sailor professional gear regular fountain pen in navy and rose gold (limited edition) with a fine nib - a review

Earlier on this year, I was having a tough time and treated myself to a new fountain pen: this limited edition Sailor Professional Gear Regular Fountain Pen in Navy and Rose Gold. It came with a rose gold 21k fine nib and I feel like the photos don't do this pen justice at all. 

First impressions at the time:

What a beautiful pen! It's a great size (a bit chunkier than a Pro Gear Slim) and the rose gold trim is a delight to admire whenever this pen is picked up. The weight is perfect and I couldn't find a fault with it at all. 

Design

Rose gold and navy is a classy combination and this pen is the perfect example of this. My hands are larger than average for a woman and I find that this pen is a great size for them. I can use it posted or unposted and it feels evenly weighted and not too small or large either way. 

The Nib

As you can imagine, the 21k rose gold nib is an absolute delight to write with. The line is fine (not quite fine enough for my liking but not an issue at all). Below, it's inked with Cult Pens Diamine's Robert and it has creeped onto the nib somewhat making it look much more red/pink than it is. The rose gold nib is discrete and not garish at all. It writes like butter with minimal feedback and I really enjoy using it. 

Value

At over £200, it was a fairly expensive pen but as it is limited edition, for me, it was worth it. The design is classy and fits well with my style. For a 21k nib by a reliable fountain pen brand, it's worth every penny for me.

Since receiving it, it has come to work with me almost every day and I use it plenty. It has been used for journal entries, consent forms at work and anything else I need to make a note of. It's probably my most used pen of the last four months. 

Overall

For me, this has been one of my favourite purchases to date. The fact it's my go-to pen for most things now just says it all. The weight is perfect for long writing periods and the nib is super smooth with minimal feedback making for a wonderful writing experience. I've inked it with my current favourite ink but I'm going to try another one once this converter runs empty. In essence, I think this will be a pen that's permanently inked and will perpetually have a place in my current rotation. 

faber-castell essentio fountain pen in rose with an extra fine nib

This Faber-Castell Essentio fountain pen has been in use for at least eighteen months now (I can't even remember when I bought it). It was an upgrade from the Lamy Safaris and Al-Stars I was using as my main work pen. Seeing the lovely rose colour and knowing that Faber-Castell is a fountain pen brand with a good reputation, I was surely onto a winner.... right?

Well, you'll probably have deduced by now that it was a winner indeed. It has been on constant use at work since its purchase and I just love how different it is to other workhorse pens people associate with work in the medical world where Lamys and Parkers are commonly seen (at least in my experience). 

The below photo makes it look like there is a gradient but there isn't - it's just the lighting!

Let's begin with the design of the pen. The main barrel is made of aluminium whereas the cap is plastic. The cap has the Faber-Castell logo embossed on it and there is a semi-opaque black section at the end of the body where it connects to the grip/nib section. The pen clip is sturdy enough and has held up well to daily use on my work lanyard.

The aluminium/plastic design means that this is a surprisingly lightweight pen. The length of the pen when capped is about 140mm. It's extremely lightweight (unfortunately I don't have scales at home - not even for baking so I have to visit my mum is I want to do that!) and feels similar in weight to a Lamy Al-Star; though it is perhaps a smidge heavier.

The steel nib is an extra fine (predictable I know) and I love the dotted design on it. It writes like a dream and writes a thicker line than the Japanese extra fines I also have a soft spot for.

Because of the lightweight nature of the pen and how smooth the nib glides over paper, I can write for ages without tiring.

Because the cap is plastic, I've noticed that some of the coating has started coming off. For a pen that gets daily use and is bashed about, I think this is fair wear and tear.

As you can see in the photo above, it does write an extra fine line by Western nib standards but more like a medium by Japanese nib standards. However, it does the job and is a pleasure to use at work so I couldn't ask for more really.

At the time of writing, it sells for £39 on The Writing Desk which is a bit of a bargain for a pen with a more premium feel than your standard Lamy Safaris/Al-Stars or Pilot Metropolitans.

Overall, I do think this pen is a great workhorse and is a great option for a mild upgrade from the more basic starter fountain pens. In my opinion, it writes like a more expensive pen and is a bit of an underdog pen. I think it was formerly called the 'Basic' which is a completely unfair name to give such a brilliant pen. I'm glad they've changed it to Essentio which still portrays it as an entry-level pen but with a bit of a higher end slant (or am I just kidding myself? Probably!).

a twsbi 580AL rose gold with an extra fine nib

Last year was the year of rose gold for TWSBI. Ever since they came out with the 580 mini in rose gold a few years ago, I've lusted after a rose gold TWSBI. I put off purchasing one a few years ago because of the reported quality issues but for the rose gold editions of 2020, they reassured customers that the problems had been fixed. So far so good!

Today, I'm going to introduce the 580AL in rose gold with an extra fine nib.

As always, the 580AL comes in their standard packaging. Within the box is a toolkit to disassemble the pen if you so wished. They've also included a small amount of grease if the piston requires a bit of a service.

I know that this caused a bit of a marmite moment with some of the fountain pen community with the semi-transparent black bodied sections but I personally love it. I also like the rose gold accenting all throughout the pen. It contrasts well with the smoky black sections (yes, that's what I'm now calling them).

The pen is weightier than the Eco but still light enough to hold for long writing sessions. The clear piston design allows you to see how much ink is left and trust me, this bad boy can hold a lot. I end up filling it up to about a third just so I can change inks regularly enough to keep me interested. If you're someone who writes a lot or hates refilling pens often, this will be the pen for you. It could be a workhorse work pen for me (especially on a busy run of shifts) but I don't dare take a pen of this price point or above into work. I'll stick to my Lamy Al-Stars/Safaris and my Faber Castell Essentio for now.

The first nib that came with this pen was a bit faulty and wrote much thicker than one extra fine line. I bought it from Pure Pens and when I sheepishly contacted customer services about this, they sent me a replacement which writes excellently. Smooth with little to no feedback and excellent ink flow. 

The build quality seems decent enough (I've taken the pen apart once so far and it seems sturdy). 

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this pen. I like my fountain pens pretty and my nibs on the finer end because of my small handwriting and this one lives up to both of those requirements. 

the twsbi eco rose gold in an extra fiiiiiine nib

Those of you who know me will know that I like a pretty fountain pen (or two....hundred... kidding, kinda). So when TWSBI announced that this year would be a rose gold year, I knew I wanted in on the action. The first rose gold offering is this Eco. The previous rose gold fountain pen TWSBI made had anything but raving reviews - the plating was allegedly of a poor quality and some buyers were left disappointed. However, they have assured customers that they have worked on this and the rose gold releases from this year will hopefully not be plagued with the same problems.

Anyway, here is the pen! I already have an Eco and know of its many benefits: the huuuuuuuge ink capacity, the demonstrator design so that you can see exactly how much ink is left, how lightweight it is in hand and its simplistic design.

One difference about the other Ecos and this one is the packaging. It came with this lovely cardboard sleeve which has the TWSBI logo in a rose gold hue. To me, this sleeve just looks that bit more elegant. The frosted plastic box is the same as always.

The rose gold accents complement the white elements beautifully.... If you like rose gold that is (I know it's not everyone's cup of tea!). The first ink I chose for mine? J. Herbin's Rouille d'Ancre. I love this ink but haven't had much opportunity to use it as work calls for a darker ink.

This is a beauty of a pen and it'll be a regular in my 'constantly inked' arsenal of pens. It currently has Robert Oster's Tranquility in it (an aptly named ink for the current times) but once that runs dry, who knows what I opt for next? All I know is, it will most definitely be inked.

the parker IM special edition in midnight astral

A Parker fountain pen was my first ever fountain pen and at school, I used various models. My mum's Parker 45 was my absolute favourite and as a result, the Parker 45 will always have a special place in my heart. Parker have slipped off the fountain pen radar somewhat in recent years. I would say that their popularity ebbs and flows with their vintage offerings more popular than their modern counterparts. However, it appears they are trying to change this with the introduction of a Special Edition IM line. 

Here, I present to you the Parker IM Special Edition in Midnight Astral with a medium nib. The rest of this post is pictorial so sit back and enjoy!

*** Disclaimer: This pen was provided by Executive Pens Direct for an honest review. It has been reviewed as impartially as possible and all views are my own. Thank you to Executive Pens Direct for working with me.***

introducing the pilot lucina yellow fountain pen with a fine nib

Yellow is a colour I often overlook for fountain pens (not quite sure why!) so when I saw this Pilot Lucina, I knew it would be a perfect addition to my pen collection. The yellow was the first thing drawing me to it and knowing that I would more than likely get on with the nib instantly, I knew this pen would be a winner. And I wasn't wrong.

Design and Usability

I love the bright yellow barrel with the black and gold coloured accents. To me, it's a cheerful pen which will always raise a smile each time it is used. The only thing I don't particularly like is the word 'Lucina' across the black band on the cap - but that's such a minor thing, I can overlook it.

Made of plastic, it is lightweight in hand and ensures an even distribution of weight whether or not the cap is posted when in use. Honestly, I have found this pen a pleasure to write with during long periods.


Nib

As always, not a bad word to say about the nib. Pilot really do know how to knock it out of the park with excellent nibs. Predictably, I went for the fine nib and it writes a true fine line with no feedback, no scratchiness and excellent ink flow. With finer nibs, we often say that inks with sheen don't show off this property as much as it could; however, I have inked this pen with Diamine 'Robert' and there was sheen aplenty.

Price

I ordered this all the way from Japan for around £40 including postage and I definitely would pay that again. But I would say that for many of Pilot's fountain pen offerings. The main selling point would be the nib and I guess you could say that the Pilot Metropolitan would be just a good a pen for a fraction of the price.


Overall

I bought this pen because I wanted an affordable yellow fountain pen. This one came within budget and was from a brand I trusted. The nib was pretty much guaranteed to be perfect for me and I knew that the build quality would be decent.

However, for the price, you might be better off going for a Pilot Metropolitan. If, however, you're thinking of this or a Pilot Prera, I'd probably recommend the Pilot Lucina. The Pilot Prera is a short pen whereas the Lucina is more 'normal-sized'.

In my opinion, this pen is perfect for students, essay writers, story writers and just anyone who writes for long periods of time. The lightweight pen is perfect for those long sessions (precisely what I need for those long ramble journaling sessions or study sessions) without inducing severe hand cramp.

introducing: the moonman 80, a modern ode to the parker 45

Back when I was about 14/15 years old, my mum let me use her Parker 45 fountain pen. It had a gloriously fine nib and is potentially the start of my obsession with fountain pens. Since then, I've not found a Parker 45 in the same design (red barrel, steel cap) which writes as finely as hers did. Even when I tried to insert the nib into another Parker 45, it didn't seem to write as finely as I remember?

When I heard that Moonman were releasing a tribute to the Parker 45, I wanted in to see if it could be just as good. I opted for the olive colour and the teal offering too.

Design and Usability

The design is similar to the Parker 45 so aesthetically, it looks good. The plastic barrel and steel cap make for a lightweight pen, cap posted or unposted. I can't really fault its design but it does feel more flimsy than the two other Parker 45s I have used (one being the one mentioned earlier and another being an all-steel offering). The slip cap glides on smoothly and seems to form a tight seal. 

Nib

I found both nibs a bit disappointing. Poor ink flow, scratchy and although I went for a fine nib, it wrote a disappointingly broad line. All in all, not really the ideal nib for me and the line was too broad for me to consider tuning the nib for better ink flow.

Price

Extremely cheap - they came whizzing all the way from China for less than a fiver each if I recall correctly!

Overall

Although the Moonman 80 looks like the Parker 45 in design, it does not match up in usability. I guess you really do get what you pay for sometimes! I think I'll stick to the real thing in the future... That said, it's not a bad starter pen which sports a classic design.