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Hi! I am looking to acquire my first Graf Von Faber Castell pen and I have come across this pen at a reasonable price. However, I am not sure of which model it is or the kind of era/year it would be from. I wondered if anyone on here could help enlighten me please? It appears to me to be the “Classic” model although the grip section appears different to any other Classics I have seen online? No idea on year. Any guide/insight would be much appreciated please. Photos are not mine. Thanks 😊

I adore Graf von Faber-Castell Violet Blue ink. When I was looking into getting a bottle, I could not get an accurate impression of the color from on-line photographs. The ink looked different everywhere. One review said it was vibrant. None of that was really accurate when I finally did get my bottle and started writing with it. Violet Blue is a powdery, muted color-shifting ink, translucent and highly shading. It can go from almost pink-lavender to deeper lavender-purple, and even bits of blue. I would say even though it is a blue-lavender, it also has a warmth to it where the sophisticated muted pink element comes through. I've had a Sailor Kobe #57 Hime Ajisai (Hydrangea) and while also beautiful, the Kobe ink is different: more fluorescent fibrancy, more saturation. I prefer this GvFC. When drawing with the ink and using a water brush, the pink is water resistant, and the light blue-lavender lifts off. This ink reminded me strongly of Hydrangeas--the more lavender-pink ones. As it happens, there are lots of hydrangeas in full bloom in my area now, and as I was walking home today I decided to pluck a few flowers and do a photo shoot. The lavender hydrangea flowers are exactly the color of this ink. The pink hydrangea flowers match the water resistant component of this ink very well too. Without further ado, here are some photographs for hydrangea lovers: (Tomoe River 52g in a Hobonichi Cousin planner) Fabriano Bioprima paper: While not as strong of a match, Graf von Faber-Castell is also strongly reminescent of Blue hydrangea flowers in its color range: powdery light blue that shades toward lavender. I also immediately though of blue hydrangeas when I started writing with Gulf Blue.

I'm curious about a few colors in the GvFC line, but have not decided if I want to "pull the trigger" yet, so to speak. Seems like they are well-respected inks, but I can't tell if it's more because of the general impression of a high-end product due to the heavy-duty glass designer bottle, or if the inks themselves stand out in some way. (I must admit, it bothers me that they label their inks as "indelible", but the water resistance part of that is not near-100% like a true permanent ink would have. Almost all of their inks wash off significantly, but do leave something behind. People then give recommendations of GvFC inks for those who want permanence, and it's misleading. Other than trying to avoid having a document tampered with, I imagine vast majority of people who want high water resistance just want it for low susceptibility of their writing to, say, picking up a written page and smearing the writing if one's hands are not perfectly dry, or an accidental flooding of an area where a journal is kept, or any number of sub-optimal long-term storage conditions that involve water or dampness. indelible: (of ink or a pen) making marks that cannot be removed. synonyms: ineradicable, inerasable, ineffaceable, unexpungeable, indestructible, permanent, lasting, persisting, enduring, stubborn, ingrained, unfading, imperishable; More ) That said, I can forgive some semantics, if the product is good otherwise, and I'm curious about the inks themselves. For those here who use the GvFC inks--what do you like about them that makes them stand out? Or else, if not stand out, what do you like about their behavior? Would you get them again if you found other brands' inks in similar enough colors?

I am always hunting inexpensive notebooks or legal pads that are fountain pen friendly for my work. I have been, for the most part, disappointed by the cheap quality of the paper on most pads and notebooks for everyday use. Last night, I spotted a display of these "new" notebooks that boast a high quality paper that resists ink bleed. At $1.97 per notebook, I decided to purchase a couple. A Quick Review of the new Five Star Coillege Ruled Notebook by Acco Brands in A5-related size: This notebook is made in the U.S, and is Number 11231. It has a 2 subject divider and a colorful cover. The paper is a light weight, student quality and likely not archival. The overall feel of the paper is smooth, but has a slight amount of toothiness. The manufacturer indicates that the notebook "Lasts all year. Guranteed!", and contains reinforced storage pockets, water resistant cover and high quality paper, "which resists ink bleed with common student writing instruments such as pencil, ball point pens, gel pens, felt tip pens and markers". I decided to see how fountain pen ink would do. The pens, nibs and inks used in this test for feathering, bleedthrough and showthrough were: Montblanc 144, fine 18K gold nib: Sailor Kobe Ooji Cherry Namisu Nova, medium titanium nib: Montblanc Irish Green Conklin Duragraph, 1.1 stub nib: Midnight Blue ink creation of mine Franklin Christoph Panther, Matsuyama medium italic 14K semi-flex nib: DeAtramentis Aubergine Italix Captain's Commission, medium italic nib: Diamine Woodland Green Lamy Studio, fine 18K gold nib: Akkermann #14 Purple Lamy 2000, medium 18K gold nib: Sailor Nioi Sumire Lamy LX, medium nib: Robert Oster Australian Mauve Opal Delta Capri Marina, broad fusion nib: GvFC Deep Sea Green Lamy Safari, broad nib: Diamine Bilberry Lamy Safari, medium nib: Robert Oster River of Fire Lamy Al-Star, fine nib: Robert Oster Tranquility Lamy Safari, fine nib: Cross Violet Custom made, fine 18k nib: Robert Oster Green Diamond Delta Horsepower, 1.1 stub fusion nib: DeAtramentis Robert Louis Stevenson Jinhao 450, Goulet 1.1 stub nib: DeAtramentis Edgar Allen Poe The following are printer scans of the inks tested on the paper. The image quality is not the best, but it should give you some idea. Note that the pink/red/purple colors seem "fuzzy". This is the result of my printer scanner, not the ink feathering. Page 1: Page 2: Feathering/Spreading: Overall there was minimal feathering. Those which did have some feathering included those inks which came from stub or broad nibs. Almost all fine or medium nibs showed little to no feathering. Bleedthrough: There was no bleedthrough, except with my very wet Italix Captain's Commission with Diamine Woodland Green,there were a few tiny spots where the ink was just beginning to bleed. Showthrough: Almost all of the fine and medium point nibs did not show through. The exception is my Namisu Nova which has an exceptionally wet medium titanium nib, and Lamy Safari medium nib with the very wet Robert Oster River of Fire ink. Almost all of the broad and stub nibs did showthrough, with the exception of Conklin Duragraph because the ink is fairly light in color, and surprisingly the Delta Capri Marina with a very wet broad nib filled with GvFC Deep Sea Green. Overall, I am very impressed with these little notebooks. I would recommend these to any student who uses fountain pens, particularly with fine and medium nibs. And with the black or dark blue cover, this would be acceptable for professional use as well as long as your use is non-archival.

