In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: Faber-Castell Hexo Rose Gold (Medium Nib)

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments
Fountain Pen Review: Faber-Castell Hexo Rose Gold (Medium Nib)

The latest lower-priced fountain pen in the Faber-Castell line-up is the Hexo (€28.93) (available in Black, Silver and Rose). It features an aluminum body and a metal, spring-loaded clip. It accepts standard international cartridges (one in use and one in reserve) or a standard international cartridge converter.

Faber-Castell Hexo

When capped, the Hexo is a sleek albeit stubby-looking pen. The clip is a black painted metal and the black of the base of the cap lining/grip section is just visible creating a very pleasing minimal line in the middle of the pen. The pen has a semi cigar look though it is softly hexagonal shaped, hence the name Hexo. This hexagonal shape also contributes to the shine lines and its ability to stay put on a table without rolling away, with or without the cap.

Faber-Castell Hexo

Barely visible in the photo above is the white printed Faber-Castell logo on the barrel of the pen. When posted the logo is visible between the grip section and the cap. It’s not awful or garish though the type is a bit large. Because the logo is printed on the pen rather than being foil stamped or etched, the potential exists that, over time, it will wear off.  Not to be too punny, but it really is a bit horsey.

The grip section is plastic and tapers then flares out again creating a slimmer area to hold the pen. This was a bit of a relief to me as the pen appeared a bit too wide to be comfortable to hold for long if the grip section was going to be as wide as the pen body.

Faber-Castell Hexo

The end of the cap is also engraved with the jousting horsemen logo. When shooting in macro, it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly which way is up so I think this is 90º off  so tilt your head to the left.

Faber-Castell Hexo Nib

The Hexo has a black-plated steel nib etched with the Faber-Castell jousting horsemen logo and radiating dots as well as the nib size. Though the nib looks a little small in comparison to the wide lip at the base of the grip section and the overall dimensions of the pen, its a nice looking nib.

Faber-Castell Hexo

I tested the Hexo with a cartridge in a rosy red color. The medium nib worked well with the mid-tone color. The nib is very smooth straight out of the box. The snap cap and the lightweight of the pen lends itself to being a good everyday writer.

Faber-Castell Hexo

While I was initially drawn to the brilliant metallic rose gold color, I was a little skeptical about the dimensions of the pen. The squatty shape seemed a little ungraceful and I feared it would be a bit like writing with a kid’s crayon. But since the grip tapered down to a more reasonable width and the aluminum kept the overall weight of the pen down and even allowed for the pen to be posted without making it unnecessarily top heavy, I found this pen incredibly appealing to write with. The easy-on, easy-off snap cap added to the appeal. I found myself picking it up frequently over the last couple of weeks to write quick notes on invoices, jot lists, add a couple lines in my notebooks, etc. The cool aluminum felt nice in my hands on these hot summer days too.

Faber-Castell Hexo Comparison

When compared to other pens, the Hexo does appear a little wider. From left to right: TWBSI Eco-T Mint, Faber-Castell Grip, Lamy AL-Star, Faber-Castell Hexo, Pen BBS 350, Sailor Pro Gear Slim and Kaweco Sport. The Hexo is definitely the widest pen of the lot.

Faber-Castell Hexo Comparison

Posted however, the Hexo is not much longer than the Sailor Pro Gear Slim so it’s sort of living up to my expectations of looking a little stubby.

Weight-wise, the Hexo only weighs 18gms capped and filled with a long cartridge and uncapped and filled, it’s just 12gms. This makes it as light or lighter than a Lamy Safari.

I like the color and smooth, metallic sheen of the pen. The smaller nib and the wide pen is a little odd. The snap cap is very satisfying and the nib performance is excellent at the price point. The clip is aesthetic and works well. Aesthetically, I like it a bit better than the Lamy AL-Star and since the Hexo accepts standard international cartridges and converters, the pen is more convenient. The price point is competitive but is it enough to convince a first-time fountain pen purchaser to buy a Hexo rather than a Safari or an AL-Star? Or even to be a contender against the Metropolitan or the piston-filling TWSBIs? It’s hard to say exactly where in the market to place the Hexo and it’s look and price.

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Fontoplumo for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Ferris Wheel Press Pink Eraser

Author Jaclyn MyersPosted on 4 Comments
Ink Review: Ferris Wheel Press Pink Eraser

A few weekends back I finally got the chance to spend time with a couple pen friends, and of course the main event was playing with inks. Thanks to Jesi’s incredible ink sample collection and my brand new sample vial stamp, I was able to swab almost 90 inks over the course of the weekend. 

