Tuff Writer Mini-Click Gen2 Pen Review

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

The Tuff Writer Mini-Click Gen2 is a second iteration on the Mini-Click that offers a larger selection of materials from the standard aluminum offerings that were available in the first iteration. The Kickstarter funded back in February, and the rewards are already being shipped to backers. I would imagine that these new materials will be available on the Tuff Writer store in the near future as well.

Among the new materials that were offered, backers had a choice of titanium, copper, and brass for the Gen2 version. Aside from the material options, there were also options for each one that ranged from polished, brushed, tumbled, flamed, and aged. Really, there were quite a few aesthetic decisions to make if you backed this pen!

The version I have today is the Aged Brass Mini-Click. This version went for $96 on Kickstarter, but I would expect a higher price once they're available in retail settings. The Aged Brass looks fantastic. The method they used to age the brass gave it a dark, gunmetal look that pairs beautifully with the black tumbled clip and polished click mechanism.

First off, though, let's talk about packaging. These pens shipped in Tuff Writer-branded airtight cigar tubes. Nice touch. You can even repurpose the cigar tube as a way to protect fountain pens from air pressure changes experienced on airplanes. The more you know!

Upon opening the package, I was met with a pretty strong smell that reminded me of gun polish. Not my favorite smell, but it dissipated with time. I can only detect it when I hold the pen directly under my nose now. There's a faint smell on my fingers after using the pen, but not nearly as noticeable as using other brass or copper pens. Something about the finish on this Mini-Click reduces and masks that oxidation odor.

First thing I noticed about this pen? The weight. Oh boy, this is a hefty pen. Weighing in at a whopping 66 grams, this is something you notice in your pocket. If casually dropped onto a conference room table after you close your notebook, the noise will attract the attention of everyone in the room. It's not a toy!

The weight makes it feel sturdy and reliable, but it's a downside in my book due to the fatigue it causes after a couple of paragraphs of writing. It's just too heavy to hold comfortably. I think I would really enjoy the titanium or aluminum versions better because of this, but they don't have a finish similar to this one. Dilemmas!

The clip is black with a tumbled finish. It's held in place with two hex screws that match the black finish. It's an incredibly strong clip, which is important given the weight of the pen.

The body of the pen features 6 different o-rings in different places. At the grip section, three o-rings are grouped close together to form a surprisingly comfortable grip. Further up under the clip, there are three more o-rings spaced further apart. I'm guessing the functional purpose for these is to provide some needed friction under the grip to ensure the pen is secure. Regardless, it's aesthetically pleasing.

The Mini-Click ships with a black medium Fisher refill. Excellent choice for a tough pen like this, although it does require a unique fitting on the butt of the refill for it to work properly. If this fitting will work on other Parker style refills, then it's fair game in this pen. That means you have many, many options outside of the Fisher.

The click mechanism on this pen is...interesting. On the Kickstarter page, they describe the "416SS Pen Advancing Mechanism" as the best refill advancing gadget that is available today. I'm not really buying into the marketing on this because it resembles the same mechanism used by the majority of other Kickstarter machined pens. If you're a fan of machined pens, you'll probably recognize it. The only difference here is that there are machined grooves around the diameter of the push cylinder, as well as a logo on the top of the push cylinder. Nice touches, but not worthy of the marketing language.

I wish that the marketing language the end of my criticism for the knock. Unfortunately, the copy I have has a significant defect. About 1 time out of 5 clicks, the mechanism becomes stuck in either the "open" or "retracted" mode. It takes a pretty hard press on the knock to recover from this state, and it really frustrates me. It would be one thing if it was a rare issue, but it happens very frequently and is very easy to reproduce. I would imagine that this is an example of a small quality defect that doesn't impact very many pens, but it should have never shipped like this. I've said this many times, and it applies here: when you're paying this much for a pen, this type of problem is unacceptable.

With that out of the way, I don't see it as a crippling issue for the pen. Tuff Writer bills this as a modular pen, which makes it easy to replace any part that breaks or gets lost. In this case, a quick swap of the knock mechanism would likely clear up the issue. Easy fix.

Overall, this is a beautiful, rugged pen that will easily outlive me. It could stand up to some of the most harsh environments without breaking a sweat. The price is fair considering the materials used and the time spent producing the aged aesthetic. Knock issues aside, I think this is a great pen. If I did it again, I'd probably opt for the aluminum or titanium versions to cut down significantly on the weight.

Tuff Writer sells the Mini-Click and many other machined pens on their site, and I would expect these new metals to be available soon.

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

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Aurora Nebulosa Limited Edition Fountain Pen: A Review

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

I don’t swoon often, if ever, but when I saw a photograph of the Aurora Nebulosa, I swooned . . . well, at least I gasped audibly. And I placed a pre-order immediately. Not many pens elicit such a strong reaction in me, but this one did. First, the deep purple auroloide was unlike any material I’d seen from Aurora. Second, the rose gold nib and trim had my mouth watering. I love rose gold, and it complements the purple auroloide perfectly.

I ordered my Nebulosa from Dan Smith who includes a free nib grind with any pen you buy from him. I requested a stubbish italic medium nib.

The pen comes in glorious packaging that almost makes you feel like your money was well spent. I mean, the pen is what matters. But there’s something wonderful about opening a pen that is presented so elegantly. The outer cardboard box protects a heavy black hinged box. When you open that, the pen is presented in all its glory on black satin-like material. There’s a red Aurora seal attached to the clip with a string.

Underneath you’ll fine a bottle of Aurora ink and paperwork.

The Aurora Nebulosa is the 88 model which is a cigar-shaped piston filler. It has a narrow ink window. The top of the cap, piston knob, and pen grip are all black resin.

