Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Montegrappa Game of Thrones Rollerball And Ballpoint 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.)

In their latest themed series, Montegrappa raises a bejeweled goblet to the popular Game of Thrones series with four new pen designs that pay homage to some of the powerful families in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga. Each of the designs is available as a fountain pen, rollerball, or ballpoint.

There's a blood-of-your-enemies red with gold-plate accents for the Lannisters, icy white with palladium for the Starks, regal black with gold for the Baratheons, and black and wine-red for the Targaryens that fittingly looks like it's been through a fire and come out of it even stronger. The colors are fetching and well-suited to the themes and the families they're made to represent.

At the Chicago Pen Show, I got the chance to play with the Lannister rollerball and Targaryen ballpoint models. Are they a bit cheesy? Yep. And also charming and a lot of fun.

They come in some of the best pen packaging I have ever met. There's an outer black cardstock slipcase. Inside that is a great hinged box with the Game of Thrones logo and the coat-of-arms of many of the great families of Westeros. The illustrations and colors are fantastic, and the box feels sturdy. Inside there's a lovely soft pen bed with a strap. The strap didn't do much to secure the pens--it's too loose and doesn't fit around the area where the clips are located. So I had to be careful carrying the box so that the pens didn't jiggle around too much inside. The Montegrappa name is engraved into the fabric of the lid. The bottom board comes out to reveal a compartment with the themed guide book. You could also store suspicious documents or a variety of poisons there.

The Targaryen ballpoint has a black lacquer body with wine-colored filigree pattern accents. The nose cone, center band, finial, and clip are dark bronze. The clip is molded in the shape of a dragon's head, the center band has the Game of Thrones trademark, and the finial is engraved with the three-headed dragon of house Targaryen and their words: "FIRE AND BLOOD". I didn't want to test this on borrowed pens, but I suspect the finial might serve as an excellent wax seal stamp--for when you need to keep any spiders or little birds out of your correspondence.

The pen twists to deploy the ballpoint cartridge. It's a Parker-style refill, so while it comes with the Montegrappa brand refill, you can easily replace it with your favorite brand. Which I would likely do, because this refill stopped writing for me every few words. When it was writing, it was fairly smooth and had a nice line--but I had to do the scribble-to-restart-it trick three times over the course of a fairly small writing sample. It's possible this individual refill is a dud, but since the pen takes a nice standard size, I don't consider that much of a ding against the pen itself. There are plenty of refills one could put in this very regal pen.

I do have a few issues with the ballpoint, though. For one, it is a little difficult to hold. It's broad and heavy, and the lacquer is slippery. My fingers kept sliding down the tapered nose. It wasn't terribly comfortable to write with. I do have very small hands, though--so this may not be an issue for others. Also, the clip is stiff and shallow. I didn't find it to be functional as a clip, but it does make a very attractive roll-stopper.

The Lannister rollerball pen is bright red with subtle gold scrollwork on the lacquer. It has 18k gold-plated accents on the finial, cap band, clip, and grip section. The cap band has the Game of Thrones trademark, the clip is in the shape of a lion's head with a long mane, and the finial has the lion rampant with the Lannister words "HEAR ME ROAR". The cap twists off. There is a long gold grip section that I found to be quite comfortable to hold. The pen does post, but becomes much too heavy for me when it is. It's still quite heavy even unposted. Unless you're Gregor Clegane, these pens are, I think, better suited to jotting a quick note to send by raven or adding your newest heir to the family records--but maybe not for writing lengthy declarations of fealty or 900-page books.

The clip on this pen has the same issues as the Targaryen pen--it's just not designed for effective clipping. It's designed more for intimidating your family foes into abandoning their principles and swearing loyalty to your corrupt lineage. I haven't been able to test that feature, but on first impression, I bet it works.

The refill in the rollerball is the Montegrappa brand, though it looks like it will take a variety of possible refills. The stock refill worked very well for me, though. It was smooth and never skipped and laid down a nice dark line.

These are definitely fun statement pens--especially if the statement you need to make is "I am the one true ruler of the Seven Kingdoms". If your plans involve world domination, you're going to need one of these sticking out of your shirt pocket or prominently displayed on your desk--right next to the strands of severed ears of those who dared to oppose you. Or next to some nice stationery--depends on which pen you choose.

If you're a fan of pens and a fan of the books or show, these are pretty delightful. They're just the right blend of a practical tool with a strong playtime factor. They are on the expensive side. Retail price for the ballpoint is $295 and the rollerball is $325. At those prices, even as a life-long fan of the books, these aren't something I would buy for myself. But if I were sacking an enemy city and happened across one, I wouldn't toss it into the fires of conquest. I'd likely pass it down my family line as a bit of nice treasure. Like a cool sword, but mightier.

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

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Posted on May 18, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Montegrappa, Game of Thrones, Pen Reviews.

Morning Glory Mach Campus 0.28 mm Review

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

Ultra-fine point gel pens are pretty common and accessible today. While I typically don't drop down below a 0.38mm point myself, it is fun to try out the micro points that are available today. And while these are fairly prevalent in the gel pen category, the same isn't true for the rollerball category. A few years back, a new player in the rollerball game was introduced: the Morning Glory Mach 3 line with their 0.38mm tips and fun colors. These are fun pens in their own way, but the Mach Campus is the same pen taken a bit further. At 0.28mm, it's definitely the smallest rollerball I've used. And, as long as you're careful with the amount of pressure you use when writing, it's a smooth, fine line.

I'm not sure how long the Mach Campus line has been around, but it's generally the same pen as the Mach 3, minus the large array of color options. The Mach Campus has several fun body colors to choose from, but just the standard black, blue, and red ink colors. Like the Mach 3 line (which is all 0.38mm), the Mach Campus line is entirely 0.28mm. These rollerballs are for those of you who want a small, crisp line out of your pen.

