Récife Fountain Pen Quick Review

Récife Fountain Pen

During my recent move I uncovered some fountain pens that I have not used in over 10 years.  One of these was a large Récife fountain pen.  Many of you may be unfamiliar with this French brand as it is not regularly discussed on pen blogs and pen forums but the brand does still exist and the pens they produce today seem to be largely the same.

Récife Fountain Pen

The red swirled acrylic body is big and beautiful.  The pen measures 6 inches long capped and with brass threading weighs 35.2 grams.  For such a large pen it is well balanced and I am able to use it comfortably both posted and unposted.

Récife Fountain Pen

The silver metal trim doesn’t seem to be fitted with much care as the words “Modele Recife Depose” are badly off center from the clip.   I have to say I am also not a fan of the Art Deco style clip; it looks cheap.

Récife Fountain Pen

The large steel two-tone Jowo nib isn’t a stunner but it is surprisingly springy and I was able to get a decent amount of line variation out of the nib.

Récife Fountain Pen

The nib isn’t the smoothest and it writes rather fine for a medium point.

Récife Fountain Pen

Today these pens go for $125+ and there are a lot of great pens for the same money.  You could get a pen with a piston filling mechanism like a Pelikan M200 or a pen with a solid gold nib like a Pilot Custom 74 but if you want a big brightly colored body with a springy nib the Recife may not be such a bad option.

 

Richard Binder’s ItaliFine Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Nib Review

Richard Binder's ItaliFine Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Nib

When I heard that Richard Binder was winding down his retail business I knew it was finally time to give one of his “ItaliFine” nibs a go.  For those of you who do not know, an ItaliFine nib is a combination nib that offers an italic point on one side and a fine point on the other.

As you can see from the pictures this nib started life as a standard 18kt gold broad nib which Mr. Binder customized into an ItaliFine.

Richard Binder's ItaliFine Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Nib

With the nib right side up the nib writes with an italic point.  This nib is a true 0.9mm italic and as such is quite sharp and offers a good deal of line variation.

Richard Binder's ItaliFine Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Nib

With the nib upside down the nib writes with a fine point.  I have found the fine side to be a bit more tricky than the italic.  The fine side does not like pressure and will skip with anything but the lightest pressure.

Richard Binder's ItaliFine Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Nib

Also the fine side of this nib is position sensitive as its opposite side is fatter and straight cut.  For me there was a short learning curve with this nib and now that I have it down, it is a wonderful nib that has transformed my Pilot Vanishing Point into a pen that is now a joy to use.  The cost of this nib while still available is $125 and that is expensive for a VP nib but it really works as two nibs that you can use in the same pen on the fly…it’s worth it.

Side Note: Some of you may have noticed that I have been gone for a little while.  I have been in the process of moving and I am still working on getting my office (The Unroyal Warrant HQ) set up but as of today I am mostly operational, a new computer and some new furniture is on its way but I will be able to provide regular content 1-3 times a week going forward.

The Unroyal Warrant HQ

 

Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad / Notepad Review

DSC_0095

As I said earlier in my review of the Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover, I love items that bridge my interests, and while the Rhodia Clic Bloc combines my love of pens with my love of technology it hasn’t exactly won me over.

The Clic Bloc is a notepad that doubles as a mouse pad and unfortunately serving double duty makes it both a bad notepad and a bad mouse pad.

The pad measures 7.5″ x 9″, contains 30 sheets and has a nonskid backing.  The Clic Bloc looks like a regular Rhodia notepad with an orange flip over cover, only the Clic Bloc does not have a cover, it is merely a color picture of a folded cover that even has a shadow line.

Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad / Note Pad

It is nice that they want this product to look like the other notepads in their line but to me it is a waste of space to print a fake folded cover on every page.  I also don’t like that “www. bloc-rhodia.com” is printed on the bottom.

Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad / Note Pad

The paper is the same 80g paper that Rhodia is famous for and of course it performs superbly with fountain pen ink.  No bleeding or feathering.

Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad / Note Pad

It should also be noted that the grid is only on one side of the paper, the opposite side is completely blank.  The pad is bound with glue on the bottom and left edges and tears off easily.  Because its glued on the left it isn’t going to work well for left handed people as the paper is not going to stay put when you brush against the pad.

