Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Reads: February 8. 2015

• The Pen Company "Pimp My Pen" Competition! Come on. Who doesn't want to do this?
• How to clean your Nock Co. case!
• Our very own Ed Jelley writes about why you should EDC a notebook, over at EverydayCarry.
• Lypen on Kickstarter.

• Pen Rest on Kickstarter.

• CursiveLogic on Kickstarter - learn cursive in four easy lessons.

In Case You Missed It:

• Serious Nibbage Part 23: Pelikan Tradition M200
• The Pen O'Clock News: Episode 4
• Le Typographe Pocket Shopping List
• Ink Show Review: Noodler's Blue Steel Ink
• Ink Shot Review: ESS Regsistrars' Blue-Black Ink
• J. Herbin Refillable Rollerball Pen
• Serious Nibbage Part 22: Levenger True Writer Kyoto
• Manuscript Master Italic Calligraphy Pen - 1.1 mm

---

Serious Nibbage Part 22: Levenger True Writer Kyoto @Levenger @sbrebrown

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!

@Massdrop Deals @Levenger @PentelofAmerica @Moleskine @Lamy @LamyUSA

Levenger Bomber Jacket Pen Wrap

---

Pentel Graph Gear 800 Drafting Pencil (4-Pack)

---

Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook (3-Pack)

---

Pentel Slicci Metallic Gel Pens (2x8 Pack)

---

Lamy Studio Shiny Platinum Fountain Pen

---

J. Herbin Rocker Blotter Bundle

---

@Massdrop Deals @Levenger @LAMY @LamyUSA @PilotPenUSA @Moleskine

Levenger True Writer Fountain Pen

---

Moleskine Volant Notebook Bundle

---

Lamy Tri Pen

---

Pilot FriXion LX Erasable Gel Pen

---

The Beta Inkless Pen

---

Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel Fountain Pen

---

Review: @Levenger True Writer Silver Anniversary Fountain Pen - Medium @SteveLeveen

Created to commemorate the silver anniversary of Levenger, this True Writer fountain pen is a study in metallic radiance, with the trademark design, weight and balance that have kept True Writer a much-loved writing brand.

ABOUT

Body Material: Brass & gunmetal finish
Trim: Chrome
Length (capped): 5.4"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 4.9"
Length (posted): 6.0"
Barrel Diameter: 0.5"
Section Diameter: 0.4"
Nib material: Steel
Weight: 36g/1.3 oz
Fill type: Cartridge/converter
Price: $99.00USD
Where to buy: Levenger

PACKAGING

Like my other Levenger pens, the True Writer Kyoto, and the L-Tech, this fountain pen was packaged in a cardboard sleeve, with a green Levenger box inside. The hard Levenger box opens up to reveal a felt bed with the pen held down by a soft strap, along with a cartridge and a converter. I like that both are included - something I would hope for and expect at this price point, but I also appreciate that Levenger provides both nevertheless. The box is nice but I do not keep Levenger packaging due to limited space. Standards are high!

APPEARANCE

The True Writer Silver Anniversary fountain pen is shiny and very pretty. This is a good sized pen. The cap has a chrome dome at the end and a chrome clip. The clip is simple and tasteful. The center bend is also chrome and has Levenger/True Writer written on it in elegant fonts. The barrel pattern matches the cap - the gunmetal finish etched with an undulating pattern - and is contrasted by a small black plastic section. The end of the barrel has a rounded chrome dome to match the cap.

Capped, the pen has a very sleek and attractive appearance. Uncapped, the black section provides nice contrast to the gunmetal body. This is not a bad looking pen at all.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib, like all Levenger nibs, is fairly simple in appearance and I think it's nice. This nib required no adjustment prior to use. Something to note is within the box, there was a fountain pen care card that suggest flushing the pen before inking. I decided to listen to their suggestion in order to make the review fair.

Like I said, the nib required no adjusting and other than flushing, there was no preparation. This is a true medium and performance is exceptional - smooth, wet, consistent. I love it.

It is possible to squeeze out some line variation but usually it results in needing to readjust the tines (which is quite easy to do). It's interesting that this steel nib can handle the line variation though.

