Aurora Nebulosa Limited Edition Fountain Pen: 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.)

I don’t swoon often, if ever, but when I saw a photograph of the Aurora Nebulosa, I swooned . . . well, at least I gasped audibly. And I placed a pre-order immediately. Not many pens elicit such a strong reaction in me, but this one did. First, the deep purple auroloide was unlike any material I’d seen from Aurora. Second, the rose gold nib and trim had my mouth watering. I love rose gold, and it complements the purple auroloide perfectly.

I ordered my Nebulosa from Dan Smith who includes a free nib grind with any pen you buy from him. I requested a stubbish italic medium nib.

The pen comes in glorious packaging that almost makes you feel like your money was well spent. I mean, the pen is what matters. But there’s something wonderful about opening a pen that is presented so elegantly. The outer cardboard box protects a heavy black hinged box. When you open that, the pen is presented in all its glory on black satin-like material. There’s a red Aurora seal attached to the clip with a string.

Underneath you’ll fine a bottle of Aurora ink and paperwork.

The Aurora Nebulosa is the 88 model which is a cigar-shaped piston filler. It has a narrow ink window. The top of the cap, piston knob, and pen grip are all black resin.

The clip is Aurora’s elegant ball-tipped clip. The cap ring is engraved with the Aurora name but no other branding.

Because this is a limited edition pen, the cap itself is engraved with the limited edition number (out of 888 models) in pink gold.

The auroloide is absolutely gorgeous. It has flecks of lighter purple mixed with deep, dark purple. It literally glows in sunlight.

I love Aurora nibs, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s rose gold with beautiful Aurora scrollwork.

You can see how a medium Aurora nib looks ground into an italic with this juicy close up:

The Aurora 88 holds a good amount of ink (1.10 ml) and you can use the ink window to see when you’re getting low. Plus, Aurora boasts an ink reserve, so if you run out of ink, you can unscrew the piston knob and get about one page more. The piston mechanism is smooth as silk.

The Nebulosa is 5.4 inches in length closed, 6.20 inches posted, and 5.19 inches unposted. It weighs 21.6 grams. This is not a heavy pen. It feels great in the hand.

Aurora nibs are stiff and don’t have much give or bounce. But they are smooth and wet. My italic definitely has a sweet spot, and as long as I keep it there, the nib writes smoothly and offers a bit of line variation. I inked my Nebulosa with Lamy Dark Lilac. It’s a wonderful combination.

The Aurora Nebulosa is definitely a gasp-worthy fountain pen. You can purchase one from Vanness Pens with a stock nib. The models with EF, F, M, and B cost $805. If you want a BB or factory italic, you’ll pay $895. If you’d like a special grind, you can go to Dan Smith’s site and choose from a variety of nib sizes. The nib grind is included with the cost of the pen.

Pros

• If you want a gorgeous purple fountain pen that is a piston filler and writes great, the Nebulosa fits the bill. This color is simply outstanding.
• The rose gold trim and nib complement the auroloide perfectly.
• Aurora makes their own nibs in house and they are top quality.
• The piston on this pen is smooth and holds a good amount of ink.
• If packaging matters at all to you, you’ll love how Aurora presents this limited edition.

Cons

• Limited edition pens are more expensive than regular offerings, and this one is no exception.
• Folks with larger hands may find the Aurora 88 to be too small and light for their taste.

Platinum 3776 Century Nice Lilas Review

There is something about the Platinum 3776 Century that separates it from other pens. What that ‘something’ is exactly is difficult to put into words. Is it the look and style? Is it the nib? Is it the nearly 100 years the company has been in business? It is easy to say all of the above, but there is no one thing that sets the 3776 apart. It’s all of it together, and it just works. What more can you ask for in a fountain pen?

Well, there is a little more, and in this case, it is the wonderfully pink and rose gold Platinum 3776 Century Nice Lilas. From the moment I saw pictures of this pen I knew it was going to be great, and now that I have it in hand I can confirm: It is awesome.

If you know me at all then you know I love pink pens, so yes, I am biased towards this color. That said, I don’t think there is a translucent color I wouldn’t like in this design. The frosted finish gives it a unique look, and the grooved barrel makes it shine. I’m not normally a fan of rose gold accents, but even I have to admit it is the perfect match for this pen.