As a mousepad, the nonskid backing is not as secure as a regular mousepad but it works well enough.

Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad / Note Pad
The backing of the Clic Bloc

I found no tracking issues using the pad but I found the edges of the pad to be uncomfortable to brush up against while moving the mouse around and this is ultimately what caused me to stop using it.  It’s just not comfortable.

Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood Multi-Pen 0.5mm Review

Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood Multi-Pen 0.5mm

The Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood is one of the many pens I picked up on my trip to Japan that I have yet to review.

Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood Multi-Pen 0.5mm

Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood Multi-Pen 0.5mm

The Frixion Ball 4 Wood is a multi-pen that features four erasable gel ball points, a wood grip and an attractive brown and black body.

Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood Multi-Pen 0.5mm

This is one of the best looking multi-pens I have used and it has a very high quality feel, weighing in at 26.7 grams.  It is a well built pen with a satin brown plastic body that is completely free of seams.  The section is made of wood and metal and is what gives the pen its nice weight.

Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood Multi-Pen 0.5mm

It is fair to say I love everything about this pen except for the way it writes.  The erasable Frixion ink looks nasty.  The colors are washed out and the lines aren’t particularly clean.  It is a smooth writer especially for a 0.5mm pen but it’s not a winner for me.

Pilot Frixion Ball 4 Wood Multi-Pen 0.5mm

The price is also prohibitive at 3,000 YEN (just under $30USD); that is three time the price of the Uni Pure Malt which while not as nicely made offers a better writing experience with Uni Jetstream ink.

Frixion Ball 4 Wood with Unit Pure Malt
Frixion Ball 4 Wood with Unit Pure Malt

I am quite smitten with the body so I am going to try and see what other refills will work in the Frixion Ball 4 Wood.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen Review

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen Review

I have been collecting fountain pens for a little while now and have made a few poor purchases.  My most expensive blunder has been this pen, a Montblanc 149 Meisterstück.  (If you want just want to hear about the 149 as a pen skip down to the “Appearance” section.)

There is a well-regarded pen catalog (whose name I will not mention) and the best pens are purchased almost instantly upon release of the catalog so you don’t have much time to think.

The 1960s 149 that I had wanted sold before I had a chance so I jumped on the still available 1972 model and paid a hefty premium as it was new-old-stock.

The pen arrived in the original box with the original guarantee and with the sticker still on the pen.  When I took off the cap and found that the nib was tarnished and the rhodium plate had disappeared in spots.  The pen must have been dipped at one point and then put away uncleaned.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück
This is how I received the pen. With some light polishing with a jewelers cloth I was able to get rid of most of the orange tarnish.

I contacted the catalog owner and to his credit he offered a few fair options: 1) lower the price, 2) re-plate the nib, or 3) refund my money.  I foolishly became attached to the pen and decided to go for the lower price when I should have simply returned the pen.  Oh well…

Appearance

When I first saw a 149 in person years ago I thought it looked like a ridiculous cartoon pen; it is just so large.  I have come around to liking the looks of it’s imposing size but if I am honest I would be embarrassed to use this pen at work…or around people in general.

The streamlined shape with black resin and gold furniture is a classic and this pen really is the archetype for a luxury fountain pen. The 149 is an icon much like a Rolex Submariner and as such there are many lookalikes.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

The 149 has the best shape of any pen in the Meisterstück line. It is more cigar-like than the other Meisterstücks, which tend to have a longer and thinner profiles. There isn’t too much to say other than it’s a classic and a very attractive shape.

Score: 4/5

Build Quality

Montblanc has been producing the 149 since the late 1940s/early 1950s and there have been numerous iterations. The first models were the best quality and as such are the most valuable. So what about my early 1970s model? In my opinion, the Meisterstück line has gotten worse over time.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

My 149 is made from plastic (“precious resin”) and has a plastic piston mechanism (not the metal telescopic one from the 50s and early 60s nor the metal one in the current 149). The barrel is a single piece of plastic compared to the modern two-piece barrel, which is cheaper to manufacture.  The plastic is soft and scratches easily.  Montblanc finishes the plastic with a very high shine so it is possible to polish out scratches if they are not too deep.

