Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Reads: November 29. 2015

Stuff I Looked At Elsewhere:
A bunch of deals on Massdrop:
Stuff I Apparently Did This Week:

Fontoplumo Banner 2015 La Couronne du Comte Banner The Pen Company Banner Pen Chalet Banner Goldspot PensJetPens-Sponsored-Blog-Banner Pen World Appleboom Banner
Do a gal a solid and if you fancy any of these and want any item of your own, use my affiliate links :)

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Serious Nibbage Part 39: Staedtler Initium Metallum @Penworld_be

Winner: Christopher P! Stay tuned - there's a few more pens coming up for giveaway!
Serious Nibbage Image - Mia @mabeloos
Thanks to Mia for this one! (Twitter | Instagram)

Thank you to Pen World for lending us this pen for review and giveaway! Please visit them, and say hi on social media in thanks!
Pen World 

Check out my review.
Check out SBRE Brown's review.
Find previous episodes of Serious Nibbage here!

If you'd like to sponsor an episode of Serious Nibbage and would like us to review a pen/nib/ink, etc, contact Stephen or myself!

Friday, November 27, 2015

Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition

Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition
Whiskers & Paws: November 2015 Edition

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Review: Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official

As usual, I had no intention of buying a pen, but Paul (at Akkerman in The Hague) said ''I have the Ogiva Cocktail with a stub nib'' and showed me this one and we chuckled... sigh.
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (12)
ABOUT
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (14)
Body Material: Cotton Resin
Trim: Rhodium-plated
Length (capped): 146.4 mm/5.76"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 127.2 mm/5.01"
Length (posted): 172.77 mm/6.80"
Barrel Diameter: 10.9 - 13.3 mm/0.43" - 0.52"
Section Diameter: 10.9 - 12.5 mm/0.43" - 0.49"
Nib material: 18KT Gold
Weight (all): 22 g
Weight (cap): 8 g
Weight (body): 14 g
Fill type: Piston-filler
Price: € 390,00
Where to buy: La Couronne du Comte
La Couronne du Comte Banner 
PACKAGING
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (1)
The Ogiva Cocktail, like the Ogiva Alba, has attractive packaging. First, a shimmery slate grey sleeve marked with the logo can be removed. This sleeve is marked with the limited edition number of the pen. Inside is a solid box similarly marked on the top. Taking the lid off reveals a light grey felt nest with a grey pen sleeve. The pen is inside, in a plastic sleeve (complete with QC check and all). The inside of the lid says, in the felt:
Italian
Creativity,
History,
Craftsmanship,
The Pleasure of
Writing
The bed can be removed to find the paper work and guarantee. It's very pretty packaging and also makes for a lovely display bed for the pen. The sleeve is also very useful.
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (2)
Super useful packaging. Reverse that lid and it's two pen slots underneath!
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (3)
APPEARANCE
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (4)
I love the design of this pen - it's a nice size and shape, and I picked the yellow because of the way it glitters. The pen is round, torpedo-shaped, with a translucent yellow body, highlighted by shiny rhodium-plated trim. Vodka Lemon is a great name - it makes me think of the lemon color, and the vodka makes me think of the translucence. The finial is just the cap material, nothing else to it, except it's rounded off. The clip is attached internally, starting wide, thinning out, then ending with the OMAS rolling ball clip.
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (9)
The center band at the end of the cap is perfectly placed - it's almost halfway on the pen and looks very even. It's simple at first glance, but has a Greek key design and is marked with OMAS in small writing. The end of the pen has a single ring indicating the piston-turning knob.

The section tapers gradually from the barrel to the nib, but remains mostly straight. The threads are located in the middle of the section, oddly enough. The end of the section, just before the nib, has a band that matches the center band. On the section is the limited edition numbering of the pen.

I had a hard time picking between the three Cocktail colors, but the yellow was too bright and happy to pass up.

NIB & PERFORMANCE
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (7)

The 18KT gold rhodium-plated nib is superb. It has a single slit, a breather hole, and is a smooth, polished nib. The nib is marked with ST (stub, on the side), OMAS, and the gold content., along with the arrow design.

This stub nib is so delectable. The danger of being able to try a pen, as opposed to just buying it online, is once you try a nib that is so lovely, it's hard to leave it there. This nib is coupled with an ebonite feed. It needed a thorough flushing to clear out the machining oils from the feed, and after that, ink flow was excellent - nice and juicy, highlighting ink colors and bringing out shading so well. It's a nice, wide stub nib, but is still suitable for daily use. It's smooth - not too crisp on the edges, but offers a pleasant line variation, both in terms of its natural shape, and also with some springiness. I love this thing. I have had no issues with it, so long as I keep it properly aligned on the page, which is quite easy to do. If it's properly aligned - no skips, no hard starts, no running dry. Fantastic.

This is a juicy writer. It's perfect for me. I love juicy stub nibs.
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (15)
The piston itself performs without issue, except you can see ink has gotten into the seal. It doesn't affect its function, but since it's a clear pen, it's very obvious, and I haven't been able to clean it out. It doesn't bother me, but I can definitely see how this would drive some people crazy. Also, I imagine this shouldn't be the case. So far, the seal is holding - no leaking of ink through the back.

IN HAND

The clip is well-designed - it is set close to the cap, is slightly springy, and has the rolling ball on the end, which allows it to easily slide into pockets, pen pouches, and on to pages.
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (5)
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (6)
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (8)
The section is comfortable, despite the threads being in the middle of it. It's not an issue for me, but if you grip your sections tightly, this might be a bother for you. They are smooth so they aren't uncomfortable to touch. I grip well below the threads.

Unposted, the size, weight, and balance of the pen are right up my alley. I love it and have no complaints. The cap does post by friction and although it is secure, it doesn't post very deeply. Since the cap is light though, it doesn't feel top heavy, but it's a little too long for me to enjoy using it posted for longer writing sessions. I still find it usable even when posted. I use it unposted in general.
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (11)
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (10)
PROS & CONS
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (16)
OVERALL
Review Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen - Stub @Omas_Official (13)
I think this is a great pen. I love the yellow, although I know it won't appeal to everyone. That's ok. It also is available with many other nibs - 18KT gold in extra-fine, fine, medium, and broad, 14KT gold extra-flessible in extra-fine, fine, medium, and broad, along with stub and italic. It's a piston-filler, has a gold nib, an ebonite feed that you can heat set if necessary, is well made and well put together, has three stunning colour options, a large ink capacity, is very pretty and comfortable, and is priced reasonably based on what it's available with, I think.

My warning from the Ogiva Alba review, should you select an extra-flessible nib:
Just be gentle with the extra flessible nibs - don't treat it like a steel flexible nib. It's much softer and requires much less pressure to flex it fully.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Review: Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution

I'm always curious about flex pens with steel nibs, especially when they're affordable. Will it work? Will it be a pain? Let's find out.
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (8)
ABOUT

Body Material: Resin
Trim: Metal
Length (capped): 134.62 mm/5.3"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 128.0 mm/5.04"
Length (posted): 157.48 mm/6.20"
Barrel Diameter: 13.2 mm/0.52"
Section Diameter: 10.16 mm/0.4"
Nib material: Steel
Weight (all): 17 g
Fill type: Piston-filler
Price: $18.00USD ($3 extra for broad/flex/stub)
Where to buy: FPRevolution
FPRevolution
PACKAGING

None, just the way I like it.

APPEARANCE

The two models of the Jaipur I have are the same in design, and only differ in color. These are larger than the other FPR pens I have used (Dilli, Indus, Guru, Triveni Jr.), with a round body and a slightly rounded off end. The finial is raised to a point. The clip is attached externally by a thin metal ring. It starts wide and narrows towards the end, and ends in a drop shape. There is a metal band at the end of the cap, engraved with FPR. The section is round and ends in a slightly flared ridge.
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (14)
On the black pen, there is a large, clear ink window under the cap. Other than that, the cap, section, barrel, and piston-turning knob are all black On the clear/blue model, the top of the cap, the section, and the piston-turning knob are blue. The rest of the cap and barrel are clear, and the piston is also clear.
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (9)
Both pens have metal trim and the same types of nib, with ebonite feeds. They aren't too bad-looking, especially considering the price. They look put together well enough, and I have not noticed any weird edges or bits sticking out.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

Both nibs are two-toned #5.5 steel nib. The medium nib has a single slit and a round breather hole. It is engraved with some simple flourishes, FPR, and M. The flex nib has a long, single slit, and no breather hole. The nib is also engraved with some simple flourishes, FPR, and flex. There is no mistaking the two - they look different.
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (4)
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (3)
Both pens were flushed with soap and water before being inked. The medium nib writes well - somewhat toothy but not scratchy, and it is a reliable writer. It isn't very wet, but ink flow is more than adequate, and makes it convenient as a daily writer. Drying times were average. The medium nib is quite stiff, but with enough pressure, a little bit of line variation is possible. I experienced maybe one or two skips in a page, so I'd hardly call that skipping and was probably just a poor angle on my part, and it doesn't hard start. Overall, a very decent performer.
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (11)
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (12)
The flex nib is a heck of a lot of fun. Writing normally, it writes a very wet medium line. Wet. Drying times are pretty long because it is so wet, and when it is flexed, it's even inkier. Delicious.

The nib is quite soft for a steel nib, and it's relatively easy to achieve line variation compared to my Noodler's Ahab, which starts quite stiff and needs time and pressure to be flexed fully. This nib feels like it's already been broken in, and that's a good thing. If all the flex nibs are like this, that's going to be great and I think a lot of people will be pleased with their purchase. This nib is capable of some pretty decent line variation and the feed keeps up very well, during fast writing, and during flex writing. It railroads eventually, but it picks up quickly with a few taps on the page. It's a lot of fun to use. With such a wet writer, the ink drains pretty quickly, but I enjoy that. I love the feeling of using up a pen. (Not so much the cleaning of it.)

IN HAND

The metal clips are quite springy and easy to pull. They're not that easy to slide on to papers or into pouches without lifting the clip.

I don't like the section much. the threads aren't sharp and further up, I can feel the ridge halfway up the barrel where the cap sits when the pen is closed. It's visible and it's sharp. The end of the section by the nib is also blunt and sharp. It's not my favorite section, but if it means the flex nib will work, I'll take it, because it's not a pen I'll use for pages and pages of writing.
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (1)
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (2)
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (5)
Unposted, the pen is light and easy to use. The cap posts deeply and securely by friction, and this makes the pen well-balanced, comfortable, and it's a better length for both long and short writing sessions.
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (7)
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (6)
The piston, once in operation, is smooth, but during cleaning, the piston-turning knob gets slippery and it's hard to turn.

PROS & CONS
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (10)
Review Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur - Flex & M @FPRevolution (13)
OVERALL

Overall, this is really decent, especially considering the price. The medium is a solid, reliable writer, and the flex nib actually flexes. They're not ugly, they don't feel cheap or poorly made, and they perform well.

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.
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