Mike Hancox from Steel & Flint was kind enough to arrange an early prototype of the Steel & Flint Pen, which recently launched on Kickstarter. If you are looking for a high-quality pocket pen option then you are going to want to check this one out.

Two things struck me when I first opened the package: The pen is smaller and lighter than I was expecting looking at the pictures online. That doesn’t mean this is a small and light pen necessarily, but my brain was feeding me different information before its arrival.

The size and weight of the Steel & Flint Pen play to its advantage as a pocketable, on the go pen. The aluminum barrel keeps the weight down, and the rounded ends allow for it to slide easily in and out of a pocket or a bag. It is clipless pen, so don’t expect to attach it anywhere, but I think that is a feature of this style of pen, not a negative.

The pen is available in three anodized finishes - Silver, Black, or Champagne - and each are bead blasted to give it a bit of matte/satin feel. The finish feels nice in the hand and gives it enough texture to keep it from feeling slick. The knurled grip is a wonderfully done as well. It is refined and feels almost smooth across the top, but keeps your grip in place when writing.

One concern about the finish I have is how the constant capping and uncapping will have on the look of the barrel. Will friction stripes start to appear from metal on metal sliding? And will I care? I imagine at some point marks will start to show up, and I probably won’t care. This is a pocket pen, so it is going to get scratched and dinged as it is. Only time will tell.

When this pen was launched, one of the main comments I heard was that this pen is a copy of the CW&T Pen Type-B. As one of the biggest fans and supporters of the Pen Type-B on the planet I can safely say these pens are almost nothing alike aside from the general silhouette.

The sleeve on the Pen Type-B is designed for an air-tight, zero tolerance fit, which gives it a unique capping and uncapping feel. The Steel & Flint sleeve is essentially a cap. Pull off and push on, with a magnet snap pulling it tight at each end. It feels good and works well. It’s also shorter, narrower, and about 1/3 of the weight of the Pen Type-B. It is a totally different pen in my mind.

If I were to give it a comparison to other pens, it’s more like a mash up between the look and feel of the Baron Fig Squire and the technical machining and size of the Karas Kustoms EDK. I love both of those pens, and the Steel & Flint Pen is right there with them.

Refill wise, the Steel & Flint Pen takes Parker compatible (International G2) refills. While not my favorite option, it does ship with the a Schmidt Easyflow 9000M, which is probably the best of the bunch. I’m always on the lookout for something finer though.

As far as being the “World’s Finest Soft-Close Magnetic Pen”, ok I guess so when it is a competition of one. I can caveat myself into being the “World’s Finest Bradly Stephen Dowdy” too, which doesn’t tell you much.

At $69, it is priced fairly and I have backed it myself. Post-Kickstarter pricing will be closer to, or over, $100, which gives me pause. I do see a future where other materials could be introduced to the Steel & Flint offerings which could justify a three-digit price.

My thanks to Mike and Steel & Flint for sending me this pen at no charge for the purposes of this review.

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

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

In the vast world of stationery and writing instruments, you'll find a wide array of materials used to bring these products to life. Plastics, metals, and natural materials. One material that I haven't seen in writing instruments yet is concrete. But, that changed when I received the Contour Rollerball from 22 Design Studio.

That's right, the Contour Rollerball is a pen made from "high-density concrete" and stainless steel. And, let me tell you, it's gorgeous in person.

Given the materials, it has a nice weight to it that gives it a precise and industrial feel. It looks cold and heartless on the desk, but when you pick it up, you realize that there's a warmth and softness in the hard materials. It really is a special pen that you have to hold in your own hand before you can fully appreciate the design.

The mechanical preciseness of the machined parts are exquisite. Everything feels like it was milled in perfect harmony to produce a well-oiled writing machine. The threads are smooth and exact, and every part of operating this pen is a pleasure. The stainless steel cap has a plastic insert to keep the refill from drying out, and it has a substantial weight given its size. The top of the cap is completely flat, which allows you to store the pen standing up on a flat surface. It's not something I'd recommend in the off-chance that it tumbles to an untimely death, but it looks cool.

The refill is accessible through the front of the pen. The small section between the cap threads and the refill tip unscrew from the body of the pen to give access to the refill. It's all a very exact and comforting fit, and I doubt you could use any other refill in this pen.

Not to worry, though, because they picked an excellent refill to wrap this work of art around: the Schmidt 888 ceramic rollerball. The Schmidt rollerball is a favorite around here. It's not the exact same refill as the venerable P8126 found in the Retro 51 Tornado, but it's very comparable. To my discerning hand, it writes the same, so I'm left to assume that it's the same tip on a differently-sized cartridge. If you like how the Retro 51 Tornado writes, then you'll love this automatically.

As for the concrete part of the pen, it's one of my favorite features of the of the pen because it's interesting to look at and it also feels great in the hand. The pen is flat on opposite sides, and there are graduated plans that widen toward the middle of the pen, giving it a stepping contour shape. On one end of the pen body, "22" is embossed to indicate the pen brand. This is the only form of branding on the pen. To me, the pen is a piece of art that is enjoyable both to the eyes and the hands.

The concrete warms up your hand nicely while in use, and has a soft feel even though it's an extremely hard material. This is nothing like your average quick mix concrete that you create in a wheelbarrow. This is high-end, high-density concrete. Over time, the concrete will absorb oils and react with the air, taking on a unique personality similar to the way brass and leather products age over time. According to the 22 Design Studio website, the shape of the pen will also contour over time as you use it.

Overall, I'm really impressed by this little pen. It makes a striking visual statement, and it's a complete joy to use. It excites the senses, and I'm not sure if there's much else you can expect from a writing instrument except that it write well (which, it does).

The Contour Rollerball Pen about $85 from Kohezi Amsterdam. This would make a great gift for yourself or another stationery enthusiast! My copy is the White version, but it also comes in Original and Dark Grey.

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

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

(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.)

Where were these when I was in school?

The Textsurfer gel highlighters from Staedtler come in packs of five (yellow, orange, pink, green, blue), or three (pink, orange, yellow), or as individual units. The bodies are plastic, cylindrical, with a snap cap and sturdy clips. The bottom portion is a wide, textured twist mechanism that raises or lowers the gel stick.

The gel is super smooth, like a soft crayon. It glides over the paper like warm butter. It is semi-transparent and almost seems to glow, as if it possesses some neon school supply magic. It even smells good. It's formulated to perform well on thin paper without bleeding through--so it's excellent for use in novels, planners, bibles, or textbooks. They would have been perfect for my Complete Works of Shakespeare with onionskin paper.

The gel works well over a variety of inks and is inkjet safe. The only ink type that smudged under the application was gel pen ink. Even fountain pen and rollerball ink stayed put.

On the down side, the wide rounded tips wear unevenly--so they do not produce a precise line, and the line width can vary quite a bit. They also leave a waxy residue on the paper that adds weight to the page and feels slightly sticky to the touch for a little while. But the lines do go down dry, so there isn't the slow dry time that standard highlighters have, even on coated textbook paper.

Because the gel is so soft, it wears down very quickly. Even coloring a small area leaves a noticeable flat edge on the tip. If your textbook pages look anything like mine did--with nearly everything highlighted but the pronouns and adverbs--you're going to go through these pretty fast. The gel stick is a good length, so I do think they are useful and fairly priced--but I would have needed quite a stockpile of these to complete my coursework. Like Smaug on a hoard of highlighters.

I'll use these for the occasional research project, for marking knit and crochet patterns, and for highlighting interesting quotes in the books I read. All the while homesick for my student days. I think these would be a great gift for any scholar, and I personally prefer them to the standard highlighter marker.

I remember the days of smudged highlighter lines, lines that bled through the page, or wet lines that transferred to the facing page, making it look like I'd marked something I hadn't. Exam weeks might mean the sides of my hands were permanently stained in a neon rainbow. I tried colored pencil highlighters, but they required too much pressure on the page and were rough on thin paper. These smooth gel sticks are a fantastic solution to these common student ailments that went unchecked for decades. I'll file these under "brilliant solutions you didn't know you needed for problems you hadn't thought too much about".

Sometimes it's the little things.

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

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

When I went to France last March, one of my objectives was to visit the Mora Stylos shop in Paris. Unfortunately, the only day we were near the shop was a Sunday, and they were closed. I would have loved to buy a pen directly from Monsieur Mora, but it was not to be.

So, this fall, I began shopping for a pen on the Mora Stylos website. I decided on a beautiful celluloid called Bleu Automne in the Art Deco Oldwin style. The only nib choices were fine and medium. I chose a fine nib.

The pen took a little over a week to arrive from Paris. A letter from Monsieur Mora was enclosed and the pen was in a simple black hinged box.

Talk about “oh la la!” I audibly gasped when I opened the box. Inside was an enormous pen in the most gorgeous celluloid I’ve ever seen. Bleu Automne is a combination of deep blue with golden and white swirls. The gold swirls sparkle in the sun. It is simply stunning.

