Posts filed under Aurora

Aurora Optima Fountain Pen Review

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.

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Posted on December 12, 2016 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Aurora, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Aurora Optima Blue Auroloide Fountain Pen Review

(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.)

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Posted on November 30, 2016 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Aurora, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Aurora 88 Satin Black Fountain Pen: A Review

(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 have too many black pens. It's not that I really like black pens. It's just that so many fountain models come only in black. For example, I have two black Sailor pens (a Pro Gear and a 1911) because that was the only color I could get with a specialty nib (without waiting forever or paying a ridiculous price). And, of course, I have a Montblanc 146 (black), a Montblanc Heritage 1912 (black), a vintage Montblanc 234 and 1/2 (black), and a whole host of others.

Another black pen was not on my radar until I saw photos of the new Aurora 88 Satin Black fountain pen. I have to admit, I swooned. It's not so much the satin (although I really do like the matte black exterior) as much as it is the combination of the satin with rose gold appointments. There is something about the matte black finish with the rose gold that makes this pen wonderfully svelte and sophisticated.

The pen's design is modeled after the original Aurora 88. It's a simple design with just the right amount of rose gold accents to set it apart from other black pens. The cap has Aurora's distinctive clip and a gold ring with "Aurora" engraved in cursive. It's nicely elegant.

The body is all satin black from the grip to the piston knob. I really like the raised lip and matte exterior of the grip because both keep my fingers from sliding forward.

The slim ink window is set off with thin rose gold rings. This is a terrific ink window. It doesn't take up too much room, but it gives you just enough to see how much ink is left in the pen.

The 14K rose gold nib bears Aurora's distinctive and beautiful scroll work. As I've said before, I think Aurora nibs are some of the most beautiful nibs produced today. And the rose gold is stunning.

I asked nibmeister, Dan Smith, if this nib is really 14K solid rose gold or rose-gold plated (like most nibs). He asked his distributor, and they confirmed that it is solid rose gold. That is significant, because rose gold plating often flakes off after a bit of use (see this FPN thread on the 90th Anniversary Montblanc, for example). The plating on my Platinum Century Nice flaked and has become discolored which is very disappointing.

But Aurora's solid rose gold nib should not exhibit those problems. Plus, if you have it ground, it should remain consistent in color--no yellow or white gold poking through.

Like most Aurora nibs, this one is stiff, though you can press into it and feel a little bit of give. So, even though it's not flexy or springy, it has a softness to it that I like.

The bold nib writes smoothly and doesn't feel too wide. If this were my pen, I would probably get it ground into a cursive italic just for more line variation, but it's not bad as it is. Aurora nibs do have some feedback to them. It's not scratchiness, so much as "draggy-ness." The nib feels like it pulls a bit on the paper as you create strokes. All three of the Auroras I received for review feel the same way, so it's just a characteristic of Aurora nibs.

The piston works smoothly and the pen holds a good amount of ink. The 88 has Aurora's special reservoir that allows you to get another page or so of writing even when you think you've run out of ink. You just unscrew the piston knob and that releases enough ink to let you finish your thoughts.

The Aurora 88 is a medium-sized pen (measuring about 133mm capped, 128mm uncapped, and 155mm posted), and it is light. It's about the same size as a MB 146 and a bit shorter than a Sailor 1911.

Left to right: MB 146, Aurora 88, Sailor 1911, Platinum 3776

You can write with it posted if you want a longer pen, and having the cap on the end gives the pen more heft. The matte finish feels delightful on the fingers. It definitely feels and looks like satin.

You can purchase the Aurora 88 in Satin Black from Pen Chalet for $440.00. It truly is a stunning pen, and this is coming from a person who swore she would not buy another black pen. Although this pen is a loaner, I'm considering buying one for myself . . . except I have so many black pens.

Pros

The Aurora 88 fountain pen is extremely comfortable to write with.
The rose gold accents and satin finish really set this pen apart from other black pens.
The broad nib on this pen puts out a juicy, solid line of ink and is smooth with just a bit of Aurora-style feedback.

Cons

This is not a Montblanc 149 in size (it's closer to a 146). It's also very light. So if you prefer large pens, this one might not be for you. Still, you can post the pen to give it extra length and weight.
$550 retail is quite a bit to pay for a black pen that is made of plastic. Of course, people pay even more for plastic (cough "precious resin" cough) Montblancs, so . . . .

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

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