Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Pilot Silvern Fountain Pen Review

When I think about having a pen that I can use all day, every day, I have a few boxes it needs to check:

— Goldilocks size: not too big, not too small

— Light, and balanced

— Comfortable grip section

— Great nib

— Cartridge/Converter filling system

The Pilot Silvern checks all of these boxes for me. It is also a stunner, which certainly helps its cause as the one pen that can do it all.

The Silvern came into existence around 1970, which, in my opinion, was Pilot’s heyday of design. Taking cues from the Pilot Elite, and later, the Pilot Custom, the Silvern blinged out those models with a Sterling Silver exterior barrel. It has been a staple of Pilot’s product lineup ever since, with the last several years seeing it used as a platform for unique design elements throughout the barrel.

My review pen is the Jaguar model, which features this cuddly beast on the prowl through the jungle. The level of detail shows off all its spots, as it sneaks through the palm leaves, trees, and bushes. It’s a fantastic scene laid out on the Sterling barrel, and something Pilot does well throughout the Silvern lineup.

The shape of the Silvern is torpedo-like, with slight tapers towards rounded ends. The grip section is black plastic, with a matching taper into what is one of Pilot’s knockout design elements in their inlaid 18K Gold nib. As great as the exterior barrel is, the entire pen comes together because of the nib. If they used a more traditional grip section and nib I don’t think the Silvern would pop off as much as it does.

I inked this pen with a Pilot Black ink cartridge, which is an easy match. That said, what ink color wouldn’t be a perfect match for the Silvern? My inclination is to keep it classic with Black or Blue Black, but bright colors like Green and Purple would look great, or even Brown and Yellow would complement the Jungle theme.

At the moment, the Silvern is available with Dragon and Turtle themed barrels, along with Jaguar. Additionally, there are two non-creature themes available, Ishidatami and Tsumigi, both classic Japanese patterns.

Cost-wise, they are expensive at $544, but relatively speaking, they are priced well. For a full-Sterling Silver exterior barrel and an 18K Gold nib, the Silvern brings a lot to the table compared to other pens in its price range. Add in fantastic designs and their limited nature (these are each an edition of 550.) And, if you are paying attention, they drop special editions outside of their normal lineup, such as this Pokemon model a few years ago.

Back to my checklist above, the Silvern has me covered. It doesn’t hurt that it is made by one of my favorite brands in Pilot. I’ve had one on my watch list for years, and it might be time to move it to the purchase list in 2025.

(Chatterly Luxuries loaned me this pen for purposes of this review.)

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Posted on December 9, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pilot, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Montegrappa Tarvisium with Dolce Nib Fountain Pen 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!.)

I recently got the opportunity to do some work for Kenro Industries, for which I was compensated with a Montegrappa Tarvisium. Released around September of this year, the Tarvisium is offered in 3 colorways - Paris in Bloom, Paradise Falls, and Carson. Like some of the other Montegrappa models, the Tarvisium sports a Jowo 6 nib, which is available in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, and 1.1 stub. In addition, you can upgrade the Tarvisium with the new Dolce nib, which is what I will be writing about today.

*Montegrappa Tarvisium, Carson (named for the son of Tim Crowe of Turnt Pen Company who helped make the material.)*

The Tarvisium is an update of the Venetia model which has more pointed ends. I prefer the Tarvisium’s flat top with the Montegrappa logo on the silver toned finial. The bottom of the barrel has a very subtle point compared to the Venetia. The grip is very comfortable with a flare at the base of the section, so your fingers don’t slide into the nib. I hold my pens very close to the nib, but there is plenty of room to hold the pen higher up. If I held the pen higher, I could feel the metal threads, which didn’t feel uncomfortable to me, and if I held it higher still, the taper has a smooth ridge, instead of a sharp step, where the cap meets the barrel.

*Montegrappa logo on the Tarvisium’s finial.*

*The step down on the barrel is very smooth and is not a big step down either.*

*Gripping it on the threads, which was not uncomfortable.*

*While unusable for me, folks who like to hold their pens further back will still find the pen very comfortable to use.*

*Here is the Tarvisium (middle) next to the Fortuna (left) and the Mia (right), not to be confused with the Miya or the Mia Carissima.*

*The Tarvisium doesn’t post very securely and it’s also a bit too long/unwieldy, but it’s posted here for comparison.*

*Similarly sized pens (L to R): Leonardo Momento Zero, Platinum 3776, Esterbrook Estie, Montegrappa Tarvisium, Pilot Custom 823, Sailor Realo, Pelikan M805.*