The tri-color nib is made of a soft 14ct gold with a solid ebonite feed instead of the plastic feed and stiffer 18kt tri-color nib on the modern 149.  Montblanc produces all of their nibs in house and hand grinds and hand finishes each nib.  If you look closely you will see that the slit between the tines doesn’t quite line up with the design.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

One sore point on my pen is the plating on the nib. The rhodium (white metal) plating seems to have come off a bit. Which is something that shouldn’t really happen on a pen this expensive. I have confirmed through accounts of members of the Fountain Pen Network that this is not that uncommon for Montblanc pens.

Overall I would consider the build good but not great for a pen this expensive.

Score: 2/5

Size & Weight

One of the benefits of the plastic piston mechanism is that it keeps the weight down to 29.3 grams (empty). The 149 is the fattest pen I own and for me it is too fat to use comfortably for a longer period of time.  See the picture below…

Left to right: Aurora Afrika, Nakaya Naka-ai Negoro Shiro-tamenuri, Romillo Essential No. 9, Montblanc 149 (early 70s), Soennecken 1 Extra
Left to right: Aurora Afrika, Nakaya Naka-ai Negoro Shiro-tamenuri, Romillo Essential No. 9, Montblanc 149, Soennecken 1 Extra

Even though this pen doesn’t have the biggest nib it clearly has the fattest section by a big margin.

The pen measures just under 15cm long and 1.6cm at it’s widest point.  The grip section is about 1.3cm in diameter which is the most oversized measurement of the entire pen.  You can post this pen but there really is no need to do so as it is a hair over 13cm long uncapped.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

There are people with small hands and people large hands that love this pen so don’t assume that it wont work for you.  If you want a 149 I highly suggest to you try before you buy.  One of the major perks of owning a Montblanc is that there are many boutiques all over the world so they are easy to purchase and service.  It is worth mentioning that pens serviced by Montblanc may be repaired with modern (often less desirable) parts.

Score: 2/5

Performance

The big OB nib is a great performer. The nib has long tines that make the nib soft and springy. The OB point is more round than the points on the older 1950s nibs.  The rounder the nib the less line variation but the tradeoff is that nib is less position sensitive. Given the choice I much prefer the flatter nib.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

The nib does allow for some line variation with pressure; it is much better than most modern pens in this regard.

Score: 4/5

Filling System

One of the benefits of the 149 is the massive 2.7ml ink capacity. By comparison the average converter holds about 0.5ml of ink and the average piston filler holds about 1.0ml.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

The piston is very smooth and the striped ink window is ultra clear and has remained easy to clean.  One thing that I don’t care for is the amount of play in the piston knob once loosened; it hasn’t caused any problems but it doesn’t instill confidence.

If ink capacity is your top priority this may be the pen for you.

Score: 4/5

Value

Used, these pens can be had for around $300-$400. The 1960s versions go for a bit more and the 1950s models are usually over $1,000.  For $300 you get an impressive looking iconic pen that non-pen people will notice and appreciate; if that sort of thing is important to you, I can assure you wont do better for the money.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

New, the 149 costs around $900 and for me there many other pens that I prefer in terms of quality and comfort but none can really match the imposing presence of the 149.  If you want something with true snob appeal the $900 might be justifiable.

Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen

Score: 3/5

Bottom Line

The 149 is fat….fat price, fat size, fat snob appeal.

Final Score 17/30

Here are some great reviews of the Montblanc 149:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Inky Journal – Montblanc Meisterstück no 149 (fine) Review 

Best Fountain Pen – Montblanc 149 Meisterstuck Fountain Pen Review

What! No Tea and Scones? – Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 Review

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Agenda Cover Review

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

I love items that crossover my interests and the Hermès Ostrich GM notebook/agenda cover is just such an item.  It combines my interest in stationery with my interest in fine leather craftsmanship.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

The agenda is Hermès’ GM size which stands for “Grand Modèle” and is their second smallest agenda.  The cover measures 9 cm wide x just over 13 cm long.

