Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Retro 1951 Elephant and Rhino Rescue 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.)

Every time I think "I don't really need another Retro 51", they go and do something like the Elephant and Rhino Rescue Ballpoint. Beautiful pen? Check. Great writing experience? Check. Charity contribution that not only tugs at my heartstrings but pulls them out through my tear ducts? Double check.

Here's another edition of the Tornado that takes a quality pen build and turns it onto a work of art--something Retro 51 does so well. The gunmetal grey body has been acid-etched with a geometric elephant and rhino pattern that mimics the look of pachyderm skin. Clever and gorgeous--and functional, as the texture gives the pen excellent grip.

The build also includes the much beloved features of the Tornado--the knurled top with the twist mechanism to deploy the tip, and the sturdy but springy metal clip. The nose cone unscrews to remove the Easy Flow 9000 ballpoint refill.

The ink in the refill is intended as a ballpoint/rollerball hybrid--and I think it achieves that. It has the smoothness and darkness of liquid rollerball ink, but the drier, long-lasting properties of ballpoint ink. It is very smooth and pleasant to write with. I did get some slight smearing on the side of my hand at one point, but I was writing on coated paper and not being terribly careful. Once the ink had a moment to dry, I didn't have any more smearing. If the ballpoint ink isn't to your taste, it looks like the rollerball refill will also work, if you purchase it with a conversion pack--or you can use any parker-style refill.

Best of all, for every pen sold, donations will be made to ERP--Elephants, Rhinos & People--a nonprofit that helps save the endangered Elephants and Rhinos of Southern Africa. You can learn more about their fantastic work at ERP.ngo.

If I'm to find anything to criticize about this pen, I have to pick some nits. Because really, overall, it's swell. But. The texture is a little on the harsh side and can feel a bit sharp in the hand. And I wish they'd put a decorative finial on the top like they do for other special editions. Also, I found it a bit tricky to insert the refill properly. That's probably something the matter with me, rather than the pen, though.

It's a great new addition to the Tornado line. If you're a Retro collector, an animal lover, or a pen addict of any kind, this is one you don't want to miss.

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

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Posted on January 18, 2018 by Sarah Read and filed under Retro 51, Pen Reviews.

Diplomat Magnum Asphalt Gel Pen Review

For me, a big reason that I like any pen is the color and type of material used in the body. In short, this is the aesthetic appeal of the pen, and I would guess that this also drives a majority of pen purchases for other people as well. But, the aesthetic appeal can only carry the pen so far — it also needs to function well as a writing instrument.

The Diplomat Magnum gel pen is a sleek and stylish click pen that features an asphalt gray finish. The finish is a sleek combination of dark gray material with silver flecks mixed in. It's a pretty material that I enjoy quite a bit.

The Magnum also uses a standard Parker-style refill, which is a really good thing since the included refill is quite an under-performer.

When I pick up a gel pen, I usually don't have any concerns about skipping, hard starts, or other issues that typically crop up with ballpoint refills. With the Diplomat, I was bound for disappointment in the refill area.

The gel refill in the Magnum is unlike any others I've used. Picking the pen up and writing with it isn't normally possible without doing a few seconds of scribbling on scratch paper to get the ink flowing. Once the ink starts flowing, the delivery is skippy and inconsistent. If you stop writing for more than 10 seconds, the ink has already dried up and requires more scribbling. All told, it's an incredibly frustrating refill.

The fact that this pen accepts all Parker-style refills really saves its bacon. This is a truly attractive pen that feels good in the hand, and it's also a pretty good value at $20. My only advice is that you need a replacement refill from the beginning if you choose to purchase this pen. There's a chance that the refill I have is a dud, but gel duds usually refuse to write altogether in my experience.

With all this in mind, it's hard to recommend this pen unless you're absolutely in love with the aesthetics. Like I said, it feels great in the hand and operates perfectly as long as you discount the refill performance. Replacing the refill is a must, and this is an extra cost if you don't already have some Parker-style refills lying around.

If you like the style of the Magnum, I suggest you take a look at the Retro 51 Tornado lineup. They're a tad more expensive, but they're better pens that also feature much better refills. Plus, with the wide variety of styles, you're bound to find one that matches your fancy.

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

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Posted on January 17, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Diplomat, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl Special Edition: 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.)

The Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl is a special edition with gorgeous turquoise swirls against a black background. The pen is complemented with palladium accents and a rhodium-plated 18k nib.

