Posts filed under Fountain Pens

JetPens Mini Aluminum 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.)

The mini fountain pen market is full of interesting, delightful pens that can easily fit in a pants pocket, wallet, and an endless amount of other tight spaces. From my experience, the main issue that mini fountain pens (or mini pens in general) face is usability. Sure, it's a small pen, but is it enjoyable to use or simply something to use in a pinch?

When I first picked up the JetPens Mini Aluminum fountain pen, I was charmed by how much it reminded me of a miniature Pilot Metropolitan. I'm a sucker for miniature versions of just about everything, so this immediately delighted me. The second thing that struck me about this pen was how solid it felt in the hand. For being so small, it has a perfect weight. The body is made of a laquered aluminum, which makes it heavier than plastic, but lighter than brass.

The model I have is black, but you can also get these little pens in white or gold. Regardless of the body color, the grip section is always black.

JetPens worked with Regal to produce these pens, and it looks like that partnership worked out great. I have another Regal fountain pen, and I was impressed by how well it performed for the price. Keeping this pen under $15 makes it very attractive to buyers who are new to fountain pens, but it also makes it attractive to anyone looking for an inexpensive pocket pen.

The cap of the pen is secured using a snap mechanism, and it has been solid in my use. Unfortunately, posted the cap isn't as secure as I'd like it to be. Several times while writing, the cap fell off and bounced across the table or onto the floor. I really wish the cap was secure when posted, but this just isn't the case. In most cases, I don't post my pens, but I normally always post when using a mini pen. With the JetPens Mini, the body by itself is too short for me to use comfortably for more than jotting down a quick note.

Being a mini pen, a strong clip is essential. Luckily, the Mini fountain pen has a great clip that keeps it secured to whatever you clip it to.

The grip section is plastic, and it feels comfortable to my hand. The grip on this pen is small, but that's to be expected. It feels like writing with a Kaweco Liliput to me. This isn't the ideal pen for writing a novel, but it works great if you're writing something between a short note to a page or two of notes. The key with any small pen is to remember to loosen your grip and not strain your fingers. Difficult advice for me to follow sometimes!

The JetPens Mini accepts international short cartridges, and it also accepts mini converters. On the JetPens site, they recommend a Monteverde Mini converter. I've never used this converter, but it has good reviews. I'll probably shell out the three dollars in my next order so I can have some more ink freedom with this fun little pen.

The Mini is only available with an EF nib, and I've been extremely happy with mine. The ink flows well, the nib feels smooth, and the lines are crisp. It's everything I expect from a steel EF nib. There's very little decoration on the nib apart from the Regal imprint and the nib size information.

At $12.50, this pen is an excellent deal. It's small, it writes well, and it feels great in the hand. In the mini fountain pen world, it's one of my favorites. It doesn't edge out the Kaweco Liliput or Sport, but it packs a solid punch. Throw one of these in your cart next time you place a JetPens order. It's a delightful pen!

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

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Posted on February 1, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under JetPens, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Aurora TU 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.)

Before a few months ago, I really didn't know much about Aurora. Luckily, I had the opportunity to use a couple of top-notch pens that definitely ensured Aurora would stay on my radar going forward. There are several reviews already on the site for Aurora fountain pens that cost several hundred dollars, but the TU is more of an entry-level option.

The Aurora TU fountain pen from JetPens runs for around $125, and it does a great job of representing the brand at this price option. The model I have is the ivory resin with chrome trim, but you can also get a black resin model. The steel nibs come in a range from EF - B, so you're bound to find one that fits you well.

The TU is a small to medium size pen, but it feels great in the hand despite it's smaller size. The plastic grip section is comfortable to use, and the raised band close to the tip of the section is a nice tangible guide when writing with the pen. Depending on your grip style, this small bump may annoy you, but it's necessary as its job is to keep the cap on the pen when closed.

The cap is a snap cap mechanism that feels solid when opening and closing the pen. The snap also works when posting the pen, giving a satisfying "clunk" when it snaps in place. You definitely know when the pen is closed or posted due to this snap system. It's well done.

The pen is weighted evenly and feels very balanced. Some pens feel top or bottom heavy depending on the materials used, but the TU is a balanced pen even when posted.

The cap features several branding flares for the Aurora brand, and they might feel a bit gratuitous to some. The top of the cap has a prominent Aurora logo debossed into the chrome trim. The clip also has "Aurora" debossed along the side, and the band reads "Aurora Made in Italy." The nib is also branded with a very small Aurora mention along with the nib size. Apart from that, the nib is not decorated or flourished.

The pen as a whole is attractive. It's subtle, but has plenty of nice touches to set it apart from other pens. The flat ends are somewhat rare in my collection, so I have no problem telling it apart.

The nib is a crisp, well-tuned steel EF model. It did not require any tweaking since it wrote beautifully straight out of the case. It writes smoothly and has great ink flow, even for a small EF nib. Compared to other European EF nibs, it's on the small side, but I like that. The line looks like something between a 0.5mm and 0.38mm gel ink pen line.

Even though the nib works flawlessly, it does make some scratching noises. I'm not sure why it does this, as it feels very smooth when writing. I might do some nib smoothing at some point, but I really like how it writes at the moment. I don't want to risk changing that.

I haven't noticed any issues with dry starts or skipping, which is on-par with the other Auroras I've used. It's a great writer, and I've really enjoyed using it.

Is there anything not to like about this pen? Well, it turns out there are a couple of gripes. For one, this pen does not come with a cartridge-converter. You must purchase one separately, and it's on the more expensive side of the converter market. It costs $16.50, which isn't unheard of, but it looks like a slightly modified standard converter that you receive at no cost with pens that cost half as much. It would be awesome if Aurora would just include the converter with the pen. If you go in on the pen and converter combined, you're looking at almost $140. Strangely enough, Aurora includes a blank cartridge with this pen (along with a regular blue cartridge). My only assumption for this blank cartridge is that it's intended to be syringe-filled with an ink of your choosing, which is exactly what I did. I don't know if this was correct, but it worked! Still, syringe-filling isn't something everyone is comfortable with or able to do without purchasing a proper syringe.

Another problem that is a bit more difficult to pin down or support is that the price point feels awkward. This is definitely a well-made pen, but I'm not sure it fits in the $100 - $150 market. When you look at other pens that you can purchase in that price range, it doesn't look as attractive. And, I know that's a very subjective statement because this pen might be the most beautiful thing you've seen. Still, the point remains. When you're pricing a pen in the same ballpark as the Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, the Pilot Decimo and Vanishing Point, and the Platinum 3776, there needs to be a clear distinguishing factor. For me, I can't distinguish it against this group. It's an easier task when dropped to the $75 - $125 range.

Pricing aside, it's a great pen that would make a great gift or first introduction to the Aurora brand. You get one blue cartridge with the pen, so be sure to either purchase more cartridges or a cartridge converter if you're not keen on syringe filling the provided empty cartridge.

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

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Posted on January 18, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Aurora, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Montegrappa Fortuna White Ruthenium 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.)

Montegrappa is an Italian pen manufacturer that you've probably heard of in our little community. They have some seriously beautiful pens in their catalog, as well as some pretty outrageous ones. Regardless of what you've heard, you certainly associate the name with a luxury brand, and rightly so. These are luxury writing instruments, and the price reflects that. One of the more economical lines from Montegrappa is the Fortuna. JetPens recently started carrying this model, and I'll be reviewing the white model with Ruthenium finish here.

The Fortuna is a medium-sized pen, measuring very close in length to a Pilot Custom Heritage 92. It's wider than the Pilot, but the length is pretty standard. It's also quite a bit heavier than the Pilot due to the materials that are used in the pen. The body and cap are mostly plastic (resin), the grip section is lacquered metal, and the trim is plated in something called "ruthenium," which has a dark gun-metal finish. It's pleasing to the eye, and it garners plenty of comments. The nib is steel underneath the ruthenium plating as well, and features an interesting geometric pattern that I find enjoyable. The model I have is a fine nib, but you can also get medium and broad (no extra fines here!).

The pen is a bit on the heavy side due to the amount of metal found in it. Once it's uncapped, this mostly evens out, though it's a bit heavier on the nib side due to the metal grip section.

The top of the cap features a "1912" jewel that gives the pen a classy, elegant look. The band around the base of the cap features a scripted "Montegrappa" inlay that also adds to the classy feel. The clip is really strong and has a wheel at the end that rotates freely if given the chance. This makes slipping it on to and removing it from different materials a simple affair.

Being white, it doesn't show fingerprints at all. This is a nice departure from most of the pens I own. On the flip side, though, it does show dark colored particles and rogue ink stains much easier than other pens. This isn't a criticism, but just an observation that would apply to any light-colored pen.

I normally chuck the boxes as soon as the pen is out, but the Montegrappa presentation is really something to behold, and it really solidifies the "luxury" impression. Inside the outer sleeve, there's an elegant cardboard box that features the Montegrappa logo on a subtle geometric pattern. (This same pattern carries through to the nib of the pen.) Inside that cardboard box, you find a more ornate gift box that features the Montegrappa logo again on a metal plate. This hinged box opens up to reveal the Fortuna inside a soft, gray interior. It really is a presentation. Under the bed, you'll find some literature and a couple of black cartridges for the pen. But, the pen already has a converter installed.

Once you get the pen unboxed and inked, it's time to write. And, really, for any pen, this is where it counts the most. Sadly, the Montegrappa failed to please on this front.

I loaded this pen with several different inks, and experienced the same issues. It frequently has trouble starting ink flow, skips occasionally, and has a very finicky sweet spot. Being a standard fine nib, it's more finicky than my customized italic nibs that have very specific sweet spots.

Additionally, this pen wrote very poorly straight out of the box. It was extremely scratchy to the point of damaging the paper on light strokes. The ink flow was very light, and it was frustrating to use.

After inspecting the nib, it had a misaligned tine and a bad case of baby's bottom. I'm no stranger to brand new fountain pens that require a certain amount of adjustment and tuning, but I have zero patience for these kinds of issues when it comes to pens that cost more than about $50. I wrote about the baby's bottom issue I experienced with a Kaweco AL Sport, and that pen can be had for less than $100. Now, any reputable pen retailer will gladly accept a return or exchange for a pen that performs so poorly out of the box, but it's still unacceptable for a pen manufacturer to release pens to retailers and customers that fail even the simplest tests. The first and foremost function of any fountain pen, no matter how inexpensive or luxurious, is to write. When a $8 pen fails this test, it's frustrating, but somewhat understandable. When an $80 pen fails this test, it's inexcusable and maddening. When a $280 pen fails this test, I'm not sure what to say about it. It's embarrassing.

To be fair, there are other pens that have a bad reputation for nib quality. The Lamy 2000 comes to mind. A Lamy 2000 that's in good working order is a great pen. It's one of my favorite pens. I got lucky when I bought mine because it had a great nib from day one. Plus, I really liked the design and feel of the pen, so I would have gladly exchanged it for another copy if the first one had issues. And I can gladly recommend the same for the Montegrappa Fortuna. It has a unique, beautiful aesthetic. If you enjoy how this pen looks, understand that you can purchase it with full confidence that the retailer will make sure you are happy. For this pen junkie, I'm afraid I can't recommend it at all because of the poor experience I've had. And here's why.

At the $280 range, the margin for error is extremely small, and the competition for high-quality, excellent pens is very high. Here's a selection of some of my favorite pens that can be had for the same ballpark price:

Pilot Custom 74
Pilot Custom Heritage 92
Pilot Custom 823
Several Karas Kustom pens
Sailor Pro Gear
Sailor 1911
Franklin Christoph with a Masuyama nib option
Many, many more

At this price range, you're also encroaching on the world of handmade custom fountain pens from the likes of Edison Pen Co. and Newton Pens.

My point here is that there are so many excellent options at this price range that would serve you well. If the Fortuna has stolen your heart based on looks, I hope you get an excellent, top-notch copy of the pen to enjoy for many years to come. If you want some of the best pens money can buy at this price range, it doesn't make the list.

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

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