PEN REVIEW: Kaweco AL Sport Grey

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Kaweco AL Sport Grey Fountain Pen Review

I’m usually not into the weights and measures of my fountain pens, but I can’t help it this time. Capped, this great-looking pen measures right around four inches – the perfect size for pockets or smaller bags. When posted, the Kaweco gains over an inch to just about 5.25 inches.  Perfect.

The AL Sport weighs in at a solid 22g. For comparison, the Kaweco Ice Sport weighs just 10g.

I love the look of this pen – classic Kaweco design, sleek, simple, smart.

The color of is simply called grey. It’s a very warm grey – leaning well into red. Lot of depth of color for what is basically a flat finish. I can’t help but think that if you wanted to match this pen to an ink, you should try Pilot Iroshizuku’s Kiri-same.

Unfortunately, this pen only accepts short international cartridges. Fortunately, some short international converters may work with the pen. Unfortunately, I don’t know which those are – I am hoping someone will post with suggestions.

A great solid pen.

But how does it write?

I loaded up my medium-nibbed AL Sport with a Private Reserve Spearmint cartridge and got to writing . . . .

My early (and only) concern was that the section (grip area) is quite short and my thumb was hitting  (and rubbing against) it oddly. Honestly, I wasn’t sure it was going to work out.

After writing with it for awhile, putting it down for a day or two, and then going back to it, there were no issues with the section/grip. Whew.  Perfectly comfortable, but something to be aware of because that section does seem short.

My bottom line . . . At around $80 (I got mine from Goulet Pens with my own saved pennies), it’s a bit more expensive than some of the other Kaweco fountain pens, but the quality is there. Definitely recommended. In fact, I’m already looking for the Stonewashed version of this same pen – stay tuned!

xoxox

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY

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Another week in the books!

First thing’s first….the Winner of the Apica Notebooks is Pikamookie. I’ve already sent you an email.
Here’s what I’ve been reading this week.
Inkophile talks palettes this week.
FPQuest reviewed the Sheaffer 300.  I’m kind of meh on this design. What do you think?
Gourmet Pens reviewed Rhodia Ice. It’s good paper, it’s her handwriting that I love!
Ink Nouveau (Goulet Pen Company) talked about Noodler’s Black Swan in Australian Roses. Yikes! Most people don’t seem happy, but I actually like the look of the new.
MyCoffeePot reviewed a Bexley Tuck-Away. Even though I was raised right there in Ohio, I knew so little about this pen company before reading this review and watching the video. It’s a BEAUTIFUL pen.
Office Supply Geek had a close look at Caran d’Ache Ifinite Grey – totally need to get my hands on this.
That’s all I have for you today. Well, except this CRAZY swab that I posted on Instagram.  LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Stay tuned for a full review…

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INK REVIEW: Franklin-Christoph Black Magic

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I have, love, and use Franklin-Christoph items. Huge fan here.

Black Magic ink from Franklin-Christoph, though? It has some amazing qualities, but I am not a fan.

Let me explain . . .

The above image sums it up nicely. Black Magic reminds me of writing with a felt-tip marker. The pen (a Lamy Safari with medium ink) would barely touch the paper and just like (black) magic, I’d have a tremendous spot of ink. If I paused even for a nanosecond, another huge spot of ink. 
On to the amazing qualities . . .
Black magic is crazy black. It’s incredibly saturated. Black inks aren’t my favorite, but if I’m using black, it better be black. 

And then there’s this . . . 

Black Magic don’t smear.  (You can quote me on that.)  It seriously, seriously, seriously doesn’t (Does. Not.) smear. I couldn’t get it to smear even when I tried.

Before writing with it for a few days, I mostly liked the ink.  However, after i few days on regular writing on a variety of paper brands/types, I was worn out from all of the bleeding and washed that ink right out of my pen.
I could see loving this ink. An extra fine nib or a pen with a super-stingy feed to control the flow combined with the right paper and it could be a perfect black.  I’m just way too busy to spend time with such a fussy ink when there are so many inks that work well, you know?

What is your favorite black?  I’m still loving Noodler’s Black.

PEN ACCESSORIES REVIEW: Monteverde 36 Slot Pen Case

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Monteverde 36 Slot Pen Case Review



Let’s dive right in . . .

  • holds 36 pens (18 on each side)
  • padded nylon cover with faux leather accents
  • velour interior
  • stiff partition to keep the pens on either side of the case from rubbing together
  • zipper close (single pull)

There are some good things about this case . . .

  • padded nylon cover seems durable
  • rounded corners help prevent wear and tear
  • exterior looks good – nice even, tight stitching, and I like the half-moon “grip” area of the case 
  • velour interior is super-soft
Before we get to the rest of this review, I should let you know that I received this item from Goulet Pens in exchange for my honest review of it.

There is one ungood (it’s a word, autocorrect!) thing about this Monteverde Pen Case . . .

The elastic seems a bit too loose for slimmer pens, and most better cases have two pieces of elastic holding each pen.
Here are some more pictures . . . 
See how the pens above lean against each other? It just took a tiny nudge.
If you think I’m showing off my Lamy collection, you’re right.

