Zodiac Pen Company Aries Fountain Pen Review

The first two years of the Orlando Pen Show have been a maker’s bonanza. For someone like myself, who is constantly on the lookout for new products - and new people to discuss those products with - the trip has been more than worthwhile. The 2023 version of the show provided ample opportunities, and this review is one of several that came as a result.

In what was only his second pen show, Bart, the maker behind Zodiac Pens, made a clear name for himself. Choosing materials from other makers, and turning those blanks into his namesake shapes, I was impressed with what I saw. Everything on display was so good it was difficult to pick one out. So I didn’t - at least at the time.

But Bart’s work made an impression on me, and I must have made an impression on him, as I picked up the same pen over and over again from his display. He reached out to me a few days after the show to see if I would be interested in reviewing one of his pens. Of course, I said yes, and happened to ask “You know that one I kept picking up? Do you still have that one around by chance?” Somehow, he did, knowing the exact one I was referring to. The Aries Model in Carolina Pen Co. Stormy Koi was soon on its way.

As I’ve spoken about before, there are a combination of factors that make me choose a pen from a small maker such as Zodiac pens. Materials are usually what gets me to stop and investigate at first. Is there something unique on the table worth a glance? And I don’t necessarily mean swirly, sparkly acrylic. I like those as much as the next person, but it could be flat black ebonite for all I care, as long as it is compelling in some way.

That’s where barrel shape comes in. Generally speaking, the more basic, the better. I’m looking for a proper hand fit, focusing on size, weight, balance, and grip style. From there, I’m looking at fit and finish of the pen. Is it polished evenly? Are the threads cut well? Things of that nature.

Many of the boxes were checked at the Zodiac table, so how did the Aries in Stormy Koi stand out? The shape is simple, with straight lines throughout the barrel until reaching the ends, which taper slightly into a flat finish. The overall size and weight fall perfectly in the middle, and the concave section fits my grip well. Add in the oddity that is the Stormy Koi material - featuring a solid grey acrylic swirled thought translucent blues - the end result stood above the rest for my personal tastes.

Fitted with a Steel Jowo #6 Extra Fine nib and inked with Papier Plume Oyster Grey, this has been a pen I’ve been actively using over the past couple of months, and enjoying every minute of it. Big thanks to Bart for sending me my first Zodiac Pen. It certainly won’t be my last.

Be sure to check out all of what Zodiac Pen Company has to offer on their site, with many different barrel shapes and materials, starting at $160.00. You can also follow them on Instagram @zodiacpencompany, and hopefully at a pen show near you soon.

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

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Opus 88 Demo 2022 Color of the Year 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.)

There are many pen makers and brands that have a product or two that feature an annual (or even more frequent) special colorway that are fun to collect. Lamy may be the most well-known with their special Safari and AL-Star editions, and some folks really get into collecting them all. For me, I don't need them all, but I really enjoy the change and unique colors that are bolder than the normal color lineup.

One of those companies that does special colorways on a regular basis is Opus 88. I'm really behind on this one, but I absolutely love the 2022 Color of the Year version of their Demo pen. For one, the Demo is one of my favorite fountain pen designs, and I'm a huge sucker for purple stuff — especially when some of that purple is translucent. The purple acrylic on this pen is delicious, and I love having it on my desk just to see it. The red ebonite accents also go really well with the purple, and I've gotten so many compliments on this pen in the short period that I've had it.

Opus 88 aren't new to the game of matching up colors that might seem a bit odd in theory. A lot of their designs feature bold, vibrant colors that do a great job of complementing each other. There's an understanding of the color wheel in their product colors that I wish I had. Instead, I'm more than happy to see what they come up with.

The Demo is a classic at this point. The long, wide shape looks and feels great, and allows for a large amount of ink in the eyedropper reservoir. The ebonite grip, butt, and finial of the pen have a lovely terracotta vibe due to the flecks of dark material in the ebonite that give it an earthy clay appearance. And the clip, like all Opus 88 Demos, is sleek and strong. The clip material isn't very thick, but it has plenty of holding power.

Since this is an eyedropper filling system, there's an o-ring at the top of the grip threads that keep the ink sealed inside. Filling the pen is a matter of unscrewing the grip section and filling the reservoir with ink using the included eyedropper. When you're ready to write, just unscrew the back piece to open the ink reservoir to the feed and nib, and you're ready to go. When the valve is closed, the ink supply is shut off from the nib and you can travel with peace of mind. In my experience, there's no delay in ink delivery when opening the valve after not using the pen for a few hours. This will change as more time passes, but even if the feed dries up, you can quickly bring it back to life by opening the ink supply. If you need some help or a visual demonstration of how this system works, Vanness have a helpful video of how it works on the product page.

A first for me, I tried the #6 Jowo EF Flex nib with this pen. I've used many small flex nibs in the past, and I'm a huge fan. What you need to understand about these nibs is that they're not flex-y in the way that you probably assume. A lot of flex nibs are made so that you can get a crazy amount of line variation with a little pressure on the nib. This is great for fancy lettering or drawing, but not the intended use for a small flex nib. In the case of this EF flex nib, it just makes for a cushioned writing feel. Most small steel nibs have a hard feel due to the small tip size. There's no flex or movement when writing with the pen, and this can feel a little firm — which isn't a bad thing at all. This gives you a lot of fine control and instant feedback, which is perfect when working on small details.

But, if you want a fine tip that also has a softer feel when writing, then small flex nibs are wonderful. This EF lays down a small line, but it feels softer and bouncier when writing since the nib is flexing a bit. You can still get some good line variation with the flex nib, but it's not dramatic. This mostly serves as a way to make the writing experience feel softer, like adding a soft-ride suspension system to a car. I really enjoy this type of nib for general purpose writing, but it's not for everyone or every situation. Of course, you can pick a standard nib size or even a 1.5mm stub nib to go with this pen. And if you decide to try out a small flex nib and end up hating it, it's pretty easy to swap out these Jowo nibs for something else.

I'm no stranger to the Opus 88 Demo, and this won't be my last one simply because they keep introducing new and exciting color combinations. I couldn't resist this purple one, and I'm sure there will be other cases where I'm in the same position. The Demo is a fantastic platform, so I know that I'll be getting a great pen regardless of the color. If you haven't tried one out yet, there's no better time than the present.

Even though this 2022 version is a couple years old now, it's still in stock. At $130, you're getting a great pen that can hold an entire sample vial of ink inside. If this purple/red combo screams out to you like it did me, pick one up!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Reviews in Review

(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. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

A new year has found us again, and I'm doing that thing where I look back on the long stretch of the previous year, wonder where the time went, and marvel at everything that happened. 2023 was an overwhelming year for me. Graduating, turning 40, cleaning out my Grandmother's house, publishing a book, getting a fancy new job. I think it's safe to say that this past year was my busiest yet. And this year, more than ever, I relied heavily on my stationery to see me through. And while the world tested me, I tested my tools. I didn't review everything I used, and I didn't end up using everything I reviewed, but here are the things that I did review that were among my favorites this year.

Ink:

Pennonia Strigoi was my favorite new ink I reviewed this year. The amazing color and unique composition made this an absolute standout in a year where there were gallons of excellent new inks to be tried. The clay-like sediment does make this one a little more high-maintenance, but aren't we all, sometimes?

Paper:

The Traveler's Company Notebook Passport size was my desk away from home this year, and I was often away from home. While this system definitely works better for me on the road, being on the road is when I'm most in need of a good system. The endless ways it can be customized and adapted gave it the flexibility I needed to go from banquet halls to beaches.

Non-Fountain pen:

The CW&T Pen Type-B might be my most-used stationery item this year. I reviewed it in March and it has gone with me literally everywhere since I received it. We're approaching one year of daily carry for this pen, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. There's just something about this pen. Practically, it's not the obvious choice. It's super heavy, has a ridiculous sleeve cap, and doesn't technically function any better than many smaller, more normal pens. But it makes me happy, so along it comes, every day.

Accessory:

The Traveler's Company Brass Clip has likewise come everywhere with me since I opened the package. Maybe I just like brass? Possible. But I also really like this clip, and I fully didn't expect to. It's bulky! And heavy! But it works so well, and it keeps all my wee slips of paper clipped into my notebooks so nothing goes missing. Even after I shelved my Traveler's Notebook, post-travels, I moved this clip into the notebook I continue to use. And I'll keep doing that forever, because it's brilliant.

Fountain pen:

Okay, look. We can all agree that it's pretty much impossible to pick one favorite fountain pen in a year of amazing fountain pens, right? Right. I'd be hard pressed to limit myself to a list of five favorites. So how do I pick the standout? Well, it's the one that made me smile the most as I scrolled through this past year's reviews, which means it's the BENU Skull and Roses. It's not my year's most used, or the fanciest. But I just can't stop myself from grinning when I look at it. It's delightful.

There were also a number of things I purchased and didn't review that have been essentials, like a Plotter Bible-Size that has been my commonplace book for several months now, and the Plotter leather pen roll. I'll save my 2024 setup for another post, but it's safe to say that this will be another year of leaning heavily on my tools for survival. And I'm looking forward to it.