#8 of 53: Anniversaries, Weddings and the Birmingham Pen Company

Tags

birmingham pen company, franklin christoph, jinhao 140, royal wedding, waterfront dusk

WordPress tells me six years ago this month, I started this blog, and they sincerely encourage me to continue. That’s nice. I guess I will.

On May 19 I got up super early and stationed myself in front of the tv downstairs. I didn’t want to wake David up, so me and the cats were as quiet as possible, watching the royal wedding unfold. I am a long-time royalist and this was a big deal for me. I remember watching Lady Diana Spencer marry Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, with my mother, in the early hours once again. We did the same for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson on July 23, 1986. And when Prince William married Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011 I was watching, lying prone on the floor, trying to ignore the pain of yet another back episode. This year I was in pain once again because of my back, but luckily this time I was able to sit in a chair, table in front of me, drinking tea and writing in my Franklin Christoph journal with a new fountain pen, a Jinhao 140 from the Birmingham Pen Company. As I watched beautiful people in beautiful outfits amid  beautiful flowers in St. George’s Chapel I wrote my thoughts (loved the Most Reverend Michael Curry’s sermon!!) and wishes for the new couple (love and laughter always).

The pens I used during the wedding came to me from The Birmingham Pen Company. I’m a sucker for a gift set (Lamy gift set, Parker gift set) so when I saw the Starter Pack Gift Set, Jinhao 140 Shell Diamond I couldn’t resist. I’m on a bit of a Jinhao roll I guess but I love them.

I’ve been trying to remember when I first heard about or stumbled upon the Birmingham Pen Company and I can’t. It must have been a youtube video or another blogger but whatever, I subscribed to their newsletter and now I regularly get tempted by their offerings. I am in love with their Model-A Fountain Pen in Jurassic Amber; they are turned by the man behind the Birmingham Pen Company, Nick, and his father, and they sell out as soon as any are in stock.

Anyway the Jinhao 140 set arrived, in beautiful packaging. In addition to the pen I received five paperclips in the shape of nibs (so cute), two converters, a small notebook of Tomoe River paper, a faux leather box and a free bottle of Birmingham Pen Company ink (I chose Waterfront Dusk because I liked the name).

The ink is more blue than what is showing in the photo.

The company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and all of their inks (there are 40 to choose from) are named after unique events in the history of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. The ink comes in 30 mL ($7.99) and 60 mL ($11.99). The free bottles are 30 mL.

I also received a personalized note signed by Nick himself, thanking me for my first order from his shop and for giving him the opportunity to earn my business. He described how he does “everything from packing orders and answering emails to filling the ink bottles. My site has been operating for about a year and a half, and I still get excited to watch each order come through.” I’m sure he’s a busy guy but taking the time to write that note meant a lot to me. He ended the note by asking me to let him know “if there’s anything I can do for you in the meantime.” Unfortunately I had to take him up on his offer. Everything in the package was intact and exactly as advertised, except for the pen.

I couldn’t open it.

I tried to be gentle, then I tried being rough. I had some co-workers try (it was sent to my office). Nothing worked. Because of the design of the pen at first I wasn’t sure which end opened, but I did a little research and realized we were doing everything right to gain access to the converter. In desperation I sent Nick an email describing my embarrassing situation. I couldn’t believe how stubborn this little pen was proving to be.

Two days later I received an order confirmation from the Birmingham Pen Company. It was for a Jinhao 140 and a 30 mL bottle of ink. Cost was zero. Shipping was zero. Then I received an email from Nick, apologizing for the uncooperative pen and letting me know a replacement had already been dispatched to me, inspected by him, free of charge, with another bottle of free ink, with no expectation of return of the first pen. We exchanged emails to the effect of: You sure? followed by Absolutely! I was delighted and stunned by his generosity. Even when I told him I had managed to get it open, he still insisted I did not have to return it (a co-worker gingerly took the pen in her specialized work gloves and, after asking my permission, really leaned into the twist and finally coaxed the pen to open up, amid cheers from workmates. She is my hero). About a week later I had a second Diamond Shell (which opened like a dream) and a second bottle of free ink. Exceptional customer service. And I’m not the only one who thinks so; I googled the company and found half a dozen testimonials on Fountain Pen Network alone attesting to Nick’s commitment to customer satisfaction. I will definitely be buying from Nick again.