I won't add much to previous fantastic reviews of this ink, such as the ones here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/335816-gulf-blue-graf-von-faber-castell/ But I will add my subjective impressions of using this ink and some more scans and photographs. Graf von Faber-Castell makes a luxury line of inks in beautiful, heavy glass bottles that will decorate any writing desk and will draw the eye. Despite the high price, the bottles contain 75ml of ink, so price per ml is actually reasonable. Considering other brands that sell in 20-30ml bottles for lower prices, but you get 2-3 times less ink. The packaging overall is top notch quality (personal note: I love the scent of the thick paper the box is made with, or maybe it's the ink used to print the graphics on the box). In my experience with 10 colors of GvFC ink, all are a varying degree of low lubrication and dryness. Some might be "liquidy" coming off the nib, but the overall ink flow will not be high. Colors like Moss Green, Cobalt Blue, and Hazelnut Brown are more saturated and a bit more lubricated. Deep Sea Green and Gulf Blue have little to no lubrication and are very dry, and so they benefit from juicy pens with smooth nibs. Or else you will feel every imperfection of your nib and texture of the paper you write on. Recently I have come to appreciate dry inks for the look they can provide if they are made of different hues of constituent dyes. This is the same type of dry flow and lack of lubrication one might find with certain translucent, multi-hue Sailor Manyo, Sailor Ink Studio, Troublemaker, and other inks of that nature. I am guessing the lack of surfactants, low saturation, and low lubrication are necessary to achieve color separation within a line, because some dyes flow farther than others, thus separating into gradients. Graf von Faber-Castell Gulf Blue is a multi-hue powder blue ink. It reminds me of blue hydrangea flowers, with areas of pale aqua-sky blue in dry areas and shifting to lavender in more saturated areas. It has a similar idea to Troublemaker Milky Ocean, but Milky Ocean is comparatively more purple-shifted and slightly more saturated. I highly recommend broad or cursive italic/stub nibs for this ink to get the most of the color gradient effect. The wetter your pen, the better, both for the smoother writing experience and for the ink to be more prominent on paper. Here is a scan of a mini-review sheet, paper is ivory-toned Fabriano Bioprima 85g with 4mm dot grid: Graf von Faber-Castell claims their inks are indelible. You can go back and forth about the ISO standard the brand uses, but in practical terms, the ink has some but low water resistance. The purplish line remains behind if you dab the wet writing with a paper towel quickly, and you might be able to read the original writing if the lines were thick enough, as you can see on the scan above (the grid lines are very faint compared to the cursive italic writing). The ink is pale to begin with, and the remaining lines are even more so. Here's a scan of some blue-turquoise inks next to Gulf Blue on ivory-toned Nakabayashi Logical Prime notebook paper: Photographs: On Tomoe River 52g "white" in a Hobonichi Cousin planner: Fabriano Bioprima 85g, using water brushes: Comparison with Troublemaker Milky Ocean: Milky Ocean: Milky Ocean:

After a long & strong fight with the penavarice-devil , I finally gave in and bought a GvFC Intuition. I went with the 'terra' - the red-orang-ish barrel. I have also replicated the content with some additional pictures in my blog as the images are reduced to a small thumbnail after a short-while. Below is a link to the same: Graf von Faber-Castell Intuition Review Here goes a review of the same: The Intuition With a covetous eye on this pen, since the time I had got my FCD Ambition and then an orange coloured Ondoro fountain pen, it indeed required lady luck's blessings, to get this one at a steeply discounted price. I must say, that there was already a strange sense of loss of colours, after I had given both of my orange coloured fountain pens away - Ondoro (mint & boxed) and later the Pelikan m205. And this was an appropriate treatment for my colour blindnesshttp://lh5.ggpht.com/-a-Tba4pAIVk/VPfDFXW0uAI/AAAAAAAAEBE/0lhEVc5hixI/wlEmoticon-rainbow2.png?imgmax=800. Coming to the Faber-Castell Design(FCD) and the rather luxurious Graf von Faber-Castell(GvFC) line of pens, I must say that they have been able to splendidly highlight the art of convergence of design and utility. The Intuition pen comes in six lines of resin-based designs and two(earlier three) lines of wood-based designs. The wooden designs are called Intuition Platino Wood which is an enhanced intuition design altogether, be it the fluted wooden barrel or the platinum plated cap or an extra-large and more exquisitely designed bi-colour nib. And, it naturally places them in a more premium segment http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xbUGfrYQ50k/VPfDGkDN4aI/AAAAAAAAEBM/SJueZw-VO6s/wlEmoticon-surprisedsmile2.png?imgmax=800. All these design lines come with a fountain pen (with 6 to 7 different nib widths), a roller ball, a propelling pencil (0.7mm) and a ballpoint pen. Presentation (6/6) It’s a chamois-coloured gift box with top and bottom wooden linings, which secures itself by a magnetic catch within the two folds. There is the pen resting in a cardboard box within a chamois-coloured linen bag, which carries the Graf Von Faber-Castell name and their coat-of-arms logo. I someway like the linen, bag because of its differentiated appeal, though not from an utilitarian perspective. There is also a warranty leaflet-cum-manual, which states a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects and assures services, in case any need for repair arises. Then, it also illustrates refilling the entire range of GvFC pens and other stationery. http://s25.postimg.org/pcc1oi7n3/Gv_FC_001.jpg Design (6/6) The Intuition range comes in six variants (terra - orange, ivory – off-white/fluted, black - black/fluted/metal cap) with six different nib sizes – EF, F, M, B, OM and OB. Only one of these variants comes with a platinum plated metal cap with a shiny black barrel. Coming back to the pen, once you take it out, it surely looks like a compact enchanting piece of art. A high gloss sheen of the of the barrel and the cap reflects back quite a bit of light. Complementing this sheen, are the dazzling platinum plated trims of the pen. http://s25.postimg.org/u4qwx28mn/Gv_FC_009.jpg On pulling the cap off, you would initially notice the singularity of the barrel, a section sans joints. It’s made out of a single piece of resin, in this case reflecting the colour of earth or ‘terra’, gleaming with an orange smile. At the top end of the barrel, is a twist-metallic crown, which disengages the bi-tone nib section and converter system, from the rest of the body. I just love this element of design! The knob is embossed with the coat-of-arms logo, on the finial. Usually the coat-of-arms logo is used in GvFC pens and FCD pens(Ambition, Ondoro, e-motion) carry the jostling knights logo. Traditionally coat-of-arms is said to represent full-achievement in a heraldic tradition. GvFC has quite a bit of design superiority over the other FCD pens. Towards the nib end, the singular barrel narrows down to a slightly concave section to form a comfortable grip. Despite the glossy and smooth finish, the pen has a subtle but non-slippy grip section. The cap is engraved with GRAF VON FABER – CASTELL, encircling the metallic finial insert which again bears another coat-of-arms logo with its platinum sheen. The cap band says GRAF VON FABER – CASTELL on one side and on the other end it's HANDMADE IN GERMANY. ‘Handmade’ because there are over a hundred steps in the entire manufacturing process of this pen, a majority of which are carried out by hand. The clip on the cap carries the gleam of platinum with a highly efficient and visible spring loaded system. http://s25.postimg.org/xcqcczokv/1_Gv_FC.jpg Filling System (6/6) Once the crown of the barrel is rotated anti-clockwise to disengage the nib & filling system, you would notice a rather classical CC filler system. The nib has a screw fit, and inserts into a metallic sleeve like most of the Faber-Castell fountain pens which I have seen. The nib sleeve has threads which synchronize with threads on the inner barrel, both ending up with an octagonal cross section. The converter has a metallic premium band which friction-fits into the nib section though it does not fit a FCD Ambition section. However, the Ambition converter fits in the Intuition nib section. The converter has a reasonably high capacity of 0.8 – 0.9 mL, and the ink does last for quite a while! I usually have a bias towards piston fillers, but I do appreciate the Faber-Castell converter capacity. http://s25.postimg.org/xgk5t8u27/2_Gv_FC.jpg The nib section carries a six-digit number which denotes the date of manufacture, which I did confirm with the Faber-Castell team. Mine says 011210, which would mean it was manufactured way back on 01-December-2010.http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4LhAicXcVUM/VPfDJ9JciiI/AAAAAAAAEBk/kRvZ6XhRsSM/wlEmoticon-peace%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800 Nib (5/6) – All that matters The 18k bi-tone nib comes in four main widths – EF, F, M & B and two special widths – OM (left) & OB (left). The tail end specifies the nib size and composition (75% Au , 18 ct) of the alloy used. A white rhodium decor occupies the outer tines converging with the iridium tip, while the inner part circumscribing the breather hole gleams golden with engraved stripes. There is a dazzling white coat-of-arms logo resting just above the tail-end. This one is a fine nib and writes quite smoothly with a 'minutely minute' hint of feedback when I use relatively drier inks. It lays down a wet albeit fine line, which will be covered in the last section of this review. With a rather curved shoulder, the nib does portray an apparently smaller size even if it’s quite similar to the size of the relatively flat Ambition nib. [minus 1] http://s25.postimg.org/yhkeidb1r/Gv_FC_008_wb.jpg Below is a comparison to the FCD Ambition (non-premium) sections. You can check the differences between the two converters, the Intuition has got some metallic embellishment. They do use a similar feed. http://s25.postimg.org/fnylldctr/3_Gv_FC2.jpg Physics of it (4/6) – relatively speaking With a cylindrical body of 1.2 cm diameter, it does give a comfortable feel without adding too much weight. The capped length of 12.5 cm is quite similar to a Pelikan m400. In short, it is quite a compact pen when compared to an MB146 or even a thinner Ambition, for that matter. And a compact pen, can have its advantages along with some disadvantages. The weight of this pen has a significant contribution from the resin cap. http://s25.postimg.org/93vtf0ysv/Gv_FC_017.jpg Uncapped Length ~ 12 cm Posted Length ~ 15 cm Nib Leverage ~ 2 cm Overall Weight ~ 29.4 g Uncapped, it’s quite similar to the m400 but slightly shorter than the Ambition. The loss of weight and length is somehwat balanced by the wider grip section, if not completely. http://s25.postimg.org/g9nkhh7vz/Gv_FC_018.jpg Alternatively, you can post it and it’s similar to a posted m400 with a slightly top-heavy configuration. However, I feel comfortable to use it both posted and unposted, although I never have shared the same feeling with Ambition. http://s25.postimg.org/hant6lovj/Gv_FC_019.jpg Economic Value(5/6) Although pen retails around USD 600, it is available at a street price of around USD 430. With end of season clearance sale, I was able to get the pen at a good discounted price (around 50%). Overall (5.3/6)I feel loved by the design and exquisite appeal of this pen on an overall scale, whenever I write with it. No skipping or hard starts right from the beginning, it was quite smooth out of the box. With a stiff nib, it delivers a wet (not broad) line, with the fine nib. The line width closely resembles a Japanese FM nib. For a pelikan 4001 brilliant green ink, it takes around 12-13 seconds to dry up. You may not notice any line variation with horizontal and vertical strokes for this one. http://s25.postimg.org/bp1e2jo6n/Gv_FC_020.jpg It was fun reviewing the intuition. Hope you enjoyed reading it. Thank you for your time. Awaiting your feedback on the intuition... Best, Sonik

