The Color: BLACK.  It’s fantastic.  A black ink should be very black and a black-black rather than a bluish or greenish-black.  Perle Noir (”Black Pearl”) is exactly that.  If I had to say this black had a tinge of another color, it would be a purple or eggplant. 

On Paper: Wet, black and consistent.

Consistency: Very saturated, yet safe and gentle for pens — like all other J. Herbin inks.

Overall: Another favorite from J. Herbin.  This is THE black ink in my rotation.  Not only is it the perfect black color, but it is also safe for my vintage pens.  J. Herbin always flows well and I don’t have to worry about “gunk” building up in the pen or the nib.

Purchasing and Pricing: A 30mL bottle runs between $7-10 depending on the retailer and is available at most online retailers catering to fountain pen and ink users.

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The Color: Rose Tendresse is a perfect, feminine, light bubblegum pink.  It’s soft and girly, just as pink should be. 

On Paper: Somewhat wet, with lovely subtle shading.

Consistency: Saturated, yet gentle, like all other Herbin inks.  I first tried Rose Tendresse in a Reform 1745 and it was VERY dry.  I now have it loaded in my pink Esterbrook (!) and have used it with a 2314-M nib and a modified 1555 Gregg nib.  Rose Tendresse flows extremely well from both of these nibs, which makes me think the Reform might have been the problem instead of the ink in my first trial.

Other Considerations: Rose Tendresse translates to rose tenderness.  Just another reflection of this ink’s soft and feminine qualities.

Overall: Another favorite from J. Herbin.

Purchasing and Pricing: A 30mL bottle runs between $7-10 depending on the retailer and is available at most online retailers catering to fountain pen and ink users.

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The Color: Vert Pre is a bright and cheerful green that instantly evokes images of spring and summer.  It is similar to Vert Olive, but brighter and more casual.  Vert Olive has more of a yellow tone and has a more formal feel.

On Paper: The swatch below was done with an Esterbrook 2442 nib in a dipless set. Its flow quality is in the middle of the wet/dry spectrum.  Vert Pre’s shading really impressed me and I was able to get noticeable shading on different types of paper.

Consistency: Saturated, yet gentle, like all other Herbin inks.

Other Considerations: Not much to report here - the ink performed wonderfully when I tested it and is consistent with the quality of other J. Herbin inks.  I have read complains from other reviewers that Vert Pre has poor flow; but I have not loaded it myself yet to make that determination.  I need more pens to fill!

Overall: Another great ink from my favorite ink brand.

Purchasing and Pricing: A 30mL bottle runs between $7-10 depending on the retailer and is available at most online retailers catering to fountain pen and ink users.

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The Bottle: The bottles are glass with a white plastic ribbed top.

The Color: The colors are bright, rich and saturated.  I’ll let you view the photos instead of describing each ink.  There are a few that I will highlight:  Morinea is one of my ideal shades of red - dark and blue based, but not too dark or burgundy; Heliannthus is a dark enough yellow to see on paper and could be good for highlighting purposes; Cassia is an ideal purple color and I love the blues of Konigslau and Blau Permanent (this one is permanent!); Verdigris is a dark teal type color - it reminds me of a teal color mixed with a charcoal grey; and Leipziger Schwarz is a very black black.

On Paper: All the swatches below were made with a glass dip pen, so I was putting a lot of ink on the paper at once.  As you can see, still no feathering and minimal bleeding on the notebook paper lines.  Even with the heavy use of the ink, there is minimal bleed through on the back of the paper sheets.  A triumph indeed!

Consistency: I currently have Cassis in a refilled Pilot Varsity and am not having any problems with it.  It’s flowing well and performing nicely.

Other Considerations: Something very cool about R&K inks is that all ink colors can be blended together to create your own combinations.  I have not tried this, but this is what R&K told me.  However, if you do blend the Sepia, be sure to wash the fountain pen after use.  Scabiosa and Salix are both iron gull nut ink and R&K says they are safe for fountain pens, but you will definitely need to wash the fountain pen after use.  From my learning of gull inks, the best choice may be to only use these with dip pens instead of loading them, as they have a higher tendency to clog pens.

