Caran d’Ache Hexagonal Ecaille Chinese Lacquer M Nib Fountain Pen Review

Caran d'Ache Hexagonal

The Caran d’Ache Hexagonal Ecaille Chinese Lacquer fountain pen is an odd ball in my collection.  I don’t like skinny pens nor do I like fingerprint prone pens and pens with metal sections….this pen is all of these things.  So why do I have it you ask? It was the price. I saw this pen new old stock in a small pen shop in the Netherlands and I just couldn’t let it go.

I have decided to use a more standardized review process for nicer fountain pens with six categories and a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best and 1 being the worst).

Appearance:

Caran d'Ache Hexagonal
It is hard to see the marbled red look of the Chinese lacquer in the pictures.

The Hexagonal shares the same shape as the original Caran d’Ache Ecridor pencil.  The combination of gold plate and red marbled Chinese lacquer are pretty dated looking but the fit and finish make this pen still beautiful in my eyes as an objet d’art.  I can’t think of another pen in production today that is comparable.  The Hexagonal Chinese Lacquer is still listed on Caran d’Ache’s website but if you look around you will have a hard time finding one.  The rectangles carved into the grip section are a touch I quite like.  I love the squarish shape of the 18kt gold nib and the lack of a breather hole.  My pen is from the 90s and the more recent Hexagonals have a more traditional nib with a breather hole.  This pen is a fingerprint magnet and I worry that even wiping it with a soft cloth with scratch it.  Score: 3.5

Build Quality:

Just by looking at the Hexagonal you can tell that it is of the highest quality.  The “Maison de Haute Ecriture” will never disappoint you in the quality department.  The gold plate is beautifully polished and the hand painted Chinese lacquer is gorgeous.  Running your finger on the barrel you will notice that there is a seamless transition between the gold and lacquer; you cannot feel it at all.  The rectangle shapes carved into the section are painted with lacquer.  The pen both caps a posts with a crisp snap.  This is an incredibly well made pen and is easily on the same quality level as S.T. Dupont and Graf von Faber-Castell. Score: 5

Caran d'Ache Hexagonal

Size and Weight:

The Hexagonal weighs in at just under 27 grams which is neither light nor overly heavy for a normal fountain pen.  The pen measures 5.25″ capped, 6″ posted and without the cap the pen measures 4.75″.  At its widest point it is less than half an inch thick and the grip section measures about a quarter of an inch thick.  The weight and the length of the pen are all excellent but the width makes this pen uncomfortable.

What Caran d’Ache did was made a capped version of the Ecridor pencil which has the same girth as a pencil wooden pencil.  Keeping the same form factor with a capped pen means shrinking the grip section width and this is a serious problem comfort-wise.  The smaller the girth, the more pressure needed to control the pen and when you consider that this pen weighs many times more than a wooden pencil the result is not brilliant.

I wrote a letter with the Hexagonal and about half way into the second page my hand was in pain and it was a struggle to continue.  As a pen for quick notes you shouldn’t run into any problems but I wouldn’t recommend it for long writing sessions at all.  Score: 1.5

Caran d'Ache Hexagonal

Performance:

Lots of tipping material
Lots of tipping material

The 18kt gold medium nib writes well and is very smooth with some light feedback. I have had no issues with skipping or hard starting.  The performance of the nib has been flawless for me.  It’s a pretty stiff nib so you wont see much in the way of line variation.  I love nibs with character and unfortunately (like most modern nibs) the Hexagonal’s nib does not have much.  Score: 3

...Perle Noire*** (I did it again)
…Perle Noire*** (I did it again)

Filling System:

The Hexagonal uses a cartridge or converter which is a feature I am starting to like on high-end pens.  A piston filling system is more expensive to produce and holds more ink but from a cleaning perspective is much less desirable.  I like to be able to change inks frequently and a cartridge or converter allows me to do just that without much hassle.  I can easily go from an dark black to an ultra light orange without even giving it a second thought.  With a piston fill pen I wouldn’t be able to make that change without a ton of cleaning.  I use a regular Waterman converter with the Hexagonal and I have had no issues.  Like the nib, the performance is good but there is nothing special to note here.  Score: 3

Value:

The retail price of this pen (with the updated nib) is about $1,300 and I could never pay that for this pen.  The quality is certainly there but it’s just not comfortable.  I also feel as though there is no X-factor with this pen like you would have on many similarly priced pens from other manufacturers.  I paid about €120 for my new old stock Hexagonal and at that price it is not a regret for me but it also isn’t a home run purchase as I rarely use it.  Score: 2

Bottom Line:

Unless you love the style and can put up with the thin grip section, the Hexagonal isn’t a pen I would ever recommend.  Final score : 18/30

Inky Fingers? ReDuRan Is A Must Have For All Fountain Pen Users

ReDuRan

If you use a fountain pen you need ReDuRan.

Before I discovered ReDuRan I was using dishwasher detergent powder to remove fountain pen ink from my hands.  Using a powder to clean your hands can be cumbersome and messy.  ReDuRan is a product specifically designed for getting ink and dye off of your hands.  The cleanser actually feels very gritty like dry dishwasher detergent but in a cream form.   To use you simply apply a small amount (I usually use a pea sized amount) and rub the affected areas without water.   Next, add a little bit of water and rub some more, rinse thoroughly and marvel in your new ink free hands.

J. Herbin Perle Noire Fountain Pen Ink Review

J. Herbin Perle Noir
Left the “e” off of Noire…just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

 

J. Herbin Perle Noire has been my go to black ink for the last few years.  Perle Noire is a dark black ink that is very well behaved.  There is not much in the way of shading and I have had no issues with feathering.   The flow is average.  Dry time is faster than normal and ink is not waterproof but I have read that is is water resistant.  The ink did fade with drops of water but it did not completely disappear like other inks.  The only ink that comes close is Aurora Black which may even be a slight bit darker, however, in my experience Perle Noir is better behaved.

If you know of a better black ink please let me know.

Here is a great review of J. Herbin Perle Noire:

(I have no affiliation with the site linked below)

Wonder Pens – J. Herbin Perle Noire Ink Review

 

 

 

Noodler’s Blue Eel Fountain Pen Ink Review

Noodler's Blue Eel

Noodler’s Blue Eel is a lubricated ink that is designed to improve the flow of your fountain pen.  I was surprised by how much I ended up liking the color of the ink; it’s a real bright and saturated blue.  The flow is heavier as you would expect from a lubricated ink but so far has not caused problems with any of the papers I regularly use.  No real issues with bleeding or feathering.  Dry time is on the average to slow side and it is not waterproof.  This is easily one of my favorite blues.

Noodler's Blue Eel
Writing sample on Maruman Smooth-To-Write loose leaf paper.

 

Here are some great reviews of Noodler’s Blue Eel:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Dizzy Pen – Noodler’s Eel Blue

Pentulant –  INK REVIEW: Noodler’s Blue Eel

Future Nostalgic – Review: Noodler’s Eel Lubricating Ink

 Inkdependence! – Noodler’s Blue Eel

Uni-Ball Vision RT Roller Ball Fine Pen Review

Uniball Vision RT

The Uni-Ball Vision RT is a retractable roller ball pen.  Uni states that this pen has “triple protection against ink leakage” and is airplane safe.  I am not certain what consists of triple protection but it sounds nice.  The fine point retracts when you pull on the clip making it a safe for pockets.  I quite like the design of this pen; someone clearly put thought into it.

In the writing sample I incorrectly state that the pen is not refillable; it is in fact refillable.

On to the bad…

Uniball Vision RT

When I first used this pen I thought it was a ballpoint because the pen wrote so dryly. “Roller ball” usually means liquid ink but Vision RT feels pasty like an oil based ink.  The lines as you can see in the image above are not clean.  This is easily the worst writing roller ball I have come across.  At a dollar I would say it’s passable but $2.00 is too much for this level of performance.  Uni usually makes excellent product but the Uni-Ball Vision RT is a rare miss.

Here are some reviews of the Uni-Ball Vision RT Roller Ball:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

A Penchant for Paper – Uni-ball Vision RT Bold 0.8mm Black

Office Supply Geek – Uniball Vision RT .6mm

The Pen Addict – Review: Uni-Ball Vision RT

Gourmet Pens – Review: Uni-ball Vision RT 0.8 mm Rollerball Pen

Pilot Precise P-700 0.7mm Gel Roller Ball Review

Pilot P-700

The Pilot Precise P-700 has been one of my favorite hybrid gel roller balls for quite a while now.  The benefit of a hybrid gel roller ball is a smooth writing experience with a low resistance liquid ink, making it a great pen for writing in cursive.  The line is clean and smooth and the ink is ultra fast drying making it a great pen for lefties.  The ink is permanent and unfortunately the pen is not refillable.

The Precise is an old pen and to my knowledge the design has never been updated and as a result it doesn’t really look like many other pens on the market.  The body has a marbled appearance that to me looks like clouds.  The ribbed grip is comfortable but not soft.  I haven’t been a fan of the looks of this pen in the past and my opinion hasn’t changed; it’s ugly.

The Pilot Precise comes in two widths 0.7mm (P-700) and 0.5mm (P-500) and five colors, black, blue, red, green, and purple.  At $2.42 it’s quite affordable and if the looks don’t bother you I highly recommend it.

