Karas Kustoms Ink Fountain Pen Review

In 2011, Karas Kustoms was a machine shop that manufactured a variety of items, the latest of which was to be the Render K pen that had just had it’s Kickstarted funding goal unexpectedly smashed. Eight years and 4 additional successful Kickstarter campaigns later, they’ve become a prominent figure in the pen community, manufacturing a wide range of metal-body pens in the USA. One of these, and their four pen Kickstarter project, is the Ink.

The Ink is a customizable metal pen body that can be purchased with a rollerball refill or fountain pen nib. And this customization aspect makes it really hard to give a full review. There is a lot that can be changed that affects the weight, feel, look and writing experience of this pen. I’m going to review the one I have, but be aware that there are a lot of options that I’m not familiar with.

The pen body is cylindrical, tapering toward the rear. There are three materials that it can be made from: aluminum, copper or brass. I’ve opted for the aluminum option, and I expect that this is the lightest the pen gets, though no matter what, it’s going to be a hefty pen. This one weighs in at around 37 grams, easily the heaviest pen I own. And I love it. It feels really nice to hold, the balance feels perfect and the aluminum material arms quickly in the hand.

As for how it looks, I like the tumbled aluminum look, but this is a case where the world is truly your oyster. There are 9 color options for the aluminum bodied pen, with the other two materials only coming in the metal’s color. There are bright and dull colors and it feels like there is something for everyone.

The cap is a screw-cap design that is colored the match the body. It holds to the pen decently, though it will occasionally come lose. This isn’t a big problem, considered that it takes one and three-quarters rotations to undo. The cap also hold the pen’s clip, which is a brushed aluminum color across all models. It’s angular and appears attached to the cap with two visible screws and holds to clothing really well. I’m not keen on having the two visible screws, but that is Karas’ aesthetic, and I like the rest of the design enough that this doesn’t present too big of an issue. The cap is not postable, which might pose a problem for some users, but I view this as a good thing as the balance would be knocked off kilter by the cap at the end.

Moving on to the grip, there are five variants. Two are aluminum, with different colors, a black resin, copper and brass. All of them are small compared to the pen, but thick enough to prevent cramping when writing. My thumb tends to rest on the threads, which isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but it’s manageable. Additionally, the grip flares out towards the nib, which easily prevents fingers from slipping off the grip. I have the black resin grip, and it’s not slippery and warm to the touch. Overall, I quite like it.

This is all well and good, but the question remains: how does it write? And the answer: it depends. There are multiple options on the nib, beyond the normal extra-fin, fine, medium and bold. There are options to get a titanium nib, two-tone nib or even a 14 karat gold nib. I’ve opted for the Bock #6 extra fine steel nib. The first thing I noticed was that the nib is slightly springy, which effect writing experience more than anything as you don’t get much line variation with this. The epn come with give standard Ink cartridges, and a Schmidt K5 Piston converter, the late of which I immediately loaded into my Ink. I tested this pen in my Rhodia Webnotebook with J. Herbin Perle Noire, and it was smooth, with just a little bit of feedback off the page. The line was dark and and on par with other German extra-fine nibs I’ve tested. The ink dry time does depend on the ink, bu I found the J. Herbin to dry faster than I expected and overall, it was a great writing experience.

Cards on the table: I love my Ink. The weight is ideal, the writing experience is super nice and, despite my few design nibbles, it looks awesome. And with so much that can be customized, I see this pen fitting everyone. The Ink can be found for $100.00, but with options such as brass or copper bodies and 14 karat gold nibs, can range up to $290.00. But I think it’s worth it, if it’s what you want. I’m really happy with my Ink, which would cost me $100.00, but the quality is such that, if you wanted something more, it’s worth paying a bit more. I would definitely recommend checking this pen out, especially if you’ve played around with other pens and have an idea of what you like.

This Pen was purchased with my own funds, but at a lower price which was available at the time.

Diplomat Magnum Fountain Pen Review

One of the things that this blog has forced me to do is expand my boundaries in what I write with. I have a bunch of pens that I like, my personal rotation is well-established and I don’t foresee anything upsetting my personal top five “beginner” fountain pens. But, there are options out there, and I’d like to give them all a chance. So, here’s the Diplomat Magnum.

