Review: Pilot Prera

Specs:

Length capped: 4.7 inches
Length uncapped: 4.25 inches
Length posted: 5.4 inches
Diameter: .5 inch, narrows at the section to 3/8 inch
Weight: 0.5 oz.
One cartridge supplied.
Optional converter.

The Pilot Prera is a very attractive pen with silver-toned trim. The clip is on the stiff side and is best for thinner fabrics such as a dress shirt rather than a thick fabric like corduroy.

Shorter than the Pilot Ecrino, the Prera is still comfortable for me to write with the cap unposted as I prefer. The Fine nib I got is typical of Japanese pens, being about a half-size narrower than a European pen with a Fine nib. There's a bit of spring to the nib which adds to the comfortable writing and the line varies only slightly as pressure changes, not enough to call it a semi-flex nib. It writes smoothly with consistent ink flow and good start-up.

The balance is great as may be expected of a Pilot pen.

Since I'm not in the habit of laying down a fountain pen uncapped, I can't say how well it starts after lying out that way for a while.

Available in Brown, Ivory, Lime Green, Royal Blue, Slate Gray, Soft Blue, Vivid Pink, White, and Yellow in Fine or Medium nibs, at $42 or less, this is an excellent pen for people who need a conservative look as well as those who want fun colors.

For those who like to match their pens to their inks, the Soft Blue I bought is leaning toward turquoise, somewhat lighter than Noodler's Britannia's Blue Waves.

I think the Prera rivals the Waterman Phileas that serves so well as a starter pen or gift or extra pen for those who like fine, low-cost, user pens.

The bottom line is that I like it. I like it! I REALLY like it!

I'm trying to figure out what other color(s) I should get :).

Review: Pelikan Ink Roller

Specs:

Length capped: 5-1/8 inches
Length uncapped: 4-11/16 inches
Length posted: 5-7/8 inches
Diameter: approx. 3/8 inch on the grip
Weight with short standard international cartridge: 0.305 oz
Weight of short standard international cartridge: .03 oz
Weight of long standard international cartridge: .07 oz.

I ordered this only because the line was supposed to be finer than that laid down by the Kaweco Sport ink roller, discovering that line width for ink rollers is strongly dependent on the ink used. Using the short cartridge that came with one of my Kaweco fountain pens, the line is just as broad as that made by the Kaweco ink roller.

The pen is utilitarian in appearance with a black plastic cap and a translucent dark turquoise barrel (other barrel colors are available). The clip is plastic and feels like it would break if handled carelessly, but makes a nice, clear, sharp, clicking sound that I enjoy when I play with it.

The grip section is ridged which isn't comfortable especially because I have to use more pressure than with the Kaweco. Unfortunately, it often skips if I don't.

The long cartridge supplied is solid, not translucent, so I'm not likely to use it because I like to see my ink levels and I have other empty cartridges I can use when the short cartridge is empty.

All in all, I don't like this pen. The Kaweco Sport ink roller is much better.

Going, Going...

If you ever wanted to buy one of the Kaweco Sport ink rollers or fountain pens that Nathan Tardif, who makes Noodler's inks, modified into eyedropper pens, but never got around to actually getting one, now is the time to get your new eyedropper pen before they're out of stock. Swisher Pens won't be getting any more because Nathan stopped converting the Kaweco pens to eyedropper fills.

The blue Kaweco Sport Ice is already out of stock for both the eyedropper ink roller and the eyedropper fountain pen. The Kaweco eyedropper ink rollers are still available in clear, green, orange, and red. The Kaweco eyedropper fountain pens are still available in green, orange, and red.

(The term "ink roller" differentiates pens using fountain pen ink from pens using conventional rollerball refills.)

There's no rush if you want one of the regular pens, only if you want one that was modified to be an eyedropper pen.

What makes the Kaweco eyedropper pens so desirable is that they hold a whopping 2.5 ml of ink. Compare that to the .5 ml held by the standard short international cartridge that a regular Kaweco uses. The Monteverde mini converter holds even less ink than a standard short cartridge. The eyedropper pens will continue letting you have the options of using a cartridge or converter, if you want.

By comparison, other pens that use the standard long international cartridge hold 1 ml of ink, so with a Kaweco eyedropper pen, you'll be getting a nice compact pen that fits easily into a pocket or purse that holds 150% more ink than a pen that uses the long standard international cartridge.

