Review: A Few Chinese Fountain Pens

Over a year ago, I decided to expand my collection of fude nibs. During the research phase, I ran across the Delike New Moon 2. Nothing in my collection was as fine as the Delike fude appeared to be and I was willing to gamble $20 to find out if this pen would fill that niche. In its favor was a very appealing design and color. Even the size and weight of the barrel are in my preferred range. So I plunked down my money and waited for its arrival.

When the package showed up at my door, I wasted no time and opened it immediately. First impression? Wow, what a beautiful pen! After a thorough rinsing, I filled the converter and was delighted to find that the nib was as good as the rest of the pen though it took several tries to find its best ink mate, Iroshizuku syo-ro.

More than a year later, this dynamic duo has been my daily companion completing nearly 300 pages in my journals. It has been filled dozens of times and is still going strong.

The green cracked ice pen was so enjoyable to use that I bought a blue marble so I could have two colors of ink ready to write. That pen has a tad more feedback, but otherwise is identical in performance. Rumor has it that the fudes are hand ground from Dlike extra-fine nibs and I wondered if the standard nibs were as good. So I bought a burgundy marble extra-fine that was beautiful but had a nib that was a stinker. After several emails with the seller, they decided to send a replacement nib that works perfectly.

Despite being the happy owner of three new pens, I decided to explore a little further and purchased a purple wave Moonman S1 with a fine nib. That pen had flow issues from the beginning that I addressed by widening the slit. I overdid it and the flow is a bit excessive. The build quality is not as good as the Delike New Moon 2 and feels more like a $20 pen that I could lose and not care about the loss.

Recently I noticed that Jet Pens carried the Moonman N6 though their inventory was low. I zoomed in on a photo of the nib and to my surprise the fude had the same imprint as the Delike New Moon. However, the design of the pen was quite different with no metal furnishings, not even a clip. Such a lightweight pen might be handy in my handbag or on days when my grip is uncooperative. So I ordered one along with a bottle of matching ink, Private Reserve Shell Pink, two packets of Tomoe River paper and a corner punch to make the paper look more like stationery when I want to write a letter. The pink pen came with a glass dip nib that I haven’t tried yet. Maybe someday my fascination with the fude will subside and I will swap the nibs. Or not.

Just to see what would happen, the blue fude and the burgundy extra-fine were set aside filled with Colorverse Crystal Planet and Andromeda. After seven weeks of no use, they both wrote instantly though the flow from the EF was a tad light for the first few words. Perhaps I just hit on the ideal combination of pens and inks, but it is still an impressive result.

This is not a full review because the pens have become difficult to find in the last six months and generally my reviews are about currently available products. However, I promised a review of the Delike so here it is. The bottom line is that these pens are inexpensive but the build quality varies. You might hit the jackpot as I did with my first two or you might get a stinker. If the retailer is one you can count on to back up its products like Jet Pens does, your risk is reduced. The Delike is hard to find, but there are a few at Amazon and eBay. At the price point, there are a number of other options including the Pilot Metropolitan. I have three of them and all of the nibs are good but none is a fude. The Delike fits my hand better and has more visual appeal so the Pilots are in the pen drawer. However, I am fickle so that is always subject to change.

More about the New Moon from Rupertarzeian at Early thoughts on the Delike New Moon bent nib fude pen

and More thoughts on the Delike New Moon fude nib fountain pen.

Pen Vibe: The Beginners Guide to Delike Fountain Pens

JanineScribbles: Delike New Moon fountain pens

Fountain Pen Blog: Early thoughts on the Delike New Moon bent nib fude pen.

 

 

Too Many Inks

Anyone else challenged by the number of inks on the market? So many brands. So many colors. A few have piqued my interest including several offered by Colorverse and Robert Oster, but I cannot begin to follow all of the Sailor inks and so many others now available. A few days ago, I was looking for an ink for a 1970’s Pilot pen and found myself wishing there was another color in the spectrum. Absent that, I decided to revisit inks that have been around for decades.

