Four Wooden Beauties Compared - Part 1

[plumista]

FOUR WOODEN BEAUTIES COMPARED

1. INTRO
2. UPON ARRIVAL: BOX, ACCESORIES
3. EXTERIOR: MATERIALS, CAP AND BODY, FINISH, INK AVOIDING SECTION
4. INTERIOR: FILLING SYSTEM, WRITING TRAIN, PERFORMANCE

 

 

1. INTRO

 

Hello FPNers. This is not exactly a proper and full review, so I hope this post is well placed here in this forum; if not, please be so kind and let me know.

 

Since English is not my first language, I should write only a few sentences, but otherwise let the pictures talk by themselves (by the way, used by kind permission of Mr Á. J. Pérez). Please forgive in advance my poor knowledge of this language, whence my many unavoidable mistakes, and thank you for your understanding.

 

 

Below you will find some pictures and comments about four wooden fountain pens, whose beauty and features I would like to share with you all. I love wood, I am an aficionado woodworker myself, so I enjoy making useful objects like this storage box for some leather cases

 

 

 

 

 

 

but I do not have a lathe, so I cannot make my own turned pens.

 

Ordering wood turned pens from USA or Canada is simply off limits for me, due to customs charges; believe me, I have asked a number of FPN turners; so I needed to search for another sources elsewhere. How then about deciding at last to get a few top quality pieces made outside America? Worldwide recognized companies were an option, of course, but still I looked for less known, little companies. At last I made up my mind: two big companies (one Japanese, the other Italian), two European craftsmen/turners of their own (one French, the other Spanish).

 

 

From left to right: Nakaya´s Briarwood, Gimena´s Ebenus, Fred Faggionato´s Briar and Stipula´s Olive:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you wish, you can visit the respective webpages for further information, prices and details about the after sale and customer services, and the guarantee they offer.

 

As if it were a car one is about to climb in, I will approach each pen from the outside to the inner parts. Hope you will like the following collection of comments and pictures!

 

2. UPON ARRIVAL: BOX, ACCESORIES

 

The Nakaya arrived in the standard paulownia (kiri) box and standard blue “kimono”, without converter but with a complete cartridge box. By the way, please note that once upon a time, the Nakaya pens came inside a much more elaborate box, including fantastic wooden hinges, something very much appreciated by wood lovers ; the Platinum converter was also included back then... so here you can confirm again, alas, how much recent customers lose! See both boxes here:

 

 

The Gimena arrived, converter included, inside a generic stock, dull pen box... so I will spare the picture; which astonished me having in mind the highest quality of this pen. At first it was sent to the maker for a minor feeder issue, and the second time it arrived back to me... inside this marvellous zebrawood case! as a free gift!:

 

 

 

 

 

The Faggionato arrived in this special walnut box, with converter:

 

 

The gift detail, which I did not expect at all, was this lovely and useful pen-pillow, also in briarwood (oh my, now I cannot remove it from my desk!):

 

 

The Stipula arrived in the now standard Stipula red box with lower drawer. Since it is not a c/c filler, there was no point in including any accessories:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2013 by plumista

[visvamitra]

Amazing

[Namo]

I don't know how I missed that one. That Gimena pen is... Whooho! Too bad it was limited to 5 (that's far from a limited edition of 20,000...;-) ) Congrats!!

 

PS where is part 2???

 

PSS: there it is :-) :-)

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/252127-four-wooden-beauties-compared-part-2/?hl=wooden

Edited March 10, 2014 by Namo

[frogbaby]

Wonderful introduction to these lovely wooden pens. Thank you !!

[whichwatch]

I've seen the Stipula wood pens and really like the matte finish. They feel wonderful in the hand.

 

Nice pictures! I especially like the one that shows the closeup of the grain and finishes.

[sirgilbert357]

Nevermind the pens!!! Tell me more about that wooden box!! LOL. What kind of wood is that on the lid that's darkest and has that gorgeous grain to it???

 

And what happened to the box pics? I refreshed and now they are gone and I see only broken links...

