One step up from the TWSBI Eco, the Diamond 580 series features metal parts where the Eco uses plastic but still remains a set of demonstrator pens with transparent bodies and a clear view of the ink inside. Standard versions of the 580 with clear caps and single-coloured sections and Read More …
Perfectly in line with the subdued, pastel nature of the pen I use it in, Robert Oster’s Cherry Blossom presents itself in a subdued, unassuming, muted manner. Larger areas of swabs and writing with wetter nibs can certainly produce a more saturated result, whereas my fine Eco nib preserves the Read More …
Based in Taiwan, TWSBI offers entry-level demonstrator pens for a slightly higher price than other manufacturers’ entry-level segments. Its Eco and Eco T lines, excluding special editions with rose gold adornments, cost between € 30.- and € 40.- and are available in a range of colours, both opaque and transparent. Read More …
The pens, inks and notebooks of Faber-Castell’s “Graf von Faber-Castell” line are premium products. This Olive Green ink is the most expensive in my collection, setting me back € 29.- for 75 ml of ink, a per-millilitre price of € 0.39. In exchange, I received a gorgeous desaturated ink with Read More …
Known for its entry-level Safari and Al-Star models, German-based Lamy is often mainly seen as a manufacturer of school supplies by its fellow Germans. Elsewhere, Lamy is loved by fountain pen users who value the unique shapes of their pens’ caps and clips and the handy ink window. To the Read More …
Pelikan’s 4001 range can be considered a bread-and-butter range of saturated inks in classic colours. The turquoise variant is very saturated with slight shading depending on the nib and paper used. In very wet pens and on sheen-prone paper, it can develop a slight violet sheen. In the x450’s medium Read More …
Based in China, Jinhao produces inexpensive pens that are easy to dismiss as cheap and undesirable. Personal biases against China—and there are myriad reasons to hold these biases—aside, Jinhao fountain pens are popular with beginners looking for an entry into the fountain pen hobby that doesn’t break the bank. While Read More …