Reliable inks from Herbin, Iroshizuku, Diamine, a few Noodler’s and older Sailor colors beckoned. There isn’t an ink in the bunch that I haven’t known for at least ten years, and some are on their second or third bottles, a testament to their properties and characteristics. One of those old inks might be just the right mate for a newer pen.

Iroshizuku syo-ro has been a constant on my shelf since it was introduced. Despite having a number of partners over the years, no pen had proven to be its ideal mate. A few months ago, a Delike fude joined the crew and despite dancing with a variety of partners, the pen with syo-ro has proven to be a terrific match that invites writing in a daily journal, an activity that had fallen out of my routine quite some time ago. Now I look forward to it and the fude is on its fourth fill of syo-ro. Isn’t that the best evidence of a perfect pairing?

Other inks that have new pen mates are J Herbin Larmes des Cassis, Violette Pensee and Rouille D’Ancre. Diamine Raw Sienna continues to look for a companion. Perhaps a mink (brown) True Writer will take to it or a Japanese fine nib or even a Platinum Century. More experimentation is in order along with a bit of restraint or the number of pens on my desk will get crazy.

Are you willing to give some of your earliest inks a chance to play again? I bet none of them will turn you down.

Review: BENU Scepter Fountain Pens

The BENU Scepter has received a lot of attention and interest, and rightfully so. If you like colorful pens, these can’t be topped and sporting Schmidt nibs, they write well, too.

Fountain Pen Quest has an in depth review including measurements and a performance comparison between the Scepter II and the Grand Scepter X. I would concur except for the nibs.

The Scepter has a #5 medium nib that writes a bit wider than expected with significant flow. The Scepter Grand has a #6 fine nib that is perhaps slightly wide for a fine with just the right amount of flow to make it a pleasure to use. I usually like wider nibs, but in this case, the fine beat the medium for my purposes.

These pens are surprisingly lightweight. The only real differences between them are the patterns and the nib size. The Scepter I is red, blue and gold and the Grand Scepter IX is blue and pink. In my hand, the Grand was a little over-balanced due to the angle required to use the large nib. It is comparable in size to the nibs on the Platinum Century pens that I use daily, so the larger nib doesn’t deter me. It’s that I had to adjust to the balance between the nib and barrel for the best writing experience. The smaller nib on the Scepter just fit my hand from the first mark on the paper. It is such a personal thing that other writers might never even notice. Both nibs had a touch of feedback, but were still quite smooth.

The pens wrote well with Iroshizuku ink, but Noodler’s Eel Blue was a little too free-flowing for the Grand’s medium nib. So like all pens, it’s trial and error to find the best ink, but isn’t that part of the fun?

Given the brilliant colors of BENU pens, it was challenging to find inks that suited them without detracting from the stunning barrels. Colorverse Glistening Stars and Stripes worked well in the Scepter. The Grand eventually got filled with Iroshizuku yama-budo and the Scepter was complemented nicely by asa-gao. Both are deep colors without sheen or other special characteristics. Too little inventory here to find matches of that sort beyond the Colorverse ink.

As for the pen, it is eye-candy of the highest order. There are a number of color combinations available making it easy to find a BENU that is just right for you.

Note that the wide barrel end makes the cap too narrow for posting and that might make the pen a bit short for really large hands. The section is average sized, but I hold pens quite far from the nib so the threads fell under my fingers. With a light grip, this was not a deterrent for short writing sessions. There is no clip, but the hexagonal shape prevents rolling. On my cluttered desk, that is a definite advantage.

The BENU Scepter is an eye-catching pen that writes well and could make a worthy addition to your collection. Or do you already have one? If so, what do you think of it?

Thank you Luxury Brands USA for sending the Scepters and Colorverse ink. I am now firmly spoiled for any other colorful pen. In other words, none need apply.

Tuesday Tidbits: Pen, Paper And Ink Links

José Naranja makes beautiful journals that he on occasion offers for sale. Oh, and I didn’t even make it through January without falling in love with an ink from Colorverse. What do you think of it?

