Transehe Design, Scrivere - a heavy pen in Copper, brass or steel (but no steal!)

Here is a brand I know nothing about but had my interest peaked at the Melbourne Pen show. Transehe.

Transehe Design "Scrivere" call themselves a premium range of pens from the studios of d.Von Transehe - Transehe Design. These pens are the result of a co-operative effort between Transehe, Schmidt and Lufthansa to create a pocket sized pen, that has a perfect ink flow and won't leak, even on an airplane. Like the Kaweco, The "Scrivere" are designed to be pocket size when capped, however, they use the exposed thread to cap and post the lid so that when posted the pen becomes more of a standard size and is perfectly balanced for writing. Very much like a Kaweco. The pens are 11cm when capped and 12.5cm when posted.

PURE METAL:
A key point of difference that really sets the Scrivere apart is the use of pure metals. Stainless steel, pure brass and pure copper make up the range. These are solid pens, and being solid metal are pocket safe (won't crack if sat on). All three are over 50g with copper being the heaviest at 56g. The metals are pure and will behave as such. Both the brass and copper pens will develop a patina as the metals react with the air and the oils of your hands and fingers. 

And here is a pic:

They are quite an attractive pen (especially the copper - although I'd have a gold nib). I like heavy pens so that's a plus. But the price! A brief web search has them at 215 Euros (about AU$329 or US$295).

Here is a link to their website: 

transehe

A poem for InCoWriMo

Hello again.

In the spirit of International Correspondence Writing Month (InCoWriMo), I recently penned this poem to one correspondent, fine-tuned it with another, and now a few of you are going to find this in your mail - hope you enjoy it :)

In case you need a translation, here it is:

Here is just a brief writ note
I write to you to keep a-float
The idea that a letter can
Deliver more than email, and
Provide a chance for me to think
That as I smile, and draw my ink
That maybe there's a chance that you
Will grab your fountain pen and through
The art of nib and ink and flex
Elucidate on matters text*
On silly little phones can't do
You'll take your time, your words will prove
That fountain pens provide a start
To personality and heart
They help us take the time to be 
The better that we want to be

*the handwritten one was slightly wrong (**embarrassed grin)

Friday and a touch of Chianti to end the day

Here are a few pics from my good friend Tiffany Garvie of my Visconti Chianti Rosso. Isn't she clever?

Pics de Jour for InCoWriMo

InCoWriMo - Write to me!

Hi there.

February is International Correspondence Writing Month. The month aims that you send letters to someone every day of the month.

I have, thanks to a few sources (incl FPGeeks) about 23 names so far, so send me your details and I'll add you to the list!!!

If you'd like to write to me, email me at ecclectitbits@gmail.com and I'll send you my address.

Happy writing!

Here is a poem I wrote for FPGeeks just to get your creative juices flowing, together with my colour design for Pelikan's ink of the year 2015:

INK REVIEW - Toucan Bright Blue - an AUSSIE ink!

Made in Australia, in the wilds of Queensland, comes the Toucan Ink via justwrite.com.au.

Kevin of the Justwrite Pen Company, sent me sent me a few samples (so many it's going to take me forever to get through them!); so today I start that with a review of the Toucan Bright Blue.

There are apparently 14 colours in the Toucan fountain pen ink range, which can be mixed with each other to make your own custom coloured inks. 

Toucan fountain pen ink is formulated from water soluble dyes with no harmful additives and is pH neutral (7). Toucan ink is available in 2ml and 5ml individual samples, 2ml sample packs, 5ml mixing packs, and 30ml, 150ml and 400ml plastic pouches - yes, Pouches! ... for those of you so into ink that you may as well take it intravenously, this could be your chance! (just joking).

I tried filling from the pouch; and as a method of filling I wouldn't recommend it! However I can tell you it washes off hands and desks very well!

It does, however, pour well into any other container once you gather the good sense to try.

As for the Bright blue?..

Firstly, it's a lovely colour. Vibrant without being garish and doesn't dry out in your pen (left it in mine for a week and it started straight away). In this sample, I've compared it with Herbin Blue Pervenche and Mont Blanc Honore de Balzac and it fits somewhere between them both, but very similar - a litle less blue than Balzac, a little darker than Pervenche.

