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A while back, I ordered a 14kt #8 Bock nib ground to cursive italic by Pablo Carrasco for a replacement that didn't work (A sad story from which I will spare you). So, I had this gorgeous and pricy nib looking for a home. By fortunate coincidence, while window shopping Shawn Newton's online store, I found this orphan Knickerbocker in an unusual ebonite sitting there conspicuously nibless. Clearly, an omen meant for me and my nib. The pen arrived today, and I introduced the pen and nib to each other. It was love at first write! Enjoy! David

Shawn is having a sale to raise funds for expanding his shop (to increase production) and other projects. He is offering discounted pricing for 3 of his models in several materials with many nib options and a few other variations, including a couple of Jonathon Brooks' resins. You can find the specifics here: https://newtonpens.com/fundraiser-time/ David

This review is for my latest pen from Shawn Newton of Newton Pens. I have two other pens that he has created for me over the last few years. The first was the subject of a previous review. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/309902-my-experience-with-newton-pens/. I told Shawn that I would write a review for this one, so here it goes. I will add pictures below, but for a good one from Shawn’s Instagram account, see here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1okkgPheEt/. I should start by saying that this pen was a creation that was several years in the making. It was not my grail pen, but one of those “if I can ever find it” type of pens that I had in my head. I have been to enough shows over the years to know I would never see in real life what was in my mind, so I decided to design it myself. I described the vision and Shawn got it right on all levels. Color and Material The color and material deserve a bit of explanation. It is custom dark purple made of ebonite. When you see the picture from Shawn’s Instagram account, you see the purple of the color as it appears when under the lights. When you see my pictures below, it looks much darker—almost black. This result is intentional. I wanted a purple that was so dark that it looked like it was black until you get close to it. When I described the color I wanted, I described it as being like Private Reserve’s Ebony Purple ink. My pictures are taken in the normal light of a work office and you can see the “natural” look of the color. The point is the effect is exactly right. If I am using it at my desk, most people would just think it is a regular black pen, but it is really much more. Nib and Clip The nib is titanium and has a cursive italic grind. Very smooth and easily to use. I chose the titanium because I did not have any in my collection. Also, I wanted it to go well with the clip. The clip is also a custom design using the lion’s head as the centerpiece. The use of titanium for the nib just made sense to create the feel of the pen I wanted – majestic. Style The pen itself is the Majestic from Newton Pens. Although I have a number of brands in my collection, I am partial to the shape of my Montblancs. I asked Shawn for something close to my Montblanc 149 in shape and size, and the Majestic fits the bill. The size is a Large. The Majestic is the closest shape to the Montblanc, but it is not the same. It is a bit thicker in the barrel, which works for me. General comments: So overall, what I created with the combination of the color, style, nib and clip, was what I call my “Purple Majesty.” Again, the concept has been in my head for years. Shawn made it real. The filling system is a piston, which is also a new style of piston from Shawn and works very smoothly. In the pictures below, I include a comparison with a Montblanc 149 and Pelikan M1000 for size purposes. The brown pen in the comparison photos is also a Newton original that Shawn designed around an old Montblanc 146 nib I had acquired in the late 90s. Like my other two, it operates as well as any of my pens from other “well-known” brands. I’ll conclude by commenting on a couple of points that might be of consideration for someone thinking about getting a pen from Newton Pens. For a custom pen, expect to be patient because there is a long wait time for a pen. The wait time for this pen was about 16 months. For me, the wait time has an advantage. I am at a point in my collecting life where I have the main ones that I have always wanted, so I am not in need of any pens and I have the luxury of waiting for what I want. This ability to wait helps for the second point. A Newton Pen with a custom color, clip and piston filler is not cheap, although it is still less expensive than the retail of several top brands. The advantage of being able to wait for production of the pen is it makes the expense far more manageable. The wait time provides plenty of time to save money so it is there when Shawn is ready to do the work. Obviously, it is a personal choice, but for me, it has just been a matter of thinking about the extra money I would waste on fast food and other vices each week and putting it away for my pens. If you have been thinking about getting a Newton Pen, just start the conversation with Shawn about what you want and then the rest will take care of itself.