The Magnum is a beginner’s fountain pen offered by the German company Diplomat and right away, you can see that it’s got its own style. Stacked up against other beginner pens, this pen appears smaller, both in length and diameter. Even the relatively small Pilot Metropolitan is larger. This leads to a super slim, cylindrical body that tapers towards the end. There are three flattened edges that correspond to the moulded grip two ink windows to allows users to see when their pen it getting low on ink. The barrel is made of resin and has a matte-like finish that softens the feel of the pen. There is nothing not to like here. Sure, it’s a bit smaller than I would like, but not by much and someone with smaller hands would likely feel that this pen is perfect. But the resin and finish feels really nice in the hand and I like the other two features a lot. The ink window is a handy tool that I wish more pens would use and the flattened edges help users align the pen and nib before opening the pen. It’s a nice touch, and the whole thing looks really nice.

The pen weighs in at 12 grams, on the lighter end. However, I find this to be a good weight and the pen is small enough and have a good enough balance to make the light weight feel good.

It should be noted that the model that I have has been discontinued by Diplomat to make way for a new line of Magnums. The new ones have the same body lines, but appear to have a different finish. As of this writing, you can still get a few of the old model on close out, but they might not be available for too much longer. The new models look slick and similar, but I can’t speak to how they feel.

The grip, as mentioned before, is a moulded grip, which leads to the natural comparison to Lamy’s grip. And this is where the small size becomes more problematic. I don’t find this grip very comfortable. The moulded grip isn’t defined enough to force users into a standard grip, but defined enough to make anything else feel a bit uncomfortable. Now, I have a standard grip, so this isn’t an issue for me, but the size is. Unfortunately, I find it far too cramped.

Moving onto the cap, I quite like it. It’s a snap cap style that holds the cap to the pen securely. It has a bit of give to it, but uncaps and recaps quite easily. It bears a “jewel” on the top with “Diplomat” embossed into it. It subtle, but a nice touch. It also bears a silver clip which clips onto clothing easily, but also slides off a bit to easily for my liking. It looks good, so it’s not a total loss, but I wouldn’t say it’s functional. The cap is postable and while there is a difference in writing experience between posted and unposted, I like both.

However, the rest of the writing experience is interesting, to say the least. The pen takes long and short standard international cartridges and can be fitted with a Monteverde non-threaded converter that would have to be purchased separately. I used the included cartridge with black ink for my tests in the Rhodia Webnotebook and the first thing I noticed was the inconsistency. This pen, equipped with a JoWo steel nib, did not write well for the majority of my usage, with a lot of hard starts and ink flow issues. When the pen worked, I had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the line is nice and dark and finer than I expected, the fine nib being comparable to the Pilot Metropolitan fine nib and other German extra-fine nibs. On the other hand, it was quite dry. This was less noticeable in the Rhodia, but other notebooks had a lot of feedback and even the Rhodia had some unwanted resistance. This proved to be very uncomfortable to me. When it works, I think it’s just alright, but there’s a lot of problems and I’m really on the fence about whether I like it or not. Another thing to note is that the nib is somewhat springy. This is interesting to me and allows for some line variation, but not very much.

Overall, this pen intrigues me. It’s got a lot going for it. A lot of the design choices are right up my alley and appreciated. But the writing experience is a bit hit or miss. When it works, I’m honestly impressed. But there are a bunch of issues. The grip isn’t great, and the inconsistent nature of the writing experience really weighs it down. I could learn to get used to the feed back, but I can’t see past the hard starts and ink flow. The Dipolmat Magnum is available for around $20.00 to $25.00, which is competitive in the beginner fountain pen market. There’s a lot going for this pen and I want to keep using it to see if I can make it work for me. But I do wonder if you wouldn’t be better served spending a bit more and purchasing a more surefire pen.

This pen was purchased with my own funds, but at a discount.

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review

I think it’s time to go back to the beginning. My first fountain pen was a Charcoal Lamy Safari with an extra-fine nib. And it’s going to take a lot to actually review this pen and not just write it a love letter.

The Safari is Lamy’s beginner fountain pen, made to be affordable and easy to use. And it feels like everything about this pen is geared for that idea. The pen is super lightweight, among the lightest I own, weighing in at 10 grams. And yet, it doesn’t feel that light. Partially because the ink cartridge adds a decent amount of weight, but also because the pen is well-balanced and feels sturdy. While I tend to prefer pens with a bit of heft, I do like the weight of the pen. It feels really nice in the hand.

