Pen Pit Stop : Edison Collier LE Red Dragon

[namrehsnoom]

Pen Pit Stop : Edison Collier LE Red Dragon

 

Welcome to the Pen Pit Stop. Here you will find reviews of pens that already have some mileage on them. More specifically, these reviews are of pens that are in my personal collection, and that have been in use for at least a year. I thought it would be fun to do it this way – no new & shiny pens here, but battered vehicles that have been put to work for at least a year. Let’s find out how they have withstood the ravages of time.

 

The fountain pen that enters the pit stop today is the Edison Collier Red Dragon. This is a Limited Edition pen that was a Goulet Pens' special back in 2020. Mine is number 79 out of a 150 pens that were produced. This pen is a beauty with a stunning red & black DiamondCast resin, made by Tim McKenzie. The defining feature of Tim’s resins is the real diamond dust that is incorporated in the mix, and that is responsible for the incredible shimmer and sparkle. The picture below is taken in sunlight, and accentuates the diamond dust sparkle, but it’s also present under normal lighting conditions. I simply love the looks of this pen, and use it on a regular basis – usually filled with an ink that matches its tones.

 

Edison Pen Co – which is situated in Huron,  Ohio – is a small family business started in 2007 by Brian & Andrea Gray. They create beautiful acrylic pens that are top quality products. You really notice the love & care that these pens receive. The Collier is one of the bigger fountain pens that Edison creates. Hefty pens, but still light-weight and very comfortable pens for long writing sessions. I bought my pen in October 2020, so it’s been in use for some time now. Let’s take a closer look at it.

 

Pen Look & Feel
The cigar-shaped Red Dragon pen is made from a Tim McKenzie’s DiamondCast resin with a red and black colour pattern.  Tim’s DiamondCast material is widely known for its stunning beauty, and the resin used for this red pen is no exception. On the barrel the words “Edison Pen Co – Collier” are engraved in a discrete manner. Because this is a limited edition, the individual pen’s serial number is also engraved below the logo. The only other branding is the company logo etched on the nib. The Collier pen has a sturdy silver clip ending in a ball. This comes in handy as a roll-stopper. 

 

You use the pen by removing the screw-on cap. No posting with this pen though, which is not really a problem with a large pen like this. The pen has a decent size JoWo #6 silver-toned steel nib, that works well with this large body pen. My Collier Red Dragon came originally with an M-nib, that worked well right out of the box. Brian makes sure that all nibs are tuned to perfection before shipping. And it shows – these are some of the smoothest writing nibs I have ever experienced. Simply perfect!

 

 

The pictures above illustrate the size of the Edison Collier in comparison with a standard Lamy Safari. Capped and uncapped both pens are about the same size, but the Collier has a lot more girth to it. It looks and feels substantially larger than the Lamy, even though it’s the lighter of both pens.  

 

Pen Characteristics

• Build Quality :  the pen is very well build, and polished to perfection. Mine is about two years old now, and still looks good as new. The DiamondCast resin used is definitely of high quality and retains its beauty without getting dull and losing its shine. This Red Dragon pen has aged very well.
• Weight & Dimensions : a fairly large pen – almost 15cm capped and 13cm uncapped. The grip section is about 1cm in diameter. Aside from nib and clip, there are no metal parts to be found. This translates to a very light pen, that is really comfortable for long writing sessions. 
• Filling System : this is a cartridge convertor pen, that uses standard international ink cartridges. To use bottled ink, I simply syringe-fill used cartridges. 
• Nib & Performance : the Jowo #6 steel nib is well-proportioned for the size of this pen. On the nib, the Edison company logo is engraved. All Edison nibs are tuned to perfection before being shipped. And it shows! These are some of the smoothest nibs I’ve ever seen, and they are a real pleasure to write with. I also appreciate that the nib units are easily replaceable, and can be bought separately. The steel nib units cost about 24 EUR (taxes included), and come in sizes EF, F, M, B, 1.1 and 1.5.
• Price : this limited edition Edison Collier cost 254 EUR including taxes, which is more expensive that the standard Collier pens. But personally, I found the price point quite acceptable for such a beautiful limited edition pen. In my opinion: excellent value for money

 

Conclusion
Edison Pen Co produces high quality pens, and this Collier LE Red Dragon is no exception. A very comfortable writer with an excellent nib - this pen is made for long writing sessions. And the Red Dragon DiamondCast resin is really beautiful – it’s definitely an eye-catcher.  Needless to say that I’m glad to have this pen in my collection.

 

[Gloucesterman]

Thank you for your review. I particularly like your approach of using pens that you have had and used for an extended period of time.

 

At the moment I am not looking for another new pen (I just purchased 12 used pens at a flea market this morning) and that will definitely change after the Commonwealth Pen Show in September (2022).

 

Your reference to Brian making sure that all nibs are tuned impresses me and offers a higher level of confidence in purchasing from Edison Pens in the future.

 

Again, thank you for the thorough and insightful review.

[Carrau]

Lovely pen and thorough review, namrehsnoom.  I have several Colliers , all comfortable and excellent writers.  It’s always nice to hear when people are pleased with the quality of the pens they purchase, and reminds us that high manufacturing standards/ commitment to quality are still out there among pen makers.

[Gloucesterman]

5 hours ago, Carrau said:

 It’s always nice to hear when people are pleased with the quality of the pens they purchase, and reminds us that high manufacturing standards/ commitment to quality are still out there among pen makers.

