Lamy Al-Star Fountain Pen Black Limited Edition Giveaway

The Lamy Al-Star Black Limited Edition fountain pen is now available at JetPens, and to mark the occasion, I am giving one away to a lucky reader.

I try to make it as simple as possible for you to enter my giveaways. Here is all you need to do:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now and Saturday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is limited to US residents only.

2. For this contest, I will pick one winner at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

3. The contest winner will be posted on Sunday, July 21st. The winner will have one week to email me via the Contact link at the top of the page.

Thanks and good luck!

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 63 - Electric Shock Treatment

In Episode 63 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I discuss a recent TechCrunch article on the Kickstarter pen phenomenon and also look at a current Kickstarter project that may be a little bit ambitious. I also talk about my first 14k nib Sailor Fountain Pen and Myke and I make suggestions on how to fix the pen aisle at big box retailers.

Show Notes & Download Links

Would individual pen packaging work for big box retailers?

Pilot Prera Clear Body Fountain Pen - Calligraphy Medium Nib Review

Well, it looks like I am officially a stub man.

When I first started using fountain pens I was content with European EF nibs like those found in the Lamy Safari. Then I discovered what the Japanese had to offer nib-wise, setting the hook deeper. While those Japanese ultra fine nibs are my daily writers the lure of the stub nib has reeled me in. And, like my standard nibs, the finer the better.

The Pilot Prera is a pen that has been around for years. It is known for its quality build, great feel, and excellent value. I have three solid color barrels that make it into the rotation from time to time, but only when the calligraphy medium (CM) nib came out did I pick up a Clear Body model from JetPens.

Compared to many other fountain pens the Prera is lighter and smaller. It still fits the bill as a full sized fountain pen, albeit near the small end of that chart. This makes it extremely portable, which is one of the main reasons I enjoy it so much.

This review is all about the stub nib though (calligraphy, italic, and stub are not necessarily interchangeable - I use "stub" in the general sense). Checking in at approximately 1.1 mm, the nib is as firm as a nail and writes a wonderfully sharp, yet smooth, line. I talk all the time about finding the proper tools to suit your handwriting style and I have found that stubs fit me perfectly.

My collection of stub nibs is growing fast, and I am searching for more in the 0.9 mm and smaller range. Do any manufacturers have stock nibs in that range, or am I looking at custom only?

Pro Tip: If you like the idea of the Prera CM but not the price tag you can get the same nib in the Pilot Plumix for under $8.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)