Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Montegrappa Tulip for Team Fox Fountain Pen Review

One of the guiding principles of my adult life is to give back. I am very fortunate to do what I do for a living, and I make it a point to shine the light on others and give back as much as possible. Whether that is as simple as doing a giveaway for readers, linking to a blog post within the community, or supporting a charity - I'm all for it. So, when Ron from Pen Chalet asked me to share the Montegrappa Tulip for Team Fox and the message behind it, I couldn't say yes fast enough.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is has funded over $800 million in research since 2000. As many of you know, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's decades ago, and has been at the forefront of the work to find a cure. In collaboration with Montegrappa, Team Fox helped design a pen whose proceeds support the ongoing research of this debilitating disease.

There are two featured design elements of the Montegrappa Tulip that help tell its story: The color, and the clip. The red and orange barrel are the foundation colors of Team Fox, and paired together in this pen, well, let's just say it is right up my alley. The red is deep, almost brick-like, and the orange is bright, but not overwhelming, making for a wonderful combination.

The star of the show is the Tulip clip. Designed by artist Timothy Johns, a Parkinson's fighter himself, the Red Tulip has long been associated with Parkinson’s awareness. It looks amazing on the red cap and I can’t help but have my eyes drawn to it every time I use this pen.

While this pen has a story to tell, it is also a fantastic writing instrument. I've become a big fan of Montegrappa’s steel nibs since their switch to JoWo, and this extra fine is no exception. It is exactly what I look for: Firm and fine, with clean, crisp lines. The Montegrappa etching on the nib looks great too.

The acrylic barrel has a small added feature that makes a big difference in my mind. The interior of the barrel is fitted with a metal sleeve in the inside back half, giving this pen a more substantial feel in the hand than many other similarly designed pens. In addition, the grip section also has a metal sleeve that the converter screws into. These additions make for a wonderful writing feel.

At $395, this is by no means an inexpensive pen. But what it can provide you in writing experience - along with helping support the fight to end Parkinson’s - is worth it in my mind.

My thanks to Ron at Pen Chalet, Kenro Industries, and Montegrappa for sending this pen to me for review.

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

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Posted on September 30, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Montegrappa, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Yookers Metis Felt-tip 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 so often, you come across a product that seems so obvious and you can hardly believe that it hadn't already been done. While a refillable felt-tip pen may have been done before, I doubt it was done with the style and high-quality materials of Yookers.

I've been using the Yookers Metis pen for the past few weeks, and I'm honestly surprised by how well it works. It's a nicely-built pen that will last forever, and you can also use your own ink and swap out the grip section when the plastic tip starts to wear down or split. Even better, you can order several different size tips so you can easily swap them out in the same pen body. It's an ingenious system and one that I can imagine felt-tip aficionados will adore.

The materials used in this pen feel well made and are also quite a statement. The version of the Metis I have is called "black grid," and it's easy to see why. The black grid is separated by a satin chrome finish on the body, and the accents of the pen are a shiny polished chrome that really catches the light. The clip is sturdy and features some intricate scroll work along the edges that adds to the overall Art Deco aesthetic. The cap is hefty and screws/unscrews from the body with ease. You can also post the cap, but I've found that the extra weight throws off the balance of the pen. Given the dense metal materials used in the pen, this isn't surprising.

Under the cap, you're greeted with more of the same shiny chrome on the grip section, but there's also a unique black cone that houses the felt tip. The black cone adds a sense of precision with the bold white lettering that indicates the tip size. In my case, the "1.4" is unmistakable. Similarly with the other tips you can purchase, you'll never have to squint or wonder what size tip you're using.

One of the headline features of this pen is the ability to refill the pen with ink when it runs out. Additionally, you can also use any fountain pen ink, which opens up the color options exponentially. To make it even better, the grip sections accept a standard international cartridge or cartridge converter as long as it will fit in the body. This is a fantastic feature that gives you the ability to use your favorite colors in a felt tip pen. I currently have mine inked using the converter with Callifolio Pacifique. It's a great combination, and it's great to know that I can easily clean it out and swap in another color.

Writing with this pen is also exactly what you'd expect from any felt tip pen. It makes crisp, smooth lines, and moves effortlessly over the page. You have to be careful to only apply light to medium pressure in order to preserve the plastic tip, but that's the case with any felt tip pen. The bonus here is that you can choose a premium body to house your favorite ink colors and tip sizes. It's a complete dream when it comes to customization.

