Franklin-Christoph Model 66 x Hippo Noto (M, S.S.)

Up for review today is the limited edition Hippo Noto Franklin-Christoph Model 66.  I purchased this pen for myself as a holiday present.  How does it compare to my existing collection, including my other Franklin-Christoph pens?  Read on to find out. 

Pros:

• The body is long without being too girthy, meaning it is comfortable to write with.
• Franklin-Christoph offers a wide variety of nib types and materials
• This includes: stainless steel and gold options, with everything from needlepoint to music nibs.  They also recently added an EF flex nib, which I am excited to try.
• As an aside, the Diamine Eclipse ink I paired the pen with seems to run a bit dry, but I've had almost no hard starts.
• The pen includes a cartridge converter.  This is appreciated, as I do not plan to eye-dropper the pen.
• The section adds a nice pop of color to the pen (in this case, lilac).
• The barrel of the pen has a (subtle / small) flat portion.  It isn't as effective as a traditional roll-stop, but it allows the pen to maintain a smooth aesthetic without giving up having a way to keep the pen in place.
• The pen is a "special edition" / collaboration, which may appeal to some pen lovers.  To my knowledge, it isn't a numbered run, though
• I got a free pack-in of pocket-sized Tomoe River notebooks (a $18 value) with my purchase of the pen.

Cons:

• The design isn't "bad," by any means, but the bulbous, utilitarian form isn't for everyone (and it certainly isn't the most aesthetically pleasing pen I own).
• Along these lines, the barrel is a bit wider than the section.  The "step" is small and I barely noticed it, but it makes the pen less aesthetically pleasing.
• Most new Franklin-Christoph pens come in a leather sleeve; this model came in a presentation box.  I would have preferred the sleeve, as they are more useful. 
• Though they are quick to clean off, the pen's "smoke and ice" finish easily gathers ink marks (especially on the inside of the cap). 
• I was disappointed to learn that the section was not interchangeable with other Franklin-Christoph sections, or at least not with the extra Model 02 section I had laying around.
• Depending on who you ask, the price of the pen ($185 USD) is high, even compared to other Franklin-Christoph models.

Conclusion:
Though the pen isn't the most aesthetically pleasing, it writes well.  I've both owned (and own) a number of Franklin-Christoph pens.  They've all been reliable, and I don't expect this pen to be any different.  If I could do it all again, though, I'd just purchase a "standard" Model 66 on the used market.  The more time I spend with it, the more I feel the "Hippo Noto," affiliation doesn't add value to the pen (save the section color).  I feel I could've been just as happy with a "solid color" Model 66, as they seem to float around half the price of what I paid for this pen new.

I can't be more plain than this: unless you really like the aesthetics of this particular pen (and especially the section), you're better off buying a "standard issue," Model 66.  You may even want to consider a different Franklin-Christoph model; my personal favorite is the Model 31.

Namisu Ixion Stainless Steel Fountain Pen Prototype

Up for review today is the Namisu Ixion Prototype.  I purchased 3 during their pre-Christmas sale: blue with copper finial (F nib), black with steel finial (M nib), and red with steel finial (B nib).  All nibs on offer are Bock #6 stainless steel.  I paid £25.00 GBP for each pen, as well as an additional £9 GBP for 3 converters.  How do these pens perform?  Find out in my review below!

Pros:

• Aesthetics are a matter of taste, but I find the pen to be understated and classy.
• When I purchased mine, several colors (red, blue, and black) were available.  This also included a prototype-exclusive combination of blue body and brass section and finial. 
• The price (£25 GBP) is reasonable for the amount of pen you get.  
• The pens are made of aluminium, which gives them a solid, but not overly heavy feel.