The pen is large at 150mm capped and 135mm uncapped.

It’s really too large to post, though I suppose one could. Even though the pen is big, it isn’t heavy because the celluloid is light material. That said, the celluloid feels much more substantive than acrylic, and it warms to the hand.

The body details on this pen are exquisite. The cap and the bottom of the barrel are each encircled with a thin gold band. Then there are graduated steps leading to the slightly rounded finial and barrel bottom.

The bronze-plated clip inserts directly into the cap (there’s no clip ring). It’s a simple, rectangular clip inscribed with “Oldwin.”

The pen is a cartridge/converter and comes equipped with a Waterman converter. It holds a decent amount of ink.

The 18k nib on this pen is gigantic (German size 7) and glorious. It is decorated simply with the words “Oldwin” and “Paris” along with the gold content near the base.

Measured in millimeters

This shiny piece of solid gold sits atop an enormous feed.

The pen writes smoothly with a tiny bit of feedback. It has a softness to it, but it certainly doesn’t flex, and I wouldn’t call it “springy.” It’s a very responsive nib and is a delight to write with.

When I first received the pen, I discovered four parallel scratches on the nib. I’m still not sure what caused them, though I suspect they came from the clip screw inside the cap.

I notified Monsieur Mora about the problem, and he accepted the pen back for repair. He replaced the nib and fixed whatever caused the scratches. He shipped the pen back to me free of charge and even reimbursed me for the postage I paid to send him the pen. I call that excellent customer service.

The pen is now perfect and, I have to say, it is one of the most beautiful pens I own. Of course, handmade pens like this come at a price. My pen cost over $500, but I am very happy with my purchase.

If you ever visit Paris, I encourage you to visit Mora Stylos at 7 Rue de Tournon. It’s not too far from Shakespeare and Company.

Otherwise, you can view pens for sale on the Mora Stylos website. Just be careful! You’ll want to buy them all. Ils sont magnifiques!

Pros

• The Oldwin is a hand-crafted, gorgeous oversized pen from Paris.
• Bleu Automne celluloid is unique and incredibly beautiful.
• The pen is well balanced even though it large.
• The solid 18k gold nib is enormous and beautiful in its simplicity. It is a smooth, responsive nib.
• Mora Stylos offers excellent customer service.

Cons

• The pen is a cartridge/converter. For this size of a pen, it would be nice to have a piston or eyedropper option.
• Mora Stylos pens are quite expensive, as you would expect.
• Because the shop is in Paris, if you need repairs, you have to send it there. That is time consuming, but André Mora stands behind his product.

I purchased this pen from Mora Stylos with my own funds.

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

I didn’t know what to expect when launching Pen Addict Memberships this past January. It was uncharted territory, although I was certain at least a few of you would come along for the ride. Hitting 400 members by November of the first year has exceeded my expectations - by a long shot!

This post is a big THANK YOU to everyone who has put their faith in me over these past 11 months. It is also a chance to share with those who are considering joining what Pen Addict Membership is all about.

The most common question I see is “What do I get for my money?” First and foremost, your money goes to supporting me, this site, and everything that goes into running it. Stationery is my life, and my job, and your direct support allows me to do this. I always want to be upfront about that.

Members get something tangible in return, too. Each week I publish Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter. This newsletter contains extra content not found on PenAddict.com. I usually start off with my commentary on a pertinent topic, a bit of editorializing, or a unique product review that I haven’t covered before. I follow with a big batch of Ink Links, where I share articles and images, and provide commentary on each. I also provide pen show trip reports, answer member questions, give sneak previews of products, offer discount codes to the shop, and much more.

I put hours and hours of work into Refill each week, and I think it shows. Members seem to think so too. It is the core of being a Pen Addict member.

Are you interested yet? I hope so! Membership comes in two flavors: $5 per month, or $48 per year (save $12!). It would make a great gift this holiday season as well for your favorite pen addict, or even yourself.

You can find the full details - including a sample of Refill - and join on the Pen Addict Memberships page. I’m happy to answer any questions you have in the Comments section below, or via the Contact Page.

Thank you for an amazing year, and watch out 2017!

Red Stingray Double Pen Sleeve.

Do I have your attention yet? Tom Barrington sells beautiful exotic leather pen cases, and should be on your radar this holiday season.

Tom has several different models available to suit your pen carrying needs, including single and double pen sleeves and top flap cases. The range of colors are amazing as well, from basic Brown and Black Ostrich, to bright Orange and Forest Green Stingray, and several colors in between. The Tan Crocodile double pen sleeve looks especially nice.