Hi guys, I am not sure if I am posting this question in the right place, so please let me know if it should be moved. Shawn Newton is making a pen for me. He can make a section around a nib and feed as long as both are in a threaded housing (Sailor uses threaded housings, for example). I saw Bookman's full section dissasembly of his Pilot 74. Do any of you know if the Pilot 742 can be dissasembled in the same way? If so, I am pretty sure Shawn could build a section since that metal flange acts a sort of threaded housing, right? (Bookman's pic from his original post) (I had also considered of provide him with a Platinum 3776 nib and feed, Joey Grasty (Flexible Nib Factory) makes threaded ebonite housings that are shaped on the inside to accept Platinum nibs and feed, but the problem is that the rest of the housing is shaped like a no nipple Bock housing i.e. the housing does not accept converters. This would force me to use the pen either as an eyedropper (no thanks), and asking Shawn to make the pen with one of the several filling systems is not an option either. I just find converters to be much more easy to clean, use, etc.) I hope someone can help me. Thanks

I asked Shawn Newton to make sections that accept Osmiroid nibs for two of his pens that are already in my collection. The new sections are terrific. I have posted about this in detail in the general calligraphy forum. FYI, here's a link: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/327245-new-life-for-osmiroid-italic-nibs/?do=findComment&comment=3916133 Enjoy! David

This isn't a review of a specific pen but is a review of nib work done by Shawn Newton of Newton Pens (and this forum!) Let me start by saying that I am very demanding of my nibs. For the last few years, I have entrusted them to no one but John Mottishaw or Mike Masuyama. If a nib isn't perfect, I don't use it. There are many nib technicians out there but only a handful that are true nibmeisters. I had some work that I needed done, though. I didn't want to wait three to six months this time, so when I found out that Mike is not coming to the Dallas show this year, I knew I would have to make some hard choices. In the end I had three nibs that I sent to two new nibmeisters. I have written about one of those elsewhere, (it was a good experience) but my experience with the two nibs I sent to Shawn was phenomenal. I asked him to take two Jowo nibs and make them even finer than a Vanishing Point extra fine. From the beginning, Shawn's service was informative and fast. When he returned the nibs in the mail, he included the writing sample I had sent him, and I saw that he used the sample to judge the strokes and line quality of the nibs he was working on. Looking at his markings was almost like reading his thought process as he refined the nibs. These two nibs are absolutely fantastic! I have had them back for a month now and have used them on multiple papers and several inks. I've written in cursive and in print, large and tiny, slow and fast. They have never once skipped or hesitated, and they are glassy smooth. That is an almost impossible feat with nibs this narrow! I'm not exaggerating when I say that these two nibs are equal in every way to the nibs John and Mike ground for me. Great job, Shawn! You are a meister of nibs. You can find him at NewtonPens.com or here on FPN as Watch_art.

What I got: a quick camera shot unpacking the Newton Pen I got from Shawn Newton Friday. Obviously I'm stoked. Beautiful in every way and quite a thrill to get! It's an alabaster and tortoise Gibby model and I can't wait to get some more writing time in with it. (Maybe more on the pen down the road.) How I got it: I won one of Shawn's scholarship raffles! This pen for $10 from me while helping a high school student get some college money through Shawn's own craftsmanship, artistry and care for students. Shameless plug: There happens to be a new-style Newton scholarship raffle ending today. Somebody's gonna' win--I can testify to that--so I'd encourage anyone interested to enter. Shawn's raffle Info here.

