Staedtler Intium Lignum Fountain Pen Giveaway

Once upon a time there was a pen that surprised me in all the right ways. I didn't expect it to happen, but it was a real treat to use. And now, I want that pen to surprise someone else.

The Staedtler Intium Lignum Fountain Pen is a stunner. It's well put together, looks beautiful, and writes wonderfully. And I'm giving it away to one lucky reader.

Here is how to enter:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now and Friday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is open to US and International readers.

2. For this contest, I will pick one winner at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

3. The contest winner will be posted on Saturday, July 11th. The winner will have one week to email me via the Contact link at the top of the page.

My thanks once again to Staedtler for sending me this pen for review, and now giveaway!

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 162 - Watching Ink Dry

Image via EdJelley.com

Myke and I had the pleasure of being joined by Ed Jelley on this weeks show. I wanted to hear first hand how great the new J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor ink is, and seeing how Ed had the first bottle in the States in his hands for a video shoot we wrangled him into discussing it. We also discuss Ed's current loadout and the best fountain pen inks for daily use.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

lynda.com: An easy and affordable way to help individuals and organizations learn. Free 10-day trial.

Pen Chalet: use the code PENADDICT to save 10% on your order or click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password 'penaddict' for even more savings, as well as your 10% off.

Uni-ball Signo 307 Gel Ink Pen Review

The Uni-ball Signo 307 is an interesting pen for many reasons. To most people it's just some pen they grab off the shelf at Wal-Mart (ok, that's where I bought mine too), but for someone like me, this simple pen opens up a Pandora's box of questions.

What exactly is Uni-ball trying to do with this pen? Is this a replacement to the Signo 207, which is likely their top selling gel ink pen of all time? Or is it to sit alongside the 207 on the shelf? I'd check with Uni-ball, but the 307 is not listed on the North American site (or the Japanese site for that matter), the latest Press Room document is from 2008, and both their Twitter and Facebook feeds have not been updated since December 2013. The lack of social media updates is somewhat shocking in this day and age.

So, I'm left to do my best and answer any questions I have about this pen myself.

Is this a replacement to the Signo 207? I have to say yes. The general shape, design, and features of the pen mimic the 207, and improve the pen in some areas. Where the tip cone and clip in the 207 were metal, they are plastic in the 307. I wasn't sure how this would work, but it works well. The 307 is a quieter pen when writing than the 207 and I think the full plastic build is why. There was also a visual update on the 307, with a subtle grid gradient on the barrel. Including the black tip, the entire graphics overhaul is nice.

Ink wise, it writes wonderfully. According to the packaging, the 307 is skip-free and I found that to be the case. The 207 did have issues with skipping from time to time - the blue ink primarily in my experience - and the new models have none of that. They also feature Uni-ball's Super Ink technology, which makes the ink waterproof and fraud resistant. The new refill is marked UMR-87E, while the refill in one of my older black 0.7mm 207's is marked UMR-87. At some point in the last couple of years Uni-ball did start using Super Ink in the 207 but I'm not sure when exactly, and I'm not sure if the refill designation denotes that or not. Maybe Uni-ball can clear this...oh nevermind.

I will say that the ink color is darker in the older UMR-87 refill compared to the UMR-87E refill. It's close - close enough that 99% of users wouldn't notice - but I do see a slight difference when the ink dries.

What happens next with the 307 will determine the future of this pen. Will it be available in different tip sizes such as 0.38 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1.0 mm like the 207? How about the rainbow of colors offered previously? Will the BLX line convert over to the 307 as well? I would like all of those things to happen personally. The 307 is a very good pen and an upgrade to the 207. Maybe Uni-ball will let us know one day. Or, maybe it will just show up at Wal-Mart.