Double-Review Comeback Extravaganza Part III: Diamine Pumpkin and Jinhao Legend of the Dragon

the "gift" box, slightly worn

the nib and section

As always, typed transcript at the bottom.

closeup of the clip

the dragon sleeps in his comfortable foam bed.

"C39 Camali"

another closeup of the clip

dragon detailing on the barrel

how my hand looks holding it

writing point

it's pretty big posted.

what's in the box

Recognize this picture from the last review? I've included the left half this time, which is Diamine Pumpkin.

you can see the bright shade through the bottle 

Jinhao Legend of the Dragon fountain pen REVIEW

All righty. For this third installment of the double-review series, we'll cover the Jinhao Legend of the Dragon fountain pen and Diamine Pumpkin ink.

First, the pen. I bought it on eBay from a Chinese seller--I'd heard good things about the manufacturer Jinhao and figured I'd take a chance. 

For the princely sum of $9.99, shipping from China included, I received this pen Initially, it was a bit scratchy [the nib], but simple realignment of the tines with my thumbnails made it a great and very usable pen. It included a converter and cheap but functional "gift" box. 

My favorite feature is definitely the golden clip. Though it is actually made of relatively fragile plastic, what's not to love about its red-eyed-dragon design? Matches with the detailing of a dragon on the pen body, as well as the name (even though it's labeled a "C39 Camali" [as you can see in one of the photos], the seller called it a Jinhao Legend of the Dragon. I like the latter name better.). :)

On to some detailed components next!

NIB. I like the way the nib looks; it's a two-toned nib with a bit of scrollwork on it. Simple and classy. It writes all right--not completely scratch-free, but definitely good enough to use normally.

FEED. Sometimes I get a small flow issue whereby I have to squeeze some more ink to get it flowing, but definitely not a huge issue. The cap snaps on very securely.

SECTION. Though it is made of relatively smooth plastic (I can't feel the texture shown in the photo), my fingers never slip.

WEIGHT. I haven't got a scale, but as an ALL-METAL pen (minus the section) it is substantial. Top-heavy [and long] if you choose to post it.

OVERALL: I really like this pen. It performs well with multiple inks (I've used Noodler's Black, Camlin Royal Blue (an Indian brand), and of course Diamine Pumpkin with no problems at all), feels nice in the hand, is nicely finished and doesn't look cheap in any way. The golden clip is just a bonus. 

If you're in the market for a great pen at a bargain-basement price, get this one. 4/5.

Diamine Pumpkin ink REVIEW

And here's part II! :)

This ink is the second ink from my first order from JetPens.com ever (the first [ink] being Oxblood) and I must profess [edit: CONfess] that I LOVE the vivid hue of orange this ink provides. It's bright without being illegible--with many inks I see online, it seems that they're too bright to be tolerated for more than 1/2 a page of reading. For me, this ink does not have that issue at all. It flows pretty well and has not given me any trouble with this pen, and behaves relatively well on most papers. I think it's time for some detailed reviewing!

FLOW. Fantastic. 

DRY TIME. a non-issue. Very fast.

FEATHERING. Moderate but not horrible. Might be due to inconsistencies in the paper I'm currently writing on because it doesn't feather at all in my Miquelrius journal or on cheap notebook paper...

BLEED-THROUGH. Little to none.

LEGIBILITY. very high. (not for professional writing!! (unless you live life on the edge like me...) :) )

WATERPROOFNESS. very poor! DO NOT EXPOSE TO WATER!

And I think that covers it! 4.5/5. (well-behaved, great color, but not waterproof.)

Double-Review Comeback Extravaganza Part II: Lamy Al-Star and Diamine Oxblood

[transcription of the handwritten text can be found below]

This pen can be had for ~$37 street.

Alongside the 2013 LE Safari

Attractive and simple bottle design.

Some shading can be seen in this photo.

Paper: Piccadilly Legallo 

 Lamy Al-Star review
Once again, this is a pen about which much has been written. Mine is a toffee-brown limited edition Al-Star with a medium nib. Overall, I think this pen is a great one for the money, and provides a good, reliable metal pen the user will enjoy.
The nib: Quite unlike the scratchy nib I got on the 2013 LE Safari, this nib is quite smooth with a bit of feedback. I kinda like that, as I can tell then that I am writing.
Grip section: the same triangular one found on the Safari and Vista. I like it, but some may hate it. ["school like" grip]
Body: aluminum--as suck, it is light and durable; however, it does scratch and dent rather easily, so I would suggest transporting this one in a pen case. I've gotten a small ding on the cap myself.
There is also an ink window on the barrel, in the form of two cutouts.
Essentially, this pen is  a larger, metal version of the Safari, and is also available in a multitude of colors, including the (for now) limited edition peral and matte black finishes.
Overall score: 4/5
+: relatively low price, good durability, smooth nib and awesome springy clip.
-: no converter included [Z24], body scratches easily, some may hate the grip section.

