Posts filed under Pen Reviews

TWSBI Diamond 580ALR Nickel Fountain Pen 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.)

TWSBI’s, man. When they are good, they are SO GOOD. This pen is so good. I still get nervous about TWSBIs, after having two break and one leak all over, but this one has held up to my rigorous writing routine and has been nothing but gorgeous and reliable. It's gone from purse to pocket to pen case, with nary a crack or drip. It's comfortable to hold, writes very well, and packs enough ink to get me through several weeks of productive writing.

This 580ALR is an update to the existing line of Diamond 580s, with a matte, brushed, grey anodized aluminum. The grip and cap accents are textured with a fine rib that looks neat and helps keep the grip section secure in your hand. The piston mechanism is this same brushed grey. It's a very crisp, industrial look. The only thing that ruins it, I think, is that the clip is still shiny chrome. It stands out in an odd way, when all the other metal accents are matte. I can understand how it would be tricky to specially manufacture a regular component like that, and it likely would have had to drive the cost up, but it would have looked cooler.

The ridged grip feels very comfortable and looks awesome, but the grooves do hold on to dirt, and ink gets in them with every fill. It rinses out, but it will probably always look a little grungy between cleanings.

The cap is clear with a smoky inner lining. Ink can get trapped between the lining and inner cap. There are tricks to removing the lining and cleaning it out, but it can be a pain.

The body is the faceted clear plastic of all Diamond 580s. It's window-clear, and the facets stop it from rolling and look lovely in the light. There are a few places where this plastic screws together with metal parts, so be very careful not to overtighten any of the joins, or you may risk cracks.

The ink chamber in the body holds a whopping 1.95 ml of ink. It feels like it lasts forever. It's perfect for longer projects, writing trips, or for a student who doesn't want to risk running out of ink mid-lecture notes. I'm so curious about how far this much ink will get me that I'm planning to test it out this November during NaNoWriMo.

Like the other 580s, this pen should not be posted. It doesn't work well--the cap is too heavy, it doesn't post deeply enough to stay, and it can risk twisting the piston knob and spilling ink everywhere. Fortunately, the pen is big enough that it really doesn't need to be posted.

The nibs come in EF, F, M, B, and 1.1 stub. Mine is an EF and writes perfectly--smooth with good feedback, a true EF line, with the perfect amount of wetness. The nib unit can be easily swapped and nibs are available separately, so you can change your line width as needed, or replace a nib when necessary.

The whole pen can be disassembled with the included wrench for easy maintenance and cleaning--but be sure to do your homework before you take it all apart. There are some great videos with instructions to make sure you can get it all back together again in working order.

This pen has proven to be an excellent workhorse over the past few weeks. It's such a reliable writer that it gets more attention than my fancier, more pricey pens in rotation, and it's earned more than one compliment when I've used it at work. It's a great blend of the classic and modern advantages of fountain pens. I like this pen enough that it may have cured me of my TWSBI jitters. Of course, its longevity will factor into that. If it survives NaNoWriMo this year, I'll know I've got a winner on my hands.

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

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Posted on September 20, 2018 by Sarah Read and filed under TWSBI, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Faber Castell Loom 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.)

One of my favorite pens growing up was a non-branded rollerball with a twist mechanism and rubber grip section. I don't remember what kind of refill it took, but it was smooth and dark. The internals were brass, which gave the pen a nice weight. It's one of the pens that led me down this journey so many years ago. One of my favorite things about that pen was the color: gunmetal. I was delighted to pull out this Faber Castell Loom and take in the gunmetal goodness that makes up the entire body.

The Faber Castell Loom is a premium fountain pen with a steel nib and snap cap. The particular color/finish I have is a matte gunmetal, which I absolutely love. It's not as hefty as my old pen from my childhood, but it's also not made of brass.

The pen looks a bit chunky when sitting on my desk, mostly due to the thick body and large cap. But when you pick this pen up, you're surprised by the lack of weight. It's much lighter than it looks, and that translates to comfortable writing.

The EF nib is stainless steel and has a surprising amount of flex. While this isn't a flex nib by design, it offers a pleasant amount of give which produces some nice line variation with gentle pressure. The nib writes reliably and with great flow, but it is a tad scratchy. This is something that can easily be corrected with some minor tuning, however.

The nib is also lightly decorated with the Faber Castell logo, the nib size, and some small dots that remind me of filigree.

The grip section is slightly tapered toward the end and also has a few embossed grip rings that provide a surprising amount of comfort and stability. I've used this pen for some longer writing sessions, and it's incredibly comfortable.

The cap is a snap design that feels very secure when in place. It takes moderate pressure to uncap, but not so much that I worry about losing my grip or sloshing ink. Capping the pen produces a nice click/clunk sound. You can also post the cap on the back of the pen, but I feel that the unposted length/balance is perfect for writing.