The cover is made out of a beautiful natural color ostrich skin (the pictures look much more orange). Ostrich is a bit of an obnoxious looking exotic leather but once you get past that it really is an excellent and long lasting skin.  Hermès puts blind stamps in all of their products which allows me to date this cover to 1997 and at 17 years old it doesn’t look too bad.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

The saddle stitch is done by hand and is of the highest quality.  The benefits of a saddle stitch is strength and repairability.  If a stitch becomes loose it can be easily repaired by an Hermès craftsman.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

Hermès uses very high quality stationery grade paper in every notebook and agenda that I have seen and this is no exception.  The GM size comes in a number formats to choose from.  There are two agenda styles as well as a blank notebook and a lined notebook.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

I normally prefer the lined version but they were out of it so I ended up with the blank version.  The paper is very thin with a gilded edge but it holds fountain pen ink like a champion. The only bleeding I saw was with the Pilot Hi-Tecpoint V10 which is a fat juicy 1.0mm roller ball.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

There is minimal ghosting which is impressive for a paper so thin.  The corners of the pages are perforated so that you can quickly jump to where you left off.  The binding is ring bound with a split in the middle that allows you to bend the notebook into the clips of the agenda cover.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

The blank and lined notebooks are $30 each and the agenda refills are $100+.  As for the agenda cover the last time I checked it was right around $1,000.  There is no denying that this is a luxury product; nobody needs a small notebook cover that is this expensive.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

You can find these notebooks second hand for around $100-$200 depending on condition but be warned that there are fakes; Hermès wont sell anything with sloppy workmanship so check for tight saddle stitching a clean Hermès imprint.  If you go used I recommend Japanese sellers as Japan has very strict laws on selling fakes.

Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover

I recently had the cover serviced by the Hermès craftsman in San Francisco and it cost $125 to spruce it up which is something Hermès recommends every three years.

 

Romillo Essential No 9 Fountain Pen First Look!

My Romillo Essential No. 9 has finally arrived.  While I take some time to get to know the pen I thought I would share some pictures and some first impressions.

Left to right: Aurora Afrika, Nakaya Naka-ai Negoro Shiro-tamenuri, Romillo Essential No. 9, Montblanc 149 (early 70s), Soennecken 1 Extra
Left to right: Aurora Afrika, Nakaya Naka-ai Negoro Shiro-tamenuri, Romillo Essential No. 9, Montblanc 149 (early 70s), Soennecken 1 Extra

Since this pen has the biggest nib I have ever used I put it up next to some other big nib fountain pens for comparison.

Romillo Essential No 9 Fountain Pen

This italic 0.7mm nib feels like no other nib I have ever used.  It’s very soft and produces nice line variation without feeling sharp; this is a bit weird because there definitely is a sweet spot and it’s not small but without the normal feedback it isn’t as easy to find.

Romillo Essential No 9 Fountain Pen

The pen is very comfortable in hand, and is not overly fat like a 149.  The threading that attaches the barrel to the section is all brass and as a result the pen is nose heavy.  The Essential has a very long section which is a feature that I love but seldom see.

The threading on the cap isn’t very smooth and I worry about twisting the cap too far.  The shape of the pen is beautiful but subtle in its design.

The ebonite body is nicely polished and feels warm to the touch.  I requested to have the nib coated with rhodium and I had them add a rhodium coated solid silver lentil/roll stopper added.

The packaging and presentation was really nice:

Romillo Essential No 9 Fountain Pen

Warrant information, certificate with all the pens information, and two nib test pages.
Warrant information, certificate with all the pens information, and two nib test pages.
A beautiful wood box containing the pen, eye dropper and instructions, as well as a bottle of ink (which leaked a bit), and a nice pen wrap.
A beautiful wood box containing the pen, eye dropper and instructions, as well as a bottle of ink (which leaked a bit), and a nice pen wrap.

So far I am loving the pen…I will give a full review once I have more time with it.

