Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Pilot Kakuno Fmaily Series 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. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I love a good theme, and while I don't love having my stationery unnecessarily gendered, these are pretty cute. And cuteness aside, the Pilot Kakuno is a good pen.

It's a pen that's perfect for kids or beginners, but it is also very at home in the collection of experienced Pen Addicts. The low price point and ease of use it offers makes it a great gateway pen for those looking to get into the hobby. It's not too precious to entrust to young writers, and it can be guiltlessly tossed into a pen pouch or backpack without much worry.

The pen body is made out of 85% recycled plastic, and this model is in a lovely transparent pink. There are lots of other colors to choose from as well. The clear body lets you see all the inner workings and even watch the ink flow through the feed, which is always fun.

The cap snaps to close and is shaped to make it easy to remove and also prevents the pen from rolling on a desk. It does post securely. The grip section is slightly shaped to promote a "proper" grip, but it isn't as obtrusive as some brands. It suggests a certain hold, but I can comfortably hold it several ways.

The best thing about the Kakuno, though, and the thing everyone knows it for, is the smiley nib. The family series gives these nib faces characters, all members of a smiley pen family. A dark blue dad, dark pink mom, light blue boy, light pink girl, and green baby. They all have some accessory etched in addition to the smile--the girl pen has a ribbon and long eyelashes. It's cute and also a little creepy in a Stepford kinda way.

Cute or creepy, it writes well. The nib is smooth and the ink from the included cartridge flows well. I wish they came with fun ink colors instead of black, but Pilot Black is a very good black.

This pen costs $12.50, which is quite a bit more than its main competition--the Platinum Preppy, which is also excellent and sells for under $5, AND comes with fun ink colors. The Preppy doesn't stare at you, though--unblinking and smiling, while you write. So if you're into that sort of thing, you definitely need a Kakuno.

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

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Posted on July 14, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Pilot, Kakuno, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Schon DSGN Anniversary Rollerball Pen Review

Q: Is there such a thing as a rollerball pen that takes fountain pen ink?

A: Yes!

Q: Is there such a thing as a good rollerball pen that takes fountain pen ink?

A: Well, …

Fountain pen ink compatible rollerball pens have been around for as long as I have been writing this blog. In general, they have been hit or miss, where “hit” means “passable on a good day.” There have been downright bad ones that I have tested, like the Kaweco Sport Roller and J. Herbin models, plus decent ones that get recommended sometimes, like the Monteverde Engage and One Touch. There has been one great one that has crossed my desk, the Pilot V5 Hi-Techpoint, but it is not easy to find, and not the style of pen many people want.

The issue with the rollerball fountain pen-in my unscientific experience-is that fountain pen ink isn’t as lubricated as other standard inks, which allows the ink to flow smoothly through the metal roller ball tip. Whenever I’ve tested these pens in the past, it has been a dry, scratchy experience. The needle-tip design of the Hi-Techpoint delivers the ink better than the rest, but that design is specific to Pilot.

Other manufacturers, such as Montegrappa, use the Schmidt Cartridge-Rollerball-System PRS tip, as do many smaller makers. That’s the tip used in the Schon DSGN Anniversary Edition, and that I’ve been testing out for months. And you know what? It’s better than expected. That’s why the two Montegrappa pens are the most recommended in this category, and why custom makers are beginning to mix this option into their lineups.

Schon DSGN sent me the full Anniversary kit (fountain, ballpoint, and rollerball fittings,) for review, but this pen is also available in a rollerball-only version. And, already owning several Schon DSGN Pocket Six fountain pens and Ballpoint pens, I wanted to give the rollerball a full go.

The rollerball tip is designed for use with international cartridges and converters, specifically short international in the case of this Schon DSGN model. I chose Graf von Faber Castell Olive Green cartridges for my first attempt, and this ink has been a perfect match.

The biggest concern of this setup is the feel of the tip as it writes on the page. I expected dry and scratchy based on previous experiences, and my expectations were unfounded. The ink flowed well, and I couldn’t feel the metal hitting the paper. The experience is, dare I say, nice. Is it on the level of the Schmidt P8127 rollerball for smoothness? No, but your ink options are essentially endless. I think that is a fair trade.

Now, have I tested this with a wide range of ink types? No. Do I expect all inks to behave as well as this one? Also no. But I don’t have that expectation with my fountain pen nibs, either. GvFC Olive Green is a standard, moderate ink, which fits this pen well.

Outside of the rollerball tip, which is ostensibly what this is a review of, the rest of the Schon DSGN Anniversary Pen represents everything I already love about Schon DSGN pens. The smaller-sized barrel is a great size, the machining tolerances are on point, and brass is a beautiful material for a pocket pen like this that is designed to show wear and tear.

