Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Montegrappa Tulip for Team Fox Fountain Pen Review

One of the guiding principles of my adult life is to give back. I am very fortunate to do what I do for a living, and I make it a point to shine the light on others and give back as much as possible. Whether that is as simple as doing a giveaway for readers, linking to a blog post within the community, or supporting a charity - I'm all for it. So, when Ron from Pen Chalet asked me to share the Montegrappa Tulip for Team Fox and the message behind it, I couldn't say yes fast enough.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is has funded over $800 million in research since 2000. As many of you know, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's decades ago, and has been at the forefront of the work to find a cure. In collaboration with Montegrappa, Team Fox helped design a pen whose proceeds support the ongoing research of this debilitating disease.

There are two featured design elements of the Montegrappa Tulip that help tell its story: The color, and the clip. The red and orange barrel are the foundation colors of Team Fox, and paired together in this pen, well, let's just say it is right up my alley. The red is deep, almost brick-like, and the orange is bright, but not overwhelming, making for a wonderful combination.

The star of the show is the Tulip clip. Designed by artist Timothy Johns, a Parkinson's fighter himself, the Red Tulip has long been associated with Parkinson’s awareness. It looks amazing on the red cap and I can’t help but have my eyes drawn to it every time I use this pen.

While this pen has a story to tell, it is also a fantastic writing instrument. I've become a big fan of Montegrappa’s steel nibs since their switch to JoWo, and this extra fine is no exception. It is exactly what I look for: Firm and fine, with clean, crisp lines. The Montegrappa etching on the nib looks great too.

The acrylic barrel has a small added feature that makes a big difference in my mind. The interior of the barrel is fitted with a metal sleeve in the inside back half, giving this pen a more substantial feel in the hand than many other similarly designed pens. In addition, the grip section also has a metal sleeve that the converter screws into. These additions make for a wonderful writing feel.

At $395, this is by no means an inexpensive pen. But what it can provide you in writing experience - along with helping support the fight to end Parkinson’s - is worth it in my mind.

My thanks to Ron at Pen Chalet, Kenro Industries, and Montegrappa for sending this pen to me for review.

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

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Montegrappa, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Platinum Kanazawa Leaf Red Mt. Fuji Fountain Pen Review

We each have a style that is unique to us, and that translates into the stationery we use. For me, it’s extra fine nibs, silver trim, and bright colors - among other things - that I enjoy the most in fountain pens. So adding something like a Platinum Kanazawa Leaf fountain pen to my arsenal takes a bit more consideration on my part.

Let’s get this out of the way right up front: These pens are downright stunning. I chose the Red Mt. Fuji model, but I could have picked any of them and been happy with the artwork. Kanazawa Leaf is named after the city in Japan which is known for their long history of gold leaf production and craftsmanship. For example, this pen depicts the golden sunrise around Mt. Fuji, which is surrounded by silver clouds. It’s difficult to not stop in the middle of writing and just take in the artwork.

That’s a little bit of the hangup in purchasing a pen like this to be honest. Not that you shouldn’t stop and appreciate the artwork as often as possible, but rather, you can’t let the artwork stop you from using the pen at all.

It took me many years of using fountain pens to be comfortable with actually using them in any and all situations. This goes back to my original Nakaya purchase. I wanted one badly, but it took me years to come to grips with being comfortable using a piece of art that cost a lot of money. Once I got comfortable with using the pen for what it is actually made for - writing - did the anxiety lift from my life.

While the Platinum Kanazawa Leaf fountain pen costs a fraction of a Nakaya, I struggled with the same thoughts. Will I damage the artwork on the barrel? Will that keep me from using it? Is this pen made to be looked at and not used?

No, no, and resoundingly no.

Part of falling in love with a pen is making it yours. The more you use an urushi-finish Nakaya, the more it changes color. It becomes more a part of you. The same goes for the Kanazawa Leaf finish. It will wear with use, but that is a positive in my book. The artwork will always be a story the pen has, but the inevitable change in the artwork through use will be your story. What did you create with this pen? Whats words did you write? What art did you make?

Creating new stories is why it is important for me to use the products I buy.

Wow, that was a really big digression to tell you I am thoroughly enjoying using this pen. It features a lightweight black plastic barrel and an 18k gold nib. It is lighter and thinner than the base 3776 models, and the nib is more plain. I think those decisions were made to keep the overall price down and focus on the artwork. I’m a bit surprised that it lands under $200 to be honest - I would have guessed a bit higher.

As I alluded to up top, black and gold pens are not normally my thing. But this is much more than a black and gold pen. I even used an ink color I wouldn’t normally, because I thought it would work well with this pen. Platinum Classic Forest Black flows perfectly from the fine nib, and matches the aesthetic perfectly for me.

In the end, I’ve found the Platinum Kanazawa Leaf fountain pen to fall into the every day carry category of pens for me. One with a bit extra, at that.

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

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Platinum, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Platinum #3776 Century Rokka 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 Platinum #3776 Century Rokka is the third in the Fuji Shinkei series. The word “rokka” refers to a hexagonal snowflake that resembles a flower. Thus, the surface of this pen is textured with snowflake engravings that sparkle when sunlight hits the facets.

The shape of Mt. Fuji appears in the finial, so it is as though the pen represents the ice and snow surrounding the hallowed mountain peak.

The pen arrives in a hinged, cardboard box with a white satin-like interior. Included with the pen are a card that introduces the Rokka, a warranty card, and a Platinum brochure.

Like other #3776 pens, the Rokka is a cigar shape. It’s a medium-sized pen, measuring 140mm/5.5 inches capped, 119mm/4.7 inches uncapped, and 155mm/6.1 inches posted. The grip diameter is 10.3mm and the barrel is 15.4mm at its widest. It weighs 10 grams uncapped and 20 grams posted (empty). This is not a heavy pen, so it should be comfortable for most writers.

All the pen’s accents are rhodium plated--a good choice for a pen meant to evoke ice and snow. The cap has Platinum’s understated clip and a ring engraved with “#3776 Century Platinum Made in Japan.” The limited edition number is quite hard to see. It is engraved on the finial on the side opposite the clip. Mine is #1869 out of 2500.

The main body of the pen is engraved with the snowflake design, but the grip and bottom finial are smooth.

My pen came with a 14K gold rhodium-plated soft-medium nib. The nib design follows the usual #3776 style with basic flourishes, a “P” for Platinum, 14K, and the nib type: SM.

This is a cartridge/converter pen. One blue cartridge and a converter are provided. I filled my Rokka with Bungubox First Love Sapphire. It looks gorgeous through the snowflake facets, and the blue works well with the ice and snow theme.

I’ve been using the Rokka daily for about one month, and it does not disappoint. I absolutely love the soft medium nib. It’s wet, smooth, and bouncy, and it starts up immediately with every use. The soft-medium is such a pleasure to write with because it moves with your finger pressure. Soft-medium nibs don’t flex, but they have a bounce to them that is soothing compared to hard-as-rock nibs. It feels like the nib is a part of your hand, working with you instead of against you.

I own several Platinum pens, and all of them have exceeded my expectations except for one--a Platinum Nice whose rose-gold plating tarnished and the nib assembly came apart. The Rokka joins my other Platinums as a treasured pen that I will reach for often. I highly recommend this limited edition model if you can still find it. JetPens has a few remaining in stock in extra-fine and fine for $325.00.

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

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!