The only undesirable aspect about the ink roller is that it's more sensitive about the angle at which I hold it than is my Parker rollerball. That is, if I prop a writing pad on my knees, the Kaweco ink roller quits writing sooner when I get careless and try to write while holding the pen at an upward angle than does my Parker rollerball. As soon as I angle the tip back downward so gravity can take effect, the pen starts writing again. (I posted a review of the Kaweco eyedropper ink roller last November.)

Should you decide to wait too long to order, to the extent that they run out, you could make your own eyedropper pen by simply coating the threads with pure silicone grease or silicone sealant as others did without problems before Nathan's specially lathed-modified pens with o-rings got to be popular. Put enough of a layer of silicone to coat the threads of the section (the part that holds the nib and feed or the rollerball) and gently screw on the barrel, wiping off any excess silicone. Pendemonium offers pure silicone grease for sale in their section called, "Pen Repair Supplies" or you should be able to find some in your local home building supply store.

Happy Writing!

BaliYo

If you've seen the movie, "Face/Off," starring John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, and Joan Allen, you might remember the scene in which John Travolta's character hands Jamie a balisong, commonly known as a butterfly knife, to use to defend herself against a groping date who doesn't respect her "no." Opening or closing a knife like that requires skill obtained through practice, typically accompanied by accidental cuts, and would draw unwelcome attention from the police in areas where this type of knife is illegal.

Enter the BaliYo, a pen made in the U.S.A. that's designed to be flipped around like a balisong without our getting cut or arrested. Ordered Monday after 5 P.M. from the
manufacturer's website, my green and blue BaliYo arrived yesterday morning by standard shipping - what great order fulfillment!

When closed as for writing, the pen is 4-1/8" long x 3/16" high x 1-3/16" wide at the widest point. At the place recommended to hold for writing, it's 3/4" wide. The rings embedded for weight are 3/8" high. Fully extended, the BaliYo is 7-3/4" long.

Even though the barrel is long enough and round on the outside, the refill isn't the standard SPR series Fisher Space pen refill. This short refill is the much narrower Fisher Pressurized Universal SU series available only in fine black, blue, and red ink that needs to be snapped off at the 2-5/8" mark to fit into the matching green colored cover designed to make the round peg of the refill fit into the square hole inside the barrel. The Schmidt Mini refills (#628 for Fine, #635 for Medium) also fit.

Holding the pen as instructed on the website's FAQs isn't the most comfortable position for writing for me. I like it better when the pad of my index fingertip is on the hole of one leg with the other leg flipped open and laying across the back of my fingers or hand depending on how it's rotated. Since the leg is a featherweight, it doesn't bother me to have it positioned that way.

The clips are rather stiff and seem sturdy enough. They may be snapped out of their grooves should they prove to be uncomfortable while holding the pen for writing or performing tricks.

The pen writes well. I can't tell any difference between it and another Fisher Space fine refill except it has blue ink while my other pen with an SPR series refill has black. What I appreciate so much about the Fisher Space pen refills is that they write when other ballpoint pens don't: upside-down, on paper that isn't pen-friendly, in the cold, etc. I like them so much that I've used them almost exclusively for my ballpoint pens since 1994.

As a toy, the BaliYo is great, although one leg is currently a tad stiffer than the other to flip open. I haven't decided, yet, whether to leave it as is or try to lubricate it to loosen it up.

The pen and instructional DVD came packaged on a blister card that has a warning on the back that it's not for children under 5 years of age. The DVD has six tricks shown in slower motion so you may follow along and learn, which then accelerate to realistic speed. I'm glad that the BaliYo used in the DVD is the red, white, and blue model because it's easier to tell the legs apart while in motion.

I've already mastered the basic skill of flip-rotate-and-grab to open it. I'm glad that I have it to practice the flashy balisong moves because had I been using a real butterfly knife, having felt the barrel of the pen on my fingers as it closed, I know I would have been cut for sure.

All in all, I'm glad I bought it and am looking forward to wasting many hours playing with it.

Review: Kaweco Sport Eyedropper Ink Roller

Specs:

Length capped: 4-1/8 inches
Length uncapped: 4 inches
Length posted: 5.25 inches
Diameter: 3/8 inch at the grip
Weight, filled as an ED pen: 0.39 oz
Weight with optional Monteverde mini converter: 0.325 oz
Ink capacity using a Monteverde mini converter: .45 ml
Ink capacity using a short standard international cartridge: .5 ml
Ink capacity as an ED fill: 2.5 ml
Optional clip
Optional pen case holds two Kaweco pens.