Cons:

• Only bog-standard stainless steel Bock nibs (EF to B) are available for purchase.  Though #6 nibs are relatively easy to replace, it would have been nice to have more options at the point of sale. 
• The pen can be posted, but I never do for fear of scratching the finish. 
• Cartridge converters are not included with the pens, costing an additional £3 GBP each.
• These are included in the non-prototype models.
• (Nit-Pick) The pens can't be eye-dropper converted because they are made of metal.  I don't consider this an issue, but eye-dropper enthusiasts can skip this one.
• (Nit-Pick) The pens each had minor scrapes and scruffs on arrival.  This is only a nit-pick because A) it was specifically called out as a possibility on the website, and B) it was reflected in the price of the pen.
• (Nit-Pick) The pen is very similar to the PenBBS 350, minus the added finials on the Ixion.  Ultimately, I don't know (or care) which pen came first, but budget-minded shoppers may get more mileage with the PenBBS model if / when the cheaper prototypes sell out.  
• Note: non-prototype Ixions sell for 50 GBP, while PenBBS 350s can regularly be purchased for $20 or less.  My PenBBS 350 also included a converter and roller-ball conversion for the price, too.

Conclusion:
The pen performs well for its price.  The prototype version in particular is an unassuming workhorse that is likely to please both the budget-conscious and those who prefer an understated look.  It isn't perfect, but it would be unreasonable to expect perfection for the price.  While the full-priced version is a much harder sell, the £25 prototypes will likely be in my collection for some time to come.

Field Notes "Pitch Black" Notebook (2 Pack, Ruled)

Basic Info:

• $12.95 for a 2-pack
• 4¾" x 7½" (a little bigger than a B5 notebook
• 64 Pages
• Duplex Cover

Pros:

• The size / form factor is a good compromise between the portability of Field Notes' typical fare (aka "pocket" sizes) and the room to write offered by an A5 notebook
• Those who like matte black will like this notebook.
• Even the staples used to bind the notebook together are black. I appreciate the attention to detail.
• The info on the inside covers are good for a laugh. 
• I appreciate that “Mx” (a gender neutral honorific) is available in the “personal info” section.

Cons:

• While the cover quality is good, the individual pages are only OK.  Bits and pieces of the edge have been shearing off as I’ve carried the notebook with me. 
• The paper isn’t especially fountain pen friendly.  Show-through and feathering are both common, even for fine and medium nibs.  Bleed-through is less prevalent than show-through, but still noticeable.
• I wouldn’t say that the “backside” of a given page is unusable, but folks who are really bothered by this may not enjoy using this notebook.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed my time with the “Pitch Black,” even if it will not be dethroning my current favorite type of notebook: A5 size, with 68 GSM Tomoe River paper.  With that being said, fans of the Field Notes brand, or those who prefer other writing instruments (e.g. rollerballs, gel pens, pencils, etc) are sure to find a lot to like with this product.

William Shakour's (Unnamed) 3D Printed Pen

YouTube is a blessing and a curse.  On one hand, it provides seemingly limitless content.  On the other hand, it also provides a seemingly endless distraction from other projects and obligations.  Recently, though, YouTube came through for me.  I was perusing fountain pen videos when I stumbled upon SBRE Brown's video discussing the pen I'm reviewing today.  The pen seemed interesting and the price was right, so I made the purchase.  So far, I have been pleased with my investment.  My detailed thoughts on the as-yet-unnamed pen are below.

Basic Info:

• Name: Unnamed Pen
• Manufacturer: William Shakour
• Price: 165 GBP, shipped (approx $215 USD at time of writing)
• Nib: #8 Titanium "F"
• Ink Used: KWZ Grey Plum
• Size: HUGE.  
• It's bigger than a Conid Kingsize and a only slightly smaller than a Namiki Emperor

Pros:

• It's gigantic, but without the price tag often associated with oversize pens
• It's made in a novel way: 3D printing
• It has a huge ink capacity
• It's a piston filler pen, which I find doubly impressive given how the pen is manufactured.  My guess is that it would've been much easier to make a cartridge/converter pen.
• There are options when purchasing the pen (e.g. the color, whether or not the pen is polished, whether or not the pen is round or faceted, etc).
• The nib (#8 titanium "F") is smooth with just a hint of feedback, which happens to be just how I like my titanium nibs.  I haven't had any issues with hard starts.
• I like how I can see the ink in the body of the pen even though it isn't a demonstrator.  The ink windows (6 "slits") are well implemented.
• Mr. Shakour was a pleasure to work with, from the customization of my pen to payment and shipping.  For being a (presumably) one-man shop, I found him very responsive to direct messages.

