Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Pilot Vanishing Point 2019 Limited Edition Tropical Turquoise: 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.)

Every year Pilot comes out with a limited edition Vanishing Point fountain pen. I’ve never forgiven myself for missing out on the 2015 Twilight limited edition (Hey, yo, if anyone has one of those they’d like to sell, I’m your girl!). Even though I wasn’t as excited about the Tropical Turquoise, I liked it enough to buy it.

The photographs that were initially released made the Tropical Turquoise look rather bland--a flat turquoise color with black swirls. But, the design is much more appealing in person. The turquoise sparkles like water in sunlight and the black swirls give the color depth and interest. The pen looks very much like beautiful tropical waters. It is complemented with rhodium trim.

The Tropical Turquoise comes in a special limited edition box. It’s white with turquoise lettering. The top lifts up to reveal the pen. There’s a built-in drawer that contains one ink cartridge and a Vanishing Point pamphlet.

The Vanishing Point is a medium-sized pen in length at 5.4 inches/138 mm with the nib exposed. However, it is both heavy at 32 grams and rather wide in diameter at 11.5mm (where your fingers grip the pen).

Like all Vanishing Points, the clip is part of the grip portion of the pen. This forces you to hold your fingers in a particular position as you write. Some people can’t stand this design, whereas others find it quite comfortable (I’m obviously in the latter group). You can do a “clipectomy” and remove the clip entirely, but I have no desire to alter the pen.

Limited Edition Vanishing Points come standard with medium nibs, but some retailers, such as Casa della Stilographica where I bought my pen, offer it with any nib size. I chose a stub. It wrote perfectly right out of the box, and I’m quite pleased with my choice.

I love the Vanishing Point mechanism, because when I’m in class, I don’t write constantly. The click mechanism allows me to write quickly when I need to and to retract the nib when I don’t. The stub nib is wet and provides interesting line variation that suits my writing style.

My only complaint about Vanishing Points is the teeny, tiny converter system. It only holds about .5ml of ink. I realize they have to keep the converter small because the pen is already rather heavy. I just wish they could find some way to increase the capacity to 1ml or so. Filling the pen is simple, but if you run out while taking notes in the middle of a meeting, you can’t exactly stop, take out a bottle of ink, unscrew the pen, remove the converter, fill it, wipe it down, and reassemble the pen without creating a bit of a distraction. Obviously, having a back-up pen handy is a good idea.

Pilot created 2,019 pens for this limited edition run. Many retailers have already sold out, so if you’re interested in the Tropical Turquoise, act soon. The pen retails around $250 but I’ve seen prices as low as $206.

(I purchased this pen with my own funds.)

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Posted on November 8, 2019 by Susan Pigott and filed under Pilot, Vanishing Point, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Waldmann Précieux Fountain Pen Review

Founded in 1918, Waldmann is a well-loved and respected German stationery maker. Known for their classic styles and use of Sterling Silver in their high-end models, this brand has only come into my purview in the past year as they made a push into the US market.

Waldmann’s US distributor, Luxury Brands, sent me several pens to check out, and the Précieux immediately stood out among the group. The style, design, feel, and look of the pen are all right up my alley. But before I break it all down, I want to quickly discuss my review process as it relates to this pen, because I’ve found it to be especially challenging.

Objective: Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering or representing facts.

Subjective: Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.

When reviewing products, I think I do a good job on both sides of the objective/subjective ledger. That said, I believe in having an opinion at the end of the day. The difficult thing is that it is just that: One persons opinion. I’m fortunate that people find my opinions valuable, and I’m going to keep giving my opinions. But sometimes, like in the case of the Waldmann Précieux, the subjective butts up against the objective in a challenging way.

Objectively, the Précieux is a great pen. Waldmann’s build quality is exceptional. The metal barrel is well-balanced and comfortable to use. The 18k gold nib - manufactured for Waldmann by Bock - is tuned perfectly for writing right out of the box. It’s all-around enjoyable to use, and beautiful to look at. If I was forced to put down a negative, the only one I could come up with is that it feels priced a little high. Not outrageously high by any stretch, but there is a ton of competition in the $400 price range.

Subjectively, I’m finding it difficult to come up with any reason to own this pen myself. On the surface, it falls into the Cross, Parker, Sheaffer, and Waterman category: Safe, trusted brands. Brands that just work. Also, brands that make products I rarely find compelling, despite how nice the end result is.

The Précieux wasn’t the only Waldmann pen I was able to take a look at. I was sent the Tuscany, Commander, and Xetra models as well. And while the Précieux jumped out of the box in relation to the rest of the group (I guess I have expensive tastes!) the rest of these are just as nice. In fact, I think the Tuscany in Rose Gold is the best looking of the bunch, and for just over $200 with a steel nib, makes a more compelling buying argument.

(Sidebar: Why do companies not include converters with the purchase of a pen? I don’t care if the selling price is $20 or $2000, the manufacturer cost for a converter is minuscule, and the benefit and goodwill it offers with inclusion far outstrips the cost. The Précieux only comes with a converter because it is integrated in the design of the pen. The others don’t.)

Waldmann makes good pens. Their designs are eye-catching in a classic sense, and they have 100 years of production behind them. There is clearly a market there, even though I may not be rushing to pick one up for myself. If you like the look of their pens, I think you will be happy with your purchase. They are very well made. Personally, I am interested in what they are doing on the ballpoint and pencil side of the ledger, and may look at exploring those next and seeing what else this brand has to offer.

For further reading, JetPens has a lengthy interview with Stefan Schnirch, CEO of Waldmann, and also carries a wide range of Waldmann ballpoint and fountain pens.