All leather exteriors are genuine, and each case is lined with Napa cowhide for an added layer of protection. They hit every price point for your gift giving needs, and have many other accessories such as wallets and phone cases as well.

My thanks to Tom Barrington for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Image via JetPens

Sponsor support is very important to me here at The Pen Addict. My sidebar advertisers put their faith in me to deliver good value for them month in and month out, and I want to shine the light on the best of the best for you. If you are shopping for pens, paper, inks, and more, please check out these great companies and see what they have to offer. Some recent highlights:

Anderson Pens helps you put the sparkle in this holiday season with the latest batch of Diamine Shimmertastic Ink. The new colors include Moon Dust, Golden Oasis, and Golden Oasis, along others.

JetPens just received stock of the Lamy LX, which features metallic colored barrels in Gold, Rose Gold, Palladium, and Ruthenium.

Goldspot has a small batch of the amazingly unique Noodler’s Proctor’s Ledge ink which, well, you just have to see it to believe it.

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

I've been spending some quality time with a couple of Aurora fountain pens lately, and I've been really happy with them for the most part. A few weeks ago, I was focused on the Nikargenta 88, but I've recently been spending a lot more attention with the Optima Auroloide. The Optima has roots in the 1930s, which is where the external aesthetic shines so well. Compared to the slim Nikargenta, it's thicker and more stout, but still offers a fantastic writing experience. No matter where the inspiration for this design came from, the combination of the shape, feel, and beautiful Auroloide material make this a real winner.

Aesthetics

Now, like I just mentioned, Aurora calls this material "Auroloide," which is their own name for the antique celluloid material they use. You've likely seen similar materials used in many, many other pens and manufacturers, and it never fails to stun when seen in person. Sure, photos look nice, but they don't fully capture the depth and charm that the material offers. The model I have is the blue Auroloide, and it has a combination of medium to dark blue hues that glisten under light. I'm extremely partial to blue, so I was in love from first sight, but the other colors look equally stunning based on the photos online.

The shape of the pen is classic. The top and bottom are both flat, while the body widens to the middle section and tapers off to form a comfortable grip. The cap is large and ornate, featuring gold trim and prominent Aurora branding. The clip is strong, but features are very smooth, rounded tip that makes it easy to mount and dismount every kind of material.

Apart from the branding on the cap band, there's also a stamped brand on the body of the pen. I'm sure many manufacturers do this, but the first example that comes to mind is Edison Pen Company. They use the same stamp method that evokes an antique feeling and nods to the fountain pen champions of the 20th century.

Now, the nib on the Nikargenta was pretty, but it's a slim pen overall. Of course it has a petite nib to match the overall design. But, that's where the Optima has room to shine. With a stout body, this pen flaunts a bodacious 14k nib that never fails to catch my eye. It's tastefully adorned and fits the rest of the pen perfectly.

Apart from that, this pen is a piston filler, and has a spacious ink window between the body and section. It's never difficult to see how much ink is sloshing around inside the reservoir. And, surprisingly, this pen holds a lot of ink. I did not measure the exact amount of ink used, but it's very similar to a TWSBI 580. Very ample.

Writing Experience

The nib looks outstanding, but it also writes like a champ. The point on mine is a medium, and it performs very closely to the Nikargenta. It's not quite as smooth, but it falls well within satisfactory tolerances for a stock nib. It's an absolute pleasure to write with — never any skipping or hard starts. Ink flow is exceptional without being too wet. And, given the size of the nib, it showcases inks very well.

The grip section is smooth, polished plastic that ends with a small lip at the end to provide additional stability for your fingers. It's done in a way that is comfortable. Some pens that utilize this grip design can feel uncomfortable after a few minutes of writing because the lip edge is too dramatic or sharp. The Optima grip is smooth enough to maintain comfort for longer sessions. And, the overall diameter of the pen adds to that comfort as well.

Overall

I'm impressed again by the quality and craftsmanship found in the Aurora fountain pen line. The Optima is a pen designed with a nod to the pens of yesteryear, and it pulls this off with exceptional style and poise. Not only that, but it's a fantastic writer. The Optima is not a cheap pen, but the price is fair and justifiable in my opinion. It's a luxury writing instrument, and it feels like one when you use it. MSRP is between $500 and $550 for the fountain pen, depending on the color and trim. Anderson Pens sell the entire line of Aurora (fountain pens, rollerballs, ballpoints, and pencil), and the version pictured here runs for just under $495. In most of the fountain pen versions, you have a choice of EF, F, M, and B nibs.