As with any good pen get-together, I left with a shopping list. A few of the samples I tested intrigued me enough to make the cut for purchasing a full bottle. Earlier this week, the first of those bottles arrived.

I was excited to try several of the newer Ferris Wheel Press pastel colored inks. I’ve been keeping an eye on these inks since the marketing photos were first released. In the bottles, the entire line of colors is beautiful and photogenic, but several of the new colors were too light for my personal taste in my swabs. Luckily, the Pink Eraser ink was a little brighter and more saturated than the others I tried. Color me interested.

I pulled out the pinks in my collection, and eliminated the eye-searing neon inks (ex. Taccia Momo) and the darker, purple based pink inks (ex. Andrinople). The inks that were somewhere in the middle of the spectrum were the ones that I tested against Pink Eraser. 

The two colors in my collection that were closest to Pink Eraser were  Iroshizuku Kosumosu and Robert Oster Sushi. Kosumosu has a little less shading while adding sheen, while Sushi is a little lighter with a touch more peach undertone.

One of the things we discussed over the weekend was that Pink Eraser seemed to be a pretty good match for its name sake. Of course I pulled out some erasers to check our prediction. 

Obviously, pink erasers vary from pencil to pencil. Similarly, the ink also displays a significant amount of shading. The darker end of the shading is a dead ringer for the eraser on my vintage Mongols. In its lighter form, it’s much more similar to a lighter pink eraser like the General Pencil Company Kimberly Eraser pictured at the beginning of this post.

As I was testing Pink Eraser against my other selected pinks, I realized that it might be a good match for my Kindom Note Umiushi “Sea Slug” Pro Gear Slim Mini. In fact, it seemed to be a closer match than the matching “Okenia Hiroi” ink that came with the pen. I cleaned out the remaining black ink from my Sailor cartridge, and syringe filled the cartridge with Pink Eraser.

It’s the kind of match that will make it difficult to ink this pen with any other ink. I also inked it up in a TWSBI 1.1mm stub nib. The comparison really shows off the significant shading this ink possesses. You might even be able to convince me the two pens were inked with different inks.

Ferris Wheel inks aren’t cheap at $36, but the bottles are also a whopping 85mL. Time to start practicing my folded nib writing. I’m glad to see that Ferris Wheel Press is looking to release smaller ink bottles in the future. 

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were purchased with my own funds with the exception of some of the Col-o-ring goodies that arrived at my door from Kansas City. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

Ink Review: Sailor California

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 4 Comments

By Jessica Coles

As promised last week, I will be reviewing an additional state ink from the States collection by Sailor.

Originally, the States inks were going to come out slowly over the year (or years?) and start with states where Sailor would be present at pen shows, but 2020 had different plans for us all. However, with the recent energy we have seen from the North American arm of Sailor, I have hope that we will see more in the future.

 

The second ink in the States lineup is California. I appreciate that Sailor has a matching theme for these inks so far.

California comes in a small 20mL bottle made of glass (rather heavy for its size). It is the same size as the popular Sailor Studio inks.

This ink is one that straddles the line between green and blue, although closer to the blue side.

The ink sheens in both heavy applications and in writing (depending on the paper used) – a very dark red that looks black at times. In the photo above I used a steel dip pen and the sheen was still evident in most letters. Shading is somewhat subtle but is definitely present – a dark teal ink that occasionally lightens to an aquamarine blue.

The closest ink I have in my collection is De Atramentis Plum (a scented ink). Because of the shading, California seems to change from blue leaning teal to green leaning teal that is hard to match with a single ink.

.As with the Colorado ink, California comes with a lovely explanation of how the color was chosen. This one makes me long for the ocean beaches, but we seem to be in short supply of those here in Colorado!

I am actually grateful that these inks are coming up for sale slowly. The price is steep ($20-$25 for 20mL) so the purchasing may best be done occasionally. But for states where your family or your heart has a special connection, these may be a fun way to acknowledge that love.

DISCLAIMER: All of the items in this review were purchased by me. Except for the Col-o-ring which was provided to me by a wonderful person who pays me to write blogs by keeping me supplied with Col-o-rings. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Jaclyn in The Desk!

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Link Love: Jaclyn in The Desk!

First, I have some big news! Jaclyn Myers of Inkpothesis has decided to write for The Well-Appointed Desk. I am so excited to have another amazing pen enthusiast, photographer and all-around great lady writing for the site. For anyone keeping score, Jaclyn is right-handed so we now have only a 3:2 lefty lead.

She will be posting reviews and her perspectives on the pen and stationery community every couple of weeks while she’s finishing her dissertation. Then you’ll be seeing her around here a lot more often. I cannot wait to see what she will bring to the Desk.