IN HAND

As this pen has a brass body, it's not a very light pen. For me, it's comfortable to write with unposted and it has good weight and balance that way. Once posted, it becomes quite top heavy for my hand. A larger hand would probably not have an issue with this.The section is quite small but the threads are smooth so even if you hold your pen a little higher, the threads won't bother you (unless you have a death grip, which you shouldn't need with a fountain pen!).

The body itself is lovely to hold - very smooth and the finish warms to the touch. I really like it.

PROS

• Very attractive finish. 
• Solid pen.
• Posts securely.
• Very comfortable to hold and write with unposted. 
• Exchangeable nib unit.

CONS
 
None. I'm a big fan of this pen.

OVERALL

This True Writer is quite attractive with its gorgeous gunmetal finish, and it has a great feel and weight to it. It performed very well in all my writing samples and in daily use. I am most pleased with it. This is my third Levenger pen (see also the L-Tech and the True Writer Kyoto). I have heard of others having nib issues but this is three for three now - no issues here. And Levenger has some pretty awesome customer service. Highly recommended.

This gorgeous fountain pen was sent to me by Levenger for reviewing purposes. I was not compensated monetarily, and all opinions you have read here are 100% my own, I promise. Swear on Tyco's life.

Pile of Fountain Pens

Sometimes this is how my fountain pens hang out. Please don't judge me.

@Levenger Giveaway at FPGeeks

Head over to FPGeeks and drop your entries in via the SUPER DUPER EASY Rafflecopter to try and win a Levenger Shiraz Decathlon fountain pen!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO FPGEEKS!

Review: Levenger True Writer Kyoto Fountain Pen - Broad

I've had my disturbed, fountain pen-obsessed eyeball on this gorgeous pen for awhile now. I am ever so lucky that Levenger generously sent me this beauty to review. Thank you kindly, Levenger, for this opportunity!

ABOUT

Brand: Levenger
Model: Kyoto
Body Material:
Trim: Chrome
Length (capped): 5.45"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 4.85"
Length (posted): 6.25"
Barrel Diameter: 0.5"
Section Diameter: 0.4"
Nib type: German
Nib material: Steel
Weight: 26g/0.9 oz
Barrel design: Round
Fill type: Cartridge/converter
Price: $79.00USD
Where to buy: Levenger

PACKAGING

Levenger pens are nicely packaged. They arrive in a cardboard sleeve, with a green Levenger box inside. The hard Levenger box opens up to reveal a felt bed with the pen held down by a soft strap, along with a cartridge and a converter. I like that both are included - something I would hope for and expect at this price point, but I also appreciate that Levenger provides both nevertheless. However, while I think the box is nice enough, space is limited in my work area so I won't be keeping it.

APPEARANCE

The Levenger True Writer shares the same style and shape of body with the other True Writers. It is a fairly simple design - just a regular body with a threaded cap, friction post, a clip, and a metal center band. Where it pops is its incredible material. The resin is a multicolored dream - with a yellow/orange/brown base, and flecks of gorgeous blue and violets along the body, it's some sort of eye candy. Or just candy. It's almost hard to describe and it's even harder to capture in photographs properly.

Sorry for the shadows and generally bad photography - I was trying to capture the colors and flecks.

The center band is engraved with Levenger, and True Writer appears to be screened. It's a nice touch, and is not over the top, nor does it look cheap. The only thing I do not like is where the center band is placed on the cap. It's not actually at the end of the cap, which would give the appearance of splitting the pen up at the cap and barrel. Instead, it's slightly higher up on the cap, so there is some more resin below it. It is visually confusing and makes the cap appear shorter than it actually is. Minor detail though.

Note the location of the center band.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The Levenger nib is not the most beautiful to look at; it is rather plain and simple. The steel nib is simple and has a few lines on it, basically. The broad nib is delicious though. Yes, I used the word delicious. I can easily ignore the plain appearance of the nib because I simply love the writing experience with this juicy broad nib.

The nib is a wet writer, and it's good and juicy. Ink flow is consistent and keeps up with the broad nib's demands. The lines are thick and inky. While writing, you can see the ink gleaming until it dries. I really, really like this broad nib, and I'm glad I took a chance and opted to go broad instead of picking my usual fine or medium.

In terms of line variation, keep in mind it is a stiff nib, even though it's so juicy. With pressure, line variation can certainly be achieved. Given the nib is so juicy, ink flow does keep up. It's definitely not a flex nib though, so don't expect it to be one. You can't write with the amount of pressure needed to get much line variation.

IN HAND

The True Writer Kyoto is a lovely pen to hold. It is not too heavy, and it is a perfect length, both uncapped and posted. The cap is not very heavy so when it is posted, the weight and balance does not shift too much towards the back of the pen (something I hate), so it is quite comfortable to write with.

The nib is so smooth and little pressure is required to get the ink flowing, therefore it's just easy to write with this pen. No effort is involved - you don't have to grip the pen tightly, you don't have to press hard on the paper or tap the nib to get it going. It's just simple and straight forward. That combined with the weight and balance makes the whole experience pretty darned awesome.

PROS

• Stunning to look at! Beautiful appearance!
• Smooth, buttery nib.
• No hard starts.
• Lovely, consistent broad lines. 
• Very comfortable pen to hold and write with.
• Great weight and balance to the pen. 
• Functional, snug clip.

CONS

• Sometimes difficult to cap because threads are tight - just requires some effort. This is improving as the pen gets broken in.  
• Location of center band is aesthetically wrong to me, by a few millimeters. 

OVERALL

I have read the one star reviews on Levenger's site for this pen and it boggles my mind how people have so many issues with this pen. Maybe they got defective pens, in which case I am certain Levenger would have replaced it - as any good company with proper customer service would do. I did not have any of these issues that people are writing about - no nib breakage, no splatter, no skipping from lack of ink, no hard starting. Nothing of the sort. I have received nothing short of a pleasant, smooth, delectable writing experience. I did not tweak this pen to achieve these results, and given Levenger's guarantee, I feel it is safe to recommend this pen to you, not only for its beauty, but for the writing experience as well.

The Kyoto body is also available in a ballpoint and roller ball, if fountain pens aren't your thang.

Other Kyoto Reviews
Does This Pen Make Me Look Fat?
From The Pen Cup

This gorgeous fountain pen was sent to me by Levenger for reviewing purposes. I was not compensated monetarily, and all opinions you have read here are 100% my own, I promise. Swear on Tyco's life.

Mailbox Goodies: Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Pens?

I lied. There are pens. And oranges have nothing to do with it. In addition to the TWSBI Diamond 580, which is equipped with a 1.5 mm stub nib, the Levenger True Writer Kyoto has a broad nib, and the Faber-Castell Pearwood has a fine nib. Lovely pens that I look forward to reviewing.

I also acquired some other paper goodies at Anderson Pens, as well as a bunch of mesh that I had already put away and was far too lazy to reacquire. I know you just want to see the pen anyway.

The awesome notecards on the right belong to Kevin. But I'm going to steal one or two because they're pretty awesome.

And not to be outdone, stickers are also here, to prove they are just as awesome as pens. And they are, especially when they are extra special unique stickers from overseas that are one of a kind (hence unique) and have animals on them. Thank you Storm!! It's no surprise I love these!

Levenger Product Review: L-Tech Fountain Pen - Medium

The Levenger L-Tech fountain pen is the first fountain pen I've used that is made by Levenger. As such, I obviously don't have a wide range of experience with different Levenger pens and nibs, so please take my review with a grain of salt.

Levenger says the L-Tech fountain pen puts the tangible pleasure of a well-crafted precision tool in your hand. I couldn't agree more! At first glance, this fountain pen very much resembles a drafting type utensil that an engineer or architect would use.The pictures on Levenger's site does not do this pen justice. It looks way cooler in person.

Nice soft bed and strap

Brand: Levenger
Model: L-Tech
Body Material: Brass barrel with metallic finish
Trim: Metal
Length (capped): 5.39"
Length (posted): 6.65"
Diameter (body): 0.5"
Diameter (grip): 0.39"
Nib type: Medium
Nib material: Stainless steel
Weight: 1.7 oz/47 g (with ink)
Barrel design: Faceted
Fill type: Cartridge/converter (comes with pen)

Packaging

I liked the simple but pretty packaging of the L-Tech fountain pen. The box is very tasteful and attractive. Of course, it arrived in several different boxes before I actually made it to the real packaging... The only disappointment there being it was a waste of materials. I think for the price point of the pen ($79.00), the packaging it came in was appropriate and fair. I have more expensive fountain pens that came in lesser packaging.

Pamphlet with information how to insert cartridge or converter.

The converter has Levenger written on it. It is quite functional and simple. 

Appearance & Build

The L-Tech has 7 facets on the body and a matching cap - all of which line up when either capped or capped. This was very pleasing to my OCD side. The clip is well integrated into the cap, and is color-matched. The clip also has Levenger written on it, quite tastefully. It's the only part of the pen that has a marking.

Capped.

Posted.

Underside of clip.

The substantial weight to this pen no doubt comes from the brass body. As it has a metallic silver finish, you wouldn't even think twice about the body until you pick the pen up and realize how heavy it is. Surprisingly, I was able to write comfortably with it, despite its weight. The only time it became uncomfortable to write with was when I posted it - it was too top-heavy, given how low I hold my pens when I write. If you have large hands, I don't foresee this being a huge problem for you.

The construction is solid. There were no visible flaws on the pen and all the small details (such as the threading and knurled grip) were clean and well made. Speaking of threads, removing the cap is quick and easy - just a short turn. I love this feature. I like the snugness and security of a threaded cap but I hate having to turn a cap many times to remove it or replace it.

I do have concerns about the finish and how long it will last. With proper care, I imagine it will be okay, but it is inevitable that at some point it may be dinged by something. Or maybe it won't show marks! We will see.

Top to bottom: Levenger L-Tech fountain pen, Graf-Von Faber Castell Anello Titanium, Lamy Studio, Pelikan M1005 Demonstrator.

Nib

The nib is not really anything outstanding to look at, but I wasn't expecting it to be. It is a medium nib which I think is a true medium. It says Levenger on it, as well as "Medium Germany" in itty bitty writing. At least... I think it says Germany...

Top to bottom: Levenger L-Tech fountain pen, Graf-Von Faber Castell Anello Titanium, Lamy Studio, Pelikan M1005 Demonstrator.

I popped in the Levenger ink cartridge that came with the pen without any sort of "priming" - no washing or anything. I was impressed that the pen wrote right away. However, I did find the cartridge to be a little on the dry side and a few times while writing, I had to shake some ink down into the feed. Once I did that, the pen wrote comfortably and consistently. No skipping and not scratchy. I did like the response from the nib - but it is not a flexible nib. After a paragraph of writing, the ink petered out again and I had to shake it through the feed, in which it resumed writing nicely. Given that once the ink hits the nib, it writes well, I'm guessing this is a cartridge issue and I suspect the pen will write better with a converter (supplied with pen).

Update: Problem solved. A simple rinse with water and a tiny bit of dish soap has cleared up the issue. Writes like a charm!

 Medium, no flex steel nib.

Sheila asked in her comment if the nib is swappable with the Levenger True Writers, and indeed they are!

Writing 

I was surprised how pleasant it was to write with this pen. It's the first Levenger fountain pen I've ever used, and based on its size and weight, I guess I was expecting some sort of tank. Alas, no! Once the ink reached the nib, I found my cursive just came naturally with this pen. Eventually the ink petered out and I had to shake some through the feed, but once I did that, it flowed nicely. I could not write with the cap posted, it was just too heavy and threw off my uniformed writing.

I may have rambled uselessly, but you get the picture.

Update: I will flush the pen and re-ink it. I just wanted to give a first impression of the nib and writing without having to do anything to it. A first-time fountain pen user might not consider or know about flushing a pen before using it. (Thank you Sheila for mentioning this in your comment!)

Price
Levenger - $79.00

Overall
I was overall impressed with the Levenger L-Tech fountain pen. All my expectations of Levenger quality was riding on this pen. I think this fountain pen is well-made, very solid, writes fairly well, and it looks good. It's not badly priced either, given its construction, and that you receive a converter with it. I would recommend this fountain pen on this basis, though I do warn you it's a heavy pen.

If fountain pens aren't your thing, the L-Tech is also available in a rollerball, ballpoint, and pencil as well!

Disclaimer: I was provided this fountain pen free of charge for the purposes of my review by Levenger. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions remain my own.