(Kenro Industries provided this product on loan to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Who knew our listeners we the shower pen experts? Y'all delivered the goods, and Myke and I deliver the goods on the Field Notes Black Ice edition. I also dig into the murky grey market of the pen world.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Harry's: Use code PENADDICT to get $5 off your order!

Foot Cardigan: Fantastic socks delivered to your mailbox every month. Get 10% off any subscription plan with the code PEN.

Tom Bihn: Bags made in the U.S.A. Lifetime Guarantee. Superior Construction. Thoughtful Design.

(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.)

The build quality of Leuchtturm notebooks is always bound to impress. They're simple, functional, and durable--and with the bright colors, they're also fun. The Pocket A6 Sketchbook has all of the staple necessities of a standard Leuchtturm: a sturdy hardback cover, expandable back pocket, ribbon bookmark, elastic closure, thread binding, acid-free paper, and sticker labels. Because it's a sketchbook and not a journal, the pages are blank and not numbered, and there is no index in the front. Perhaps it's my inner librarian talking, but I'd still love a table of contents, even for sketches.

The paper is white, 180 gsm. It has a good bit of tooth to it and works best with pencil, rollerball ink, and brush pen or marker. I was surprised that there was no feathering with the wet marker I used. Fountain pens feathered a little, but not as much as I expected. I think this notebook would hold up well for pen-and-ink drawings, or could be used as a freeform journal.

I tried a dip pen with a flex nib, and that didn't go well at all. The nib snagged at the page, the ink feathered like a baby chicken, and it bled through the page and onto the next one. The paper stood up to some light watercolor use. There was some mild wrinkling, but not severe. In places where water was used more heavily, however, there was a little bleeding and deterioration of the paper.

The notebook does lay open quite well once the spine has been trained. It's a bit stiff at first, but putting it through a little notebook yoga did wonders. At 96 pages of thick paper, this book has a lot of girth for a small sketchbook. Despite its claim to being a pocket notebook, I don't think it would fit comfortably in a pocket, and it didn't fit in my pocket notebook cases. It is, however, a good size for slipping into a purse or briefcase for on-the-go sketches. It wouldn't take up much space in a daypack or messenger bag. The plentiful pages would be nice for travel, when you need something portable but don't want to run out of pages or carry multiple books.

My nine-year-old, who has claimed this on the grounds that it is his favorite color, intends to use it to write out LEGO instructions for his very complicated and important designs.

I personally prefer my sketchbooks to handle more sloppy media, but I think this book has a lot to offer a pen-and-ink or pencil sketcher with places to be. You just can't beat Leuchtturm's sturdy reliability.

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

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I am a big fan of Robert Oster Signature inks, as anyone can tell from reading my previous reviews (Torquay, Tranquility, and Astorquiza Rot). Today, I’m reviewing two more Oster inks: Claret and Verde de Rio.

Claret

Claret is an ink color I thought I would really like. It’s obviously named for the wine, and in swabs it is a beautiful burgundy color.

However, writing with a medium nib, it is really more of a dusty mauve. I like the color, but it is not my favorite Robert Oster ink. It has some shading, beautiful gold sheen, but it is very dry, as you can see in the ink test.

The chromatography reveals some gorgeous colors—pink and blue.

But this ink is so dry, I don’t like writing with it. It seems to drag on the page, whether you’re writing on Maruman paper or Tomoe River paper.

But with a broad nib, the ink looks much more interesting.

Although dry inks can be excellent for pens with overly juicy nibs, I much prefer wet inks. Previously, I reviewed KWZ Brown-Pink, and I like that color more than Claret because the KWZ ink is much wetter.

Verde de Rio

Verde de Rio is a beautiful grass-green color. This ink is similar to Robert Oster Jade, but it is a slightly greener-green whereas Jade is more of a yellow-green.

In my ink testing, Verde de Rio is a medium-wet ink, with good shading in broad nibs and a little dark green sheen in ink spatters.

Chromatography reveals that the ink has a limited spectrum of color. In fact it almost completely washes out.

Verde de Rio is absolutely gorgeous in broad nibs.

I also used it with a brush pen and it’s very nice.

However, with my Franklin-Christoph medium SIG nib, the color is a bit too light for my taste.

You can buy Robert Oster Signature Ink at Vanness Pens, $16.00 for 50ml and $2.00 for a 2ml ink sample.

(I purchased these Robert Oster inks with my own funds.)

Tom Barrington sells beautiful exotic leather pen cases, and should be on your radar this holiday season.

