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Thread: Regal Man-Made Diamond Clip Fountain Pen Review

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    Post Regal Man-Made Diamond Clip Fountain Pen Review

    Looks – (8/10) – The overall looks of this pen are nice. Very regal, elegant, and professional. Overall black with very nice chrome accents all around the pen…..of course they lead you to the “crown jewel”; a fake diamond set on top of the cap. The “jewel” really gives the pen an extra beauty without yelling “LOOK AT THIS DIAMOND ON MY PEN”. The only bad thing about the looks of this pen is that in direct sunlight or even just very bright light, the body of the pen appears more charcoal than a pure black like it does when it is in “average light”. This is not a design feature because when it is in full light it doesn’t look even or even meant to be, it just seems like it was a “cheaper option”. But to be honest most of the time I don’t take this pen into the amount of light that I would actually see it, and it stays at work where the lighting makes it look black as it should.

    Gallery of images:
    https://imgur.com/a/L6ic9


    Construction – (10/10) – Overall the construction is good. I have been using this pen exclusively for a few weeks now and I have not found anything rubbing off, coming loose, or cracking. To be completely honest this is my first Chinese pen and I had the stereo type in my head that there was going to be at least one or more cheap part that felt cheap and or cracked within a few weeks or something. However I’m please to say I did not anything wrong with it in regards to the manufacturing process or even the quality of materials used. The pen also has a very good weight to it. Much of the weight is in the cap so once you uncap the pen and write with it unposted the pen isn’t “heavy” and quiet pleasant.

    The Cap – (9/10) – The cap is solid. The majority of the weight is in it as well as the unique “diamond”. As for functionality the cap works perfectly well. The cap is a snap cap and it can be taken off with just one hand, but it is preferable with two. Putting the cap on is more of a unique experience, sort of like one of those “non-slamming” cabinets. When you put the cap on it will slow down, get a little tight and just about 2mm before the cap would be seated the cap is suddenly snapped into the fully seated position with a fairly loud click. This experience isn’t bad, or good for that matter, it is just slightly different, but not different enough to interfere with ordinary use of the pen. The only thing that I would say is wrong with the cap is it doesn’t seal the nib very well. After even 2 days sitting in a drawer the pen is hard to start. Taking more than a few strokes to persuade the ink to come out.

    The clip – ( 0 / 10) – To put it simply this clip is unusable. And I don’t mean that in the meme sense. The clip looks nice having a nice decoration to it, so the clip fits with the rest of the pen beautifully. However, the material is so strong and stiff that it is impossible to clip the pen onto anything. I cannot do a “pinching method” to open the clip (Visconti pinch) because it won’t budge. The only way I can get the clip to move is to have my fingernail underneath, even then I can only raise it a few millimeters until my nail feels like it will be coming off. Even when I use my nail to open it it is not an angle that I can use to slide it in a pocket or anything. Aside from the stiffness there is no curve or “ball” at the end of the clip so attempting to force any clothing or item underneath the clip is also impossible. Other than adding an ascetic look to the pen the clip might as well not been there.

    The Grip (5 / 10) – The grip is thinner than I would prefer but that isn’t my bigger problem with it. My problem with the grip section is that it is slippery. The section has some curve to it but it is subtle enough not to provide any grip to counteract it being slippery. Other than the curve there is nothing else to prevent slipping. So personally my fingers get a little sweaty when I’m writing over a half page straight. However when my fingers get like this it is hard to hold this pen anymore.

    The Nib – (6 / 10) – The nib does look nice with the two toned gold plating on it, but in terms of performance the nib on the Regal is just OK. It does skip randomly especially when writing quick or performing larger flairs on a “y” or a “g”. It doesn’t happen every time but it seems to happen anywhere from 3-8 times per page. The nib also is not smooth but it is not scratchy, the best way I can describe it is that the nib “has more friction” than pencil on paper. It isn’t bad, but it is not something I would expect for a medium sized nib.

    Price – (7 / 10) – For $28 this pen certainly is on par for its price range. It is also one of the better looking pens at this price point especially with the “diamond” on top that doesn’t look fake and is seated elegantly. However because it isn’t the smoothest writer and other pens at or lower price points might be smoother. So for this category I can only give it a 7 because while it is solidly built, it doesn’t beat out the competition to make it a must get.

    Conclusion – (6.4/10) – This pen overall is good. Solid construction, great looking but when it comes to performing as a pen it is less than perfect. With a slippery grip, a nib that isn’t smooth that skips randomly, it is hard for me to say it is a good buy. But I do want to emphasize that it isn’t bad by any mean. For those who generally have dry fingers or for those who don’t care about a skip every now and then this pen will work beautifully for you. Personally I would prefer a more reliable writer with a usable clip.

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    Default Re: Regal Man-Made Diamond Clip Fountain Pen Review

    Thanks for the review of a brand that is not often mentioned. The pen looks interesting but conservative enough. I've been intrigued by the Regal brand. They always have a table at the Dallas Pen Show, so they must be doing okay.

    As far as the nib goes, I realize that you're reviewing it out of the box, and it's fair. But for your own usage of the pen, sounds like the nib can be smoothed out and have the ink flow fixed by using some high-grid modeling sanding pads. Any nibs that are straight and have tipping materials can be made to write the way you want it.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Default Re: Regal Man-Made Diamond Clip Fountain Pen Review

    Quote Originally Posted by penwash View Post
    I realize that you're reviewing it out of the box
    Yes I review pens "out of the box" the reason for this is I am interested in the baseline of the pen. Yes any pen can be smoothed or altered....but the success of that is based on either the individual user or the person they send the nib to. Also if a pen out of the box is scratchy then the buyer will know they need to send it to a nib smith..so that way someone can have the information of if the looks of the pen is worth them knowing they will need to send the pen off to make the nib better or not.

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