Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Waldmann Xetra Vienna - Waiting for the Birthday Pen

(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!.)

When this article comes out, it will be my birthday, yay! Another successful trip around the sun! And heading into the SF Pen Show, I knew exactly what birthday pen I was going to get. You see, when I found out that the President of Waldmann (Stefan Schnirch) would be coming to the SF Pen Show this year AND bringing their master engraver Stefanie Ottile, I knew that another Waldmann would be in my future. I also thought it would be a good idea to ink up one of my favorite Waldmanns to show Mr. Schnirch that I really do use their pens!

I inked up my Waldmann Xetra Vienna in White/Silver a bit before the SF Show and I am still loving it as much as I did when I got it in the summer of 2020 (ah, pandemic pen purchases, anyone else?). I won’t go into the specs of the Xetra Vienna since the Bossman did a great write up earlier this year. He reviewed the 18kt gold Fine nib, so I will talk a little about the Fine steel nib in mine. Waldmann’s nibs are made by Jowo but are custom-tuned to their specifications, so they don’t feel like a stock Jowo nib. It’s difficult to explain but it feels smoother and ever so slightly softer, though I wouldn’t call it remotely bouncy or flexy. The ink flow is consistent and the writing experience was solid. I’ve inked it up several times over the past few years and it never disappoints.

*Inked up with Kobe #80 Rokko Alpine Primrose, this Waldmann Xetra Vienna is always a delight to write with.*

*Just look at the detail on the engraving!*

I could have picked this pen in other color combinations, including Black and a White with Rose Gold trim (Blue, Pink and Green are now options too). Normally, I would be all over the rose gold but I picked this one because it reminded me of my wedding dress. Here are some gratuitous photos of my Xetra Vienna with pictures of my wedding dress, tiara and wedding cake.

Knowing that Waldmann’s master engraver would be working on Xetra Viennas, the hard part was picking the color. Blue would be the obvious answer since that’s one of my favorite colors but the pink was a really nice color too! And good timing with the Barbie movie! But since my birthday falls in September and the birthstone is sapphire (which is blue), I went for the blue.

I can’t begin to explain what all the pieces are or how they are used, but in short, there is a wooden clamp piece (a jig, I believe) which holds the piece/barrel to be engraved. That jig is then mounted onto a large engraving ball, which allows Stefanie to turn the piece as she does the engraving. The barrels are color-enameled over a metal tube, so she is removing the enamel as part of the engraving, revealing the metal beneath it.

*Stefanie is engraving a bridge onto the barrel. It was amazing to watch her control of the chisel and hammer.*

*This is the completed bridge before she works on the rest of the barrel.*

Aside from the engraving skill, Stefanie was also able to tune out all of the noise and distractions of a busy pen show, including people shoving cameras in her workspace (this is me taking a picture of Bryce from LBA taking a video.)

Stefanie usually engraves about 8-9 pens per day when she is working, but at the show, she cranked out a few more than that, all while making unique designs with the Vienna motif around them.

*Here’s another shot of Stefanie engraving the Vienna motif on a pink barrel.*

Since we don’t have video on the blog, here is a reel of Stefanie doing the engraving and this is actually my pen barrel!

As all of the pen barrels have traveled back to Germany to be lacquered, finished and assembled, I won’t have the pen in time for my birthday. But that’s just fine because this white Xetra Vienna is a great stand-in until that one arrives. Happy Birthday to me and to all the September babies out there! Best wishes to all to stay safe and stay inky!

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Posted on September 8, 2023 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Waldmann, Fountain Pens.

Platinum Prefounte 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.)

One of the easiest pens to recommend to people new to fountain pens is the Platinum Preppy. It's just a few bucks, it performs well, and it's even refillable. While it's great for an entry point or for testing nibs, it does look like a cheap, disposable pen (even though it's refillable). There are plenty of other Platinum fountain pens (and, of course, many other brands) that provide a little more style and durability, but they come at a higher price. The Platinum Plaisir is just over $20 and comes with a metal body, but I just don't like the design. The shiny band on the cap feels too out of place for my taste. Fortunately, there's another option that is closer to the Preppy in price, but with a cleaner and more durable design.

The Platinum Prefounte is a entry-level fountain pen that packs the same great nib and feed system found in the Preppy and Plaisir, but with a trimmed profile and more durable materials. I'm a sucker for anything that uses semi-transparent colored plastics — especially blues, greens, and purples, and this dark emerald variant of the Prefounte is lovely. The color and opaqueness of the material is uniform, but it looks like it shades due to the varying thickness of the material in different areas of the pen. I love looking at this pen while it's on my desk, and I'm still shocked that it costs only $11.

