Cleo Skribent Classic Palladium Fountain Pen Review

One of the best parts about this job is there is no shortage of products to review. Whether it is a new release of a favorite Japanese gel pen or a new-to-me German pen brand, I love exploring, learning, and sharing what they are all about.

Cleo Skribent falls into the latter category. I had heard the name in passing, but had never tried one until my friend Renso at Papier Plume sent me one to check out.

Founded in 1945, this brand is everything you would expect from a respected German manufacturer. The designs are classic, the build is quality, and the performance is excellent.

The model I have on loan is the Cleo Skribent Classic Palladium, one of their entry level steel nib models. While it looks simple on the outside, it has a few added touches that make it a very enjoyable writer.

First of all, it is a piston filler. Hidden under a blind cap at the end of the barrel, the piston works smoothly and effectively. I had no issues drawing a full barrel of ink into the pen on my first go. And I have a soft spot for any pen with a full, clear ink window like this pen does.

Secondly, the nib is fantastic. I shouldn't be surprised given its German heritage, but wow, this steel nib sings. The model I'm testing is a Fine nib, and from the moment it hit the page it was smooth, clean, and had excellent flow.

Finally, the price. At $110 it is cheaper than the pen it compares most favorably to: The Pelikan M200 series. I think the piston mechanism in the Pelikan is better, likely because it might be the best in the world, but other than that, these pens are very comparable.

The Cleo Skribent Classic is longer than Pelikan's entry level model, and has a straight-taper section as opposed to Pelikan's lip at the end of the section. And, gun to my head and recency bias and all that, I think I prefer the Cleo steel nib.

Even though the comparison is made most easily to Pelikan, there is one thought I couldn't get out of my head the entire time I held this pen: This is a bigger, awesomer Pilot Prera. The Prera XL if you will.

If you have ever used a Prera, you will understand what I am about to say. It is an airy pen to write with. Lightweight, but somehow rock solid. That's why it is so well loved. The Cleo Skribent Classic feels the same way to me, except in a larger size and with a better filling system. If this pen were stamped Pilot at this price point we would all be having puppies over it.

Consider me a fan of Cleo Skribent. I'd like to try a few of their other models, especially in the brighter barrel colors they offer. The Classic has been an excellent introduction.

My thanks to Papier Plume for loaning me this pen for purposes of this review.

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Zebra Sarasa Push Clip Vintage Blue Gray Gel Review

When I discuss my favorite gel ink pens, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C and the Uni-ball Signo DX hog the spotlight. And for good reason. They are both fantastic. The Zebra Sarasa Clip is on par with those, something I am reminded of the moment I take one out to use.

The latest addition to the lineup, the Sarasa Clip Vintage Color series, brings four new colors into the mix: Green Black, Red Black, Brown Gray, and Blue Gray. Five if you count Blue Black, but that is one color that is common across the gel ink spectrum, including previous Sarasa Clip releases.

I chose the Blue Gray model to test out, and the performance of the pen is as excellent as ever. The lines are consistent, sharp, and clean, making the Sarasa Clip lineup a pure joy to write with. Note that I say Sarasa Clip when referring to this Zebra gel ink pen. The regular Sarasa is not as nice as these. Long-time readers are aware of this, but it bears bringing up once again for new readers.

Blue Gray as an ink color wasn’t something that I ever thought I needed in my life, but the shade is better than anticipated. It is darker than I thought it would be, and looks fantastic on the gray grid of my Rhodia Ice Pad.

According to the name of the pen, the Clip is a feature, and it lives up to that billing. It is spring-loaded, giving it a tight fit while clipped to a pocket yet allowing it to open wide and clamp down on larger folders and pads of paper. It works well, and I’ve never had one break on me.

Historically, Zebra fights for third place in market share (or at least mind share) behind Pilot and Uni-ball. They are equally as high quality and inventive in my book, and don’t need to play third fiddle to anyone. Zebra, and the Sarasa Clip especially, are well worth checking out.

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Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

If Ever There Was a Christmas Pen, This Is It: The Namiki Yukari Royale Vermillion

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Happy holidays to all the pen addicts out there! I’m certain we all asked for at least one fountain pen (or fountain pen related gift) for Christmas or Hanukkah, and I hope you all get what you wished for. Me? I asked for a Montblanc Rouge et Noir in Coral which I got in July and already reviewed. But I was a very good girl. I put it back in its box and am waiting to open it for real on Christmas day.

In the meantime, however, I wound up purchasing what I consider to be a true Christmas pen due to its vibrant red color: The Namiki Yukari Royale Vermillion.