The pen is made of resin, a key factor in it’s light weight, the body is a cylinder with two flattened sides that stop the pen from rolling off a desk and on one of these sides, the word “Lamy” is engraved in bold letters. There is no difference in the colouring, so it doesn’t really stand out. These sides round out just above the grip and rubber o-ring, creating a smooth transition. Above this, in the mid-section of the pen, are two ink windows which allow users to see when their pen is running low on ink. They sit low, so they don’t give a full insight into how much ink is left, but is enough to warn you when it’s about to run out. This is feature that I really love and I wish more cartridge/converter pens had it. And honestly, I really like the look of this pen. It’s available in several colours, from the charcoal with black nib that I own, to a shiny black with sliver nib, to bright green and pink, and also has annual special editions. But no matter what, this pen looks good. I personally love the matte of the charcoal and wouldn’t trade that for anything, but this is a pen that has options for everyone.

The cap is a snap-cap that holds to the pen very well. I’ve carried the pen clipped to my pockets and have never had it open. It also holds the clip, which is a design unique to Lamy. I kind of like the minimalist aspect, but I hold preference for more traditional clips. The cap is postable and I use it both posted and not. It’s a different experience either way, but I find them both enjoyable. Overall, there isn’t much to say about the cap except that it work well and looks nice on the pen. It’s nothing fancy, suitable.

The grip section matches the colour and material of the rest of the pen and is notable for being Lamy’s moulded grip. I’ve mentioned the debate around this grip in a previous review, but have been on record saying that I like it. It makes the pen easy to pick up and use properly, and I’ve handed this pen to people who have never used one before and they were able to pick it up in seconds. I can see why some don’t like it, I have problems with it on thinner pens like the Lamy Joy, but I have a standard grip, likely trained by this pen, and I find it remarkably comfortable.

As for the writing experience, there’s no surprises here. It’s an extra-fine Lamy steel nib and writes as I expected. the line width is like other Germany nibs I’ve used, as well as the Fine Pilot nibs. It writes smoothly and is generally no-fuss. I had some problems with it during my testing in the Rhodia Webnotebook, but considering it’s past performance, I’m confident in saying that it works better than the testing page shows. One thing that is worth noting is that the dry time on Lamy’s black ink in incredibly long, which is the one thing that I struggle with most on this pen, being a lefty and all.

It is also notable that this is a cartridge filling pen, with the option of using lamy’s Z28 piston converter for bottled ink. It comes with one cartridge of Lamy’s blue-black ink.

Overall, I do really like this pen. It seems like the ideal beginners pen: easy to use and figure out, with a good writing experience to go along with it. It’s brilliant for the price, and this review has left me wanting to get it back into my normal rotation. You can find these pens online for about $30.00, and I’d say it’s well worth it, thought if you’re left-handed, I’d find a faster drying ink.

This pen was purchased at full price with my own funds.

TWSBI Eco Fountain Pen Review

When I first started into fountain pens, there was one major requirement for what I purchased: It had to be a cartridge filler. For one, I was, and still do, using them to take notes in class and bringing a bottle of ink everywhere with me was not viable. But there was also the fact that I found the prospect a bit intimidating. But eventually, it became obvious that I would need to get into bottled ink because it was a massive and wonderful part of this hobby. But also because I wanted to try out a TWSBI Eco.

The Eco is one of TWSBI’s beginner fountain pens, made to be affordable and easy to use and emphasized by the inclusion of a small maintenance kit with every pen. It weighs in at 13 grams, comparable to other pens of it’s size and material. And that’s only one of the factors that makes this pen comfortable to use. The resin material is nice to hold and the cylindrical pen body is thicker than most pens in this price ranger, which I really like. The pen is lightweight, but I’ve found that I don’t mind it so much because of the thicker barrel. Between that and the resin, I’ve found the Eco to be very comfortable to hold and use.

In terms of looks, I’d have to say that this pen has a great personality. I’m not fond of the aesthetics of the Eco. The pen body is a clear, demonstrator-type, design, which is wonderfully functional but not attractive to me. I like being able to see the ink level inside the pen and being able to gauge how much I have left in an instant. But I can’t get over seeing the feed and the piston-filling mechanism in the barrel. The Eco is available in different colours: black, white and crystal clear, to say nothing of their special editions, but all of them share the clear pen body. The colors apply to the cap and filling knob, but I don’t think it works with the clear pen body, especially if you’re using an ink that doesn’t match the colour. The clear doesn’t run into this issue, but exposes more of the mechanisms, which, again, I’m not keen on. There are some silver-coloured trim pieces and those are a nice touch to this pen.

