Thursday, July 31, 2014

Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens

I'm a fan of Retro 51 pens. I've reviewed several of them here - the classic lacquer Tornado in kiwi, the green crocodile Tornado, the Tornado in stainless steel, and the Tornado in natural bamboo (yes, the panda face one). No surprise I ended up with the fountain pen as well, right? Here is the very cool, antique-looking Tornado Lincoln EXT fountain pen from JetPens.
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
ABOUT

Body Material: Metal (antiqued copper)
Trim: Antiqued copper (thanks Keith!)
Length (capped): 0.54"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 0.48"
Length (posted): 0.63"
Barrel Diameter: 0.47"
Section Diameter: 0.39" - 0.47"
Nib material: Steel
Weight: 32 g
Fill type: Cartridge/Converter
Price: $50.00USD
Where to buy: JetPens

PACKAGING
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
The Lincoln EXT arrived in the classic Retro 1951 packaging; a very cool 1950s diner-looking cardboard tube. Pop the top off and the pen was inside, held in place with foam. I like the packaging - it's fun, unique, and minimal. Plus, if you really don't want it, you can just recycle it. But it's quite cute, so chances are you're going to want to keep it.
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
APPEARANCE
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
The Lincoln EXT is an antique looking fountain pen but feels solid and tough. It's a metal body pen with blunt ends. It's not very thick and the whole body has a brushed antique copper finish. The body is smooth and the clip matches the finish of the body. The finial is very simple, flush with the flat end, and looks like brushed nickel.
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
The top of the cap has the classic Retro 1951 knurling that I love. Uncapped, the grip section is fairly short and is black plastic. I don't care much for plastic grip look but at least it's a small portion.
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
Overall, I am a fan of the appearance and despite having read a few negative reviews on this pen (based on nib performance), I went ahead on picked this from JetPens because I love Retro 1951 pens and I loved the appearance.
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
NIB & PERFORMANCE
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
The nib is large and fits the pen perfectly. Anything smaller would have looked silly. It's a Schmidt steel nib in medium. It says iridium pointon it and has some simple flourishes on it. I inked it with the obvious: Diamine Ancient Copper! I didn't flush it or tweak the nib at all. I wanted to see how the nib would perform straight out of the box. Er. Tube. To my very pleasant surprise, it was great! It was smooth, reliable, consistent, and fairly wet. It doesn't skip and it's not scratchy. It's hard to complain about that. I would love if there was a broad nib available, but the medium is pretty solid. The nib is not flexible and although you could squeeze a little bit of line variation out of it, it's not really designed for that.
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
The pen I received dispelled my concerns of previous reviews I had read. Either I lucked out or the other bloggers received duds. This Lincoln EXT is pretty great.

IN HAND

This isn't a particularly huge pen, nor is it all that heavy, so unposted, I find it very comfortable to write with. It has good weight and balance. Even posted, I am able to write comfortably with it. After awhile, it becomes top heavy, but in general, I don't write with my pens posted anyway.
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
I like the metal warming up in my hand, and I enjoy the smoothness of the body in my hand. The threads of the section are very smooth and not at all uncomfortable while writing. I find the plastic grip to be a little slippery in my grip
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
PROS & CONS
Review: @Retro1951 Tornado Lincoln EXT Fountain Pen - Medium @JetPens
OVERALL

I've had a very positive experience with this pen, so I do feel comfortable recommending this to others. I've never had anything but a positive experience with Retro 1951 pens and this one is no different - although this is my first fountain pen from the company. At $50.00USD, you could pick it up, and should it need some work, follow some online tutorials to tweak the nib (because at most, I think you would just need to make the nib wetter, or smooth it a little, and you could follow a guide on fine tuning and adjusting a nib).

I received this pen free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Wordless Wednesday

Peaches
Peaches
Peaches

Giveaway Round Up @Inkophile @Exaclair @PenInkCillin @JetPens @MissThundercat @Sheaffer_Page

Inkophile is giving away four Rhodia Ice No. 16 notepads in the grid style from Exaclair. Giveaway is open to US residents only and ends August 3rd, 2014 at 6 pm EDT. Click here for details!
Review: Rhodia Ice No. 16 Notepad A5 - @Exaclair

Peninkcillin is giving away ink samples in celebration of 300 followers on Twitter! There will be one lucky winner who receive five ink samples from a selection of 15 inks. Giveaway is open to US residents only and closes August 9th, 2014 at 12 am CST. Click here for details!

JetPens is giving away a set of three comic pens to ten lucky winners! You could win: Tachikawa Comic Nib Fountain Pen - G Model Nib - Fine - Black Ink, a Tachikawa Comic Nib Fountain Pen - G Model Nib - Fine - Sepia Ink, and a Tachikawa Comic Nib Fountain Pen - School Model Nib - Extra Fine - Black Ink. Giveaway is open to US residents only and ends August 1st, 2014 at midnight Pacific. Click here for details!

The very lovely Cheetarah is giving away some goodies on Instagram! You could win a classic vintage Sheaffer calligraphy set, six cartridges, and a handmade faux leather pen pouch with a print of one of her hand carved stamps. Giveaway is open worldwide and ends August 2nd, 2014. Click here for details!


Monday, July 28, 2014

Mailbox Goodies: Notemaker Flies Over

Notemaker has sent over an exquisite parcel of goodies for me to review! Thanks folks! This parcel contained:
  • J. Herbin scented amber orange ink
  • Signum Intreccio fountain pen
  • Kaweco two-pen pouch with flap
  • Two Rhodia Jotters with No. 16 Rhodia Ice pads
Mailbox Goodies: Notemaker Flies Over
Reviews coming soon!

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Sunday Reads - July 27. 2014

And don't forget you can get 10% off at Pen Chalet until the end of the year on your purchases! (Not an affiliate link!)
Pen Chalet Coupon

Friday, July 25, 2014

Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition

Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition
Whiskers & Paws - July 2014 Edition

Giveaway at @BureauDirect @JetPens @Kuretake_ZIG @ian_hedley @TheJournalShop

Bureau Direct is giving away a Rhodia pencil box to two lucky winners! Giveaway ends July 31st, 2014. Click here for details!

JetPens is giving away a 12 colour set of the Kuretake Fudebiyori pocket colour brush pens to one lucky winner! Giveaway ends August 4th, 2014 at midnight Pacific and is open to US residents only. Click here for details!

Pens! Paper! Pencils! is giving away a gorgeous sketch of driftwood from Umtentweni beach, along with a Palomino Blackwing, a Blackwing 602, and a Blackwing Pearl pencil, sponsored by The Journal Shop. Giveaway is open worldwide and closes August 9th, 2014 at 9 am BST. Click here for details!


Thursday, July 24, 2014

Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC

After reviewing the Franklin-Christoph Model 02 Intrinsic Smoke & Ice fountain pen in broad, I knew I had to investigate this adorable pocket version. Fortunately, I had won a $100 gift certificate to Franklin-Christoph's online store a little while ago (a great reason to like their Facebook page!), so I used it to get this Model 40P and I upgraded the nib to a Masuyama broad stub. Thank you to Franklin-Christoph for that great giveaway!
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
ABOUT

Body Material: Acrylic
Trim: None
Length (capped): 4.22"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 3.81"
Length (posted): 5.22"
Barrel Diameter: 0.50"
Section Diameter: 0.41"
Nib material: Steel
Weight: 14 g
Fill type: Cartridge/Eyedropper
Price: $134.50USD (with Masuyama nib)
Where to buy: Franklin-Christoph

PACKAGING

Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
Just like its "big brother" the Model 02 Intrinsic, the Model 40 Pocket arrived in the same simple box: a simple hard black case with a striped finish across it. The inside is satin-lined, the pen held in place on a felt bed with a satin loop. It comes with the pen, a converter, cartridges so you can ink up right away, along with some Franklin-Christoph cards. Nice, simple packaging. No wasted space. I like that.

APPEARANCE
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
The Model 40P fountain pen is gorgeous. This is really a compact version of the Model 02 Intrinsic Smoke & Ice. The cap appears full-sized and threads deeply on to the barrel. The cap and barrel have the icy motif body. It looks like...well...ice. The top of the cap has a coloured acrylic plug: both deeply shimmery and pearlescent; I love it. I have one of each cap: the fire and the smoke. The fire is swirly and hot red, and the smoke is sultry and deep grey.
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
The end of the barrel tapers to accommodate being posted and is a polished clear acrylic. The threads are located at the top of the section, unlike the Model 02 Intrinsic.
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
NIB & PERFORMANCE
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
The nib is aesthetically pleasing; a good size for the pen and the colour scheme all matches. It seems to be a #5 stainless steel, although you can also upgrade to a gold nib should you wish. Honestly though, get a Masuyama grind and you'll never think about a gold nib again.

I had heard that Mike Masuyama is a master at nib grinding, so I was really looking forward to giving this broad stub Masuyama grind a run. I didn't flush the pen, just inked it up immediately. ... And I picked one of the sludgiest, driest inks I have: J. Herbin's Rouge Hematite. I must admit I was a little surprised to find this nib so smooth and so juicy that it handled Rouge Hematite, usually a dry and clumpy ink, with ease. The nib puts down a wet line of ink that shades beautifully, shows off the ink's sheen easily, and the nib's line variation is easy to enjoy. Excellent performance.
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
While the nib was very smooth and handled the ink well, I was expecting a more stubby grind though. I have also used a Masuyama medium cursive italic and I think I was hoping for that kind of variation from it. I'm not disappointed by the performance, it just wasn't what I was expecting. If you're looking for a sharper grind with more crisp and precise variation, go for a medium or broad cursive italic grind. A stub will be softer and smoother though, if you are new to this world.

IN HAND
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
The threads are located quite high up the section, so although they are a little sharp, they shouldn't get in the way of your writing. The pen is light and comfortable for me to hold, and I can actually write without it posted, though when it's posted, it is more comfy, although it must be posted deeply because the lid can wiggle off. As it is light and well-balanced, there's no need to death grip the whole thing, so the threads really shouldn't be an issue.
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
On desk, if you go clipless, be aware your pen can roll away!

PROS & CONS
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC


Side note: I completely forgot about this when I wrote this list: the cap posts but just by friction, so if not posted deeply/tightly enough, it can fall off.

OVERALL
Review: Franklin-Christoph Model 40P Fountain Pen - Masuyama Broad Stub @1901FC
I really enjoy this pen. It's a very cute size, comfortable, lightweight, very attractive, and the nib is very smooth and enjoyable. As I said, it's not as crisp and variable as I was hoping for (but clearly a stub is not the same as a cursive italic!), but that doesn't mean it doesn't perform well! Simply put: highly recommended. Get a Masuyama grind, turn the pen into an eyedropper, and fall in love with this thing. Totally worth it. Just don't lose your cap.

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GourmetPens by Azizah Asgarali is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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