If you've ever used a Preppy or Plaisir, the Prefounte will feel very similar to both of these. The grips are the same, and it's only the balance of the pens that differ due to slightly different weights. The transparent grip provides a great view to the gray feed, and it also has a good feel when writing. The plastic material isn't slippery, and it remains comfortable to use even after a few minutes. It's a straight profile, but I find that there's plenty of tactile grip without a tapered shape or textured surface. The pen is so light that you don't need contouring or texture to provide extra grip control.

The nib is also the same nib that you'll find on any sub-$100 Platinum, which means it will perform well out of the box and provide a smooth writing experience. The Prefounte comes with either a fine (03) or medium (05) nib. The section unscrews from the body so that you can pop in a Platinum cartridge or converter. There's a single black cartridge included with the pen, but I opted for a blue-black cartridge that I already had on hand. You could add a converter to this pen, but at $11, I'm not sure I'd by one specifically for this pen. I'd certainly use a converter if I already had one that wasn't being used in another Platinum pen, so it's nice to have that option.

The cap uses a snap fit for securing it to the pen. Uncapping and capping the pen both have a satisfying feel, and I have no concerns that the cap will come off when in a bag or pocket. There's also a nice click sound and feel when capping the pen so you know for sure that it's secure.

The only branding on the pen is on the base of the cap. There's a small "Prefounte" logo directly under the clip, and a "Platinum" logo on the opposite side. Speaking of the clip, it's really strong. It's metal, so it also makes the pen look slightly more professional. It has no trouble securing the pen to anything it can fit under the clip.

With the Prefounte, this has become my standard recommendation for someone that is interested in getting into fountain pens. It's such a great nib/grip platform, and the nicer build and materials make it easier for people that want something that looks nicer than a Preppy. At $11, it's a fantastic value, but still a low enough price for folks that aren't sure if they'll like fountain pens. This makes a great entry-level "try it out" pen, but also a great low cost gift for that fountain-pen-curious friend, or even a great beater pen to carry yourself. The Prefounte only adds value to the Preppy platform, and I'm so glad it exists.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 6, 2023 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Platinum, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Ranking 15 Pilot Fountain Pen Nibs

I had the pleasure of testing all 15 of Pilot’s #10-sized 14K gold fountain pen nibs recently, and wanted to share my thoughts on them as a group.

For starters, I am thrilled that Pilot made these nibs available in the US market, via the Custom Heritage 912 lineup. The basics were always available here - Fine, Medium, Broad, etc. - but the specialty nibs - Coarse, Stub, Posting, and so on - were traditionally only available in the Japanese market. That changed a couple of years ago, and Pilot fans, such as myself, rejoiced.

When thinking about reviewing these, I had several thoughts. Should I do one review per nib? Should I group them in use-case batches? What about videos? Pictures? It was a lot to consider! My friend Mike Matteson at Inkdependence review this entire set a few months ago, so be sure to check out his great videos on these nibs.

For me, I decided on something different, and specific: How would I rank these nibs for my own use? Do I worry this is too specific for a broader product review? A little. In the end I think it is going to work out, as I’ll be able to discuss my specific preferences, and the pros and cons that go along with those preferences. Nibs that don’t work for me may be perfect for you, and I hope to be able to explain that throughout this list. They are all good nibs, Brad!

A few notes before we begin:

I write in a block print style, never cursive or script. I prefer fine lines, or wide lines with an edge that benefit my writing style. Needless to say, those nibs will be near the top of my list.
Pilot requested that I only dip test these nibs. I don’t believe that is the best way to give you the most accurate commentary on nib performance. That said, Pilot’s nibs and feeds are so good that I am able to get good results from only dipping the nib.
All nibs are tested on Maruman Spiral Note Basic A4 Dot Grid paper, and with Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink.
Once I dip the nib, I wipe the bulk of the ink off on the bottle edge, then write several lines on scrap paper to even out the flow before testing the line.
The lyrics used are from the start of ODB’s verse on “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” by the Wu-Tang Clan.
Wu-Tang is for the kids.
If you have any questions if a certain nib is for you, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, or get in touch.
Thank you Pilot USA for loaning me these nibs!

