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Bertram's Inkwell Blog - Fine Writing Insruments

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Retro 51 Tornado Popper Winter Wonderland

Retro 51 Tornado Popper Winter Wonderland

Just in time for the holiday season is the latest Retro 51 Tornado Popper Winter Wonderland.  Bertram’s Inkwell was able to get a few more of these.  The Retro 51 Tornado limited editions are collectible and highly sought-after pens.  Last year’s holiday limited edition was a great hit, as is this one!

 

Retro 51 Winter Wonderland

Holiday music is playing, we know you’re listening.  Writing your Christmas list & this new Popper is glistening.  Oh what a beautiful sight! You’re happy and bright, because you’re writing with a Winter Wonderland (stock number XRR-17P7).

Retro 51 Winter Wonderland

 

The new Tornado Popper is here just in time for the holiday season.  The barrel is coated in a glittering white finish. It’s been printed with a bustling snow village. This Retro 51 pen comes complete with chrome accents, numbered top ring and matching tube packaging. Only 934 have been made so get yours today, so you can be writing with a Winter Wonderland.

Get your Winter Wonderland here:

 

https://www.bertramsinkwell.com/ecommerce/ballpoint-pens/retro-1951/retro-51-tornado-popper-winter-wonderland.html

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Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Review

Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Review

The Bexley Pen Company was founded in 1993 in Columbus, Ohio. They are known for making modern pens inspired by the “Golden Age of fountain pens.” This review is of the Bexley Demeter fountain pen in black with red accent rings, gold colored cap band, and a medium steel nib.

8/10 Packaging:  The pen comes inside a black Bexley-branded box with a magnetic flap closure. Also included are filling and cleaning instructions, a warranty slip, and two ink cartridges. A plain black cardboard outer sleeve covers the box. This sleeve also has stickers that read, “Made in U.S.A” and “Bexley Pen Co, Inc. Demeter Collection,” and notes the pen color and nib size.

Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen  Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen

 

8/10 First thoughts: The pen looks like it stepped out of the 1930’s. The black cap and body are perfectly contrasted by a gold-colored cap band and red accent bands.

Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen

 

9/10 Design: The pen is light at 17 grams, which is great for longer writing sessions. You can post the cap securely, but it makes the pen a bit long, in my opinion. The overall design of the Bexley Demeter fountain pen is similar to a vintage Parker Duofold or Sheaffer Flat Top fountain pen. The cap secures snuggly with one-and-a-half turns, the grip section has a flare at the end and the threads are smooth and barely noticeable.

The clip caught my attention as it has a small rollerball on the end that allows you to easily slide the pen in and out of a pocket or pen pouch. The clip ring only goes halfway around the cap, causing a small gap; however, this does not affect the strength of the clip. It is possible this is just a flaw on this specific pen as the pictures on Bexley’s website appear to have a clip ring that goes completely around the cap. There is no branding anywhere on the body or cap. It has a shiny black finish with thin red accent bands on the cap and body and a gold-colored cap band that grabs your attention.  Nib options are all steel and include Fine, Medium, and Broad.

Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen

 

8/10 Nib Performance: The steel nib is a very smooth, wet writer. I experienced no hard starts even after leaving the pen on my desk for a few days. The two-tone nib adds to the vintage look of the pen and provides a pop of color. I am fond of the simple branding with a stylized “B,” the word “Bexley,” and the letter “M” for Medium nib size. I used KWZ Honey ink, a wet ink, for this review and the pen was a very wet writer showing the nib is tuned very well right out of the box.

Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen

 

8/10 Filling System: The pen is a cartridge/converter filling system. It comes with two ink cartridges, but does not include the standard international converter. The body is solid and the threads are plastic so you should be able to eyedropper the pen if you prefer. I would just add a small amount of silicone grease around the threads to prevent leaks.

Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen

 

7/10 Value:  A retail price of $199 is the higher-end of pricing for steel nib. Yet it’s the lower-end of pricing for gold nib fountain pens. It has the look of a vintage pen without having to worry about potentially hard to service filling systems or maintenance issues, which some vintage pens suffer from.

48/60 Overall: The vintage pen design is interesting. Especially since it uses modern materials and has a modern filling system. I always wanted a vintage Duofold or Flat Top, but I have always been concerned with not being able to service those pens on my own. This would be a great substitute for someone that wants the look of a vintage fountain pen with the convenience of a modern fountain pen.