I know the Red Stingray Double Pen Sleeve is on mine, or possibly the Single Pen Orange Sleeve. All leather exteriors are genuine, and each case is lined with Napa cowhide for an added layer of protection.

Whatever your pen case needs, Tom Barrington is certain to have you and your pens covered. And they make wonderful gifts too!

My thanks to Tom Barrington for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Lamy has made some interesting design decisions this year. The highly anticipated Lamy 2000 50th Anniversary pen fell flat in my eyes, and the announcement of the Lamy Lx - aka the iPhone pen - looked to be a marginal Al-Star upgrade at a non-marginal price.

I wanted to check out the Lx myself to see if the over 50% price increase from the Al-Star is worth it. Are you getting enough value to justify the price?

I don’t think so.

The selling points of the Lx (pronounced “Luxe” if you are wondering how Lamy sees this pen) are upgraded anodizing - barrel, clip, and finial - plus coated black steel nibs. The packaging is upgraded too, featuring a tube to match the color of your pen. Don't forget: You pay for packaging.

While the visual differences between the Al-Star and Lx are minimal, there is zero difference in the feel of the pen. Blindfolded, I would assume this is an Al-Star. It writes like one, which is to say wonderfully, and has the same molded plastic grip, weight, and balance.

If you are interested in the Gold or Rose Gold models, I can see the justification for purchasing the Lx. Those colors don’t appear in the rest of the product lineup, and the clip anodizing is more of a standout feature compared to the Palladium and Ruthenium models. If the latter two interest you, I would consider the Al-Star in Black or Graphite Grey and save some money. If you just want to experience the nib, like the EF in my review, you can drop down to the Safari and not miss a beat.

On it’s own merits, the Lamy Lx is a good pen. If the Al-Star didn’t exist, I would dare to say it is fairly priced. But the Al-Star does exist, so you will need to weigh the pros and cons between the two when making your buying decision.

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

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

We are all tinkerers at heart, hacking and modifying pens to suit our needs. Terry O’Connor got tired of losing his space pen and started making pen runts by cutting Bic ballpoints in half. That’s when the idea hit him - why don’t I make my own pen, and make it great?

Enter the Pokka Pen.

These precision injection molded pens are small and light enough to carry in your pocket or bag and go unnoticed, but when uncapped they turn into a full sized writing instrument. The unique Double Dokk system ensures the cap fits securely when open or closed.

The Pokka Pen comes in several different colors, including a series of premium Kustom Koated pens, and can be accessorized with the upcoming Keyring Kaps which allow you to attach your Pokka Pen to key rings, zippers, or lanyards. Best of all? They cost less than $9 for a 3-pack with free shipping on orders of 10 pens or more. Talk about the perfect stocking stuffer.

As a bonus for Pen Addict readers, any order of 5 or more Pokka Pens will receive a free Pen Addict logo Pokka.

My thanks to Pokka Pens for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

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

The genre of mechanical drafting pencils has always been fascinating to me. They tend to look like industrial tools meant for a precise purpose compared to the grade school pencils I was accustomed to when growing up. It's a great genre, and there's a lot of interesting nuances between the different designs. Some of these pencils have special features that set them apart from the rest, but are those features always welcome? Well, it's likely a matter of preference.

The Ohto Conception Mechanical Pencil is one of these drafting pencils that has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. At $23, it doesn't break the bank compared to other higher-end drafting pencils. It's roughly the same size as a Rotring 600, although the Rotring has more heft due to the materials and better build quality. But, the Rotring 600 doesn't cost $23, either.

Straight from the JetPens product description, here's what the Ohto Conception sets out to do:

This ingenious mechanical pencil features two modes: drafting pencil mode and lead guard mode.

What this really comes down to is the ability to use or retract a guide pipe. In "drafting" mode, the pencil utilizes a 4mm lead guard for use with straightedges and other tools that the drafting trade requires. This is something we're all used to, and something that most drafting pencils have built in.

However, you can also retract the guide pipe, which allows the pipe to protect the lead as it wears down. As you write, the lead becomes shorter and the sleeve continues to retract as needed so you can continue writing. In practice, this means that there is a smaller chance of breaking the lead when writing because it never sticks out far enough to be brittle. The metal guide pipe keeps it stable and protected, but doesn't require you to advance the lead as often.

So, how do you switch between these two modes? Easy: just twist the pencil grip section to enable/disable drafting mode. There's a red section under the grip that is exposed when in "lead guard" mode, and that red section is barely visible in drafting mode.