Cons:

• The size won't be everyone's cup of tea.  The size also means that no pen case I own is big enough to hold it, so I have resorted to carting it around in the plastic tube it was shipped in.
• The cap is fiddly to get on and off, even after practice.  I've always been able to get it back on with patience and a gentle touch, but it's not something I think about with any other pen in my collection. 
• I also worry that the capping process may damage the nib.  This is likely unfounded, as I have had not issues thus-far, but the possibility always crosses my mind when I can't quite cap the pen.
• The piston filling mechanism arrived so tight I was worried that it was broken (or that I would break it trying to get it moving).  This ceased to be a problem after I got it moving for the first time.
• I can't help but wonder how durable the pen is, as it already has numerous small scratches.  I'm especially worried about exposing the pen to heat, as I hear 3D printed objects do not do well in hot conditions (melting). 
• Then again, I do my best to baby my pens, so only time will tell if this is a reasonable concern.
• Mr. Shakour is a one-man operation (as far as I know), so it may take 1-2 weeks or more to get your pen shipped out. 
• (nit-pick) Each of the pieces of the pen are a slightly different shade of purple.  The section is the worst offender, and appears to be a noticeably lighter shade.  
• I don't mind the color shift as the plastic used to print the pen was advertised as "multicolor," but I was expecting the variation to either be more subtle, or more consistent across the body of the pen (i.e. the section not looking quite as different, or the color of the body transitioning more gradually into the color of the section).
• (nit-pick) The pen doesn't post.  Given it's size, I can't imagine why you'd want to post it, though.

Final Thoughts:
I really enjoy this pen, even despite my concerns and complaints.  The size and manufacture drew me in initially.  The nib and ink capacity are helping to keep the pen in my hand.  The pen has issues, to be sure (the cap, the difficulty of EDC'ing the pen due to the size, and possible durability problems), but the "size to cost" ratio can't be beat, even after importing it from the UK.  The customer service, ability to get a custom order, and unique nature of the pen make it an easy recommendation, especially for those who like their pens on the big side of the spectrum.

Score:
8.5/10

Ghost Paper Embossed Journal (A5)

"Ghost Paper," is described by its manufacturer as, "the freedom of a blank journal with the structure of a lined journal."  As a lover of stationary, I was intrigued by this product because innovation is hard to come by in the paper industry (especially since it has been around for centuries).

I've tended to shy away from blank notebooks in the past (and in particular blank Tomoe River notebooks) because they required me to carry a writing mat (i.e. a separate piece of plastic that goes underneath the page being written on).  With that said, I was hopeful Ghost Paper could give me the best of both worlds: lined pages when I wanted them, and a blank page when I didn't.  Did they succeed?  Read on to find out.

Basic Info:

• Cost: $25 / A5 notebook (on the manufacturer's website)
• I paid $40 for two notebooks via "drop.com"
• Size: 6'' x 8''
• Page Count: 96
• Numbered Pages?  No

Pros: 

• Ink drys incredibly fast on this paper.  Words didn't smear even if I touched them immediately after writing them (though, as a caveat, I did all of my writing with an EF or F nib).
• The notebook includes a built-in pen loop and page marker, which is always nice to have.
• The paper didn't disintegrate when exposed to a few drops of water.  I don't know that it'd stand up to mixed media or water colors, though. 
• Though there is show-through, bleed-through is minimal.  There is a touch of feathering present, but only if you really look for it.  
• The embossing / de-bossing feels interesting to touch, but is subtle enough that it does not affect the writing experience.  In other words, I only felt "valleys," while writing on the paper when I was really looking for them.

