This week Heather and I get a little goofy with the charming and effervescent illustrator, and lettering artist Kathy Weller on Art Supply Posse Ep. 24. We talk about ugly sketches, Wacom tablets and CINTIQs and some of our favorite art supplies too. We talk a lot so you’ve got plenty to listen to on that long drive to Grandma’s.
Find all the show notes here.
The Morning Glory Mach Campus Rollerball Pen in 0.28 mm with Stripe Body and Black Ink ($1.95) is part of the Morning Glory Mach Campus Rollerball Pen line-up, which are available with blue, black or red ink and all with 0.28mm tips. When I ordered it, most of the line was sold out. Knowing how much I liked the Morning Glory Mach 3, I was not surprised. While the Campus Rollerball Pens do not come in nearly the array of colors that the Mach 3 line is available in, the fineness of the tip more than makes up for it.
The tip is needlepoint fine and writes well at any angle. I had no issues with it hard starting or giving me any grief as a result of being left handed or writing upside down, sideways or at any other janky angle.
And the Campus Rollerball writes TINY. I decided I need to compare how small I could write, without much effort, with something most people would be familiar with so I pulled out a Sharpie Pen and attempted to write as small as possible with it. You can see how quickly the cross bars and centers of the letters started to fill in on the Sharpie Pen writing on the right compared to the Campus Rollerball Pen writing on the left. These were done on the same page and were not resized or composed in anyway. I just scanned them in as is.
The Campus is a capped pen which might not be the favored model for everyone but the cap posts with a good solid click which means its not going to pop off. Since it is liquid ink, capping it closed before putting it away also means its not going to accidentally leak onto paper or an item of clothing in your bag like a retractable pen (Retro 51, I’m looking at you!)
Other graphics are available with black ink, including a model that looks like the Mach 3 if candy striping is not to your taste. Alternatives include a penguin design, mint with white polka dots, multi-color dots and a sedate pearl with black lettering.
DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Some days call for a pen that make me feel like Audrey Hepburn on a Roman Holiday. On those days, I cannot carry around a plastic gel pen with scented ink in it. Oh, no. On those days, I need something with stature and sophistication. A pen that says I’m ready to take on the world with a disarming smile and a cunning plan. Those days call for the Aurora Optima fountain pen.
See what I mean about how beautiful it looks in my Kate Spade handbag? Kind of speaks for itself.
The Optima Auroloide Perla is made from a two-color resin, which is a combination of iridescent and transparent colors, that reminds me of pearl seashells or marbled floor or countertops. It’s combined with the silver colored hardware that makes the Optima look posh but understated. It’s classy but not gaudy.
The nib is engraved with lovely scrollwork. I have a medium nib which is a bit wider than what I would normally use but thought it would provide more line variation than my normal fine or extra-fine.
The Optima is a piston filler with a clear window to view ink capacity. Since the resin material has a little bit of transparency as well, the choice of ink color will be visible in some light as well. I have Robert Oster Signature Claret in the Optima here. It seemed appropriate to have a wine color in an Italian pen.
The nib was tuned by Dan Smith of Nibsmith to make sure that it was in tip-top shape. I was able to use the pen to write in script, print and even to doodle using my upside down left-handed writing without any issues or hard starts. The medium nib might be a tad wide for my tiny, everyday handwriting though. But I do love how much line variation I get and how much color variation in the ink is visible in the larger nib width.
Technical Specs:
This is my “big girl” pen. For those days when I put on my heels, the jacket and get out my Kate Spade handbag that says I mean business. But its not so fussy or fancy as to not feel at home with my well-loved Traveler’s Notebook and a pea coat. But this pen is urbane and classic and sophisticated. It loves my Kate Spade zip planner and lovely ivory paper stock.
This pen hopes I get to fly business class.
The Aurora Optima is available from Anderson Pens and Pen Chalet, starting at $445.
DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Kenro Industries for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Double dose of podcast goodness today!
Art Supply Posse Ep. 23 was a quick episode filled with follow-up, tidbits and creative space ideas. We had hoped to have a special guest but the onslaught of seasonal colds forced us to reschedule the interview. Show notes can be found on the website.
AND….
The annual Pen Addict Gift Guide episode #231 (Bob called it “Brexit!”) aired today without our beloved Myke who was fighting the house-moving demons. Brad and I soldiered on without him and kept our Retro 51s inked up and at the ready. All the notes are here.
Clearly this is not a good week to be named Mike/Myke.
And Tina can be found at Fueled by Clouds and Coffee.
