rpsyed
July 28th, 2015, 12:23 PM
Review: Newton Orville
http://i.imgur.com/CDB9u87.jpg
Newton Orville, medium-size, Bob's Deep Forest Sunglow Alumilite, bulb-filler, solid 14k gold roll-stop, and oversized #8 18k nib. Photo by Shawn Newton, shared with permission.
First Impressions
http://i.imgur.com/pbYVmls.jpg
Orville compared with Romillo Eo #9
The pen arrived packaged securely in a purple coffee tumbler with the Newton Pens logo on it. Along with the pen came some literature about Newton Pens and a short handwritten note from Shawn. The pen itself was clothed in a handmade pen sleeve. It’s not super hard or sturdy but it definitely will protect the pen from minor scratches and things. It’s a well-made sleeve and a nice touch. After I spent a few minutes admiring the pen, I inked it up with Diamine Blue Velvet. Shawn has five filling system for his customers to choose from: c/c, eyedropper, button, piston, and bulb - which was my choice. The pen was my first bulb-filler and it’s a really neat system. Very simple and holds a ton of ink. After a couple squeezes, the ink the the triangle 150th Anniversary Diamine bottle dropped a considerable amount for a single pen fill.
Appearance and Finish
http://i.imgur.com/FW2aiOy.jpg
#8 JoWo nib and #9 Romillo nib
The pen was wonderfully polished and the Alumilite resin used had a wonderful depth and pearlescence that can be hard to capture on camera. The solid-gold roll-stop is just what I hoped for. I got one on my Romillo Eo #9 and liked it so much I wanted it on this pen too. Shawn works with a jeweler who can make custom roll-stops, clips, and other trim out of sterling and solid gold. My roll-stop is very simple, but Shawn and his jeweler have worked on incredibly intricate overlays in precious metals. It’s an awesome collaboration that allows the buyer to really customize their pen (so long as they’re willing to pay for it).
http://i.imgur.com/I6ci0Xq.jpg
#6 JoWo nib and #8 JoWo nib
Both are roughly the same height but the #8 is much wider. It's an attractive and good-quality nib. The #6 nib has a plastic feed and the #8 has an ebonite feed.
Comparison with some other pens
http://i.imgur.com/5zmEXmo.jpg
Romillo Eo #9, Newton Orville, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari, Nakaya Piccolo, Pilot Vanishing Point
Nib and Performance
http://i.imgur.com/LqV6FMV.jpg
Nib design
I initially ordered a broad nib, ground to a stub. I later changed my mind and decided I wanted a fine/medium round nib so that I could more easily use it as an everyday writer. Shawn said he could order a #8-size medium or fine nib from Germany but it would take a month, or he could grind the broad #8 nib he had in stock down to a F/M nib. I asked him to grind it down and Shawn did a fantastic job. The nib has a bit of feedback, that is very pleasant. Flow is on the wet side, which is what I asked for. As I was testing the the pen out, I handed it to my mom, who was close by. My mom appreciates a good pen herself. After she had written a few words with it, she stopped to comment on how nicely it wrote.
I’ve only heard good things about Shawn’s nib work and it held true in my case. I would have no qualms about sending even the most valuable and precious of my nibs to Shawn for work.
Cost/Value and Conclusion
http://i.imgur.com/XjUdnSN.jpg
Solid 14k roll-stop.
Everything all added up, this pen was around $580. Not a cheap pen, by any means. But it got me a handmade pen, with a bulb-filling mechanism, a unique and attractive resin, a solid 14k roll-stop, and an oversized gold nib. I think I got an absolute bargain. It should be clear at this point, but I really love this pen. Shawn did a fantastic job. I was so impressed within a few weeks of owning it, I ordered a second Newton, one that will use the giant handmade nib that Shawn and his jeweler are offering to customers. Shawn’s pens are not cheap. Any product handmade by an artisan in a developed country with high labor costs is going to cost a pretty penny, but what the buyer gets is an object where you can feel the passion of the maker in every square millimeter of it.
