rOtring Espirit

I found the rOtring Espirit on Ebay. It was billed as extremely rare. So rare in fact that the auction was for two pens. While they are not rare (at least on Ebay) I am glad that I have two of them because this is a pen I'd love to share with other people.

This pen was part of new old stock and arrived to me well packaged and in it's original box. After a little challenge in unpacking I had the Espirit in hand. My only previous experience with rOtring has been the Newton which had some serious heft to it. The Espirit is so light as to almost feel like it wasn't there.

The body and grip section are all metal. It is very well constructed with all sections coming together seamlessly. Before removing the cap the pen itself seems very simple. Metal body that meets the cap after a chrome ring to make a smooth solid but light piece.

A chrome clip bearing the rOtring name with the signature red ring at the top. Nothing spectacular. Good. Simple. Practical.

Once you take the top down the party starts. The grip section is like a series of hills. Smooth and rolling away from the body and towards the nib. I was a little put off at first but once I held the pen in hand I found the surface to be very comfortable to hold. The ribbed grip section prevents my fingers sliding down while in extended writing circumstances. Bottom line....I like that it's ribbed for my pleasure.

The Espirit takes a cartridge and once loaded the ink flowed smoothly onto the page. There is a slight flex to the nib which allows for a very slight line variation. The nib is very smooth and having used it on everything from Rhodia to copy paper I find it smooth in all circumstances. There is not a lot of flash to this pen put it's a good daily work horse that I feel comfortable carting around with me.

One Star Leather Goods -- Park Sloper Senior

I remember realizing at some point in my youth that pulling wads of sand and sea tainted dollar bills out of my baggies at the pier arcade was not the best way to manage my currency. Around the age of ten or eleven I decided that it would be a good idea to take that wad of bills and invest in a wallet. My first wallet was made of nylon, folded three times, and sealed with the ever dignified and audibly satisfying velcro. That wallet served me well through my teen and college years.

Once I entered the adult world and began working in a professional environment I became aware of how silly it seemed to pull my corporate credit card out a wallet that loudly announced its presence with every opening. I left the nylon and velcro and switched to a front pocket billfold/cardholder type wallet which served me well for many years.

When I was first introduced to One Star Leather Goods my jaw hit the floor and I begun audibly drooling. The Park Sloper series of wallet/notebook covers were the exact thing I never new I needed. My wife was gracious enough to gift me the Parker Sloper Senior for my birthday last year and it has been a constant and well loved companion ever since.

The Park Sloper, Senior is a hand made with a pocket on the left for currency along with two horizontal credit card size pockets in which to keep all of your necessary cards. On the left is a sleeve that allows you to install your favorite pocket notebook. Currently I have mine loaded with a Doane Garage Series utility notebook. Along the side of the wallet is a loop that runs the length of the wallet, is sealed at one end, and has a cut out in the center. The loop is meant to hold a pen.

If you are the type of person who expects your things to stay in the exact condition they did the day you bought them then this is not a product for you. The beautiful thing about leather is that daily use gives it increasing personality. The way in which the Park Sloper Senior has worn has been wonderful. The nicks and grooves in the face speak to daily use as the the creases around the edges.  Each day brings something new to the wallet. The color, the texture and the flexibility of the material changes each day. Just as the allure with pocket notebooks is that they wear and gain personality with use the same is true with the Park Sloper Senior.

All of the products at One Star Leather Goods would make great gifts. I believe the Park Sloper series of wallet would be particularly advantageous for graduates who will be moving on to college or beyond.

J-Pana Fountain Pen

A few weeks ago I was at Village Fest in Palm Springs CA. My family and I were enjoying a walk through the street lined with people selling food, services, and art. As we were preparing to leave a table covered with acrylic and wood pens caught my eye. My wife gave me a knowing look, took the kids in search of ice cream, and left me to discover something new.

Looking over a table full of twist pens I settled my eyes on the small case that contained the fountain pens and settled on one in simpler chrome with a walnut body.

The pen in hand has a solid reassuring feel. Weighing in at 43g it is one of the heavier pens that I own. The cap twists off using threads at the front of the grip section. The grip section itself is the perfect length to not have my fingertips resting on the threads. 

Writing with the pen is smooth and easy. The pen uses a German nib that feels similar to a rOtring medium. Once loaded with a standard ink cartridge the ink flowed smoothly and evenly onto the page. I've had no sign of skipping or stalling. This is among the smoothest flowing pens that I own and has been perfect for use in re-teaching myself how to write in cursive.

As I mentioned before this is a heavy pen. The balance un-posted is perfect. I tend to write with my fingers firmly gripping the pen. With this pen it feels much more like an extension of my hand and not like something I have to hold on to.  The ink flow is smooth and effortless with very little feedback from the page.

The body of the pen is made from separate pieces of walnut that have been glued together and then turned and shaped. The satin finish applied the wood catches light wonderfully and brings out the grain of the wood.

If you're interested in finding similar pens you an visit the Wests at J-Pana.com. 

Zebra F-701

My first experience with Zebra steel was the F-301. It had a steel barrel and I thought it was sufficiently utilitarian enough to survive the rigors of my warehouse workplace. It wasn't long after buying it that I set it aside to languish in the junk drawer.

Fast forward a few years to a truck stop on the side of Highway 99. As I stretched my legs and walked through the convenience store I saw the Zebra F-701 hanging from a peg near spiral bound pocket memo pads and truckers log books. I pulled the pen from the peg and walked out pleased with my purchase but also a little wary that this might become a pen that would be quickly set aside just as its cousin had.

Out of the package I could feel the difference immediately. Where the F-301 had only been partially steel the entire body construction of the F-701 is steel. There is a nice heft to the pen without it being overly heavy. The bulk of the weight seems to be contained in the knurled grip. This gives the pen a nice balance. In hand the F-701 feels like a pen with a purpose.

I tend to shy away from click-type retractable pens. The tendency for these pens to rattle as they write drives me crazy so I generally don't give them a second thought. The F-701 is as solidly built as it appears. With the refill extended there is almost no hint of rattle. This is a pen that is made to survive a variety of working conditions.

The pen came pre-loaded with a 0.7 Zebra refill. The line it puts out feels a little closer to a 0.5. The ink flows smoothly on the page but can feel a little light. If being used on anything but a white paper the color and line might get swallowed by the background. I have read a few places that the pen can be modified to accept a Parker style refill. I've not yet tried that as it requires the removal of the tip guide from the pen. Once I make it through this refill I'll give it a try.

The F-701 has become an everyday carry for it resides quite comfortably in my One Star Leather Park Sloper, Senior. 

Papermate Flair M

There are pens that I love and lust after and there are pens that I have in my desk at work. The work pens are ordered in bulk and other than the ever present G2 usually don't have any type of notoriety. Given that I was surprised to notice the Papermate Flair M in my shirt pocket along side the Bolt and Tactile Turn Z.

Each time I would open my Bullet Journal and reach for my pen case I would stop mid motion and pick the Flair from the cup on my desk. I use a Leed notebook and the felt tip of the Flair just gives me the perfect experience for jotting quick notes and tasks with a clear dark line that doesn't bleed and fits my small print style perfectly.

White cap and felt tip.

The felt tip is smooth and consistent and for a M it delivers a clear and surprisingly small line. The archival nature of the ink means that what I put down will stay there.  The body is solid plastic but doesn't feel cheap or flimsy. I have no fear of the pen breaking as it gets jostled throughout a day. The only metal on the pen is the clip which seems solidly attached. I prefer as little adornment as possible on my pens so the clear Papermate Flair in white against the body is a minor irritation but at $11.00 a dozen I can't be too picky.

One thing that I have not enjoyed about this pen is writing long term with it. Anything more than a few lines and the feedback from the porous pen grates on my nerves. Also, if you're a cursive writer this does not slide smoothly across the page.

Papermate Flair

While this would not be a go to pen for me in all situations it has found a very specific place in my aresenal. Good thing I've got a box of them on stand by.

Sheaffer VFM

When looking over my fountain pen collection I am leaning heavily towards the affordable/starter fountain pen category. With a few exceptions most of my fountain pens are in the $25 or less category. I've done this on purpose to try and learn what it is I really like in a fountain pen. 

The Sheaffer VFM is a solid starter fountain pen. I picked it up a little before Christmas time at my local art supply store. The pen comes in a variety of colors. I chose the matte black because I like to believe that I'm a professional.

