oxblood. This ink has medium shading, well-behaved. It did not feather or bleed on Canson sketch paper or Tomoe River Paper. The red-brown Old Book Smell reminds me of the hard-bound Reader's Digest compilation books I used to hoard when I was in college. Most of them have turned red-brown due to age and use, and they smell old, too.

Cozy Comforts Old Book Smell by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds

Old Book Smell has medium shading and a lovely dark brown sheen.

This dark red-brown ink reminds me of the old books I hoarded when I was in college.

Cozy Comforts Soft Kitty Warm Kitty

"A cool grey that leans blue, inspired by the coat of the Russian Blue cat. Warm ball of fur curling up against you on a gloomy day, reminding you that tomorrow can be better."

Soft Kitty Warm Kitty is the most expressive ink color in the Cozy Comforts set. The grey-blue ink also produces a light purple undertone, depending on lighting, paper, and nib width. It is a shading ink, and I am excited to see it from a stub nib. Though my cat is a ginger tabby, Soft Kitty Warm Kitty will always remind me of cats. This ink has good flow, but it feathered in the Canson sketch paper, although it was fine in Tomoe River Paper.

Cozy Comforts Soft Kitty Warm Kitty by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds

Soft Kitty Warm Kitty has a beautiful light purple undertone.

Soft Kitty Warm Kitty is a beautiful grey-blue ink that will always remind me of cats.

Cozy Comforts Shake 'N' Shimmy Campfire Crackle

"A shading orange ink with a black sheen and a touch of shimmer. From embers to flame. The crisp sound as the logs burn, warming you on a cold evening, camped out with friends."

Finally, this set has orange ink!

Shake 'N' Shimmy Campfire Crackle is such a beautiful dark orange ink with a very fine shimmer and black sheen. It is a well-behaved ink, flows well, and did not feather or bleed in either the Canson sketch paper or Tomoe River Paper. I love the fine gold shimmer in this ink and will probably include this in my regular orange ink set.

When I was in high school, I loved studying using our dining table which faced the small bahay kubo next to our house. One evening, as I was studying for a biology exam, there was a brownout in our neighborhood, and as I stood up to get some candles, I saw a burning ball of fire inside the bahay kubo. It was a mesmerizing mix of yellow, orange, and red all in a ball of fire that we call santelmo. Yes, I saw a santelmo in my lifetime, and Campfire Crackle brought back memories of that dark, magical night.

Cozy Comforts Shake 'N' Shimmy Campfire Crackle by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds

I like the fine shimmer of Campfire Crackle. It's simple, subtle, and beautiful.

Campfire Crackle is a redder version of Burned Orange without the shimmer.

Campfire Crackle is a beautiful orange ink with fine gold shimmer and a black sheen.

Cozy Comforts Shake 'N' Shimmy Stargazer (Stargazing) by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × micahfinds

"A dark sheening teal with blue and silver shimmer, reminiscent of stars lighting up a night sky. The 3 AM thoughts. The hushed sounds of nature. The smallness of one, and the bigness of the whole."

Shake 'N' Shimmy Stargazer is a dark teal fountain pen ink with a unique blue and silver shimmer. Of all six ink colors in the Cozy Comforts set, Stargazer is my instant favorite! It reminds me of Christmas trees and holiday decorations! Looking at the swatch of Stargazer is like staring up at the summer night sky dotted with flickering stars. Like Campfire Crackle, Stargazer is a shimmer ink that is well-behaved and flows well. I chose a Broad nib for the two shimmer inks in this set for a better flow and also for the shimmer to show.

Cozy Comforts Shake 'N' Shimmy Stargazer (Stargazing) by Robert Oster Signature × EndlessPens × @micahfinds

Stargazer has a unique shimmer of silver and blue flecks.

Stargazer/Stargazing is a darker, greener ink than Herbin's Emerald of Chivor, but equally beautiful.

The shimmer is very visible in this writing sample from a Broad nib.

It was fun and exciting working on the review of these six fountain pen inks. I enjoyed working on the swatches and doing the small art and writing samples for each ink color. This set has a good selection of colors, and @micahfinds did an excellent job—all six inks are well-crafted and full of beautiful details.

Do you want to try and experience Cozy Comforts? Get them from EndlessPens where you can buy the whole six-color set or pick individual bottles of the colors that you like.

I had fun doing this spread for Cozy Comforts.

Rants of the Archer thanks @micahfinds and EndlessPens for providing the complete six-color set of Cozy Comforts for review purposes. To see EndlessPens' product offerings, visit their website or follow them on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EndlessPens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endlesspens.usa/

Notebook Review: Endless Explorer Refillable Leather Journal

2022-03-14T07:30:00.008+08:00

I love leather and marvel at the beauty and durability of products and accessories made from it. My leather pen cases, pen holders, and notebook covers, handcrafted by artisans are not only collectibles, they are products that will last for many years.

Last year our friends at Endless Works launched a new product, the Endless Explorer, a refillable leather journal that fits their large Storyboard notebooks and other similar-sized notebooks. The Explorer comes in supple and soft caramel color leather that gathers a beautiful patina with use.

The Endless Explorer Refillable Journal and Pen Loop in a lovely presentation box meant to serve as an archival storage box.

Our friends at Endless Works created the Explorer to be a companion where we can transfer thoughts and ideas as they come to us. The Explorer is a gorgeous leather journal designed to fit with the Endless Storyboard Large Notebooks. The Explorer package includes the handcrafted leather cover (8.1 x 5.7 inches), a large Storyboard notebook (7.5 x 5.1 inches) with 68gsm Tomoe River Paper with dotted layout, open type leather Pen Loop, and two extra pieces of elastic bands for future use or to fit additional notebooks.

Explorer and open type Pen Loop. The Explorer's leather quickly gathers a natural patina.

The Explorer comes with additional elastic bands for future use or to fit more notebooks. The main elastic band is inside the leather cover, while the extra bands are outside the cover's spine. I am not very comfortable with this setup as the bands may break. I will try to fit them inside the leather cover, too.

The Endless logo is stamped at the back of the leather cover.

The Explorer fits the Endless Storyboard Large Notebooks. Note that the top and bottom of the leather cover's middle section are slotted to fit the elastic bands and keep them in place.

