Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Monami Olika Fountain Pen Review

(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.)

Where were pens like this when I was still in school? I had to hunt for affordable fountain pens back then and most of what I found wasn't nearly this nice or fun.

At first glance, it looks like just another cheap "I only use this in contexts where I'd worry about my nicer pens" pen. And it is indeed perfect for those situations! But the more I play with it, the more I like about it.

The body is clear PVC, so you can easily see your ink level. The grip is textured rubber like you'd find on a lot of big-box gel or rollerball pens. It's easy to grip and comfortable to hold. It does feel a bit large for my hand, but it's so light that it's still easy to write with even for long periods of time. The whole thing looks like a plain inexpensive office pen--which sounds like an insult, but think of it as protective coloration. I can leave it on my desk in the middle of a public library and walk away, and it will still be there when I come back.

The cap snaps to close and it posts securely on the back of the pen. The clip is wide and flexible, but feels very flimsy--like it's going to break off the first time I try and clip it to too many pages or if I put it in my purse wrong. Weak clips are one of my biggest pen pet peeves. Fortunately, the pen writes well enough to make up for this offense.

The EF nib is surprisingly smooth on this pen. It writes with even the lightest pressure and lays down a wet enough line that it shows off some great character in the provided ink. Reports from the wild indicate some inconsistencies in their nib quality, but that's not surprising at this price point. Most seem to be of the excellent quality I'm experiencing with mine.

The nib is steel, and it's fed by a wick rather than a plastic feed. I worried this would cause some problems with drying out or ink starvation, but I haven't had any trouble. It does mean, though, that it's a pain if you want to switch colors--because you'll need to rinse all of the ink out of that wick. It would probably be more sensible to keep a dedicated color for each of the pans, and just collect all of the 20 different colors.

Each pen comes with three ink cartridges, and there are refills available. It also accepts Lamy cartridges, if you do decide you want a change. I also noticed that these cartridges are more rugged than the ones I've seen before, They are made of hard plastic like the pen, not the flexible plastic of most cartridges. It does mean that you can't squeeze ink through if the nib gets too dry, but they look sturdy enough that they could be refilled with a syringe and used many times over.

The Olika ink that came in the cartridges was a very pleasant surprise. The color is rich with beautiful shading and it behaves very well. I'll definitely be eyeing some other colors of both the pens and ink. The ink alone is worth the $5.50, and the pen is an added delight.

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

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Posted on October 4, 2018 by Sarah Read and filed under Monami, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Opus 88 Fantasia 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 Opus 88 Fantasia fountain pen is unlike any other I've ever used. As an eyedropper pen, it's a similar to other eyedropper pens I've used, such as the Franklin Christoph pens I use. But what's unique about this one when compared to classic eyedroppers is the inclusion of a shut off valve to stop ink flow. The unique design as well as the translucent body and colorful cap make this an instant favorite.

The particular model I have is a dark teal body paired with a black ebonite cap that also has a few colorful stripes to add visual interest. The stripes on the cap are green, dark red, and a light yellow. The stripes are different widths and really draw my eye to them. The clip is chrome and is incredibly strong.

The cap is secured/removed with threads, and only requires four turns to operate completely. The overall length of the pen is quite short at only 4.5 inches or 11.5cm when capped. When opened and not posted, the length is just a hair over four inches, but the full posted length is a more comfortable 5.75 inches or 14.5cm.

Since there aren't any metal parts that make up the body of this pen, it's a lightweight instrument. The grip section is a bit short for my liking, not providing quite enough surface area for my fingers to rest comfortably. I didn't notice this much while writing, but trying to find a comfortable writing grip at first was a challenge. It's workable, but you are definitely reminded that this is a compact pen where the main focus is ink capacity and portability.

The nib included on this pen is a medium stainless steel JoWo nib. Vanness offers Fine, Medium, and Broad, and I've found that the medium on my unit is much closer to a European fine. I've always had good luck with JoWo nibs, and this one is no exception. It's an incredibly smooth and reliable writer with just a small of flex when pressure is applied on downstrokes. There is some light decoration on the nib along with the Opus 88 name and the size indicator. I've been really happy with this nib and how it writes.

Writing with this pen can take some practice since the grip is so small. The overall length of the pen doesn't bother me at all because I usually prefer to write without the cap posted. The grip has caused me some grief, however. If there were just a bit more space for my fingers, it wouldn't be an issue. It's difficult to find a sweet spot that doesn't involve gripping the cap threads or dipping my fingers onto the nib or feed accidentally, resulting in inky fingertips that transfer ink back to the grip. After some practice, I've found the sweet spot for my grip, but it took some time.

The real selling feature for this pen, along with the beautiful exterior, is the filling mechanism. It's a classic eyedropper with a twist: there's a end blind cap that operates a shut off valve. This is something I've come to love with vacuum fillers. I like being able to totally close off the ink reservoir from the feed so I can travel or just for additional security when being transported.