 

 

Specs:

Name: Bexley Demeter fountain pen

Design: Black body with red accent bands and a gold-colored cap band

Length: 5 5/16 inches (134.9mm)

Posted: 6.25 inches (171.45 mm)

Diameter: .49 inches (12.5 mm body), .61 inches (15.5 mm cap band)

Weight: 17 grams

Nib: Steel Medium

Filling System: C/C

 

Pros: Vintage design, rollerball clip, no nib work needed out of the box, screw-on cap

Cons: Higher-end price range for steel nibs and lower-end price range for gold nibs, does not come with a converter

In the same price range:

Platinum 3776 Century

Aurora Duocart

Faber- Castell E-Motion

 

“Make your mark”

Eric Aycock (Pengeek13)

 

Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen

 

Bertram’s Inkwell thanks Eric Aycock for his time and contribution with this wonderful review!

Check out the Bexley Demeter Fountain Pen here.

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Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen Review

Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen Review

The Taccia Company makes a wide variety of writing products and accessories, from traditional fountain pens, ballpoint pens, pen pouches and wraps, to exquisite limited edition Maki-E and Raden pens. Today’s review is of the Taccia Spectrum fountain pen in Merlot Red with a Music nib.

9/10 Packaging: The pen comes inside of a Taccia embossed (faux) leather box with a cardboard sleeve around it. Inside the box is a black satin bed with a loop to hold the pen in place, a warranty card, and an instruction booklet.

Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen

 

9/10 First thoughts: The pen really pops against the black satin bed. The body is almost translucent and has a classic shape and look.

Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen

 

9/10 Design: The pen has a nice weight to it and rests comfortably in the web of my hand. The last third of the pen has a gradual taper to the bottom finial, which allows the cap to securely post. There is no cap band, but the name “Taccia” is printed in silver where the cap band would be. This two-toned nib has “Taccia Japan” engraved on it, with a small “MS” stamped on the wing identifying it as a music nib.

The pen is available in Ocean Blue, Forest Green, and also Merlot Red, with the option for a Fine, Medium, or Music nib. There is a small step-down from the body to the grip section, which can be a bit small for larger hands, and the threads are noticeable. I scored down for the clip, which is quite stiff. It clips securely to a dress shirt pocket, but thicker clothes may require two hands to clip. The threaded cap screws on securely.

Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen  Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen

 

8/10 Nib Performance: Especially relevant, the music nib is very smooth and a wet writer. It is very broad, almost to the point of being unable to use for usual everyday writing. Experiencing a few hard starts may be due to the Pelikan Edelstein Aquamarine ink I was using. This Japan-made nib is two-toned steel with a breather hole and appears to be similar to Sailor pen nibs and feeds.

Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen  Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen

 

9/10 Filling System: The pen uses what appears to be a Sailor converter, which is proprietary, is included with the pen, and is a simple push-in converter. As a result of the metal threads on the body, it is not possible to eyedropper the pen. My only score down comes from it being a proprietary converter.

Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen

 

8/10 Value:  A retail price of $159 is near the higher-end of pricing for steel nib, and yet the lower-end of pricing for gold nib fountain pens. The nib performs very well and is a smooth wet writer.

52/60 Overall: The design of the Taccia Spectrum fountain pen is timeless, and the color/material is very eye catching. I typically prefer a Fine or Extra Fine nib. This is my first experience with a music nib, and I really enjoy writing with it. Finally, It gave my writing a wonderful expressiveness that you do not see in finer point nibs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specs:

Name: Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen Merlot Red

Design: Translucent acrylic body

Length: 5.5 inches (139.7mm)

Posted: 6.25 inches (158.75 mm)

Diameter: .55 inches (13.97 mm)

Weight: 26 grams

Nib: Two Tone steel Music nib

Filling System: C/C proprietary

 

Pros: Translucent body, interesting “non-standard” nib, screw on cap

Cons: Tight clip, higher end price range for steel nibs and bottom end for gold

In the same price range:

Lamy 2000

Pilot Vanishing Point

Pelikan M205

 

“Make your mark”

Eric Aycock (Pengeek13)

 

Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen   Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen  Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen

 

 

Bertram’s Inkwell thanks Eric Aycock for his time and contribution with this wonderful review!

Check out the Taccia Spectrum Fountain Pen here.

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