The following are pictures that Shawn took during the making of the pen. Shawn gave me permission to share them.
http://i.imgur.com/JQE2Kmz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cY4LN9i.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gV9MHAN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ieewmzK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ScFiHFA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CoOWghV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fUhLzQJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CDB9u87.jpg
Newton Orville, medium-size, Bob's Deep Forest Sunglow Alumilite, bulb-filler, solid 14k gold roll-stop, and oversized #8 18k nib. Photo by Shawn Newton, shared with permission.
First Impressions
http://i.imgur.com/pbYVmls.jpg
Orville compared with Romillo Eo #9
The pen arrived packaged securely in a purple coffee tumbler with the Newton Pens logo on it. Along with the pen came some literature about Newton Pens and a short handwritten note from Shawn. The pen itself was clothed in a handmade pen sleeve. It’s not super hard or sturdy but it definitely will protect the pen from minor scratches and things. It’s a well-made sleeve and a nice touch. After I spent a few minutes admiring the pen, I inked it up with Diamine Blue Velvet. Shawn has five filling system for his customers to choose from: c/c, eyedropper, button, piston, and bulb - which was my choice. The pen was my first bulb-filler and it’s a really neat system. Very simple and holds a ton of ink. After a couple squeezes, the ink the the triangle 150th Anniversary Diamine bottle dropped a considerable amount for a single pen fill.
Appearance and Finish
http://i.imgur.com/FW2aiOy.jpg
#8 JoWo nib and #9 Romillo nib
The pen was wonderfully polished and the Alumilite resin used had a wonderful depth and pearlescence that can be hard to capture on camera. The solid-gold roll-stop is just what I hoped for. I got one on my Romillo Eo #9 and liked it so much I wanted it on this pen too. Shawn works with a jeweler who can make custom roll-stops, clips, and other trim out of sterling and solid gold. My roll-stop is very simple, but Shawn and his jeweler have worked on incredibly intricate overlays in precious metals. It’s an awesome collaboration that allows the buyer to really customize their pen (so long as they’re willing to pay for it).
http://i.imgur.com/I6ci0Xq.jpg
#6 JoWo nib and #8 JoWo nib
Both are roughly the same height but the #8 is much wider. It's an attractive and good-quality nib. The #6 nib has a plastic feed and the #8 has an ebonite feed.
Comparison with some other pens
http://i.imgur.com/5zmEXmo.jpg
Romillo Eo #9, Newton Orville, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari, Nakaya Piccolo, Pilot Vanishing Point
Nib and Performance
http://i.imgur.com/LqV6FMV.jpg
Nib design
I initially ordered a broad nib, ground to a stub. I later changed my mind and decided I wanted a fine/medium round nib so that I could more easily use it as an everyday writer. Shawn said he could order a #8-size medium or fine nib from Germany but it would take a month, or he could grind the broad #8 nib he had in stock down to a F/M nib. I asked him to grind it down and Shawn did a fantastic job. The nib has a bit of feedback, that is very pleasant. Flow is on the wet side, which is what I asked for. As I was testing the the pen out, I handed it to my mom, who was close by. My mom appreciates a good pen herself. After she had written a few words with it, she stopped to comment on how nicely it wrote.
I’ve only heard good things about Shawn’s nib work and it held true in my case. I would have no qualms about sending even the most valuable and precious of my nibs to Shawn for work.
Cost/Value and Conclusion
http://i.imgur.com/XjUdnSN.jpg
Solid 14k roll-stop.
Everything all added up, this pen was around $580. Not a cheap pen, by any means. But it got me a handmade pen, with a bulb-filling mechanism, a unique and attractive resin, a solid 14k roll-stop, and an oversized gold nib. I think I got an absolute bargain. It should be clear at this point, but I really love this pen. Shawn did a fantastic job. I was so impressed within a few weeks of owning it, I ordered a second Newton, one that will use the giant handmade nib that Shawn and his jeweler are offering to customers. Shawn’s pens are not cheap. Any product handmade by an artisan in a developed country with high labor costs is going to cost a pretty penny, but what the buyer gets is an object where you can feel the passion of the maker in every square millimeter of it.
The following are pictures that Shawn took during the making of the pen. Shawn gave me permission to share them.
http://i.imgur.com/JQE2Kmz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cY4LN9i.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gV9MHAN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ieewmzK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ScFiHFA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CoOWghV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fUhLzQJ.jpg