Scribo Feel A Riveder Le Stelle 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.)

After I reviewed the Scribo Feel Amarena several months ago, I was smitten with the flex nib Italian pen. I discovered a special edition, available only from Scrittura Bolognese, called A Riveder Le Stelle ("to see again the stars"). Midnight blue with a sprinkling of white like the Milky Way, the pen called to me and I answered.

The pen comes in the usual grey-blue box associated with Scribo pens. There's a cotton and leather two-pen roll-up case inside, along with information about the pen and a warranty card.

In addition I received a hand-written card from Scribo and a complementary bottle of ink.

There's also a commemorative book included that features the Cineteca of Bologna.

La Riveder Le Stelle is a line from Dante's Divine Comedy. Dante and Virgil, emerging from Hell, observe the starry sky and exult in being able to see the stars again. After our year of Hell (i.e. 2020) Scribo created this pen with the hope that soon we will all be free to observe the stars, both literal and figurative. La Riveder Le Stelle is, therefore, a tribute to the stars of the cinema. 10% of the revenue from the pen is donated to Cineteca of Bologna to assist with the recovery and restoration projects of Immagine Ritrovata.

The pen features handmade midnight blue resin speckled with white. Trims are platinum and the 14k flex nib is white gold. Scribo Feel pens have a distinctive dodecagonal shape with curves that taper towards the mid-section of the pen.

This is a large pen, measuring 148mm/5.83 inches capped and 136mm/5.35 inches uncapped. The cap does not post. Capped and filled with ink, the pen weighs 39.15 grams. Uncapped and filled with ink it weighs 21.3 grams. The grip is a comfortable 11.28mm. A piston filler, the Scribo can hold 1.42ml of ink.

The screw-on cap features a finial etched with a quill, a rather tight clip, and a cap ring inscribed with "Scribo Feel the Writing."

There's a sharp drop from the barrel of the pen to the grip, but the grip is lengthy, so your fingers never come in contact with the drop or the barrel threads. The rounded shape of the barrel fits snugly between your thumb and forefinger. The pen is well-balanced in the hand and extremely comfortable for writing.

I opted for the 14k fine flex nib. The nib has a tiny bit of plain scrollwork and the words "Feel the Flex Scribo," along with the gold content. The fine nib is smooth and arrived perfectly tuned.

To assist with the ink demands of flex, the nib is fitted with an ebonite feed with two capillaries. I've not experienced any ink starvation or railroading when writing with this nib even when flexing.

Although no modern nib can really compete with vintage flex nibs, the Scribo Feel nib is very good. It's a smooth, trouble-free writer unflexed. Flexed, it provides excellent line variation, up to 2mm wide.

Unfortunately, I've managed to knock the tines a bit out of alignment. Clearly, I pushed the nib too far while experimenting, so I suspect a nibmeister is in my future.

The Scribo A Riveder Le Stelle is limited to 100 pieces, and you can only find it at Scrittura Bolognese. It costs €581.97 (approximately $709, depending on exchange rates). That's a pretty penny for a resin fountain pen, but this pen is so solid in the hand, so beautifully made, and such a great writer that I believe it's worth it.

(I purchased the Scribo A Riveder Le Stelle from Scrittura Bolognese with my own funds.)

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Otto Hutt Design 03 Fountain Pen Review

The Otto Hutt Design 03 is a prime example of the challenges buying a fountain pen without getting to handle it first. My process with this pen has gone something like this:

“Wow, that’s a great looking pen.”

Acquires pen

“Hmm, this is heavier than I imagined.”

Inks it up.

“The balance is towards the end of the pen, not the nib.”

Commits to using it daily.

“It’s fantastic!”

I’m fortunate that I am able to test and try a TON of stationery goods, and I want to relay my thoughts on them as best as possible to you. Sometimes, that means breaking down the materials, mechanics, and specs of the products. Other times, feel plays an outsized role. This review falls in the latter category.

It took using the Design 03 for an extended period of time for it to really click. I’m at the point now where I want to use it all the time, which is fantastic, because at $180, this is not an inexpensive pen.

Otto Hutt has been manufacturing pens in Germany since 1920. You may have already guessed that, with design nods from classic German brands like Faber-Castell and Lamy seen throughout the lineup. The Design 03 is no exception, but brings a more modern look to the brand.