And now… the less pleasant stationery news:

I’ve been trying to decide the best way to tackle the story of planner giant Erin Condren’s debacle this week. We have not reviewed her planners here at The Desk but it’s hard to be a stationery aficionado and not be familiar with her planner empire. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about this whole thing.

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

COVID-19/Pandemic-Related:

Black Lives Matter:

In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: Pelikan M205 Demonstrator

Author Laura CameronPosted on 7 Comments

Review by Laura Cameron

I do love my Pelikans, so when we saw that Pen Chalet had the Pelikan M205 Demonstrator (MSRP $200, on sale now for $120) on sale at a screaming good price, I decided I needed one.

The Pelikan M205 Demonstrator has a pen body made of clear resin. It has Pelikan’s standard piston-filling technology, so it’s only usable with bottled ink, but that’s not a problem in this house! The M205 has silver trim and your choice of standard steel nibs in XF, F and M sizes.

The Pelikan is on the smaller side coming in at 4.875″ long and a measly 0.4oz and 11g.

I find Pelikans to be lovely writers and this one, with a fine nib, is no exception. It fills easily and writes right away out of the box.

This Pelikan joins the other two in my collection; last year’s M205 Star Ruby and an M200 Blue Marbled from the 1980’s from my dad.

 

It also joins other demonstrators like my TWSBI ECO’s and my Moonman. I do love being able to see the ink and the inner workings of the pen!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Tools

Pen Review: Pentastic CxPO Brass Folded Nibs for Testers

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Pen Review: Pentastic CxPO Brass Folded Nibs for Testers

Last weekend, I went to Kansas for the weekend to hang out with two fellow pen nerds, Jesi and Jaclyn. We played with the Pentastic folded nibs a lot. It inspired me to show these to you, my lovely readers.

I have been using the Toronto Pen Company Pentastic CxPO brass folded nibs (C$40.00) designed for tester bottles (sample vials) since the Toronto Pen Show in 2018. These brass folded nibs were designed to fit into standard dip pen holders and made small enough to fit into most fountain pen ink sample containers.

Folded nibs are dipped into ink like a dip nib and then are applied to paper at various angles to create various stroke widths. They require some experimentation to find the “sweet spot” to get the best flow and the look you want. Some people like to get lots of line variation, others prefer more of a calligraphic look and some like the occasional spatter or bloop that might happen.

Depending on what paper is used, or what ink, folded nibs are far more likely to bleed or feather because folded nibs lay down a lot more ink than a dip nib. Folded nibs are not flexible but, because the surface area is broad and smooth, the line width can vary as a result of the large open slot that allows ink to flow out.

pentastic CxPO brass folded nibs

To demonstrate how the nibs work, I tried three different papers, both nibs and two shades of the Sailor North America Ink Series: Colorado and California. The first paper I tried was Rhodia Uni Bloc No. 18 Blank ($13.75), my standard pen and ink testing paper. The folded nibs definitely laid down more ink than the Rhodia paper could handle in this case. I didn’t find this the case with all the inks I tried over the weekend but these inks are pretty wet. Just so you know. The blobbing and feathering occurred most often at the moments when I had to dip my pen.

pentastic CxPO brass folded nibs

The next stock I tried was a mixed media sketchbook, the Bee Paper Aquabee Super Deluxe 9″x12″ Sketchbook ($15.59), which also had some bleeding and feathering issues when the ink was heaviest. Again, it was probably most likely when I had just dipped for more ink. The ink colors look better though. The nib on the left created the thinner lettering on the top two lines and the nib on the right created the lettering on the bottom two lines.

pentastic CxPO brass folded nibs

Finally, I used the Col-o-ring OVERSIZE ($15) and the Colorado ink and BOOM! I wasn’t really expecting it to outperform the Aquabee paper. I swear. I wasn’t trying to make a pitch for our little notebooks. But the proof is in the pudding, which in this case is a lot of sheen and no feathering.  Paper performance aside, the top lettering was done with the folded nib shaped like a butter knife (the nib on the right in the photo above) and the wider lettering at the bottom was done with the folded nib shaped more like a palette knife (the nib on the left with the flat end).

As for the nib holders, the black holder is labeled “Free Penholder” and I have no idea where it came from. The other is one of my favorites as you can tell by the accumulated ink stains. It’s a Tachikawa Comic Pen Nib Holder Model 40 ($8.25). It’s a blonde wood with a soft rubberized grip. If you don’t have a dip pen holder, buy this one. You won’t regret spending a couple extra dollars but you won’t have to empty the bank account.