Moving on to the grip, it’s made of the same resin material as the body and is also transparent. I find it comparable to the grip on the Pilot Metropolitan. It’s a similar design, tapering before flaring out to prevent fingers from slipping off. The TWSBI’s grip is thicker and has a less noticeable ridge on the body, which is more comfortable to me, but loses some size to the threads for the screw cap. While I still prefer the moulded grip that Lamy offers better, I find this grip to be comfortable and functional.

The cap is octagonal, and as previously mentioned, a screw-cap. This functions well and holds the cap to the pen securely and with no worry of it falling off. It also bears the clip, which works well and looks nice on the pen, and it bears TWSBI’s logo in red on the top. The cap is not postable, owing to the filling mechanism, but the balance is such that you don’t need to post the cap for a good writing experience.

Writing with this pen is awesome. It’s nice and smooth, lays down a dark, rich line and while it is a bit thick for my liking, it on par with other German nibs that I have used. The TWSBI starts writing instantly and I had no ink feeding issues through any of my pens. I tested these in my Rhodia Webnotebook with J. Herbin’s Perle Noire, Eclat de Saphir and Lierre Sauvage, and all three worked brilliantly. The ink does determine the dry time, so if you’re left-handed like me, you’ll want to investigate different options before hand.

I’m a bit torn on the filling system. I think that it works great and is easy to use and figure out. I love the versatility that it gives with the ability to use different inks that might not be used in cartridges. I’m not sure if I like the fact that it is the only option with this pen, but that is what it is. My main qualm lies with the mechanism’s knob, which is exposed. While it allows for a greater capacity, I’m uncomfortable with it being so accessible with it’s ability to cause ink spills. While the cap mitigates that, I think I prefer the converters that fit in a pen better.

Overall, I really do love the TWSBI Eco. It’s a versatile, fun, reliable, and easy to use pen. I may rag on it’s appearance, but the functionality is unquestionable and I see why it ranks so highly on best beginner fountain pen lists. As of writing, it certainly has a place in my top five. And I’d happily recommend this to anyone, though I would caution beginners who are like I was and nervous about filling pens to let themselves get comfortable with the idea before going for this. At that point, I think everyone will find this pen really enjoyable. The TWSBI Eco typically can be found for around $30.00, and is certainly worth it.

This pen was purchased at full price with my own funds.

Kaweco Skyline Sport Fountain Pen Review

There is something to be said about versatility. Bottled inks are wonderful, vibrant and good value and I’m constantly toting around pen cases full of my favorite pens. But sometimes I need to pull a pen while I’m on the bus or need to take a quick note, and digging through my bag and pen cases is just too much work. Enter the Kaweco Skyline Sport.

The Kaweco Skyline Sport is meant to be a compact pen that can easily be stored in a pocket. It’s shorter than most pens, and super light-weight, coming in at 10 grams. The pen is made from resin and is available in several different colours. The pen body itself is a cylinder and doesn’t stand out very much. Honestly, this pen doesn’t pay much attention to how it looks and is based very much on function. It’s meant to be small and easy to carry around, and the Skyline Sport accomplishes both brilliantly.

It is worth noting that this pen looks almost exactly the same as the Kaweco Classic Sport with the exception of gold accents over silver ones. I like the sliver better, but that really is a matter of personal preference.

The cap is octagonal, which prevents the pen from rolling away or off your desk. On one of the side, the words “Kaweco Sport” are embossed on the side in metallic silver and a bit of trim on the tip in the same colour. When the pen is capped, it covers over half of the pen, which gives the pen an odd profile, but it’s super functional for when it’s posted. It’s a friction-fit, but doesn’t quite cover half of the pen, which takes a compact pen and turns it into a full-sized pen. The actually posting of this pen is easy and secure and there’s no worry of it falling off. However, unposting takes a bit more force and I’d recommending making sure there’s no threat of hitting anything when doing so. This pen is one that I would recommend always using when posted because it lends the comfort of using a full-sized pen. I can’t empathize enough the benefit of having a light, compact pen and the fact that you can use is like a full-size pen makes it so much better. The pen is a screw cap and it’s alright. One needs to make sure that the cap is snug before putting it away. I carry this pen in my pocket, an on occasion I’ve found it uncapped.

This grip section isn’t anything to write home about. It takes up very little of the pen and flares out towards the nib to keep fingers in place. However, I don’t ever actually use it. It’s just too small to be effective as a grip and I use the whole pen body as a grip.

As for how it writes, it’s decent. It’s comes with a German steel nib from JoWo and I’ve opted for an extra fine here. The pen takes standard international cartridges with one including with the pen, and Kaweco makes their own piston-filling converter for bottled inks. I’ve used both methods and while the piston-filler is easy to use, I wouldn’t recommend filling it all the way. I’ve tested this pen with the included cartridge of Kaweco Pearl Black ink, and I’m alright with it. The line is fairly thin, on par with other German extra-fine nibs I own and I didn’t experience any ink flow issues. The nib is a bit scratchy and there is a small amount of feedback off the page. It’s not a massive issue for me, but it’s not my favorite writing experience.

Overall, I do like this pen. Is it the best looking pen I have? No. Is it the best writing pen I have? Definitely not. My Favorite? Still no. But it is the pen that I use most consistently and often and always have on me. The Kaweco Skyline Sport doesn’t stick out as the best pen in the world, but it easily makes it into my top 5 lists and the fact that it is compact and easy to carry makes it so useful to have. The Kaweco Skyline Sport goes for around $25.00, and I highly recommend grabbing it.

This pen was purchased at full price with my own funds.

Conklin All American Fountain Pen Review

Conklin has a bit of history with making pens. A 121-year history to be exact. They’re a bit of a storied company, being responsible for several innovations in pen filling mechanisms and even having an endorsement from Mark Twain. There is 45-year gap separating the current company from that past, but they’ve based their current pen models on the old designs and play heavily on their heritage. More importantly, they make a very good looking pen. This is the Conklin All American, a homage to the original 1936 model.

I don’t often comment on packaging, but there comes a point that you’re paying for the packaging as much as you’re paying for the pen, and the All American definitely falls into that range. The pen arrives in a blue cardstock box that is windowed to display the company logo and allows easy removal of the pen case. The case itself is a clamshell design which holds in both open and closed positions. It’s covered in a blue material that I’m having difficulty identifying, but it feels like faux leather, and is trimmed by gold-coloured thread and has the Conklin logo embossed on the top in golden lettering. The interior has a velvet-like cover and a strap to hold the pen to the bed, which it does satisfactorily. The Conklin logo is again embossed in golden letters on the top and the bed lifts from the rest of the case revealing a small storage compartment where one could store spare ink cartridges. This case is meant to feel luxurious, a part of the whole pen experience. And it does well enough in that capacity. It doesn’t blow me away, but it is a nice touch. You’re meant to keep this box around, probably on your desk to display your pen. Personally, that doesn’t do much for me. While I acknowledge that it is part of the experience of purchasing a pen, I like to carry my pens around and consider the writing experience more than the pen-buying experience. Some may really consider packaging when purchasing a pen, but I’m not one of those people.

The pen itself is made from resin but it’s not a light pen. Weighing in at 31 grams, it’s hefty in the hand. This isn’t really a surprise once you’ve looked at it. It’s large pen with thick resin walls, not meant to be a lightweight carry, but feel like a really nice pen. And I really like it. It handles just fine in my hand, is easy to use but feels super nice. Both the weight and the material are spot-on for my tastes.

The All American is available in several different colour schemes, from Lapis Blue to a multi-coloured mess. Most of them are too garish for my tastes, but there is truly something for everyone here, and I think the all-black with black nib that I opted for looks sleek. The cigar profile is also nice and understated.

The cap is a screw-cap that holds the cap to the pen quite securely with no worry of it falling off. It is postable, and the weight of the cap on the end doesn’t bother me, but I can see that some people might take issue with the balance. Personally, I just don’t find that it feels secure. I often alternate between posting the cap and not, so I’m not too bothered, but it might be an issue. The cap also holds a spring clip: one of Conklin’s innovations and it functions quite well. The pen might be heavy, but I’ve clipped this in my pockets and it’s not shifted around or slipped in any way. Removing the pen from what you have it clipped to doesn’t take much, which is nice, but I wouldn’t recommend carrying it in your trouser pockets for that reason.

On to the grip now, it doesn’t take up a lot of the pen. It’s made of the same resin material but flares out towards the nib, which prevents my hand from slipping. It’s big enough for me to rest my fingers on it, but my thumb often rests on the threads, which isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world. However, it is large in diameter, which is really nice and helps keep my hand from cramping up. Overall, I’m a fan of it.

