Delta Fusion 82, Part II, the Nibs

Part II of this review will focus mainly on one nib in particular:  the Pompeii celluloid Fusion 82 that I had Richard Binder grind from a broad nib to a Hebrew Italic nib.  This grind is quite unique, and is the opposite of the typical italic grind, which has wide vertical strokes and narrow cross-strokes.  The Hebrew Italic nib has wide cross-strokes and narrow vertical ones, which gives your handwriting what some have described as an "architectural" look, because it resembles the handwriting of Frank Lloyd Wright.  As always, Richard has done an excellent job on this grind.  The pen is a lot of fun to write with, and despite the unusual nature of the nib it's very easy to use as a daily writer--much easier than some crisp italics I have used.  I've included several photographs of my handwriting with the nib, from a variety of angles.  In the longer handwriting sample below, you will see that you can flip the nib, as you can with Richard's Italifine, to write an ultra-fine line.   

This is the best picture I've managed to take that shows the nature of the grind, which gives narrow vertical strokes and wide cross-strokes.  Because this nib started as a broad Fusion nib, which is narrower than most broads, I get less dramatic line variation than a grind which started with more tipping material. 

Second, my thoughts on the Delta's "Fusion" nib generally:  Overall, it's an excellent steel nib.  The nibs are exceptionally smooth, and are paired with a good feed that supply adequate ink flow.  I probably would not, however, pay a premium for this nib alone.  The approximately $236 for the standard acrylic Fusion 82 is a very steep price for what is, essentially, a steel nib pen, absent any compelling explanation (which I have yet to see) as to how the Fusion "technology" works.  As I mentioned in my previous review, however, I justified the purchase price of these pens on the basis of the celluloid material, not the nibs, although I'm happy that the nibs are more than functional functional and don't detract from the pens at all. 

Handwritten review on Exacompta card stock.  The top writing sample is the Hebrew Italic in Sailor Yama-Dori (a little light because I had just cleaned the pen and there was some water in the feed); the bottom sample is Sailor Souten in the sta…

Handwritten review on Exacompta card stock.  The top writing sample is the Hebrew Italic in Sailor Yama-Dori (a little light because I had just cleaned the pen and there was some water in the feed); the bottom sample is Sailor Souten in the standard Delta Fusion medium nib.  Note the ability to flip the Hebrew Italic and write with an ultra fine point.

Pen Review: Edison Pearlette

I've had a mixed history with Edison.  Several years ago I purchased a Mina (regular length) that I really loved, at least aesthetically.  The trouble was that I could never get the nib to write consistently enough for me:  it was periodically dry and skippy.  This continued through two different replacement fine nibs, and then with a broad replacement nib that I purchased from Goulet Pens.  Needless to say, I grew frustrated with that pen and sold it. 

Over the years, I kept hearing great things about the brand, and I really admired their design.  Past experience, however, kept me from trying again, until I read a review on one of the forums written by a user discussing how he had similar difficulties with the Edison nibs until he purchased one set up by Richard Binder.  So I decided to take the plunge, and try again.  

My first of two Binderized Edisons:  a Pearlette in Deep Indigo Flake.

Confession:  I actually purchased two Edisons from Richard at the D.C. Pen Show.  I picked up a Pearlette in Deep Indigo Flake, which is a very dark blue acrylic (pictured and reviewed here), and an Edison Herald in Crushed Shell Acrylic.  I thought about going for a Menlo direct from Edison (and I very well may in the future), but I wanted to purchase through Richard first to see if he could resolve the nib issues. 

I purchased my Pearlette with a fine stainless steel nib.  Edison Nibs are made in Germany by Jowo, and I believe, but am not 100% certain, that Edison Pens is Jowo's North American distributor.  All Edison Nibs are laser-etched with the Edison logo.

The Nib.  I won't keep you all in suspense.  The nib writes superbly, but did not do so out of the box.  Howard Levy (of Bexley Pens) was sharing a table with Richard and inspecting all newly purchased pens to see if they needed tweaking prior to purchase.  He determined that both of mine needed to have the tines aligned and the flow increased.  Once Richard worked on it, however, the pen wrote perfectly.  Honestly, I'm wishing that I had not sold the Mina but rather just bought a replacement nib from Richard. 

