Nemosine Singularity Demonstrator

[PolarMoonman]

Pen: Singularity Demonstrator

Make: Nemosine

Cost: $15

Nib: Medium

Packaging & Accessories: (6/10)

The pen was packaged in a cheap cardboard box which was disappointing, I was hoping for something better. Though for $15 I shouldn't complain, the pen came with six ink cartridges and a converter so that's pretty good.

Appearance & Design (9/10)

It is my first demonstrator and I love it! My only complaints are about the nib. It is rather large for the pen (see picture), and the design on it is a bit odd, I'm not exactly sure what it's supposed to be.... But other than this the pen fits my tastes perfectly.

Construction & Quality (9/10)

The pen seems to be well built but there is one issue, the seal between the barrel and grip section is not perfectly airtight, so I have had some issues with making it an eye dropper, some ink gets on the threads, but non leaks out. So I suppose I could make it an eyedropper but I don't want to take the chance of the ink drying and sealing the threads. But in reality unless you plan on making this pen an eyedropper this really isn't an issue.

Weight & Dimensions: (9/10)

It is quite light which makes it easy to write with for longer periods of time. It doesn't feel cheap which is a good thing. The grip is comfortable as well which is important. I prefer to write with the cap posted it provides the perfect counterbalance for writing. It is the perfect length and the width of the grip is not too wide. Overall a very well balanced pen.

Nib & Performance: (7/10)

The nib is huge compared to my other pens, so that is a bit irritating to me, but the nib is super smooth. I have noticed it will occasionally skip, two to three times a page. Again I only paid a small amount for this pen so I am not expecting miracles or anything like that, but the skipping gets very frustrating. When it doesn't skip it works perfectly and performs incredibly.

Filling System & Maintenance: (10/10)

The pen takes: international short cartridges, and several other big brand cartridges. It also takes a standard converter. So as far flexibility and comparability goes, this pen gets an A+

Cost & Value: (10/10)

For $15 this pen is incredible. It's a demonstrator, has a super smooth nib, and is built well. Definitely a good value for beginners and veterans.

Conclusion: (60/70 – 85%)

This is a $40-50 pen for $15 I would have pay double what I did for this pen, it's that good. I fill the barrel about a quarter of the way with water and put in a Waterman cartridge. It gives the pen the pleasant effect of the water moving in the barrel. I love this pen and wish I had gotten it sooner. I can happily recommend this pen to anyone looking for an inexpensive demonstrator.

[Bookman]

I assume you have tried pushing a tall cup of soapy water through the section, using a bulb syringe, and even scrubbing the tines with an ultra-soft toothbrush. If you have not, and if you are not satisfied with the pen's flow, give these methods a try. (I recommend the ultra-soft Colgate Sensitive for teeth and tines.) I had a similar flow problem with my new Nemosine Singularity, and my Dawn Ultra rinse and scrub fixed it.

 

Mine arrived only today, and so I have not put it through all its paces, much less given it time for the cap to break. It is the red model, F nib. For all you habitués of antiques shops, you should easily conjure a picture of the plastic Nemosine uses for its red pen body when I tell you it looks and feels like Bakelite.

 

I had read the reviews, read about leaks or alleged leaks, and also read that at least one nib and feed had arrived at the buyer's without having been shoved securely into its section before shipping. The first thing I did after opening the package: I gripped the nib and feed securely between thumb and forefinger and gave them a good shove. I felt nothing move, and so I hoped everything was properly in its place. So far, so good. But it is early yet. I shall report back if disaster strikes.

 

As is my wont with new pens, I bulb-syringe-rinsed the section with distilled H2O. I then quick-dried it with the cool-air setting on my blow-dryer, snapped on one of the provided cartridges, was dissatisfied with the flow, as I said, gave the section a thorough Dawn Ultra and H2O rinse and toothbrushing, loaded the converter (my Little Man told me to use a blunt needle and syringe, and I never argue with my Little Man) with Visconti Blue, and away it wrote. Not the glassy-smooth nib I had read about in at least one review; not a wet nib, no better than an average flow, even with Visconti Blue; but it writes evenly, without skips. I almost hope its toothiness remains. It would be the only nib I have with tooth.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Bookman

[Calamus plasticus]

Nice pen for a nice price, indeed. Have you try silicone grease on the threads? It may prevent any leak (use water first, just in case...)

 

Thanks for the review :-)

[TMac]

I'm holding off buying this pen but I know it's just a matter of time before I buy one. I've been pretty lucky in my purchases of the Nemosine pens so far.

[Rita_K]

Very nice review PandP.

 

+1 on the suggestion to try silicone grease on the threads.

I think you'll get used to the large nib in no time at all. When I first got mine I was so disappointed because of the large nib but got used to it very quickly and loved the feel of the pen so much that I got a second one.

 

Interesting idea of adding water to the barrel before inserting the cartridge.

[TSherbs]

I have two of these for diff nib sizes. Am thinking about another cuz they come in plenty of colors. They also feel great in my hand both posted and unposted.

[Sasha Royale]

Thank you.

 

Functionally, a nib does not have to be big. In the days of corrosive inks, gold nibs

were practical for their resistance to corrosion. A large gold nib is more than smooth.

It is jewelry. Bigger is prettier. A big steel nib is not jewelry. The nib size is of no

consequence to me, as long as it functions well.

 

I am going to get one for myself soon.

[K. Cakes]

I love my Nemosines. I've never had any trouble with the nibs or leaking, but I did somehow manage to screw the cap on so tightly that I cannot get it off. I've tried rubber gloves, dry heat, soap to lubricate the threads, everything. Unfortunately nothing is working. So I bought another one

[risingsun]

I've got one of these, identical to the one in the OP, and it has received fairly regular use in the past 8-9 months, as my wife takes it to school to use as a grading pen and we don't worry about it disappearing off her classroom desk. It still writes fine, but has developed a bunch of small hairline cracks all around the lip of the cap, below the cap ring. About what I would expect for a pen of this price. Wouldn't buy any more, though. I also owned a couple of the solid color Singularity's, each with the 0.6 stub nib. Gave one away to a teen friend of the family, and the other sits most of the time. Haven't noticed any cracking in the lip of that cap, but I do think the transparency of the demonstrator aids in being able to see the cracks easier.

[Harlequin]

What colors did you get (and end up keeping) risingsun? I am definitely going to get one, but I have yet to decide if it will be the demonstrator or a colored one.

[risingsun]

The one I have kept is in the Granite (grey) color. The one I gave away was Cardinal (red). I also bought some loose Knox and Nemosine nibs from xfountainpens.com, and those have been used quite a bit, especially in my Noodlers pens, as I am not a big fan of the Noodlers nibs (they work fine, I just don't need the flexiness for my everyday usage).

[risingsun]

I just pulled out my Granite Singularity and found that it has a couple cracks at the lip of the cap as well. If these were TWSBI's, people would be up in arms... It's no biggie to me, but it is a detriment when one can find a great pen in the Pilot Metropolitan at the same price point, and which is a far better writer, IMHO.

[chadden42]

They replaced my cap free of charge when I had the same problem.

[risingsun]

Good to know, thanks for the info.