Diamine Oxblood ink review.
I love this ink. It looks like no other red I have ever seen, and is by far the coolest one when dry. It truly looks like dried blood! As a Diamine ink, it flows very well, and makes this relatively dry Al-Star write a bit more wet and smoothly.
Shading: I haven't really experienced any. [pictures show a bit of shading]
-Dry time: quick. -Bleed-thru: nope.
-Feathering: on cheap paper, yes [to a limited extent, not bad at all] but not on relatively good paper, like Piccadilly for example.
Waterproofness: basically none. The ink is totally obliterated by water.
Legibility: I know this is sort of a strange category, but I think it's important. This ink does not tire my eyes at all--I could read an entire book in this color.
Overall: 4.5/5
The waterproofness / lack thereof isn't the best, and feathering on cheap paper is a minor minus--but the reason you get this ink is the AWESOME COLOR. And it does look like blood when dry. Guaranteed to be a winner if you use it to write letters. [or anything else]

Double-Review Comeback Extravaganza! The Lamy Safari 2013 Neon Yellow Limited Edition and Waterman Tender Purple Ink

[transcript of the handwritten text at the bottom]

side-by-side with the Vista

like a diamond glistening in the sunlight (or fluorescent bulb)

why the tilt?

Clever design!

Bleed and show-through can be seen here...

...but in my journal they're all but nonexistent!

Here's another shot from the journal

300 sheets of high quality paper for under $10.

 Here's the text of the handwritten part for your reading pleasure:


My quick review of the Lamy Safari 2013 LE
[Made in Germany]

Today, I live dangerously by daring to write n unlined paper. Life on the edge!
What can I say about the Safari that hasn't already been said? It's a classic of Lamy's Bauhaus-inspired "function defines form" ideal, a relatively inexpensive knockabout pen which finds itself in the hands of students and adults alike.
I personally have three pens based on this design" a clear-bodied Vista, this Safari, and a coffee-brown aluminum Al-Star.
As for this pen in particular, I absolutely love the color, and the dichotomy of having such a calming color of ink in such a raucously bright and garish pen.
Performance notes will follow. -->

Lamy Safari LE 2013 (cont'd)
--> The nib.
-Well, let's start with the most important part of the pen (in my humble opinion). This fine nib, on this paper (relatively heavyweight printer paper) the nib is a bit scratchy. I know feedback and I know scratch, and I'm sorry to say that right out of the box the nib has a bit of both most of the time. A bit of smoothing, probably, could fix that, or perhaps a thicker ink [dryer ink].
--> The feed: Quick writing: [This is the Lamy Safari in Neon Yellow 2013 LE Quick writing test] No skips or any such problems!
Flow is good.
-->Body: It's got the traditional tripod grip section, and so some may hate it while others won't mind. Myself, I'm a traditional right-hander, so it's OK for me.
-Color: Well, I love it; loud and attention-grabbing, and has a nice gloss to it as well. :)
-Overall: An AWESOME PEN, get it while it lasts if you love the color! 4.5/5 (nib -.5)

Waterman Tender Purple quick review
Made in France
-This ink, in short, will be heartily recommended by myself, and, I feel, anyone who uses it. It dries to a deep, saturated color even in my fine nib pen, so in a broader pen I imagine it'd be even more vibrant.
-Flow is great--I have experienced no hard starts or skipping in this pen so far.
-On this paper, show-through is a bit pronounced, but there is hardly any noticeable bleed. [edit: there is a bit of bleed] Feathering is not an issue in my journal, a Miquelrius, although it is mild on this paper.
-Misc.: No smell--neutral. dry time: quick.
-No nib creep at all.
-relatively waterproof, but not so much that I would advocate drowning your notes.

Overall: 4.5/5 Recommend! Vikram Shah 5/17/13

First pencast from college!

Sorry about the image--I only brought my small digital camera to school, no scanner...and since I'm running Debian OS 6.0.5 on my 2004 ThinkPad X31, I don't know if mine from home would work. Anyway...it would not fit on my desk along with all my other stuff! But yeah--college is great so far, especially since there are no classes as of yet and I am just in BAND from morning till night. It is fantastic.

Lamy Vista fountain pen review

It’s been a cool two years or so since I bought this pen from a shop in Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany—and honestly, it’s my favorite pen.

                Period.

                Everything from the totally-transparent , industrial modern styling to the smooth nib and comfortable writing makes this pen the top one, for me. It’s been a faithful companion for this time, even spending some time in a friend’s car while I wondered where my pen had fallen out of my pocket! Believe me, I was distraught until I saw it sitting in the cupholder a couple months later.

                The ergonomics may not suit everyone’s writing style, given that the pen’s molded triangle grip forces you to to hold the pen in the (correct) grip every time. Not a problem for me, as this was one of my first true fountain pens.

                What makes this one even more special for me is that I got it while I was on a scholarship-sponsored 3-week trip to Germany—it holds memories of that fantastic time I had there with it!

                Originally I used the Lamy carts I bought at the time I got the pen, but then my Dad gave me one of his Lamy converters, so I used his blue Parker Quink in it for the longest time. About a month ago, I had the chance to get some different ink, so I opted for this not-too-basic black Noodler’s Bulletproof Black. It flows really well, is really truly deep black, and waterproof—all qualities that the previous ink didn’t really have. I’m in heaven—and on my second fill of this awesome ink in this great pen.

                In any case, the fact that I’m rambling on about the man virtues of this pen (whoops—missed the fact that the nibs are totally user-interchangeable) tells you that it’s awesome.  If you’re in the market for a fountain pen, even if you already have a Safari, try some new ink in this awesome fountain pen, the clear, always-ready Vista by Lamy!

                [Another thing I forgot to add in the handwritten review is that you can always see how much ink is left in the converter, making it much more practical for everyday use; you know how much you can write before it runs out of juice!]

detail of the Lamy branding, minimal.

great pocket clip--actually useful!

posted.

detail of the nib. nib creep is due to the ink, noodler's bulletproof black