Build:  Brian Gray of Edison designs and makes all of his own pens.  The build quality and machining is superb.  The threads are perfect:  tight, and the cap closes flush with the body of the pen without leaving a gap or an ugly misalignment you sometimes see on pens of lesser quality. 

I will note that this pen is from Edison's "production" line.  Edison makes two lines of pens:  the "production line" is mass produced (by Edison) and comes in a set range of colors, while the "signature" line is customizable--the buyer can work with Brian to design and build his or her own pen from a variety of materials, using one of several very cool filling mechanisms ranging from the traditional cartridge converter to the "pump filler" featured on the Menlo.  The difference is price:  the production line pens run at approximately $150 for a pen with a steel nib, while custom pens start at $250 and go up from there, depending on what features you want.  (Edison sometimes offers "group buy" discounts on the custom pens, and I believe they have one running right now.)  Anyone interested should check out their website, available here.

Material:  The production line Pearlette comes in three acrylic options:  Aztec Gold, Deep Indigo Flake, and Violet Flake.  All of them were gorgeous, but I feel in love with the color of the Indigo pen.  Of course, you can purchase a signature line Pearlette as well and get it in any of the countless colors and/or materials Edison offers.

Close-up of the Deep Indigo Flake material, which I find stunning.

The Verdict:  Great pen, and one I've been using nearly every day since I bought it earlier this month.  Edisons are exceptionally built, and the nibs are quality, though it's worth the few extra dollars to have them set up by Richard or another nibmeister if you are extremely finicky about how your nibs write, like me.  To buy one from Richard, follow this link here.

Here's a scan of a handwritten review using my Edison Pearlette.  The ink is Sailor Jentle Miruai.  Paper is Clairefontaine French Ruled.

Pen Review: Karas Kustoms Render K

I've been looking forward to photographing and reviewing this pen for a while, because it's probably my favorite non-fountain pen that I own, and the pen that I end up using the most when, for whatever reason, a fountain pen is impractical.  It's also been a while since I've reviewed a non-fountain pen, so I'm overdue.

Karas Kustoms Render K (Hi-Tec-C Version) in red anodized aluminum. 

The Render K is produced by Karas Kustoms, a shop located in Arizona that produces machined goods, including multiple pens that accept the Pilot-Hi-Tec-C, G2, and Juice refills, along with others that will work once they are cut down or slightly modified. 

All of Karas Kustoms' pens, including the Render K, were launched on Kickstarter.  Being late to the game, I did not get the opportunity to participate in any of the early Kickstarter campaigns, and ran out of money in the pen budget while the "Ink" fountain pen campaign was going on.  The pens are easy to pick up through Karas Kustoms' website (link here), although they do run out of the various anodized color options from time to time.  There are also raw aluminum, copper, and brass options.

The Build.  This pen is rock solid.  I've been unable to find a single flaw in the machining.  Again, I would call the Render K a "solid" pen, but it's not too heavy, and it still fits well in the hand.  Due to the weight and the way the threads are cut on the cap, the pen does not post well, but the size is adequate and I find posting the pen unnecessary.  The anodized aluminum coating is durable, but it will scratch and show some wear if it is carried loose in a bag or pocket with other metal objects (such as keys).

.4mm Pilot Hi-Tec-C Refill in--what else--red. 

The Refill.  I chose the version of the Render K that accepts Pilot's Hi-Tec-C refill, and opted for the .4mm.  I like a smoother refill, and I find that .4mm is the sweet spot for me:  fine enough to use for annotations, but not too scratchy to use as a daily writer.  You can also purchase a version of this pen that accepts the Pilot G2.  My other two Karas Kustoms pens, the Retrakt and the Bolt, both use the G2 refill, which I enjoy. 

The Pilot Hi-Tec-C has a good "classic red pen" color.  It's nothing eye-popping, like some of the red fountain pen inks you see out there, but it gets the job done.

Close-up shot of the color.

The Verdict.  I enjoy this pen.  It's sturdy and its always on my desk or in my bag.  I swap out the refills to alternate between red and black, depending on my needs, but give that I'm a sucker for red pens and red ink you can guess which one I use the most.  If you want a pen that's virtually indestructible and can accept one of the more popular "ultra fine" Japanese gel refills out there,**  the Render K is one of your best options.

** I will note that with some slight hacking (trimming down the refill with a pair of scissors), the Render K will also accept the Signo DX gel pen refill, although I have not used that pen extensively so I have not reviewed it here.