Garcia-Deschacht Silver Fountain Pen

[gordonf]

 

Garcia-Deschacht “A&A” Sterling Silver Fountain Pen

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andy Deschacht and Laura Garcia of “Garcia-Deschacht” collaborate on creating art in several forms. One of their endeavors is custom made-to-order fountain pens.

 

I came across their website while looking for a large sterling silver fountain pen. Their site (www.garcia-deschacht.com) is a treat, with beautifully presented examples of their handmade custom pens in a variety of exotic woods, acrylics, and silver.

 

I’m sure there are readers that will feel this pen is unreasonably large and heavy. For many people, that’s probably true. What’s important is that Garcia-Deschacht were able take a rough idea, add to it, and turn that idea into a perfectly finished hand made pen.

 

It’s difficult for me to critique this pen. Once the dialog with Garcia-Deschacht got started, I found they could accommodate almost anything. If I were to rate this pen, it would have to be “exactly what I wanted”. That said, here’s my review.

 

Appearance & Design

• I wanted a simple, clean, timeless, yet substantial design rendered in sterling silver. This pen has no ornamentation – no homage to anyone, no “theme”, no attempt to recognize an historical event. It’s simply a beautifully crafted functional piece made of high quality materials.
• I wanted to highlight the sheen of sterling silver. It has a white-ish color when compared to stainless steel, titanium, or tungsten. The simple polished finish shows this.
  
• I wanted to retain weight in this pen.

• I wanted the maker’s name visible. I have a lot of respect for individuals who can conceive and fabricate beautiful, high quality pieces out of simple raw materials. This pen’s barrel and cap were turned on a manual lathe. Other parts were fabricated from scratch. There was no numerical control here, just plain skill and experience.
  

Construction & Quality (10) – Construction and quality look like perfection to me.

 

The polished finish is gorgeous. Removing the cap and section reveals threads that are smooth and well fitted. A signature feature of Garcia-Deschacht pens is a clip attachment that has no ring or seam on the cap. I’m not sure how this is done, but I like this creative touch to keep the pen’s design simple. The clip is 18k gold, handmade by Garcia- Deschacht, and engraved by a jeweler they selected for this work.

 

 

Weight & Dimensions

• Capped Length: 14 cm / 5.5”
• Uncapped Length 12.5 cm / 4.9”
• Diameter: 1.5 cm / 0.6”
• Weight: 198 grams / 6.98 oz.

 

Yes, I prefer heavy pens. I don’t write a lot, but when I do, a solid, substantial pen is what I like to use. I understand that this isn’t for everyone. The cap does not post.

 

Nib & Performance – I chose a Boch #6 14k gold fine point nib for this pen. It was wet and very smooth right out of the box.

 

One key point – and a pet peeve for me – is that the cap of a fountain pen should be airtight enough that the pen can be stored for a while without the nib drying out.

 

I asked Garcia-Deschacht about this before we got started. On their metal pens, they put an ebonite insert inside the cap and cut the threads in this insert. The cap threads off and on smoothly and with a slight bit of drag as you turn the cap. There’s no play and the cap appears to seal quite well. So far this pen, even when not used for several days, starts and writes perfectly every time.

 

Filling System & Maintenance - This pen has a standard convertor which was my choice . I filled it with my favorite dark blue ink and started to write straight away.

 

The pen was shipped with ink I hadn’t seen before but am interested to try: The “Hastings Caves” hue from Van Dieman’s “Wilderness Series” - a 30ml bottle of shimmering yellow gold color.

 

Cost & Value – I exchanged emails with Andy and Laura on dimensions, nib sizes and materials, clip shape, engraving, etc. The cost of each specification was provided. I was able to judge the value and make decisions on how to proceed to get just what I wanted.

 

Included with this pen was a bespoke wood box, a card with the pen’s specifications and completion date, a notepad, some fine writing paper, a silver polishing cloth, a drawstring pouch, and a handful of very tasty Côte d’Or Belgian chocolate candies.