Using this pen since April, the Kaweco Sport ink roller remains one of my favorites.

I bought the red Ice which is an attractive, compact pen that fits neatly into a pocket. It's a true red that's not at all orangey. The pen, sold by Swisher Pens, was modified by Nathan Tardif to be filled by an eyedropper and it still accepts a short international standard cartridge or a Monteverde mini converter. I really enjoy viewing the ink in the transparent barrel. I usually write with caps unposted, but this feels better, and is comfortable, with the cap posted.

The ink cartridge that came with the Kaweco lays a bright, attractive blue line that is too broad (.6mm) to suit me. Writing with Montblanc Sepia brought the line width down to .4mm and Noodler's waterproof black brings it closer to .5mm. Very nice.

The Kaweco with the provided ink doesn't write as smoothly as my fine Parker rollerball and requires a bit more pressure with any ink I've tried, but being able to use my fountain pen inks and have different colors makes up for any lack of smoothness.

The best part is that I can write checks that have the carbonless copy using the fraudproof Noodler's bulletproof inks without caring if I'm pressing hard enough for the copy and still writing lightly enough to avoid warping the nib of a fountain pen.

For those who want the fluidity, variety of colors, and earth-friendliness afforded by fountain pen inks but who don't want a fountain pen, I recommend the Kaweco ink roller, especially the eyedropper pens sold by Swisher Pens because of the convenience of the larger ink capacity.

For Writers - The Pen Addict

Nothing is more important to anyone who writes than the instrument used for writing. While paper might be something on which we compromise by resorting to the backs of envelopes or napkins, a favorite pen is something we'll take time to hunt down if misplaced. How much it weighs, how it's balanced, how fine or broad the line, the color of the line, the smoothness and longevity of the line, as well as the way it feels in the hand, fat, medium, or thin; all contribute to a writer's obsession with pens.

Have you ever wondered what a particular pen is like before you buy it? For those not entranced by fountain pens, I highly recommend The Pen Addict who provides a valuable service by reviewing many pens available and provides links to other like-minded sites.

If you're new to fountain pens or are looking for tips about use, care, or suggestions for paper or other websites, I refer you, of course, to my own pen webpages (shameless plug). The page listing the Best Pens to Buy For Everyday Use has been updated.

My Latest Pen - Stypen Up

In 2004, BIC bought Stypen and is now shutting down production in its factory in Joigny, France. From Office Products International:

"Bic to close Stypen factory
15 April 2008 - Joigny, France

Bic has announced that it is to stop production at its Stypen factory in Joigny, France, at the end of July...."

Reading this in May motivated me to finally buy a Stypen Up. Other stylophiles had recommended the Stypen line of fountain pens several years ago, but I didn't get one because I prefer fine nibs. However, finally clued-in that Stypen's medium nibs are closer to fine than they are to broad, I decided to buy one since no one knew at that time if Bic is moving production or liquidating Stypen's fountain pen assets.

Even though I've since learned that production is being moved to Montévrain, I'm glad I bought it because it's a great pen that's no longer exported to the U. S.

The diameter measures close to .5 inch at the widest point. Capped, the pen measures 4-3/8 inches. Nib extended, with cap posted, it measures 5-1/8 inches. Without the cap, it measures 4-5/8 inches, still a comfortable length for writing without posting the cap. As you can tell, the retractable nib makes it shorter and easier to fit in a smaller purse or pocket. The pen is attractive, lightweight and comfortable to hold. The cap posts securely without making the pen top-heavy. The Up uses short international standard cartridges only and produces an average flow, not too dry and not too wet. The line is close to a European fine, slightly broader than that of a Platinum Preppy. As may be expected for a pen priced at $25 with a steel nib, the nib is stiff, but it's also smooth.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the twist-retractable nib is inconvenient and slower for intermittent writing, that is, when I write a little and pause for a long time like when reading and making notes or when shopping and crossing items off my list. For longer, continuous writing sessions, however, it's great.

I wish I had bought one sooner.

Reviewing My New Pens

The ink rollers aren't turning out anything like I expected. The Kaweco Sport, in particular, has raised a new issue.

Playing with my new pens, I discovered that the line from the ink rollers depends on the ink. The Pelikan is supposed to write a finer line than the Kaweco, but using the short standard international cartridge that came with the Kaweco, the Pelikan makes the same broad line that makes my writing sloppy and unattractive.