Disclaimer: I enjoy doing mini ink reviews for my personal reference, and I'd like to share them with others if they might be of help to gain an insight into the ink's appearance and performance. I generally don't have time to put together super comprehensive reviews, like some of our fantastic reviewers here do (thank you so much for your hard work!), but hopefully these mini reviews will still be useful as another point of reference. Graf von Faber-Castell - Deep Sea Green Recently I became interested in GvFC inks. They seemed overpriced before, and I was severely disappointed with my first encounter with Deep Sea Green. I had bought a set of DSG cartridges for a trip, and when I popped one into a pen in my hotel room and saw the watery, pale tealy green, I thought "This is not what I expected". This is a very dry ink with low lubrication, so that did not predispose me toward it either. I went to a local fountain pen shop next day, bought a set of Visconti Sepia cartridges, and did not look back. That was over a year ago. Fast forward to a few months back. I kept looking at the writing made with this ink as well as at reviews. I have also since become more enamored with inks that 1. have a kind of watercolor look with color complexity (can see constituent dyes separate a bit) and 2. inks that are not so wet that they can provide high line definition with very thin hairlines. To that extent, high lubrication and wet flow are generally exclusive of good line definition and are more synonymous with increased line thickness. There was a good sale on GvFC inks around Black Friday, and so I ended up with 5 bottles of various colors, including this one. I'm very happy to own this ink and other Graf von Faber-Castell inks. It is true: the bottles are absolutely luxurious--the best I have experienced to date of any brand. The way the bottle cap opens so smoothly and is very heavy is just so pleasant. I even love the scent of color print dyes in the cardboard packaging. It's all just perfectly appealing and tactile. The inks themselves tend to be dry, with varying degrees of lubrication depending on color. Deep Sea Green in particular is not well lubricated. However, it is a sacrifice I am now willing to make given the aforementioned conditions. What's cool about this ink is that it is not monochromatic, and it really does look like watercolor. It can be more or less gray or blue, or green depending on concentration, paper, and illumination. Drying time is very fast to super slow--depends on whether you've let it sit and concentrate in a pen. At the end of this review, I am attaching a photograph of how this ink looks once it sits in a pen for a month and becomes fairly concentrated. The periods take close to half an hour to dry at that point (or even longer), until they stop smearing easily. That's an extreme case, but some inks do this more than others. Another ink that behaves like this in concentrated form is J. Herbin Lie de The, which can take multiple hours to fully dry in the dotted spots. Water resistance is quite good: well-defined gray line remains. This ink is an excellent candidate for watercolor-type drawings. While Deep Sea Green can look somewhat similar to J. Herbin Vert de Gris, the two are very different in details. Vert de Gris has a very chalky pastel finish with some watercolor wash, Deep Sea Green looks like watercolor with more in-line hue variation. Bottom line: A+ art and specialty ink. Beautiful and soothing for personal journaling for those who appreciate nuances of color and finish on good paper. I would not recommend it for note taking or professional environment due to lack of lubrication, dry flow, and rather pale appearance when fresh. If you let it concentrate, you will encounter long drying times, which is also not good on-the-go. Papers used in this review are: Fabriano Bioprima 4mm dot grid - a kind of ivory color, lightly textured, uncoated Kokuyo loose leaf A5 - lightly coated white Japanese paper Nakabayashi Logical Prime notebook - coated and super smooth ivory-toned Japanese paper, shows things like sheen and hue variation pretty well Photographs: Scans: Fabriano Bioprima, ivory: Highly concentrated version that took forever to dry in the "dots"; paper is Kokuyo Loose Leaf A5. Ignore the comment about using this for notes and professional environment -- that's before I realized just how long it takes to dry like this..

Graf von Faber-Castell was founded in 1761 and developed into the major manufacturer of wood-cased pencils. With time they started to offer much broader range of products. Few years ago company's introduced six inks. Last year they've added three new colors to the line. This year they've done the same. Three new GvFC colors hit the shelves. Viper Green is quite nice. It's not the most saturated green ink ever created but it remains perfectly legible in all conditions and feels fresh. While I prefer olive greens, this one looks decent to me. It feels quite wet, even in drier pens and the flow is good. I haven't experienced any clogging or skipping issues and that's always a plus. Some feathering and bleedthrough will be experienced on absorbent and thin papers. Overall impression - acceptable. Probably, I'll even use all carts that I bought. Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Color range My company's notebook (low quality paper), Waterman Phileas, medium nib Field Notes, Waterman Phileas, medium nib Rhodia, Waterman Phileas, medium nib Tsubame, Waterman Phileas, medium nib Water resistance

GvFC Platino intuition has 3 colour option, sure Ebony and Grendilla are both great, but I really like the Pernambuco wood. By the time I spend on trying to buy it from internet, I realize its not an easy task. And my friend tells me that Pernambuco product has been stopped. So here comes some question: 1. Is Pernambuco really out of the production line? 2. If its true, is it because shortage of material or quality control issue? 3. 😂😂Last but not least, whats the fair price of Pernambuco now?😍😍

Graf von Faber-Castell was founded in 1761 and developed into the major manufacturer of wood-cased pencils. With time they started to offer much broader range of products. Few years ago company's introduced six inks. Last year they've added three new colors to the line. This year they've done the same. Three new GvFC colors hit the shelves. India Red is enjoyable to use. The color isn't too heavy but I like it. Also, the flow is simply excellent. It flows almost like J. Herbin Eclat de Saphire and I love it. I haven't experienced any clogging or skipping issues and that's always a plus. Some feathering and bleedthrough will be experienced on absorbent and thin papers. Overall impression - nice. I like it. Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Color range My company's notebook (low quality paper), Waterman Hemisphere, fine nib Field Notes, Kaigelu 316, medium nib Rhodia, Waterman Hemisphere, fine nib Tsubame, Kaigelu 316, medium nib Clairefontaine, Waterman Hemisphere, fine nib

