Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Edison Pen Co. Comet 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. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

The new Edison Comet pen model first caught my eye on the Edison Pen Co. Instagram, and when I saw they were bringing them to the Chicago Pen Show, I knew I might be in trouble. Sure enough, there were trays and trays of temptation there--but this one stood out. I've been drooling over Jonathon Brooks's abalone material since its debut, but hadn't scored any yet. Edison and Brooks combined? There was no way I was going home without this pen.

The unbalanced look of this pen is a bit odd. The top-heavy domed cap is unusual and may not have captivated me if I hadn't nerded out over the inspiration--a comet with a trailing tail. The translucent material at the top reminds me of a crystal ball, and the shimmery abalone looks absolutely magical. It reminds me of very happy memories studying the Hale-Bopp comet in my 8th grade physics class, when my best friend and I were studying astronomy for Science Olympiad.

But you don't need to be a nerd to love this pen. While the cap looks top-heavy, the material is light and the cap posts deeply, so it feels perfectly balanced when writing (whether your post or not). The joins are smooth and the clip is sleek and flexible. The grip section has a comfortable concave center that flares enough to keep your fingers from slipping down to the nib. The threads above the grip section are very smooth.

Mine has a broad stainless steel nib. I don't usually get broad nibs--I prefer needle EFs--but that means I have a lot of EFs, and I knew I'd want to put lighter colored inks in this pen. I also had Brian tune the nib to be super wet and smooth--so it's the perfect pen for inks that I love that are too pale to be read easily in finer lines. Of course, getting a custom tuning of the nib is an advantage of pen show attendance, but I've always had good experiences with Edison's nibs.

Overall, the pen is beautiful, a pleasure to write with, and makes me think of happy memories. The only criticism I have is that it's so pretty that sometimes it distracts me while I'm writing and I just twist the pen in the sun watching the shimmer while time passes by.

I conveniently forget what I paid for my pen (pen show brain fog), but Edison offers a lot of customization of materials and filler systems that influence their prices. A base price for the Comet on their site now is $275, and they have a large selection in stock currently—several of which want to come live at my house. Please go buy them so I don't.

(I bought this pen at standard retail from Edison Pen Co. at the 2022 Chicago Pen Show.)

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Posted on July 28, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Edison, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Gioia Alleria - A Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

My first introduction to Gioia Pens was when I got a Gioia Partenope for my birthday last year at the SF Pen Show. It isn’t a pen that screams “Kimberly!!!” but it quickly became a favorite because it looked so different from my other pens and because it wrote so nicely. Not surprising, I was excited when the Bossman had Luxury Brands of America send me a Gioia Alleria for review.

The review pen is the Gioia Alleria in the Grotta Azzurra color which comes in Ruthenium trim. The material is a darker teal blue with swirls of lighter and darker colors and with a bit of pearlescence. The name “Alleria” comes from the Neapolitan word for “happiness” and “Grotta Azzurra” means “Blue Grotto.

Gioia Alleria Fountain Pen — *Gioia Alleria, Grotta Azzurra.*

The Alleria is similar to the Partenope but since I do not have the latter with me, you may wish to check out some of the comments/pictures from the Partenope review. The two pens are similar in size and weight but with a different filling mechanism. The Alleria uses a piston, while the Partenope uses a cartridge or converter. The Partenope’s converter adds a bit to the weight so if you prefer a lighter pen, the Alleria might be a better fit. The Alleria does not have an ink window, which I generally prefer with piston-fillers so that I can tell how much ink is left. It is not a dealbreaker for me but something to note if that’s important to you.

Like the Partenope, the Gioia Alleria uses Jowo 6 nibs engraved with their branding. Their nib units can be easily swapped as the nib units are screwed in. This makes cleaning a breeze as you can remove the nib, and syringe it clean (be sure to move the piston a few times during cleaning as ink can get on the edges of the piston valve. The Gioia Alleria is available in Extra Fine to 1.5mm stub (the “Stub” size is 1.1 mm). This pen has a medium nib and wrote beautifully out of the box (my usual lazy self did not clean the pen prior to inking). I inked it up with Colorverse #47 Ham, which is a great match color wise and I had no problems with the ink or the pen, despite a period of 2-3 weeks where I didn’t get a chance to use it.