The packaging is nice for the price point of this pen. It comes with two international short cartridges loaded with black ink. After putting the provided cartridge in the pen was ready to write almost instantaneously. After putting pages of writing through the nib I found that the only issues to writing was when making right to left strokes like starting a 2 or a 7. Other than that the pen has been performing very well. For a Medium nib the line is on the finer side and I'm glad that I didn't go with a Fine. I fear that the fine would have been to sharp.

The VFM is a tapered design both at cap and tail with the ends rounded. The pen is covered in a matte finish that is smooth and comfortable to the touch. The silver clip is solidly attached and feels secure. I'm not a fan of the white dot at the top of the clip and would prefer the clip to be solid without adornment. There is a silver ring where the body meets the cap that has the Sheaffer name stamped into. This small feature I do like and think it would be all the decoration this pen needed.

The cap sits solidly and has a satisfying click when pushed closed. Removing the cap reveals my least favorite aesthetic of the pen. The nib section is made of a cheap looking black plastic. The plastic feels cheap in hand and when writing I never feel I can get a truly comfortable grip on the pen.

Capped the VFM comes in at 5.25 inches. In general I prefer to write with the cap un-posted and at 4.75 inches this is almost to short for me to write comfortably with. If I were to write with the cap posted the cap doesn't sit solidly on the tail and as I write I can feel it come lose and add a wobble to the pen.

On a scale of 1-10 I would put the Sheaffer VFM as a solid 7. As a starter fountain pen I would definitely recommend this. Especially to someone in middle or high school whose smaller hand size would suit this pen perfectly.

Cross Century Classic - Chrome

When I was in college I worked a part time job for a billion dollar company. One day while rifling through a drawer, in search of something to write with, my fingers found a small piece of metal in the back out of sight. Wrapping my hand around the metal I pulled it into a light. What I had found was a small silver pen. On the clip was a small shield emblazoned with the insignia of the company I worked for. I twisted the barrel to extend the tip of the pen and I began to write. I was surprised and delighted by what I was experiencing. The pen was aesthetically pleasing. It felt good in my hand and delivered a pleasant writing experience. This was the first time I had written with something that hadn't come out of a blister pack or the community pen cup in a classroom. I didn't put the pen back in its place and I guarded it with all the tenacity of mother bear.

This new pen and I had become inseparable. For the better part of a year not a thought made itself from my mind to the page without passing through this pen. I learned that I could buy refills. I could potentially have this pen for the rest of my life. Then, one day the clip broke. I had reached for my pen and found it missing. In a panic I clawed at my chest and was fortunate to find the clip gone but the pen resting comfortably at the bottom of the pocket. I guarded it even more fiercely than before. After each use I would ensure that the pen found its way back in to a secure location within my bag. During my last final of my last semester of my senior year of college I reached into my bag to retrieve my faithful companion only to find it missing. I dug through the pockets. I emptied the contents of my bag. I frisked my self with the fervor of a new police recruit and I found nothing. Checking the time I realized I could just make it across campus to the room where I'd last remembered using the pen. I sped off found the room empty and crawled upon to floor. It was gone. My Cross Century Classic was gone. I Charlie Brown walked my way back across campus and took my last final with whatever pen I could find.

Why do I tell this story? It was this experience, with this pen that ignited my interest in finding the perfect pen for me. I have always had an interest in pens, pencils and paper. However, it wasn't until the Cross Century Classic entered my life that I realized I didn't have to settle for a Bic or a pen given away at the local bank. The Cross gave me something that I liked to look at and that I felt good using to write with every day. It was for this reason that a few months ago I made the move to replace the pen that started it all and I purchased a new Cross Century Classic.  

Fast forward 15 years and I found myself on Amazon looking for a Cross Century Classic. Through the magic of the internet I found myself once again in possession of a pen that I had at one time thought never to hold again.

I was initially very surprised by how nice the packaging was. The pen itself is not overly expensive and I have received far more expensive pens in far less protective housings. Out of the box the the Cross comes loaded with a medium ballpoint. I did run into a few issues with the ink globbing on the tip and leaving a less than clean line.

Cross Medium Refill

I had selected the chrome finish and found the shine and polish very clean. There are groups of 3 tight lines grouped at intervals around the slender body of the pen. This is where I started to really fall out of love with my memory. The lower section and the upper section of the pen don't match. The groupings of the lines are evenly spaced around the pen on the lower section but the upper section has one gap in the design. What is even more troubling to me is that when the time is extended by twisting the body the lines don't match up and they are just slightly off when the pen is retracted.

This shouldn't bother me as much as it does but I've learned that the little details just slightly off can really ruin an experience.

The lines down the barrel don't match up.

My biggest complaint, and the one that will keep the pen in the box, is with its size. It is a VERY slender pen. Even just writing for a short time with it had my hand cramping. What surprises me is that this pen used to be my every day all day pen. I would take notes through all of my classes and fill blue books with essays during finals.

Side by side with the EiMIM Z for comparison. The Cross is too slim to write with comfortably.

Tactile Turn Z

Will Hodges, the man behind the Kickstarter for the Tactile Turn X, Y, and Z pulled off a Christmas miracle and delivered my EiMIM Z on Christmas Eve.

This is the first Kickstarter project pens that I've received. (Yes, I've backed many more).

This pen is beautiful. I opted for the machined aluminium. Out of the package it seemed to be a rod of solid metal with a clip at one end. The pen had been billed as seamless and it truly appears to be that way. A quick and easy turn at the front revealed the tip (a Pilot G2 .38mm refill).

The surface of the pen is ribbed along the entire body giving the pen a great texture and solid hold. My initial fear was that after a long period of writing I would feel that the pen was digging in to my hand. After a few days and a lot of writing I never once felt like the pen was doing this. Overall I think the biggest advantage of the machined body is that it feels secure in the hand. It never felt as though it were slipping and I don't think I ever had to adjust my grip due to my fingers slipping.

As I've already mentioned the Tactile Turn Z came pre-loaded with a Pilot G2 .38mm. My intial feeling was that the point was too fine for the size of the pen. With no taper to the body at all I initially felt as if I were stabbing at the paper and had little control over so fine a point. I've since adjusted and no longer feel this way. Still, when I run through this refill I will exchange it for a wider tip.

To change the refill the top of the pen unscrews easily and the titanium clip can be removed as well. The top will screw back on without the clip. Unlike the cap, when the top is screwed down without the clip there is a visible seam. 

The cap is very short and writing posted or un-posted makes little difference. There is a bit of fun with the cap. To keep the seamless design the cap posts with the help of magnets. The magnet is strong enough to keep the cap in place when writing and has the added bonus of keeping me entertained while sitting through conference calls. 

Will has also has an optional magnetic stand for desktop storage and display. For more information you can check his Kickstarter page or tactileturn.com. If interested Will is also offering a 25% discount on his website through 1/31/2014. Coupon Code 25off.

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Rotring Newton Matte Silver Fountain Pen, Medium Nib

After witnessing an endless parade of all things rOtring from Mike Dudek at clickypost I began scanning my own horizon for a rOtring. With relative ease I discovered the rOtring Newton Fountain Pen. It is no longer in production but was easy to discover on ebay and at ipenstore.

The pen I purchased was part of a bulk purchase of new old merchandise so I didn't receive the pen in a rOtring packaging.  Out of the envelope I was impressed with the weight of the pen. From what I can discern the main barrel and cap are metal with the grip being black plastic.  The hexagonal barrel in matte silver is nice to look at especially contrasted with the silvered end pieces at both ends when capped. The rOtring red ring is present on the cap.

In the hand the pen is perfectly weighted un-posted. Posted it feels like it is pulling away from the page as I write. In general I prefer to write with my pens un-posted so my opinion on the weight may be biased.

Out of the box the pen came with a small international blue refill which I used immediately. This is the point in which disappointment set in. Hard starts. If I lifted the pen for more than a few moments it would have issues starting up again. Still, I like the look and the feel of the pen so I kept at it. I've now been through one cartridge and the starting problems continued. When the ink is flowing and I keep the pen moving it writes with a steady thick line with no white space. 

After going through the first cartridge I thought about hanging it up but then decided to try a different ink. I syringe filled an empty cartridge with Private Reserve Ebony Blue and put the nib back to the page. I noticed an immediate improvement. The ink did not completely eliminate the hard starts but they are far less frequent.

I've been carrying this pen every day for the last three weeks. The hard starts have not been enough to deter me from the way the pen feels overall. I enjoy writing with it and overall it's positives outweigh the one negative.

For another great review on this pen head over to No Pen Intended.