I have the choice between EF and M on a GvFC classic. I would probably have gone for an F normally but this is really a good opportunity so that is out of the question. I am happy with a fine line, as long as it isn't scratchy and has good flow. I hear GvFCs are on the wetter side so that pushes me towards an EF. Does anyone have any experience or comparison of an EF v M? I've again heard that GvFC, being German, tend towards a broader side of things. For comparison, I have a TWSBI EF which isn't too fine or scratchy for me (I think it's a good one though). I also have a MB 146 M which is a good thickness, although I'd like something a bit thinner here. I also have a Waterman Carene in M which is thicker than I want for my GvFC, a Nova with a Bock #6 medium which again is thicker than I'd want for this pen. That all said, if the EF is likely to be scratchy I'd rather go for a wider line to get a buttery smooth writing experience. If anyone has any samples that they could take a picture of, I would be extremely grateful. Otherwise any input is appreciated. Thanks!

Cult pens are offering a 10% discount for FPD. Some prices have increased since the last promotion especially Pelikan. https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/explore/events--occasions/fountain-pen-day

Cult pens has 10% discount on a large selection of FP's including Pelikan, Lamy, GvFC etc. Great for foreign buyers with favorable FX rates, free worldwide shipping (over £50) and now an extra 10% off ex VAT prices. https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/special-offers/10-off-enthusiast-fountain-pens

Graf von Faber-Castell was founded in 1761 and developed into the major manufacturer of wood-cased pencils. With time they started to offer much broader range of products. Few years ago company's introduced six inks. Recently they've added three new colors to the line. Carbon Black Cobalt Blue Deep Sea Green Garnet Red Hazelnut Brown Midnight Blue Moss Green Royal Blue Stone Grey Garnet Red is my least favourite of "old" GvFC colors. It's dry and not p[articularly thrilling. Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Tomoe River, Kaweco Classic Sport, B CIAK, Kaweco Classic Sport, B

I am happy to share a review of the Graf von Faber Castell Elemento Fountain pen, which is incidentally my first limited edition fountain pen. I have also replicated the content with some additional pictures in my blog, since the images are/will be reduced to a smaller thumbnail after a short-while by the image hosting service. Below is a link to the same: Review of Graf von Faber-Castell Elemento ELEMENTO L.E To be honest, the Elemento seems so alluring, ever since I have got an Intuition. Its yearning could only multiply with time. A sale was good enough to trigger my purchase as I could not wait long to catch hold of the pen. Incidentally, this is my first numbered (limited edition) fountain pen, delightfully so with a wooden barrel. Elemento, incidentally was designed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of my favourite fountain pen company - Graf von Faber-Castell. It also marked the release of a few other similarly sized wooden models of intuition. The Elemento range comprises of individually numbered propelling pencils (250 pieces), ball point pens (1500 pieces), roller-ball pens (1000 pieces) apart from these fountain pens (2500 pieces). PRESENTATION (6/6) One of the best parts of the presentation is a big hand-crafted wooden case in wenge colour, housing the entire collection. There is also a similar box which holds only the fountain pen. I was not able to get this case due to certain shipping constraints. However to my absolute delight, the Faber-Castell company sent me a spare wooden box, which usually is meant for the Intuition Wooden/Platino editions. Many thanks to Nicole, who handles marketing at Faber-Castell for APAC/MEA region. http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zOTP8rjHasI/VTYaH8RXWqI/AAAAAAAAEVA/a1NJpMExdLY/wlEmoticon-star2.png?imgmax=800 http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20000_zpsev8dffig.jpg The pen comes in a small cardboard box, which has an L.E number attached to one of the smaller faces of the cuboid. Along with the pen, there is a brochure which narrates a bit of Faber-Castell’s ‘since 1761’ history, along with alluring pictures of the Perfect Pencil, before it delves further into the elements of the Elemento range. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/1-design_zpsh7eqpsw1.jpg DESIGN (6/6) This is probably where firms like GvFC revolutionize the past, present and future of design. A dazzle of platinum deeply resonates with the subtlety of discernible olive wood grains in the barrel. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20005_zpsa2quef3g.jpg The barrel is made of cross-grained olive wood (Stimholz in German), where wood is cut into discs, perpendicular to the height of a tree. This renders both strength and elegance to the wood. You can notice some heavy varnishing on the barrel, so that any chance of staining is well-eliminated. The wood is said to be fitted onto the barrel in six individual elements, for the sole purpose of transforming it into a fountain pen. A contour of colours ranging from honey gold to reddish brown, garnish the barrel while the black lines running across the length of barrel give it a distinct elegance. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20014g_zps5gwwfcom.jpg On puling off the cap, you will instantly notice a singularity of the barrel, running sans any joints. A super-sized two-tone nib is divulged with a golden-silvery sheen glistening with the platinum coated trims. Towards the nib end, the singular barrel narrows down to a slightly concave section, to form a comfortable grip. The cap is friction fit and closes onto the barrel, with an audible click. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20006_zpskpo9sl7j.jpg At the other end of the barrel is a glittering crown, which can be twisted to disengage the nib and filling system. You can find the GvFC coat-of-arms logo embossed on its finial, earlier used to represent complete achievement in heraldic tradition. And, why not! http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20012_zpskypyedqi.jpg Once you reach the end cap, you will notice a disc of olive wood adorning the finial and rendering a finality to the wooden barrel.The cap is engraved with GRAF VON FABER – CASTELL, encircling the wooden finial insert. Below at the cap band, it says GRAF VON FABER – CASTELL on one side and HANDMADE IN GERMANY on the other. ‘Handmade’ because there are over a hundred steps in the entire manufacturing process of this pen, a majority of which are carried out by hand. The clip shines in consonance, with a highly efficient yet visible spring loaded system. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/1-cap_zpsuxqy60xs.jpg As a Limited Edition (L.E), a number, i.e XXXX/2500 here, is etched at the end of the barrel section, which attaches to the nib & filling system insert. And while writing, you can always observe a subtle reflection of the L.E number, rhyming in cadence with your script, on the visible metallic end of the insert. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20016_zpsiyeoyetn.jpg FILLING SYSTEM (6/6) Once the crown on the barrel is rotated anti-clockwise to disengage the nib & filling system, you would notice a rather classical CC filler system. The nib has a screw fit, and inserts into a metallic sleeve like most of the Faber-Castell fountain pens which I have seen till date. The nib sleeve has threads which synchronize with the inner threads on the metal insert of the barrel, both ending up with octagonal cross sections. The converter has a metallic band which friction-fits into the nib section although it does not fit a FCD Ambitionsection. With a reasonably high converter capacity of 0.8 – 0.9 mL, the ink does last for quite a while! My usual bias towards piston fillers has always been negated by the relatively higher capacities of Faber-Castell converters. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/1-fill_zpsxd5umrg9.jpg NIB (6/6) – ALL THAT MATTERS The giant two-tone nib with an usual iridium tip is run by hand, and it comes in four main sizes – EF, F, M & B along three special widths – BB (extra-broad), OM (L) & OB (L). The tail end of the nib specifies the size and below it rests the composition (18 ct, 75% Au) of the gold-alloy used. A golden decor runs along the shoulders of the nib and it converges across the outer tines onto the iridium tip, while the rhodium silvery finish diverges from thebreathless slit (There is no breather hole on this nib!) across the inside of the tines and over to the tail. A cross hatched border segregates the rhodium and gold decors. Then, there is a dazzling white coat-of-arms logo resting above the tail-end. This one is a fine nib and writes superbly butter smooth with no hint of feedback. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20018_zpsrciomce6.jpg PHYSICS OF IT (6/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING With a cylindrical wooden body, it does give a superb feel with a comfortable weight, without posting. The overall capped length of around 13 cm is more than a typical Pelikan m2xx/4xx. The total weight of Elemento has a significant contribution from the cap but is quite well-balanced otherwise. You would not love to use the pen posted, though. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20019_zpsges68cnn.jpg Uncapped Length ~ 12.5 cm Posted Length ~ 16.9 cm Nib Leverage ~ 2.3 cm Overall Weight ~ 40-45 g While it’s not posted, Elemento compares well with a Pelikan m800, which I feel has a slightly flatter and bigger nib. http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20020_zpsjnbvvqsd.jpg ECONOMIC VALUE(5/6) Although the Elemento retails at more than USD 1200, it is available at lower street prices. With end of season clearance sale, I was able to get the pen at a good discounted price. I would not undervalue the rating by much, because in the end the Elemento is a kind of masterpiece in itself. OVERALL (5.8/6) I adore the distinctly granular olive wood design and the remarkably superlative appeal of Elemento, given the contoured gradient of reddish brown to honey gold colour. This pen is blessed with a butter smooth fine nib which delivers a relatively wide but wet line. The line width closely resembles with a Pelikan Fine nib. For a Waterman Florida Blue ink, it takes around 14-15 seconds to dry. I could not find any line variation with horizontal and vertical strokes for this one. Below is a written review of the same: http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/elemento/elem%20021_zpsjj6biuoe.jpg It was fun reviewing the Elemento. I hope you enjoyed it. Best, Sonik

Graf von Faber-Castell was founded in 1761 and developed into the major manufacturer of wood-cased pencils. With time they started to offer much broader range of products. Few years ago company's introduced six inks. Recently they've added three new colors to the line. Carbon Black Cobalt Blue Deep Sea Green Garnet Red Hazelnut Brown Midnight Blue Moss Green Royal Blue Stone Grey Stone Grey is one of best grey inks on the market. It behaves well on most papers, has nice flow and nice lubrication. It's saturated enough to remain legible on most papers, even when used in EF nibs. Also it offers some reasonable water resistance. I still haven't fount my grail grey but this one is close. It it would have Stone Grey properites and Cda's Infinite Grey Hue it would be it. Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Rhodia, GvFC Guilloche, F Leuchtturm 1917, GvFC Guilloche, F Rhodia, Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche, F Moleskine, Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche, F Water resistance

If you have a GvFC intuition roller and a GvFC intuition nib unit, can you make a fountainpen out of it? Or are the interior of the cap and body different from the fountain pen!? The same question goes for the intuition platino wood. I have a GvFC Elemento rollerball and I'd like to make it into a fountainpen.

Graf Von Faber Castell Here are my new Graf Von Faber Castell Pencil’s. Alas, still no Perfect Pencil. The difference between these and the Perfect Pencil is the heavy metal cap (is it silver?), integrated sharpener and integrated eraser. Appearance: The pictures speak for themselves. I very much like the look of these. Lead: A lighter, harder lead which nevertheless has a nice soft feel. Goes down nicely on GVFC paper. Here they are… Close- up of the ends… A GVFC pencil resting on it’s GVFC Grain Leather A5 Notebook holder… Face down in their GVFC pencil-pot… As you can see, I’ve being going all- out on GVFC Accessories lately…

Graf Von Faber Castell Desk Accessoires Been on a spending spree with desk accessories lately. Below a pic of GVFC Pen Tray, Letter opener, Pencils, and Pen/ Pencil holder. Pricey but very high quality, heavy, premium products. I normally prefer Japanese leather items such as Pilot Somes line or Saddleback leather, but these European GVFC products are really growing on me. I think I like the combination of polished metal with the cowhide saffiano leather. Tray contents clockwise from left: Nakaya Desk pen in Kimono, GVFC letter opener, Visconti Alutec inkwell containing Sailor Bung Box Saphire, Pilot Custom 823 with Spencerian nib, Pilot Custom 74 with Music Nib, Omas Paragon resin with BB stub. http://s32.postimg.org/xagoq0t39/IMG_2104.jpg

