As I mentioned in my earlier post, I purchased two Edisons from Richard Binder at the D.C. Pen Show last month: a Pearlette and this Herald. Both are production line pens, meaning that Brian Gray of Edison produces them for other retailers. The Herald comes in three color options: Amber Tortoise, Copper Flake, and Crushed Shell. Richard tunes the nibs on all pens he sells, so you are pretty much guaranteed to get an excellent writer if you buy your pens from him.
The Edison Herald is approximately the same size as the Menlo, with a slightly different shape and perhaps just a touch smaller. Of course, the Menlo is a pump filler, while my production-line Herald uses the cartridge/converter system.
The Build. As with the Pearlette, this pen is well-made. I've scoured it for flaws in the machining and have been unable to find any. The cap tightens perfectly, and the clip is snug. This pen is large enough to use both posted and unposted, though I typically post it, as I do the vast majority of my pens. One thing that warrants mentioning is that the pen is extremely light, meaning that it can be used for long writing sessions. I can vouch for this, as I've had a lot of work-related drafting/editing to do over the past two weeks and have relied heavily on this pen.
The Nib. The Herald features a No. 6 Jowo stainless steel nib, laser-etched with the Edison logo. I opted for a medium nib on this pen, and to be honest I can't tell much of a difference between this nib and the fine nib on my Pearlette. Richard set them both to write fairly wet (as I prefer), but I would still say that the Herald writes an ever-so-slightly wider line.
Close-up picture of the Crushed Shell/Cracked Ice Acrylic. I love this material.
The Material. The "Crushed Shell" acrylic (which you may see referred to as "Cracked Ice" elsewhere) is the reason I purchased this pen. Typically you see this pattern featured in higher-end celluloid pens, like those from Stipula offered by Bryant Greer at Chatterly Luxuries. This pen was by far the most economical way for me to add this design to my collection. This pen is acrylic (and features that great acrylic smell!) but it's exactly what I wanted, and I love it.
My Edison Herald shown on a Clairefontaine A4 Notebook, for size comparison purposes.
The Verdict. Another D.C. Pen Show acquisition that I am very happy with. This pen looks to make a great daily writer, and has worked its way into my weekly rotation (which is getting fairly crowded!).
Edison Herald handwritten review on Clairefontaine french-ruled paper in Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa Ink.