Writing with Platinum pens is always a treat, and this one is no different. Perfect out of the box, the nib sings across the page. My loaner was a Medium nib, and it also comes in Fine and Broad. Japanese Medium nibs are the perfect writing size in my opinion, providing excellent line width and laying down enough ink to show off whatever properties your favorite ink has.

If there is any downside to this particular model it is that the barrel ridges are sharp. It didn’t affect me at all when writing, but it is something I noticed while just holding the pen in my hand. Also, don’t buy this pen for the Limited Edition aspect of it. Platinum did a weird thing by not numbering the pen, but rather including a numbered blotter card in the box to denote the first 2000 units. The Nice Lilas looks to be part of Platinum’s regular lineup, at least by how they are offering this pen so far. And I don’t know why they include their silver trim converter instead of the gold, which would of course match the pen better.

This is a beautiful pen and a joy to write with. I said from the get go that I would pass on buying one of these because I have enough pink pens and enough 3776 pens, but I’m more tempted than ever after using it. It’s fantastic all the way around.

(Goulet Pens provided this product on loan to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Sailor 1911 Large Azure Exclusive Fountain Pen Hospital Edition: 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.)

Anyone who knows me knows that I am absolutely obsessive about blue fountain pens. If a fountain pen is blue, I probably own it. I do not know the origin of this obsession, but blue is my favorite color for both fountain pens and inks.

Lately, the Sailor Fresca has been featured by most fountain pen dealers. It’s a North American exclusive color, and I almost bought one. But, I own a Sailor Pro Gear in robin’s egg blue (an exclusive from the Morita Pen Shop in Osaka, Japan), and it’s almost the same color as the Fresca.

So, I decided to purchase the Sailor 1911 Azure which is an exclusive Fountain Pen Hospital edition with only 100 pieces worldwide.

Packaging for this exclusive edition is indistinguishable from other Sailor editions: a clamshell box inside a cardboard sleeve. Inside, the pen is presented on faux velvet. Underneath you’ll find the converter, two cartridges, and a small pamphlet.

The 1911 Azure is the large-sized Sailor. It measures 5.5625 inches capped, 4.875 inches uncapped, and 6.125 inches posted. I would call this a medium-sized pen, and it weighs only .9 ounces. It’s certainly larger than a Pro Gear, but not as big (or weighty) as a Montblanc 149.

The pen is made of resin and has chrome-plated accents and clip.

The cap band is engraved with “Sailor Japan Founded 1911.”

This is a cartridge/converter pen. The converter is rather disappointing, holding only .5ml of ink, and I can never seem to get a complete fill with this converter.

The best part of the pen is, of course, the nib. The Sailor 1911 large comes with a 21k rhodium-plated nib. The medium writes like a western fine and is nice and wet.

Sailor nibs are stiff and exhibit distinctive feedback. I wouldn’t call this a scratchy nib, but it’s not butter smooth either. There’s definitely no bounce or flex with this nib, but it is a terrific writer. I inked the pen with KWZ Azure 3 which is a good match for the pen.

I absolutely love the color of this Sailor 1911 from Fountain Pen Hospital. There’s just not another blue quite like it. However, you do pay a premium for this exclusive color. It costs $350 as opposed to the new Sailor Fresca 1911 (large) which most retailers are offering for $288.

Pros

• The Sailor 1911 large is a pen most users will find comfortable. It is light because of the resin but well balanced. It is excellent for lengthy writing sessions.
• The azure color is exclusive to Fountain Pen Hospital, and it’s very unique. It reminds me of china blue.
• The 21k nib is an excellent writer with distinctive Sailor feedback. It’s not scratchy but it’s not butter smooth either. These nibs are definitely Japanese sizes, so if you like western fine nibs, you’ll want to order at least a medium nib.

Cons

• You will pay a premium price for this exclusive edition. $350 really is a bit much considering that this pen is unnumbered, plastic, and comes in regular packaging. But, if you’re crazy about distinctive shades of blue like me, it might be worth it.
• The converter on this pen holds only .5ml and I’m not sure it’s really even that much since you can’t get a complete fill. You’ll get better mileage out of cartridges, but I’m too lazy to refill cartridges.