 

The pen box is a work of art. Garcia- Deschacht custom tailors a box for each of their pens. The wood used for this box is willow from an historical excavation in Roeselare, Belgium dated around the 14-17th century. The logo on the box was cast in .925 silver.

 

Conclusion – I really enjoyed working with Andy and Laura and I’m delighted with the finished product!

 

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by gordonf

[dapprman]

Great review.

 

I think what makes Garcia-Deschacht different from other pen makers is the fact Andy is an artist/sculptor and I think that comes across in their pens. When I reviewed mine I tried to be honest and accurate but felt I was picking up on very minor issues which if anything were brought to the fore by the excellent fit and finish of my pen in general.

[gordonf]

dapprman,

 

Thanks for your comments. You make a good point regarding Andy's artistic influence on their pen designs. The "A&A" name for the silver pen started out as "artisan and artist".

 

That Durga pen is really sharp looking. I have never seen copper fittings on a fountain pen - they really work with the colors in your pen.

[dapprman]

That Durga pen is really sharp looking. I have never seen copper fittings on a fountain pen - they really work with the colors in your pen.

Yup - I never intended to buy one of his pens but the Durga jumped off the page at me.

[WLSpec]

A & A Pen Collage Edit.png

 

Garcia-Deschacht “A&A” Sterling Silver Fountain Pen

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andy Deschacht and Laura Garcia of “Garcia-Deschacht” collaborate on creating art in several forms. One of their endeavors is custom made-to-order fountain pens.

 

I came across their website while looking for a large sterling silver fountain pen. Their site (www.garcia-deschacht.com) is a treat, with beautifully presented examples of their handmade custom pens in a variety of exotic woods, acrylics, and silver.

 

I’m sure there are readers that will feel this pen is unreasonably large and heavy. For many people, that’s probably true. What’s important is that Garcia-Deschacht were able take a rough idea, add to it, and turn that idea into a perfectly finished hand made pen.

 

It’s difficult for me to critique this pen. Once the dialog with Garcia-Deschacht got started, I found they could accommodate almost anything. If I were to rate this pen, it would have to be “exactly what I wanted”. That said, here’s my review.

 

Appearance & Design

• I wanted a simple, clean, timeless, yet substantial design rendered in sterling silver. This pen has no ornamentation – no homage to anyone, no “theme”, no attempt to recognize an historical event. It’s simply a beautifully crafted functional piece made of high quality materials.

• I wanted to highlight the sheen of sterling silver. It has a white-ish color when compared to stainless steel, titanium, or tungsten. The simple polished finish shows this.

• I wanted to retain weight in this pen.

• I wanted the maker’s name visible. I have a lot of respect for individuals who can conceive and fabricate beautiful, high quality pieces out of simple raw materials. This pen’s barrel and cap were turned on a manual lathe. Other parts were fabricated from scratch. There was no numerical control here, just plain skill and experience.

Construction & Quality (10) – Construction and quality look like perfection to me.

 

The polished finish is gorgeous. Removing the cap and section reveals threads that are smooth and well fitted. A signature feature of Garcia-Deschacht pens is a clip attachment that has no ring or seam on the cap. I’m not sure how this is done, but I like this creative touch to keep the pen’s design simple. The clip is 18k gold, handmade by Garcia- Deschacht, and engraved by a jeweler they selected for this work.

 

 

Weight & Dimensions

• Capped Length: 14 cm / 5.5”
• Uncapped Length 12.5 cm / 4.9”
• Diameter: 1.5 cm / 0.6”
• Weight: 198 grams / 6.98 oz.

 

Yes, I prefer heavy pens. I don’t write a lot, but when I do, a solid, substantial pen is what I like to use. I understand that this isn’t for everyone. The cap does not post.

 

Nib & Performance – I chose a Boch #6 14k gold fine point nib for this pen. It was wet and very smooth right out of the box.

 

One key point – and a pet peeve for me – is that the cap of a fountain pen should be airtight enough that the pen can be stored for a while without the nib drying out.

