D-Day and Capa's Magnificent Eleven

Link to the Wikipedia article on the Magnificent 11 photo

Link to the Wiki on Robert Capa

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]

One Hundred.