Tag: Pen of the Day

Pen of the Day: Aurora Optima Blue Auroloide

Laura4 Comments

Aurora Optima fountain pen blue and gold

Aurora Optima Blue/Gold with broad nib. We’re having a strange spring here. The weather seems like it’s been either cold and snowy or 68 degrees and sunny.  Except when it’s been both over the course of a single day.  Which, okay, I totally enjoy.

Yesterday, however, was just gray, with a few snowflakes. I’m not usually a fan of blue pens with gold trim, but on a boring day I found this beautifully warm and inviting.

Aurora Optima fountain pen blue and gold with KWZ Azure #1 ink

And I’m not a big user of broad nibs.  But this one gives blue ink extra pizzazz.

KWZ Azure #1 ink

For comparison, I used the same pen a few weeks ago with Aurora Blue.

Pen of the Day: Pelikan M600 Pink

Laura4 Comments

Pelikan M600 Pink fountain pen

Pelikan M600 Pink with fine nib. What could be more springy than the Pink Pelikan?  Probably only filling the Pink Pelikan with pink ink. Now that’s turning spring up to 11.

Pelikan M600 Pink fountain pen and Diamine Carnation ink

I think Diamine Carnation is a perfect spring pink.

Pelikan M600 Pink fountain pen

The pen is really a raspberry sort of pink. But not an actual raspberry:  it’s like a raspberry pink dye. Raspberry-colored shiny plastic product. Raspberry-flavored hard candy.

And let’s not forget the Pink Pelikan comes in the Box of Bad Taste.

So I think the Pink Pelikan goes to 11 all by itself, really.

Outstanding.

Pen of the Day: Aurora Optima Demonstrator

Laura3 Comments

Aurora Optima chrome demonstrator fountain pen

Aurora Optima demonstrator with fine nib. It is Italian Pen Week here at Fountain Pen Follies.  Actually, I have no other inked pens that haven’t already been Pens of the Day. But Italian Pen Week sounds better.  Lemons to lemonade, that’s my motto.

Aurora Optima chrome demonstrator fountain pen

There’s not much to say about this fantastic pen, except that it’s really perfect.

Aurora Optima chrome demonstrator fountain pen with Waterman Serenity Blue ink

Right now the pen contains Waterman Serenity Blue, so I could compare a standard blue ink color to KWZ Iron Gall Green Gold.  Serenity Blue is a darn good ink: well-behaved in most pens, well-behaved on most papers.  And it’s safe for this beautiful Aurora.

Pen of the Day: Pelikan M600 Ruby Red

Laura4 Comments

Pelikan M600 Ruby Red fountain pen with KWZ Red #1 ink

Pelikan M600 Ruby Red with fine nib.  This is a gorgeous pen that I really enjoy and love using. But I have to admit that today I’m talking about it mostly because of the ink.

Pelikan M600 Ruby Red fountain pen and KWZ Red #1 ink

KWZ Red #1 is the ink.  And it’s another home run for me, just like KWZ Maroon and Maroon #2.

Red #1 is another deep and rich red — so deep and rich that it almost evokes garnet or ruby. But it’s red more than maroon, cranberry more than wine. I’m really enjoying using it, and I’m looking forward to reviewing it.

KWZ Red #1 ink

Pen of the Day: Pelikan M600 Green o’ Green with KWZ Iron Gall Green Gold

Laura3 Comments

Pelikan M600 Green o' Green fountain pen

Pelikan M600 Green o’ Green with broad nib. Well, it’s the Ides of March, of course, but in addition it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, so I’m going with the latter theme.  St. Patrick’s Day is more fun.  It’s the unofficial Chicago holiday, with our Chicago River dyed green, and our “everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” spirit.  The latter is a nice way of saying that everyone drinks a lot on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s like the law of the city.

And here is the pen cap, the most St. Patrick’s Day part of the Pelikan Green o’ Green.

Pelikan M600 Green o' Green fountain pen cap

And here is the ink, which is from a sample sent by a friend: KWZ Iron Gall Green Gold.  This is another really nice-looking ink from KWZ.

Pelikan M600 Green o' Green fountain pen and KWZ Iron Gall Green Gold ink

Pen of the Day: Aurora Optima Blue Auroloide

Laura2 Comments

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Aurora Optima Blue/Chrome with fine nib. I do keep using this pen.  It’s hard not to.  Also my friend just got one, so we are pen twins, and I had to get our two matching pens together on a playdate.

Her Optima has Aurora’s cursive italic, which is wide and really neat. It is a very crisp italic, with amazing line variation, and it wrote with the lightest of touches. Mine has a fine nib.

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The ink is Bung Box First Love Sapphire.  In this pen, it really has sapphire sparkle.

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Pen of the Day: Pelikan M400 White Tortoise

Laura1 Comment

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Pelikan M400 White Tortoise with medium nib. I feel like this is the Kevin Bacon or Kevin Hart of writing instruments for me. I seem to make it Pen of the Day a lot.  And for good reason. For a pen I long hesitated to buy, I like it very much.

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This time, though, I was mostly focused on the ink.  My friend was talking about Pelikan Edelstein Amber, so I wanted to dip into my sample.  You’d think this would be a perfect ink for one my five yellow Safaris, wouldn’t you?  Yes, that would be sensible.  But moving along ….

Pelikan Edelstein Amber is a nice ink.  I find it similar to J. Herbin Ambre de Birmanie, which I also really like.  Edelstein Amber is a touch darker and drier; and for me it does not shade quite as much.  Amber is also a past ink of the year, so harder to find.  But lovely.

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