The clip is Aurora’s elegant ball-tipped clip. The cap ring is engraved with the Aurora name but no other branding.

Because this is a limited edition pen, the cap itself is engraved with the limited edition number (out of 888 models) in pink gold.

The auroloide is absolutely gorgeous. It has flecks of lighter purple mixed with deep, dark purple. It literally glows in sunlight.

I love Aurora nibs, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s rose gold with beautiful Aurora scrollwork.

You can see how a medium Aurora nib looks ground into an italic with this juicy close up:

The Aurora 88 holds a good amount of ink (1.10 ml) and you can use the ink window to see when you’re getting low. Plus, Aurora boasts an ink reserve, so if you run out of ink, you can unscrew the piston knob and get about one page more. The piston mechanism is smooth as silk.

The Nebulosa is 5.4 inches in length closed, 6.20 inches posted, and 5.19 inches unposted. It weighs 21.6 grams. This is not a heavy pen. It feels great in the hand.

Aurora nibs are stiff and don’t have much give or bounce. But they are smooth and wet. My italic definitely has a sweet spot, and as long as I keep it there, the nib writes smoothly and offers a bit of line variation. I inked my Nebulosa with Lamy Dark Lilac. It’s a wonderful combination.

The Aurora Nebulosa is definitely a gasp-worthy fountain pen. You can purchase one from Vanness Pens with a stock nib. The models with EF, F, M, and B cost $805. If you want a BB or factory italic, you’ll pay $895. If you’d like a special grind, you can go to Dan Smith’s site and choose from a variety of nib sizes. The nib grind is included with the cost of the pen.

Pros

• If you want a gorgeous purple fountain pen that is a piston filler and writes great, the Nebulosa fits the bill. This color is simply outstanding.
• The rose gold trim and nib complement the auroloide perfectly.
• Aurora makes their own nibs in house and they are top quality.
• The piston on this pen is smooth and holds a good amount of ink.
• If packaging matters at all to you, you’ll love how Aurora presents this limited edition.

Cons

• Limited edition pens are more expensive than regular offerings, and this one is no exception.
• Folks with larger hands may find the Aurora 88 to be too small and light for their taste.

Cleo Skribent Copper Colour Ballpoint Pen Review

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

Cleo Skribent is a German pen manufacturer that has been in business since the World War II era. While this is my first experience with the company, they're more well known and recognized in other parts of the world. The company focuses on making fine writing instruments of high quality and craftsmanship. If this particular pen on my desk is any indication, the Cleo Skribent brand is well-made and fairly priced.

The Colour line of pens is available in mechanical pencil, ballpoint, and fountain pen versions, but I have a special edition made exclusively for Papier Plume of the ballpoint Colour. The all copper version is a beautiful pen that looks and feels like a well-tuned machine. This version is also billed as the exclusive "antimicrobial" ballpoint pen, which is something afforded by the copper materials. I didn't know this before, but copper (and its alloys) is a natural antimicrobial material. Neat!

If you've ever owned a copper or brass pen (or jewelry, for that matter), you probably know what happens pretty quickly after it comes in contact with your skin: oxidation. Yep, and this pen is no different. You can expect a patina to start developing after a few days of use, though it might take a couple or four weeks to see a drastic transformation. The pace of oxidation also depends on the humidity levels, how often you touch the pen, and the level of acidity in the oils on your fingers. I like the look of a nice patina, but I also love the look of freshly polished copper. It's so bright and golden, but it fades so quickly. Luckily, this pen ships with a small polishing rag for removing the patina. You'll only get a couple of uses out of the rag before needing to replace it, but it does provide an immediate solution for keeping your pen nice and bright.

Now, onto the non-copper aspects of this pen. The pen has a unique shape that provides a nice writing surface on the grip. The top portion of the pen that houses the nock is a bit subdued and reminds me of a Parker Jotter ballpoint pen. It's professional, and doesn't scream, "I'm a custom machined pen." Even though the tip and grip section of the pen do have more of that machined look, it's still a polished, professional look.

The nock is solid, but it's gotten stuck a couple of times while I've been using it. Nothing major, but worth noting. This clip is strong, but also has plenty of give to make it easy to use. Clipping this to your shirt or pants pocket is no problem.

The pen uses a Cleo-branded Schmidt 9000 EasyFlow refill, which is a great choice on their part. The EasyFlow has a dark, smooth ink that makes writing a pleasure.

Writing with this pen is great because of the machined grip area that provides a nice slope and ridge for your fingers to rest against while writing. Even though the body of the pen is completely smooth, I haven't had any issues with the pen slipping out of my grip. Keep in mind that as the patina develops, it will provide a grip surface that offers more texture and grip.

The pen has a small amount of weight, but not nearly as much as I would expect from a solid copper pen. To compare, the Colour weighs in at 31g, a standard Kaweco AL Sport weighs 20g (with short international cartridge, and a Lamy AL Star weighs 23g (with Lamy converter). It's not a heavy pen, but it's on the moderate side. You will notice the weight of this pen after a couple of pages of writing, but it's manageable.

One more thing that is worth mentioning for this pen (and any pen made from copper or brass) is the smell. Copper has a distinct smell that intensifies as it oxidizes, and it's not for everyone. For me, it depends on the task and my mood. Sometimes the smell is attractive, while other time it really puts me off. It's not a huge deal, but something to note for any pen made from these materials.

Overall, the Cleo Skribent Colour Copper edition is a sleek, well-made pen that is comfortable in the hand and smooth on the page. Given the Schmidt EasyFlow refill, you also have many options as far as replacement refills (any standard Parker refill will do) if you run out or decide you don't like it. The Copper edition runs about $90, which is really fair compared to other all-metal pens.

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

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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!