Switching over to the Sepia ink that I bought solely to have the great Montblanc bottle it's in, the Kaweco line shrinks down to only about .4mm. Very nice!

I've yet to try the drier Montblanc ink in the Pelikan, but since it followed the Kaweco by producing a broad line when I inserted the short cartridge, there's no reason to expect a drastic difference.

Have you guessed the issue?

I bought the ink roller pens to use up ink that I bought only so I could have the terrific bottles and now, I'm anticipating having to buy more bottles so I can have the ink.

How perverse.

(If you see discrepancies in the reasons I give for buying pens and ink, that's the addiction talking. The plain truth is that I just gotta have them as any true addiction demands. Good thing that I'm a writer, huh?)

So, the Kaweco Sport is turning out to be a nice writer. It's comfortable and lays down the fine line that I like.

The Pelikan is less so. Although it takes the long standard international cartridges, not only the short ones I reported previously, and would be better because I can go longer before needing to refill, it isn't as comfortable to use because there are hard ridges circling the grip. Also, the plastic clip feels like it would break if handled carelessly, although it makes a nice, clear, sharp, clicking sound when I play with it.

Yes, there's more to pens than merely writing with them.

Other than the dilemma raised by anticipating having to buy more ink that I intended to never buy again, the only disappointment is that the ink rollers aren't quite as effortless as my Parker Reflex rollerball. This translates to my not being able to write as long with them. The Parker rollerball Fine refills are among the best I've found (others are from Retro51 and Schmidt) and it's too bad that Parker discontinued the Reflex series a few years ago.

(If you'd like to have an excellent, inexpensive rollerball, Kingpen bought up the remaining Reflex stock from Parker and has the Reflex rollerball pen left only in green, a pretty emerald green, for $4.19 including a Medium refill.)

As for my new Pilot Petit1 and Platinum Preppy fountain pens - oh, my!

Forget what I said about my worrying about ruining fountain pens during travel. These pens are so inexpensive, yet are so comfortable and write so wonderfully, that it should be a crime for a pen addict not to have them.

I have to post the cap on the Petit1 to make it long enough to be comfortable, but once that's done, it's fantastic as is the Preppy. The only thing I can say against them is about the Petit1 - the posted cap lays against the base of my index finger which rubs it off if I don't post it securely. Other than that minor inconvenience, it's great. Anyone who has yet to try a fountain pen, or who tried a fountain pen and wasn't impressed, should give these tipped, Fine nib pens a chance. They write so much better than other fountain pens made by other companies, especially those priced under $7. At $3 for the Preppy and $4.50 or less for the Petit1, there isn't much money at risk and a whole lot of writing pleasure to gain. Accolades to Pilot and Platinum for producing such excellent writers for so low a price!

In regards to the Uni-Ball Signo UM-201, the lime green is great but the .18mm line is too fine for me. As a result, I ordered the .5mm pen.

That's right. The lime green ink compelled me to order another one along with more Petit1 and Preppy fountain pens for traveling. (Ahem!)

Salivating

I yielded to my pen addiction, yet again, by ordering a Pelikan ink roller from Pendemonium and a Kaweco Sport Classic ink roller from Swisher Pens. Nathan Tardif, the inventor of Noodler's inks, figured out how to retrofit the Kaweco Sport ink rollers into eyedropper pens and it was one of these that I ordered.

These purchases are justified because fountain pens aren't always practical; two of my more expensive fountain pens dripped ink from the altitude and temperature changes of my last road trip to the extent that I was afraid that they were permanently damaged. Fortunately, they're not, but I wasn't able to use them during that time and my creativity feels constrained by the black ink of my Parker Reflex rollerball.

As colorful as they are, I don't like to use gel pens because they don't write as easily as fountain pens or rollerballs which use liquid ink. Over time, they're also more expensive than using bottled fountain pen ink and, being disposable, aren't earth-friendly.

Another reason for these purchases is the difficulty I had locating the .5mm Uni-Ball Vision rollerball. The 8-pack I found was the only one left and that was only because it had dropped from its peg to hide amongst the ballpoints boxed for bulk purchasing while it was waiting for me to come along and buy it.