The design is what caught my eye the most with this pen. It is simple, clean, and understated, but is subtly impressive. Of course, I love the all-black look, including the PVD coated black steel nib. In fact, the full name of this pen includes the word Allblack, because there is also Rosewhite, Darkgrey, and Lightgrey. Maybe they should change the company name to Ottohutt?

What they shouldn’t change is the design of this pen, no matter if I think the weight should be 1. Lightened, or 2. Shifted slightly. The Design 03 clocks in at 2.02 oz., which is weighty for a pen of this stature. For example, the Sailor 1911 Large is the pictures clocks in at less than half of that, at 0.88 oz. When simply holding the pen, that is noticeable. But when writing, not as much.

I think that is why the Design 03 reminds me so much of one of my all-time favorite pens: The ystudio Brassing Portable Fountain Pen. Just look at the picture below:

Pretty close, right? And at 1.49 oz., it is closer to the weight of the 03 as well. They both have a thinner than standard section, too, which I don’t mind.

From a writing perspective, the Fine steel nib was perfect out of the box. You only choices for the 03 are Fine and Medium, which is why I didn’t choose an Extra Fine, but I’m pleased with the output. The nib is smooth, flows well, and I didn’t notice the PVD coating making the line wider than I would expect from a German Fine nib, or feel any different.

Finally, let’s talk price. I think $180 is at the upper limit of value for this pen. It’s fair, but there is a ton of variety and competition in this range. The aforementioned ystudio runs $160, and I think both could use a $20-$30 decrease to be more competitive. But that’s irrelevant, really. The price is the price, and if you’ll spend $150 on a pen, then you will spend $180.

If you couldn’t tell, I am enjoying using the Otto Hutt Design 03. Will you? That depends. I think there are necessary questions to ask up front, especially about the weight of the pen, the lack of nib options, and the price. For me, I look forward to seeing what else Otto Hutt has to offer.

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

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Ystudio Resin Fountain Pen in Black: A Review

I've hankered after a Ystudio Brassing Fountain Pen for awhile, but I've never bought one, partly because of the price ($160 for the Portable and $172 for the Desk Pen) and partly because I thought the pen would be too thin (I prefer pens with some girth). I was happy when JetPens sent us a resin version for review because I really wanted to try it out.

The pen comes in a simple cardboard box.

When you open it, the pen is nestled inside--there's nothing else, other than a pamphlet explaining how to ink the pen. Its sleek, minimalistic packaging reminds me a bit of Apple.

The pen is small, measuring 141mm/5.6 inches capped, 164mm/6.5 inches posted, and 128mm/5 inches unposted. It weighs 19.65 grams capped/posted and 15.61 uncapped (this is with the ink cartridge inserted). The grip is 9.72mm at its widest and 8.72 at its narrowest. "Ystudio" is embossed in gold on the barrel.

Although the body and cap are made of matte black resin, the pen features brass elements. The cap finial and barrel finial are adorned with flat brass discs.

The grip is made of brass as is the inner screw section in the barrel, and these give the pen a good balance in the hand. I prefer using it unposted.

The barrel and cap are hexagonal with the barrel tapering slightly where the cap snaps on. The lines of this pen are beautiful.

My Ystudio pen came with one black ink cartridge. This worked perfectly well, but I prefer converters so I can use my own ink. There is a Ystudio converter, but it seems to be available only from Ystudio or Kohezi for around $7.00.

The nib is a gold-plated Schmidt stainless steel fine. It is decorated with some scroll work and the letter F for the nib size.

I was surprised by how smooth this nib is. It's perfectly aligned and exhibited no issues, such as skipping, hard starts, or scratchiness.

I've been writing with this pen daily, and even though it is a thin pen, I find it extremely comfortable. The fine nib doesn't offer any line variation (nor should you expect it to), but the ink flows well and writing is quite pleasant, even for longer writing sessions.

I find myself reaching for the Ystudio Resin Fountain Pen often, especially when I want to write a quick note. I like how easily the cap pops on and off, and the shape and balance of the pen are perfect for my hand.

The Ystudio Resin Fountain Pen comes in black, red, and white, and costs $72.00 (This product isn’t live yet on JetPens ystudio Fountain Pens page, but can be found at Pen Addict sponsors Goldspot, Pen Chalet, and Vanness Pens.) That's still a pretty penny for a resin pen (even with the brass accents). However, this pen is beautifully designed and doesn't have the plasticky feel of some other pens in this price range. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I like this pen, which probably means a Ystudio Brassing Pen is in my future.

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

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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!