The Namiki Yukari Royale is a large pen made of brass and coated with Urushi lacquer. The vermillion color is an intense, deep red that simply glows. The artist achieves this glow with a polishing method called Roiro Urushi Shiage (Non-oil lacquer finish). The artist polishes the pen with a special charcoal and then repeatedly rubs raw lacquer over it. The process can take as long as three months. (Source: Chatterly Luxuries).

The pen comes in some very impressive packaging, as you would expect at this price point (see below). There’s an outer golden-hued cardboard box. Inside is a large softwood box stamped with the Namiki logo. When you open this box, the pen and a large bottle of ink are nestled in plush red velvet. It’s a beautiful presentation, and it elicited a happy “ooooh” from me. Normally, I don’t care about packaging, but I appreciate a bit of pizzazz when I buy an expensive pen, and Namiki does pizzazz well.

The pen comes with some paperwork: a warranty card, a certificate of authenticity, and instructions for filling.

This is one elegant pen. It is made entirely of brass coated with urushi. The adornments are limited to a gold clip embedded in the cap (not around the cap) and a circlet of gold at the base of the cap.

The clip is engraved with the Namiki name, and on the top is a lot number.

The pen uses the Pilot Con 70 converter. Although it works well (it’s a push button converter), it is not my favorite filling system, mainly because it is almost impossible to get clean. That said, it is simple to use and it holds a respectable amount of ink (.9ml).

Because the pen is made of brass, it has some heft to it. It weighs 45 grams uncapped, so people who prefer light pens will probably find this pen too heavy. I, however, love the weight. When you pick this pen up, it feels substantial yet it is perfectly balanced. The barrel sits comfortably in the space between your thumb and index finger offering an effortless writing experience.

You can see how thick the barrel of the pen is.

The pen is about 150mm capped and 135mm uncapped. I would not advise posting this pen because it is already so heavy.

Of course, the most important quality of a fountain pen is the writing experience which is largely determined by the nib. This nib is a #20 in single-tone 18k gold with the Namiki logo and Mount Fuji engraved on it. It has a long oval breather hole. On the side of the nib the number 914 appears, which I think means the pen was manufactured in September of 2014.

The feed is red plastic coated in urushi. It is one of the few pens you can get with a matching feed. I love how the vermillion feed lends a unity to the overall aesthetic quality of the pen.

I chose a medium nib because Japanese nibs tend to be much finer than their Western counterparts. The medium writes smoothly with just a hint of feedback, but no scratchiness. The nib is not flexible, but it isn’t hard as a rock either. You can certainly press into it and feel its softness, but it doesn’t create line variation. The ink flows generously from the nib most of the time.

I flossed the nib to create more flow, and that seemed to help. However, sometimes I have to shake the pen a bit to get the ink flowing. I’ve been using Robert Oster Astorquiza Rot in the pen, but I need to try other inks to see if they have better flow. It may be my imagination, but Japanese pens seem to write better with Japanese ink.

One irritating thing I discovered about the Namiki is that when I unscrew the cap, the barrel tends to unscrew as well. I’m not sure what causes that, but I usually have to tighten the barrel before I begin writing.

Though some would say this pen’s design is boring and uninspired, I find it incredibly elegant. Its color is stunning but the pen remains zen-like because of its simplicity. As John Mottishaw writes on Classic Fountain Pens, “Perhaps this is what a haiku would look like if it took the shape of a fountain pen?”

I purchased this pen from Chatterley Luxuries after stewing for a long time over a Danitrio I had ordered previously. Bryant was very patient with me as I tried to decide between the Danitrio and the Namiki. Ultimately, I chose the Namiki and I’m very pleased with this pen. The retail price for the Namiki Yukari Royale is $1200. However, if you go to Chatterley Luxuries, they will email you their price which is significantly less than retail.

Pros

• The Namiki Yukari Royale was a grail pen for me, and it has definitely earned its status in my view.
• This pen is absolutely stunning both because of its gorgeous smokey-red color and simple, elegant design.
• This pen feels amazing. The urushi lacquer warms to your hand, and even though the pen is heavy, it is perfectly balanced.
• The nib is excellent, soft and smooth.
• The converter holds .9ml of ink and is easy to fill.

Cons

• This is a very expensive pen.
• When you unscrew the cap the barrel unscrews as well which is rather irritating.
• The Con 70 converter is difficult to clean.
• I’ve had some flow issues with the pen, but I need to try it with some different inks. It’s just that Astorquiza Rot goes so well with the pen I’ve not wanted to change inks!