However, I’m not as big of a fan with how it writes. The pen comes with a German steel nib from the JoWo company, and I bought an extra fine nib. In terms of writing, it writes like other German nibs I’ve used, with perhaps a slightly thicker line width than normally. But I found this pen to very inconsistent. When doing my sample sheet, using J. Herbin Perle Norie ink with in my Rhodia webnotebook, it wrote relatively smooth, laying down thick, wet lines. However, during my week of using it, there would be whole writing sessions where it would be dry and scratchy to the point of being unpleasant. Even when doing my sample sheet there would be times that I would start a new stroke and have nothing come out. It got to the point of being frustrating. When this pen works at what I believe is its peak performance, it’s fine. It’s a bit broad for my taste, but it’s smooth and lays down a good, thick and rich line. But unfortunately it doesn’t get there all the time, and that really bugs me. The pen comes with a screw-in piston filling convert installed and two standard international short cartridges, with the potential to use the standard international long cartridges. Another note is that the dry time is insanely long. J. Herbin isn’t known for being quick drying, so it’s not completely the fault of the pen, but the pen does lay down a lot of ink when it works. The dry times speak for themselves, and they’re somewhat concerning if you’re left handed like me.

Overall, I really wanted to like this pen. The presentation is lovely, the pen looks great and it feels really nice in the hand. I acknowledge that the nib isn’t my style, but I would have found a reason to use this pen because almost everything about it is something I like and look for in a pen. But at the end of the day, a pen is about the writing experience, and I found this lacking from the Conklin All American. The lack of consistency is disappointing and really holds this pen back. I get the sense that with some modification, whether that is nib work or a new nib, this could by one of my favourite pens. As it stands, I can’t help but be a bit disappointed. The All-American has an MSRP of $95.00, but can often be found for $76.00. If you’re willing to modify this pen with a nib you like, I’d recommend it because everything else is wonderful. But if you’re looking for a pen that is brilliant out of the box, this isn’t the pen for you.

(This pen was purchased with my own funds, but at a discounted price.)

Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review

The Pilot Metropolitan was the second fountain pen that I tested and I can’t say it was love at first sight. There were a few issues that really bothered me at the time and I left it alone for a while. But boy did it catch my attention the second time around. Same pen, but presenting one undeniable fact: this pen rocks.

The Pilot Metropolitan is one of Pilot’s budget offerings. It’s a hefty brass barrel, weighing in at 25 grams. It’s not heavy to the point that it is uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. But the both the weight and the metal feels nice in the hand. Everything about it screams quality.

The body is torpedo-shaped, tapering at both ends. It’s available is several different colours, including plain black, plain silver, and a wide variety of bright colours with patterned mid-section, such as my Retro-pop Orange. All of these come with sliver furniture. And al of these are really nice. I love the way my Retro-pop Orange looks with it’s patterning and the colour is a very appealing shade. My black Metropolitan isn’t a slouch either; I think it looks sleek and understated, which is my preferred look.

The cap is a snap-cap with works just fine. It holds the cap securely to the pen with no fear of it falling off in transit, and it doesn’t take too much force in uncap or recap it. It is postable, and while the writing experiences are different between posted and unposted, both are good and I use my Metropolitans either way.

The grip section is a bit more problematic for me, and was honestly my biggest concern the first time I tried this pen. The grip is made of black resin, which looks alright and is functional. However, I find this grip to be small, both in diameter and portion of the pen it covers. Now, I have slightly larger than average hands, so this might be less of problem for others, but for me, it forces my fingers into an uncomfortably small area and I often rest my thumb on the ridge between grip and body, which also isn’t the most comfortable. It’s not the worst grip that I’ve had to deal with, but I can honestly say that I like Lamy’s moulded grip better.

However, the writing experience is were the Metropolitan truly shines. It comes with Pilot steel nibs, which I’ve written about previously in my Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen review. But to recap, it is ridiculously smooth, no ink flow issues and, in the case of my fine nib, lays down a thin line, perfect for my writing style. I tested this is my Rhodia webnotebook with a cartridge of Pilot Namiki black ink like the one included with the pen. It’s easily my favourite writing experience.

I also tested Pilot’s 1.0mm stub nib, which is in my Retro-pop Orange. Again, it was in my Rhodia webnotebook, but with J. Herbin’s 1798 special edition Cornaline d’Egypte. The ink itself deserved it’s own review, so I won’t comment too much on its properties. I have a bottle of this ink, so a converter system is needed to use it in the the Metropolitan. Pilot includes a squeeze converter, shipped inside the pen, but I recommend getting Pilot’s CON40 piston-filling converter for an easier experience. The stub nib gives some stunning line variation with nice broad strokes going into thinner lines. My writing samples don’t do it justice, in part because my handwriting is messy and that I’m left-handed, which makes stub nibs a bit more difficult for me in general. However, I’ve seen other people use this pen and the effect is so wonderful.