The large Storyboard fits the Explorer perfectly.

The Explorer comes with a large Storyboard notebook with 64 pages of 68gsm Tomoe River Paper in dotted layout. Extra bands can fit two more notebooks, or one notebook and the Endless Cotton Wallet.

The Storyboard has 68gsm Tomoe River Paper that's perfect for fountain pen writing. Here I wrote Peace by the poet Patrick Kavanagh using a happy orange pen and ink duo—BENU Euphoria Halloween fountain pen filled with Robert Oster Ng Special. Writing on the Storyboard's TRP is such a pleasant experience.

Endless Explorer, BENU Euphoria Halloween, and my NATIVIDAD leather three-pen case.

The Endless Explorer is an amazing product that is handcrafted by expert artisans from India. It's a perfect companion journal—or a travel journal—with three notebooks and a cotton wallet. It could be an art journal or a sketch album. As the Explorer's size is limited to the Storyboard for refills/inserts, I will make my own notebooks to fit into the leather cover, as I plan to make mine a combination of daily notes, diary, and art journal. Truly, the possibilities are endless!

Rants of The Archer thanks Endless Works for providing The Explorer in this review. To learn more about their products and how to buy, visit their website at MadebyEndless.com or follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/madebyendless/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/madebyendless).

Fountain Pen Ink Review: Vinta Inks Fairytale Collection

2022-03-07T07:30:00.005+08:00

Four years ago, a proudly Pinoy brand of fountain pen ink was launched in Manila. Vinta Inks, launched in March 2019, uses locally sourced pigments meant for fountain pens and calligraphy. Since their launch, Vinta Inks have introduced many fountain pen ink colors that have become crowd favorites here and abroad. Last year in April, Vinta Inks launched their first Capsule Collection of fountain pen inks and two more seasonal inks in December in time for Christmas.

Now, Vinta Inks have surprised us once again with the launch of The Fairytale Collection, a set of five new enchanting fountain pen ink colors that take inspiration from the beloved Lola Basyang fairytales and children's stories, written by the Filipino writer, playwright, and director Severino Reyes. Reyes wrote many children's stories in Liwayway magazine using the pen name "Lola Basyang," a character that describes a grandmother who loves telling stories to young children.

Vinta Inks' The Fairytale Collection was launched last February 28 and all five colors are now available.

The Fairytale Collection is available in 30ml spill-proof amber glass bottles with plastic caps. Vinta's ink bottles are individually wrapped in Saran Wrap to prevent leaks in case of breakage or spills.

The Fairytale Collection by Vinta Inks

The Fairytale Collection from Vinta Inks have five unique and extraordinary colors as they are shading, sheening, and shimmering all at the same time. The five ink colors are the following:

Saysay 1925 | Mystical Eve – a dark ink with silver shimmer
Pagtangi 1958 | Clouds of Gray – a gray ink with gold shimmer
Lakbay 1861 | Sea and Sky – a teal ink with red shimmer
Salimbay 1949 | Plume – purple ink with pink shimmer
Lakambini 1950 | The Maiden – pink ink with gold shimmer

Please click this image to see the different expressions of the five colors. Each ink swatch in this set has two parts: the upper half is a swatch of the ink without the shimmer, while the lower half shows the shimmer.

Saysay 1925 | Mystical Eve

Saysay 1925 | Mystical Eve

Saysay 1925 | Mystical Eve is the only dark ink in this collection. It's purple-black with a deep green undertone and fine silver shimmer. Of all five ink colors, Mystical Eve surprised me the most. It's a dark saturated ink, and yet it's also the wettest. It has excellent flow and is very expressive of the color undertone and shimmer.

Mystical Eve is based on the Lola Basyang story titled "Rosamistica," a young orphaned girl who was maltreated and neglected by her relatives. On the day of Rosamistica's aunt's birthday, she was given a 25-centavo coin. Rosamistica went to the fair and was eyeing a doll and some food to eat when she saw a mother and daughter asking for help so they can buy food. Rosamistica kindly gave her coin to the two and received a small bag in return. When she checked the bag, it was full of 25-centavo coins which Rosamistica also gave away to other people needing help.

1925 was the year the Lola Basyang stories first appeared in Liwayway, the oldest Tagalog magazine in the Philippines, published since 1922.

Mystical Eve has a deep green undertone and fine silver shimmer.

This dark saturated ink is surprisingly wet with excellent flow.

Pagtangi 1958 | Clouds of Gray

Pagtangi 1958 | Clouds of Gray

Pagtangi 1958 | Clouds of Gray is a gray ink with brown and purple undertones and fine gold shimmer. I did not expect gray to go so well with gold. The combination of undertones and shimmer in this ink is so beautiful. It flows well and suits wider nibs.

Clouds of Gray is based on "Ang Kastilyong Bakal," the love story of young lovers Princess Olivia and Prince Agaton, who were separated by the jealous sorcerer Serpenton. With only his ingenuity and a few choice items from the elders of his kingdom, Prince Agaton goes on a journey to save the love of his life.

The year 1958 is when Sampaguita Pictures, a Philippine film production company, released the first Lola Basyang film.

This gray ink has purple and brown undertones and a fine gold shimmer.

Clouds of Gray is inspired by the fairytale "Kastilyong Gawa sa Bakal."

Lakbay 1861 | Sea and Sky

Labkay 1861 | Sea and Sky

Lakbay 1861 | Sea and Sky is such a refreshing ink color. Its light blue teal reminds one of the seas and is overlaid with an earthy red shimmer. It's like looking at the horizon while the sun is setting. It has good flow and looks better in a wide nib.

Sea and Sky is based on the Lola Basyang story "Kapatid ng Tatlong Maria," where Teong the folk healer accidentally sets a giant serpent free after cutting down a magical kolesmeloko tree for profit. As punishment for his greed, he must give away his three daughters Maria Trining, Maria Upeng, and Maria Loleng, to three powerful kings. Many years later, the youngest child Pedro journeys across different realms in an effort to find his sisters and reunite his family.

1861 is the birth year of Severino Reyes, the creator and writer of Lola Basyang stories and fairytales.

Lakbay's light blue color and red shimmer look so good. This is another expressive ink as it shows blue, teal, and red.