The only question I have when using this pen is to post the cap, or not? It’s a tweener, meaning it’s too short unposted to write for long sessions, and too back-heavy when posted due to the added weight of the brass. For most of my writing with it, I post the cap.

Would I recommend the Schon DSGN Rollerball? Yes. For personal use, I think I would get along with the lighter weight aluminum barrel better, but there is something about the brass patina that makes me keep reaching for this one.

Now, it is time to experiment with inks!

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

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Posted on July 11, 2022 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Schon DSGN, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

My Thoughts on the Lamy Studio

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Just for sh*its and giggles, I decided to write this week’s article entirely with this pen, the Lamy Studio, Terracotta with a steel medium nib. Why? Why not? Don’t worry, I will include a typed version for folks who want to skip the cursive as well as to make it easier to search in the future.

So why did I pick this pen? Because I recently posted on IG that I was going to ink up this pen along with a bunch of others and the Bossman said that “I legit want to know what what you think of the Lamy Studio. Review queue!” So how can I refuse a request like that?

I first saw the Lamy Studio in Imperial Blue at a local office supply store not long after I had gotten into pens. I knew that I liked the nib of my Lamy Safari, so I wasn’t worried about the nib. I absolutely fell in love with the sleek and classic design of the pen as a whole, but it was the “propeller” clip that made me go “oooh”. I don’t know what it is about the clip design, but it just stopped me in my tracks! Sometimes it isn’t as smooth to clip in a binder or shirt pocket (I had to test this out since I never put my pens in shirt pockets), but I don’t care, I like how it looks.

I also like that the Studio is a snap cap pen because it makes quick notes a snap (okay, I’ll see myself out, lol). The matte exterior is also a classy look, though there are some models that have a polished, smooth finish like the Piano Black. Most of the Studios are equipped with a steel nib by default, but some models only come with a gold nib (like the Palladium). Side note: if you ever get a chance, try the gold nib that isn’t the Lamy 2000 nib. It is smooth, slightly soft, and writes like butter. The line width is broader than its steel counterpart, so keep that in mind.

The main thing that people are curious about is the grip because it is metal. Is it slick or slippery? I don’t think so but I generally don’t have issues with metal grips. The grip gently tapers towards the nib so some may find their fingers slowly making their way down the grip. I hold my pens pretty close to the nib in general so there isn’t anywhere for my fingers to slide. If the slick metal grip does bother you, you can get one of the models that has a matte black grip which is not slippery at all (the Brushed Stainless Steel and Studio LX All Black come to mind).

I don’t have a scale with me but the interwebs tell me that the pen with the cap weighs 1.2 oz/31 g and without the cap, it is 0.8 oz/22g. Contrast that with the Lamy AL-Star at 0.8 oz/22g with cap and 0.4oz/12g without the cap. The pen can be posted but it feels a bit too backweighted.

At $99 USD MSRP and a street price of just under $80, the Lamy Studio is a nice fit between budget fountain pens like the Safari/AL-Star and next level pens that cost $100+. It comes in a variety of colors as well, which is one of the reasons that the Bossman and Myke have suggested it as a nice graduation/birthday gift that won’t break the bank. And if you really want to make it extra special, upgrading the nib to the 14kt gold one is well worth the jump in writing experience (which I neglected to say earlier, that it feels nothing like the Lamy 2000 gold nib).

Pros:

Simple, classic style
Affordable, sub-$100 option
Easily upgradeable to gold nib or swap with a different tipping size
I love the clip, though I do know some folks find it unattractive
Nice snap cap

Cons:

Metal grip may be slippery for some
Nothing to stop fingers from sliding towards nib
Fingerprint magnet (I forgot to mention this until I started taking pictures)

One other thing I forgot to mention (this is one drawback to handwriting an article), the Lamy Studio is also available as a rollerball, which isn’t particularly interesting to note. But, the rollerball and fountain pen sections can be swapped, which might come in handy if you found a rollerball in a color you prefer over current fountain pen options. Note that I haven’t tried this myself but it was presented to me as an option when I was hunting the elusive Violet Purple but could only find it as a rollerball.

Alright, I hope you found this interesting and enjoyed seeing/reading a handwritten article but hope you didn’t enjoy it too much because it’s definitely going to be a while before I do this again!

Pen: Lamy Studio, Terracotta Nib: Steel, Medium Ink: Vinta Heritage Brown Pamana Paper: 68 gsm Tomoe River (old)

(The Lamy Studio was purchased by me three years ago - eek! Has it really been that long!?)

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