KWZ Gummiberry Iron Gall Ink Review

I’m a fan of Iron gall inks, especially the more modern varieties like this KWZ Gummiberry from Vanness Pens. Iron gall inks can be intimidating if you are unfamiliar with them, but the way companies manufacture ink these days helps keep your pens safer as long as good fountain pen hygeine is used.

KWZ is a brand I have heard of in passing over the last few years. Made in Poland by Konrad Żurawski, the inks are made in small batches. This allows for experimentation with a wide range of colors that I personally haven’t seen before, especially in the iron gall realm.

Lisa Vanness asked me which color of the lineup I wanted to sample, and Gummiberry jumped off the page at me. I have enough blue and blue black inks to last a lifetime, and I’m a fan of Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa, so I figured I’d see how another purple iron gall ink would compare.

Gummiberry is a grape-colored purple. It hits the page similar in color to the juice found in a grape jelly jar and dries into a color as deep as the deepest recesses of the jelly itself. From a distance, the aged color is nearly black, but a closer look shows that the deep purple color is retained. It has a wonderful look on the page.

Iron gall inks are generally quick drying, and this one is no exception. Even on slick Rhodia paper there was little smudging after 10 seconds, which puts it ahead of most standard inks. The ink is also waterproof, forming a bond with the paper after drying that is not able to be washed out. This is why iron gall inks were the historical standard for important documents and signatures.

As much of a fan of iron gall inks as I am, I am concious that without proper pen maintenance and cleaning I could be opening up myself to problems in my pens down the line. As I mentioned earlier, most iron gall inks these days are tamer than their predacessors and I have no problem keeping them inked in my modern pens for weeks, if not months, at a time. KWZ has an excellent page set up for fountain pens and iron gall ink maintenance that you should read prior to getting into these great inks.

I’m anxious to try more of what KWZ is offering, if nothing else for the colors offered (turquoise iron gall anyone?) My thanks to Vanness Pens for sending me this ink at no charge for review purposes. I’m hooked, and will definitely be purchasing more at the DC Pen Show next month.

Staedtler Intium Lignum Fountain Pen Winner

Karma is a funny thing. I'm a believer in things happening for a reason, and when I saw friend of the blog GlennHK lose his beloved pens and pen case last week I was hoping they would turn back up quickly. They haven't unfortunately, but a funny thing happen at Random.org this morning:

And comment #51 just happened to be:

Congrats Glenn! I know this won't replace all that was lost but it is a start. Get in touch and I'll get this pen headed your way.

Karma.

Franklin-Christoph Model 20 "Marietta" in Vintage Green: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Franklin-Christoph Model 20 "Marietta" is a simple, minimalistic pen. Originally offered in black, the pen also comes in a beautiful olive- green color, and I'm told other colors will be offered soon. The design, with clean lines and a few flourishes, is reminiscent of vintage pens.

The Marietta is the perfect size for me. It's a slender pen compared to many of the other Franklin-Christoph models. It can be comfortably used posted or unposted. The pen is 5.0 inches (127mm) from nib tip to barrel end and 5.45 inches capped (138.43mm). The barrel diameter is .51 inches (12.95mm), and the grip is .41 inches (10.41mm) at its smallest. The pen weighs 22.7 grams with the converter (no ink).

One of the best design features is that the grip has absolutely no threads to worry your fingers. The cap slips on and off rather than screwing, so the grip is completely smooth. And, the cap makes a satisfying "click" sound when you slip it off the pen.

Matching grooves adorn the top of the cap and the bottom of the barrel adding interest to the otherwise straight lines.

The clip is small (about half the size of the cap) and sports the diamond motif.

An "F" is engraved in the finial.

The company's name and model number are lightly engraved around the cap. I appreciate the subtle branding of Franklin-Christoph pens.

I chose an 18K gold Masuyama medium cursive italic for my Marietta.

Even though I love the steel nib on my Model 65, I wanted a gold nib for the Marietta. I thought the gold diamond etched on the nib would complement the green color of the pen, and it does.

Like most of the other Franklin-Christoph pens, the Marietta can be used with a cartridge, a converter (included), or as an eyedropper. For now, I'm using the converter though I may turn my Marietta into an eyedropper eventually.

The pen wrote perfectly the first time I inked it. For my written review, I used Sailor Jentle Epinard, an ink that matches the pen almost exactly. I've had no problems with hard starts or skipping. It's a firm nib, but it writes a gorgeous line with just enough variation to give my handwriting character.

I don't have anything negative to say about this pen. It's beautiful, light, comfortable to write with, and has a great nib. The color is unique and sophisticated. I love the ease of the slip on cap and the simple, elegant design. I am so glad Franklin-Christoph made the pen in a color other than black, and I'm looking forward to the other colors they will offer in the future.

The Marietta starts at $165 (steel nib) and comes with a leather case. With a Franklin-Christoph 1.9 steel music nib, the pen costs $175. The pen costs $255 with any 18K Franklin-Christoph nib. And for nibs specially ground by Mike Masuyama, you'll pay $180 for steel and $270 for 18K gold.

Pros

• Elegant, simple, classic design
• Easy on and off slip cap
• Comfortable length, width, and weight
• Beautiful, sophisticated color with gradations from light to dark green
• Customizable with numerous nib choices
• Comes with a leather zipper case

Cons

• People who like heavy pens may find the Marietta too light
• Similarly, those who prefer pens with a wider girth may not like the Marietta's slender profile

Note: I purchased this pen for my own use and was not compensated by Franklin-Christoph for this review.