To fill the pen, simply unscrew the section and use the included eyedropper to fill the reservoir with ink. I didn't measure exactly, but I got a little over 2ml of ink when filling. For such a small pen, that's extraordinary. To write, back out the blind cap a few turns to allow the ink to flow. In practice, this has worked flawlessly for me. And, for quick notes, you can write for about half a full page without opening the blind cap.

I've been able to operate the blind cap easily with my fingers, but there's a nifty screwdriver mechanism built into the top of the cap. You can use the top of the cap as a screwdriver for operating the blind cap, which has two centered cross grooves (like the top of a Philips screw head). It's a novel idea, but not one that is required to operate the pen.

The Opus 88 Fantasia has been an incredibly fun and satisfying pen to use over the past several weeks. I wasn't sure what I would think of it after unboxing it. At first glance, it looks very practical and scientific in a way. After getting to know it, it's a practical piece of art that's a joy to use.

If you're interested in the Opus 88 Fantasia, they come in several color combinations for $125 a piece. The price if fair given the quality of the materials and craftsmanship, not to mention the unique filling mechanism.

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

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Posted on September 26, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Opus, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

The Syahi Imperator 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.)

The Syahi Imperator is a fountain pen from India that is made from Wenge wood and has gold-plated trims. Syahi (pronounced “si-ya-hee”) is the Urdu word for ink. This Indian company was founded by Sanay Shah and Aayush Bansai in 2017. They craft their pens using kiln-dried heartwood, which is carved and then reinforced with brass and finished using natural oils.

The model I’m reviewing is called The Imperator. It comes nicely packaged in a rectangular box with a pull-out drawer.

Underneath the pen you’ll also find a faux leather black pen pouch. Unfortunately my pouch has a noticeable scratch on the back. Still, it’s a nice accessory to include with a wooden pen.

The Imperator is a large fountain pen, measuring 5.51 inches (140mm) capped and 5.11 inches (130mm) uncapped. Posting is not recommended because it will mar the wood.

The pen has a flat top and bottom, which I really like since it sets the pen apart from the more common cigar-shaped pens.

The cap is adorned with a 24k gold-plated clip and a large cap ring.

The ring is engraved with “Syahi” on one side and the company’s logo (four nibs crossed) on the other.

When you unscrew the cap, gold-plated threads are revealed. The inside of the cap is lined with plastic, presumably to protect the wood and also to prevent the ink from drying out (but see below). The threads inside the cap are plastic. Although screwing the cap on and off isn’t difficult, sometimes the threads didn’t catch immediately. At times the screwing motion felt a bit rough, as though the plastic and gold-plated threads had not been thoroughly sanded.

The grip is plastic. At first I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t wood, because I love how wood feels. But, this design choice makes sense. When you dip the pen into an ink bottle to fill it, it’s inevitable that some ink will get on the grip. If it were made of wood, it would very likely stain. I’d rather have a plastic grip than take the chance that a saturated ink would permanently stain a wooden grip.

The wood itself is a beautiful dark brown with lots of texture. Although it has been treated with sealant, it is otherwise unadorned. This wood isn’t shiny like it would be if it had been varnished. I like the matte finish, and over time the oils from my hands will give the wood character.

The nib is a two-tone steel semi-flex fine. It is engraved with the logo and “Syahi.”

The company states that the nibs are “German engineered,” but I don’t know if they are JOWO or Bock nibs. Regardless, the nib on this pen is beautiful and exhibits a good amount of line variation.

Unfortunately, the nib is also quite scratchy, and it skips during lengthy writing sessions. The reason for this became apparent when I took macro shots of the nib. It’s clear that the tines are misaligned.

I’ve also experienced hard starts every time I use the pen, even if it’s only been capped for a few hours. To get it flowing again I have to lick it (I know, gross), or, in some cases, I have to manually push ink into the nib using the converter. I’m not sure if the nib simply dries out when not in use or if the feed struggles to keep up with the ink flow, or both.

The pen fills with the included screw-in converter or you can use cartridges.

You can purchase the Syahi Imperator directly from the company. The Imperator with gold trims and a steel nib costs $169. You can get this model with brass trims for $10 less. If you prefer a gold nib, you’ll need to add $80 to the cost. Syahi also offers two other models: The Monarch and The Crown.

Pros

Syahi pens are gorgeous wooden pens at a reasonable cost.
The wood on the pen warms to your hand and feels very comfortable. Even though the pen is large, it is not heavy.
The design elements on the pen are understated and classic.
Although my nib is scratchy due to misaligned tines, it is a genuine semi-flex nib that offers excellent line variation when flexed.
The pen pouch included with the pen is a nice accessory that helps protect your wooden pen.

Cons

Unfortunately, the tines on my nib are misaligned, resulting in a scratchy writing experience and skipping.
For some reason, the nib dries out between uses, even if only a few hours have passed. This means I have to get the ink flowing one way or another, which is an inconvenience.
The threads seem to have a few rough spots when I cap and uncap the pen.

(Syahi provided this pen at no cost to Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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