Overall, I can’t say enough about its pen. Despite my personal issues with the grip section, I can easily see past them for the writing experience. It looks great, it’s weight feels great and it writes phenomenally. I’d highly recommend it for anyone. It’s a great beginner’s fountain pen, duelling for top spot with the Lamy Safari, and I think everyone should own one because it’s that good. The Pilot Metropolitan’s MSRP is around $30.00, but for my money, it’s my favourite pen in my collection, bar none.

Lamy AL-star Vibrant Pink Fountain Pen Review

It might seem a bit late to review a 2018 special edition, especially with the 2019 editions right around the corner, but this is my first look at the Lamy AL-star in general, and I’m excited to see what the Safari’s more expensive cousin’s all about. Plus, it’s almost Valentine’s day, so pink’s in fashion, right?

The Lamy AL-star is an aluminium barrel pen body that can be purchased with a fountain pen nib, rollerball or ballpoint refill, or mechanical pencil mechanism. I’ve opted for the fountain pen option. The aluminum body makes it slightly heavier than the Lamy Safari, weighing in at 18 grams compared to the Safari’s 15. The difference is hardly noticeable and doesn’t add or take away from the writing experience. However, the difference is noticeable in just how the pen feels in the hand. The aluminum feels nice against the hand and I quite like it. The body shape is a cylinder with two flattened section, which is notable as the sides go all the way up to the rubber o-ring above the grip section, whereas the same port of the Safari is rounded. This leads to the o-ring being almost flush in some places and forming a ridge in others. It doesn’t affect the grip at all, but it is a noticeable difference. There is a window on either side to view the ink level, which is something Lamy does that I love. Of course, you can get this in several different colours, including grey, purple, black, dark and light blue, and of course, in the special edition Vibrant Pink. It is worth noting that this colour is not available for the mechanical pencil rendition. While I tend to prefer black and grey pens, I really like the colour on this pen. It’s a nice, rich, dark shade of pink, which borders on purple, with a metallic finish. It’s got black plastic trim on either end and a silver-coloured clip. Most of the elements on this pen work together well, though I would have liked a black clip. That being said, I think this pen looks good as is. It stands out nicely on a desk.

The cap is a snap-cap which holds the cap to the pen very firmly such that there is no risk of it flying off. The actual mechanism is clean with no surprises and it takes an average amount of force to uncap and re-cap this pen. It is also postable, but the writing experience with and without it posted are both pleasant, so it’s really a user’s preference. A quick note: I don’t know if I’ve received a faulty men, but the clip on this one tends to slip into the cap. this doesn’t affect the functionality of the clip, but I wouldn’t mind seeing other AL-stars to see their clips do the same. Either way, I’m slightly disappointed with this. No matter how you sell it, it feels cheap on a pen that otherwise justifies its cost.

Moving on the grip, it’s made of a translucent, black resin. The colour scheme works with the rest of the pen, and the translucency isn’t really noticeable unless you’re looking for it. This is Lamy’s shaped grip, which is made to make a standard grip more comfortable. And this is a really contentious element of Lamy pens. Most people love it to death, or hate it and want it to die. Very little middle-ground.I happen to like it. It’s fits my grip well and makes the pen really comfortable to use, which worrying about hand cramps. Additionally, this grip makes Lamy pens the first I hand people who have never used a fountain pen before, because it essentially teaches them how to hold and use the pen.

The AL-star comes with a Lamy steel nib, the same that they use in the Safari. I tested this pen with an extra-fine nib in my Rhodia Webnotebook. It comes with a cartridge of standard Lamy blue-black ink, but for my purposes I used Lamy’s special edition Vibrant Pink ink. And there are no surprises here. It writes quite smoothly, with little to no feedback off the page. The line width is the same as a Safari with the same nib and comparable to the Pilot Metropolitan with a fine nib. In short, it’s really good for small handwriting. It’s not my favourite writing experience, but it definitely ranks in the top five.

I do need to make a separate note on the ink, since that’s part of the special edition as well. I write in black ink. That’s the sensible thing to do. But I found in using this ink all week that I don’t mind the colour. It’s got some nice shading, ranging from matching the colour of the pen to boarding on bubblegum pink. The dry time on this is surprisingly quick. It smears like no tomorrow if you run something over it immediately, but dries up within five second. Overall, I like this ink. I can’t say if it’s the best pink out there, but it gets the job done.