Here are some great reviews of the Pilot Precise P-700 / P-500:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

The Pen Bin – Pen Review: Pilot P-700 Fine Gel Roller

The Pen Addict – Review: Pilot P-500 Precise Gel Roller

The Goulet Pen Company Ink Drop November 2013

Written with Rohrer & Klingner Glass Drip Pen on Maruman Smooth-To-Write paper.
Written with a Rohrer & Klingner glass dip pen on Maruman Smooth-To-Write paper.

This month’s Goulet Pen Company Ink Drop is titled “Christmas Dreams” and includes the following inks:

De Atramentis Poppy Red (not Red Poppy as I put in the writing sample…oops)

De Atramentis Pine Green (not Aramentis…double oops)

Diamine Crimson

Diamine Kelly Green

Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Ryoku

My favorites this month are the Shin-Ryoku and the Poppy Red (reviews to follow).  From my quick first impressions none of these inks are a buy for me.  The Shin-Ryoku looks amazing when wet but it becomes a little dull when dried; it’s very similar to J Herbin Lierre de Sauvage which I think has a little bit more character and is cheaper to buy.

Ink Drop is a subscription service through The Goulet Pen Company (no affiliation) that consists of monthly shipments of 5 ink samples.  Each shipment is $10.

Uni-Ball Signo Impact RT 207 Bold 1.0mm Review

Uni Signo Impact 207 RT

The Uni-Ball Signo Impact RT 207 is a retractable gel ink pen with a bold 1.0mm tip.  I have been writing with this pen for a day now and line width is too wide for me and I don’t have small handwriting.  The ink really flows out of this pen creating an ultra smooth writing experience.  It’s actually a fun pen to write with even though I wouldn’t use it for work. The ink drys very quickly which is surprising for a gel ink pen with such a bold line.  The design isn’t overly cohesive; it has a silver barrel with a black rubberized grip, a translucent click button with blue plastic inside, and a metal tip.  It’s almost as if this pen with made from Uni’s spare parts bin.

I don’t have a use for this pen and it is a bit ugly but I do find it fun to use.  I am not sure I would recommend this pen.  The quality like all the pens in Uni’s Signo line is great but unless you need a really bold line you would likely be happier with a narrower Signo.

Morning Glory Passion Notebook Review

Morning Glory Notebook

The Morning Glory Passion notebook contains 32  7.5″ x 5.1″ sheets of lined (7mm rule) red paper.  Morning Glory calls these notebooks “Colored Inner Paper Mini Notebook”.  They come in other colors such as blue, green and yellow,.  The different colors have different sayings on them; I saw a a blue one that says “diligence” on the cover.  The notebook looks great with a bright red cover and pinkish red pages.

Morning Glory Notebook

The notebook is bound with two staples. The paper handles fountain pen ink very well.  I only saw bleed through and feathering with my Visconti Van Gogh combined with Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang.  The paper is thick and smooth.  I there was little ghosting; you can easily write on both sides of the paper.

The pages are much more red (pink) than the pictures show.
The pages are much more red (pink) than the pictures show.

Morning Glory Notebook

I really didn’t care for the Morning Glory Mach 3 but if you can handle colored pages this notebook for $2.00 is a complete home run.  The notebooks look great, handle fountain pen ink well and are ultra cheap to buy.

Morning Glory Notebook

Copic Multiliner SP 0.35mm Review

Copic Multiliner

The Copic Multiliner SP is a drawing pen similar to the Staedtler Triplus Fineliner and the Sakura Pigma Micron.  What makes the Multiliner special is that it has replaceable nibs and ink.  The Multiliner comes in 10 nib sizes and 13 colors (including black).  It is worth noting that the black pen comes in all 10 nib sizes whiles the color Multiliners come in two.  The color refills fit in the black pen so if you want a specific nib size you might be better off buying a black one and a color ink cartridge.

Copic Multiliner

The pen writes really well.  The 0.35mm tip glides nicely across the paper and lays down a crisp black line.  The tip does have some give but is not as soft as other fineliner type drawing pens.

Copic Multiliner

The body is aluminum and while it feels nice it has too much writing on the barrel for my taste.  This pen was designed to be a tool and serves its purpose well.  The pigment ink is waterproof.  The Copic Multiliner retails for $9.20 and the ink refills cost $2.30; it’s not cheap (the refills are almost two times the price of the Staedtler) but the high quality writing experience is easily worth it.  I was surprised by how much I like this pen.  I prefer Multiliner to my now former favorite the Staedtler Triplus Fineliner.

Here are some reviews of the Copic Multiliner:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Does This Pen Write? – Copic Multiliner SP

Parka Blogs – Review: Copic Multiliner SP Pen

The Pen Addict -Copic Multiliner SP 0.3 mm Cobalt Blue Review

The Pen Addict – Review: Copic Multiliner SP Black 03