After few years of presence on pen forums I amassed a sizable collection of unnecessary things. As the collection of pens and inks grew I had to evict my dog and cat to make more place for pens and to sell my Darling Wife to finance expensive hobby. Okay, It seems I got carried away and you’re right to think my claims are exagerrated. They are. Dog has stayed. http://imageshack.com/a/img903/8199/Yasb8R.jpg Someone has to keep an eye on the pens while I'm gone. And now on more serious note Over the last few years I tried quite a few fountain pens and even more inks. I am rather surprised I haven’t drowned in the sea of ink. Anyway every few months I sit and start the process of "cleaning" the collection, and usually there’s no mercy when I start. If the pen is out of use and nothing indicates the situation will change in foreseeeable future, I resell it or give it to someone. Only few pens are still with me since I bought them. To give you an example – I used to have nice flock of Watermans (more than ten, maybe thirteen?), today I don’t have a single one (on the other hand, my wife has two, and as she doesn’t write with a fountain pen, it is as if I had them myself). It’s the same with Sheaffers. I used to like them and use them but things have changed. Bye, bye white dots. The pens that stay with me are the ones I find intriguing or pleasing. It can be ergonomics, design or filling-system that keeps the pen in my flock. When it comes to Faber-Castell / Graf von Faber-Castell I have a problem. Usually I enjoy them a lot but on some days I look at them and shake my head with disbelief asking myself what on earth made me buy them? Yes. Their design is rather unique and it won’t captivate everyone’s attention nor will it delight everyone. Anyway most Fc and GvFC are still with me and recently I’ve recruited another German to my gang. Graf von Faber-Castell Terra was intriguing me for quite some time. Google thinks it’s rather good fountain pen, I took it’s (and many reviewers) word for it and took a chance. I’ve bought this pen from one of FPNers. The price was reasonable, communication was great. After a week I’ve received the pen in perfect condition. After closer inspection I nodded in appreciation. Terra finish looks great. And the pen is rather elegant. Of course this is still a typical Graf von Faber-Castell. My feelings toward it are somewhat ambiguous. There are days when I can’t understand what I saw in this massive chunk of plastic (sorry, precious resin) http://imageshack.com/a/img905/2797/2vDlpu.jpg Intuition Terra http://imageshack.com/a/img907/9003/Xb3kNy.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img905/7630/ODvcj0.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img907/1756/Rmljru.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img911/8692/uB5FNY.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img903/7337/5CqHCF.jpg Let's be honest, Graf von Faber-Castell products aren’t known for flowing lines and aerodynamic shape. They are in fact quite clumsy and angular. But there’s something catchy to them. Let’s take a look at Intuition Terra. The style of the Intuition series is unmistakable, with its characteristic trumpet shape, the ribbed surface of the end cap, and the spring-loaded clip. The finely fluted barrel is made of a single piece of material, no screw joint interrupts the elegant and pure shape. The combination of earth-coloured barrel with a black cap, polished to a nice finish, makes an attractive adjunct to more classic (Black, Ivoiry) Intuition models. The springloaded clip of Graf von Faber-Castell pens is very characteristic, it adorns (or disfigures – opinions are divided) big friction fit cap that closes onto the barrel with an audible click. The words “hand made in Germany” are engraved in the platinum-plated ring that decorates the open end of the cap. It is said that manufacturing process involves over a hundred steps, most of them carried out by hand of GvFC employees. http://imageshack.com/a/img911/6127/Kid1tT.jpg Interesting thing about the pen is the fact it doesn’t have section. There is a slight depression on the barrel where the fingers would hold the pen, this adds to the comfort of writing with the pen. It’s quite nice but I have one issue with this pen. Ergonomics Well, it’s not Lamy. Intuition is rather fat pen. The barrel diameter is large and it took me some time to get used to writing with this pen. The first day was frustrating. My hands tired after 10-15 minutes of using Intuition. Around third day I’ve managed to reprogram my brain to Inuition mode that allows me to write with Terra in coordinated and pleasant way. It’s not the best choice for people with small hands. Construction http://imageshack.com/a/img908/8230/sV7FRE.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img633/2883/0BB1Uj.jpg Top notch. Nib http://imageshack.com/a/img903/5438/e88dVg.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img903/3921/gM44rb.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img905/9905/wCDXnX.jpg The nib is 18-carat gold nib, run in by hand, has two tones that look well although personally I would prefer rhodium coated nib. I find the nib too small. It doesn’t really look proportional to me (compared to rather big pen). On the other hand it’s great nib, as all FC/GvFC nibs I’ve tried so far. The pen writes very smoothly and offers generous flow. It takes very little effort to deliver a great line of ink. It may happen I will soon receive Montblac Red Chalk bottle. If this will really happen Terra and this pen will make great couple. Writing Sample Paper: Lyreco Budget, 60 g; ink - Rouille d'Ancre, J. Herbin http://imageshack.com/a/img903/2939/qzY288.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img911/6779/rWio7L.jpg Filling system http://imageshack.com/a/img911/1517/T2JeX2.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img907/5899/CtNoGJ.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img633/5674/GKJBcU.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img905/6311/BMQtW5.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img911/4954/RDC2br.jpg Cartridge / converter but not your usual one. The section is contained inside the barrel. When the metal knob on the end of the barrel is rotated anti-clockwise the section “unscrews” from the barrel. The nib has a screw fit, and inserts into a metallic sleeve that has threads which synchronize with the inner threads on the barrel, both ending up with octagonal cross sections. The converter has a metallic band which friction-fits into the nib section. GvFC converter has reasonably high ink capacity of 0.8 – 0.9 ml. Still, I would prefer it to be piston-filler. Competition Intuition isn’t cheap - in Poland it’s MSRP is around 1500 - 1600 PLN (+/- 400 $). I managed to buy a pen for much better price but not everyone will find great deals. Is it worth its MSRP? Well, the competition in this price range is big, strong and highly diversified. Graf von Faber-Castell makes great pens, but Aurora, Omas, Pelikan, Visconti make equally good and interesting pens. My impression is that Intuition is not the most competitive pen in this price range, but it’s well engineered and intriguing pen nevertheless. Summary So far I'm pleased with Graf von Faber-Castell. This pen is very distinctive and unusual. It is not perfect, but I like it. Pros: QualityDesignNibCons: Price Nib should be biggerBarrel diameter will be too big for some people to write comfortably

Hey Folks, After some follow up with the Faber-Castell India team I got the following update regarding their ink availability in India. You can drop a mail ti Pramod in case you want any of the stock FC Blue/Black inks. Else he can order the GvFC Cobalt Blue/ Carbon Black from Chennai. Hope this is useful. Hi As discussed following Faber castell design -INK bottle available at HO –Mumbai. 1. Material Code Material Description MRP F9180983090001 148701 FCD INK BOTTLE BLUE 1190 F9180983089001 148700 FCD INK BOTTLE BLACK 1190 Below GVFC – INK bottle available but at our Chennai location. (You need to wait 1 or 2 week). 2. Item Code Item Description UOM MRP Group Code Chennai F9180983595001 141000 GvFC INK BOTTLE, CARBON BLACK, 75ML NOS MRP-2890 PPN 15 F9180983596001 141001 GvFC INK BOTTLE, COBALT BLUE, 75ML NOS MRP-2890 PPN 15 You can send your person to our HO (refer address below my name). can buy the same on 25% discount on MRP (payment by cash only). Thanks & Regards Pramod Govekar Asst. Manager- Accounts A.W. Faber-Castell (India) Pvt. Ltd. 801, Kamla Executive Park, Nr. Vazir Glass, Off M.V. Road, J.B. Nagar, Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400059 Office : +91 22 67729137 Fax : +91 22 67729200 Email : govekar@faber-castell.co.in URL : www.faber-castell.com

I've had a GVFC black Guilloche pen for perhaps a dozen years (more than 10 less than 20). While it is a very pretty pen, and seems to have a good reputation, it really doesn't suit me (weight, section size, nib width), and so it gets no pocket time. I was thinking about selling it or trading it, so I went to look in the usual places for the list and street price. I noticed that the current generation of guilloche pens seem to have two tone nibs. My pen has a one tone gold nib (see below). The markings on the nib look right, and it says 18kt, but before I list it, I would like to be sure I am not selling a Frankenpen. Were the GVFC nibs on this pen simply gold in years gone by? Thanks, Alan

Good news! The new Graf von Faber-Castell bottled ink range is now in stock. “Great, more ink in fancy bottles” you might say. This ink is different though. It certainly does come in a very fancy bottle, with a nice, heavy, stable base, but it’s what’s inside that counts. Six colours: Carbon Black, Cobalt Blue, Garnet Red, Hazelnut Brown, Stone Grey and Moss Green. The most interesting part though is that Graf von Faber-Castell say four of the colours are document proof and the other two are light-fast. We’ve taken the liberty of testing the inks for you so you can see just what they have been able to achieve. Carbon Black, normally a good solid black, remains perfectly legible even after a proper soaking. Cobalt Blue, instead of retaining its normal royal blue hue becomes a vibrant purple colour when wetted. Stone Grey, much like Carbon Black, stays on the page just as it was written, perhaps some reduction in saturation, but legible nonetheless. Moss Green, whilst not as legible as the other colours is still recognisable and perfectly readable. Moving on from the document proof colours to the light-fast colours, we had a pleasant surprise. Garnet Red remains legible too but does lose much of its vibrancy, dulling down to an almost plum red. Hazelnut Brown did surprisingly well too in the waterproof test. We haven't had the time yet (or the weather) to see how these inks perform when subjected to plenty of sunlight, but they do behave well when subjected to plenty of water! All ink colours are available now from Cult Pens. We're not sure just how Graf have managed to make these inks permanent, so don't know if they are pigment inks, or if there is some other witchcraft going on, we've asked though and hope to have a definitive answer for you soon. http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/gvfc-ink-perm.jpg

In the last years I have written some reviews about four remarkable fountain pens. All reviews were written little after having acquired the FP. This reviews are about these FP: Parker Duofold Black Mosaic Graf von Faver Castell Classic Sailor King of Pen Pelikan M1005 Silver & Black Now, some months or some years later, having been able to use all my FP in a wide way, my perception about these FP has changed notably. Aesthetically I like them all four. Perhaps de simplicity of de Sailor KOP lines is in my opinion unbeatable. I also like very much the touch of the hard rubber. But if I must say something about writing, then I must recognise that the nib of my Parker Duofold is the best writer. I dont't like at all the GvFC nib. The Pelikan's one is very improvable. The nib of my Sailor KOP is wonderful... but has a problem: is a medium one, and for me it's too much broad. Afer all, when I write in a good paper, such as a Clairefontaine, the Parker extrafine nib és incredible. In conclusion, these are now my scores: Parker Duofold Black Mosaic: 9/10 Graf von Faver Castell Classic: 6/10 Sailor King of Pen: 9/10 Pelikan M1005 Silver & Black: 7/10

i've always loved faber-castell pens and their impressive crowns--classic simplicity itself, with a very regal bearing. i have the pernambuco and the black guilloche, among other F-Cs, and i thought that was the end of my F-C lust until.... this one came along, in the form of a "second-chance" offer from an ebay seller (this means that the low-ish bid i left on the pen some time ago turned out to be good enough, when the high bidder couldn't pay). i'm all tapped out from too many recent high-end pen purchases (MB 100th anniversary, a CS LE, vac-band vac, etc.), ha ha, but i would've gone to the bank to hock the house to get this one, just because it was being offered to me at practically half the original retail price (always a good excuse!). i know some people dislike metal pens, but i really dig them (maybe it's a guy/geek thing?): solid, heavy, kind of refined brutish. this one has the added advantage of a non-metal section, to those who don't like slippery sections. the barrel itself is "platinized" metal, not pure platinum, of course. http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/penmanila/PlatinumFC_zps49231fa8.jpg http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/penmanila/PlatinumFC2_zpsf1a49eed.jpg i feel like my collection doubled in size and cost this month, despite all my feeble attempts at selling off stuff, but what the heck--i'm turning 60 soon and i've been a good boy but no more second-chance offers, please!