At just $40, this case is a good deal. If they exist, I couldn’t find other pen cases that hold as many pens in this same price range. Because of the situation with the elastics, I wouldn’t use this for my best and most expensive pens – call me paranoid – but I would use it for every day pens. In fact, after I took these photos, I loaded it right up with a bunch of my vintage pens and feel that they are well-protected.

Your turn – how do you store your pens? And..uh…exactly how many pens do you have to store? (I should do a nib count here someday!)

xoxo

PS..after I had this review written, but not yet published, Brian Goulet took a quick look at this Monteverde Case. He shakes the heck out that thing and says he uses this case himself. Check it out.

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY

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A reminder that I’m giving away a couple of Apica Notebooks.  Go enter to win.

Here’s what I’ve been reading with interest this week . . .

Is your handwriting average?

Rita. Hayworth.

Pen Addict takes a quick look at the Parker Jotter 60th (!!) Anniversary Ballpoint Pen.

Dudek Modern Goods has a Summer Sale going on. Highly recommended.

PenINKcillin shows us how to disassemble a Lamy Z24 Converter. You’ll want to bookmark this post if you own a Lamy.

MyCoffeePot started a new pen blog.

I think Mr. Pentulant wants this pencil. He’s a mathlete, you know.

Finally, a couple of things from my Instagram.

Terrible little dog bumped my hand . . . .

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Celebrating IndePENdence Day . . .

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GIVEAWAY: Apica Notebooks

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Last week, I reviewed the super-posh Apica Premium C.D. A5 Notebook.  While preparing for that review, I searched my stash and found, these smaller (and slightly less posh) Apica Notebooks and decided to give them away.

Here’s what you’ll get . . .

Apica CD-11 Notebook – A5-sized – 28 lined pages
Apica CD-5 (Wee Little) Notebook – 36 lined pages

In it to win it? Leave a comment below.

All Kinds of Disclaimers and Stuff:  Your entry must be received by July 16. Winner need not be present to win (please don’t come to my house, that would just be weird). Open to entrants with mailing addresses in the US and Canada. I bought and paid for these notebooks.

PAPER REVIEW and COMPARISONS: Apica Premium C. D. A5 Notebook

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Apica Premium C. D. A5 Notebook Review and Comparison to Clairefontaine
There is a plastic protective cover that doesn’t seem like it’s meant to stay on the book. You could leave it on there with no trouble, but taking it off (to remove the paper insert, for example) and replacing it later could cause the cover to tear because it’s super-thin. The book looks better without the plastic, too. 
The cover is heavyweight slightly textured paper.  The title is embossed and the word “premium” is stamped in gold foil.  
The pages are squared (rather than rounded) and binding is sewn (rather than stapled).  
Some people prefer rounded corners because they may show less wear and tear over time. I like the look of square corners, especially in thicker books. Sewn binding is more expensive to produce than other types of binding – it looks better and it helps the book lay-flat.
Choose the paper like you would a good pen.
This A5 notebook came to me via Goulet Pens.  They sent it to me in exchange for my honest review. Goulet has this notebook listed at $16.20. Apica makes other notebooks, too – they are not all made with the same “A. Silky 865 Premium” paper.
The Apica A5 has 96 sheets of paper. That’s 192 pages to write on if you write on the fronts and backs of pages.
The first page of the book is a gray title/index page. Definitely a premium touch that most other notebooks don’t have.
Nearly lay-flat binding.

But what you really want to know about is the paper itself, right?

The paper feels so smooth. It’s buttery, luxurious, and definitely, absolutely premium. The color is a very light ivory and the lines are gray. Very easy on the eyes. Ahhhh.
I compare it below to my everyday use paper – Clairefontaine 80gsm.

Apica . . .

Clairefontaine . . .

Apica . . .

Clairefontaine . . .

 Because the paper is so smooth and almost (but not quite) feels glossy, I was concerned that smearing would be a Major Issue. Here’s a comparison . . .

Apica . . . 

Clairefontaine . . .

Apica . . .

 Clairefontaine . . .

The Apica paper in this notebook feels better (more silky smoothness) than Clairefontaine and that made the writing experience better than on Clairefontaine. I love it and will definitely use the notebook I received.

Inks look brighter on the white white paper of Clairefontaine, but they look richer on Apica. 

There was very little ghosting and no bleed through with either paper. 

Dry times seem comparable, too.

Here’s the complete Apica test sheet.  Click here for the huge full-size image . . .


And here is the complete Clairefontaine test sheet.  Click here for the huge full-size image . . . 





Clairefontaine in the A-5 clothbound version comes in at $9.50 for the same number of pages. The cover isn’t as fancy, and the paper may not feel quite as smooth, but if you’re looking for bang for your buck, I’d tell you to get Clairefontaine.

If you’re looking for a very special notebook, though, get the Apica Premium. You really and truly will not be disappointed. The silky paper is like no other paper I’ve used.

Last week, I asked on Instagram which papers people love – and which they use.  If I’ve managed to embed this link correctly, you should be able to clicky click and be taken directly to that post to see the responses. (And if I didn’t embed it correctly, you’ll know that I’m not a perfect person.)

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And finally, let me ask you . . . which paper do you most love? which paper do you use most? Do you prefer clothbound or wire binding?

I’ll be back on Wednesday with a Giveaway. Stay tuned . . .

xoxo

Found Around Friday

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Happy Independence Day!

Here’s where I’ve been reading this week . . .

The Pen Addict reviewed Organics Studio Blue Merle Ink. I have some samples of Organics Inks – but haven’t used them. They had some problems a couple of years ago and I’m a little shy about them as a brand.

PenInkcillin reviewed Salior Jentle Apricot ink. Totally going to miss that ink!

Haha…look at what Inktronics did.

Inkdependence talked about the Pilot Petit 1.  I have this pen. Somewhere.

Whoa. Gourmet Pens get her hands on two Edison Pen Co. pens.

Fountain Pen Physicist looked at Pilot Iroshizuku’s Yu-yake. Is it bright enough?

And Ed Jelley managed to convince me that I need Rhodia Ice.

I talked about sending bits of color out into the world over on Instagram. I’m glad to send you one, too – just email your address to me.  I’m christine (at) christinewitt (dot com).

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Finally, July is Sarcoma Awareness Month (a rare sort of cancer). I’m a proud volunteer for Sarcoma Alliance and believe strongly in their mission to improve the lives of those affected by sarcoma.

Have a happy and healthy holiday!

INK REVIEW: Toucan Violet

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Last week, I talked about the Toucan Group Buy over on FPN.  In case you missed it, you can see it right here.
Anticipa-a-a-a-tion.  (Remember those ketchup commercials?)
I was a little concerned when I swabbed this ink. It felt watery. Thin. And you can see that there isn’t much saturation with the color. I’ve used both of the swab cards extensively (over 350 times for the Word Cards on the left) and it is a rare ink that nearly bleeds through. Toucan Violet is one of those rare inks.
Let’s take a closer look . . . 

Smear testing . . .

Water testing . . .

I wrote with Toucan Violet as part of my regular rotation for a week or so. Whenever there’s time (as if I’m on a tight publication schedule – ha), I like to spend at least a few days with a new ink – just to make sure.

Bottom line . . . I’m sure I don’t love it. I’m not sure I like it well enough to take up space in my ink drawer. Yikes.

Have you tried the Toucan inks? I love the concept – I just hope the next one I try goes a bit better than Violet.

PEN REVIEW: Edison Nouveau Premiere – Summer 2014

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As soon as the mail carrier knocked quietly on the door (she doesn’t want to disturb the dogs…haha), I jumped up because I knew what was going to be on the porch waiting for me.

Days before, I’d seen the preview and knew I was going to own this pen – the Edison Nouveau Premiere – Caribbean Sea (Summer Edition 2014).

I have its Cherry Blossom – Spring 2014 sister. And I practically squealed when I saw the color of the Caribbean Sea.

Anyway . . . what I didn’t know was that within a few days of learning about this pen (a Goulet Pens exclusive from Edison Pen Co.), I’d have a note from Rachel Goulet – yes, the Rachel Goulet!!! – asking if I’d review some items for them from time to time and in exchange I’d get to keep the items. Are you kidding? Of course I will! I love what they’re doing over at Goulet Pens and how they’re doing it. I’m a frequent customer and huge fan. I’m seriously honored that they would ask me (just don’t tell them that I probably would have bought this pen anyway, ok?)

So..that’s the disclaimer, I received this pen at no charge to me and I’m being totally honest about what I think of it.

I love it.

The name of this pen is perfect – Caribbean Sea. The color is a gorgeous blue-green with lots of depth, swirls, and sheens. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of it from different angles, in different light, on different surfaces. If you like the way it looks in my (very amateur) pictures, you’ll love the way it looks in person – seriously.

The shape of the Premiere is . . . interesting. It has the pointiest cap ever. In fact, I challenge you to find a pen with a more pointy cap.

I love that the section (the part you grip) is contoured and there is no steep drop-off between it and the body of the pen. It’s very comfortable in the hand.

The cap can be posted, but I’m finding that I like writing with it unposted better. It’s definitely not a weight issue – more that the pen is longer than average when posted and that may take some getting used to.

Of course, looks are only part of the equation when it comes to fountain pens.  How does it write?

I’m going to pat myself on the back for choosing the perfect color to go with this pen: Toucan Bright Blue. (More on Toucan inks coming soon.)

Here are some scanned handwriting samples. Click here to see the full-sized handwritten review.

Someone on Instagram asked me how the nib compared with the nib of a Lamy Safari. My answer is that the Edison Nouveau is more buttery smooth than the Lamy Safari. Some people like a little feedback when writing and others like a super duper smooth experience.

I’d say that the flow is a bit wet – but I like that. This nib is a medium, by the way.

I just checked and the Carribean Sea is sold out.  I’m pretty sure it will be back in stock, though – summer has just begun!

OK, that’s that. What do you think?  Did you order this one as soon as it came out? Will you be waiting for it to come back into stock?  And…do you match your ink to your pen colors?

I’ll be back later this week with an ink review!

xoxo

Edited to Add:  It’s in stock – get it here!