Review: @EdisonPenCo Menlo Acrylic & Ebonite - Broad & 1.1mm Steel

When I think of Edison Pens, I think of porn. Wait. This sounds wrong. Let me rephrase that. Brian's pens are so stunning and pretty that it really is pen porn and eye candy. Okay, that sounds better, right? I borrowed these pens from SBRE Brown to review; check out his review here.

ABOUT

Body Material: Acrylic and Ebonite
Trim: Chrome and Gold (respectively)
Length (capped): 5.75"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 5.37"
Length (posted): 6.41"
Barrel Diameter: 0.51"
Section Diameter: 0.2"
Nib material: Steel or 18K gold (respectively)
Weight: 21 g
Fill type: Pump
Price: $350USD with steel nib, $450USD with 18K gold nib (respectively)
Where to buy: Edison Pen Co

PACKAGING

The Menlos are packaged in typical Edison style - in a faux crocodile leather box that isn't oversized (which I like, because I hate huge pen boxes that aren't completely awesome. If you're going to have a huge pen box, it better be totally awesome, or it should just not be huge.). Inside, there is the pen, a very pretty paper bookmark that smells very good, a little tub of silicone grease, and the new Edison logo bookmark! Very cool. As these pens are not mine, I do not get to keep the packaging or these items, even though I want to keep them.

APPEARANCE

The two Menlos in my possession are the beige and black ebonite body with a broad steel nib, and the light blue translucent acrylic body with a 1.1 mm steel nib. The Menlos are lovely full-sized pens that I must admit, I've rather fallen in love with. Obviously, the blue acrylic one is more outstanding and catchy to my Shiny Kid Syndrome eyeballs than the ebonite, but the ebonite has some gorgeous qualities that I'll mention.

The Menlo is mid-sized in terms of its thickness - not particularly girthy, nor is it slim. I find it quite appealing and it looks very good, given its length to thickness ratio. The ends are rounded to a long, conical shape, and the body tapers towards the back. The caps are wider than the body. There is a thin center band which matches well with the thin clip.

The blind cap is threaded so well on to the end of the pen that it is perfectly flush and looks perfect. Beneath it is the gold plunger of the Menlo filling system. Uncapped, there is a shallow step down from the body to the section that is barely noticeable. It's so smooth and makes the pen look very sleek. I love it.

The ebonite has gorgeous, rich warm beige and black swirls running along its body, and it is well complemented by the gold trim Brian selected.

But, alas, my heart has truly been captured by the light blue translucent acrylic pen (yes, the same colour reviewed by SBRE Brown). First of all, it's translucent. You can see the nib through the cap, the threads, the filling system, and all that juicy ink. Second, the swirls are stunning- accented by white, and fading to light blue, with an overall blue translucence that is really captivating. It's really just magnificent to look at. LOOK AT IT!!!

That said, both pens are stunning in their own way. Some prefer ebonite pens, and some prefer acrylics. Whatever your material of choice: Brian has done them both justice.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

Both the broad and 1.1mm nibs are lovely. The Edison logo laser engraved on both is simple and tasteful (although having them stamped on would be pretty cool). The ebonite pen has gold coloured trim to match the gold coloured nib, and the acrylic pen has chrome trim to match its nib. The clips are not tight and they are rounded so they glide well on to papers/shirts, but more importantly, they sit well in pen cases because they slide well and are not so tight that they cannot be removed.

Brian has tuned both nibs to write smoothly and to flow well. They are quite lovely - no skipping, no hard starts, no baby's butt (over polished so that ink cannot reach the page). They are very pleasing to write with. With nice weight and balance to these pens, whether posted or unposted, my writing is consistent and uniform. It's easy to write for extended periods without feeling fatigued or weary. God. I just love these Menlos.

IN HAND

I love these pens. Like I said, I have rather fallen in love with these pens. I mean, I've been drooling over Edison pens forever but I just have not yet settled on a model (or finish) and I kept thinking, well, I'll wait until I make it to the DC Supershow and pick something in person but these are really getting me... Anyway. The point is, these pens are lovely. For my hand, they have the perfect size and shape.

Unposted, the pen feels great - I hold my pens low on the section, so quite close to the nib, and it's really nicely balanced. The threads are smooth and not uncomfortable at all (on both models - quality control!). As the pens are not very heavy, I can write with them posted as well and they are still very comfortable and feel well-balanced. I thoroughly enjoy these pens. I always thought I was a Pearlette kind of girl but the design and shape of these Menlos truly have stolen my heart.

Did I mention I love their size? Here they are, hanging out with an Edison Beaumont. 

Compared to other pens, I still think they are the ideal size. Larger than the small, girthy Stipula Passaporto, and slightly more slender (and quite frankly, better looking) than the Diplomat Aero.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

The Menlo (particularly the utterly stunning translucent acrylic blue) has captured my heart. I knew they would be unique, interesting, and attractive, but I didn't think I would fall so deeply in love with them. It's because they fit so beautifully in my hand, they feel so wonderful, they write so nicely, and their filler is so nifty. The price is a dinger, but given that it's a custom pen, and given that you can pick an absolutely stunning translucent acrylic (like this blue), I can get past that pretty quickly. Highly recommended, and Brian is a pleasure to work with.

I borrowed these pens 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.