Sea and Sky got its inspiration from a Lola Basyang story where a young boy went looking for his three long-lost sisters.

Salimbay 1949 | Plume

Salimbay 1949 | Plume

Salimbay 1949 | Plume is a bright purple ink with deep blue undertones and a pretty pink shimmer. It has excellent flow and looks good when used in a wider nib.

Plume is based on the story "Prinsipe ng mga Ibon," where a princess wanted to marry her beloved bird, Prinsipeng Ibon, despite her father's disapproval. In the end, Princess Singsing decided to turn herself into a beautiful bird and fly away with her beloved bird to his kingdom.

1949 is the year when the Lola Basyang comics were first printed and released.

This bright purple ink has blue undertones and pink shimmer.

Plume is inspired by a bird prince and his love for a beautiful princess.

Lakambini 1950 | The Maiden

Lakambini 1950 | The Maiden

Lakambini 1950 | The Maiden is probably everyone's favorite. This gorgeous pink ink has brown-purple undertones and a bright gold shimmer. It's also a wet ink with excellent flow and consistency. Gold shimmer on pink looks so much better.

The Maiden is based on the Lola Basyang story "Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Hari," where a slave's daughter, Sharay, overcame the King's many challenges with wit and cunning in order to with the prince's hand in marriage.

1950 is the year when the Lola Basyang radio drama show became popular.

Love the gold shimmer in this pink ink color!

The Maiden is inspired by the fairytale "Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Hari," a story about a slave's daughter who fought for the love of a prince.

I enjoyed doing the ink swatches and doing the writing samples for these five lovely, happy, bright, and cheery fountain pen inks from Vinta Inks. All five ink colors are beautiful and show the story inspiration for each of them.

Do you want to experience The Fairytale Collection? Do you want to try these beautiful shimmer inks? Vinta Inks ship their inks internationally through regular mail or courier. You can also get Vinta Inks in selected retailers in the US, Australia, Europe, South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Here is a list of these retailers.

Rants of the Archer thanks Vinta Inks for providing The Fairytale Collection for review purposes. To see their ink collections, visit the Vinta Inks website or follow them on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inksbyvinta/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inksbyvinta/

Fountain Pen Review: Esterbrook Estie Pink Sands

2022-02-28T07:30:00.003+08:00

The Esterbrook Pen Company has introduced beautiful pens and accessories during the last two years. A number of Esties, JRs, and new writing and journaling accessories have been released one after another. Have you tried their custom nibs? The Journaler is an excellent recreation of a vintage Esterbrook nib. Have you seen the new Bee Page Holder in Brushed Rose? Do you have Patience on your table?

By now, the Esterbrook Pen Company has introduced a number of Estie pen models in two sizes (regular, oversize) and various materials. In November 2021, Esterbrook delighted fountain pen lovers and fans with the release of their first limited edition pink fountain pen called Pink Sands. The all-pink fountain pen is inspired by the pink beaches in Greece, Indonesia, and the Bahamas, and it is a gorgeous coral pink with the proprietary all-pink nib designed in collaboration with Hinze Pen Co.

The Estie Pink Sands in the red Esterbrook box.

During its first run, 50 Estie Pink Sands fountain pens in palladium trims were sold out in less than 24 hours. Since then, many Esterbrook fans expressed their desire to own one of the rare all-pink Estie. As a second and final limited edition run, Esterbrook has reissued the Pink Sands in gold trims this time. The final run will have 150 pens that are available only through Esterbrook.

Estie Pink Sands has a unique vibrant color that is a mix of pinks and corals. It comes in a coral pink barrel and cap that sometimes look like red-orange.

The limited edition Estie Pink Sands in gold trims.

Uncapping the Estie Pink Sands reveals its beautiful pink nib.

The Estie Pink Sands is a light pen even with a full converter. It's easy and comfortable to use for long periods of writing. While some pens need their caps posted for comfortable writing, Pink Sands can be used without posting the cap. I do not usually post my pens because it makes writing uncomfortable for me—the pens become too long and top-heavy. Thankfully, Estie fountain pens can be used comfortably without the need to post the cap.

The Estie fountain pens also have the cushion cap closure feature that prevents the nib from drying as it provides a secondary seal that ensures the nib does not dry while the pen is capped.

Pink Sands Estie's cap, section + converter, and barrel.

My Estie Pink Sands is fitted with the unique and one-of-a-kind pink nib made by Hinze Pen Co. I chose a medium nib this time, and I love writing with it. It's wet and has written smoothly out of the box. Estie Pink Sands is also available with standard Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or 1.1 Stub nibs. They are also available with the custom Gena Salorino “Journaler” nib, or the Scribe nib by Joshua Lax.

Why 1858? In its rebirth, the Esterbrook Pen Company holds dear the history and story of how the iconic company started. 1858 was the year that entrepreneur Richard Esterbrook established his pen company under the trademark Esterbrook Pen Company, which became one of the biggest and most beloved pen makers in the world.

The Estie Pink Sands is fitted with a pink nib especially made by Hinze Pen Co. My pen has a smooth medium nib and it writes well every time I use it.

The Estie Pink Sands has Esterbrook's cushion cap closure that provides a secondary seal to ensure that the nib does not dry up. The cap is also engraved with the Esterbrook logo.

The pattern on the Pink Sands barrel is beautiful. The translucence reflects light beautifully with exceptional gloss and shine.

Now here is something I wish all fountain pen manufacturers would do. The metal threads in the barrel and section of the Pink Sands ensure durability and longevity. The barrel and section will stay in place and won't unscrew unnecessarily.

Pink Sands is only one of the many beautiful Estie fountain pens that the Esterbrook Pen Company has released in the previous two years. Among these beautiful pens is the Lilac Estie released in 2020 and the Frontier Green Estie that was released in May 2021.

Three beautiful Esties in Esterbrook's antique brass Patience Tortoise Pen Holder.

Oversize, regular, and small: Rocky Top Estie OS, Pink Sands Estie, and Esterbrook JR.

The Estie Pink Sands is a standard-sized fountain pen, sharing almost the same length as the Laban 325 Snow. It's longer than a TWSBI ECO, Lamy Safari, and Pilot Prera. It's a well-balanced pen that is comfortable to use.

To test how this beautiful pink fountain pen writes, I filled it with Robert Oster Hot Pink, a safe ink for the pink nib. The pen wrote smoothly out of the box. The medium nib wrote smoothly, there were no hard starts, and I had no trouble writing at all. I'm so happy that I chose a Medium nib for my Pink Sands because I can use it for regular writing and drawing. Pink Sands is such an enjoyable pen. It's beautiful, classy, versatile, and one that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort.

Jesse's Poem is a perfect poem to try writing with Pink Sands.

In the previous two years, Esterbrook has kept the tradition of providing good quality specialized nibs through the Esterbrook Custom Nib Program to highlight exceptional American nibmeisters. Gena Salorino of the Custom Nib Studio in Los Angeles has created the Journaler, the first edition nib in the series. The second nib in the series was the Scribe, done by JJ Lax.

The third nib in the series is the Needlepoint, done by Pen Realm's Kirk Speer. Esterbrook has sent me one to try and I fitted it with Pink Sands. The Needlepoint is a modified #6 Fine nib, and it is a true Fine nib but I am surprised at how wet it writes. It's also very timely as I have been using more of my Medium and Fine nibs lately. I enjoyed writing with it and it matched my writing style for now.

The Needlepoint writes wet and smooth, I enjoyed writing with it.

The Needlepoint was modified from a Fine nib.

Pink Sands Estie is truly the right pen for the way I write!

I do not have many pink fountain pens and I am very happy to add one to my collection. I love the Pink Sands Estie and I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore and know Esterbrook fountain pens. It's a beautiful pen and well-built for long-term use. The Pink Sands is on its final run and only a few pens remain. Make sure you get it before it's gone. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks the Esterbrook Pen Company and Kenro Industries for providing the Pink Sands Estie for review purposes. The Pink Sands Estie fountain pen and the entire Esterbrook collection is available at Esterbrookpens.com.

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Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/esterbrookpens)

Fountain Pen Ink Review: Scribe x Troublemaker Inks Tarsier

2022-02-21T07:30:00.003+08:00

They did it again! Our favorite local creative team has just launched a new limited edition ink, and everyone's excited about it. After the successful launches of Salomé (2019), Butanding (2020), and Pawikan, ScribePh has again partnered with Cebu-based Troublemaker Inks for their fourth and latest limited edition fountain pen ink showcasing the Tarsier, a small primate living in the islands of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. This collaboration also includes JIM Weaver Design, a local shop that sells silk scarves, reusable fabric face masks, and other home products, with a new offering of a Tarsier-designed pen cleaning cloth. This collaboration is inspired by ScribePh's "support local businesses" initiative, and the ink and pen cloth set is proudly made in the Philippines.

Scribe x Troublemaker Inks x JIM Weaver Design in one package!

JIM Weaver is a business in the Philippines led by four women who share the same passion to make art wearable through fashion. Their products range from silk scarves to reusable/reversible fabric face masks. Butanding and Pawikan were accompanied by reusable fabric face masks, but Tarsier has a green pen cleaning cloth designed with small tarsiers.

Limited edition Tarsier is a rich, dark fountain pen ink with green and gold sheen.

The 6" x 7" Tarsier pen cleaning cloth by JIM Weaver Design accompanies the ink from Troublemaker Inks.

Tarsier is my fourth Troublemaker ink after Butanding, Pawikan, and Blue Guitar. This rich, dark, saturated, and sheening fountain pen ink has a green-gold sheen that also gives it a matte look. Tarsier leans towards the russet-brown ink group. While wet, it is dark brown but dries reddish-brown with a unique sheen. Like Pawikan and Butanding, Tarsier is a wet ink with excellent flow and consistency.

Amazing monster sheen on Tarsier!

Tarsier looks even darker because of its sheen, but without it, it looks a dark russet brown ink similar to Edelstein Smoky Quartz and Laban Demeter Brown. It is darker than the light russet browns of Pelikan, J. Herbin, and Robert Oster. These swatches were done on 90gsm Canson sketch paper.

For my Tarsier writing test, I used PenGallery's A5 LiveNotes notebook with white Tomoe River Paper. There is nice shading in this paper.

This is Tarsier in Tomoe River Paper.

Project Butanding is an excellent example of brands working together to produce something beautiful and meaningful.

Tarsier is a beautiful fountain pen ink and an excellent product from a collaboration of local brands. It has a lovely shading ink and a unique color to add to one's collection. Get one for your pens now!

Rants of The Archer thanks ScribePH for providing the fountain pen ink in this review. Visit the Scribe.ph website to learn more about their products, promos, and new brand offerings. Scribe.ph now offers worldwide shipping. Follow them on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScribePH/

Instagram: https://https://www.instagram.com/scribe.ph/

Fountain Pen Ink Review: Wearingeul Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde

2022-02-14T07:30:00.007+08:00

I may have skipped reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde in my high school and college English classes, but they later caught up with me—twice! The first time was in 1998 when I saw Julia Roberts playing Mary Reilly with John Malkovich as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde. I loved that film. John Malcovich was superb, and young Julia Roberts was impeccable.

The second time Stevenson's story caught up with me was in December 2021 when I came upon Wearingeul, a new brand of fountain pen ink from South Korea. Wearingeul has an impressive selection of standard, sheening, and shimmering fountain pen inks with interesting literary inspiration, including a two-bottle set called Jekyll to Hyde. Jekyll to Hyde Fountain Pen ink set is an expression of the "good and evil separation experiment" carried out by Dr. Henry Jekyll in Stevenson's story. The Wearingeul set has a DIY setup that allows the user to make Hyde by injecting a conversion solution into one of the two ink bottles.

Wearingeul Jekyll to Hyde fountain pen ink set.

Jekyll to Hyde is an ink set that includes two bottles of ink, a conversion solution, and a syringe. The two inks, Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde are presented in 30ml bottles. A 6ml conversion solution in deep purple for the ink DIY is also in the box and the instruction card notes that it should not be used with other fountain pen inks. I was hesitant to mix the ink and conversion solution at first, but I realized that it was fairly easy. See how I did it in the photos below.

The Jekyll to Hyde ink set includes two bottles of ink (Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde), a conversion solution, a syringe, ink swatch cards, and an instruction card.

Two inks, conversion solution, and syringe with blunt end needle.

Mixing the Henry Jekyll ink and the conversion solution using the syringe supplied in the box. I think it's also possible to just pour the conversion solution into the ink bottle.

Once the conversion solution is poured into the ink bottle, give it a gentle shake to fully mix them together.

From Jekyll to Hyde — the ink is now mixed, it's time to reveal Edward Hyde!

The two inks in the set: Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde.

Henry Jekyll

Henry Jekyll is a toned-down deep red ink inspired by the gentle and calm character of its namesake, Dr. Henry Jekyll from Stevenson's story. Wearingeul says that this red ink focuses on the co-existence of good and evil that exist within the gentle and idealistic character of Dr. Henry Jekyll who is not a completely good figure. This blush-red ink looks like a darker version of J. Herbin Rouge Opera or a lighter version of Diamine Syrah, more of a deepened red with a pinkish undertone. It has medium saturation and excellent flow. In wider and wet nibs, Henry Jekyll shows off some nice shading.

Wearingeul Henry Jekyll is a toned-down deep red ink.

Henry Jekyll looks closer in color to J. Herbin Rouge Opera and Diamine Syrah.

I used a Leonardo Momento Magico on Jaquere Reservoir Note to test Henry Jekyll. This red ink has moderate saturation and writes well with excellent flow.

Edward Hyde

Edward Hyde is the DIY part of this ink set. It starts out as Henry Jekyll and turns into Hyde with the addition of the conversion solution. Edward Hyde is a thick, dark purple ink with a green sheen. Wearingeul says that this ink expresses the evilness of the character as well as the mysterious, dark, and gloomy sentiment. This dark purple ink looks closer to Laban Greek Mythology Zeus Purple and J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune. Similar to Henry Jekyll, this ink has medium saturation and excellent flow. It's also a shading ink, especially when used in wide, wet nibs.

Wearingeul Edward Hyde is a thick, dark purple ink with a green sheen.

Edward Hyde looks like a darker version of two popular purple inks, Laban Zeus Purple and J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune.

I used my Esterbrook Estie Lilac with a Journaler nib on Jaquere Reservoir Note to test Edward Hyde. This purple ink has medium saturation and writes well with excellent flow.

I enjoyed testing Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. They are unique ink colors with fascinating backgrounds and inspiration. They have excellent flow and write well in different nibs. Jekyll to Hyde ink set is a great addition to a fountain pen user's ink collection. Get your set now!

Rants of The Archer thanks Wearingeul for providing the Jekyll to Hyde fountain pen ink and Jaquere Reservoir notebook in this review. To learn more about Wearingeul and its ink offerings, visit their website or follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/wearingeul/).

Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Furore Aquapetra Rose Gold and Zenzero (Ginger) Gold

2022-01-03T07:30:00.011+08:00

Hey! Yes! It's a brand new year! It's a whole new year to gather new pens, write with new inks, and keep new memories in our favorite notebooks! It's going to be another year filled with fun and love for our favorite writing tools. As we all welcome this brand new year, I'm stepping back to write about two pens from the magical workshop in Napoli that were introduced last year. Leonardo Officina Italiana, one of 2021's most prolific pen makers, launched two new pens in their Furore Collection, the Aquapetra, and Zenzero (Ginger) in late November.

Launched in 2018 as Leonardo's second pen model after the outstanding Momento Zero line, the Furore is inspired by the form and design of vintage Italian pens. The collection also derives its colors from the Amalfi Coast, a magical place where land, sea, and Leonardo's origins meet. The Furore and all the pens from Leonardo's collections are passionately hand-turned by expert craftsmen using old loading systems, giving their unique pens soul and warmth.

Leonardo Officina Italiana's latest Furore fountain pens, the Aquapetra and Ginger.

The Furore Aquapetra combines the charm of seawater and the uniqueness of gemstones like amethyst. Aquapetra is made from deep blue-green resin with pink and purple accents. Looking at the Aquapetra is like seeing through deep seawater and finding beautiful stones and sea glass. The rose gold trim is perfect with the Aquapetra's deep blue-green color which is translucent. This fountain pen also reminds me of the deep turquoise Smeraldo, an earlier Furore model.

Leonardo Furore Aquapetra with rose gold trims.

The Furore Zenzero (Ginger) is a perfect combination of two classics, brown and gray. Ginger is made from resin with marbled effects that suit the classic cigar shape of the Furore. The brown and gray colors almost change in appearance depending on the intensity of light. In bright light, the brown and gray almost appear as reddish-brown, and the gray appears more pronounced. The pen's material is also translucent.

Leonardo Furore Ginger with gold trims.

The Leonardo Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pens have the following measurements and specifications:

Length, capped: 5.75 in | 14.6 cm
Length, uncapped, including nib: 5.2 in | 13.2 cm
Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.1 cm
Length, section to nib: 1.6 in | 4 cm
Length, cap: 2.5 inches | 6.35 cm
Diameter: 0.6 in | 1.52 cm
Full pen weight: 27 g | 0.95 oz
Barrel only weight: 18.6 g | 0.65 oz
Cap weight: 6.4 g | 0.22 oz
Body material: Resin
Trim: Rose Gold (Aquapetra); Gold (Ginger)
Cap: Screw on, postable
Clip material: Stainless steel
Nib: Steel or gold in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium,
Broad, or Stub (1.1mm); Steel nibs available in gold, rhodium, or rose gold finish
Filling mechanism: Screw-on Leonardo converters (supplied with purchase)

Leonardo Furore fountain pens can be filled with ink using international standard cartridges or the supplied customized screw-on Leonardo converter with a metal knob. Unlike most converters, Leonardo's converters screw to the pen's section for a secure fit and avoid ink spills. The screw-on converter also allows for a piston-like filling mechanism by removing the cap at the end of the barrel.

Leonardo Furore fountain parts: cap, section including the nib, converter, barrel, blind cap.

Leonardo has upgraded their converters and included a logo in the converter's knob. It's also very thoughtful that they included matching converters with rose gold and gold trims.

Leonardo installed new clips for this set, they are thinner than those in previous pens.

Previous Furore pens were engraved with Leonardo's branding and pen number in the barrel. This set has engraving on the cap, above the two cap rings. The Aquaptera and Ginger are regular, numbered Furores, but they are not limited edition pens.

The Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pen barrels are highly polished and smooth.

When I received these two Furore fountain pens from Leonardo, I loved their beautiful material and polished steel nibs. The Furore is available with either steel or 14k gold #6 nibs in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm) widths. The Aquapetra is fitted with a steel Fine nib in rose gold finish engraved with the Leonardo logo and it looks elegant. The Ginger's Medium nib in gold finish looks classy. Both nibs wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for priming or any modifications. Leonardo's nibs are one of the smoothest that I have tried, and writing with them is a wonderful experience.

Leonardo's nibs write smoothly out of the box.

Leonardo Furore fountain pens are turned from solid bars of acrylic resin, and the weight and feel of these pens are well-balanced in one's hand. The tapered grip section is comfortable for long writing sessions. The pen is large enough to write unposted. However, for those who prefer to write with their pens posted, the Furore posts securely on the barrel end of the pen.

Leonardo Furore fountain pens: Arancio, Ginger, and Aquapetra.

The Furore, a standard-sized fountain pen, shares approximately the same length with a Tibaldi N°60, Lamy Al-star, Laban 325, and OnAWhimWoodWorks pen. Uncapped, the Furore is still the same length as all four pens. The Furore is postable, but I love writing with it unposted. Posting makes this pen long and affects my writing speed and comfort. However, posting provides balance in writing to some people, so it helps that the Furore is a postable pen.

In happy company. The Aquapetra and Ginger share the same length as Tibaldi, Lamy, Laban, and OnAWhimWoodworks pen.

I love matching my fountain pens with inks, so I chose J. Herbin Bleu Calanque for the Aquapetra. I then filled Ginger with the Leonardo Sepia Classico ink. Ink flow to the feed was very fast and both the fine and medium nibs wrote smoothly and wet out of the box. The steel nibs are springy and wrote so well without the need for any adjustments or tuning. I wrote a full page for each of the two pens and it's a wonderful experience!

Aquapetra pairs beautifully with J. Herbin Bleu Calanque.

Ginger is perfect with Leonardo Sepia Classico.

Leonardo Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pens.

Furore Aquapetra and Ginger are exceptional and well-designed fountain pens from Leonardo Officina Italiana. These fountain pens are fully handmade in Italy using high-quality, beautiful resin and include a full lifetime mechanical warranty. Like its pen cousins, the Aquapetra and Ginger are delightful to look at, wonderful to use, and great to keep. Get them into your collection!

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen collection getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have the Cuspide, Speranza, Messenger, Pura, Musis, and quite a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. The Momento Zero and Furore have also gotten their size upgrades: the "Grande" with piston filling mechanism and ebonite feed. I'm always excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop, and I'm sure more exciting pens are coming in this year.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Furore Aquapetra and Ginger fountain pens for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, visit the Leonardo Officina Italiana website (https://leonardopen.com/) or follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, and Fontanna Penna.

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, and Pen Chalet.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik).

Fountain Pen Review: Tianzi Sky Blue Piston-Fill Fountain Pen

2021-11-15T07:30:00.001+08:00

Surprise!!! Here's a new fountain pen brand in Rants of The Archer! Did I surprise you? Maybe not, but MysteryhouseCrafts from Etsy.com (IG: finewordzfountainpen) surprised me with their Tianzi Sky Blue piston-fill fountain pen. I learned about the Tianzi fountain pen when fellow pen enthusiast Alex Umali told me about the brand. After our chat, I checked the fountain pens on Etsy and Instagram and I thought that the pens are quite impressive. I also read some good reviews from happy fountain pen users. There are several Tianzi fountain pens in different finishes and I liked the clear ones. I chatted with the makers of Tianzi, and we agreed to do a collab review of their Sky Blue fountain pen.

Tianzi fountain pen presented in a gift box.

Shanghai-based MysteryhouseCrafts calls themselves "material masters" because they can make the same material into diamond painting pens, crochet hooks, and yes—fountain pens. Before they ventured into making fountain pens, they thought that it was an outdated craft with ballpoints, gel pens, and electronic messaging now widely available. Yet, the following that their fountain pens received from enthusiasts from all over the world not only inspired them but gave them a new purpose. Now many more people are enjoying Tianzi fountain pens.

Tianzi is an impressive fountain pen. It's simple yet classy, inexpensive but functional, and designed well. Out of the box, I liked it right away. The pen size has a good balance, and the acrylic felt good in my hand. The steel No. 6 medium nib wrote well, but you know what the best part about this fountain pen? It's a piston filler! Not bad for US$40.

Tianzi Sky Blue Piston-Fill Fountain Pen. The transparent acrylic with swirls is beautiful.

The Tianzi fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

Length, capped: 5.77 in | 14.7 cm
Length, uncapped: 5.24 in | 13.3 cm
Full pen weight: 19.8 g | 0.7 oz
Body material: Acrylic
Trim: Chrome
Cap: Acrylic, screw-on, cannot be posted
Clip material: Metal
Nib: No. 6 stainless steel in Fine or Medium
Filling mechanism: Piston fill only
Colors: Sky Blue, White, Mauve, Dark Green, Mystery Blue

Tianzi fountain pen is an excellent daily writer with a large ink reservoir. Perfect for long writing sessions without the need to reink frequently.

Tianzi's cap is also made from the same material as the pen's barrel/body. The clip is springy, and the cap band is imprinted with the pen name. This pen's cap does not post, though, which is not a problem with me because I don't post my pens.

The transparent barrel of the Tianzi Sky Blue looks so cool! I hope it won't stain easily. The piston mechanism also works well and filling the pen with ink was a breeze! I just wish Tianzi has a wrench to help in disassembling the piston mechanism for cleaning.

I like the cap top and barrel end of the Tianzi. The solid acrylic reminds me of the glass marbles that my brothers used to play with when we were younger.

Tianzi's stainless steel No. 6 medium nib is engraved with the logo, TIANZI, and M to indicate the nib width. Though Tianzi is offered only with Fine or Medium nibs, these steel nibs are excellent. My pen's Medium nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for priming or any modifications.

Tianzi's Medium nib writes smoothly.

