Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'mora stylos'.
-
It’s a sad fact: “So many pens. So little time.” At this point, I have more pens that I love writing with, looking at and fondling than is reasonable. I resist thinking of myself as “a collector” and believe that pens should be purchased to use, not merely to possess. The idea of a pen rotation is fine, but, if it takes over a year for a pen to get into the inked rotation, is it really meaningful? I dunno. I think should be selling some pens, not buying more of them. Yeah. There are still major makes of pens I have never tried that have their admirers and don’t have strong negatives. But, I have some resistance to venturing into new territory; I know, if my first experiences are positive, I am likely to want more … and more, and more. It’s a bottomless pit, truly. So much for wise advice to self. I had bought several Waterman pens from Mora Stylos in Paris. The store gets stellar reviews for both their merchandise and their service, and my experience has been consistent with that. So, I was aware of their in-house Oldwin brand. I had read some positive reviews of Oldwins, but never seriously considered adding one to my own collection. Then two things happened: The Tibaldi Impero Celluloid drifted onto my radar screen from a number of directions, including the Scriptorium Aeterna that Renée made for rpsyed that I actually got to see and try out. I really really liked the material. I realized it was rare, was disappearing from pen makers’ stock and was not going to be made again. And then I happened to make one of my periodic online visits to Mora’s web site, doing some price comparisons on other products. For some reason I can’t reconstruct, I looked at their photos of Oldwin pens, and there was an “Art Déco” model in what they called “Ciel d’orage” (Stormy sky), but its celluloid was clearly Tibaldi Impero. Even though the nib options were nonexistent (You can have any nib you want, as long as it is a Bock 18Kt monochrome medium.), I had to have it. I just hope I can have the nib customized to my preference. I think, if I show you some photos, you will understand, even though photos cannot do justice to the real beauty of this pen. The pen arrived very quickly - two working days and a weekend, from Paris to Central California. It was packed in the usual superlative fashion by Mora. Taking the gift box out of the foam-padded shipping box, you find it austere and classy and in no-way over-done. The pen material itself is strikingly beautiful. The fit and finish are flawless. The only possible area for improvement I have found is that no attempt has been made to align the celluloid's pattern on the various parts - cap and barrel, section and barrel, etc. The Art Déco is a large, even an over-size pen. The photos above compare it to a Pelikan M800 and a Mont Blanc 146. I have not liked other over-sized pens such as the MB 149 and Pelikan M1000, but the Oldwin does not feel uncomfortably ponderous. It is comfortable to write with both posted and unposted. Clearly, there is no reason to post it, other than habit or fear of misplacing the cap. Note that the threads on the section are placed at the nib end. This allows for a stepless transition between barrel and section. I tend to hold pens close to the nib, so these threads are actually more uncomfortable for me. This encourages me to hold the pen a bit further upstream than I otherwise would. Oldwins are all sold fitted with #7-size Bock 18Kt gold medium nibs. This nib has an iridium tip, but not a big one. It is one of the springiest nibs I own. If there is enough tipping material to grind into a cursive italic, it should be a wonderful writer. As is, it is quite smooth with just a bit of feedback. It writes a medium-fine line, with some variation depending on writing pressure. All in all, a very enjoyable writer, except that my preferred script is italic, and this is a round nib. Oldwins are Cartridge/Converter fillers. Mora ships them with a box of Waterman Cartridges and fitted with a Waterman-type converter. (Most days, I prefer Piston fillers to C/C fillers, but I see advantages to each method. I will eschew further commentary of a sectarian nature.) In summary, the Oldwin Art Déco fountain pen in "Ciel d'orage" (AKA Tibaldi Impero) celluloid is a beautifully designed, large pen. Materials are of the highest quality. Its construction is flawless. My only quibble of substance is that I wish they offered a wider selection of nibs. I am hoping I can have the one they sent me ground to my taste. David
- 94 replies
-
- oldwin
- tibaldi impero celluloid
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with: