Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Lamy Safari Powder Rose Rollerball Pen Review

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

Every year, it's exciting to see the limited edition colors and options that companies roll out for their various product lines. In the case of the Lamy Safari line, we have the lovely Powder Rose color, which is a light, light pink that has no trouble sparking a smile. While I'm normally more of a fountain pen user when it comes to the Safari line, I have to admit that the rollerball version is a close contender to which I like more. I'm not stranger to the Lamy M63 rollerball refill, but it has been a while since I've used one.

The Lamy Safari Powder Rose Rollerball is the latest in my Lamy collection, and I've been really enjoying my time with it. With as awesome as fountain pens and inks are, I have to sometimes force myself to use other pens. With the Safari, it's been a really easy task. The grip section is completely familiar to me since it is identical to the fountain pen Safari, and the weight and handling are also instantly recognizable once it's in my hand. If you've ever used a Safari, I imagine the same will be true for you — it just feels right. Similarly, if you've used a Safari and didn't care for it, the same will hold true here as well.

Aside from a few minor differences from the fountain pen version (like the single notch in the top button of this pen versus the cross-hatch notch button in the fountain pen cap), the rollerball variant is a strong performer. The rollerball refill that Lamy use in this pen is a behemoth — there's just so much ink in here. While you might think that it will last a really long time, don't forget that this is a liquid rollerball refill, which tends to go pretty quickly compared to ballpoint or even gel refills. Still, the extra capacity in this refill is definitely appreciated — especially considering the price. At $5 per refill, it's a little on the expensive side, but not by much considering the brand and the size. It definitely lasts a long time, but that price is still a little cringe-worthy.

Mostly, I've been really happy with the rollerball refill, but there are plenty of times where I'm also wishing to replace it with a trusty Schmidt P8126 or similar refill. Why? Well, the M63 does have some issues with skipping mid-line. To its credit, it usually starts writing like a champ, with zero stuttering no matter long it's gone unused. But, it suffers from an unpredictable issue that causes the line to skip or disappear entirely, meaning you have to scribble somewhere to clear whatever blockage or issue that is causing the skip. It always recovers, which is great, but it's something I wish didn't exist in the first place, especially considering the price of the refill. For example, the Schmidt P8126 is similarly priced, but it operates like a charm. You get a similarly bold and smooth line, but none of the skipping issues that the Lamy exhibits. Like I said, the Lamy refill mostly behaves, but the skipping occurs a little too frequently for my tastes.

Everything else about the Safari rollerball is perfectly in line with the rest of the Safari line. The build quality is fantastic, the color is gorgeous, and the cap and clip system are strong and secure. If I had an abundance of extra obscure refills, I'd definitely try to find a replacement for this one! But I'm not getting my hopes up as this is a unique length for a refill — especially a rollerball. If only the quality and dependability were just a little higher on the M63!

The Lamy Safari Powder Rose Rollerball is available from JetPens for $20 as a limited edition color. If this is your thing, grab one before they're all gone!

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

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Posted on June 26, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Lamy, Safari, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

PenBBS 309 Piston Filler in Mojito: 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.)

A few weeks ago, I reviewed my first PenBBS: model 350 in silver with a rollerball adapter. I was so impressed with that pen that I decided to visit the PenBBS store on Etsy. I wound up buying two pens. The one I’m reviewing this week is model 309, which is a piston filler.

The pen comes in a nice magnetic closure black box. It’s really a rather nice presentation box for a pen priced under $25.00.

I chose the Mojito color because I don’t own many green pens and I liked the happy, spring-like color. I inked it with L’Artisan Pastellier Vert Moyen (Irish Green), which makes for an excellent match.

This pen is simple, but quite striking. The transparent green acrylic allows you to see the piston mechanism, the ink level, and the nib clearly.

The finials on the cap and barrel are cone-shaped, which gives the pen a more unique look--it’s neither a rounded cigar nor a flat top.

The cap has a stainless steel clip and a large cap ring engraved with “PenBBS” and the model number with the logo in between.

What makes this pen especially nice is the fact that it is a piston filler. It holds a good amount of ink (I’d say around 2-3ml), the piston operates very smoothly and fills the pen to capacity.