The second bottle of ink is Southside Park Fern Moss. It’s hard to tell the difference between the two inks but the Fern Moss is a deep grey-green.

The ink dries more grey than green and I really like it.

I was thrilled with the customer service and how it all turned out, but there was one weird thing: for both pens, the converter that it shipped with did not work. I tried repeatedly to get the converter to suck up some ink but nothing worked. So I used the extra converters and they worked perfectly. All’s well that ends well.

The pen is quite different from the other Jinhaos I’ve seen; that was one of the reasons I bought it. The inlaid shell catches the light with shades of green and yellow. The nib is considered fine but writes more like a fine medium.

It’s very comfortable in the hand and the nibs are super smooth. The graduated section is not as awkward as I first thought. I’m very, very happy with my new purchases.

Happy journaling.

#7 of 53: Change, Lamy Pens and Mothers

Tags

2017 special edition, from the pen cup, lamy, lamy al-star, pacific, the pen habit, wonder pens

Did you miss me?

You can thank my sister for this post. I have been feeling dramatically uninspired of late, hence the radio silence. And then my sister sent me a lovely email, which included a link to one of my blog posts from 4 years ago, about her trip to Iceland. And somehow it’s inspired me.

There’s alot of change afoot in the stationery/fountain pen world. Wonderpens have closed one shop and opened another; I so love their blog I felt I was saying goodbye too, even though I’ve never set foot in any of their stores to date. Matt Armstrong of The Pen Habit on YouTube has ended his run as fountain pen/ink reviewer extraordinaire. Believe me, I can relate. I seriously considered shutting this whole thing down. Even Mary at From the Pen Cup took a long breather between posts. I’ve set myself the challenge of 53 posts this year, which may or may not happen. And I’ve decided to be at peace with that.

So inspired by my sister I’m going to review the Lamy Al-Star Pacific 2017 Limited Edition fountain pen she gave me for my birthday last year.

It’s my third Lamy; I’ve written about the Safari and my other Al-Star previously. The Safari was one of my first purchases after starting the blog, back in 2012. And the Al-Star was a Christmas present in 2014. This Lamy Al-Star is a gorgeous turquoise blue, called the Pacific, for the colour resembles tropical seas.

I also received a bottle of Lamy Turquoise. It was released with the special edition pen but as far as I can tell it’s the same colour as the old Lamy Turquoise. Either way it’s a glorious colour.

The nib is fine and very smooth. Since last September I’ve had it inked up with the Lamy Turquoise, and it always starts writing the instant the cap comes off, with no skipping or hard starts. The cap posts securely although I would advise caution with posting, as my purple Al-Star is showing signs of wear on the barrel.

The distinctive triangular section, unique to Lamy, creates a strong grip for long writing sessions.

The Al-Star usually retails for just under $40 US. The 2017 special edition is no longer available on Goulet Pens; indeed it has been replaced by the 2018 special edition in Vibrant Pink. I’m told the Al-Star Blue Green is very close in tone to the Pacific. But I did manage to find two on offer on Amazon as used. I highly recommend the Lamy Al-Star, for beginners and pros alike. These special editions are a fun way to expand your Lamy collection – such colours!

And finally today (in North America) is the day we honour our mothers. Today marks my 18th Mother’s Day without mine. I wish I could say it gets easier. But some years are better than others. I have a wonderful mother-in-law who receives our well wishes via video call. And now that I’m back in Nova Scotia I can visit my grandmother’s grave, and honour her memory along with her daughter’s.

Happy Mother’s Day.

 

 

#6 of 53: Here We Jinhao All Over Again

Tags

jinhao 992

On the whole I’ve had very good luck with the Jinhao pens I’ve purchased, either on eBay or from Goulet Pens. From the 126 to the 159 and the 599a I’ve been impressed with how reliable they are, both in writing immediately after being uncapped, and in the uninterrupted flow of ink. They are great writers at very reasonable prices. So when I saw this review of the 992 I had to order myself one. I went on ebay and ended up with six! At $15 Cdn for six I couldn’t say no.

They came with the white tray. Try to ignore the red ink on the side of the tray – that was me, allowing an uncapped red Optiflow to rest for a few hours against it. It looks like a rather alarming blood stain; perhaps I should let the Optiflow loose on it again, transforming the whole tray.

The pens are plastic but it’s thick plastic so the pen feels very sturdy, like a TWSBI or Monteverde. The model is available in 12 colours, half of which are translucent; the solid colours are very nice too. The caps screw on and post very securely. The filling system is cartridge converter, which came with the pens. They also come with a plastic o-ring between the barrel and section. There is a round ball at the end of the pen and it looks like it would be completely sealed, which makes the pen an excellent candidate for making into an eyedropper. I still haven’t made any of my pens into eyedroppers, but with six of these I can afford to take the chance.

The nib is advertised as fine but writes like a wet fine or medium. Very smooth nib with no issues starting or skipping, and moves across the paper with little to no tooth. You can see the famous Jinhao chariot on the nib. All of the writing samples in my last post, #5 of 53, were written with these pens.

Jinhaos all in a row! They certainly do not look like they are all from the same brand. From left: 992, X450, 599a, X750 and 159. In weight and appearance it most closely resembles the 599a.  I’m missing the 126 from the photo as I can’t find one at the moment.

And to give you an idea of its size in relation to other brands. From left: Jinhao 992, TWSBI Vac 700, Lamy Al Star, Waterman Kultur, Pilot Metropolitan, Delta Journal, Monteverde Prima and Parker Urban.

I really enjoy these pens. While the 159 remains my absolute favourite of the Jinhaos, the 992s are a welcome addition and will not disappoint.

Happy journaling.

A new pen and notebook from Amazon

Tags

blue myosotis, blue upon the plains of abraham, clairefontaine, fuliwen, j. herbin, lamy blue, noodler's, paradise blue, parker blue quink, straffen, valery, waterman serenity blue, x-fountain pens

Last week an Amazon package was delivered to my door, which is always exciting. I had ordered a Fuliwen pen after seeing a Youtube video, and a Valery refillable notebook which I had found when browsing notebooks.

I am unfamiliar with the Fuliwen brand. Amazon says this pen was made by a “famous company in China called Fuliwen”. I thought the barrel and hardware was very pretty, although now that I see it in person I am not a fan of the pearl bead on the clip.

The section is an interesting shape, one which I have not seen before. The material is advertised as celluloid but I would be surprised at this price point: $19 Cdn.

The medium nib is on the small side for the size of the section I feel. It is stamped Straffen, which I read are made by X-Fountain Pens. I cleaned it and tried to find a blue ink that would match the barrel.

Clockwise from top: Noodler’s Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham, Parker Blue Quink, Paradise Pen Blue, Waterman Serenity Blue, J. Herbin Blue Myosotis, and Lamy Blue. I chose Parker Blue as the best match to the barrel.

And here’s the writing sample. I chose a Clairefontaine notebook. The pen is very smooth with no skips or hard starts, and it started writing as soon as it hit the paper. I was using it in my regular journal later on that day, and it suddenly went dry. I shook it a few times and it resumed writing. But it will never be a favorite pen of mine. That pearl bead is ugly, as I mentioned before, and the pen can’t be posted, which this pen needs, due to it being super light. It just doesn’t fit well in my hand either. But I can’t fault it’s performance, other than running dry once, which was soon fixed.

I also purchased this notebook and cover, made by Valery.

It’s not leather but a very nice imitation. I really like the white stitching and the tree motif on the cover and in the charm bookmark. There is another charm on the spine of an eagle with wings unfurled. It doesn’t seem to fit in with the tree motif; kind of sinister really. But luckily it can be removed.

