Reviews Written by philip.milazzo

  This is my first (and..., April 12, 2013

This is my first (and long-awaited) bottle of Rouge Hematite and it's fun stuff! Finer strokes are vivid red. Medium and broader lines add a beautiful darker component which people describe as green or brown or gold, depending. The result is a very dignified red as long as the nib is well-supplied with ink. The new bottle caps are covered in a supple wax that doesn't crumble like the old wax apparently did. The box carries a label advising "Don't leave ink in fountain pen reservoir." I intend following that advice so I don't experience any crusting or clogging. It means using this ink from the bottle with a dip pen only, but that suits me. The ink will simply last longer and I won't have any trouble cleaning it from my fountain pens. Thank you again JetPens for a nice product at an attractive price with lightning speed.

  A superb pen at the price...., September 21, 2012

A superb pen at the price. Writes a fine line, wonderfully well for me using Noodler's Heart of Darkness. I've had no trouble with cap or clip or barrel or section cracking in weeks of daily use and pocket or briefcase carry. I much prefer my Preppy to the Pilot Varsity, which I have tried.

  I love JetPens, but I'm..., July 11, 2012

I love JetPens, but I'm returning my PE-06 because in my opinion it isn't worth the $14 price. That's almost what a superb mechanical pencil costs and more than half the price of a great fountain pen, both of which I bought from JetPens. This product is a nylon pouch with two zippers and a few pockets. I like the design but not the execution. Interesting that the label reads, and I quote, "Nomadic. For budget and save money." This product misses the mark.

  The Charcoal Safari in..., January 25, 2012

The Charcoal Safari in Extra Fine writes very, very nicely and its flat black body and glossy black nib are all business. The size, weight and balance of the ABS body make for comfortable writing, cap posted or not. The EF nib glides across any old paper I have so far tried, leaving a sharp, reliable line of blue from the supplied cartridge. I have a converter at the ready once I exhaust the cartridge and anticipate buying a spare nib in a different width, just for some variety.

This pen is just the ticket for the basic pen fan and constant user. For a true beginner still deciding between "yes" and "no" on the subject of the fountain pen, there are alternatives in lower price ranges. If you already love fountain pens and do not have a Lamy Safari, buy one without hesitation and enjoy it as I do mine.

I would rate this pen five stars (and more if permitted to) at a more competitive price.

  To retract the lead guard..., January 23, 2012

To retract the lead guard and lead strand into the pencil body, here's what I do:

1. hold the pencil vertically, tip on a hard smoothe surface like a table top, with fingers curled around the pencil body and thumb on the cap
2. apply light continuous downward pressure on the pencil body (as if pushing it into the table surface) and simultaneously depress the cap.

The lead guard retracts slowly into the pencil body as long as I hold the cap depressed and keep pressure on the pencil body. The action is nothing like a retractable (click-open, click-closed) ball pen. To deploy the lead strand for writing, just press the cap again. The online "manual" explains none of this that I saw. The JetPens item photos show both the working and the retracted positions.

My OLEeNu is a pleasure to use. Enjoy yours.