PEN REVIEW: Diplomat Ballpoint

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

A quickie review of the Diplomat Excellence A Guilloch Rhomb Ballpoint Pen.

Visually, it’s quite appealing. Matte black finish with gleaming chrome accents. (Can you make out my reflection in the chrome?)

Isn’t that inlaid grid (how’d they do that?) incredible? So unique.

I love the lines this pen creates.

It’s the combination of masculinity (the hardness of the metal barrel, the solid lines, dark color) and femininity (the rounded clip, the softness of the logo) that sold me on this pen.

Twist Mechanism

I bought this last year at the SF Pen Show. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year!

I have no idea what I paid for this pen. It’s a ballpoint, so I’m guessing I wasn’t keen on spending too much for it, but I see that it’s listed all over the place for around $200 and that seems like a lot, doesn’t it?

When I got this pen out of its box to take photos, Jeff (the kind, patient, loving man of my dreams – hi, Jeff!) asked, “Hey, isn’t that the pen you gave me?”

Yeah. Right. Me. Give away a pen. Ridiculous! (Actually, I think he might be right – at the time, he was not at all into fountain pens and I wanted him to have something from the show – mostly to assuage my guilt for spending so much!)

This year, Jeff suggested we take cash to the show. “You know, so we don’t overspend.” I looked at him like he had three heads and he didn’t say another word.

Pretty, Pretty

So. The Diplomat Excellence A Guilloch Rhomb Ballpoint Pen (what a mouthful!) is a beauty. But. It’s not without flaws. It feels heavy and poorly balanced in my girly hand. It is also hard and cold – the whole thing is metal – and my hand feels fatigued after writing a bit.

And this: even though everything is well-seated in the pen, it makes a bit of a click-click noise when I’m writing. It’s almost as if the refill is tapping around inside the pen – inside the $200 pen. Unacceptable.

Ballpoints. Love ’em or hate ’em?

INK REVIEW: Diamine Pumpkin

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

Last year we picked up, packed up, and moved from New York to the San Francisco area. We loooove it here in the Bay area, but I sure miss autumn in New York. The smells, the weather, the COLOR!

This screamin’ orange ink from Diamine really does it for me. So bright, so right. It’s a perfect shade of orange. Not too brown, too yellow, or too red. I’m in love.

Check it out.

click the image to see more detail

See what I said? “I may never use another color again. As long as I live. Really!”

Ha! How crazy is that? I might mean it, though.

Look at the Compare Square. I think Orange Crush from Private Reserve looks more like a shade of pumpkin than Pumpkin from Diamine. I really think I should be in charge of naming colors.

There’s some smearing, but it’s not awful. I made that squiggle, waited just a few seconds and then ran my finger along the ink.

I didn’t have any ghosting – and I wish I could come up with a better way of illustrating my ghost tests. I’ll work on that. You work on getting this ink. Today.

Check this out…

Some shading, but it’s mostly super-saturated

There’s some slight feathering on Hammermill paper, but not much. If we were going to see terrible feathering, it would be on the swab – those are done on 3×5 index cards and the paper is so thin. (Does anyone make high quality index cards?)

Whew. That’s some ORANGE. I’m in love. Orange Jello! That’s what it reminds me of.

I almost wish I didn’t have to show you this . . .

Water Test – Fail

Poo.

Here’s how I test for water resistance:

1. Write with the ink (always a good first step!)
2. Let it dry for 10+ minutes
3. Place a droplet of water on one word (“from” in this case) and let that dry naturally
4. Smear a moistened Q-Tip across the words “Water Test”

I’m bummed that the water test is a fail. I’m not surprised, though. My limited understanding is that it’s difficult to get water resistance from most mixed shades like purple, orange, green. Wah Wah.

All of this said, I (probably) will not be using this color for everrrrrrything, but I’m totally into it for some fun this fall. I’ve found it all over the place for $12-15.

Are you seasonal about your ink colors? Which are your current favorites?

Fifty Shades of Grey Ink, Part 1

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

Grey from Diamine so stately and professional. A good basic grey.

I’m not even close to having Fifty Shades of Grey ink. Do 50 different greys even exist? Wonder how long it will take me to find out. Wonder how much fun I’ll have finding out!

Full reviews of each of these inks coming another time. This time, it’s just for fun.

Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same – delicate (hints of red)

I’ve been loving the Iroshizuku inks lately. Have you tried any? Highly recommended. And the bottles? Gorgeous!

Private Reserve Grey Flannel – Regular ole grey (with bits of green?)

You know what I wish? I wish the entire world could get together and decide on just one spelling for grey/gray. My preference (like Private Reserve’s) is “gray.” It just makes more sense, yo.

DeAtramentis – Silver-Grey – Nice classic shade

DeAtramentis Silver-Grey definitely looks more grey to me than silver. This isn’t to slight Silver-Grey in any way, it’s perfectly lovely.

You know what else I wish? I wish my images were all the same size. They were all scanned the same and they are all on 3×5 index cards. Still, the safe bet is that it has something to do with something I’m doing wrong. Probably with Flickr. I’m no Flickr expert even though it’s been around for ages.

Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun – soft and a bit blue

How pretty is Fuyu-syogun? So pretty that it made my Wish List. It is perfect – not too black, not too blue. Delicious. (Wait..how did I create this ink swab if I don’t own the ink? I bought a sample from Goulet Pens, of course.)

J Herbin Gris Nuage – delicate

Gris Nuage is a beautiful gray. I always call it New Age Gray in my head. Funny, right? Nuage is actually the French word for cloud.

Definitely has some blue / silver qualities to it. For some reason, I think this color belongs in weddings; it’s such romantic shade, isn’t it? I ran into some trouble with this ink during a test run – but I’m not ready to give up on it. More on that another time.

So..that’s six of fifty. A lofty goal, but I’m confident I can find 44 more shades of grey and I can’t wait to show you.

My favorite grays definitely lean toward the silver/blue side of things. Grays with too much red end up looking muddy to my eye. I’m a purist when it comes colors. I want to look at a color and say, “That’s gray!” Not, “Oh. Is that gray?”

And on the (mostly internal) debate about grey versus gray. The Grammarist says either is right, though gray is used more commonly in the US – and I guess that explains my preference.

Which are your favorite grays? Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey?

INK REVIEW: Noodler’s – Black

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

Noodler’s Black is a good, solid black. The color is rich and deeply saturated. It was definitely wet in my Caran D’Ache with a fine nib; I imagine it would be almost too wet for me in a pen with a broad nib.

Look at the water test, yo. That’s some impressive behavior! (The “b” in “by” is where I place a single drop of water – can’t see it at all!)

I rarely read reviews before testing the inks on my own. It doesn’t matter too much what other people think about a particular ink – I want to know how it performs for me – in my pens. Having fallen in almost-love with this ink, I decided to see what others were saying . . .

Amazon Reviews

Goulet Reviews

According to Noodler’s, the ink is Waterproof, UV resistant, bleach resistant, fade-resistant, and good for archival purposes. It’s also forgery-resistant. SOLD! I’ve added this ink to my wish list.

PEN REVIEW: Montegrappa Micra Red

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

My sweet, beautiful Montegrappa Micra. Marbly resin with sterling silver accents, this pen is stunning. I really dig the patina that has developed over the years. I bought it new at a pen show (when? I cannot remember), used it regularly for a bit, and then placed it in a drawer with other pens.

Why would this pen sit so long unused? (Love the dog fur in my pictures?)

The pen measures around 4.5″(or around 5.75″ when posted).
The cap is a screw-to-post style. (Loooove this feature.)

Even after years of sitting, the red is just as vibrant. The swirls in the resin are just a bit opalescent.

Having sat for so long, I didn’t remember the model name of this pen. I had to research a bit and couldn’t help but read some of what I found at Fountain Pen Network.

After writing with it for a bit, I think I may have discovered why it sat for so long. It’s just not as comfortable as other expensive pens. The silver grip isn’t – grippy. It’s awkward, even. While the shape of the pen is faceted, the grip is smooth (though slightly concave) and feels – hard. I found myself with a total death grip and tired hand.

And the writing. I’m sure this is a matter of ink incompatibility (or a cleanliness issue).

Skipping . . .

And hard starting . . .

As always, click to make any image bigger.

So I changed paper . . .

My bottom line? Well, I’m not ready to say just yet. I don’t remember the pen being this uncomfortable, or the skipping and hard starting.

I’m going to give it a good cleaning, change the ink, and try again. Will keep you posted.

QUICK REVIEW: Marking Pencil

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

The Listo Marking Pencil. Adverstised as WRITES ON EVERYTHING.

Look how dusty the packaging is. I bought it like this. Must not be much call for Listo Marking Pencils. (I wonder, is this the same thing as a “grease pencil”?)

Completely Mechanical. What does that even mean?

With refills available in seven different colors. I don’t remember seeing these in the store. Again, more dust and grime on the back of the package.

Twisty action.

Grippy part is a bit too low on the pencil.

Removable clippy part.

After turning and turning and turning and turning the twisty part at the top, the “lead” finally emerged.

While you can’t see it here, it looked a bit . . . crumbly. I wonder if this is from sitting on the shelf forever?

My plan was to run around the house, write on EVERYTHING, and take pictures to show you, but then I realized – I don’t know how (if) it would clean up and while I’m pentulant, even I am not that brave!

So. I twisted it back up without writing on a single thing! Wimp!