Here is the inside of the notebook cover. The cords could easily be loosened to release one or both of the charms if needed.

The notebook is pretty standard, lined with very thin paper. I do not know the gsm. I didn’t have high hopes for the pen test but it stood up fairly well.

I’m just realizing now I deleted the photo of the opposite page. Oh well there was no bleed through and just a touch of ghosting. And very little feathering. Safe for our fountain pens.

Overall I am happy with the pen and notebook. Taking a chance on unknown products can be fun.

Happy writing everyone.

A Glass Pen and Ocean Ink to be Thankful for

Tags

glass dip pen, gypsy road glass silver and stone, into the mystic folklore, janelle tyler

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and I wanted to share a new pen I recently acquired. A friend was in town and we went to a local shop called Into the Mystic Folklore. It’s a beautiful space in Dartmouth that sells crystals, jewelry, tarot cards, tea, etc., along with psychic readings and singing water bowls. It’s a magical place and I am thrilled my friend introduced me to it.

Nestled between healing bracelets and gargoyle bookends were glass dip pens. A local artisan, Janelle Tyler, makes and sells them through her company Gypsy Road Glass, Silver & Stone. To my delight she also makes ink in the cutest bottles, so I grabbed a couple of those too.

There were multi-coloured pens with different types of nibs, from broad to fine. I chose a clear one with a medium-fine nib.

The pen comes with a pamphlet that talks about the history of glass pens. I did not know that in the 17th century there was a shortage of feather quills for writing. The average London banker would use up to 20 feather quills a day – can you imagine?! And the average goose was only capable of producing 8 to 10 good feathers for quills. Through trial and error German glass blowers perfected the spiral nib seen on glass pens today. The original ones would have been brittle and fragile but the pens made by contemporary glass artisans like Janelle Tyler are made from a harder material, the same glass that modern cookware is made from.

I also bought two bottles of ink, both with the colour Deep Ocean. I do not know if she offers any other colours. The appeal of the glass pen to me is the fearlessness you can have with new inks – there is no chance that a questionable ink could muck up the mechanism, because there is no mechanism to muck up! And you could write a letter with a different ink for each sentence. The nib wipes clean quickly with water and a paper towel. And you are not limited to fountain pen ink – any ink will do. So much fun!

Here you can see both the ink colour and the nib. I wrote in my Things Remembered Engraved Journal with stone paper. I love this journal but have read with misgiving the fibres can sometimes clog up the works in traditional fountain pens. So the glass pen was perfect for this writing session.

I love the ink colour. It’s a rich blue green perfectly named. The actual writing experience was a little challenging. The paper is a little toothy and on the upstroke the nib would sometimes catch and stop moving. But you can see there was no skipping and one dip would last for almost three sentences.

This little ledge is the perfect resting spot for my glass pen. I haven’t photographed this desk before but as I unpack my office there are only so many clear spots available to shoot! I will do a proper room tour when I am all set up.

So if you are wondering about glass pens I would recommend one, for their beauty and versatility with ink. I can’t believe I have waited this long to buy one. And if you are in the Dartmouth area check out Into the Mystic Folklore. You will find something that catches your eye, I guarantee it!

A New Colour for my Jinhao 159s

Tags

jinhao 159, purple, waterman tender purple

I really enjoy writing with my Jinhao 159 pens. I first wrote about them in May 2015, and then it was chosen as my Pen of the Month for November 2015. I popped it into my beloved Franklin Christoph notebook and then included it as part of the prize for my 500 Subscriber Giveaway. I have had it continuously inked since the day it arrived from China through an eBay purchase. I often use it in pen tests for new notebooks. It’s a thick pen but I love writing with it. It’s inexpensive but always writes immediately, right out of the box or after a long sit in my pen case. I even bought a second one for myself as a backup!

For the longest time the only place I could find them was eBay. And then Goulet Pens started carrying them. Both of mine were black. I sort of liked the other colours on the Goulet Pens website but never ordered one. I guess I thought two in basic black were enough.

Well that all changed when I saw a PURPLE one on eBay!! And yes it’s just as gorgeous as it sounds.

The picture is not picking up the true purplishness; it looks more pink than it actually is. But still beautiful! I keep waiting for Goulet Pens or other retailers to carry it but so far I have not seen it. If you want to purchase one let me know in the comments and I will track down the seller I bought it from.

A closer look at the glorious nib. It looks like a hair is stuck to the end but it’s not; I tried removing it but just ended up with purple ink all over my fingers.

I’ve read elsewhere how some folks are disappointed with the Jinhao 159s, how they have to replace the nib, or the converter they come with is crappy. I must say I’ve never had a problem. They write instantly and never skip (so far so good and I’ve been using them for over a year now). And even though I said in my May 2015 review that I wouldn’t recommend it for long writing sessions due to the weight, I guess I’ve become accustomed to it because I can write long letters and long journal entries with it, with no problems.

And speaking of writing, I inked it up with Waterman Tender Purple (of course) and wrote in my journal.

I think my limit for this pen is three. I think. Until the next groovy colour comes out 🙂

Happy journal writing everyone!

 

My Waterman Family

Tags

kultur, waterman

In June I saw a review of the Waterman Kultur on YouTube by Jennifer of Best Fountain Pen. She was so enthusiastic about it I had to check Amazon and sure enough it was available in Canada too. So I picked up two: the blue and the red.

I have a Waterman pen already; you might remember my vintage Waterman Junior. But as a vintage pen it’s delicate and I always worry when I use it. I wanted a Waterman I could use every day and throw into my bag. And I didn’t want to spend a ton of money. So when I saw this beauty and Jennifer’s excellent review I knew I had to have one. Or two.

The nib is advertised as a fine but it writes more like a medium. Very smooth writer right out of the packaging. These pens do not come wit a converter but the cartridge supplied with the pen has a bigger ink capacity than any converter anyway. These are demonstrator pens, meaning most of the pen is transparent so you can see the inner workings. The section is especially fascinating as the ink comes in. The plastic body makes it light in the hand, perfect for long writing sessions. The cap is a pull and snap cap so no threads on the fingers. There is a tiny step down on the section but I didn’t find it bothering me as I wrote. I’m very happy with this pen.

I haven’t opened the red one yet; I recently bought some Waterman Audacious Red and once I have an empty cartridge when the blue one runs out I will fill it with the red. Audacious Red is the last colour of Waterman ink that I needed to complete the set. Love it! Love them all!

Audacious Red and Serenity Blue.

Tender Purple and Inspired Blue. You can tell I use these two the most. I have a bottle of Inspired Blue at my desk at work too!

Intense Black, Mysterious Blue, Harmonious Green and Absolute Brown. Great inks for your pens. Amazon still has a few of these pens at great prices. I understand Waterman has discontinued the model which is a shame. If you have a chance to check out the Kultur, do so!

Visconti Millennium Arc Three LE

Tags

reid's stationers, visconti millennium three LE

Before I left Calgary I visited my favorite pen store, Reid’s, one last time (or so I thought). I was hoping they could help me with the faulty feed on my Noodler’s pen but they couldn’t. As I was leaving I spied a pen in one of the display cases and I just had to take a closer look.

I was drawn to the swirling blue with a slight hint of green. I asked them about it and they told me it was a Visconti Millennium Arc Three LE. It was expensive so I left without it that day. I couldn’t get it out of my head though, and when David asked me what I wanted for our 10th anniversary, this pen was the first thing I thought of.

This Millennium Arc Three LE are slightly different from the Millennium Arc Rainbow and Twilight versions released in 2015. These first Millennium Arcs were released in 2000 to celebrate the beginning of the third millennium. They were a limited edition that Visconti released in 3 translucent colours: red (Millennium One), amber (Millennium Two) and blue (Millennium Three). Visconti produced 1,000 of each of the colours and numbered them. Mine is marked 0401/1000. They originally came in a set of three in a special case which included a travelling inkwell. Reid’s had the other two pens available but were selling them individually, no case or inkwell. They promised me a great deal if I bought all three but I knew the budget wouldn’t stretch that far! Penporium has the complete set with inkwell available for $1,895 US.