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Roller Ball Pen Review

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Roller Ball Pen

I received this pen as gift and while it was a lovely gesture, I didn’t like the pen.  Touching a perfectly polished piece of sterling silver was unpleasant for me.  I tried using it but found that I was spending more time polishing it with the robin’s egg blue Tiffany sleeve than actually writing with it.

Recently, upon cleaning out some drawers I found the pen again and started using it.  This time I told myself I wouldn’t endlessly try to polish the pen I would just use it.

The pen is a very simple straight sterling silver cylinder with a clip that has been engraved “T & CO”, “925” (92.5% silver), “1837” (Tiffany’s founding year).  Around the bottom of the cap reads “Tiffany & Co. 925” and “Germany”.

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Roller Ball Pen

The pen weighs 27.4 grams and measures 14cm long and 1cm wide.  This is a pretty thin pen but I have found it comfortable enough to write with for a longer period of time.

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Roller Ball Pen

I believe that this pen is manufactured for Tiffany & Co. by Waldmann of Germany.  The grip section is a seamless resin with a stainless steel (?) point that does not match the sterling silver on the cap and barrel.  It is quite noticeable to me that these two silver colored metals do not match.

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Roller Ball Pen

The Tiffany branded Schmidt rollerball refill writes well but it’s nothing noteworthy.  I am going to see if I can find a fineliner refill for this pen.

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Roller Ball Pen

The more I use the pen the more I like sterling silver as a pen material.  Sterling silver evolves sort of like a urushi lacquer and I like that.

From what I can tell these pens cost about $200 which isn’t a terrible price for solid sterling silver though this isn’t something I would buy for myself but I like it nonetheless.

I think I see a sterling silver Yard-O-Led fountain pen in my future.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen Review

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

The Aurora Afrika is the first in Aurora’s Continents series of limited edition pens. Each pen is based on Aurora’s top-of-the-line Optima, which is one of my favorite modern fountain pens. Aurora produced 7,500 Afrika fountain pens and I have acquired No. 2486.

 

Appearance

The Afrika looks like an Optima but with some key improvements. The shiny black resin section and end caps have been replaced with matte black resin. The cap ring has been improved with a deeper and more intricate engraving that provides much more contrast.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

The clip is engraved with the shape of Africa and the finial is engraved with the pen’s number and features a “precious deep-black Onyx”.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

 

The body is made out of a marbled “Land of Afrika” resin that is a gorgeous orangish gold color with black swirls. This resin has a lot of depth, much more than an “Auroloide” Optima.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

The large and beautiful 18kt gold nib shares the same design as the Optima and other high-end Auroras.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

The design of the Optima is uniquely Aurora and while it looks like no other pen, I do have to admit that its stocky appearance has not always been my favorite. With some key enhancements the Afrika has more than just a great personality, it has a beautiful face as well.

Score: 4.5/5

 

Build Quality

Let’s start with a confession; I recently broke my Aurora Optima. The piston knob came off. I set the pen down with the piston unscrewed to attend to something else and when I came back to it I suspect that I turned it the wrong way without thinking and off it came. This is the first pen I have broken in very long time, ten years maybe. It is now on holiday in Italy for the time being.

It is possible that the glue failed but I am waiting to hear Aurora’s assessment before I make any judgements.

For all intents and purposes the Afrika is of the same build quality as the Optima. The engraving on the cap ring is the only thing that stands out to me as an improvement…the other differences I sighted in the appearance section are merely a more tasteful selection of materials and design choices.

Note the different African tribal shields.
Note the different African tribal shields.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

Even though I broke my Optima I still believe that it is one of the highest quality fountain pens money can buy. Like the Optima, the Afrika has the smoothest piston mechanism I have used and the fit and finish are flawless. Aurora makes their own nibs in-house and uses solid ebonite feeds…I don’t think there is more that I can ask for.

Score: 5/5

 

Size & Weight

The Aurora Optima first appeared in the late 1930s as a competitor to my favorite vintage pen, the OMAS Extra Lucens.

1938 OMAS Extra Lucens

One of the things that Aurora got right that almost all vintage Italian makers missed was girth. Aurora made fat pens. Anything other than the senior and oversized models from OMAS, Ancora, Montegrappa, Columbus and so on are too skinny for me to use comfortably but the medium and small Auroras are comfortable because they are fat.