I’ll pull it out again sometime in the future and write on some things with it. In the meantime, what do you know about these? Anything?

TGIF: Wish List . . .

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

My wish list is a constantly evolving thing. Some of the items seem like an impulse rather than a real want – something I would eventually end up owning.

Like this Visconti traveling ink pot. Would I ever? Probably not.

But..this. This Pelikan M205. This, I would own. I will own.

It is the color. Screamin’ bright red. The Pelikan on the cap. The window. The old-fashioned twisty piston mechanism.

Oh, yes. I will own this pen. This pen will own me.

I see it at JetPens for $137.50

I generally don’t read reviews before buying/trying new pens and inks. I’ve not read this review from Fountain Pen Network, but I hope it’s good!

INK REVIEW: Pilot Iroshizuku – Shin Ryoku

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

Initial Thoughts

Here we have Shin-ryoku from Pilot Iroshizuku. My first ink review! Wooooo!

How pretty!

Maybe a little too blue if one is searching for a pure green ink. Shin-ryoku apparently translates to Forest Green – if this is the case, the color is most definitely not dark or saturated enough.

But really pretty just the same.

Pricing

$28 all over the place.

This was my first experience with a Pilot Iroshizuku ink. Other than not loving the color (purely a matter of my good taste, I assure you), I had no complaints. It wrote wonderfully in my TWSBI Diamond 540. No skipping, not too wet/dry. Saturation was a little light for me, but definitely sufficient. Too bad there wasn’t more shading.

Some feathering when it’s examined very close up on this mid-quality paper. But really – in person, it was barely noticeable.

Mm…doesn’t really pass the water test, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever seen.

Overall, this is a nice quality ink and it wrote very well in my pen. I didn’t fall in love with it and I won’t be buying a full bottle, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to try it out.

Looking for more reviews? Try these…

Review over at Goulet Pens

Fountain Pen Network

VISITING with an Old Friend – Waterman Expert Fountain Pen

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Christine (Pentulant)

Waterman Expert Fountain Pen (c.1988)

There she is – my very first fountain pen.

The dentist I worked for at the time took our only other employee and me shopping for Christmas prezzies. He pushed thick envelopes filled with crisp bills into our hands and said the only condition was that we had to get something 100% for ourselves, “something you wouldn’t normally buy.” Lisa and I each knew exactly what we wanted and set off in opposite directions. She ran off to the Coach handbags and I, on the other hand, wandered over to men’s accessories in search of a fountain pen.

Months before, the doctor had received a check for some personal transaction. I immediately honed in on the handwriting. “How did he do that? Look at that – can you see it??” I had no idea what to call it, but I knew I needed to figure it out. “It’s probably a fountain pen.”

A who? A what? I was clueless. A fountain pen! That’s what I ~~wanted~~ needed.

Choosing my first fountain pen was a breeeeze. I knew nothing.

“Would you like a medium nib?” Sure!
“Does that feel balanced in your hand?” Uh huh.
“Do you like the grip? Is it to heavy?” I love it! I’ll take it!
“Do you need some cartridges to go with it?” Yes!

I got the pen home, tossed the box, the paperwork, and whatever that weird twisty thing was over my shoulder and into the trash. I have a fountain pen! How do I make it go?

A whole bunch of years, and inks, and pens later, and I find myself returning to my old friend: the Waterman Expert.

I snapped a few quick pictures, hastily scribbled some notes, and finally it was time to ink her up for the first time in at least eight years. I chose one of my current favorite inks – Noodler’s Lexington Gray and (seriously) when I put pen to paper, it gave me goosies (as J Lo would say).

Balanced. Comfortable grip. Not too heavy, not too light. An oh-so-satisfying click when the cap was posted. This was going to be great. I was practically giddy.

Then I started to worry that I’d remembered this old pen with a little too much fondness. That perhaps now that I’ve experienced other wonderful writing instruments that this one wouldn’t quite measure up. I had nothing to worry about.

A bit of shading.

A generous medium nib, so smooth over the Rhodia paper. Wonderful shading (that thing I’d seen, but didn’t have the words to describe all of those years ago). No skipping or false starts (maybe one). Just. Beautiful.

Enough of my gushing – let me show you what I’m talking about. (If I’ve done all of this right, you should be able to click on the pictures to see them larger and see more detail. If that doesn’t work, you will have learned that I’m not perfect, yo.)

Rich burgundy color.

Waterman Expert Two-Toned Nib - some pitting

Some pitting on the two-toned gold nib. See the separation between the tines? That is some goodness right there, folks.

You notice that I didn’t call it an Expert in my writing? That’s because I had to do some sleuthing to figure it out.

This has been fun – remembering and writing about how I first fell in love with fountain pens. Do you remember your first love? I’d love to hear all about it.