 

I asked Garcia-Deschacht about this before we got started. On their metal pens, they put an ebonite insert inside the cap and cut the threads in this insert. The cap threads off and on smoothly and with a slight bit of drag as you turn the cap. There’s no play and the cap appears to seal quite well. So far this pen, even when not used for several days, starts and writes perfectly every time.

 

Filling System & Maintenance - This pen has a standard convertor which was my choice . I filled it with my favorite dark blue ink and started to write straight away.

 

The pen was shipped with ink I hadn’t seen before but am interested to try: The “Hastings Caves” hue from Van Dieman’s “Wilderness Series” - a 30ml bottle of shimmering yellow gold color.

 

Cost & Value – I exchanged emails with Andy and Laura on dimensions, nib sizes and materials, clip shape, engraving, etc. The cost of each specification was provided. I was able to judge the value and make decisions on how to proceed to get just what I wanted.

 

Included with this pen was a bespoke wood box, a card with the pen’s specifications and completion date, a notepad, some fine writing paper, a silver polishing cloth, a drawstring pouch, and a handful of very tasty Côte d’Or Belgian chocolate candies.

 

The pen box is a work of art. Garcia- Deschacht custom tailors a box for each of their pens. The wood used for this box is willow from an historical excavation in Roeselare, Belgium dated around the 14-17th century. The logo on the box was cast in .925 silver.

 

Conclusion – I really enjoyed working with Andy and Laura and I’m delighted with the finished product!

 

 

Nice review, and a very nice pen!

[rogerico]

Congratulations! I love sterling silver pens and this one is really pretty. But... 198 grams!? Its really heavy! Do you feel confortable writing with this beauty?

[gordonf]

Hi Rogerico,

 

Thank for the congratulations. Over about 15 years, I've accumulated a small collection of pens and pencils made of dense, solid materials. The materials include stainless steel, tungsten, corundum (a ceramic), bronze, titanium, brass, and cement. I'm kinda used to heavy pens now.

 

You're right, though. This one is really heavy, but for me, it's perfectly comfortable.

 

Folks that prefer light pens - surely the majority on this discussion board - would probably not enjoy it much. Nothing wrong with that. What's great is there are lots of choices for all tastes and preferences in the world of fine pens.

 

Indeed, the maker of this pen generally crafts custom pens in a variety of wildly colored ebonite materials and that are of conventional weight.

 

Hope your part of the world is staying safe,

 

- Gordon

[rogerico]

Thanks for your comment, Gordon. This part of the world isnt really safe right now, but which part is it! Anyway, Im OK and I hope you are Ok too.

 

The pandemic give us time to use our pens... Thats something! By the way, I used to love big and heavy pens just as the Delta Dolce Vita oversize. Now I feel more comfortable using pens as the Aurora 88, which I find perfect in size either in heft.

 

But as I also love silver pens, here is my Aurora 80th Anniversary in good company.

 

Enjoy your pens and stay safe!

[gordonf]

Hi Rogerico,

 

That Aurora has beautiful detailing. I can't imagine how they create the pattern in the silver, but it sure looks great. The black / white Parker Duofold (?) on the left is really sharp, too.

[inkstainedruth]

Congratulations! I love sterling silver pens and this one is really pretty. But... 198 grams!? Its really heavy! Do you feel confortable writing with this beauty?

 

I'll admit I was thinking the same thing about the weight. My heaviest pens (the TWSBI 580-AL and 580-ALR) top out at 28 grams, capped/posted. And I had to get used to the weight on the first one. This pen? Roughly seven TIMES as heavy -- I pulled up the calculator app on my laptop...

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[rogerico]

Hi Rogerico,

 

That Aurora has beautiful detailing. I can't imagine how they create the pattern in the silver, but it sure looks great. The black / white Parker Duofold (?) on the left is really sharp, too.

Yes, this Parker Duofold is now my oldest pen. Its the black mosaic model.

[amberleadavis]

BUT they look pretty.