The cap also has a debossed Faber Castell name and logo. While the name/logo is fairly large, I think it's still pleasing and classy due to the lack of paint. The plain deboss doesn't draw too much attention. The top of the cap also features the Faber Castell logo in a shiny finial that is also part of the clip.

The clip is spring-loaded, but nothing like that of the Lamy 2000. It's strong, but doesn't match up to the perfection of the 2000. Even so, it does a great job of attaching the pen to other objects, and it looks great while doing it. There's a nice arch at the tip of the clip that makes it easy to guide onto a pocket or pouch.

One of my favorite parts of this pen is the end of the body. Instead of a flat surface, the butt of this pen features a beautiful concave design that adds a bit of visual interest to an otherwise boring piece of the pen.

The color of the pen body is a matte gunmetal, and I absolutely love it. It does have a bit of shine, but it's very subdued. The cap is a matte black that compliments the gunmetal perfectly.

Overall, I've really enjoyed using the Loom. I wasn't sure I would like it due to the thick body, but I was proven wrong. The cap also threw me off at first because it's so long and chunky compared to the rest of the pen. At this point, I see it as a design element that I wouldn't change. At just shy of $60, this pen falls into an awkward price point. It has to compete with the likes of Lamy Al-Stars, Kaweco AL-Sports, and TWSBIs without offering any clear advantages to justify the minor bump in price. To me, this is an affordable luxury pen, and if you like the aesthetic, the pen won't let you down.

(Vanness Pens loaned this product to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 12, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Faber-Castell, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Schneider Pen Review, and the Story of Stride Inc.

(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.)

For any given product, there is a lot more to it than just the piece that ends up in our hands. There are people's dreams, designs, ideas, lives, and hard work behind every one of them. I enjoy learning about the people behind the products I use and review, but every now and then there's a story that is really exceptional.

That's the case with Schneider products. What makes Schneider awesome isn't just the products--though those are great, too--but their partnership with an American distributor called Stride.

Stride is a small, woman-owned business (WBE) that is devoted to employing and enriching the lives of adults with intellectual delays. The company was founded by Barbara Brennan and is now run by her daughter Kerry Brennan Bertram. They provide a workplace that emphasizes their employees' strengths and gives them opportunities for advancement within the company.

Stride has partnered with a number of companies, including Schneider, and now all Schneider pens sold in the US are packaged, labeled, shipped, and sometimes assembled by Stride employees. So, when you purchase a Schneider pen, you're also supporting a company that's doing a great deal of good in the world.

If that's not reason enough (it is), those pens you're getting are also awesome products.

The ballpoint pens are called the Slider Rave XB. They're retractable, with a solid, satisfying click. The body is ergonomic and rubberized and the clip is one of the best ever. It's strong, well-anchored, flexible, and wide enough to clip to a thick book cover. The ink is waterproof, fast-drying, and available in black, blue, red, and green. The pen is refillable with the long Slider 755 XB refill. The 1.4 mm stainless steel tip uses Viscoglide Technology, so the pen writes very smoothly, almost like a gel pen. It's a fantastic workhorse pen and should write for a whopping 2.5 miles. I wish I could stash these in every office supply closet in the world.

Another Schneider offering is the Xpress Fineliner. These have the same rubberized ergonomic shape and awesome clip as the Slider Rave, but have a cap closure and the familiar felt tip. The tip is .8 mm and protected by a metal casing. The ink is waterproof and available in red, black, blue, green, purple, and pink. The ink's claim to fame is that it will not dry up even if left uncapped for a few days. These tips really glide over the page and give you a smooth, crisp line. My only gripe is that I wish there were more colors, and then I would want all of them.

Fortunately, when I need a pop of color, Schneider has the Link-it markers. These are a total marvel. It looks like a set of mini-markers--half 1 mm felt tip and half .4 mm fineliner. And it is--but then they transform into a mech supermarker. The back ends have a clever and unique snap system that securely links them together. I've seen markers that link together before, but not like this. They look like normal pen ends, but if you press down the spring-loaded green sleeve, you can see a yellow locking mechanism. This is some really cool engineering and they are way fun to play with. And, as with other Schneider products, the writing experience is fantastic. Both tips write wonderfully and there's a great variety of color. They come in a handy easel stand. The rubberized triangle profile is comfortable to hold so you can color to your heart's content.

Schneider products are also extremely environmentally friendly. They are made almost entirely from bio-based materials, Co2 neutral, and carry the prestigious Environmental Management System (EMAS) verification.

If you want to do good by your fellow humans, your planet, and your pen cup, I'm not sure you could do better that this. I am totally and happily won over.

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

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