Cons:

• The embossing / de-bossing is neat, but it can be hard to see the lines on a given page without either writing with the notebook at an angle (i.e. not laying flat on a table) or deploying an external light source in close proximity, like a phone's flashlight.  Neither of these are ideal, as the former can be uncomfortable, and the latter takes away from the joyful simplicity writing in a notebook affords.  This issue persisted even in natural light.
• On this note, I think the embossing and debossing is much easier to see on the manufacturer's website (ghostpaper.com) than it is to see in person, which is disappointing.
• Though this is a matter of personal preference, the rubbery cover material used for this notebook feels weird to me.

Conclusion:
This notebook has some good things going for it: the paper seems to be of reasonably high quality, and I enjoy the novel thinking its manufacturer brings to market.  With that being said, novelty isn't always useful.  I couldn't see the lines as clearly or as often as I would have liked.  Since that is the main feature / selling point of this product, I can't justify giving it a high score.

This notebook is best suited for someone who wants a blank notebook with occasional lines much more than someone seeking a lined notebook that is occasionally blank.  I'm glad I did not pay full price, and while I wouldn't steer a friend away from the product, I wouldn't encourage a purchase either.  Ultimately, I am not in a rush to buy more, "Ghost Paper."

Final Score:
6/10

Wing Sung 601A 0.5mm / "F" Fountain Pen

A good pen can take you a long way.  Some see it as a tool, while others keep it as a constant companion.  As a means to record one's thoughts, the pen has a long and storied history.

While the pen I am reviewing today is unlikely to change history, and while it borrows a lot from a better known pen (the Parker 51), the price and the simple aesthetic meant it was destined to be a part of my collection.

Basic Details and Cost

• $15, with free shipping from China
• Purchased via eBay in "black," and, "indigo."
• Will it post?  Yes, deeply.

Pros:

• Both of the pens I received were surprisingly smooth writers, though both required a little patience to get writing for the first time (e.g. "dry" writing, shaking the pen, etc).
• To be clear, no major maintenance was required to get the pen writing.
• The vacuum filling system means getting ink into the pen is easy.
• The pen can be purchased with or without an ink window; I appreciate that this was an option.  I opted for the window in both of the pens I purchased.
• Both pens included a free cartridge converter.  I found this odd, as neither can actually use said converter, but I won't complain about a free pack-in.

Cons:

• With no easy or obvious way to disassemble the pen, servicing it will be difficult.  This includes flushing the pens and changing inks, should I ever decide to do so.  The TWSBI Vac700 avoids this problem by having a screw-off section; there is no such luck with this pen.  With that being said, the TWSBI is also 4-5 times more expensive, so it makes sense that it would have additional features.
• The pen takes obvious inspiration from the Parker 51, down to the arrow-shaped clip.  As far as I can tell, the only two things that differentiate the Wing Sung are the nib (which is wrapped around the feed instead of being hooded) and the option for an ink window. 
• I find the design on the nib to be serviceable at best; the Chinese characters are no problem, but the "MADE IN CHINA" stamp takes up more real estate on the nib than I'd like.  By comparison, the same message appears much more subtly on the pen's cap.
• (nit-pick) Though the operation of the pen is straightforward, all of the included instructions were in Chinese.  I am listing this as a nit-pick rather than a "full" con because the instructions did include pictures.
• (nit-pick) The shipping from China was slow, taking approximately 3 weeks to arrive.  This was a mild annoyance, given that I am used to snappy shipping via services like Amazon Prime.  I am listing this as a nit-pick, however, because it doesn't affect the quality of the pen.

Conclusion:
This pen has a lot going for it, including the easy filling, the ink window, and the smooth writing.  The pen is far from perfect, however, and may be difficult to maintain in the long run.  Beyond that, while I have mixed feelings about the pen's design inspiration, it doesn't bother me enough to stop using the pen (or to have avoided making the purchase in the first place).  In all, this pen works well for me as an EDC, and I am happy to have it in my collection.

Final Score:
7.5/10