On to my rankings:

15) Coarse

Someone has to finish last, and for me it is the Coarse. It is a marker tip, so if you are looking for that type of line, then take a look at this one. There is no line variation, just a bold, round, line. I will say that given the size and shape of nib tipping, the Coarse is a perfect platform for big and interesting nib grinds.

*The Pilot Coarse Nib, perfect for big nib grinds.*

14) Broad Broad

Similar to the Coarse, but with a little more ink application on the page. The Coarse nib seems to spread the ink thinner on the page, while the BB just unloads it.

*Left to right: Broad, Broad Broad, Coarse.*

13) Soft Medium

There is a group of nibs with no true home in the list, starting with the Soft Medium. I think it is the worst of the “Soft” group, offering less line variation than the other options. That’s what you want with a nib like this, but it is too similar to the Medium.

12) Fine Medium

Ditto here, but with a little more line variation. I will say that even with the Soft designation, the speed at which I can write is great. This is a fun one, but there are better choices for my style.

11) Music

This traditional two slit, three tine Music nib setup is fantastic, I just prefer the Sutab (SU, aka Stub,) so much more that I knocked this one down the list a bit. It is much wider than the SU on both vertical and horizontal strokes. Think 1.5 mm vs. 1.1 mm. I prefer the narrower on both accounts.

10) Waverly

This was my first time with the Waverly nib, and I expected more from it. The idea is that it is great for writing at any angle, so if you hold the pen in a non-traditional manner, this nib could work well for you. For me, there was no benefit to it, although I wouldn’t mind spending more time with it to see what I could sort out.

9) Medium

An excellent stock writing experience. Japanese Medium nibs are the recommendation sweet spot for every day writing. I prefer finer lines, as seen below, but there is no arguing with this one.

8) Soft Fine

It’s fine, but not fine enough. This is a good example of expectations when choosing a nib. Japanese Fine nibs are very fine, and the Soft style makes lines wider due to the tines spreading further than on a standard nib. I’d rather have a standard Fine.

7) Soft Fine Medium

But the Soft Fine Medium is great! My expectation is that it would be wider, given “Medium” in the name, and it is. It is also finer than a stock Medium, and has more character on the page.

*Pilot Posting nib, left, and Extra Fine.*

6) Extra Fine

Why so low? It’s mostly the PO (Posting) nibs fault, but maybe more so that Pilot’s Fine nib is my favorite all day, every day writer. The Extra Fine is great, but I don’t see a place for it given my fondness of other nibs. Now, if those nibs didn’t exist, this one could top the rankings.

5) Broad

Surprise, surprise, surprise! Something happened to me when I tested this nib out, and no, it wasn’t an alien abduction. I want to be able to control my lines in wide nibs, and most nibs I’ve tested in this category have been too wide, too wet, too rounded, or all of the above. I thought I would easily prefer the Medium nib over this one, but it wasn’t that close. Again, the Medium makes for a great recommendation, but the Broad is more enjoyable.

4) Fine

My favorite pick up and write nib. Yes, the line is very narrow, but not too much. It remains legible for all types of writing, and the nib feels more stable and stronger than the Extra Fine.

3) SU

I’ve owned a Sutab nib previously, but didn’t get on with it that well. Testing this one out made me wonder if there was something wrong with mine, which I no longer own. With any stub-type nib, you want to see line variation. My old SU had very little, and I found it boring. This one has a wide range from thick to thin, and I think I’m going to need to buy a new one.

2) FA

This is the most fun Pilot nib. The flexible FA nib has more bounce than most other modern flex nib pens, while retaining a great standard writing line if you aren’t actively pushing the nib. It gives my standard block print writing a ton of character. I wouldn’t mind having this nib inked and in the rotation on a permanent basis.

1) PO

Do not buy this nib without trying it first. That’s how I acquired my Posting nib. I raved about the loaner I reviewed, a reader went out and bought one, instantly hated it, and sold it to me. 10 years on, I’m still in love. PO nib fans refer to this nib as nail-like, and that is accurate. The line is finer than the stock Extra Fine, while also being firmer due to its turned down tip. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pilot sells less of this nib than any other, but it is the one nib I own that I can’t live without.

That’s a wrap! My biggest takeaway from this experience is that Pilot makes amazing nibs. I already knew that, but it is nice to have that confirmation across the board. If you have a fountain pen writing need, Pilot as a nib for you. My thanks to Pilot North America for loaning me this set of pens for review.

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