The body is translucent so you can see the nib and section behind the swirls. I think this is a stunning finish, much nicer than the more recent Millennium Arc offering. Go to the Cowan’s Auctions site to see the amber and red finishes. The amber is trimmed in yellow gold, while the red is trimmed in white gold. And the blue is trimmed in ruthenium.

Each pen has a silicon sac that fills via a crescent filling system. You can see the “hump” of silver in the picture above; the clear collar underneath is movable. A lock ring rotates around the barrel. Rotated one way, the ring locks the crescent from being pressed; rotated the other way and the ring unlocks, exposing a break in the collar which allows the crescent to be depressed. When depressed a metal bar squeezes against the silicon sac. The nib and section are submerged in ink and the metal bar is squeezed a couple of times, filling the sac with ink. The sac is apparently guaranteed by Visconti for 100 years. I have registered it so maybe my descendants will test out that warranty!

Here’s a closeup of the 18k two-tone broad nib. You can see the limited edition numbers engraved on the left side: 0401/1000. Absolutely stunning to look at, and a very smooth writer. It is inked with Waterman Inspired Blue, a great complement to the barrel I think.

I adore this pen. It’s the second Visconti I own, and the first crescent filler. The Rembrandt has the distinctive Visconti clip, which the Millennium is missing. That was a little disappointing but I understand why they designed the clip to match the crescent mechanism.

It’s a glorious wet writer now but when I first inked it up after an initial cleaning there were quite a few skips and hard starts. It seemed like the nib needed work and I was nervous about finding someone to work on it. I had to remind myself that this pen had been sitting in a store for 16 years. But with almost constant use since April it’s now a very reliable writer. It will often spark a conversation when I bring it to work or to a coffee shop for a journal writing session.

See how the Millennium compares to some of my other pens. From left: Nemosine Singularity in blue marble, Delta Journal in pearl red, Monteverde Prima in green, Jinhao 159 in black, and the vintage Waterman Junior in black. The red in the top corner is of course my Visconti Rembrandt.

Beautiful addition to my collection and I am extremely pleased with this very generous gift from my wonderful husband. And yes he got a great anniversary present too: a super telephoto lens for his SLR camera. We spoiled ourselves but hey we made it to 10 years so we deserved it!

Well Hello Again

Tags

calligraphy ink, pen and ink holder, pen heaven, quill pen, shakespeare, shakespeare 400 anniversary, stylografico la kaligraphica

Hello everyone! I am back, finally. The move is, essentially, over. Some aspects of our lives have unfolded beautifully in our new home, others disastrously. I am married to the most hard working, patient, incredible man who would be a world Tetris champion based on his POD packing skills! And our two fur babies were absolute angels as they navigated moves from a plane to an apartment to an hotel and then another apartment (remember I said some aspects disastrous, and that’s only one!) So now I am very happy to be digitally connected once again, and grateful to anyone who might still be reading!

I flew to Halifax with the cats and some important essentials, like a couple of notebooks, one bottle of ink (it was so difficult to choose just one!) and ALL of my pens. David drove across the country and I had one box in the car with the rest of my essentials (more notebooks and lots more ink!) There are still more notebooks and bottles of ink in our moving container. We honestly shed a lot of possessions, but kept those most precious to us. For David it was his musical gear; for me, my writing gear. Tables and sofas come and go but….. 🙂

Before I left Calgary I added something to my writing gear. As you may have heard the world celebrated the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth/death this year, on April 23. While I could not fly to England to participate in any of the exciting celebrations planned throughout this year, I was inspired by a regular email from Pen Heaven to purchase a pewter feather quill pen with holder and ink bottle. I had it sent to my new office and it was waiting for me when I arrived. Such a nice welcome present! Someday I hope to visit the Pen Heaven store in London.