Pretty neat trick, right? In practice, it works great. And, another great benefit of being able to retract the lead pipe is that the pencil can't poke holes in fabric or get caught on bags. This has happened to me a few times. The tiny lead pipe will either poke a hole in a shirt, or jab my leg through a pants pocket. Needless to say, that's not pleasant. Simple twist the grip section to retract the lead pipe, push the lead back in, and you're ready to go. The tip of the pen is now a round tip that won't cause any problems with clothing or bags.

But wait, there's more! The Conception has another trick. You can dial in the amount of lead is advanced when you click the cap. It ranges from 0.2mm to 2.0mm. Crazy, right? I didn't find myself adjusting this very often, but it was nice to dial it in and find my "sweet spot" for lead advancement so that it only took one click to get my ideal amount of lead out for writing. Very nifty feature.

My main complaint with this feature is that the click mechanism feels cheap and weak. The pencil works great, and I've never had any problems with it. This is purely a complaint about the way it feels. Also, if the lead guard is retracted, there is more distance in the click mechanism, and it makes a little more noise than when the pencil is in drafting mode. Again, this doesn't affect the performance of the pencil, but does detract from the experience.

Apart from that, the pencil works exactly as you'd expect. There's a tiny eraser hidden under the click mechanism, and that's also where you refill the lead.

This model uses 0.3mm lead, which is my favorite mechanical pencil lead size. You can also find the Conception with 0.5mm lead size, though.

The pencil is made up of aluminum, and the grip section is made of brass. This combination of metals give the pencil a great balance and feel.

The grip section is another area of major contention for me. It's way too smooth for me. There's a small amount of texture on the grip, but it's microscopic and offers no real texture for gripping and writing. Practically, it's smooth metal. If there is any moisture on your fingers at all, this pencil starts slipping. This was frustrating, and something to consider if you're looking at this pencil. If you'll be using it outside in the heat, you might want to look for another option that has a better grip!

Apart from those couple of gripes, this is a really cool pencil. It's a hard sell for me because I lean heavily toward the Rotring drafting pencils. At $23, the Conception doesn't make sense when compared to the Rotring 600 or Rapid Pro because they are only 10 or 17 dollars more, respectively. If the ability to retract the lead guard is important, then the Conception is a good choice. The added option to control the amount of lead that advances with each click is also nifty, but I think the Rotring is still a better pencil.

If black isn't your game, then the Ohto Conception also comes in a few other colors.

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

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

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(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.)

There's an element of "jack of all trades, master of none" to these...pencils? Crayons? Paints? But that doesn't stop the Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 Watercolor Pencils from being a fun family activity. They're designed for kids and they passed my rigorous kid-test with flying colors.

The wood case is made from sustainable wood, with a break-resistant core. They're short and bulky, like the jumbo crayons marketed for preschoolers. They're a bit uncomfortable to hold, I felt, and the thick core only allows for the boldest of bold lines.

The core is very soft and lays down a smooth thick layer of color. It could easily achieve solid coverage on smooth paper. When you add water to the applied color, the results vary somewhat. Some colors are more soluble than others--black dissolves almost completely and spreads nicely, but silver doesn't appear to be soluble at all. Most colors are somewhere in-between, with at least a little of the original crayon line still visible after painting. I also tried dipping the crayon in water and drawing, but the core is too waxy to work well that way. It repels water rather than absorbing it, so I'd get maybe two strokes of painted line, and then it would return to a normal dry crayon line. Wetting the paper first and applying the color to the wet page created a neat feathering effect as some of the pigment ran, but the crayon line is still clearly visible. This could make for some really fun blending techniques.

Despite the heavy line put down by these, it doesn't take much color to get a rich puddle of watercolor. I think a wonderful use for these (for those of us who aren't inclined toward thick crayon art-making) is in creating washes or backgrounds for journals or other media. A fine layer blends into a lovely background with enough remaining texture to add some nice depth. Once the wash is dry, you can write or draw over it. The crayons even write well over themselves, creating some fun layered effects. They also work on different colored paper--and, because they are water-soluble, on chalkboards and glass. I haven't tested them on glass yet, but I'm envisioning some festive holiday window art.

After asking my eldest to test these, he has officially claimed them. He's never been the type to sit and color (or sit at all, for that matter), so he only reluctantly agreed to try these, and promised only a small, quick sketch. Instead, he patiently covered every inch of the large A3 watercolor paper. And then he liked them so much just as crayons, he resisted my suggestion to add water. And then when I convinced him to at least try adding water, he enjoyed that so much, he painted over the whole thing. Y'all, I got a good half-hour of peace and quiet out of it. And a lovely piece of art.

