Laban is Taiwanese-based pen company that I’ve had a lot of experience with using so I was quite excited to get a chance to test one of their fountain pens.
The Laban Rosa Fountain Pen ($140) in Lilac with the Medium nib is an acrylic resin pen with gold tone hardware. The Rosa line includes several other color options. The cap bands on the other designs look like a Greek Key repeating pattern while the Lilac has an etched branded cap band. Its a medium-sized pen, similart in overal dimensions to a Leonardo Momento Zero in size and shape.
The pen ships in a simple paperboard drawer box and includes the pen and a converter.
The colors of the Lilac are a swirl of green, grey and a periwinkle blue violet. It’s accented with the warm gold hardware and a two-tone nib.
The nib is a smooth writer with a bit of bounce. It’s not flexible but does have a gentle spring when used.
I attempted to match some ink colors to the pen. Which color is your favorite?
I chose the Ayame originally since it has a similar color range. But it ended up being a little too light for the medium nib so I went with the Pen BBS No. 224 Tolstoy.
Because of the bounce in the nib, it doesn’t lay down a lot of ink for an over-handed left-handed writer.
When I switched to underwriting (the middle sample) the color was much deeper and the line weights were a bit thicker. There was even a little bit of line variation as a result of the bounce in the nib.
I was a bit surprised to discover the bounce in the Laban nib. Sadly, it’s not a pen that works with my writing style. The resin is very pretty and its quite comfortable in the hand.
So, my loss is your gain. I am giving this pen to one lucky reader.
TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me what the colors of this pen remind you of. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.
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FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Friday, October 25. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Luxury Brands USA/Laban for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Delicate wild violets
Nestled in a verdant field
Dew drops in the morning air
Misted by a light spring rain
The colors are gorgeous
Thanks for the chance to win
Sorry it didn’t work out for you
I’m not generally a fan of flecked resin, but these colors are pretty! They remind me of a Monet painting, maybe one from the water lilies series? Definitely an Impressionist vibe.
The colors remind me of violets just emerging in the springtime, maybe even with a light snow dusting. Very pretty colors & thank you for the chance!
Not a nice thought, but the color kinda reminds me of the mildew that grows on our deck over the winter months.
The beautiful florals remind me of an outdoor soiree in the spring! How lovely! Thanks for the chance!
This is definitely the pen that Daphne from Scooby Doo would carry.
This is such a beautiful pen! The colors remind me of sweet pea flowers. And the Sailor Ayame ink! I am ordering some right away – purple and green are my favorite colors.
-Robbi
My first thought was lilac. It reminds me of the blending of blossoms and leaves as they sway in the breeze. Then I double checked the name .
But I’ll still say lilac bushes.
Maybe it’s just the season, but this pen reminds me of Beetlejuice.
This reminds me of the giant lilac bushes we had in the garden growing up. They smelled amazing, and the colors are among my favorites.
Beautiful pen! Reminds me of lilac bushes.
The color reminds me of my grandmother’s favorite church outfit. She had a green suit that she wore with a scarf in these colors and a hat. She was a very fancy lady when she got dressed for church each Sunday. She’s been gone for years but that’s what this pen reminds me of.
What a gorgeous pen. How sad that it didn’t work for you.
It reminds me of a Monet painting.
What a gorgeous pen. How sad that it didn’t work for you.
It reminds me of a Monet painting.
What a beautiful pen! It reminds me of when I was a little kid running around on the school playground and I would throw myself down in the shade of the old magnolia tree to rest and look up past the flowers and the leaves into the big, blue sky. If only there was a magnolia-scented ink to match it….
The color reminds me of the forget-me-nots along the bank of the creek at my grandmother’s house when I was a child.
It’s a beautiful pen! The colors remind me of the periwinkle vine in my yard when it blooms in the spring.
Beautiful pen: reminds of a wonderful Spring morning at the lake
Reminds me of the hydrangeas at my great-aunt’s house! So pretty in the summer!
This reminds me of Lassen Volcanic National Park on the day my husband proposed to me at Manzanita Lake. The combination of colors remains a favorite.
The bouncy nib intrigues me. As for what the pen looks like, it sort of looks like an agate or green rutilated quartz.
Great article, Ana! It reminds me of lily pads on a pond on a cloudy day 🙂
That is gorgeous! The colors remind me of some of Monet’s garden paintings with water lilies. They also make me think of sipping jasmine green tea on a springtime afternoon.
What a gorgeous pen! And, matching it with Sailor Manyo Ayame ink…*chef’s kiss. The colors remind me of the wildflower beds you see in the medians and along the interstate in North Carolina, specifically Rocket Larkstar. If you ever get the chance to visit North Carolina, go in the spring and early summer and behold nature’s beauty. The NCDOT Wildflower Program even publishes a booklet so you can identify the wildflowers and know which are planted or occur naturally.
I was going to say this pen reminded me of the lilac bush that grows at my parents’ house, but it looks more like the matcha latte with lavender cold foam that I had once. It was an interesting drink, but I think it needed more lavender flavor.
This beautiful pen reminds me of a Monet painting. Thanks for the giveaway
The combination of green and purple reminds me of the flowering bushes in the botanical gardens near where I grew up. My family would go spend days there through the spring and summer.
Mt Rainier on a sunny spring day.
That’s a beautiful pen. It reminds me of a spring sunrise.
The colors remind me of irises, one of my favorite flowers.
Reminds me of the hydrangea I planted on my patio, and managed to NOT KILL, lol. It bloomed beautifully.
The colors of the pen remind me of our butterfly bush in bloom, purple flowers nestled in the young green leaves. I noticed this morning that it’s still blooming, even this late in October.
This would be great to give my niece for Fountain Pen Day.
It kind of reminds me of a spring meadow. Sorry the pen didn’t work out for you.
The blending of lilac and green is lovely – it’s a beautiful pen. The colors remind me of purple water lilies on the pond.
The colors remind me somewhat of lily pads floating on a moody sea, somewhat evocative of Claude Monet’s waterlily-themed works. The pattern in the resin itself, however, I realized made me think of when you view a pointillist painting up close and can see all the individual dots.
Beautiful- the colors remind me of Mothers’ Day, Mom’s Favorites!
This post just came to my attention via a link in the Gentleman Stationer’s blog. Thanks, Joe! Though the end date for the giveaway has passed, the materials and color pattern on the pen reminds me of early morning mist rising in young spring, when the tips of emerging leaves are pale and delicate, as described by Robert Frost in “Nothing Gold Can Stay”. Thanks for your post.
I live in South Dakota so this pen reminds me of pine trees and the purple flowers that bloom in the summer. The pen makes me think of fresh air and beautiful scenery.
Reminds me of the multicolored birdies that flock around the feeder surrounded by photenias in our New Mexico backyard.