Whiskers & Paws: July 2015 Edition

Review: Visconti LE Classic Green Fountain Pen @CouronneDuComte

A look at Visconti's Classic fountain pen!

ABOUT

Body Material: Resin
Trim: Metal
Length (capped): 132.5 mm/5.21''
Length (uncapped nib-end): 120.3 mm/4.73''
Length (posted): 156.3 mm/6.15''
Barrel Diameter: 10.6 - 12.1 mm/0.41'' - 0.47''
Section Diameter: 8.6 - 10.2 mm/0.33'' - 0.40''
Nib material: Steel
Weight (all): 20 g
Weight (cap): 20 g
Weight (body): 20 g
Fill type: Cartridge/Converter
Price: € 85,00
Where to buy: La Couronne Du Comte

 PACKAGING

This Visconti Classic came in a simple, fake-leather clamshell box with rounded edges. Inside, the pen was nestled in a tan bed. Very simple packaging compared to the usual (somewhat excessive) packaging from Visconti.

APPEARANCE

This Visconti is very simple and straightforward in is design. It has a round body with blunt, flat ends. Both the top of the cap and the end of the barrel are black resin. The finial has the Visconti logo in metal flush in the cap. The clip is attached externally by a thin metal ring, starts wide at the top and narrows into a round ball at the end. The surface has ridges running down it and there is a Visconti 'V' engraved at the top. It's a plain clip, like the ones Visconti used on their first pens.

The center band is a metal band on the end of the cap. There is also a thin band at the end of the black end plug. The section is short, in black resin, tapering slightly towards the nib, and ending in a wide flared ridge before the nib.

The cap and body are a deep pearlescent green resin. It's a pretty consistent green color, shimmering in some areas, but not changing much in shade. This pen is quite unlike what Visconti usually makes; it's definitely on the plain side, compared to their usual designs.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The medium steel nib is a Schmidt nib. It has a single slit, and no breather hole. The nib is engraved with an M, Iridium Point, and some flourishes. It looks like a pretty thin nib.

The medium line was a fair medium - a little more on the dry side than the wet side, at least for my tastes. Drying times were pretty average (~30 seconds). The nib did not hard start or skip, and it wrote well out of the box. There was no tuning required to get it up and running. There was a little bit of feedback, and I found it a pleasant nib to use, although not spectacular. With pressure, some line variation was possible - the nib was a little springy. It offered a more fun writing experience than I was expecting.

IN HAND

The clip is nice and springy, easy to operate, and not the kind to snag very easily. I found the shape of the section comfortable, except it was a little on the short side. The length of the section may bother those with larger hands. The threads at the back of the section are not sharp, so they didn't bother me.

Unposted, the pen felt light, comfortable, and well-balanced. The cap did post by friction, sitting snug but not very deep. Posted, I found the pen a little long, but not very top-heavy or uncomfortable. Given the short section though, I preferred to use the pen unposted.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

I find it interesting that Visconti has decided to release this pen, based on the first pen they manufactured in 1988. It's a nice, simple pen - comfortable, decent writer - but it doesn't make me think Visconti. There's no change to the Schmidt nib, the clip is very simple, there's nothing engraved on the center band, and even the material is not one that screams ''Visconti"! That's not a terrible thing. It's not a terrible pen at all, but I feel like it's not Visconti. Of course, that's silly since it's supposed to be based on the first pen from 1988. Visconti has come a long way since then and made a lot of changes. I do find the pen expensive for what it offers.

I received this pen 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. There are no affiliate links in this review.

Wordless Wednesday

Ink Shot Review: J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor @BureauDirect

A huge thank you to Bureau Direct for sending me a sample of this delectable ink to review! Honestly. I need a bottle.

ABOUT

Color: Green
Bottle:50 ml
Price: £14.95
Where to buy: Bureau Direct

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PROS

• Stunning ink! A rich, vibrant emerald green base, with a beautiful sheen, and gold particles. 
• Looks spectacular in wet and broad nibs. 
• Works pretty well with dip nibs.

CONS

• Hard to clean - those particles require some care.
• Silly narrow mouth on bottle.
• Requires the right combination of nib and paper to shine, but it's worth it. 

OVERALL

This is an ink that may not be suitable for all pens - I prefer to use inks with particles in pens I can take apart to clean thoroughly. I haven't had clogging issues, but I also am careful to clean the pens I use it in thoroughly. I think this is so gorgeous, that it's worth the added maintenance and care. Look at this stuff! The ink also shines in a wet nib, or a broad nib, and on coated paper.

