BENU Talisman Dragon's Blood 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!)

Have we ever needed a Talisman more than we do now? This perfectly timed line from Russian pen maker BENU is something extra special and I am obsessed.

With this line, BENU stays true to their wild, over-the-top aesthetic--and then takes the creativity up a notch. At first glance, the Talisman pens look like any other BENU line--a creative shape, bright colors, a bit of bling: the BENU look we all know and love. Not satisfied with pens that merely look magical, BENU has set out to make pens that actually are magical. If there was ever anyone who decided that they would be the alchemists of the pen world, of course it's BENU.

BENU Talisman Dragon's Blood Fountain Pen

The Talisman line is inspired by folklore and legend, with each pen calling out to an origin myth for a magical substance. There's Edelweiss for the flower said to bring true love and bravery; Peacock Ore for the mineral of happiness and creativity; Mandrake Root for sexuality and wealth; Foxglove flowers for good luck and fairy magic; and Dragon's Blood for strength and invulnerability. BENU didn't stop at "inspired by" though. Because these pens are actually made of that stuff. Yes, these are infused with the actual flowers, minerals, and resins of their namesake. (Don't worry--Dragon's Blood is sap from the Dragon Tree. BENU isn't out there slaying actual dragons to make pens. I'm pretty sure. According to them.)

So when BENU says these pens are Talismans, it's more than just a name. And I for one, am enchanted. Who wouldn't need all of these? I was lucky enough to have been sent a Dragon's Blood pen. After a few weeks writing with it, I am delighted to say that even if your life is already charmed and you are in no need of any magical enhancements--this is also just a really good pen.

The first thing I noticed is that it's a more standard size and shape than some of my other BENU pens. It's close to the same size as a Lamy Safari, so it will fit well in most hands and do better in pen cases than some of the larger BENUs. But it can't be boring, so the body is covered in interesting facets of varying lengths, offset from each other. Each section has six facets. The effect is that it looks like an organic shape, like a tree branch or mineral shard. It's a very cool effect that is also comfortable to hold and keeps the pen from rolling.

The clip is stainless steel and very firm, but it has a push tab at the top of it to help it open. The cap does post, but with the facets some alignments work better than others. Posting can be a little fussy to find a secure spot--but if you're determined to post, it does work. The section is tapered and long, with a flare at the end to stop slipping. I found it very comfortable to hold. There are threads and a step up to the body at the back of the grip section, but they are all smoothed and not obtrusive.

The steel nib is an excellent writer. I've never had an issue with a BENU nib, so I was not surprised to find it smooth and well-tuned. BENU pens are wet writers, and this broad nib breathes ink like a dragon breathes fire. Between the generous ink flow and how much I was enjoying writing with it, I ran out of ink before I even sat down to write this review. It won't be cleaned and stored, though. It's getting immediately re-inked and put back into rotation, where I think it will stay for quite some time.

The Talisman line sells for around $122 each, so a bit more than a lot of the BENU lines, but those ones aren't infused with magical properties (as far as we know...). I think the price is very good, especially when compared with other brands of similar quality. If only BENU had sent me the pen that brings wealth. I would have used my riches to buy the rest of the Talisman pens.

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

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Posted on July 22, 2021 by Sarah Read and filed under Benu Pen, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Van Dieman's Midnight Series Bonfire Night Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

After a long stretch of not trying any shimmer inks, I've now settled into a pretty extensive phase of almost exclusive shimmer ink usage. 80% of the ~ 6 pens that I have inked right now have some sort of shimmer ink in them. I don't think this will last forever, but it is certainly a fun detour from the normal inks I have in pens most of the time.

The latest shimmer ink on my desk is also from Van Dieman's Midnight Series. This series is made up of eight inks that are inspired from the "dark and sombre hues that come out when the sun has gone away." Bonfire Night is not one that I'd describe as a dark and sombre ink, though. This vibrant red ink is exactly what you expect when you're congregated around a large bonfire in the pitch-black night. It's bright and captivating as the sparks dance and the flames lick at the low sky. This ink does a great job of capturing the dancing flames due to the subtle silver shimmer that hangs out on top of the punchy red/orange ink.

Like other Van Dieman's inks I've tried recently, this is one is well-behaved. It's a well-lubricated ink that dries within 20 seconds most of the time. I noticed that it did manage to bleed through a bit on Rhodia paper when I did an ink swab, but that's an edge case that most people aren't doing often. For normal writing with fountain pens, there's no bleed or feathering. The color stays vibrant and the shimmer does a great job at dispersing evenly as you write. With normal writing, the shimmer effect is much more subtle. If you look closely, you can see it very clearly in a line, but it's the random few bits that catch the light just right that draw your attention in. It's sparkly and delightful — brings a smile to my face every time.

In places where the ink pools, the shimmer stays on top of the ink to create a magical pearlescent sheen once everything has dried. It's really difficult to catch with a photo because of how reflective it is. The shimmer is really good its job: reflecting light.

This is certainly a red ink, but it does have shades or orange in it. Plus, the silver shimmer on top of the ink adds to the orange hues. The small amount of shading that does show through is a great comparison to the red and orange colors seen in a flame.

Washing out this ink is incredibly easy. I was worried about it being difficult due to how shimmery it is when writing, but it was no trouble at all when it was time to clean up. The ink washed out easily and I was done flushing it in less than a minute. As far as inks go, it behaves with the best!

It's not in stock currently, but when it's back in stock you can pick some up for the very reasonable price of $14.95 for 30ml. Of course, you can always pick up a small 4ml sample if you just want to try it out first.

Van Dieman's Bonfire Night is a bright and shimmery ink that really caught my fancy. It doesn't look like much in the bottle — I was worried it would be too thin and unsaturated. But after inking it up and using it for a while, I'm completely sold. It's such a vibrant and pleasing ink due to the warm red and orange tones paired with the silver shimmer that lays on top. Whether or not this shimmer ink phase sticks, this ink will stay in my collection just the amount of enjoyment I get from it.

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

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Posted on July 21, 2021 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Van Dieman's, Ink Reviews.

TWSBI ECO-T Mint Blue Fountain Pen Giveaway

The TWSBI ECO-T model is the best version of the TWSBI ECO. There, I said it! The standard ECO does get all of the cool colors, so the market apparently disagrees with me, but you can still get fun options like this Mint Blue model. I have one, with a Fine nib, for giveaway this week, so read the rules and enter below!