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This is my initial review of a relatively recent addition to the Kaco brand of pens -- the Retro, which is offered in several colors with an extra-fine (EF) stainless steel nib that is hooded. I purchased from a Chinese seller two of the Retro FPs, one in red and the other in turquoise. Here are photos that I took. In the photos showing the packaging, I already removed the cartridges and already placed the included converter into the pens: These are light-weight and youthful-looking pens. Capped and filled with ink, the pen weighs only 17g, the cap of which alone contributing 7g. The cap easily and securely posts. The converter fits snugly into the section. The clip is very firm, but the plastic ball at its end facilitates placing it or removing it from a pocket. I measured the length of the capped pen at 5.75". I filled the red version's converter with Robert Oster "Hot Pink" ink, which is more like a red than a pink. The pen wrote immediately. The nib is somewhat nail-like -- very stiff -- but it writes relatively smoothly, though noisily. The EF nib lays down a moderately wet line with what is closer to a fine thickness, and there is no line variation between horizontal and vertical strokes, as the nib is not designed to do that. An odd, though not bad, feature is seen in the last photo below, a closeup of the red pen where the section meets the barrel. One might think that the transparent area is an ink window. The only thing one sees, at least when a converter is installed, is the converter's black connector, not the ink level. I have not tried the pen with a cartridge, so I don't know whether one would be able to see a bit of ink in one. Perhaps someone else will try that and let us know. A FP connoisseur probably will not be impressed with this pen, but it makes a nice beginner FP, especially for the young, as its looks are youthful, and it is easy to fill and use. Has anyone else tried this pen? If so, what are your impressions?

I am providing an initial review of the Majohn (aka Moonman) model T6 "City Light" fountain pen. The T6 is available in 6 versions, divided into 2 overlay styles. I am showing only the "City Light" overlay style here, but all 6 versions of the T6 have the same size, weight, shape, etc. I purchased the three T6 City Light fountain pens from an Ebay seller in China. I inked up the one with the clear acrylic, illustrated as the right-most of the three shown below and called the "Yu Ye." The amber acrylic one on the left is called the "Deng Huo," and the light blue acrylic one in the middle is called the "Mu Lan." The overlay is stainless steel ("SS"). The pen is a piston-filler and features an iridium-tipped SS nib that I purchased in a Medium width. The pen, full of ink, weighs 54g, and the cap contributes 22g to that total. The length capped is 5.625" and 5.25 uncapped. The cap does not post on the end of the barrel, which has the piston turner there. The piston is an internal piston, which turns very smoothly. I filled it with Diamine Ancient Copper ink, and it wrote immediately, but even better after I set it down for a few minutes to allow the collector and feed to do their work. The nib is firm without audible feedback and feels smooth on good paper. The pen lays down a western medium line. Here are more photos, the first three of which come from Majohn's own marketing materials. I was attracted by this pen because of its unique overlay. As a picture "is worth a thousand words," I won't belabor the point by "using my words" to describe it. Were it not for this unique and attractive overlay, I wouldn't have any particular interest in this pen, as there is nothing truly special about it otherwise. When writing with the pen, I can feel some of the somewhat "rougher" parts of the inside of the overlay on my thumb, but nothing is sharp or likely to cause cuts. Had this been a much more expensive pen, then there likely would have been more rounding/smoothness to the open areas. But at the price paid, I am more than satisfied. My initial impression, thus, is that this is a pen worth having for its unique appearance, but not for its writing characteristics. In my next post, I will tell you what I paid for each of these three pens.