The Afrika takes after the vintage Optima’s 1930s proportions. Measuring just 5.1” with a section diameter of 0.4”; that’s the same size my Nakaya Naka-ai and my OMAS Paragon which each measure almost 6” long.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen
Notice how much of the body is the section compared to the OMAS above.

The section is fat but unlike my Nakaya and OMAS the grip section is also very long which makes the Afrika (and Optima) one of the most comfortable pens on the market. The section is big enough to accommodate almost any grip style.

The Afrika is ever so slightly heavier than the Optima weighing in at 22.2 grams which still makes the Afrika a lightweight pen by any measure.

When it comes to size and weight the Optima is appropriately named….it gets everything right (as does its African sibling).

Score: 5/5

 

Performance

As I mentioned earlier, Aurora makes all of their nibs in-house and as such their nibs feel different than any other manufacturers. Aurora’s obliques, stubs and italics are sharper than any other big brands I have come across.

Aurora’s round pointed nibs have more feedback than most other quality brands as well. They are more or the less the opposite of the buttery smooth nibs Visconti is known for and as such Aurora’s nibs can be polarizing.

People love them or hate them. I for one like the feedback because it helps me slow down my cursive and really focus on properly forming my letters (don’t look at my writing sample)….if a Visconti nib is a rollerball (which slides all over the place) the Aurora is like a pencil…you feel in control.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

My Optima has a 14kt gold nib and the Afrika has an 18kt gold nib and while the design and shape are all the same I have noticed some differences using a small sampling of each. Both nibs are nails…one isn’t more flexible than the other but the 18kt nibs seem to have a finer line width than the 14kt gold ones that I have tested.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen
The ebonite feed holds a lot of ink thanks to it’s many fins.

Another great thing about these nibs is that they can be easily swapped. The nib units unscrew out of the sections just like Pelikans do and with Aurora’s wide range of exotic nibs there is a lot to chose from. I should warn you though that their nibs are expensive. Street price for the 18kt gold nibs are $420 ($440 for italics, stubs and obliques). The 14kt gold nibs are $300 ($320 for italics, stubs and obliques).

All of my Aurora pens have been flawless performers out of the box and the Afrika is no exception.

Score: 5/5

 

Filling System

The Afrika is a piston filler that holds 1.1ml of ink which is more than most converters but less than many full sized piston fountain pens. The Afrika also features Aurora’s “reserve tank” technology. When the pen runs out of ink you twist the piston knob all the way and the “reserve tank” is activated, allowing you to write for a couple more pages.

Personally I find the reserve tank annoying. It makes it difficult to clean the pen and change ink colors because with the piston fully depressed there is still water or ink left in the pen by design.

Score: 1.5/5

 

Value

Aurora recently raised their prices and the Afrika now retails for $1,075 but these pens can be found new in box on that auction site for around $350-$400. I picked up mine used for about $250 which is oddly less than you can get a used Optima for (these pens seem to be under the radar for the time being).

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

The authorized dealer street price is about $860 which when compared to a Montblanc 149 doesn’t seem crazy but the 149’s $935 price is only justified by people who view it as a status symbol and that’s something the Aurora cannot offer.

Also I should point out that the Afrika is a limited edition of 7,500 pieces and even though this pen has been out for more than 5 years Aurora dealers still have brand new inventory to sell.   It seems as though Aurora made too many and is asking too much.

Aurora Afrika Fountain Pen

Score: 3/5

 

Bottom Line

The Afrika is truly sublime and presents a tremendous value on the secondhand market.

Final Score 24/30

 

Field Notes Unexposed Edition First Look

Field Notes Unexposed Edition

Here is the top secret outer cover of Field Notes’ most recent limited edition….plain black and nondescript.

Field Notes Unexposed Edition

I opened the package and MY EYES!  So bold! So intense!  They are all color wheel near opposites.

Field Notes Unexposed Edition

The interiors feature a reverse color scheme which is even harder on my eyes to look at than the covers.  My first impression is negative…the covers are just too bright.