Overall, I really like the Lamy AL-star. It’s a good pen with a great writing experience and design. It feels nice, looks nice and if you really don’t care for the pink, there’s options available. Now, I would say that this pen is pretty good for a beginner, though other users would find something to like about it as well. The only reason it would stay off my personal top five beginner’s fountain pen list is the price. The AL-star has an MSRP of $47.00, though you can often find it for around $37.00. The Lamy Safari has an MSRP of $37.00, but can often be purchased for $25.00 to $30.00. The writing experience of both these pens is the same, which is to be expected. The main difference is the material, and at that point it’s a matter of personal preference whether you spend the extra money on the aluminum barrel or not. I heartily recommend the Lamy AL-star, and I would say that it is worth the full price. But if you’re nervous about your first fountain pen, see if you can find a good deal on one, because while there are cheaper pens for beginners, it’s really not a bad place to start.

(This pen was purchased with my own funds, but at a discounted price with additional benefits.)

Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen Review

The Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen (not to be confused with the discontinued ballpoint of the same name) is Pilot’s newest budget fountain pen, introduced in November of 2018. It’s basically the resin response to the Metropolitan, and comes in a similar case. Included is a Pilot Namiki Black ink cartridge, and it is compatible with the CON40 Twist Piston Converter.

The resin body makes this pen fairly lightweight, weighing in at 12 grams. The body is available in several different colours (Blue, Green, Red, Light Blue, Grey and Pink) with a metallic finish, and I’ve opted for a green one. And honestly, I think this pen looks pretty good. The green is a nice and vibrant colour and the metallic finish kicks it up a notch. And to top it all off, it has matte black trims which gives it a nice high contrast.

As for how much this weighs, I’m alright with it. It’s super light in the hand, really easy to write with and quite comfortable. I tend to prefer a heftier pen, but I found that this handled quite nicely in my hand.

The Explorer comes with a snap-cap, which is really secure and leaves no fear of the cap coming off unintentionally. That being said, it doesn’t take too much force to uncap the pen. Re-capping it feels a bit odd though. It’s really hard to describe, but it feels as if the last bit of the cap is cushioned in order to ease the cap into the holding mechanism. This doesn’t make sense to me and, quite frankly, caught me a bit off guard. While it’s not something that I’m concerned about, it is worth noting.

Moving on to the grip, it’s made of the same resin material as the body, but in a translucent dark grey. There’s not much to be seen in the grip section of the pen, but it’s also dark enough that you won’t notice it most of the time. Indeed, I actually missed that detail the first few times I used it. It’s about the same size as the Metropolitan grip, if a bit thicker and with a less dramatic ridge into the body.It’s actually quite comfortable. However, I have one quibble regarding this section: the grip section does feel a bit slippery to me, and I found that I had to readjust my hand while using this pen several times.

The Pilot Explorer comes with the Pilot steel nib and there’s no surprises when it comes to the writing experience. It writes like a Metropolitan. I tested this pen with a fine nib, loaded with the included Pilot Namiki Black ink, in my Rhodia Webnotebook and I found it to be smooth with no issues with ink flow. The ink does take a while to dry, which is a concern for a lefty like me, but nothing out of the ordinary. Additionally, the line width is rather thin, ideal for small handwriting. My favourite part of the Pilot Metropolitan is the actual writing experience, and the Explorer replicates it line by line, which shouldn’t be a shock to anyone..

Overall, this is quite a good pen. It’s a great writing experience, it’s comfortable and I think it looks quite good, though your mileage may vary on that last point. It’s got a lot of its own merits. But, it’s also got to deal with a massive elephant in the room, and you might have picked this up throughout the review: The Pilot Metropolitan. And with the writing experiences being so similar, the main difference is the Metropolitan’s brass body, which makes if a heftier pen at 25 grams. And I think the Metropolitan’s the better pen; it fits me more. Now, if the Explorer were cheaper, I could accept is as a good, inexpensive, beginner’s fountain pen. But it’s not. I’ve seen both pens at $24.00. I’ve even seen the Metropolitan at $16.00, and never seen the Explorer under $20.00. Unfortunately, this pen faces severe competition, even from its own manufacturer. And, at the end of the day, I don’t see a scenario where I’d recommend it. If you have a Metropolitan already, I’d don’t think you need to go out and buy this. And if you’re just trying to get into fountain pens, I’m recommending the Metropolitan before I recommend the Explorer. It’s a bit unfortunate, because I think this pen is decent and gets a lot right. But it’s outclassed by its competition in the same price range.