Exotic Leather Pen Cases From Tom Barrington (Sponsor)

Red Stingray Double Pen Sleeve.

Do I have your attention yet? Tom Barrington sells beautiful exotic leather pen cases, and should be on your radar this holiday season.

Tom has several different models available to suit your pen carrying needs, including single and double pen sleeves and top flap cases. The range of colors are amazing as well, from basic Brown and Black Ostrich, to bright Orange and Forest Green Stingray, and several colors in between. The Tan Crocodile double pen sleeve looks especially nice.

All leather exteriors are genuine, and each case is lined with Napa cowhide for an added layer of protection. They hit every price point for your gift giving needs, and have many other accessories such as wallets and phone cases as well.

My thanks to Tom Barrington for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Pen Addict Members Are 400 Strong!

I didn’t know what to expect when launching Pen Addict Memberships this past January. It was uncharted territory, although I was certain at least a few of you would come along for the ride. Hitting 400 members by November of the first year has exceeded my expectations - by a long shot!

This post is a big THANK YOU to everyone who has put their faith in me over these past 11 months. It is also a chance to share with those who are considering joining what Pen Addict Membership is all about.

The most common question I see is “What do I get for my money?” First and foremost, your money goes to supporting me, this site, and everything that goes into running it. Stationery is my life, and my job, and your direct support allows me to do this. I always want to be upfront about that.

Members get something tangible in return, too. Each week I publish Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter. This newsletter contains extra content not found on PenAddict.com. I usually start off with my commentary on a pertinent topic, a bit of editorializing, or a unique product review that I haven’t covered before. I follow with a big batch of Ink Links, where I share articles and images, and provide commentary on each. I also provide pen show trip reports, answer member questions, give sneak previews of products, offer discount codes to the shop, and much more.

I put hours and hours of work into Refill each week, and I think it shows. Members seem to think so too. It is the core of being a Pen Addict member.

Are you interested yet? I hope so! Membership comes in two flavors: $5 per month, or $48 per year (save $12!). It would make a great gift this holiday season as well for your favorite pen addict, or even yourself.

You can find the full details - including a sample of Refill - and join on the Pen Addict Memberships page. I’m happy to answer any questions you have in the Comments section below, or via the Contact Page.

Thank you for an amazing year, and watch out 2017!

Oldwin Art Deco Fountain Pen in Bleu Automne: 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.)

When I went to France last March, one of my objectives was to visit the Mora Stylos shop in Paris. Unfortunately, the only day we were near the shop was a Sunday, and they were closed. I would have loved to buy a pen directly from Monsieur Mora, but it was not to be.

So, this fall, I began shopping for a pen on the Mora Stylos website. I decided on a beautiful celluloid called Bleu Automne in the Art Deco Oldwin style. The only nib choices were fine and medium. I chose a fine nib.

The pen took a little over a week to arrive from Paris. A letter from Monsieur Mora was enclosed and the pen was in a simple black hinged box.

Talk about “oh la la!” I audibly gasped when I opened the box. Inside was an enormous pen in the most gorgeous celluloid I’ve ever seen. Bleu Automne is a combination of deep blue with golden and white swirls. The gold swirls sparkle in the sun. It is simply stunning.

The pen is large at 150mm capped and 135mm uncapped.

It’s really too large to post, though I suppose one could. Even though the pen is big, it isn’t heavy because the celluloid is light material. That said, the celluloid feels much more substantive than acrylic, and it warms to the hand.

The body details on this pen are exquisite. The cap and the bottom of the barrel are each encircled with a thin gold band. Then there are graduated steps leading to the slightly rounded finial and barrel bottom.

The bronze-plated clip inserts directly into the cap (there’s no clip ring). It’s a simple, rectangular clip inscribed with “Oldwin.”

The pen is a cartridge/converter and comes equipped with a Waterman converter. It holds a decent amount of ink.

The 18k nib on this pen is gigantic (German size 7) and glorious. It is decorated simply with the words “Oldwin” and “Paris” along with the gold content near the base.

Measured in millimeters

This shiny piece of solid gold sits atop an enormous feed.

The pen writes smoothly with a tiny bit of feedback. It has a softness to it, but it certainly doesn’t flex, and I wouldn’t call it “springy.” It’s a very responsive nib and is a delight to write with.

When I first received the pen, I discovered four parallel scratches on the nib. I’m still not sure what caused them, though I suspect they came from the clip screw inside the cap.

I notified Monsieur Mora about the problem, and he accepted the pen back for repair. He replaced the nib and fixed whatever caused the scratches. He shipped the pen back to me free of charge and even reimbursed me for the postage I paid to send him the pen. I call that excellent customer service.

The pen is now perfect and, I have to say, it is one of the most beautiful pens I own. Of course, handmade pens like this come at a price. My pen cost over $500, but I am very happy with my purchase.

If you ever visit Paris, I encourage you to visit Mora Stylos at 7 Rue de Tournon. It’s not too far from Shakespeare and Company.

Otherwise, you can view pens for sale on the Mora Stylos website. Just be careful! You’ll want to buy them all. Ils sont magnifiques!

Pros

• The Oldwin is a hand-crafted, gorgeous oversized pen from Paris.
• Bleu Automne celluloid is unique and incredibly beautiful.
• The pen is well balanced even though it large.
• The solid 18k gold nib is enormous and beautiful in its simplicity. It is a smooth, responsive nib.
• Mora Stylos offers excellent customer service.

Cons

• The pen is a cartridge/converter. For this size of a pen, it would be nice to have a piston or eyedropper option.
• Mora Stylos pens are quite expensive, as you would expect.
• Because the shop is in Paris, if you need repairs, you have to send it there. That is time consuming, but André Mora stands behind his product.

I purchased this pen from Mora Stylos with my own funds.

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