The Bright Blue (imaginative name) is not a "wet" ink. It drys reasonably quickly (in the fine flex I've used), and stops smudging after about 12 seconds.

All in all, I am happy with what I've tried so far, and extremely happy that this ink is based here in Australia. Well done Justwrite!

The Campo Marzio Design USB pen

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

It arrived in the mail from Italy (via the Campo Marzio shop in Sydney - YAY) and a lovely little package this is:

A sweet green box, the guarantee in a nice little scroll, and the cartridges in a handy ink bottle (yes, it's a cartridge filler).

The colours are bright, the design simple, so far so good. 

7/10

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN

The orange is bright, the purple bright too; but they work well together in a fun way.

This is a simple pen (with a little gimmick).  The end of the pen pulls off (it's a bit of a pull, but that makes it nice and safe) and, Voila! a USB!

I'm not a major fan of metal sections, but in this pen it works well enough; and matches the steel nib well.

This is a pen that attracts mostly with it's colours and it's rear end; the actual shape of the pen and material is utilitarian - but that's cool.

I'm not sure what the pen is made of (or what it's called for that matter...the web site just calls it a USBFP), but it seems to be some sort of enamelled metal - again utilitarian; but OK.

The cap pops on and off with a satisfying "click", and fits snugly on the body of the pen.

The only little issues in design are that:

• the clip (metal) is extremely stiff and you'll have trouble flexing this over more than a shirt sleeve; and 
• the pen does not post either on top of the USB, nor with the USB end removed - an opportunity lost!

As for the USB stick; I'd have to say I was surprised when I plugged it in to see what capacity it had and what might be on it. The disc was blank (no advertising material - good); and my iMac tells me it is a 4Gb USB - not bad. Not sure about replacements; but that should keep the average writer (or very average in my case), going for a little while.

6.5/10

WEIGHT AND DIMENSION

Closed the USBFP measures 13cm.  With the cap removed it's 12cm; and with it's USB end removed it's 10cm (getting quite small by this stage).

It's a reasonably thick pen, about 1.4cm wide in the body, and about 1cm for the metal section. 

The pen is also reasonably heavy. I haven't weighed it, but certainly heavier than a Noodlers Ahab or Lamy Safari. Nevertheless, capless, it balances well in the hand.

6.5/10 (reduced for diminishing size)

NIB AND PERFORMANCE

The accompanying nib is an Iridium point Steel nib from Germany (so says the nib).

...and the black, plastic feed is marked with a "5" (not sure if that is a mark out of 10, but could be).

The nib however, seriously lets this unit down. While the nib worked relatively quickly out of the box, (more fine than medium), and the scrolling looks lovely,  it is a little scratchy, quite stiff, has no real feedback and gives the whole pen a cheap feel all over - even a touch tinny. 

Very disappointing. May possibly loosen over time, but you need your pen to call to you to write again - not happening.

5/10

FILLING SYSTEM

Cartridge. Good that they give you Pelikan cartridges with the pen (6) black. But not a big fan of cartridge pens (as the sole filling system) and those cartridges are really hard to get out of the narrow bottle opening.

5/10

COST AND VALUE

This was not an expensive pen. About AU$75 which, at time of writing, translates to about US$67; so I shouldn't be harsh. The memory on the USB alone should assist with part of that price. The colours are cheery, the size is good (USB still inserted), the balance is nice the nib?, well... this is a fountain pen, and pens like the Lamy Safari, Hero Summer, Platinum cool and Pilot Metropolitan all do a better nib for much less.

5/10

CONCLUSION

Loved the idea, loved the pics and packaging; but...

This is a fountain pen blog, and this pen is not up there in the writing stakes. While the memory capacity is impressive, the writing potential is forgettable.

FINAL RATING:

58/100

0-50 = to be avoided at all costs
51-60 = if it’s cheap and you don’t really care….
61-70 = a nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)
71-80 = A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good
81-90 = A good pen, a keeper only a few minor places off being great
91-95 = Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep it away from the dog
96-100 = Grail