PenBBS pens come only in fine and sometimes medium widths. This pen has a fine steel nib with scrollwork that enhances the look of the nib. It writes smooth and wet, especially for a fine nib. I’ve encountered absolutely no issues with it--no hard starts, no skipping, no blobbing. As I mentioned in my other review, PenBBS nibs have an upturned point which makes them look a little bit like fude nibs.

The pen is small, but it’s not pocket sized. Capped it is 5.7 inches/145mm, uncapped 5.2inches/131mm, and 6.3 inches/160mm posted. It’s definitely post-able, but the cap is heavy enough to make it a bit unwieldy posted.

I’ve been using this pen for several weeks, and I remain impressed. The pen is very comfortable in the hand and is excellent for lengthy writing sessions. Even when it’s been unused for a few days, it starts right up. Although I usually like to write with broader nibs, this nib is so smooth and carefree, I plan to use it as one of my grading pens. Green is an excellent color for marking papers--it’s so much less threatening than red.

The only concern I have about this PenBBS model is its longevity. Will it keep working well for years to come? Or will the piston eventually get stuck or the acrylic crack? I’ve read that the pen is easy to take apart, so if the piston does get stuck, it should be easy to remedy. I am interested to see how well this pen holds up over time. For now, this pen is definitely a keeper.

You can purchase the PenBBS 309 directly from the Etsy store. When I checked today, only two Mojitos were left in stock, but there are plenty of other colors in this model from which to choose. At $22.99 (prices vary depending on the color of acrylic you choose) plus shipping, this is an absolute steal. And shipping from Japan is incredibly fast.

(I purchased this pen with my own funds.)

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Posted on June 21, 2019 by Susan Pigott and filed under PenBBS, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Platinum Procyon Citron Yellow 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.)

The Platinum Procyon is an aluminum fountain pen with a matte finish. It is packaged in a black box and comes with one blue cartridge but no converter. My pen also came with three special “commemorative colors:” aqua emerald, dark violet, and gold ochre. These are mixable colors, but I’m not sure how you’re supposed to mix ink that comes in cartridges. Regardless, the commemorative colors will be available only while supplies last.

The screw-on cap is adorned with a chrome clip and band. “Procyon” and “Platinum Made in Japan” are printed on the cap in silver lettering.

Although the cap and barrel are made of aluminum, the grip is a smoky black, semi-transparent plastic. I like the plastic grip because my fingers don’t slip as easily.

The fine stainless steel nib is quite plain--no scrollwork or fancy styling. There’s only a letter “P” and the nib size on the face of the nib. It looks very similar to the nib that comes on the $4.00 Platinum Preppy.

As is typical of Japanese nibs, the fine writes more like an extra fine. So, if you prefer a Western-size fine, you’ll want to order a medium. The nib is smooth-ish, but because it is so fine, it sometimes catches the paper on upstrokes. It’s also rather noisy, which surprised me. I don’t know if the aluminum barrel conducts the sound or if it’s just a characteristic of this steel nib, but the scritch-scratching of my writing was quite noticeable. Usually, I enjoy the sounds of a nib on paper, but this was actually rather distracting.

The pen is medium sized, measuring 5.5 inches/140mm capped, 4.7 inches/119mm uncapped, and 6.1 inches/155mm posted. Overall it weighs 24 grams, but uncapped it weighs only 13 grams. Posting is certainly possible, but because the cap alone weighs 11 grams, it throws the balance off considerably. The grip is a very useable size (10.3mm)--not too skinny or too fat.

You can get the Procyon in several different colors: Deep Sea (a dark navy blue), Turquoise, Persimmon Orange (a muted orange), Porcelain White, and Citron Yellow. I thought I saw a photo of a matte black Procyon, maybe on Instagram, but I can’t find any references to one on the Internet.

The Platinum Procyon costs $53 at JetPens, which I think is a little overpriced, especially since it does not come with a converter and the nib is so basic. But, if you want a stylish pen with good heft, a screw-on cap, and a simple steel nib, the Procyon might be a good fit for you. I suggest adding a Platinum converter ($8.25) to your cart so you can use bottled ink with it.

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

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