 

Anyway, the pens are very nice. I love wood and leather...I may have to look into getting a good wooden pen someday...

[plumista]

  On 9/19/2015 at 6:05 PM, sirgilbert357 said:

Nevermind the pens!!! Tell me more about that wooden box!! LOL. What kind of wood is that on the lid that's darkest and has that gorgeous grain to it???

 

And what happened to the box pics? I refreshed and now they are gone and I see only broken links...

 

Anyway, the pens are very nice. I love wood and leather...I may have to look into getting a good wooden pen someday...

 

Thank you for your interest, sirgilbert357.

 

That wood species is wenge (Millettia laurentii), only tangentially sawn (hence that amazing look), not quarter-sawn. Moreover this piece has undergone a texturization of the surface for strongest visual and tactile contrast between soft and hard parts of the annual rings.

 

As for the pics, I am afraid I do not get your point, since I can see them without any issue.

 

Any day is a perfect day to get a wooden pen! So why not today?

 

Regards,

plumista

[sirgilbert357]

  On 9/21/2015 at 2:17 PM, plumista said:

 

Thank you for your interest, sirgilbert357.

 

That wood species is wenge (Millettia laurentii), only tangentially sawn (hence that amazing look), not quarter-sawn. Moreover this piece has undergone a texturization of the surface for strongest visual and tactile contrast between soft and hard parts of the annual rings.

 

As for the pics, I am afraid I do not get your point, since I can see them without any issue.

 

Any day is a perfect day to get a wooden pen! So why not today?

 

Regards,

plumista

 

All pics are now working again for me too...hmmm, mysterious!

 

Love that wood. You could easily make a whole box out of that and it would be amazing...I like the pens too. You have excellent taste!

[Precise]

I've written elsewhere that wood feels "warmer" than plastic or hard rubber. But some of that benefit is diminished because wood pens don't have a wood section. This of course avoids having to dip wood in the ink bottle.

 

Tonight I browsed many beautiful wood pens on etsy.com. But alas, almost all had verry long metal sections. And of course metal is much colder than wood or plastic. So the warmth of wood is diminished.

 

The four in this thread at least have plastic sections. That's not as cold as metal.

 

Alan

[mhphoto]

Beautiful collection! Does the Faggionato have a rippled hard rubber section or is that wood that's been finished? Also, the Stipula's section look to have been the olive wood coated with something, is that true?

 

[frogbaby]

I know that Gimena is in the 400-500USD price range.

Nakaya is 400-500USD also.

Stipula Olive is ??

I am especially interested in the Faggionato, anyone have an idea what his prices are like ?

[plumista]

  On 9/22/2015 at 4:05 PM, mhphoto said:

Beautiful collection! Does the Faggionato have a rippled hard rubber section or is that wood that's been finished? Also, the Stipula's section look to have been the olive wood coated with something, is that true?

 

 

 

You may be willing to see this second part of the full review:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/252127-four-wooden-beauties-compared-part-2/?hl=wooden

 

I think you will find there some useful piece of information. But anyway, feel free so ask me any further question you may have.

 

THANK YOU for your interest.

Regards,

plumista

Edited September 23, 2015 by plumista

[plumista]

  On 9/22/2015 at 6:44 PM, frogbaby said:

I know that Gimena is in the 400-500USD price range.

Nakaya is 400-500USD also.

Stipula Olive is ??

I am especially interested in the Faggionato, anyone have an idea what his prices are like ?

 

No, that particular Stipula had a quite higher price tag... I guess you´d better ask the original seller mentioned in the review, he will probably tell you for sure about current prices.

 

Regarding the Faggionato, this maker has since then taken a much different way of making pens, as you will have seen when visiting his website, and does not make such "cheap" pens any more.

 

But any time soon I will put this briar pen of mine for sale. I am trying to downsize my wooden pen collection, and in fact the Ebenus sold in less than an hour last Sunday, sent on Monday to Denmark, so I consider there is real interest in wooden pens out there. You may be willing to stay tuned!

 

Regards, and thank you for your interest!

plumista

Edited September 23, 2015 by plumista