Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Montegrappa Elmo Fantasy Blooms Blue Cross Gentian Fountain Pen Review

The Montegrappa Elmo is one of “those” pens. No, not the ones with the interminably long names, but rather, one of the ones that lands in the $150-$200 price range that I have been discussing so much recently.

While the Montegrappa Elmo Fantasy Blooms Blue Cross Gentian Fountain Pen might be the new product name length record holder, it’s also a heck of a good pen.

I’ve had my Elmo inked up and in use for several weeks to get a good feel for it, and I’m having a hard time coming up with a narrative thread to weave in this review. That’s a good thing, because that means that it just works. It looks great, feels great, and writes as well as any other out of the box experience I’ve had.

The standout feature of the Fantasy Blooms series is the materials used. I chose the vivid Blue Cross Gentian - named after a plant with vibrant blue flowers - but Iris Yellow and Black Star Calla Lilly are equally as bright and fun.

Based on the product images, I thought the Blue Cross Gentian would have more purple in it, but there are only a few swirls present. I noticed that Ana’s was almost identical to mine. I’m good with that because of how unique this material is. It’s more of an overhead shot of the Caribbean Sea, with the Mariana Trench added in for good measure. It’s a great look.

The Montegrappa Elmo has a great feel too. This model was first introduced in the early 1900’s, and enjoyed a long run as one of Montegrappa’s most popular every day writing instruments. The Elmo made its way back into the lineup in 2019 with a basic black barrel, but the standout of the return are certainly these Fantasy Bloom editions.

If there is one particular thing to consider when purchasing this pen it’s that the section is not overly long, so the back side of your fingers on the grip will rest on the barrel transition. That part of the pen is metal, but it is rounded and smooth. I have a low grip on most pens so it is a non-issue for me, but it is something to think about if you grip the pen higher on the section.

The steel Extra Fine nib in my Elmo, manufactured by Jowo, was wonderful out the box, and continues to be great the more I write with it. It’s firm, and surprisingly wet for a steel EF. I inked up this pen with Kobe NOLTY 70th Anniversary Blue, so it could be the ink that is responsible for this wonderful flow. Whatever it is, I’ll take it.

And I’ll take the Montegrappa Elmo, now, and in the future. At $200, it bumps right up against the ceiling of my new favorite price point, but this is a new realm for Montegrappa. I was a fan of the brand already, but if they continue to dedicate catalog space in this price point there will be more Montegrappa pens in my future.

(I purchased this pen at a discount from Vanness Pens.)

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, for which I am very grateful.

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

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Montegrappa, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Kaweco Student Fountain Pen 50s Rock Blue 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 check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Love the look of vintage pens, but worry about the care and feeding of a working antique? Fortunately, there are a number of pen manufacturers making new, low-maintenance pens with a throwback fashion sense, and I am totally here for it. This Kaweco Student 50s Rock has that fabulous vintage aesthetic without any fuss.

It has a resin cap and body with gold-tone chrome trim, finial, and grip section. The body is a cream color that looks like aged white--like this pen has been treasured for decades (as it likely will be), and the cap is a pretty denim blue. The gold trim looks warm and elegant. The clip has a nice, functional shape with the work "Kaweco" and some scrollwork stamped into the metal. It is a firm clip, but with enough spring that it is easy to use while still protecting your pen. The top finial is the classic Kaweco tri-circle. The band is stamped with "Kaweco" and "Germany" with dots separating them.

The metal grip section is what surprised me most about the pen. It's solid, and lends quite a bit of weight to it. It feels front-heavy when you lift the pen, but it settles into balance nicely when written with. The grip section has a smooth hourglass shape that flares at the end to help prevent slipping. It does get a bit slick, but the shape stayed comfortable, even during long writing sessions.

The pen takes cartridges or Kaweco converters, and comes with one cartridge and one placeholder. Two cartridges can fit in the longer body, so it's easy to carry a spare. Unposted, I find this pen to be the perfect length. It does post, but not very deeply, and the weight of the cap, plus its added length, make the pen a bit awkward when posted, I feel. I do have very small hands, though.

The nib is a small, gold-plated steel nib. It has some scrollwork, the Kaweco logo, and the words "Germany, since 1883" stamped on it, along with the nib size. This one is a medium. Like my previous Kaweco nibs, I found this one to be a smooth, wet writer that is easily comparable to a Japanese Broad nib. It writes like butter on hot glass, except when it doesn't. I think this nib might actually be too smooth, and suffering from some baby's bottom, because it occasionally has hard starts. Once it gets going, it doesn't skip, but the first few strokes of the pen after it is lifted are hit or miss. I think this can be solved with some simple home-tuning, and it's definitely worth the few minutes that would take, as it is otherwise a nicely performing, beautiful pen.