The crayons/pencils/paints come in sets of 6, 10, or 18. They're also available as open stock--but as far as I can tell, you need to buy a set to get the custom-sized sharpener. I'm not sure what other sharpener might fit these beasts. One thing the sets do not come with is a paintbrush. Instead, the 18-color set comes with a perplexing cardstock-cutout of a paintbrush in a compartment where you're clearly meant to place your own brush. I imagine it's there to indicate that "no, we didn't forget to add your brush--you just don't get one". These sets aren't cheap, and I feel like they really ought to come with a brush. Even a skimpy plastic one. If you plan to order these, be sure to have a brush on hand, or order one at the same time.

As for offering my recommendation, if you have an aspiring young artist in your life, I think these would be a big hit. But if your resident artist is old enough to take care of their art supplies, I'd actually recommend the Derwent Inktense Pencils instead. They create a better watercolor effect, are fine enough to color smaller details, and are considerably less expensive. They can't tackle as many surfaces as the Woodys though. If you want to color on the windows (and I had no idea how much I really do want to color on the windows until today), you want these. They'd also be great for drawing strategically-placed mustaches on the bathroom mirror. Art is art.

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

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Fountain pen ink and blogging ethics. Podcast topics don’t get much better than that! Myke and I are joined by Mike Matteson from Inkdependence to sling some ink and talk about Mike’s favorites. Mike is also an ethics professor, so we dig into some of the hot topics in the stationery blogging world.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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As a bonus for Pen Addict readers, any order of 5 or more Pokka Pens will receive a free Pen Addict logo Pokka.

My thanks to Pokka Pens for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

This is all my fault.

Aurora was not a brand that had been on my radar since my fountain pen obsession started several years ago. Slowly, over the past year, I started seeing them pop up in my friends feeds. This one in particular.

Now that’s a Brad-looking pen if I’ve ever seen one. Still, I didn’t know much about the brand, but they were officially on my radar.

This all came to a head around the time of the 2016 DC Pen Show. Aurora had recently instituted a sweeping 30% MSRP price drop across their product lineup, and I was able to get my hands on them to try out. That bit of double trouble was all I needed to come home with my first Aurora: The Optima Red Demonstrator. And for less than $500.

We all have different things that make a pen perfect for us. The combination of weight, feel, nib, and style make this pen perfect for me. It’s not too heavy, and not too light. There is a density and balance in the barrel when I’m writing. The nib is firm and fine and well-tuned. The style fits my aesthetic perfectly.

This set me down a path of Optima love. I use this pen all of the time, and talk about it too much. My friends at Kenro of course enjoy this immensely, so they sent me and the staff nearly one of everything to check out. So now it’s my turn to fawn over a pen and a brand that has been reviewed many times over by Jeff and Susan.

Despite already owning my own Optima, I wanted to test out a loaner in a different nib size, so I chose the Burgundy Auroloide with Chrome Trim with a medium 14k nib. My expectations going in were that this pen would equally as great as my personal Optima, and it absolutely was.

The primary difference was the nib. The medium nib is much wider and wetter than my extra fine. This is obviously expected. It is too wet for my daily use, but I’m admittedly an outlier in nib preference. The medium nib is super smooth and really lays down the ink.

All of the Optima are piston fillers, and has some of the most solid mechanics I have used. The piston feels strong, yet easy to turn, and it draws in a full barrel of ink. I’ve found it easy to clean too, with just a few flushes of water through the barrel to get it ready for the next fill.

I also love the flange at the end of the grip section. I have a traditional writing grip, and where I hold the pen rests comfortably right where the raised section is most comfortable. The Optima feels tailor-made to my hand.

Another great feature that Aurora offers is easily swappable nibs for the Optima lineup. The nib and beautiful red ebonite feed screw out for easy cleaning and replacing. This also helps with cleaning too.

Overall, this is one of my favorite pens I own. The feel in my hand is unlike any other pen I own, and the nib is a joy. For the price - around $450-$500 depending on materials - I prefer it over the Pelikan M600/M800 lineup, which is its primary competition in this bracket.

Fountain pen show season is about to kick off again in January and if you make it out to a show definitely give an Aurora pen a test drive. I think you will be impressed.

My thanks to Kenro Industries for loaning me this pen for purposes of this review.

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

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Vanness Pens is also giving away the Pen Addict engraved Retro 51 you see above to one lucky reader. How cool is that! Just leave a comment below and tell me what you would get engraved from Vanness Pens and I'll pick a winner on Friday.

My thanks to Vanness Pens for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.