Romillo Essential #9 Initial Impressions

[rpsyed]

http://i.imgur.com/XsHnfDL.jpg

I got a new pen today! A Romillo Essential #9. It's made of solid blue ebonite, in a really deep shade of blue. The gold roll stop is a customization I asked for.

This is my second Romillo and I'm still blown away by all the documents and the whole package. Alvaro did an amazing job on the pen. The roll stopper and disc are set perfectly, the threads are perfectly cut, the nib is massive and gorgeous. I like to support the artisans that the fountain pen community has and we are very lucky to have a lot fantastic ones. Alvaro offers a great product, with great customer service, and craftsmanship that borders on artistry with his nibs. I've only written with the pen a little bit so I can't do a full review yet, but here are some initial impressions.

http://i.imgur.com/03xNMJe.jpg

Paperwork that came with the pen, along with a writing sample of the nib by Alvaro Romillo.

http://i.imgur.com/J6WwXWf.jpg

Alvaro's writing sample

http://i.imgur.com/goew0bt.jpg

Included was a gold and black 5-pen wrap, a bottle of Romillo Sepia ink, and a wooden box with a sliding panel opening. Inside the wooden box was the eyedropper, which is outside of the box in the photo, and a felt pen wrap with the pen inside.

http://i.imgur.com/cpR5QZu.jpg

Romillo Sepia ink. Romillo ink comes in Black, Blue, and Sepia I believe. It's not available commercially but is included with pen orders.

http://i.imgur.com/B3OG5mQ.jpg

Instructions for the Essential #9 eyedropper

http://i.imgur.com/RwelHX6.jpg

Comparison with some other pens that happened to be close by. From top: Nakaya Piccolo, Edison Pearl, Eboya Kyouka (medium-size), Romillo Essential #9, Lamy Safari, and Pilot Vanishing Point.

Essential #9 and Eo #9

http://i.imgur.com/v0EzLj6.jpg

My first Romillo, an Eo #9 in terracotta ebonite, is a bit heavier and thicker than the Eo #9. The roll stop placement is different too. Very similar in length though.

Cabochon in the barrel end.

http://i.imgur.com/2rhCX6g.jpg

Along with the gold roll stop, I also asked for a solid gold cabochon to be added to the pen. It's a disc made of 18k gold engraved with the Romillo logo. It's a really lovely touch, I think.

http://i.imgur.com/j2PbsQH.jpg

Romillo #9 nib compared to an Edison/JoWo #6 nib.

http://i.imgur.com/4TPp3Xy.jpg

I tried to get a close up of the nib engraving. This is the best I could do (sorry!) It has to be one of the most elegant nib engravings there is. The fact that it's done by hand is just incredible.

I've inked up the pen with Romillo Sepia ink and it's been lovely. Smooth, with some pleasant feedback, and perfect ink flow.

Edited November 24, 2015 by rpsyed

[JLS1]

Beautiful pen! Congratulations!

[Keyless Works]

Beautiful pen. I love my Essential #9. Mine is picky with ink but when you get the right one it's a wonderful pen. I agree about the engraving it is a very nice touch.

 

I would like to see more pictures of the gold cabochon. It doesn't look very gold from the pictures.

[rpsyed]

Beautiful pen! Congratulations!

Thank you!

 

Beautiful pen. I love my Essential #9. Mine is picky with ink but when you get the right one it's a wonderful pen. I agree about the engraving it is a very nice touch.

 

I would like to see more pictures of the gold cabochon. It doesn't look very gold from the pictures.

Thank you! It's a really great pen. Lighter than the Eo #9, which I think makes it a bit easier to write with for long writing sessions.

 

I'm sorry, my camera must not be capturing it properly - I'm using an iPad Air. This was the best I could manage. It's the same tone of gold that the nib and roll-stop are in.

 

http://i.imgur.com/WPCuWfZ.jpg

[zaddick]

Congratulations on another great pen! Pretty soon you are going to have a hard time figuring out what to use.

 

How dies the nib compare to your Eo, which I seem to recall was broad?

[rpsyed]

Congratulations on another great pen! Pretty soon you are going to have a hard time figuring out what to use.

 

How dies the nib compare to your Eo, which I seem to recall was broad?

Thank you! Yeah ... this year's pen acquisitions have been a bit more than I had expected. In any case, I'm thrilled with them.

 

 

The Eo was a 1.0mm stub. The Essential nib is much more forgiving of various angles and nib rotation, being a round nib. It's also seems to be a true "fine,"unlike the Pelikan or Visconti fine nibs that are broader than expected. I had it filled with Romillo Sepia ink at first. It flowed nicely, but the color was a bit lighter than I liked. I've since washed it out and filled it with Yama-dori. It's fantastic =]

 

How are you feeling about your Essential #9? You also had a fine nib on it, correct?

[Keyless Works]

Thank you!

 

Thank you! It's a really great pen. Lighter than the Eo #9, which I think makes it a bit easier to write with for long writing sessions.

 

I'm sorry, my camera must not be capturing it properly - I'm using an iPad Air. This was the best I could manage. It's the same tone of gold that the nib and roll-stop are in.

 

http://i.imgur.com/WPCuWfZ.jpg

Looks great. I didn't know about this option when I ordered mine (although mine is all white metal). I think I will get a second Romillo with a number 7 nib at some point in the future and will definitely add the cabochon if it's available.

[da vinci]

Nice review, thanks

 

I like your new pen. Gold trim is a great feature.

[rpsyed]

Looks great. I didn't know about this option when I ordered mine (although mine is all white metal). I think I will get a second Romillo with a number 7 nib at some point in the future and will definitely add the cabochon if it's available.

Thanks! I agree. When I got my Eo #9 I didn't know it was available either. I remember seeing it on Mongrelnomad's Nervion in his review of his Romillo and thinking it looked great. I may add a third Romillo to the collection sometime in the next 6 months or so, and I think I'd add the cabochon again. The only other Romillo model that really interests me is the Sil.

 

Nice review, thanks

 

I like your new pen. Gold trim is a great feature.

You're welcome! Yeah, definitely. And the blue ebonite is a really deep and rich blue that goes well with gold trim.

[dms525]

Another beautiful Romillo! I like the shade of blue very much. I am eager to see it "in person." Congratulations!

 

David

[rpsyed]

Another beautiful Romillo! I like the shade of blue very much. I am eager to see it "in person." Congratulations!

 

David

Thank you very much! I'm looking forward to next Pen Posse!