The set is made in Italy and the packaging is gorgeous.

The inside is gorgeous too. I chose the brown feather and I love how ornate the base looks. The bottle of ink fits into the holder as well. And there is some literature on the history of quill pens and how to write with one.

I thought it would look really stunning on my desk. The ink bottle contains black ink and the bottle says Inchiostro Stylografico NERO La Kaligraphica Made in Italy. According to Google Translate this means Black Ink Stylografico La Kaligraphica. I’m sure this is calligraphy ink and not meant for regular fountain pens.

Here’s a closeup of the base and holder. The ink bottle was wax sealed. I think it’s extremely good craftsmanship for the price. I just realized I didn’t take a photo of the nib but you can see it magnified on the Pen Heaven page referenced above.

The ink is a true coal black. I will have to perfect my technique; the first line came out beautifully but then I had difficulty with the rest with ink blobs and running out of ink. Even if the pen turns out to be more decorative than useful I still love it. I’m sure when my desk arrives it will look great in the corner. Hopefully that will be next week!

It feels good to be back online and writing these posts again. I’m not sure if I will keep the same schedule as before; I’m working longer hours and my set up is much different. We’ll have to see how I get on. Until next time, whenever that is, thank you for your patience, thank you for sticking around and happy journaling!

Another Nemosine and a Free Pen!

Tags

amazon, goldspot, jinhao 599a, marketfair stationery, nemosine, singularity, waterman

Way back in January of this year I received two pens in the mail from Amazon. I had placed an order for a Nemosine Singuarity in brown, with a medium nib, and the vendor had sent along a free pen as a “Thanks for Your Business” gift. I wrote about it in this Journal Writing Wednesday post from January 13, and I’m finally getting round to the post!

The vendor was Marketfair Stationery and I had no idea that they were Goldspot pens until I opened the package. Apparently Goldspot was giving away Jinhao 599a pens during the holiday season as thank you gifts. I received a blue demonstrator model, with a fine nib I suspect (it’s not marked).

The pen looks like an homage to the Lamy Safari. The translucency is a nice touch.

Here it is uncapped. The section has flattened sides, which again brings to mind the Lamy Safari. I prefer this one, as it is not as pronounced and seems to fit my hand better. The cap has a black liner for the nib to fit into when capped.

Here’s a closeup of the nib. There is a Goldspot “g” stamped on it but no size anywhere; certainly no “F” that I could find. The barrel is also stamped “goldspot”. The pen came with a cartridge converter and it wrote very quickly after inking. No skips so far so ink flow seems fine. Pretty amazing for a free pen!

And now for the writing sample.

I wrote this in my Rhodia lined pad, and the ink I used was Waterman Serenity Blue. The nib was pretty smooth, with a bit of toothiness. I’m very pleased with this pen. I’d been wanting to order one from ebay so this was a most pleasant surprise from Goldspot.

So that was the free gift that came with my purchase: another Nemosine Singularity, but this time in brown and silver with a medium nib. This is my second Singularity; I wrote about the first in this post, the blue marble finish with a broad nib. I wanted to try the medium nib and I love brown pens, so I ordered it from Amazon on Boxing Day.

This Singularity came with the same box and cartridges as the blue marble one.

Here it is uncapped. The finish is a flat lacquered brown, a little plain as compared to its blue marble cousin.

Once again we see the Nemosine nib, with the distinctive butterfly pattern.

Here is the writing sample with the Nemosine medium, and a comparison between the medium and broad nibs. The medium nib leans more toward fine than medium, in my opinion. There isn’t a huge difference between the broad and medium nibs, at least in this writing sample. The ink in the broad is Waterman Mysterious Blue and the ink in the medium is Waterman Absolute Brown. Both pens wrote instantly after being inked, with no skips or hard starts. Nemosine continues to impress me with its quality.

All three pens are excellent writers, and I would not hesitate to recommend all three as inexpensive every day pens.