Posts filed under Aurora

The Plot is Afoot

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Two weeks ago, I asked you all for recommendations about what one--singular--pen I should use to write with for the entirety of NaNoWriMo. You all had some amazing suggestions!

By far the most popular suggestion was the Pilot 823, and I agree with you. It really is the perfect pen with which to write a novel! But one of my aims was to try something less well known. My Pilot 823 was actually my first "nice" pen that my husband bought for our fifth wedding anniversary. We're about to have our sixteenth, so I've been writing books with the Pilot 823 for over a decade. It's absolutely an excellent pen for the job! But it's far from unknown.

Another common suggestion was the Opus 88, which I've also reviewed before, and think is an excellent choice. But the most commonly recommended pen that I haven't ever tried was the Aurora 88. I've never even held an Aurora 88, but not for lack of admiration. Y'all just made some very fancy suggestions. But with big thanks to Brad, Kenro Industries, and Pen Chalet, there is now an Aurora 88 Unica Nera in my house, inked up, and prepped for its ultimate test.

I confess, my first reaction when the pen arrived was concern. This is a NICE pen, y'all. I got that gut reaction we all know too well. Is this pen too nice to use? But of course not, right? Pens were meant to be used. This one is about to run the pen equivalent of a marathon. How will it do? I don't know! I have no experience with the brand.

Based on a first impression, what I do know is that I'm going to really enjoy finding out. This pen fits all my criteria. It holds a lot of ink in its piston-filled mechanism, so I won't have to clean and refill it often. It's very lightweight, so I won't get hand fatigue. It has a smooth writing nib. It's not too big. The only question mark is the durability, and that will have an answer by the end of November. I do have it in a Musubi case for transport, so it's getting babied a little bit. But it is going on the road with me--first to the World Fantasy Convention in New Orleans, where I'll be doing readings/signings, speaking on panels, and eating my way through the city. Oh, and writing. That, too. NaNoWriMo waits for no one. And then my annual retreat to an inn on the shore of Lake Michigan, where all I do is write for three days straight over Thanksgiving weekend, listening to the waves and ordering nachos for room service.

I want to thank you all for your input, and for recommending such a nice pen! You've helped set me up for success and I'm really looking forward to getting started.

Now, tell me what you're working on! Are you doing NaNoWriMo? What tools are you using?

PS: The Aurora 88 was designed by Marcello Nizzoli, who has designs in the MOMA and who is most renowned for his design work on...typewriters. Will the ghost of Marcello lean over my shoulder as I write and whisper, "You know I designed a much more efficient way to do this?" I know, Marcello. I know. But that's not the point.

(Kenro Industries provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on October 13, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Aurora, Fountain Pens, NaNoWriMo.

Aurora Orange Fountain Pen Ink Review

As a connoisseur of orange ink, I have high expectations. And to be honest, I was little concerned about Aurora Orange meeting those expectations. There is a lot about this ink the led me to question it before testing it. But I have to say in the end that it is better than I thought it would be.

What lead me to question this ink right out of the gate? Two things: Price and product name - and a combination of the two. At $30 for a 55 ml bottle, the inks for the the Aurora 100th Anniversary Ink Set, which Orange is a part of, are priced on the premium side of the ledger. The price isn’t outrageous, and I’ve certainly paid more for less, but that brings in the second part of the equation.

What’s in a name? Many ink fans have been waiting for Aurora to branch out of their Blue and Black inky ways for years. We were thrown a bone with Blue Black a few years ago, but that was it. Even though the colors were basic, Aurora’s inks were always well respected as good performers. So why don’t they expand their basic ink offerings with other standard colors like Red, Green, Purple, and Orange? Apparently because they needed to hold them for this 10 ink, 100th Anniversary set.

That’s where my confusion set in. If I’m buying an ink that is part of a limited edition set - and priced as such - I want to feel that I’m getting something special. Yes, the etched logo bottle is a nice upgrade, but you’re selling me the most basic of shades. Shades I can get from your competition for upwards of half the price?

So, Orange. That name doesn’t make me feel special. As special as Aurora wants this set to be. As special as the price dictates it should be. Same goes for the rest of the inks, all of which are named similarly. Throw me a bone and call it Tangerine, or name it after a region in Italy. Give me something special.

