Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro Ballpoint Pen Review

I had a thing for quality pens and paper growing up. I wanted to write something special with something special. For me, that involved finding the most unique pens and pencils, which was essentially anything my friends didn’t have.

As I got older, my thoughts were the same, but I also became more aware of the world around me, and that meant seeing what others were writing with. From that time period - which pre-dates this blog by a good ten years - two pens became seared into my brain: The Montblanc Rollerball, and the Caran d’Ache Ecridor.

Why these two pens? Because you can spot either of them from a mile away. Montblanc has its snowcap finial, and Caran d’Ache has its classic silver hex barrel. I was always drawn to the Caran d’Ache for its style. The Montblanc seemed boring (ballpoints and rollerballs that is, fountain pens are an exception), and they were everywhere.

It was only recently that I got my first taste of the Ecridor, and it lived up to everything younger me expected of it. First off, the barrel is perfect. Perfect size, perfect weight, perfect balance, perfect feel. The rhodium plating makes it shine, and the guilloche-style barrel design is the icing on a classic cake. Even the knock and clip are recognizable as Caran d’Ache standards.

What is often the kicker for more expensive rollerball and ballpoint pens is the refill. Fortunately, the Caran d’Ache Goliath refill is one of the best I have ever used. My Ecridor shipped with a black medium refill, and I don’t recall having a smoother, cleaner refill in any other ballpoint pen I have tried. Plus, I can write much finer than expected. I didn’t anticipate that at all. I’ll normally switch into a fine blue ballpoint refill as quickly as possible, but no rush with this one.

Adding a classic to your writing arsenal seems like a no-brainer, but this one comes at a price. At $120 it will take some thought to pull the trigger, and some commitment to using it. If that price is out of the ballpark, take a look at the 849 Metal-X series for a similar pen at one-fifth of the cost.

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

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Posted on March 13, 2017 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Caran d'Ache, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Michael's Pens S-Model New York Edition Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

When Brad sent me the S-Model pen, I was immediately struck by the bright blue body and silver accents. It's an attention-getter, and also features some great color combinations. The realm of machined pens is so rich and diverse. It's always fun to try out a new brand or interpretation of the ubiquitous pen. And with all small-batch machined pens, there's always a designer behind the curtain. In this case, Michael.

Michael's Pens is operated out of Indiana, and features some truly unique designs. There aren't any standard stock items per se, but more limited edition creations that are gone after they've sold out. The aesthetic of these pens share a common thread: boldness. When you see one of these pens, you know it's unique and strikingly bold. The S-Model I have is a fairly small contender compared to the other Fat Boy models available. The Teslacoil pens, while a bit busy, send a charming nod to the Tesla coils by way of including coils around the body of the pen above the grip section. The designs are bold, and that means they won't appeal to everyone. But they are so much fun at the same time.

When you get down to it, the pens that Michael offers are mostly made from aluminum, but you'll also see some copper, bronze, and stainless steel. Unlike some machined pens that feature minimalistic design and sparse branding, the S-Model is bold and well marked. There's branding of some kind on every piece of this pen except for the knock mechanism, which you probably recognize from other pens like the Retrakt, EDK, and Mover/Shaker. That's the only similarity between these different pens, though. The S-Model strikes out on its own in every other way.

The body of the S-Model I have is an electric blue with long silver lines grouped in threes down the sides. The lines are shallow grooves that have a nice shimmer. To me, the effect reminds of the Empire State or Chrysler buildings of New York, which may explain the name of this edition.

The grip section features three fat rubber grip bands that provide a surprisingly comfortable area to hold the pen. This is usually a common complaint with metal pens: the grip easily becomes slippery. With these rubber grips, this will never be an issue with this pen. The clip is exceptionally strong, to the point of being difficult to operate at times. But given the weight of the pen and the fact that everything about this pen feels exceptionally well-made and durable, that makes sense.

The cone is a nice size compared to the grip, and features a rubber O-ring on the inside at the top of the threads. I'm guessing that this helps provide a good seal with the section and also prevents it from unscrewing easily on its own.

The S-Model accepts standard Parker-style refills, and they fit perfectly in the body. The tolerances on this pen are all perfectly close and relaxed, adding to the overall high-quality feel of the pen. My pen came with a Monteverde Soft Roll refill, which is exceptionally smooth and consistent. My only complaint about the refill is that it dries out very easily and requires a small amount of scribbling to prime before writing. Since the Parker refill is a large market, you can easily swap in something else if you like.

Writing with the pen is comfortable, and I've been able to use it for long stretches with no discomfort. It travels well, stays put when you clip it to something, and is extremely well built. It features a unique, bold design that pops out at you, which I happen to love. If you happen to see Michael at a pen show, stop by and see what he has. There are a few pens available on his website, but not this particular model.

It's always exciting to check out new pen makers, and I hope to see many more rise up in the future. Give Michael's Pens a test if you have the chance to see them in person. These are well-crafted, well-made products designed and built in the USA with pride.

The S-Model starts at $85 and can be found at Fountain Pen Hospital, along with all of Michael's Pens.

(Michael's Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on March 8, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Michael's Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Juice Gel Pen 1.0 mm, 8-Color Bundle 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.)

This bundle includes eight new bold colors in the 1.0 mm size of the Pilot Juice gel pen. There's black, blue, blue-black, brown, coffee brown, red, green, and burgundy. The colors are lovely and practical--a great set for school or work, but fun to play with as well.

The ink is the much-loved pigment-based, water-resistant gel ink that can write on photos as well as paper. I didn't find the flow to be as good as in the finer-pointed versions. Sometimes it felt a bit dry or viscous, and there would be some build-up on the tip. But I haven't had any trouble with skipping, and the bold lines are nicely consistent. I think the improved ink formula in the Juice Up gives a much better writing experience than the original. But if you like a broader tip on your gel pen, these are still an excellent choice.

The body is clear plastic with a spring-loaded clip, clicky top, and rubber grip. The click, grip, and clip are the color of the ink, which is handy for identification. It is very difficult to tell the difference between the browns and the blues in low light, though.

I love the sturdy spring clip. The whole pen feels quite durable, which is great--particularly because these can be refilled with replacement cartridges. You can even switch to a different tip size or the wetter-flowing Juice Up ink (though I'd find it confusing if the refill didn't match the info on the pen body).

These pens are perfect for those times you need a gel pen but pastels, glitter, or metallics aren't situationally appropriate. But they're also really fun for journal sketches and stenciling. And the smooth tip and rubber grip make them great for longer writing sessions. There are enough fun colors for some color coding and organized note taking, as well as enough businesslike colors to be the old-reliable cup pen that maybe you don't think about as often, but it's always there when you need to sign a form or address an envelope. They're a great addition to the Pilot gel pen lineup.

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

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