What we discovered over the weekend was that the Pentastic Folded Nibs were great fun for using up ink and paper. We wrote out quotes, the silly things we said and the ridiculous things the kids said. It was fun to practice our lettering, let loose and play and make a mess. You definitely have to be ready to cut loose and be messy. But it’s great fun and the Pentastic nibs are well made and tons of fun.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In news

Giveaway Winner: Retro51 The System Alloy from ClickyPost

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Giveaway Winner: Retro51 The System Alloy from ClickyPost

I absolutely loved all the entries for the Retro51 The System Alloy generously donated by Mike Dudek of Clicky Post. I asked readers to tell me their favorite space-related bit of trivia, quote, movie, or book to enter the giveaway and boy, did they deliver. It reminded me why I love science fiction and NASA and our collective love of what’s out there beyond the stars.

Can I share a few with you?

  • Alan Shepard hit a 6 iron on the moon. (My roommate pulled a similar shenanigan at the White Sands Nuclear Test Site when we visited)
  • I can’t fill up a space shuttle with geriatrics! – Space Cowboys
  • The Moon has a smell. The astronauts remarked it smelled like firecrackers after they exploded on a wet day, or the smell after a carbine fired. Moon dust is especially clingy. By the time the astronauts returned to earth, the smell was gone.
    From One Giant Leap by Charles Fishman
  • “You’re not a space ranger. You don’t shoot laser or fly.”
    “Actually, I can fly”
    “No, you can’t.”
    “Yes, I can.”
    “Can’t. “
    “Can.”
    “Can’t”
    “I could fly around this room with my eyes closed.”
    “Ok Mr Light Beer, prove it.”
    “Okay then I will. [Buzz then walks to the foot of the bed and climbs the bed post.] To Infinity and beyond.”
    Toy Story 1995 (quoted from memory)
  • Live long and prosper
  • I find your lack of faith disturbing.
  • 42 is the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything”. — Doulas Admas
  • “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
  • That story about about Soviet astronauts “just using a pencil” (vs. U.S. Americans developing expensive space pens) is apocryphal. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that graphite dust floating around delicate electronics in microgravity is a terrible idea.
    Also Tang was never an astronaut thing, it was just a Tang marketing campaign. (Tang is actually what we’ve named our local stray cat. He’s orange, of course)
  • “900 years of time and space and I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.” Doctor Who, Time Lord
  • We are all made of stars. -Moby
  • Astronauts left a tiny little sculpture on the moon. (You guys are making me weepy!)
  • The Fisher Space pen was independently developed with no funding from NASA. They were purchased for $6 each for the Apollo missions. This came after they used mechanical pencils that cost $128.89 each!
  • Among the top adventures we’ve had as a family was being VIP guests of NASA for the next-to-last (was going to be last at the time) launch of the Space Shuttle. We sat in bleachers near the astronauts families for the launch. Unbelievable sight, sound, and core-shaking rumble along with feelings of amazement, pride, and awe. I’ve been a space fanatic since the Apollo days. These days I pull out my powerful telescope on clear nights for the neighborhood to peer into the wonders beyond our own mother earth.
  • One of the biggest thrills was seeing the original Star Trek USS Enterprise NCC-1701 model, complete with running lights, at the National Air and Space Museum.
  • “It’s full of stars.” – 2001: A Space Odyssey
  • As of the last time I was to the Houston Space Center. Apollo 18 vehicle (canceled due to budget cuts) is still sitting fully assembled.
  • June 16 is Captain Picard Day (the day this comment was posted… Make it so, Number 1)
  • Klaatu barada nikto
  • from the tv show PSYCH: “Did you hear about Pluto? That’s messed up, right?”
  • Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!
  • They left it out of the movie, but in Carl Sagan’s book “Contact” the alien tells Dr. Arroway that they have discovered that if you calculate Pi out far enough, it becomes a repeating binary code, 0s and 1s, in base 11. The theological import is staggering, that there must be some intelligent design behind the very creation of the universe for a code to have been hidden in one of the fundamental constants of space and time.
  • Buzz Aldrin and I are Facebook friends
  • The original Star Trek episode where Kirk and Ohura kiss still hasn’t aired in some places on network TV.
  • 27% (!!!!) of the universe is dark matter. That scares the crap out of me!
  • “A galaxy is composed of gas and dust and stars- billions upon billions of stars. Every star may be a sun to someone.” Carl Sagan – Cosmos
  • Gas giants are failed stars!
    For some reason, this has always struck me as a weirdly romantic way to describe planets like Jupiter and Saturn (because as gas giants, they contain some of the same elements as a star.)
  • “Every generation has the obligation to free men’s minds for a look at new worlds . . . to look out from a higher plateau than the last generation.”

And finally, our winner:

Well, of course you won… you are my people, Brian.

R2 and BB-8

My office mates approve of your quote.