I've really enjoyed writing with the Yookers Metis over the past few weeks. I don't consider myself a felt tip fanboy by any means, but I can certainly appreciate a good writing experience. This is exactly what the Metis affords, and I'm sure you'll love it if you pick one up and use it for a few minutes.

There aren't really any downsides aside from price and longevity. Obviously, felt tips break down and become unusable over time. You can buy replacements, but the new tip is part of a new grip section assembly, which drives up the cost a bit. At $17 per section, you have to be really invested in this pen platform to make the price work. Disposable felt tip pens are very affordable and available in a wide range of colors, so this might be a hard sell for some. Another consideration is that Yookers has to be around in order for you to purchase grip sections from. If they fold or decide to refresh their product lines, you won't be able to buy any replacements, turning your nice pen into a fancy paperweight after your last tip dies.

Another thing to note regarding the converter filling system is that you can't treat this pen like a regular fountain pen when filling! Instead of dipping the tip of the pen into the ink and drawing the ink up by retracting the converter plunger, you have to add the ink directly to the converter. The tip doesn't allow ink to pass through it quickly enough to draw it up through the converter. I've been using a syringe to draw up ink, fill the converter, insert the converter, and then wait for the ink to soak through to the tip. This waiting process only took a few minutes to reach full saturation. The same wait time would apply if you opted to install the included ink cartridge or another cartridge of your choosing.

At just under $50, the Yookers Metis is certainly a luxury item. It's made well, is a joy to use, and offers great customization for felt tip fans. The ability to choose your own ink color and refill the pen is unique in this category, and it will certainly speak volumes to some. If this pen doesn't speak to you, then you're probably better off with the multitude of disposable felt tip pens available today! And hey, if the Metis doesn't fit your aesthetic, Yookers offer several other designs to choose from. I'm personally a big fan of the orange 751 and the red Eros.

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

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Posted on September 25, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Yookers, Pen Reviews.

Platinum Kanazawa Leaf Red Mt. Fuji Fountain Pen Review

We each have a style that is unique to us, and that translates into the stationery we use. For me, it’s extra fine nibs, silver trim, and bright colors - among other things - that I enjoy the most in fountain pens. So adding something like a Platinum Kanazawa Leaf fountain pen to my arsenal takes a bit more consideration on my part.

Let’s get this out of the way right up front: These pens are downright stunning. I chose the Red Mt. Fuji model, but I could have picked any of them and been happy with the artwork. Kanazawa Leaf is named after the city in Japan which is known for their long history of gold leaf production and craftsmanship. For example, this pen depicts the golden sunrise around Mt. Fuji, which is surrounded by silver clouds. It’s difficult to not stop in the middle of writing and just take in the artwork.

That’s a little bit of the hangup in purchasing a pen like this to be honest. Not that you shouldn’t stop and appreciate the artwork as often as possible, but rather, you can’t let the artwork stop you from using the pen at all.

It took me many years of using fountain pens to be comfortable with actually using them in any and all situations. This goes back to my original Nakaya purchase. I wanted one badly, but it took me years to come to grips with being comfortable using a piece of art that cost a lot of money. Once I got comfortable with using the pen for what it is actually made for - writing - did the anxiety lift from my life.

While the Platinum Kanazawa Leaf fountain pen costs a fraction of a Nakaya, I struggled with the same thoughts. Will I damage the artwork on the barrel? Will that keep me from using it? Is this pen made to be looked at and not used?

No, no, and resoundingly no.

Part of falling in love with a pen is making it yours. The more you use an urushi-finish Nakaya, the more it changes color. It becomes more a part of you. The same goes for the Kanazawa Leaf finish. It will wear with use, but that is a positive in my book. The artwork will always be a story the pen has, but the inevitable change in the artwork through use will be your story. What did you create with this pen? Whats words did you write? What art did you make?

Creating new stories is why it is important for me to use the products I buy.

Wow, that was a really big digression to tell you I am thoroughly enjoying using this pen. It features a lightweight black plastic barrel and an 18k gold nib. It is lighter and thinner than the base 3776 models, and the nib is more plain. I think those decisions were made to keep the overall price down and focus on the artwork. I’m a bit surprised that it lands under $200 to be honest - I would have guessed a bit higher.

As I alluded to up top, black and gold pens are not normally my thing. But this is much more than a black and gold pen. I even used an ink color I wouldn’t normally, because I thought it would work well with this pen. Platinum Classic Forest Black flows perfectly from the fine nib, and matches the aesthetic perfectly for me.

In the end, I’ve found the Platinum Kanazawa Leaf fountain pen to fall into the every day carry category of pens for me. One with a bit extra, at that.

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

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