I saw this pen a few months back in Aluminum, I loved the idea of having a moka pot in my hand for writing, but $175 was outside of my price range.
Recently I saw that PenHero had the acrylic version (Chiaroscuro) for $60 which seemed reasonable
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Appearance:
BEAUTIFUL! Aesthetics must be a big part of this design; and has been beautifully executed great attention to detail in engraving and alignment of the pearlescent parts of the acrylic.
It looks like a polished mother of pearl moka-express pot.
The acrylic is very nice, black with a pearly silvery section; the chrome accents are nice and smooth
Pen itself feels relatively short and skinny (compared to Platinum Century and Lamy Safari)
Length: 4.875 in.
Posted Length: 5.875 in.
Diameter: 0.5 in.
Weight: 0.7 oz.
Nib Material: Stainless Steel
Fill Mechanism: Cartridge (this is the small version of the pen)
Due to the design the pen stands on it own very safely
The cap screws in 1-1/4 turn and posts in the back, with a hidden screw. Clip is modern, with a flat look but it works fine
The nib sectionis interchangeable for a ballpoint as well, andis all steel; this section is narrow but feels comfortable
This pen takes short intntl cartridgesnot sure if I could fit a converterUpdate, no this version can't, the full size can and long cartridges don't fit either
Nib:
Nib itself is steel, relatively small
I expected it to be stiff and relatively smooth; however with a cartridge of Pelikan Koningsblau that came with the pen is super smooth
Update Nib is smooth but finicky relatively to the angle to the paper; that creates a bit of line variation which I find cool.
Line width is on the thick side of M; and flow is very nice and wet so next I'll try it with a dryer ink (Dimaine Prussian). It even writes very well upside down in a thin M line.
Update tried it wit Prussian Blue, and it works well, seems to be a bit dryer than beofre but line width is ~0.6mm
Balance:
Pen feels well balanced; and for me it works best posted
Update; unposted the pen feels tiny but it is light and comfortable for a casual note or a quick job. Posted the balance is better and allows for longer wrting times
Conclusion:
Great EDC pen, would love to see interchangeable nibs
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