+1

[MuddyWaters]

The section looks short, and perhaps too thin compared to the thickness of the barrel. How is the comfort? Also the threads look right in the middle of where I would place my fingers. 

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, MuddyWaters said:

How is the comfort?

 

My Edison Collier is more than comfortable enough to use in my hand, and I don’t think I’ve ever been consciously reminded of the external thread when writing with the pen (i.e. the thread is not sharp, if my fingers end up touching or rubbing against them at all), even when trying to wield it with extreme precision, e.g. drawing ≥16 distinct, non-touching horizontal lines within a square space 5mm tall.

[kcwookie]

I have a Collier, a limited edition from 2015. It is a nice looking pen, but I'm not enamored with it. I will probably get around to selling it one day. I agree the construction is very good, but the nib is average at best. Average doesn't imply good or bad. The nib is made by JoWo and if you have one you have many. Very few companies make their own nibs anymore and no one in the USA, since all the formerly US brand either have moved or now make their products in China. 

 

I've thought about buying a custom made pen, but I'm too late, they no longer make the filling system I wanted. Edison isn't a brand I will be buying in the near future. Great pens, just not for me. I shop for the total experience, because I write with the nib. Even Wancher is now making their own nibs. You can still get a JoWo one, but their new Rising Sun hard flex is a great nib. It's a shame I lost the pen two days after it arrived. 

[A Smug Dill]

49 minutes ago, kcwookie said:

the nib is average at best. Average doesn't imply good or bad. The nib is made by JoWo and if you have one you have many.

 

I disagree. The steel EF nib that came fitted on my Edison Collier is better than any of the size no.6 steel EF nibs of JoWo manufacture that came fitted on my (several) Nemosine, Opus 88, (several) Fine Writing International, and Wancher pens. Out-of-the-box, it demonstrably puts down finer lines than any other Western (or Chinese) EF nib, and any of dozens of Japanese F nibs, that I have here, yet does so smoothly without the slightest hint of scratchiness with strokes in any direction at all. That is no mean feat.

 

1 hour ago, kcwookie said:

Very few companies make their own nibs anymore and no one in the USA,

 

That may well be the case, but there is no inherent superiority or advantage in a nib being manufactured in the USA anyway, irrespective of whether any US company has the capability to produce almost as good a nib as one of Japanese (e.g. Cross using excellent nibs made by Sailor in the Peerless 125) or German (Edison using JoWo, for example) origin. Americans who want to support the ‘local’ economy can still buy from brands owned by companies domiciled in the US.

[namrehsnoom]

On 7/25/2022 at 3:37 PM, MuddyWaters said:

The section looks short, and perhaps too thin compared to the thickness of the barrel. How is the comfort? Also the threads look right in the middle of where I would place my fingers. 

I never even thought about my grip on this pen, so I just checked. When writing, my fingers fall right on the thread section. But since the threads are numerous and unsharp, you won’t notice them. I can easily write comfortably with the pen for longer writing sessions (which for me equals a couple of pages).

 

2 hours ago, kcwookie said:

... I agree the construction is very good, but the nib is average at best. Average doesn't imply good or bad. The nib is made by JoWo and if you have one you have many…

Hmm… I would classify the nibs as excellent. True: they are standard Jowo nibs, and as such not special. But all my Edison nibs (and I bought some individual nib units just to have multiple widths) write exceptionally well: smooth and with good & consistent ink flow. As writers, they are near the top of the line - in my opinion. Mass produced and not unique perhaps, but excellent writers nonetheless.

[kcwookie]

23 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

I disagree. The steel EF nib that came fitted on my Edison Collier is better than any of the size no.6 steel EF nibs of JoWo manufacture that came fitted on my (several) Nemosine, Opus 88, (several) Fine Writing International, and Wancher pens. Out-of-the-box, it demonstrably puts down finer lines than any other Western (or Chinese) EF nib, and any of dozens of Japanese F nibs, that I have here, yet does so smoothly without the slightest hint of scratchiness with strokes in any direction at all. That is no mean feat.

 

 

That may well be the case, but there is no inherent superiority or advantage in a nib being manufactured in the USA anyway, irrespective of whether any US company has the capability to produce almost as good a nib as one of Japanese (e.g. Cross using excellent nibs made by Sailor in the Peerless 125) or German (Edison using JoWo, for example) origin. Americans who want to support the ‘local’ economy can still buy from brands owned by companies domiciled in the US.

That may be true except maybe I want a USA nib. One the other hand, I really don't need one because I prefer some of my vintage pens to anything made now. My experience with JoWo and Bock is that they are either pretty good, or get replaced. I had a problem with a Bock nib and the company told me to send it over on my own dime and they'd look at it. It was cheaper to replace it and move on. I don't buy a lot of pens with Bock or JoWo nibs, I've had that experience. 

[kcwookie]

21 hours ago, namrehsnoom said:

I never even thought about my grip on this pen, so I just checked. When writing, my fingers fall right on the thread section. But since the threads are numerous and unsharp, you won’t notice them. I can easily write comfortably with the pen for longer writing sessions (which for me equals a couple of pages).

 

Hmm… I would classify the nibs as excellent. True: they are standard Jowo nibs, and as such not special. But all my Edison nibs (and I bought some individual nib units just to have multiple widths) write exceptionally well: smooth and with good & consistent ink flow. As writers, they are near the top of the line - in my opinion. Mass produced and not unique perhaps, but excellent writers nonetheless.

I'm glad, I'll get mine up on eBay soon and you can have another great writer. 

[amberleadavis]

Wonderful review.