My favorite of this year's Pelikan Special Editions is the reissued M205 Transparent Blue Demonstrator.

Pen Review: Pelikan Classic M205 Transparent Blue Demonstrator

August 20, 2016

Apparently 2016 is the year of bringing back old pens out of the Pelikan archive. In addition to reissuing their classic M120 fountain pen (a school pen popular in the 1950s and 1960s), Pelikan, to my delight, also decided to reach back not quite so far and resurrect the M205 Transparent Blue Demonstrator, an extremely popular special edition pen that ended its run five years ago before I could pick one up. Once I found out that this pen was coming back, there was no chance I was going to miss it again.

Build and Writing Experience

The Pelikan M205 on its white faux-leather envelope-style packaging.  (A "penvelope?") — The Pelikan M205 on its white faux-leather envelope-style packaging. (A "penvelope?")

The "new" M205 transparent blue demonstrator is basically the same pen as the original, with one change. Per the Pelikan website, the ring at the top of the cap is now chromium-plated, as opposed to black on the original model. Like the original, it's a piston filler and sports a stainless steel nib. I purchased a fine.

I opted for a fine nib on my Pelikan M205, which has been ground to a cursive italic by Dan Smith (The Nibsmith).

The nib on my Pelikan M205 was excellent, both out of the box and after being tuned and ground by Dan Smith at the 2016 D.C. Pen Show. Pelikan steel nibs are some of the highest quality steel fountain pen nibs out there, and Pelikan's steel nibs write relatively true to size, as opposed to their gold nibs, which in my experience run extremely wide. I'd characterize the fine nib on my pen as a true western fine, but it definitely had enough tipping material to grind into a smooth cursive italic.

The line variation on this fine cursive italic is excellent. The ink used in this writing sample is Iroshizuku Asa-gao. The paper is Clairefontaine French (Seyes) ruled.

Otherwise, the M205 is your typical well-constructed Pelikan. The piston mechanism is smooth and reliable. The only potential issue I can spot with this pen's construction is the size: the M205 is relatively small, and the grip section is relatively short. If you tend to hold your pens high up on the section, the threading on this pen may cause you problems. I don't write with a death grip, and I tend to hold my pens fairly close to the nib, so it hasn't been an issue for me. The pen posts nicely, and given its compact size, I need to post to use it comfortably for more than short notes.

Overall Impressions

The Pelikan M205 is a sturdy, versatile little pen that fills a niche in my collection. Part of my love for this pen is nostalgia, since the blue demonstrator version is a reissuance of one of my early "grail" pens that I missed out on the first time around. My main criticism is price: I do think that this pen is a little high at $140, but I don't think it's a bad deal. Pelikan's steel nibs tend to write very well out of the box, and I you get a step up in quality and reliability from something like a TWSBI 580. The real competitor at this price point would be a pen like the Lamy 2000 or the Pilot Custom Heritage 92, both of which you can find with a gold nib for less money. However, the Pelikan M205 has the option of interchangeable nibs, and features Pelikan's distinctive design. I also love the color of this blue demonstrator, and I wasn't going to miss it a second time.

Where to Buy

PenChalet currently has the M205 transparent blue in stock in all nib sizes (EF-B), priced at $140 before any applicable discount. Pelikan categorizes the M205 Transparent Blue as a "Special Edition", which I understand means that there won't be a fixed quantity (like a "Limited Edition"), but the pen will only be manufactured for a limited amount of time - probably a year. If the design and the color of the pen appeal to you, don't hesitate like I did five years ago. For a limited time, there is also an Amethyst Demonstrator (to match last year's Pelikan Edelstein Ink of the Year), and the upcoming Aquamarine Demonstrator. I might be adding both to my collection soon!

Disclaimer: PenChalet provided me with this pen at a discount for review purposes. This post also contains affiliate links.

Part of the Legendary "Wall of Ink" that Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens brings to pen shows. Believe it or not, most of this was gone by the end of the day on Sunday.

2016 DC Pen Show Recap: Sunday and Overall Impressions

August 10, 2016

Now that I've had a few days to think on it, this year's D.C. Pen Show probably went down as one of the best I've experienced, at least in terms of the people who were there. This was the first year I've attended all four days, and in the future I plan to make a point of attending at least a portion of the Sunday show. Sundays are MUCH less crowded than Fridays and Saturdays, and they give you an opportunity to interact with the vendors and other attendees when they're not slammed with customers.

Sunday Recap

Ok, so I ended up buying more pens and ink on Sunday. I thought I had finished with my buying on Friday, but as always happens, that's never the case. I had been eyeing two newer models that Franklin-Christoph had out on their table - in prototype color acrylics - and when they were still available at 2:00pm on Sunday... well, I was weak. I picked up a Pocket 20 in red urushi acrylic and a Model 45 in transparent orange acrylic.

My Franklin-Christoph Model 45. This orange acrylic is a prototype. The color is slightly brighter than the "Amber" color in the standard line.  Franklin-Christoph sometimes sells their prototypes online in the "Stock Room" section of their web… — My Franklin-Christoph Model 45. This orange acrylic is a prototype. The color is slightly brighter than the "Amber" color in the standard line. Franklin-Christoph sometimes sells their prototypes online in the "Stock Room" section of their website.

At the urging of Leigh Reyes and Thomas Hall, we tried to fit a 1950's Eversharp Skyline nib into the housing from a JoWo #5 nib, which would make the vintage nib compatible with the Model 45. Despite the best efforts of Franklin-Christoph's incomparable Jim Rouse, we couldn't make it work. I had to "settle" for a Masuyama-ground needlepoint that writes like a dream. The pocket carry pen that I've been looking for, in clear orange!

Jim Rouse tunes a newly purchased pen at the Franklin-Christoph table.

I finally got a chance to visit the Vanness Pens table and thankfully they had plenty of Akkerman Ink left. I grabbed this bottle of Akkerman #28 (Hofkwartier Groen), which went directly into my Franklin-Christoph Model 45. Also, Vanness purchased whatever Kobe Nagasawa did not sell at the show, so if you're interested in these inks head on over to Vanness and get them while you can. Certain colors are already sold out so they won't last long.

Overall Show Impressions

This year's D.C. Pen Show had a lot of buzz and energy, especially on Saturday. I'm happy to see that every year I've attended, there have been more and more attendees from all age groups, which gives me a lot of hope for the future of the pen show scene. That said, most of the "new group's" attention seemed to be focused on modern pens, with steady crowds mobbing Vanness Pens, Anderson Pens, and Franklin-Christoph. Brian and Rachel Goulet also made an appearance and made the rounds throughout the weekend. On the vintage side, things didn't seem as busy for some reason, though there were plenty of vintage dealers there.

Pleasant Surprises

The Kanilea Pen Company launched this weekend. I had not heard anything about this new company prior to the show, but several people went home with multiple pens. Hugh and Karol Scher did a beautiful job building out this brand, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with in the future. I didn't get to spend as much time at their table as I would've liked.
Stylo Art Karuizawa. Japanese pen-makers and urushi artists Stylo Art were in D.C. for the first time this year, after a strong showing at the Los Angeles Pen Show. Lots of people were purchasing Stylo Art's wood and urushi pens, and one of these is on my list for my next big purchase at a show next year.
Omas and Conway Stewart Re-launch. The word on the street is that distributor Kenro Industries is relaunching the Conway Stewart brand. On a similar note, the group that reintroduced Wahl-Eversharp is in the process of inking some sort of a deal to bring back Omas, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Stay tuned for more developments. It's unclear from the post whether they have actually purchased the name, or rather just the pens and materials, but something is in the works.
Montblanc Ultra Black Special Edition Ink. Though I find the ink a bit wet, it has gorgeous undertones and shades very nicely. I currently have it inked in several pens and I'm liking it so far.
Better Ink Testing Station. The ink testing tables at the D.C. Pen Show are notorious for having dozens of bottles of really old ink (as in, more than 5 years old) that no longer resemble their original colors due to mixing, mold, dilution, etc. A couple years back, organizers of the San Francisco Pen Show came up with a new idea for an ink testing station, which uses inexpensive piston filler fountain pens to avoid having people dip dirty pens in multiple bottles of ink. They built one for Vanness Pens, and it was ready to go in D.C.
Lots of people stayed through the weekend. We still had a fairly large group of people Sunday night, and we all got together and had dinner in the hotel restaurant. You get to know people better over the entire three days, especially when we all finally had a chance to kick back in the hotel restaurant over dinner and drinks after the show closed on Sunday.

Brad of the Pen Addict and Cary from Fountain Pen Day, in the hotel bar Sunday night as the show closed down. Yes, Cary is that tall.

Biggest Disappointments

Montblanc Ultra Black 146. Prior to the show, I had one of these on order, but after having the opportunity to hold the pen in person I decided to cancel. The pen just didn't "click", and at that price point it has to be a perfect fit. Also, the matte black finish on Montblanc's resin looks as though it might be prone to scratching very easily. Since I post my pens, that makes me nervous.
No Bung Box! One of the highlights of last year's D.C. Pen Show was Japanese retailer Bung Box, who showed up with not only their entire line of ink but their special edition pens. Kobe Nagasawa made up for that this year, and Vanness Pens carries all the Bung Box inks, but I was really looking forward to picking up one of their special edition Sailor Pro Gears.
Very Few Vintage Japanese Pens! Ok, I'm reaching here, since I know that this is more the scene in L.A. and San Francisco, but I'm really on the hunt for a Pilot M90 and/or a Pilot Myu.

It makes me sad that I can only do two or three shows a year, but my wallet can't take any more than that. As good as this year's DC Pen Show was, I'm thinking of mixing it up a bit and taking a year off in 2017, perhaps attending the Los Angeles or San Francisco show? We'll see!

A repeat picture, I know, but this new and improved ink testing station is awesome.  The one at the San Francisco Pen Show has over 500 different inks! — A repeat picture, I know, but this new and improved ink testing station is awesome. The one at the San Francisco Pen Show has over 500 different inks!

Pen Review: The Aurora Optima Nero Perla

July 30, 2016

Aurora is one of the three remaining major Italian pen companies, now that Omas is out of business. It's also a company with which I have relatively little experience, at least with respect to their fountain pens. I'm a huge fan of Aurora's inks: they make two colors, black and blue, and both are among my go-tos for safe, standard colors. I've owned an Aurora Ipsilon Quadra in Sterling Silver, and while the pen was nice, it didn't stick in my collection.

Recently, my friend Thomas decided to unload a few pens in his collection, and asked whether or not I would be interested in reviewing one of Aurora's flagship pens, the Aurora Optima, before he sold it. I've always wanted to test drive one of these pens, so I jumped at the chance.

"Auroloide" material and Build

The Aurora Optima Nero Perla is a visually stunning pen. The material (which the company refers to as "Auroloide") is cellulose acetate: an acrylic variant intended to reproduce the depths of color and warmth found in vintage celluloid, but without the long curing period and manufacturing difficulties. Indeed, the Optima feels like a celluloid pen in hand. The material is slightly translucent, allowing you to see the ink level once the pen is filled. This particular color scheme is called "Nero Perla" ("Black Pearl"). Trim appears to be a combination of sterling silver and Rhodium plating, and the piston-filling system gives the pen heft.

This pen feels solid, like it will stand up to heavy use. The one critique I have on the build, however, is how difficult the pen is to clean. Aurora's piston fillers have a "hidden reservoir" of ink behind the piston, which they pitch as a feature that allows you to write for a full page after the main ink chamber is empty. I can see this feature being useful if you carry one pen, and take a lot of notes in meetings, etc. where you wouldn't want to run out, but it also means that it takes a LOT of flushing to get rid of all the ink. If I had kept this pen, it would've ended up as a "one-ink pen" just to avoid having to deal with the cleaning.

Writing Experience

The Aurora Optima features a 18k nib. This one started life as a medium but has been ground to a cursive italic.

The nib on this Optima was tuned and ground to a smooth .4mm cursive italic by either Mike Masuyama or Shawn Newton - Thomas couldn't remember. (Hey, that happens when you have so many pens!) It's an excellent writer, though I can't speak to how the pen wrote straight out of the box. Other Aurora pens I have tried have been nice writers, though the nibs tend to have feedback. They're not scratchy, but they're not glassy smooth either, which isn't an issue for me but can drive some people crazy.

This .4mm cursive italic (formerly a medium nib) writes perfectly for me.  Ink is Aurora blue. — This .4mm cursive italic (formerly a medium nib) writes perfectly for me. Ink is Aurora blue.

The Optima's 18k nib is a better writer than the nib on my old Aurora Ipsilon Quadra. The nib is stiff, without much give or flex. If you like firm nibs, you'll like this pen.

Takeaways

A close-up of the Optima in its box.  You can get a sense of the translucency of the material if you look just below the cap, where you can tell the pen has been filled with blue ink. — A close-up of the Optima in its box. You can get a sense of the translucency of the material if you look just below the cap, where you can tell the pen has been filled with blue ink.

The Aurora Optima Nero Perla is a gorgeous Italian fountain pen. As a fan of celluloid (and celluloid-like material), I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into making a pen look this good. At the same time, the price point is very high, even taking into account the recent price drop That's not to say I think the pen is unreasonably priced - it's not, given the quality of the craftsmanship and the materials used - but Sailor's Professional Gear series has a similar shape and fits my hand better at $200 or so less. I do know, however, that there are people out there who find the Pro Gear too small and light, especially when writing with the pen unposted.

Where to Buy

Fortunately, if you're interested in the Optima, Aurora recently dropped the price. Both Pen Chalet and Anderson Pens carry Aurora, and both currently have the Optima listed at $445. Aurora issues annual "special edition" versions of the Optima, so if you're a fan of gold trim, you'll want to check out the "Abissi" Optima 365 Limited Edition.

If you're a fan of cursive italic nibs, and you'd like to purchase a barely-used Aurora, Thomas is offering the pen featured in this review for sale. As of the time of writing, the pen is up on my "For Sale" page and priced to move (especially once you take into account the custom nib, which otherwise would add $40-50 to the price, not to mention the wait time for nib work).

DISCLAIMER: The pen featured in this review was loaned to me at no cost for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links, through which I may be compensated a small amount if you purchase an item from any of the sites linked to in this article. While I'd greatly appreciate it if you use these links to purchase something you are interested in, you are, of course, under no obligation to do so. Many thanks!

Namisu Nova Minimalist Fountain Pen, in polished titanium.

Pen Review: Namisu Nova (Titanium with Titanium Nib)

July 23, 2016

The Nova is Namisu's follow up to their first successful Kickstarter fountain pen, the Namisu Nexus. The Nova launched on Kickstarter in September 2015 and shipped in early 2016. Namisu is an interesting company. Based in the UK, they've run five successful Kickstarter projects, three of which are pens (The Nexus, the Nova, and the Nova Rollerball).

Overall, the Namisu Nova is a very nice pen, but I no longer have it in my collection. Most metal pens (even Titanium ones) tend to be too heavy for me, and since I like to post my pens the added weight becomes a problem. Even though I decided to pass this pen along to a new owner, I went ahead and reviewed it here because if you like this style of writing implement, it's a good option!

Build

I've heard people compare the design of the Nova to the Nakaya Piccolo and the Edison Pearl, which isn't a bad comparison because all three pens generally use a variation of the classic "torpedo" shape. The pen is well-machined, and the one that I received did not have any visible flaws on the body or cap. There also weren't any issues with the threading on the cap, something that other machined pens have struggled with (like the Tactile Turn Gist).

The Namisu Nova features a smooth grip section and short cap threads: the cap unscrews quickly and easily, giving it an advantage over the Tactile Turn Gist.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the Namisu Nova and its predecessor, the Nexus, is the smooth grip section. The Nexus, which I didn't back on Kickstarter, had a textured grip section, which many people found sharp and uncomfortable to use for long writing sessions. I won't necessarily say that the Nova's grip section is an "improvement" - many people like knurled or textured grips - but the Nova generally has been much more popular.

The Nova is a relatively heavy pen, but it's well-balanced. After carrying and writing with this pen for a bit, it's plainly intended to be used without posting the cap. You CAN post the Nova, and it actually works pretty well, but the threading from the inside of the metal cap will scratch the body of the pen. (It will also make some pretty nasty metal-on-metal scraping sounds, so if you're sensitive to that and it gives you that nails-on-a-chalkboard sensation, consider yourself warned.)

Overall Writing Experience

The Namisu Nova offers a quality writing experience at a very attractive price. Kickstarter backers had the choice of steel, titanium, and gold nibs, all manufactured by Bock. I prefer titanium Bock nibs over steel, and they're the same nibs used on the Conid Bulkfiller and the Tactile Turn Gist. I have not tried the gold. For a writing sample and some more detailed thoughts on how these nibs write, check out my Conid Bulkfiller review.

The Namisu Nova works best unposted, given it's heft and balance.

The pen sits in the hand well and is comfortable to write with for long stretches. However, what ultimately made me realize that this pen wouldn't work for me long-term is the lack of a clip and the fact that heavy metal pens don't sit that well in a shirt-pocket. At least four days each week I'm in a dress shirt, if not a suit and tie, and if I'm going to carry a pen on a regular basis I'm going to need to clip it. Thus, this pen had to find a new home.