Unless this ink will become part of your core offering down the line? Without the fancy bottle, and without the fancy price. Aurora Orange would be great in the $18 for 45 ml that they offer normally. Same with all of the colors in the 100th Anniversary set (Blue, Black, and Blue Black are already available without the fancy bottle for that price.) This is what I see happening eventually.

Because when you get down to it, Orange is a basic orange ink. It is your standard, core offering orange. If we rewind back to the top, I love orange inks and know a good one when I see it. Aurora Orange is a great one. It ranks up there with the best of them. It’s main feature is its shading. I found it to be a nice, moderate shader with the Fine Cursive Italic nib I was using, and on the various papers I tested with.

If you want a very traditional, exactly what you would expect orange ink, then Aurora Orange is an excellent choice. The only consideration is if that is enough for you to pay the price.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Aurora, Ink Reviews.

Aurora Style Rose Gold Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Over the past couple of years, I've had the opportunity to use several different high-end Aurora fountain pens, so it's always a bit difficult to judge other Auroras by a separate standard when the situation requires it. In the case of the Aurora Style, this separation is needed due to the vast price difference. At under $100, the Style fits into an entirely different tax bracket, but it's still made by the Aurora brand that I've come to love. With that in mind, let's see how the Style stacks up against other pens in this same category.

The Rose Gold tier of Style fountain pens is a fairly recent addition at JetPens, and it's a nice step up from the standard pastel-colored Style tier. I'd love to see a silver or chrome family offered as well, but that's a different discussion. The Style is offered in either EF, F, M, or B nib sizes and does not come with a cartridge-converter. While Aurora does include a free blue ink cartridge with the pen, you'll need to think ahead about how you want to ink this pen since the Aurora cartridges are a proprietary design. I'd suggest purchasing the Aurora converter at the same time, even though that will add about $17 to the total price. With that in mind, I think the true price of this pen is somewhere around $110.

At first glance, the Style in Rose Gold looks strikingly similar to a Parker 51 when capped. It's a classic, vintage design that will likely speak to a lot of people. It looks great, and the Parker 51 similarities quickly disappear after you remove the cap. Unlike the Aurora Duocart, the Style does not feature a hooded nib. The black body is made of polished black resin, which, while it looks fantastic, picks up fingerprints quite easily. The cap is a rose gold-plated material that also picks up fingerprints rather quickly. The rose gold and black resin is a fantastic combination, though. The grip section is a nice size and shape that makes writing comfortable, and the nib features the same rose gold plating as the cap. In all, it's a good-looking pen.

The cap secures to the pen with a snug snap mechanism, and it also friction-fits to the back of the pen if you want to post it. I've been really happy with the feel and dependability of the cap. I've been posting the pen about half of the time that I write. The cap provides a nice balance and length, but the pen is also completely comfortable when using it without the cap posted. It's great that it works well either way.

The nib is made of steel, features minimal branding, and writes incredibly well. I made zero adjustments to this pen out of the box, and I couldn't be happier with the performance. It's a wet medium that's capable of producing a small amount of line variation if you press down slightly. I can barely feel any feedback from the nib when writing with this pen — it's just buttery smooth. This is exactly the kind of writing experience I expect from a luxury brand, even on their "lower-end" offerings.

While this pen has been an absolute joy when it comes to the writing experience, I have reservations when it comes to recommending it to people. Like I mentioned earlier, I think the real price of the pen is $110 due to the fact that you need a proprietary cartridge-converter in order to use it properly. The $100 price point is an awkward place to be. There are numerous offerings at the $40, $60, and even $80 range that offer more and perform just as well as this Aurora. Likewise, if you're willing to spend just $20 more on a pen, you arrive at an entirely different price and feature tier. A personal favorite of mine, the Pilot Custom Heritage 92, is about $23 more expensive than this Aurora, but I think it's a much better pen (14K gold nib, people!). And, if you decide to look at a pen with a lower cost, you can choose to purchase an additional pen or a couple of different inks to try out.

When it comes to retail and making choices, the sky is the limit. Ultimately, it always comes down to personal preference. Apart from the Aurora brand name, a well-performing steel nib, and a vintage aesthetic, the Aurora can't really compete in the price range it's currently in. If the Style was in the $60 range (and included a converter), it would be a different story.

That being said, if the Aurora Style Rose Gold speaks to you and fits your budget, you can't go wrong. I've really enjoyed writing with this pen due to the feel and wonderful nib. It's a great pen, but it's not for everyone.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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