Priced at $60, this pen might be a bit pricey for a student to buy, but it would make a lovely gift for one. It's a great build for a school or work pen, and the ability to carry a second cartridge is great for class or meeting notes. It will clip safely and securely to a pocket and look fantastic there.

I love my wee pocket Kawecos--the jellybeans of fountain pens. This pen is definitely several tiers up from those. It's in the same price range as the higher-tier TWSBIs and the mid-range Sailors and Pilots, and I think it definitely earns its place among those favorites.

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

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

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Sarah Read and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Uni Jetstream Edge 0.28mm Ballpoint Pen Review

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

The Uni Jetstream has been around long enough at this point to become a stationery staple and an all-around excellent recommendation for anyone in search of a good pen. How can you improve on something that's already so good? Well, one way to do this is by making it smaller. Another way is to provide exciting new pen bodies. In the Jetstream Edge, Uni have accomplished both of these things.

Let's look at the pen body of the new Edge first. If you've ever seen a Rotring, then this pen will likely look very familiar. It's not visually close enough to look like a blatant copy, but more of an homage to a timeless design. The drafting pencil aesthetic is definitely a good look for this pen, and you'll probably fooling into thinking it's made of metal before you pick it up. While the textured grip section is made of metal, the rest of the pen is a sleek plastic, which keeps the weight fairly low. Another added benefit of the metal grip section is that it keeps the center of gravity close to the tip of the pen, allowing you greater control when writing.

The clip is unique, with a bent metal wire that looks like a frail paper clip at first glance. In practice, this clip is incredibly strong and secure. There's nothing frail about it! The nock also produces a very pleasing feel and sound when extending and retracting the refill. The nose of the pen also borrows closely from the drafting pencil aesthetic, but also provides a good view at what you're writing since the cone tapers off dramatically from the grip. This same trick is used in the needle-tip of the refill, giving you more sight around what you're writing since the exposed part of the refill is so small. If you aren't looking carefully, you'll mistake this for a mechanical pencil when the refill is extended. They look very similar!

In the hand, this pen feels well-balanced and secure. The textured grip isn't knurled, but the grooves that reach from end to end on the grip provide a great feel and stability when writing. The overall lightness of the pen also complements the writing experience.

The real star of the show, however, is the refill that debuts alongside this pen body. This pen features a 0.28mm needle-tip refill that uses the Jetstream hybrid ink system. Uni have made a 0.38mm Jetstream refill for quite a while now, and people have been impressed by that as well.

As an aside, these ultra fine refills are probably something you already know you like. And, if you don't like them, then this one certainly won't be for you! That being said, you can swap out the refill for any size tip that works with the Jetstream multipen bodies.

While the 0.38mm refills produce an incredibly thin and crisp line, I guess someone wanted something even smaller. The 0.28mm refill produces a line that is so satisfyingly thin. It feels so precise and accurate due to the extreme crispness of the ink formula. There are no stray specks or light splotches of gray ink. These lines are crisp, and they are dark. It's incredibly satisfying.

Like most ultra-fine writing instruments, you can normally expect a somewhat scratchy writing experience since you're effectively writing with a hypodermic needle. Believe it or not, this is not the case with the Uni 0.28mm refill. It's surprisingly smooth when writing, which is a great testament to the Jetstream brand. Even at such small sizes, the ink formula is still incredibly smooth. It's an absolute joy to use.

If you're a fan of the 0.38mm, you'll love the 0.28mm. Like I mentioned before, this new SXR-203-28 refill is the same form factor as all the other Jetstream refills that work with the Jetstream multipens. This means you can easily install one of these refills in a multipen, or use a different size and color in this unique Jetstream body. At the moment, Uni only offers black, blue, and red in this size, but I'm sure they'll add more at some point if it becomes popular enough.

The Uni Jetstream Edge comes in four colors, from Black, Navy, White/Red, and Champagne/Gold. The pen is $15, which is a pretty good deal considering the excellent aesthetic and build quality of the pen, plus the inclusion of a fantastic refill. If you're at all interested in trying out one of the best 0.28mm pens I've ever used — let alone the best ballpoint pen of this size — you should definitely add this pen to your next order!

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

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