Unboxing Pelikan Souverän M815 Metal Stripe Fountain Pen

Unboxing the Pelikan Souverän M815 Special Edition Metal Stripe fountain pen! This one looks way nicer in person - the thin metal stripes glitter like little strips of platinum raden. It writes beautifully, and I like it way more than I expected to. What do you think?

Discount code at Appelboom: 'friend' - no commission, just a sweet deal for you.

Thank you to Appelboom for loaning me this pen. This is not a paid post.

Zebra Sarasa 1.0 Metallic Gel Pens @ZebraPen @ZebraPenUK

Zebra Metallic Gel Pens

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Bungubox Tsuyuhikari Ink

This ink was actually a gift from a friend (hi Wendie!). She sent me this ink all the way in The Netherlands after she picked it up at the DC Pen Show. She found it long before the Bungubox inks were made available for purchase at multiple retailers. Wendie, thank you again. It's a gorgeous light green, shades beautifully, and its only downsides are that it costs an arm and a leg (although it could be worse) and the bottles are a pain to fill from. Tsuyuhikari is such a romantic, stunning name. This is my kind of green.

Sunday Reads: February 24. 2019

Stuff I Looked At Elsewhere & Read

• Black cocoa brownies - Bake From Scratch.
• Impasto Mountains Rise from the Canvas in Richly Textured Paintings - Colossal.
• Brown butter and toffee chocolate chip cookies - The Boy Who Bakes.
• This Genius, Ultra-Fluffy Layer Cake Is B-A-N-A-N-A-S - Food52.
• 1,440 Portraits Emerge from a Single Ink Drawing - Colossal.
• Cinnamon babka - King Arthur Flour.
• Gingersnaps - King Arthur Flour.
• Classic Album Covers Improved by Star Wars Characters - Sad and Useless.
• Artist Maude White Counts on Squarespace to Showcase Her Stunning Papercut Artworks - Colossal.
• Freshly Cut Flowers Make Sparks in Electrically Charged Images - Colossal.
• Opal reveal - ViralHog.
• The World Below: Time-Lapse | Earth 2 - Bruce W. Berry Jr.
• Chocolate puddle cakes - Smitten Kitchen.
• RIP Mars Opportunity Rover. Designed For 90 Days, It Lasted 14 Years - Twisted Sifter.

Stuff I Apparently Did This Week

• BookPensCom #7 Ink
• Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pens
• Franklin-Christoph Model 20 Fountain Pen Review
• Unboxing Benu Parrot Fountain Pen

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Discount codes here!

Unboxing Benu Parrot Fountain Pen

Thank you to Benu for sending this Parrot fountain pen! 

Shop the Benu Pens Parrot collection here!

This is not a paid post.

Franklin-Christoph Model 20 Fountain Pen Review

Thank you to Franklin-Christoph for sending this combo for a review!

ABOUT

Body material: Plastic
Trim: Clip optional
Cap: Slip cap
Posts: Yes, friction
Filling system: Standard international cartridge/converter, eyedropper
Nib: #6 Broad Steel SIG (by Jim Rouse) Audrey will now be doing the SIG so don't pass it up!

5.0" from nib tip to barrel end = 127mm
5.45" capped length = 138.43mm
2.175" cap = 55.25mm
0.575" cap diameter = 14.61mm
0.51" barrel diameter = 12.95mm
0.41" smallest diameter of grip section = 10.41mm
Weight with converter inserted but not ink is: .05 lb, or 22.7 grams.

Price: $165.00 with a stock steel nib
Where to buy: Franklin-Christoph

PACKAGING

Thumbs up. I really like Franklin-Christoph's packaging. I hate having a bunch of pen boxes, even the gorgeous, really interesting ones. I just don't have space or interest in keeping them. This Model 20 Stabilis came in a black leather, zippered pouch with a soft suede-like interior. The pouch and pen were delivered in a simple, light, recyclable white cardboard sleeve. Not only is it less wasteful than a larger clamshell box, but it also weighs less (for shipping). The zippered pouch is something that can be used as a pen (or pencil) pouch, or it can be used to lend a friend a pen... it has more than one use! 

APPEARANCE

The Model 20 is a round pen with flat, rounded ends. Both ends are beveled with two grooved rings on each side. The finial is engraved with the Franklin-Christoph logo. My model has no clip but you could add one if you prefer. I like the clipless look. The cap is engraved with Franklin-Christoph 20 near the end. The section is small and round with a pinched shape. There are no cap threads because it is a slip cap. 

The Maya Blue is clear with a frosted finish. The nib is visible through the cap, which has a conical shape inside. You might think a clear pen is plain but I like the clean design elements here. The Model 20 is the right size and shape for me. It's simple but it works for me. My favorite finish is still the Antique Glass but this is great if you don't actually want to see your ink all the time. I know. Some people are like that. It's so weird.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib on this pen is a #6 broad steel SIG - a stub italic - that was ground by Jim Rouse. The nib is slightly recessed in the section. It has a single slit, a round breather hole, and is engraved with the Franklin-Christoph logo along with the JoWo flourishes. If you have ever wondered whether a gold nib is required for a smooth writing experience, this nib will end that for you. While a gold nib may offer other things, this broad SIG is one of the smoothest, most pleasant steel nibs I have ever used. It is a medium wet writer and because of the stubby shape, inks shade well. 

Drying times are fast so the nib can easily be used as a daily writer. If you find the broad too wide but you still want the variation, go for a fine or medium SIG. It's a firm nib with only a tiny bit of line variation if you apply pressure. No skips, no hard starts, well tuned, well adjusted. The SIG is smooth and easy to write with while still offering some character and line variation to one's handwriting. That is the idea of the nib - the smoothness of a stub with the line variation of a cursive italic. 

I think the SIG is the perfect in-between grind, especially if you have not used a cursive italic before. Personally, I love the sharp variation of a crisp, formal italic but I enjoy the SIG for casual use.

I typically use this as an eyedropper and it has never leaked with proper care (ie. not throwing it around). You can use the included cartridges or converter, though.

IN HAND

This pen has no clip so the pen can roll but if it stops, it is almost always nib down. The section size might make you think it will be too small but it's actually quite comfortable for my grip, especially as there are no cap threads to disrupt the grip. It is not slippery and my grip stays put. It's very comfortable for longer writing sessions. 

The Model 20 feels good in my hand - well-balanced and easy for daily use because it's not particularly heavy. The cap posts snugly and securely, adding a touch of weight to the length of the pen and making the overall balance feel just right. I tend to use my pens unposted but both unposted and posted are options.

Top to bottom: Franklin-Christoph Model 66 Stabilis, Franklin-Christoph Model 20 Marietta, Lamy Safari.

The one major downside is the recessed nib - if you ink via converter by dipping the nib into the ink bottle, it collects ink in the space and then you have to be sure to clean it out. As such, it's best to ink by removing the converter.

One more danger to consider: if you have a barrel full of ink and your friend tries the pen and doesn't realize it's eyedroppered and that it's a slip cap, you're going to have a mess on your hands. Speaking from experience. 

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

I love this model! I was at first hesitant about the slip cap but it's really snug and secure. It snaps in place and does not spin and it has not loosened up, despite many many cappings and uncappings. The cap was designed so pressure would be distributed away from the lip to prevent cracking since there is no cap band. The cap interior releases air pressure so your ink does not get stuck in a vacuum and blob. The highlight is the eyedropper capability and the huge range of nib options. Take care when inking with a converter via the section, and make sure your friends don't unscrew the barrel when it's full of ink. Lifetime warranty included. 

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.

Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pens @ZebraPen @ZebraPenUK

Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pens

This blog is part of the Amazon Affiliates program. If you make a purchase using one of our affiliate links, a small commission will be given to this blog. This helps me review more products for you at no added cost to your purchase. Thank you for your support!

BookPensCom #7 Ink

This ink was sent over by Eric at Cohobbyist and although he is not currently carrying it, it was too an interesting bottle and color to ignore. I'm trying out a new ink post - it's not quite a review, just my thoughts on an ink with the usual things I do in a review: writing samples, swabs, etc. It may be utterly useless, but I have so many ink reviews in my ink folder - many of which are discontinued or whatever - but some of them are pretty. I figured I may as well share them.

This is an interesting dark, somewhat dusty purple ink. The bottle looks more interesting than it is easy to work with. The tall, round shape made it roll and it was easy to tip - something I learned just teetering on the edge of disaster. It shows a little bit of shading and was fairly well-behaved but I did not find this particular color outstanding enough to seek it out further.