The new Dolce nib option is available on any Montegrappa that uses the steel Jowo nib in silver trim, such as the Elmo 01, 02, Brenta, Tarvisium, etc. The Dolce nib grind is done by well-respected nib grinder, Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio, who also makes the popular Journaler grind for Esterbrook, another Kenro brand. Per Ryan Sirignano from Kenro, they wanted to replicate the Journaler nib while making it a little bit different for Montegrappa, so the Dolce is ground from a Medium nib into a slightly finer cursive italic grind than the Journaler nib.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I have a very steep writing angle (70+ degrees), so I am always a bit nervous about getting a pre-ground nib that wasn’t done specifically for me. I was pleasantly surprised because it wrote great out of the box. It wasn’t scratchy at all, nor did I have any of the problems with the nib catching in the usual spots (going counter-clockwise on the upper right portion of the stroke). I also made some not-pictured scribbles at less insane angles and can confirm that it writes great at those angles too. The line variation isn’t as noticeable partly because it is a finer CI, but also because I started off with Montegrappa Violet, which is moderately wet ink. After switching to a slightly drier ink, Robert Oster Cosmic Swirl, the line variation was more obvious.

*Writing sample on 68 gsm Tomoe River. The top was written with Montegrappa Violet, the bottom with Robert Oster Cosmic Swirl.*

*More line variation with Cosmic Swirl (bottom) than with the Violet ink.*

*Cursive writing with the Tarvisium inked with Violet.*

*Typewriter printing while inked with Cosmic Swirl.*

Retailing at $337, the Montegrappa Tarvisium is priced in between the Elmo (starting at $250,) and the Venetia ($495) models. It is not an inexpensive pen, but it’s also a Montegrappa, so that’s not really a surprise, right? The upgrade to the Dolce nib is an additional $60, which is surprisingly reasonable, considering Gena’s Journaler and Cursive Italic grinds are $50 (as of this writing). The fact that this nib grind is available on several of the models, and at such a good price, really makes this a great option for upgrading your next Montegrappa.

(Disclaimer: The pen was my payment for work I did for Kenro Industries. I was not paid to write this review. The Bossman decided I might as well write a review of it since I already had the pen and nib. Other products mentioned/pictured in this review are my own, as are my opinions.)

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Montegrappa, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Benu Talisman Dream Bean Fountain Pen Review

What’s the most important feature of a fountain pen? Design, nib, filling system, weight, balance … all of those things are important. But the most important feature, I’d argue, is happiness. Yes, all of those features combined contribute to the overall feel of any writing instrument, but does it make you happy when you pick it up and use it?

The Benu Talisman Dream Bean makes me happy. Downright giddy, in fact. And I can’t explain why.

Maybe it’s the Dream Bean itself? After all, these giant seeds are notorious for their ability to “induce lucid dreams that enable communication with the spirit world,” and some of their dust is infused into the barrel material.

That probably explains a lot of it.

The Talisman is one of my favorite Benu Fountain Pen shapes. My preference lies in the more traditional lines of the exterior barrel, which this pen has. It also has different notches and facets shaped into the barrel, giving it a unique look when the light hits different areas. I also like the tactile feel of these divots, not just on the barrel, but in the cap as I hold it in my hand when writing.

Brown and Black are the primary colors of the Dream Bean material, which is further infused with fine sparkles of Green, Gold, and Red. The glitter doesn’t take over the barrel, which is a feature of some other Benu models, so this more subtle one - subtle for Benu that is - may be more up your alley. It’s kind of perfect for the season, too, with full-on Christmas Pudding vibes.

What has turned up the happiness on this pen is how much I am enjoying the nib. It is a stock Fine Steel Schmidt nib, which is normally great out of the box, but something about this one sings. It suits my handwriting well, giving it the edge of a fineliner, which are some of my favorite pens to write with. I can go pages and pages with ease when my letters look as good as this.

I chose Teranishi Guitar Antique Black to ink this pen with, and I nailed it. The Black and Brown tones of the ink pair perfectly with the Black and Brown tones of the pen. Who knew? I knew, and now I’m thinking I need to add my own shimmer to this ink to go full Dream Bean on the page.

I wish I could explain in more detail why I am getting along with this pen so well, but it boils down to what I said up top: it makes me happy.

The Benu Talisman Dream Bean Fountain Pen is $162, along with 11 other stunning Talisman models. If you enjoy fun pens as much as I do, then everything Benu does should be on your radar. Happiness achieved!

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

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