I'm going to start off by saying that I will sound very picky in my review, but actually I like this pen a lot. It's not my ideal pen, but I went into this with a spirit of "I wonder what I will get?" and I was hardly specific in what I do or do not like aesthetically, so that's fine. I want to order another pen at some point, except the next time I will be more specific now that I know my own desires better. Also, I couldn't stop fondling the pen from the moment I took it out, so I think that says a lot right there. Also also, I apologize for the blurriness of the photos. My hands shake and sometimes it takes me a couple dozen attempts to get a shot even that good. The pen arrived in an adorable pen pouch:http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen05.png http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen01.png Here it is with its cap on:http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen02.png A somewhat closer view with the cap off. I feel the cap looks top-heavy but the base pen itself is quite handsome. Also, look at that ink window!http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen03.png This one's terribly blurry, sorry, but you can get a little idea of what it's like posted.http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen04.png For a size comparison, here it is next to my poor neglected icicle green Esterbrook LJ.http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen06.png And here's what it looks like with the section and body separated so you can see the squeeze-filling system. I think I had Diamine Oxblood in there at the time.http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen07.png Writing sample (Osmiroid italic fine nib):http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/foxpen-review.png Appearance & Design (7/10) – I love the color of this material, but I'm not quite satisfied with how bulky the cap looks in comparison to the pen body. This pen posts, yet looks better without the cap posted. I do like the graceful curves the pen itself has, though. If I had this to do again, I would probably ask for a more streamlined design that doesn't post. I mean, I prefer posting pens, but I have a Nakaya and I don't post that one. Construction & Quality (9/10) - The pen feels well-built and is a pleasure to /fondle/ touch. I wouldn't fear for its sturdiness carrying it around town. I note that the top cap bit holding in the clip can become unscrewed if you tend to grasp the clip area when screwing and unscrewing the cap, but it's very easy to just screw the clip back on. I will note that the pen originally had a leak somewhere. I asked Shawn about this and he had me send it back and repaired it. I haven't had a problem since. I'm very grateful for how quickly he took care of it! Weight & Dimensions (8/10) - The pen is reasonably light, which suits me. I prefer lighter pens, although I know not everyone does. The cap does post, which I requested, although the pen then becomes rather unbalanced. It's only slightly uncomfortable but I do notice it. The balance is perfectly fine unposted. Nib & Performance (10/10) - Okay, so here's the deal. This pen is designed to take Esterbrook nibs. So I'm rating not based on the actual nib (I'm currently using an untipped Osmiroid italic fine) but on the pen's ability to use those nibs, which it does very well. Shawn told me that I need to use silicone grease on the threads when I swap nib units, but that's easy, and he supplied me with a lot of the stuff. (By the way, does anyone have any Esterbrook F or XF nibs that are smooth when writing at 35 degrees? I am sitting on Osmiroid italics plus a 9550, 9314-M, and some Venus F that are all scratchy for me. I just gave up trying to find an Esterbrook nib that actually works for me, which is why the pictured icicle green Esterbrook is sitting there unused. The Osmiroid italic fine is the only one I can write with at all, and even then I have too many italics in my pen collection. I just want a nice simple round nib.) Filling System & Maintenance (6/10) - This pen is a squeeze-filler, and as Shawn explained to me, this is a consequence of it being designed to take Esterbrook nibs, as apparently they can't take being flooded with ink if you do it up as an eyedropper (my initial thought). What I discovered is awkward about the squeeze filler, is that while it's simple to operate, is that I can't figure out any way to fill it with ink without being in danger of getting ink all over your fingers or squeezing it out. There isn't much section there to grip, and of course if you grip the sac, well. So, this can't be helped, but I don't look forward to filling the pen. Cost & Value (8/10) - I feel that I got good value, actually--I asked for something a little unusual and I knew that with custom work there's always the chance that something won't be exactly as you envisioned it unless you get real specific, which I wasn't. I think the pen is quirky but cute, and I now have a better idea how I want to go through this process the next time I order the pen. Shawn was very responsive and his customer service was excellent. I wouldn't hesitate to order another pen from him (probably something totally different, given how much Esterbrook nibs hate me and given how much I love variety anyway). Conclusion (48/60) - As I said at the beginning, I know I sound down on this pen, but the issues with it are largely a consequence of either things I specified (the pen being designed to work with Esterbrook nibs) or didn't specify (the bulky appearance of the cap, which I said nothing about when I ordered the pen). So that's on me; I don't hold that against Shawn. Rather, I think of these as things to be clearer about the next time I order a pen. :-) If I would say anything to someone thinking about ordering from Newton Pens, I would say to have a better idea of what you want (or else be okay with a surprise) and probably to talk this stuff over with Shawn until you know what you're getting. You know, the usual when you ask for a custom pen. In the meantime, excuse me, I have a pen to fondle.