• What is Washi tape? + Ten Tips to Use It (#4, 5, 7, and 8 work well in my journals.)
• Notebook Stories: Daily Carry Notebook
• Pen Chalet: Lamy Al-Star Special Edition (Gorgeous color!)
• Stamps, Scientific Charts, and Hand-Drawn Maps Occupy Every Inch of Travel Notebooks by José Naranja (h/t Fountain Pen Quest)
• The Well-Appointed Desk: Ink Review: Taccia Ukiyo-e Inks
• Retro 51 is going on a sabbatical (h/t Brad Dowdy – The Pen Addict)
• Jet Pens: Lefty-Friendly Stationery Videos
• Life Imitates Doodles: Review: Hahnemühle 1584 Notebook (Via Doodlewash)
• Watercolors Meet A Laban Fountain Pen
• The Getty-Dubay App: Handwriting Success for Real Life (h/t Kate Gladstone)
• Exaclair Has The Classic Blues
• Colorverse No. 24 Gluon (The first ink to go on my 2020 wish list.)
• Papyrus closing all stores (In my early FP days, it was a source for good paper and greeting cards.)

From the archives, a photo of my mother’s jet beads, a silk flower, Rhodia pad, and ten pens. The red Lamy Safari looks out of place but it’s a good writer. In my rotation, how a pen writes is more important than its form. Which is more important to you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Reads: Pens, Inks And A Monster-Fighting Kitten

Life Imitates Doodles has had problems with WordPress. Disappointing to see but no surprise given my experiences. For your amusement, an intrepid kitten battles a mechanical monster but does it win?

• Michael’s Essay: The Lost Art of Writing Letters
• Gourmet Pens: Just the Basics: Using a Flex Nib Fountain Pen
• Handwriting: An Elegy
• The Writing Desk: How To Choose A Fountain Pen
• Inked Happiness: Indian Fountain pens – Ebonitus Extinctus?
• 5 Types of Mobile Apps You Should Stop Installing
• Mountain of Ink: 2 years and 700 inks
• The Well-Appointed Desk: Ink Review: ColorVerse Pen Chalet Special Edition
• Leigh Reyes: How to Test a Fountain Pen Before Buying It And Other Life Skills
• Ed Jelley: JACQUES HERBIN 1798: KYANITE DU NEPAL INK REVIEW
• Life Imitates Doodles: THE LAST SATURDAY LINKS TO TANGLES, TUTORIALS AND GIVEAWAYS

Best cat toy ever!

Sunday Links: Ink, Books, And Scooby-Doo

You have probably seen Nick Stewart’s ink and bleach swatches. If you like them, his tutorials might give you just the right amount of encouragement and technique to venture into this intriguing use of fountain pen ink. Both successes and failures could make unique greeting cards. No sense letting an ink splotch go to waste…

• Nick Stewart Ink: Fountain Pen Ink Art – Online Tutorials
• Write About Now CT: The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword…
• Analog Attorney: Fountain Pen Obsession Starter Kit
• Pen Chalet: Colorverse Ink Sale
• Mental Floss: Study Confirms Growing Up in a Home Filled With Books Is Good for You (No duh!)
• ‘Scooby-Doo’ mansion on the hill
• Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking by Jason Logan (Good for dip pens – not fountain pens.)
• Cactus Friends (A little watercolor fun.)

From LuxuryBrandsUSA.com

 

Sunday Reads: Searchable Handwritten Notes And Pen Links

Absolutely any fountain pen user can make use of the first article. Evernote has been in my arsenal for years, but archiving handwritten notes elevates it to a whole new level of usefulness.

• dottotech: Make your handwritten journal searchable with Evernote
• Fountain Pen Quest: A Medium Bias
• Pen Chalet: Colorverse Wisdom of Trees Methuselah Grove Ink (Don’t you just love the exotic name?)
• Teoh: How Waterproof is Noodlers Bulletproof Black Ink? (Read some of the comments for what others have experienced.)
• The Pen Addict: Maruman Into-One Binder Review
• The Gentleman Stationer: Testing Out Tester Pens

From the archives: