Gourmet Pens: Sheaffer

Showing posts with label Sheaffer. Show all posts

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Review: Sheaffer Pop Glossy Lime Fountain Pen @GoldspotPens

Thanks to Goldspot Pens for sending this cute little Sheaffer Pop fountain pen for review!

Review Sheaffer Pop Glossy Lime Fountain Pen @GoldspotPens 13

ABOUT

Body material: Resin
Trim: Metal
Cap: Snap on
Posts: Yes, snap on
Nib material: Steel
Filling system: Sheaffer proprietary cartridge/converter
Length (capped): 127.57 mm/5.02"
Length (uncapped): 120.95 mm/4.76"
Length (posted): 165.59 mm/6.52"
Length (section): 25.52 mm/1.01"
Diameter (barrel): 12.96 - 13.20 mm/0.51" - 0.52"
Diameter (section): 9.04 - 9.93 mm/0.36" - 0.39"
Weight (all): 17 g
Weight (cap): 12 g
Weight (body): 5 g
Price: $19.99USD
Where to buy: Goldspot Pens

PACKAGING

The Sheaffer Pop is presented in a slim black box with a black cardboard sleeve. The top of the box has the Sheaffer logo on it and it is printed with "Sheaffer Pen & Art Supply Co". The inside has a white felt bed that holds the pen and two ink cartridges, a user and care guide, and a warranty. It's not an outstanding presentation but it's more than I expected from a $20 pen.

Review Sheaffer Pop Glossy Lime Fountain Pen @GoldspotPens 2

APPEARANCE

The Sheaffer Pop in Glossy Lime is a cute, bright, fun pen. It has a round cap and barrel, and blunt, flat ends. The finial is flat with a black top engraved with Sheaffer. The clip is attached externally to a metal lip. It is a classic Sheaffer-style clip with the white dot and split in the middle. The back of the barrel has a metal top for posting the cap.

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The section steps down from the barrel and has a slightly pinched shape. It has a rubber sleeve around it, which looks tidy against the lime of the body. Let's talk about that lime, shall we? The cap and barrel are a glossy lime green resin. I like how it looks new and it still looks good months later, even with use and carrying it around without a case or sleeve. The metal trim looks a little clunky, rippled, and cheap, but there is not much of it to worry about.

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Overall, it's a cute pen for $20 if the shape and colors appeal to you. I don't often look at modern Sheaffers but the Pop series got my attention with their Star Wars line up!

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib is a steel medium. It has a single slit, a round breather hole, and is engraved with Sheaffer and M for the nib size. The nib performs well. It is a smooth, reliable writer - not surprisingly - that does not skip or hard start. It is not super wet and drying times are pretty fast. It is firm nib that offers very little line variation. I think it's a solid performer and would be great for new users, experienced users, and kids. For $20, the writing experience is pleasant and worth it.

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The pen comes with two Sheaffer ink cartridges and for a beginner, popping in an ink cartridge is certainly easier than figuring out a converter and ink bottle. Convenient, too!

IN HAND

The clip is springy and can be used one-handed. It can also slide on and off pockets, papers, and pouches.

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Top to bottom: Sheaffer Pop, Pelikan M800, Sailor 1911 Large, Lamy LX.

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The section is comfortable and the rubbery texture aids in gripping the pen. It's great for new users again - it makes holding the pen easy. Unfortunately, the rubber sleeve is not secured in place so it feels loose. When unscrewing the barrel, you have to squeeze the section tightly so you won't just end up spinning the sleeve. The sleeve does not rotate while writing, fortunately.

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Unposted, the pen is quite light but I find it comfortable to use, especially for longer writing sessions. The cap posts with a light click but I find the pen too long when posted. It also looks too blocky to suit my tastes. If you prefer heavy, solid pens, steer clear.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

An excellent starter pen at a fair, approachable price. $20 and you get a cute, fun pen that will write until you lose it. It won't quit on you before that. Decent nib, easy to use, comfortable. The only real issue is the rubber section sleeve, but that does not affect writing performance. I think it's a nice pen. Not my favorite because I prefer juicier, softer, broader nibs, but it's a reliable writer.

I received this item 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.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Field Trip: @AppelboomLaren Pen Store Opening!

On the evening of Thursday, April 21st, 2016, Appelboom in Laren held the opening of their new pen store! Joost Appelboom kindly extended an invitation to us to be there, so of course we made our way over for the first time. Not only is Laren a beautiful place, it was a gorgeous day. No rain - hooray!

I hope you will enjoy the video and pictures, which I tried to keep to a minimum so as not to overwhelm you :)

It's quite spacious, and very well lit, so you can eye all the glittery pens in their properly, well-lit glory. There will be more things filling up the spaces, but this is everything as of the opening day. Joost worked really hard to set all this up, and it looks really great. Very classy and clean, and of course, the web shop is always open!

In addition to a great pen store opening, there were some fun folks to meet - distributors, Fountain Pen Network Owner (Wim!), other pen store owners (Alexander from de Roos from Heemstede), and other fountain pen lovers. Pictured below: all the FPN exclusive models, except for the Conid, which is off camera.