(Luxury Brands loaned this product to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on November 4, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Waldmann, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Tactile Turn Gist Delrin 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.)

Back in 2015, I reviewed the second generation of Tactile Turn's retractable pen — the Mover. I was enamored with that pen and loved carrying it around with me on my day-to-day errands and office work. I don't carry it around quite as much today, but my fondness for the pen hasn't changed at all. Recently, I was given the opportunity to try out a new version of Tactile Turn's popular Gist fountain pen. The Black and White Delrin fountain pen is a beauty, and it still manages to capture some of that early magic that I enjoyed so much with the Mover.

So, what is Delrin? My incredibly simplistic definition likely won't do it the full justice it deserves, but Delrin is a brand name of synthetic polymer thermoplastic material. It's incredibly lightweight while also being very durable and rigid. According to many machinists, it's a fantastic material for learning and practicing the art of turning pens due to being more cost effective and forgiving than other materials. Aside from that, it's also a really cool material that has a unique aesthetic and great performance. If you ever hold a pen made from Delrin, you might catch yourself thinking that it feels a lot like a Lamy 2000. And, you wouldn't be entirely wrong. The Lamy 2000 is made of Makrolon — another name brand thermoplastic polymer. While they aren't chemically identical, they're similar enough to share the same benefits and general characteristics.

Compared to metal, plastics are a lot lighter. The aluminum, copper, and brass versions of the Gist are a good deal heavier than the Delrin version, but that doesn't mean the Delrin version is brittle, cheap, or disposable. We're not talking about the plastic material used in a Pilot G2 or Bic — Delrin (and other similar materials) are extremely durable, rigid, and strong. You can put this pen through a lot of abuse and it will just keep on working. Over time, it also develops a unique look. And, being a Tactile Turn pen, the Gist also has the characteristic grooves all along the cap, barrel, and grip section, adding extra grip that I really appreciate.

The Gist isn't a new pen by any means, but this new material and color combination is phenomenal. The creamy white matched up with the black trim is enticing, and it reminds me of a stormtrooper uniform. The cap and barrel are both slightly transparent, allowing some of the light to pass through if there's nothing inside the pen. In the cap, you can see where the grip section ends and the nib begins. In the body, you can see where the converter or the cartridge ends. I think it's great - something between a solid and demonstrator.

On the color combination I have, the grip section, the clip, and the finial are all black. The clip is metal, but everything is made of the same Delrin material. The contrast is great, but I recognize that not everyone will agree. And that's fine because there are other options. In Delrin, you can also choose a completely white model or a completely black model. With any Gist you purchase, you have the option of picking a black or silver clip. If you're not into the Delrin material, you can also choose from titanium, copper, or brass. And, if you're not a fountain pen fan, you can also pick any of these up in the rollerball configuration. You can browse all the different materials and colors on their website.

After uncapping the pen, you're greeted with a really well-balanced pen. The black section marries perfectly to the body, and the long #6 nib has just the right length to compliment the other components.

The section accepts either short international cartridges or an international converter. Keep in mind that longer or wider converters will not fit in this body, so just stick with the converter that comes with the pen.

After inking up the pen, I was excited to try out this titanium nib. I've used titanium nibs before, but never in a pen that I've been able to use for more than a few minutes. While I will say that the writing experience has been great, it was a bit disappointing that this nib writes like a medium instead of extra fine imprinted on the nib. I have nothing against medium nibs, but it's not what was advertised. That being said, I really like this nib and I've also decided that I'll probably go for a titanium nib any time I have the option. It's a lightweight and flexible material and has a great amount of tactile feedback that is similar to a steel nib. To me, this titanium nib is the perfect marriage of what I love about steel and gold nibs. Gold nibs are soft and flexible, while steel nibs have a more rigid stance and provide greater feedback from the page. The soft tactility of the titanium nib is fantastic.

The nib is fairly wet, but that's how I prefer wider nibs. And, given the soft nature of the material, it's also fairly easy to create some line variation if you apply a small amount of pressure on the down-strokes.

Writing with the pen is extremely comfortable. The grip section is long enough to provide plenty of space for my fingers and the way I hold the pen, and the threads that hold the cap are flat on top, meaning they don't irritate my fingers when they rest on the threads for longer periods of time. The length of the uncapped pen is perfect for my hand, but writing with the cap posted is also perfectly comfortable.

One area that I have complained when using this pen is opening and closing the cap. The unique threads are solid in operation, but the beginning and end of the threads aren't as sure-footed as I'd like. Threading the cap onto the body can feel a little mushy at times, and the same is true when I tighten the cap to the end of the threads. When tightening to the end, there isn't a distinguished feeling that I've reached the end of the threads. Sure, it gets tighter and requires more pressure, but I don't feel like I've ever reached the end of the road. On the other end, I feel like I sometimes have to fish around a bit for the threads to really grip correctly when I place the cap on the pen to close it. These are minor complaints, but they're worth pointing out. Keep in mind that I'm only using a single copy of the Gist for this review. This may be a very isolated issue that doesn't affect others.

Finally, when it comes down to price, the Gist is priced very fairly for a machined pen from a small shop. The Delrin pens start at $99. This price includes a steel nib in either EF, F, M, or B size and either a silver or black clip. For $60 more, you can choose from the same list of nib sizes but in titanium. If you opt for the brass, copper, or titanium materials, the price goes up accordingly.

The Tactile Turn Gist is a pen that I quickly fell in love with after using it for a few minutes. Despite the mislabeled nib, I love how this pen writes and how it feels in my hand while writing and even while capped. The Delrin material is incredibly rigid but has a familiar warmth that makes it fun to use. If it's in your price range and you like the aesthetic, I can't recommend this pen enough.

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

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