New Aurora Alpha

[Bullet Bob]

I started using fountain pens a few years ago. My first was a Pilot Falcon, loved/love it. Then a Platinum, and a Sailor came along - I gave the Platinum to an old friend a while ago. I wanted to buy a pen from Europe, and after a lot of research bought this Aurora Alpha in Florentine Sky which was delivered today. I know a lot of people only like black pens, but I'm not that manly. Even more don't like metal gripping sections, so they can moooove along. I have fairly large hands, and it fits me perfectly. My Pilot has a Fine nib, medium-fine for the Sailor, and Medium for this new blue beauty.

This pen is more beautiful than the pictures I've seen online, or that I can take. It's hard to really capture it because it changes with the light.

http://www.fototime.com/E55E7141EF23925/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/211EACD56F2973B/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/9F3F6E112E212A7/standard.jpg

Let's get out some ink and try it out:

http://www.fototime.com/7C31575775C7763/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/D2158E4D7D88A16/standard.jpg

It writes at least as well as my Sailor, and that's high praise from me. Any kinks you see in the writing are from me - I have some neuropathy in my right forearm and hand from an old elbow injury. It has a larger converter and ink cartridge than my Japanese pens. Hopefully it will match the others in easy starting and reliability over time.

Since I have my photo hosting site up, here's a picture of the Japanese three - The tortoise in the middle is the long gone Platinum:

http://www.fototime.com/C53FFDCA227ABDF/standard.jpg

[stub]

oh, that tort. lovely.

[SeminarianMike]

Converter filling system? I'm really tempted to get an aurora

[Bullet Bob]

Yes, converter/cartridge system. As mentioned in my first post, they're larger than the ones in the three Japanese pens I've owned.

[Lady Onogaro]

Is the section on the Aurora comfortable? (I usually don't like metal sections because they are slippery, but that one looks like it might not be comfortable for long stretches of writing.)

[Bullet Bob]

It is to me (in fact I love it), but researching the net before my purchase revealed many people don't like metal sections; so I guess each individual will have a different opinion.

[wangminze]

What is that pen with the blue celluloid in the photo taken with the other Japanese pens? I apologize if I missed it in the post.

[Bullet Bob]

That's a Sailor Pro Gear. The blue you see only shows up in sunshine; inside it looks mostly green with some black. It was my favorite pen, until I got this Aurora. It'll be interesting to me to see if I still feel the same way after a couple of months.

[wangminze]

It was my favorite pen, until I got this Aurora. It'll be interesting to me to see if I still feel the same way after a couple of months.

When I got my first Pelikan, I had to change my opinion on all my other pens! I was surprised by how fast my feelings changed toward my Pilot CH. But just like you said, I also wonder how it might change coming months.
Oh by the way, do you know the model of that Sailor? I didn't know their Pro Gears came in celluloid like that one. It looks so nice in the sun!
---
Just took a little look on google. Is it the green mosaic?

[Bullet Bob]

Yes, as far as I can remember, which isn't all that far. :confused: I bought it from nibs.com, and last time I looked they no longer had it in green.