I finally got to see and touch the Montblanc Heritage Rouge & Noir Collection in person. Along with other things, but I really like the coral.

Find Appelboom: Store | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Sunday Reads: December 14. 2014

It was a busy week here no the blog so I decided to take yesterday off to do a whole lot of nothing! Okay. That's not entirely true. I went to P.W Akkerman in The Hague just to look. I swear. But then it turned into a purchase. I was thinking about this purchase for awhile, so it wasn't entirely an impulse buy. I just wasn't sure I wanted it based on the pen's appearance from pictures online. When I saw it in person, I was completely convinced. I still spent about an hour trying all sorts of pens though. Anyway. What pen is it? Soon to come... In the meantime... It was Serious Nibbage Week!

In Case You Missed It:

Pilot Pen has offered readers a 10% discount on the purchase of any Vanishing Point product at Pilot! Promotion valid until December 25th. Use code GourmetTen - feel free to share!

You can get 10% off at Pen Chalet until the end of the year on your purchases! (Not an affiliate link!)

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Serious Nibbage Part 15: Sheaffer Legacy Heritage @Sheaffer_Page

SBRE Brown and I discuss the Sheaffer Legacy Heritage fountain pen. A huge thank you to Sheaffer for sending this pen to us!

Check out my review of the Sheaffer Legacy Heritage fountain pen.
Check out SBRE Brown's review of the Sheaffer Legacy Heritage fountain pen.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Review: Sheaffer Legacy Heritage Black/Palladium Fountain Pen - Broad @ThePenCompany @Sheaffer_Page

A huge thank you to Sheaffer for sending this Legacy Heritage over for review!

ABOUT

Body Material: Lacquer
Trim: Palladium + Gold
Length (capped): 137.8 mm/5.42"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 120.1 mm/4.72"
Length (posted): 147.0 mm/5.78"
Barrel Diameter: 8.3 - 12.1 mm/0.33" - 0.47"
Section Diameter: 8.9 - 12.0 mm/0.35" - 0.47"
Nib material: 18K Gold
Weight (all): 38 g
Weight (cap): 12 g
Weight (body): 26 g
Fill type: Converter
Price: £215.00 (€ 271,11) - Currently price matched to meet a competitor's offer
Where to buy: The Pen Company

PACKAGING

The Sheaffer Legacy Heritage's packaging was not exactly thrilling, but it is good enough to keep the pen safe. It's a simple clam shell black cardboard box with a silver rim on the top, and on two sides around the opening. The top is marked with the Sheaffer logo in the bottom right hand corner. Inside is a removable beige felt bed that holds the pen, in a plastic sleeve. Underneath is two cartridges - in blue and black - and the warranty/care guide booklet.

It's very basic, straightforward packaging. Often you get more "pretty" packaging at this price point, but I don't mind it as I rarely keep my boxes anyway.

APPEARANCE

This definitely says Sheaffer. This model has a black lacquer barrel with palladium cap and 22KT gold trim - a combination that always makes me think of Sheaffer. The pen is larger than I thought it would be - wider at the middle, and tapering towards the ends. the back end is a slightly rounded blunt end and the cap end is the same. The barrel is shiny black, and well-polished. It extends all the way to the nib and is only interrupted at the center with a gold band where the cap clicks on.

The cap is palladium with a gold clip, and a wide gold center band, both marked Sheaffer. The finial is just smooth and shiny. The top of the clip has Sheaffer's white dot - you cannot miss this as a Sheaffer! The clip's appearance suits the pen very well, extending halfway down the cap. It's just straight and squared off, matching the slightly rounded flat ends well.

I think the nib is beautiful and it looks great on this model. The nib is marked Sheaffer and has the gold details on it. The end of the section has B marked on it, on the underside of the pen. The section tapers towards the nib gradually and is flush with the nib.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The 18KT yellow gold nib is inlaid, spreading in a triangle up most of the section. The broad nib is very pleasant. I did not flush the pen and inked it immediately with Diamine Merlot. The nib wrote as soon as it hit the paper! Ink flow was good and quite wet, and the nib is smooth, soft, and springy. I have not experienced any skipping or hard starts, which makes me thoroughly pleased. It performed very well on a variety of papers.

Despite the nib's springiness, the ink flow cannot keep up if too much pressure is applied. This isn't unusual - it works perfectly well with normal pressure.

IN HAND

The clip is spring-loaded and is very functional and practical. I really like it. The section is very comfortable to use, even though there is no designated area for your fingers. It works so well for me because, unposted, the pen has a very comfortable length, weight, and balance. The barrel feels fairly solid and heavy, but the balance keeps it right in place. As such, the section fits in perfectly. It posts deeply, securely, and is still comfortable, but it becomes top heavy for me.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

Having used the Sheaffer Sagaris, Taranis, Prelude (new and old), and Valor, I find I prefer the nib of on the Legacy Heritage, and I like the elegant, classic design. It feels so good in hand, and it writes very well. If inlaid nibs do not appeal to you, steer clear. Keep in mind your fingers will end up touching the nib because of the design. For me, I very much enjoy the pen and nib. There are several other finishes to choose from as well, if this one doesn't suit your fancy!

I received this item 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.