With the ink rollers, I can use the fountain pen ink I already have. The pens use the short standard international cartridges made by several companies such as Pelikan, but I like to refill cartridges by using the syringe from my inkjet printer's refill kit because cartridges cost more than bottled ink and don't provide as many colors. To fill the Kaweco barrel with ink, all I'll have to do is uncap and squeeze the Nalgene drop dispensing bottle to which I transferred my bottled ink for traveling. The Kaweco is more practical, but writes slightly broader than the Pelikan's .5mm line. Since .7mm pens and pencils drive me nuts, it's anybody's guess as to how I'll like the .6mm line of the Kaweco.

I also ordered a glass dip pen. There is no justification for this; I simply wanted it. Glass pens are attractive and are good for testing ink. I don't test ink, but I've wanted one ever since I saw my first glass pen over 10 years ago, anyway. They are that attractive. Maybe I'll be able to use it for those seldom-used bottles of ink pushed to the back of my cabinet shelf because I don't like the colors well enough to keep a pen loaded with them. Maybe it will be only eye candy.

I'm mentally salivating in anticipation.

Pen Slut

Hi, my name is Gail and I'm a slut for pens.

[Other pen addicts respond: "Hi, Gail!"]

I'm partial to fountain pens and use other types of pens as the needs arise. As a result, I have to shop for refills or replacements only once every several years; the last time being six years ago. This gets to be aggravating because the stores in town don't usually have what I need, even though they carry it when I don't need to buy any.

Yes, I keep an eye on them. I see how they are.

Therefore, I can't find any Pentel medium ballpoint stick pens and it takes me a few weeks to locate the .5mm Uni-Ball Vision that I need. Instead of getting the single rollerball with black ink as planned, I succumb to the pretty colors in the 8-pack. Several days later, a friend receives a correspondence card from me written with one of the new rollerballs in the 8-pack...orange.

I've never before written with orange ink, but it was in the pack and looks really nice, all cheerful, spring-like, and rather frivolous; a party in a pen.

A few days after that, an orange lust causes me to decide to get orange fountain pen ink and a new pen in which to put it. Going to the website that has a pen that I like at an affordable price, with dismay, I see that the price has doubled. Ow!

Off I go to other websites to discover that Noodler's has come out with new colors and shades and more inks that are waterproof since I last shopped for fountain pen ink. Now, I can get waterproof turquoise and waterproof pink and waterproof gray and waterproof burgundy and waterproof orange and...

Oh-oh. The inks are adding up.

To make matters worse, that expensive Pelikan Souverän M400 Tortoiseshell & White (some call it Honey and White or White Honey) that I've lusted after ever since before I saw Judge Judy wield hers on her television bench is now discontinued and at half price. I put it in my shopping cart and concentrate on school pens that cost less than $20. That way, the expensive fountain pen is "mine" temporarily while I look for an affordable pen that can be mine for real.

In the process, I notice that a free fountain pen comes with a bottle of Noodler's Heart of Darkness. What's this? A free fountain pen? Why can't I like the shade of ink so I can have the pen? What kind of pen is it that it's offered for free? A Platinum Preppy? Gee, Platinums are reputed to be good pens. I've been wanting one, but not at the prices I've seen.

Can I get the pen by itself?

No, not at that site. No, not at another site. Yes, at this site, except they're sold out. No wonder, the Preppy is refillable and costs only $4 each or five pens for $15.

I google for reviews, attempting to assuage my lust. Most of the reviews are really good but for the few that suggest a glitch in quality control. For the price though, it can be treated as a disposable and I read that somebody did until someone else pointed out that it's refillable.

I finally locate the Preppy for $3 each at JetPens and put a pink one in my shopping cart. Whoo-hoo! Oh, look. JetPens has the refillable mini fountain pen, the Pilot Petit1 for $4.50. Goody-goody! I add an orange Petit1 to the cart and a brown one, too. And, the Uni-Ball Signo UM-201 gel pen for $3 in lime green. Of those, I get two. One is to give to someone I know whose favorite color is lime green. And...

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE DOLLARS later, I start deleting items from the shopping cart. I don't need the Pentel watercolor set (What was I thinking? I don't do watercolors!), or the Ohto Tasche or the Pilot Cavalier or Young Rex fountain pens (The barrels are too slender for me!), or the....

Delete! Delete! Delete!

Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted. Maybe the Preppy and the two Petit1s will provide enough of a fix to save me from buying all that ink.

The lime green Signo may revive the lust again, however, just as the orange Vision Elite did.

I've never before written with lime green ink.