The Tianzi is a full-sized fountain pen measuring 5.77 inches while capped. It has the same length as the Narwhal Original, both are slightly longer than the TWSBI 530, ECO, and Lamy Vista. Uncapped, all five pens share the same length.

From top: TWSBI ECO, TWSBI 530, Tianzi, Narwhal Original, and Lamy Vista.

I love filling my fountain pens with matching ink colors, and I chose J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche, an old favorite for my Tianzi Sky Blue. It's a perfect match! Tianzi wrote well as soon as I filled it with ink. I did not experience any hard starts, skipping, or ink blobs which is a common concern with piston fillers. I did not experience any problems with Tianzi's nib. It's perfect for writing, doodling, and sketching small shapes. It's an enjoyable pen and just right for my stick font handwriting style. It's beautiful, elegant, sturdy, and comfortable to use for long periods of writing.

Tianzi's nib wrote smooth and wet, and it's a perfect match with J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche.

Perfect pairing: Tianzi Sky Blue and J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche.

I am satisfied with the Tianzi fountain pen and its Medium nib. I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the brand or try a piston-fill fountain pen. This fountain pen is a perfect daily writer for newbies and long-time fountain pen users. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks MysteryhouseCrafts for providing the Tianzi Sky Blue Piston-Fill Fountain Pen in this review. Tianzi is available in Etsy. For more details about the fountain pen series, check Tianzi on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TZPEN) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/finewordzfountainpen/).

Fountain Pen Review: Laban Gloria Ruby Red

2021-11-08T07:30:00.003+08:00

It's amazing how fountain pen brands come up with new pen models. Each month, a new fountain pen model is introduced to us, and we get a wide variety of fountain pens with different designs and materials. Last month, Laban introduced Gloria, a brand new line of brass fountain pens with a highly detailed endless diamond guilloche pattern. Gloria is available in two color finishes, Sapphire Blue and Ruby Red, and I chose the red pen for Rants of the Archer.

Ruby Red is a standard-sized fountain pen with a guilloche engraving pattern on lacquer with a shiny finish. I love turning the pen in light and seeing the engraving pattern at different angles. I also feel the pen's lines and pattern as I hold it to write.

Laban Gloria Ruby Red in the blue gift box including converter and warranty booklet, Laban's special bookmark accessory, and a nib sticker of Gloria's nib.

Gloria is my first brass fountain pen from Laban. The three 325 (Wisteria, Snow, and Lagoon) fountain pens that I reviewed before are all made from precious resin. While Laban's more popular pen models (325, Rosa, Taroko) are made from resin, the company also offers a number of brass fountain pens (Antique, Antique II, Gloria) and I'm glad that I can review one.

Gloria Ruby Red, one of two fountain pens in Laban's newest series.

Laban's Gloria fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

Length, capped: 5.28 in | 13.4 cm
Length, uncapped: 4.70 in | 11.9 cm
Length, cap posted: 5.96 in | 15.1 cm
Full pen weight without cartridge or converter: 41 g | 1.45 oz
Weight, cap only: 18 g | 0.63 oz
Weight, barrel and section: 23 g | 0.81 oz
Body material: Brass
Trim: Gold
Cap: Brass, screw-on, postable
Clip material: Metal
Nib: Gold-plated stainless steel in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, or Broad
Filling mechanism: Converter or standard international cartridge included in the pen package

Gloria is a heavy pen especially with the cap on. It can be used with the cap posted, but the pen will be top-heavy, affecting one's writing comfort. Usually, posting makes pens uncomfortably long and top-heavy. Thankfully, this fountain pen can be used comfortably without the need to post the cap.

The Gloria Ruby Red can be filled with ink using cartridges or converters. A Laban converter is included in each pen purchase.

Gloria's brass cap bears the Laban branding. The wide cap band is engraved with the Laban logo and the gold-plated clip is firm, sturdy, and holds the pen securely in place. Unlike the 325's finial which is the Laban logo, the Gloria only has a semi-pointed gold-plated disc as its finial.

Gloria's brass cap has a wide band engraved with Laban's logo.

The finial (left) and barrel end of Gloria Ruby Red are simple, gold-plated discs.

Gloria's two-toned nib is made from rhodium and stainless steel. The German-made nib is engraved with Laban logos, Iridium, and Germany. The nib width marker (B) is on the right shoulder of the nib. Laban offers the Gloria fountain pen with a size 5 nib. The nib widths available are the following: Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, or Broad. My fountain pen has a Broad nib and it wrote smoothly out of the box. It didn't need any priming before I wrote with it.

The Gloria's section is gold-plated brass with a metal coupler. An O-ring is installed around the coupler to provide an airtight seal inside the barrel and prevent ink leaks.

The No.5 nib on the Gloria Ruby Red wrote smoothly out of the box.

The 325 is a larger pen, but the Gloria is heavier because it is made of brass. Both pens are sturdy and comfortable to use, with nibs that write smoothly.

Beautiful Laban fountain pens: Gloria Ruby Red and 325 Snow.

The Ruby Red is a full-sized fountain pen, but it is shorter than a Lamy Safari, Leonardo Momento Magico, or Tibaldi Bononia. It is heavier than the three pens, but it's a well-balanced pen that is comfortable to use.

From top: Tibaldi Bononia Seashell Mist, Leonardo Momento Magico Millefiori, Gloria Ruby Red, Lamy Safari Special Edition China, and Kaweco Classic Sport Red.

Laban has also recently launched the Greek Mythology 2 fountain pen inks and kindly sent Ares Red to match Ruby Red. It's a match made in heaven! Watch out for my review of these amazing Laban inks!

Laban has made a perfect pen and ink match: Ares Red and Ruby Red.

To test how this beautiful red fountain pen writes, I filled it with Ares Red from Laban's Greek Mythology II Fountain Pen Inks series, a matching red ink. The pen wrote well out of the box and I did not experience any hard starts or skipping. The steel Broad nib wrote smoothly, I had no trouble writing at all. The Laban Gloria Ruby Red is such an enjoyable pen. It's elegant, beautiful, sturdy, and one that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort.

The Broad nib writes smooth and wet, there are some feathering in my writing, but no bleed at all.