Apart from the name on the side of the barrel, it's hard to distinguish these two pens. But, you can definitely tell which is which once you start writing. The 0.38mm version is much more forgiving than the 0.28mm version when it comes to smoothness and scratching the paper. The 0.38mm glides effortlessly on smooth paper, and has occasional issues on rougher papers. The same isn't true of the 0.28mm — you have to be more mindful of the pressure you use when using this pen. If you use a light touch when writing, it's a smooth writer — it definitely doesn't feel like a 0.28mm point, that's for sure. But, if you press down too hard, the pen will feel scratchy, and in the worst case, it will also tear or cut the paper.

After a bit of practice, I easily grew accustomed to this pen and found it really enjoyable to write with. That being said, I only wrote in small characters instead of my normal size handwriting. There's something about a point this small that just makes it difficult for me to use normal-sized characters. I don't think that's due to pen, but more my sub-conscious.

One of the best features of both lines from Morning Glory is the ink. It's dark, smooth, easy-flowing, and reliable. The edges of the line remain sharp provided you are using decent paper that doesn't promote bleeding. The blue is on the darker side, but has a rich, interesting color that jumps off the paper due to the crisp edges. When I look at a page that's been written with this pen, it reminds of looking at a Retina display for the first time. Super sharp!

The grip on the Mach Campus, like its cousin, is textured and comfortable when writing. The entire pen is plastic and disposable, but it feels well made and sturdy. At just under $2.00, it's a great deal for a disposable pen. I really wish they offered refillable versions with higher grade bodies, but these do just fine as-is.

There is a lot of text and branding printed on the body and cap of this pen, but it's as subtle as can be given the amount that's crammed in. This is fairly common for the price range, and it doesn't bother me. That being said, it doesn't really give off an executive vibe.

Overall, the Mach Campus by Morning Glory is a fantastic micro-rollerball that performs extremely well. It's an incredibly fine line, but still manages to be a smooth writer as long as you remember to use light pressure when writing. For the price, just throw a couple in your cart the next time you place an order. These pens are fun and useful to keep on hand.

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

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Posted on May 17, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Morning Glory, Pen Reviews.

Nemosine Singularity Aqua Demonstrator Fountain 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 Nemosine Singularity is an entry-level fountain pen from a new (to me, anyway) pen company that has a lot going for it. It's not often that we see newcomers to the entry-level game, so this is always exciting. But, it's also difficult to break into this level of fountain pen due to the excellent options already available.

The Nemosine Singularity is just a hair under $20 on JetPens, and you have a fairly good range of options between color and nib size (including an intriguing 0.6mm stub option). While the "gift box" aspect of this pen is a joke, the rest of the pen holds up well against expectations.

On first unboxing this pen, I had similar thoughts and assumptions as when I've purchased $6 fountain pens on eBay from a Chinese manufacturer. There's no flash or pizzazz in the packaging, and the experience is fairly boring. That's fine as long as the pen lives up to the unbelievable price. In the case of the Singularity, the presentation should be improved upon due to the surprisingly great quality of the pen.

This pen reminds me a lot of the Monteverde Artista. While it looks like that pen is being retired from JetPens, it is a great all-round pen for general writing. The Singularity is cheaper, has more nib options, and performs very closely with the Monteverde. I was impressed when I first tried it out.

At $20, you're up against a couple of the best budget fountain pens out there: the Pilot Metropolitan and Kakuno. After the $30 mark, you're in Kaweco, Lamy, and TWSBI territory, so let's leave them out for now. When you compare the Metropolitan and Singularity, the features are very similar. They both come with converters and cartridges, and they're only $5 apart. When comparing these, it really comes down to your own preference. Do you want a professional pen with classy accents? The Metropolitan is the best choice. Do you like how demonstrators look, or do you prefer plastic-body pens? The Singularity is a better option.

The build quality of the Singularity is better than I expected. While it's lightweight, it doesn't feel cheap or fragile. This pen can deal with some abuse, although it will show scratches. The clip has moderate strength and the threads feel precise and well-made.

Moving on to the grip and nib, it keeps impressing. The grip is a black plastic, and it fits my hand perfectly. This combined with the light weight make it ideal for longer writing sessions. The particular model I have uses the medium nib, and it writes like a dream. It's a bit on the wet side, but that's something I expect and want from a medium nib. It never stutters, skips, or has a hard time starting, and it's as smooth as can be. It's a steel nib, but it has a good amount of flexibility that can provide some minimal variation with the right pressure applied.

I'm not sure where the nibs are sourced, but they do say "Made in Germany" on the bottom. Also, the decoration on the nib is classy and pleasing. It's not a plain nib, but it isn't chintzy either.

The included converter does feel cheaper than the pen, but it's worked great so far. One minor complaint I have about this converter is that it has a small ball inside to keep the ink moving around. Other converters use this same method, and the noise that the ball makes inside the converter when you move the pen around has always bothered me. I'm not sure why it's there when other converters do just fine without it. Like I said, it's a minor niggle.

Overall, I've been really impressed by this budget newcomer. It feels well-built while also remaining light, it writes like a dream, and it costs less than $20 (barely). I can see this being a perfect recommendation for people who want to spend 20 bucks on their first demonstrator. For me, it will be a common tester pen for different inks since the nib performs so well.

The Nemosine Singularity is available in Onyx, Aqua, Azalea, and Demonstrator colors from JetPens. You also have an option of EF, F, M, B, and 0.6mm stub nibs. The stub looks particularly interesting!

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

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