Ink Links

– Be sure to enter JetPens Facebook Giveaway, where you can win a $50 prize pack plus a chance at a $25 gift certificate!

– Fountain Pens, Hand Fatigue and Long Sessions (An Inkophile’s Blog)

– Celebrating My Birthday in the Pen Aisle (Rachelskirts)

– Coast LED Lenser- LL7590 Write & Light Pen Flashlight (Multi Pen Dimensions)

– Muji Aluminum Round Fountain Pen (No Pen Intended)

– Don't Get Shouped (From Grind to Whine)

– Rotring 600 vs Rapid Pro (Saarer.com)

– The New Yorker on the Blackwing 602 (BoingBoing)

– Doane Paper arrives at our first Japanese Official Outfitter (Doane Paper Feed)

– Review : Kum PenCut Pen-Style Scissors (Pensandmore)

– Comparison: Micro Tips Pilot Hi-Tec C vs. Uni-Ball Signo DX (Gourmet Pens)

– Pilot Down Force .7 (Economy Pens)

– Pilot Frixion Ball 0.7 (Penfan.ru)

– September Carnival of Pen, Pencil, and Paper (A Penchant for Paper)

– New Arrivals (PencilWrap)

– CamiApp Lets You Digitize Notes On Paper Notepads With Your Smartphone (TechCrunch)

– What does handwriting have to do with Steve Jobs? (Strikethru)

– Some new pens (Deadend Detour)

– Pens and Buckles (Projects)

– The Uni Kuru Toga 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil (Rhonda Eudaly)

– Ink is the new black (Leigh Reyes)

– New Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens (Drawing with a Squirrel)

– Restocking Time! (Good Pens)

Lamy Logo Fountain Pen Review

This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.

Lamy is a German company with a long history of making stylish and practical pens. Their lower end pens (like the AL-Star and Safari) are excellent and durable daily writers, but the Lamy Logo eschews the larger body styles of these pens for a slimmer, more elegant design. Writing comfort and performance aren’t affected, though. This pen is a definite eye catcher and I received several compliments on it when I took it to school. The fit and finish are perfect and the spring clip only reinforces the quality that Lamy has perfected over its storied run as one of Germany’s top fountain pen makers.

Smoothness: The Lamy nibs run wide compared to Japanese nibs, so this M writes like a B. It is smooth and is a good, stiff nail to push through carbon copies with. There is a little squeak and sound of the nib on paper, though. All Lamy nibs have this, so this is a manufacturer trademark.

Grip and Balance: The textured metal fore section is nice to hold, but the pen can seem a little slender for folks with larger hands. The balance when posted is excellent and the metal body doesn’t feel so slippery. For daily writing, the good balance will reduce fatigue.

Ink Flow: A solid, steady 0.8mm line. No skips or blotches. Flow was good from the start.

Build Quality: German quality, all the way. Solid threading, good heft and a superior clip with a SPRING in it. You will really enjoy just looking at and holding this pen to admire its quality.

Capacity: Take Lamy-specific cartridges or a Lamy converter (not the one that fits the Al-Star!)

Clip: The best clip on any fountain pen has a spring. This has a spring. This is the best clip on any fountain pen!

Post: Posts securely to a plastic nub on the back end. Although the post is shallow, it’s tight and the cap won’t fall off while writing.

Overall: If you’re into German engineering, this pen is excellent value for the money. Although I prefer Lamy’s EF nibs to Ms, the smoothness and feel of this pen is too good to pass up. I used Lamy Blue in cartridges for this review, but with a converter, you can check out their Blue Black and Red which are two highly regarded colors. A strong recommend on this one!

Quick Hit: Kaweco Sport Classic

This post is by Lou Rinaldi, who can also be found at cfug.org and on Twitter @LouRinaldi.

Kaweco Sport Classic Fine Nib + Rhodia No. 12 Graph Pad

I'€™m a firm believer in maximizing utility. Perhaps that'€™s why I shied away from fountain pens for so long. They always struck me as overly fancy instruments that tethered the writer to a desk. This pen completely changed my mind! Form follows function here, no doubt about it. It writes smoothly, is lightweight and is perfect for carrying around all day in a pocket. Bravo, Kaweco. You'€™ve made a believer of me!