I received this sample 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. No affiliate links.

Review: Paper Republic Le Porte Crayon Leather Pen Holder

ABOUT

Open: 19 x 19 cm

Rolled up: 19 x 5 cm

Color: Cognac

Holds 4 - 8 pens/pencils

Price: €60.00

Where to buy: Paper Republic

APPEARANCE

This wrap appealed to me as soon as I saw it on the website of Paper Republic, because the color of the leather is so rich and warm. The Porte Crayon has a square shape with pointed corners. The edges and pockets are stitched with a medium thickness, light brown waxed linen thread. There is a t hick, raised knob with a brown cord attached to it, for tying your wrap shut. There is a brass-colored rivet securing it in place on the other side - it looks seamless and sits tightly in the leather.

The inside has a short flap on the top, to cover the tops of your pens/pencils, but also to prevent them from falling out. Across the bottom, there are four pockets. I think the spacing should be smaller between the pockets and the flaps. As it is set up, pens and pencils fit into the pocket, but a fair amount of the body of each is exposed.

The color of this leather looks delicious. It's a rich, warm, yellow-brown. In addition, mine has been personalized with one of my favorite quotes. The quote is a little faded, which I think adds to its character.

As the Porte Crayon is rolled and folded, the leather acquires a fantastic pull-up effect - changing color where it is bent. As it flattens out again, the color returns to its original state (or very close to it). The inside of the wrap is soft, smooth, and flat leather. The finish matches the outside well, in color.

I think it's a really nice looking leather wrap.

PERFORMANCE & FEEL

My new Porte Crayon was firm and stiff. It needed to be broken in, in order to be rolled up easily, and to accommodate pens in the pockets. I really enjoyed the rather sensual experience of breaking it in. I did so by folding and rolling it while it was empty. It felt like breaking in a new baseball mitt! Breaking in your own leather item makes it really feel like it belongs to you and you alone.

I love rolling the wrap up and tying the cord around it - sometimes messy, sometimes tidy. Since the leather is stiff, the wrap does not roll up very tightly. At least, not yet. From when I first started breaking it in, I have been able to roll it more and more tightly.

The pockets, although I find them low (too low for the average pen clip to reach it), they are very snug. I have stuffed in a pen as thick as the Delta Dolcevita Oversize fountain pen into a pocket, and it fit. Larger pens certainly stretch the leather out a little, so consider what you want to carry. If you stretch a pocket out, a thinner pen won't be held as tightly afterwards, of course.

For the average-size pen/pencil, the pocket holds about a third of the utensil. The top flap covers either the top bit of the pen/pencil, or doesn't reach it if it's a short pen/pencil. The flap stops any pen covered by it from falling out, once it is rolled up.

The stitching is tight and clean - no stitches have broken or pulled in my use of my case. I expect it to hold. The ends are burned closed where they are double-stitched, and those have remained snug as well.

PROS

• Beautiful color.
• Portable, convenient size - either open, or rolled up. 
• Can be personalized with your initials (no additional cost).
• Fun and personal to break it in to your heart's content - whether a little or a lot. 
• Snug pockets for smaller pens, but can stretch to hold pretty beefy pens (but this will make the roll thicker when rolled up)
• Pairs really well with the Grand Voyageur in cognac. 
• Perfect for dip nib holders (of normal length, not the magic wand kinds).
• Definitely gets even better with use - as all good leather goods do. 

CONS  

• Low pockets and high flaps.
• Shorter pens and pencils are not covered by the flap and can move around once the Porte Crayon is rolled up. 
• Full-sized/new pencils don't fit. 
• Rivet for the closure knob is flush with the leather but I am careful not to put a fountain pen in that pocket so as to not scratch the body.
• Not supple and soft - for those who prefer wraps like that.
• Expensive, but I think it has a lot of nice features and is really nice overall.

OVERALL 

I'm not an artist, a traveler, or a (real) writer. The Porte Crayon is pretty, smells wonderful (as proper leather goods should), and it feels really nice in hand, either open or rolled up. I prefer using this for my machined pens, or for me dip nib holders. It's a nice way to keep four dip nib holders (or more, but in my case, I use four) together - a flourishing holder, an oblique, and two straight holders.

I love that it can be customized with your initials, and I'm totally crazy about mine because it has a Tolkien quote on it. I hope that system rolls out soon because it's fantastic. I really like this and I think, although it's expensive, I have found several uses for it that make me happy. It's also just a beautiful leather case.

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.