Aurora Optima Black Resin

[scribble]

The Aurora Optima ICE SERIES

 

I've had this pen for a week now and I'm starting to get accustomed to it:

 

https://secure11.nexternal.com/shared/Store...et=products.asp

 

Swisher had the best price of well established net sources I checked so I ordered it from them -- on a Friday and it was here by Monday. That's service. Got a bottle of Aurora black ink to go with it.

 

I was attracted by the black resin chrome trim tech styling of this pen. . The 14K solid gold nib is white gold to match and gives a nice smooth flex to the stroke. This is an excellent everday pen. Always a requirement for me is the piston fill since I suspect convertor systems compromise flow rates and I custom dilute the inks I use. The feel of the piston is very smooth and sure with a large ink capacity.

 

The very fine nib seems to lay out a thicker line than I anticipated but it is getting finer with a lighter, quicker touch. With the wet flow here a sensitive hand is desirable. The pen and the ink both live up to the high flow reputation of Aurora.

 

This is a rather large pen with a 14mm wide barrel that narrows down to end in a knurl. I tended initially to move my fingers beyond it and ink them up but now find the best position naturally. The closed pen is stubby being short and thick for a handy pocket fit. Posted it is a full 15.5cm (6") long with a full featured grip.

 

The Aurora Optima Ice is a clean comtemporary no frills no nonsense fountain pen, very high quality and you pay only for features here. If you want more style then the fancier Auroloide series is available, but I like the modern tech look of this pen better. Since I anticipate using this for drawing and journaling in the urban street scene the low key/high quality design is perfect for me.

 

Italian style and craftsmanship make this a good value for the rather modest price of $245. If you like a good ink flow, smooth piston fill, and substantial feel the "Ice" is highly recommended.

[southpaw]

Thanks for the review.

[scribble]

Another week of use and further comment is due. The ink runs out of this nib like a fugitive from a crashed car after a Santa Monica freeway police chase. You have got to be agile and fast to keep up with it. To make matters worse the fat Italian standard makes the very fine nib roll out a nice thick wet line. Not advisable for the slow and deliberate writer.

 

For the first week I could see little difference when stroking with the inverted nib but I'm starting to get a finer line. It is still not beating the medium MB though in this respect. I've got both pens loaded with some Higgens Fountain Pen India diluted with about 50% distilled water and ten drops of W/N Oxgall watercolor wetting agent. It's not flowing as fast as the Aurora black ink I started it out with. I suspect that it takes a little time for the feed surfaces to collect some ink and slow it down too. I might try a lighter mix without the wetting agent next. I want the pen to respond more slowly but not to skip when I make fast back and forth strokes for shading.

 

Still digging the look and feel of this pen.

[Roger]

Good review, Scribble. Thanks, and keep us posted on your progress in getting used to it.

[wimg]

Hi Scribble,

 

Thank you for the very nice review. I'm rather partial to Auroras, be it a little more to Stips .

 

Regarding the flow: maybe you could try Aurora or Pelikan ink, and see how it goes. Especially with the Pelikan ink it just might write a normal, as in, expected, line in width.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[scribble]

Actually, I did get a bottle of Aurora black with the pen. I wanted to start off with the proprietary ink so as to have some kind of benchmark experience for future reference. It comes off the nozzle quite freely. I've got some Pelikan inks at home so I'm going to run it with the blue-black Pel next.

 

Hey wimg, I'm not complaining. I need to develop some manual dexterity here, which is why I've gotten out the inks again. I've had cartridge jobs that made me think I was an insurance salesman.

[Calabria]

Hey there - not quite sure whether you were happy about the "fugitive" ink flow, or not - but having some knowledge of art materials, I can say that you are making your ink super fluid by adding the water, and especially the oxgall, which is used to create all kinds of wash effects in watercolors. Not a good idea for a fountain pen, unless that's what you want.

 

I use Waterman inks, which seem to have the best characteristics in the long run; Pelikan is too thin, and Aurora is a little on the viscuous side, although it works well and is beautiful.

 

Cheers,

D

 

Actually, I did get a bottle of Aurora black with the pen. I wanted to start off with the proprietary ink so as to have some kind of benchmark experience for future reference. It comes off the nozzle quite freely. I've got some Pelikan inks at home so I'm going to run it with the blue-black Pel next.

 

Hey wimg, I'm not complaining. I need to develop some manual dexterity here, which is why I've gotten out the inks again. I've had cartridge jobs that made me think I was an insurance salesman.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Calabria

[IKWarren]

Nice review. I have an Optima with the EF white gold nib and its very nice but I do have to admit that I like rhodium plated nibs better. That are both nice but I think the rhodium has a little better shine.