Although Pelikan calls the material used for this pen “unique,” they must mean the color, as the material appears to be common acrylic, albeit with a distinctive color and pattern. It is quite striking, especially in sunlight. It exhibits depth and chatoyance, and the color changes from turquoise to blue depending on the light.

Pelikan’s packaging is elegant, although I never know what to do with fancy boxes other than store them in my office closet in case I decide to sell the pen one day. Nevertheless, the wood-grain-like box is sturdy, and inside is a faux-leather envelope encasing the pen. I suppose you could use the envelope as a carrying case if you wanted, but it seems rather flimsy, especially the elastic band. I much prefer Franklin-Christoph’s genuine leather, zippered pen envelopes.

I used to think the M8XX series pens were too large for my hand, but over the years of pen collecting, I’ve been drawn to larger pens. I now find M400s and M600s too small, and I prefer the M800 size. It is 140mm capped, 127mm uncapped, and 165mm posted. It fits perfectly in my hand and it is well-balanced and not too heavy (29 grams). I don’t write with my pens posted, but you certainly can post this pen. I think it throws the balance off, but others might find the extra weight more comfortable.

Like most (if not all) Pelikan pens, the M805 Ocean Swirl is a piston filler. The piston turns smoothly, as you would expect from German engineering. It holds about 1.5 ml of ink. One thing I really love about Pelikan pens is that you can remove the nib easily and thoroughly clean the barrel.

The screw-on cap sports the usual Pelikan beak clip with a palladium ring engraved “Pelikan Souverän Germany.”

The cap finial is different from other Pelikan pens I own in that the birds are etched into a matte silver background. My other Pelikans have shiny finials, but I like the matte finish.

Although you can see some translucence in the cap with you hold it up to the light, the barrel is opaque. So, unlike some of the other Pelikan pens, you can’t really see the ink level.

I ordered a fine nib for my Ocean Swirl. It has Pelikan’s usual gorgeous scrollwork and bird motif.

It writes smoothly. The line is closer to a medium in width, but that’s not a surprise. Pelikan nibs tend to be wider than Japanese ones.

There’s nothing fancy or special about this fine nib—no flex or line variation, but I wasn’t expecting any. I may eventually send this nib off to have it ground into a stub or italic because those grinds make my handwriting look 100% better.

My only disappointment with this pen is the color variation. My pen has two swaths of gorgeous swirly turquoise and two swaths that appear much darker with a little turquoise. (The color difference is much more noticeable when the pen is not in direct sunlight).

*Note the beautiful swirls on this side of the pen.*

*Yet this side of the pen is much darker with glimpses of turquoise.*

I wish my pen had more consistent turquoise swirly goodness than it does. Apparently, this varies from pen to pen. So, if you want an Ocean Swirl with lots of color, I suggest that you purchase it from a brick and mortar store where you can choose a specific pen. Or, if you are ordering online, ask the retailer to send you photos of the Ocean Swirls they have in stock, and pick one with lots of turquoise.

Pelikan recently reduced their prices, which is a welcome change for pen collectors. Whereas last year the retail price for the Pelikan M800 Renaissance was $800.00, this year the M805 Ocean Swirl retails for $650. Actual purchase price varies a bit between retailers. You can purchase the Ocean Swirl from Goldspot Pens for $519.95.

Pros

The Ocean Swirl is a beautiful pen with eye-catching colors. It’s one of those pens you can stare at for a long time just for the sheer pleasure of enjoying the design.
When you buy a Pelikan, you know you’re getting a terrific piston filling mechanism and this pen is no exception.
The M8XX size is a good size for many people. The pen is well balanced and comfortable in the hand. People with small hands may find it too large, but I have small hands and the M800 size is perfect for me.
My nib wrote perfectly, straight out of the box. This is usually my experience with Pelikan pens, but there’s always a possibility of getting a dud. Just make sure you buy from a retailer that can test the nib for you prior to shipping or that has a good return policy.

Cons

My only complaint about this pen is that mine doesn’t have enough turquoise color to it. It has two swaths of turquoise and two swaths of black, and if I don’t screw the cap on just right, the swaths don’t match up, which makes me crazy. I strongly suggest that you ask to see the Ocean Swirl before you purchase it.

(I purchased the Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl with my own funds with a discount from Vanness Pens.)

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