I am very happy with the Laban Gloria Ruby Red fountain pen and its Broad nib, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore and know this excellent pen brand from Taiwan. It's a beautiful and sturdy pen and truly well-built for long-term use as Laban is dedicated to crafting excellent pens using only the best materials. Get one for your collection!

The Laban Gloria Ruby Red fountain pen is available at Laban.com where it retails for US$240. Aside from the Gloria series, Laban also offers the following collections: 325, Abalone, Antique, Antique'II, Canyon, Flora, Galileo, Mento, Mother of Pearl, Pocket Pen, Rosa, Skeleton, Solar, and Taroko. Laban offers pens in different materials including aluminum, brass, abalone, mother of pearl, resin, and silver.

To learn more about Laban, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing their pens, visit their website at https://www.laban.com/ or follow them on social media:

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LabanPen/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/labanpen)
Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/labanpen)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pN51UTW4EZTTUxVmVNR1Q)

Fountain Pen Review: Kaweco DIA2

2021-11-01T08:30:00.003+08:00

Did you know that Kaweco makes full-size fountain pens, too? Yes, Kaweco makes other pen models aside from the famous pocket-sized Sport series. Kaweco makes several full-size fountain pens including the Dia2, a handsome nostalgic fountain pen made of high-grade precious resin with gold or chrome trims. The design of the Dia2 is based on the Kaweco Dia that dates back to the hard rubber and celluloid pens from the 1920s.

The Kaweco Dia2 is packaged in an elegant pen case.

The Dia2 is a handsome pen. It is available only in black with chrome or gold trims. It has knurling in the cap and barrel ends that is so unique to the old Dia model. Though I am drawn to colorful pens, I love the black Dia2. It has a simple design, but it looks elegant and stylish. The high-grade precious resin is hand-polished to an exceptional gloss and shine. The chrome trims (clip, cap band, barrel band) also look so perfect with black!

Kaweco Dia2 fountain pen with chrome trims.

The Dia2 fountain pen has an excellent design using high-quality materials. The barrel has a metal lining and is slightly larger in the middle and tapers off towards the end. The Dia2's cap design is similar to the Student's cap except for the double band on the Dia2. The clip, made of solid brass, has the Kaweco logo. The Dia2 has a nice heft and is well balanced in the hand even with the cap posted. It's not a light pen, but it's not too heavy, either.

The Kaweco DIA2 fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

Length, capped: 5.23 in | 13.28 cm
Length, uncapped: 4.91 in | 12.47 cm
Length, cap posted: 6.24 in | 15.84 cm
Full pen weight with full short ink cartridge: 27 g | 0.9 oz
Weight, cap only: 10 g | 0.3 oz
Weight, barrel and section: 17 g | 0.6 oz
Body material: Precious resin
Trim: Chrome
Cap: Brass, screw-on, postable
Clip material: Metal
Nib: Stainless steel in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, and Double Broad (BB)
Filling mechanism: Standard international cartridge included in the pen package

The Kaweco Dia2 can be filled with ink using a standard international cartridge or a converter if filling from bottled ink. Unfortunately for this full-size pen, Kaweco does not include a converter in the package but provides only a short international ink cartridge.

The Dia2's parts: barrel, nib assembly and section, ink cartridge, and cap. This fountain pen doesn't come with a converter, but a short international ink cartridge is included in the package.

The Dia2's screw-on cap has knurling on the top similar to the vintage Dia's cap. This pen's cap has two chrome bands and the brass clip bears the Kaweco logo.

The Dia2 has a metal section and the barrel has a metal (probably brass) lining underneath the precious resin.

The cap's finial and barrel end are both installed with the signature Kaweco logo disc. Notice the knurling in both cap and barrel ends.

The steel nib on the Dia2 is an excellent one. It shares the same nib as the ones installed in the Sport and Student series, and they can be easily swapped with one another. This pen came with a Broad nib and it wrote well out of the box. I didn't need to prime or modify it before writing with it.

Kaweco has designed the Dia2's section really well. The barrel and section are smoothly joined after the threading without a noticeable step or crease which can cause writing discomfort. The section is smooth and comfortable to hold while writing.

The Kaweco nib wrote smoothly out of the box.

Having used this fountain pen for some time, I would have liked it to be a piston filler. The cartridge filling is fine with me, but the Dia2 is in the same price range as some piston filling pens and it will be a nice design touch-up. Still, I am happy with this pen and the cartridge fills do not bother me in any way.

The Kaweco Dia2 is a full-size pen but still looks smaller compared to some standard pens. It is smaller than the Lamy Safari and 2000 but is the same length as the Otto Hutt design 04. It is a bit longer than the Esterbrook JR.

Black pens look handsome, don't you think? From top: Lamy Safari All Black, Lamy 2000, Kaweco Dia2, Otton Hutt design04, and Esterbrook JR Tuxedo Black.

To test how the steel Broad nib on the Dia2 writes, I used a Kaweco Sunrise Orange cartridge, to give this black pen a happy vibe. The Broad nib wrote smoothly and wet without the need for priming, adjustments, or tuning. It wrote very well, and there were no hard starts, skipping, or inky blobs. I had no trouble writing with it at all. The Dia2 fountain pen is such an enjoyable pen and one that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort.

The steel Broad wrote smoothly out of the box. I love the thick, wet lines from this nib. The Sunrise Orange ink is the perfect happy vibe for this pen's blackness.

Kaweco Dia2 is an enjoyable fountain pen. It is simple, elegant, and looks very classy. The shiny precious resin of the barrel and seems resistant to scratches and the section is designed well for comfortable writing. The steel nib writes very well, too, and I'm glad that it is the same nib that Kaweco uses for the Sport series. Swapping nibs with other widths is easy with a quick and easy pull-out. I recommend the Dia2 to anyone who wants to experience writing with a Kaweco fountain pen. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Kaweco for providing the Dia2 fountain pen for review purposes. The Dia2 and other Kaweco pens are widely available in many reputable sellers worldwide. For a list of sellers, visit Kaweco's Store Locator.

I received the Dia2 fountain pen in this review free of charge from Kaweco Germany for review purposes. For more details, visit the Kaweco website.

In the Philippines, Kaweco pens are available from Scribe and Stationer Extraordinaire.