The cap has an inner cap sleeve which minimizes evaporation. The pen also screws into the cap at the end of the grip; my understanding is that this also helps with evaporation as less of the writing end is exposed to air. This does mean that there are threads near the nib end, which might bother folks who write close to the nib. I am a “close to the nib” writer, but I didn’t even noticed the threads which are smooth and not sharp or bulky at all. In fact, some users might like that because it provides a bit of a “stop” to prevent your fingers from sliding downward.

As I said above, the Alleria feels very similar in girth and length to the Partenope. I like the slightly girthy grip and am glad that it is not heavy. Some folks expect girthier pens to be heavier, and this is not that pen. The Alleria cap is lighter because it doesn’t have the Partenope’s thick clip band, so it doesn’t feel as back-weighted for those who like to post their pens. For comparison, I have included a few similarly sized pens that are with me in my currently inked binder.

Gioia Comparison — *Comparison with Lamy 2000, Leonardo Momento Zero, Narwhal Voyage, Gioia Alleria, TWSBI 580, Pilot Custom 74 and Platinum 3776.*

Gioia Posted — *Note that the Narwhal does not post at all and that the Gioia and TWSBI pens do not post very well.*

The Gioia Alleria has an MSRP of $240 USD and a street price around $190. Gioia is discontinuing some of the colors to make room for new resins that will be exclusive to them. As such, some of the colors of the Alleria are being discounted; the Mare Blue, Vittoria, Nuvola and Tramonto colorways will be discontinued and pretty heavily discounted (I’ve seen them ~$150-160). The Amaranto, Crepuscolo, Grotto Azzurra and Mare Chiaro colors are not being discontinued, so they will remain at their current pricing. I, for one, don’t love seeing different pen brands using the same acrylics, so I am looking forward to seeing Gioia’s new exclusive materials.

Pro:

Nice, lightweight piston filler
Good nib
Good value for a steel nib piston filler, but some models being discounted makes for an even better value.
Lifetime warranty

Neutral:

Piston filler does not have an ink window so you can’t see ink levels
Clip design may not suit everyone’s aesthetic

Con:

Pen may be too girthy if you prefer slimmer pens
Pen may be too light if you like girthy pens with more heft

In summary, I really enjoyed using the Gioia Alleria because it is a nice writer and is very comfortable for me. The cap seal means that I can pick up the pen after weeks of non-use and know that it will write right away. I am looking forward to seeing the new versions of the Alleria with their exclusive resins when they come out later this year.

(Thank you to Luxury Brands of America, who sent this pen at no charge for review.)

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Posted on July 15, 2022 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Gioia, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Kakuno Fmaily Series Fountain Pen Review

I love a good theme, and while I don't love having my stationery unnecessarily gendered, these are pretty cute. And cuteness aside, the Pilot Kakuno is a good pen.

It's a pen that's perfect for kids or beginners, but it is also very at home in the collection of experienced Pen Addicts. The low price point and ease of use it offers makes it a great gateway pen for those looking to get into the hobby. It's not too precious to entrust to young writers, and it can be guiltlessly tossed into a pen pouch or backpack without much worry.

The pen body is made out of 85% recycled plastic, and this model is in a lovely transparent pink. There are lots of other colors to choose from as well. The clear body lets you see all the inner workings and even watch the ink flow through the feed, which is always fun.

The cap snaps to close and is shaped to make it easy to remove and also prevents the pen from rolling on a desk. It does post securely. The grip section is slightly shaped to promote a "proper" grip, but it isn't as obtrusive as some brands. It suggests a certain hold, but I can comfortably hold it several ways.

The best thing about the Kakuno, though, and the thing everyone knows it for, is the smiley nib. The family series gives these nib faces characters, all members of a smiley pen family. A dark blue dad, dark pink mom, light blue boy, light pink girl, and green baby. They all have some accessory etched in addition to the smile--the girl pen has a ribbon and long eyelashes. It's cute and also a little creepy in a Stepford kinda way.

Cute or creepy, it writes well. The nib is smooth and the ink from the included cartridge flows well. I wish they came with fun ink colors instead of black, but Pilot Black is a very good black.

This pen costs $12.50, which is quite a bit more than its main competition--the Platinum Preppy, which is also excellent and sells for under $5, AND comes with fun ink colors. The Preppy doesn't stare at you, though--unblinking and smiling, while you write. So if you're into that sort of thing, you definitely need a Kakuno.

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

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