Bexley Sleeve Filler Fountain Pen Review

Bexley is a brand I was familiar with in name only until my friends at Vanness Pen Shop gifted me this beautiful Bexley Sleeve Filler last year. Not only that, they added a few tweaks just for me that had me grinning from ear to ear.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Bexley has been making pens since 1993 and have an excellent reputation in the market. Their designs harken back to the heyday of fountain pens in the US in the early-to-mid 1900's. My tastes lean towards more modern styles, but seeing a pen like this makes me wonder what else I am missing.

The main feature of this pen is, of course, the filling mechanism. The rear of the pen - aka the sleeve - unscrews to reveal the filler bar and ink sac. You dip the nib into an ink bottle, give the filler bar a couple of presses to intake the ink, twist the sleeve back down, and you are ready to write. It's a very simple system that is implemented well and works perfectly. I was actually surprised at how much ink I was able to drawn in with only one or two presses.

As nice as this Bexley is, what Vanness did (without my prior knowledge or input) to make this pen special for me was really great. First off, Vanness has the ability to engrave and customize pens in their shop, so they borrowed the logo from Nock Co. and zapped it onto the end of the pen. Secondly, they had local pen maker Shawn Newton, who has worked on several of my pens, grind the broad 14k nib the pen comes with into my favorite cursive italic grind.

How awesome is that?

The pen looks cool, writes great, is personalized, and has a great story behind it. I'm so thankful to have met Lisa and Wendi from Vanness Pen at last years Atlanta Pen Show and really appreciate what they did for me with this pen.

The Arkansas Pen Show runs today and tomorrow, so if you are in the area stop by and tell them hi for me and check out their goods (which may or may not include Sailor Bung Box ink!) You can also see what else they have to offer online at Vanness1938.com.

Uni Pi:s And Zebra Mackee Double-Sided Marker Showdown

Markers make my handwriting look awesome. Maybe it's the larger, faster arm movements that are required to keep pace with a wide tipped, fast flowing pen, or maybe it's as simple as the design of the tip itself. Either way, pens like the Uni Pi:s and Zebra Mackee are fun to have around for when you need them.

When you actually need markers like this is the key. These aren't every day writers like the Sakura Pigma Micron. They are task specific, meaning you should know how you will be using these pens before getting started. Both the Uni Pi:s and Zebra Mackee are made to write on many surfaces, such as paper, fabric, glass, metal and more. The oil-based ink allows for this, and makes them water resistant as well.

What sets these two pens apart? Not much to be perfectly honest. They are very similar in design - so much so that I have to find the brand logo on the barrel to determine which one I am using. Each is double-sided, both with fine and extra-fine tips, with the tips on the Zebra being slightly firmer and finer. I doubt I could tell the difference in a blind test though.

The Zebra does have the lone differentiator in the pens with refillable ink cartridges. For a pen like this that is a big deal because you will burn through markers if you use them heavily. The cartridges are a long cylinder with wide openings on each end for good ink flow.

And the ink flow is huge, as you would expect with this type of pen. Any use of these pens on normal paper will result in bleed and feathering. Writing with them is fun, but they are most suited for heavy duty materials like posterboard, fabric, and plastic.

For $2 a pop, the Uni Pi:s and Zebra Mackee both come in a rainbow of colors and will make your inner artist squee with delight. Check them out the next time you have a project that calls for some color.

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

Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review

The main reason I keep a product wish list is to keep track of product prices and know when to pull the trigger when I see a good deal. The orange Pilot Custom 74 had been on my radar for ages, and when Pen Chalet had a good deal on them on the podcast back in November I bought it live on the show. $135 to the door made me a happy camper.

The Custom 74 lived up to every expectation I had, and then some. The decision to go with the orange barrel was an easy one. I love demonstrators, and this one is a beauty. The smoke colored section and rounded ends were a surprise too. I obviously knew it came like this, but I had no idea how much I would enjoy this feature.

As easy as the color choice was, nib selection was another thing. Medium nibs normally aren’t my first choice, but recent experience with two other Japanese M nibs led me down this path. This size may be the perfect all-around writing nib. The ink flows as the line remains sharp and clean. Start writing and you can just disappear into the flow.

The 14k nib is a beauty too. I’m a huge fan of Pilot nibs, both in the looks and performance department. This Custom 74 was perfect right out of the box. The large capacity CON-70 converter it ships with is a nice added bonus.

The best thing I can say about the Pilot Custom 74 is I already want another one. That seems to be a recurring theme with me and Pilot. The Violet barrel is now on the wish list, just waiting for another good deal.