Pen and Nib Mini Reviews
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.
Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉
Although I purchased and received several non-pen items, I’m only going to review the pens and nib in this post and the Jinji chocolate in a later post. Feel free to jump down to a specific mini review: Analog Notes | Namiki | Platinum | Mayfair Pens | Gravitas Pens | Nahvalur | All in the Nib
Analog Notes Henry Floral
As I mentioned a few posts ago, I’ve wanted a pen with flower petals for a while now. I zeroed in on this pen at the Analog Notes table first because of the color. But as soon as I noticed the petals, I picked it up. No way I wasn’t getting it.
The material is stunning and very well polished. The distribution of the chrysanthemum petals is great. I love the transition from opaque green to transparent glitter. And, fabulously, it glows in the dark!
Also worth noting, the section length, girth, and shape are very comfortable.
Namiki Yukari Herb Decoration
After buying the Rock Garden at the DC Pen Show last year, I was definitely open to buying more Namiki Yukari pens. A couple of months ago, I came across the Herb Decoration on Goulet Pen Co’s website when I was looking at some new designs. I decided I’d try to find it at the DC show, and if that didn’t work, I’d order it. But, there it was, waiting for me at the Chatterley Luxuries table. I picked up a F nib, as my Rock Garden is a M nib.
I love the detail work on the Herb Decoration. The flowers, especially, are gorgeous. I also love the sparkle of the raden between the flowers
One interesting anomaly is how much more narrow the Herb Decoration F nib is in comparison to the Rock Garden M.
All in the Nib Flat Cut Stub
I picked up one of Damien’s — AKA All in the Nib — new grinds, the Flat Cut Stub in M. He describes it better than I could.
This versatile italic family grind offers the experience of a smooth writing stub at lower writing angles, and a crisp cursive italic at higher writing angles. A slight change in the width of the cross strokes comes with changes in writing angle as well. This is really a great grind for those who enjoy stubs or cursive italics, and want a slightly different writing experience.
All in the Nib, Instagram
I don’t have a stub nib inked up right now — or a rotation pen to put one in this week — so I’m comparing to a previous stub writing sample. The cursive italic grind is currently inked.
Like all of the nibs I’ve bought from Damien, this one is very smooth and has a good ink flow. You can see how the flat cut stub is much more stub-like on the lower angles and more cursive italic-like on the higher angles. I think, though, that it’s the most like a cursive italic on the reverse, maybe even going into a full italic, as the corners are very sharp.
Platinum Izumo Bombay Blackwood Tagayasan Matte
I’ve had my eye on the Tagayasan for a while. I love the Izumo shape, and the appearance is beautiful in its simplicity. When I heard that it may be discontinued soon, I decided it was time to get one before I couldn’t.
The wood grain is gorgeous.
The finish is so smooth that it’s easy to mistake it for plastic. The feel is similar to Jonathon Brooks’ matte polish. But, you can see the grain on the inside of the cap.
The only odd thing is the light spot on the barrel. I don’t know if that’s a normal thing with Indian blackwood.
Mayfair Pens Noldor Labyrinth Koi
I messaged with Ben of Mayfair Pens on Instagram before the DC show and specifically went looking for his table. His unique shapes intrigued me. I had hoped to get one of his Eowyn models, but the Labyrinth Koi material was most appealing to me.
Fun side story, I saved the Instagram post showing this exact pen as my reminder to include Mayfair Pens in my next new indie makers post. This was before the DC show, and when I bought the pen, I didn’t realize it was the same. I realized it when working on my second post of this series. I guess it was meant to be.
It’s a little odd having the barrel with reverse threading. I’m worried I’ll accidentally over tighten it and ruin the pen.
For those who are curious, it doesn’t post.
Back to the shape, it’s interesting having the section outside the cap rather than within it.
Be aware, if you tend to grip your pens right at the edge of the section, you’ll need to adjust your grip. The edge of both the Noldor and Eowyn section are “sharp.” Not sharp like dangerous; sharp like uncomfortable.
Gravitas Pens Sentry Micro Texture
I wasn’t planning to buy anything from Gravitas at the DC show. I’m waiting for Ben to make his rainbow/holographic glitter finish available. But, when I saw this Sentry model with Ben’s newest micro texture, I decide to pick it up.
The pattern reminds me of origami paper or obi fabric, which makes sense given that it’s Japanese art-inspired.
Given that the pen is steel, it’s heavy. But, it’s well balanced, so it doesn’t tire out your fingers. the weight is mostly on the hand between thumb and index finger.
If you have troubles holding metal pens, Ben has you covered. The section has micro-ridges similar to the TWSBI 580ALR. These ridges are much smaller, though.
I think it’s worth mentioning that the nib is from Kanwrite, an Indian company.
Nahvalur Nautilus Stylophora Berry
I’ve been wanting a Nahvalur — formerly Narwhal — Nautilus with portholes for a while, but I was waiting for a colorful resin version. You can revisit the reason why that won’t happen in 2022 DC Pen Show, Part 2, Saturday’s section. So, I picked up the most appealing — in my opinion — of the portfole versions. This Stylophora Berry version is brand new, launched at the DC show. I’m a sucker for purple and rose gold.
While I’m not really a fan of ebonite, I appreciate the dark purple and black color combo on the Stylophora Berry and the combination of striation and marbling.
My perfectionist heart adores the perfectly centered marbling at each finial. The cap finial disc is also perfectly centered.
The designs on the cap band and nib are very pretty.
The nib itself impressed me. It’s very wet and smooth. Jim and I are fairly certain it’s a Bock nib.
Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. Do you own any of these pens? Have my reviews made you want them? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.
More To Come
I think I’m going to have two more DC Pen Show posts. You’ll be able to find them all on the 2022 DC Pen Show tag page. But, I suggest you subscribe to my blog or follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss any.