Link of the week:
Thanks to Bob at Skylab for finding this great retro video on how globes were made in 1955. Hmmm, craftsmanship!
Pens:
Ink:
Pencils:
Paper & Notebooks:
Planners & Organizers:
Art Supplies:
Other Interesting Things:
After my review of the Zebra Sarasa Milky scented ink gel pens, I couldn’t resist trying the Chupa Chups versions as well. There are five scents available in the Chupa Chups range, mostly in the warm colors plus one light blue. Each pen is a standard Sarasa retractable 0.5mm gel with grippy silicone grip and spring clip. What makes these unique (silly, fun, collectible, whatever!) is the printed barrel graphics, the printed disc “charm” on the clip and the scent added to the ink. They all write exactly as you’d expect a Zebra Sarasa to write — smooth and silky!
The light blue is vanilla and turned out to smell just like the Milky blue which I was not a fan. Whatever that scent is, it’s not vanilla! The yellow orange is pudding which features creme brulee graphics and had no discernible scent at all. It turns out to be the same ink color as the lemon Milky but without a fun scent or the awesome glitter barrel the Chupa Chups pudding isn’t much to marvel about. The Chupa Chups red orange is orange ink and orange scent and essentially identical to the Milky orange in color and scent. The orange is mango and has a mildly peachy scent. This one was my standout favorite since I love peach so had it smelled like mango I would have been thrilled but peach is a fine alternative. The last one is the red pen which is cherry. The first thing it reminded me of was Luden’s cough drops or cherry lifesavers but that was a huge improvement of the Milky strawberry scent,
So, in the scented gel pen showdown, the Chupa Chups and Milky pens are pretty much tied in my book. The Milky have the green tea matcha and the awesome lemon squash which are both winners in my book but the Chupa Chups cherry and mango are both good choices. The orange scents are equal from either so I’d recommend grabbing what you can if they are still available and you are feeling kind of playful. Each pen is available for $3 each. And the Milky Fujiya sets are back in stock!
DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I was a little hesitant to get another TWSBI simply because I already own a Mini and a couple of 580 models so I saw no real reason to purchase to budget-priced Eco model, until they released the lime green model and then my urge was entirely based on aesthetics.
When looking at the Eco, the only thing I can tell that happened to bring the price down was to remove some of the metal hardware on the higher priced 580 line. The clip is simple and the only metal components are the clip and the band on the cap with the branding.
The logo on the end cap is inset red plastic which actually looks quite nice. And both ends terminate in a hexagonal shape. The pen seems similarly weighted and balanced to the 580. In actuality, the Eco is 23gms, filled and capped and the 580 weighs 30gms. The Mini weighs 20gms comparatively. The Eco is the same length as the 580 but the barrel is a smooth, round tube where the 580’s is faceted. The Eco cap is a straight hex tube to the 580’s tapered cap and end. Also the ink capacity looks a little bit smaller but its still considerably larger than most cartridges or converters.
The cap posts with a click which seems pretty secure but I wonder if, for newbies, might lead to twisting to remove it leading to releasing the piston a bit? The hex grip on the end was the first thing my husband grabbed and started to hold as he attempted to remove the cap leading to releasing the piston and the cap simultaneously. Awkward.
The nib is the same design and material used in all the other TSBI pens so its the one area that is consistent. I had a scratchy nib in a previous TWSBI so I was a little gun shy to get another EF nib but this one is sharp and hard as nails but not scratchy.
In writing, the pen performs without any false starts and stops and the EF writes fine enough to be a good gateway for someone transitioning from a rollerball or gel pen in a fine diameter. Liquid fountain pen inks will still present new challenges in regards to paper choices but overall, the TWSBI is one of the best options for someone who is looking to move into fountain pens for the first time, especially if the lure is bottled ink.
Being able to get a piston-filling pen for $28.99 and a full-sized pen is a great option for folks just starting out. Being able to swap out nibs makes it extra appealing for folks who are still trying to find their way in fountain pens. My only complaint would be about how hard the nibs are but I’ve been writing with a lot of gold nibs lately so I may be to a point in my fountain pen life where I’ve moved past these pens. That said, I really like it and have already recommended it to folks who are starting out in fountain pens. If you’re coming from rollerballs and ballpoints, you’re not as likely to notice quite how hard the nib is. The clear ink reservoir is conversation starter wherever I go too.
Of course, the Eco is available with other cap color options, I chose the lime green for obvious reasons. Do you own one? If so, which color and nib combination did you pick?
DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Anderson Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