Where to Buy

If you're drawn to the design of pens like the $1000 Nakaya Titanium Piccolo, but can't or won't shell out that much, the Namisu Nova should be on your list. The Nova can only be purchased directly from Namisu. The titanium version starts at just under $100 US (depending on the pounds to dollars exchange rate), with the black or "comet grey" aluminum versions starting at around $70. Upgrading from the basic steel nib will increase the price.

Unfortunately, as of the time of writing all models of the Namisu Nova are out of stock. If you prefer the design of the Namisu Nexus (now called the "Orion"), it's currently available directly from Namisu for $50-70, depending on the exchange rate and whether you choose titanium or aluminum.

For those of you interested in non-fountain pens, Namisu recently ran another successful Kickstarter to create a rollerball version of the Nova. Look for the rollerball Nova to appear in the Namisu store soon.

Best Non-Fountain Pens for Everyday Use

July 9, 2016

There's been a lot of talk recently about when a certain kind of writing instrument simply isn't the best tool for the task at hand. Many fountain pen collectors/users actually feel guilty if they're not using their prized writing implements all the time. But if you're in the shop, the field, or a car, a fountain pen likely isn't the easiest or the most practical writing implement. I'd venture that for most people, fountain pens work better for longer periods of writing at a desk, in a chair, etc. I'd characterize my own usage at about 60% fountain pens, 20% pencils, and 20% non-fountain pens, but my day job involves a lot of longhand note-taking and drafting, so for me a fountain pen is often the most comfortable tool to use.

That said, I still use a LOT of non-fountain pens. You've seen pictures of the various pen and pencil cups I have sitting around everywhere. Here are my favorite disposable non-fountain pens that find their way into my bag.

Many people prefer the conical tip of the Signo DX, but I'm partial to the needlepoint tip of the Hi-Tec-C.

I prefer needlepoint tips, like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C.

Pilot G2/Pilot Juice. The G2 is probaby my favorite all-around retractable gel pen, and for whatever reason I cannot for the life of me convince my workplace to swap in Pilot G2s for my most hated pen ever, the standard Zebra Sarasa (not to be confused with the Sarasa Clip, which is a great option). The Pilot Juice basically uses the same refill as the G2, but comes in a wider array of colors and smaller point sizes. Both are easy to find and exceptionally smooth writers.
Pilot Hi-Tec-C. My Japanese micro gel pen of choice. I love the needle-point tips in the .4mm size, which hits a sweet spot for me. It's small enough for annotations and notetaking, but it's also wide enough that it's not uncomfortable to use for longer pieces of writing. Sometimes you can find these in US retail stores as the Pilot G-Tec-C.
Uniball Signo 207/307. After the G2, this is probably my favorite gel-ink click pen. Uni recently introduced the "307" into stores (and finally introduced a .5mm option), but the 207 continues to be widely available so I don't know whether the 307 is a replacement or simply yet another option. Anyway, the differences between the two seem to be minimal, and if you're in a pinch in a big-box store, you can't go wrong with these or the G2.
Pilot Razor Point II Extra Fine. I keep boxes of these in my desk at home and at work. They're relatively easy to find, and they come in a few other colors such as purple and blue. These are good pens for Field Notes. I did a full review of this pen a while back.
Uni Signo DX. Doesn't have the "skippiness" problem that you sometimes find with the Hi-Tec-C, and it comes in a wide range of colors, but for some reason this pen has never spoken to me the same way the Hi-Tec-C has. If the Hi-Tec-C doesn't work for you, or if you prefer conical tips to needle-points, then this would be my recommended option. I reviewed these pens in a few of the widely available colors.

At some point I will do a list of favorite pen bodies to hold non-fountain pen refills. As you might expect, my favorite is the Tactile Turn Mover, which shipped with a .38mm G2 refill that I find awesome. Remember: Ultimately all of these "Top 5" lists come down to personal preference. What matters is that you find the pens that work for you, and that you enjoy using.

Build and Writing Experience

Overall Impressions

Where to Buy

Sunday Recap

Overall Show Impressions

Pleasant Surprises

Biggest Disappointments

Further Reading

"Auroloide" material and Build

Writing Experience

Takeaways

Where to Buy

Build

Overall Writing Experience

Where to Buy

Further Reading

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