Crystals could separate from the water component of the ink in airline shipment due to pressure, but I have been told this is not normal.

Overall: R&K produces a set of very lovely colors to enhance your collection.

Purchasing and Pricing: Learn more about R&K at http://www.rohrer-klingner.de.  You can buy bottles of R&K from your favorite retailers like Pendemonium and others.  Bottles retail for about $10-12.

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Appearance: The black Safari’s plastic is shiny, whereas the AL-Star has a brushed metal look.   Both pens are not completely round, but have chiseled edges to give them a rounded-square look.  They feature a transparent section that is molded with grooves for finger placement.  There is also a rubber seal between the section and body.  The clip is a chrome-colored brass wire metal clip, which looks like part of a paper clip.

Nib: I believe the nib is stainless steel and is engraved with the name “Lamy.”  They write great (see below), but have more nib creep than any of my other pens.  This doesn’t affect the pens’ performance, but can be annoying.

Opening and Closing: These pens have a pull-off cap that removes easily. When capping the pens, the caps seal with a satisfying click and stay on securely.

Size/Weight: The main difference between the pens is the Safari is made out of plastic and the AL-Star is made of lightweight aluminum.   The AL-Star is also slightly lighter than the Safari, but the difference is so slight that I don’t notice it while using either pen.

I like to write with the Lamys unposted because I feel they are unbalanced and too top heavy when posted.

Writing: Writing with these pens is almost a dream.  The exceptional flow highlights the vibrancy of the ink and makes for an extremely smooth writing experience.  The pen also does not skip.  My personal problem with these pens is the molded grip.  The placement of grooves does not match my finger placement when holding a pen.  Trying to conform my finger placement in the grips is uncomfortable and thus decreases my satisfaction when writing with the Lamys.  I think the grooves are a great tool for someone that needs to learn how to properly hold a pen.   However, even though I do hold my pen in the proper manner, the grooves are still slightly off from my grip.

Ink: This is a cartridge/converter pen and I have been using it with a converter. As stated above, the flow is also quite wet and enhances the features of the ink.  I used J. Herbin’s Vert Empire in the black Safari and J. Herbin’s Rose Cyclamen in the Rasberry AL-Star.  I especially loved how the wet flow enabled Rose Cyclamen’s brightness to come through on the paper.

The Box: The boxes were nothing special, just vented cardboard.  I didn’t think photos would be necessary for them.

Price: The Safari retails for $30 and the AL-Star is at $40.

Overall: The Lamy Safari and Lamy AL-Star are great for someone who is just getting started with fountain pens, someone who doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on a pen, and someone who wants a daily workhorse that will really perform.  Aside from the molded grip not matching my personal writing grip, these are great pens for fountain pen lovers at all levels.

The Lamy Safari in Shiny Black with a Fine Nib.

Followed by:

The Lamy AL-Star in Rasberry with a Fine Nib.

(The color is more pink in reality.  The photos make it have an orange tint.)

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Furthermore, the website for Think pens is creative with inspirational sayings.  This is definitely a company made of pen people, as its motto, “Think in Ink,” demonstrates.  You can find more Think pens at www.thinkpens.com.

I have been privileged to have the Alla Moda fountain pen in the color “Slicker,” from Think’s newest collection of pens.

Appearance: This is a colorful pen!  The body is a turquoise color with a contrasting and eye-catching orange section.  The top of the cap is also the same orange.  The rest of the resin cap is a beautiful deep metallic blue with lines through it to give it a marbled look.  I think it almost looks like electricity, which reflects the energy of the pen.  The pen is then trimmed in engraved chrome with a chrome jewel on top featuring a “T.”

Nib: The nib is still in a Medium point.  All Think pens are only available in Medium.   I was a bit concerned about the Medium nib before using the pen, as I am normally a person who prefers Fine nibs.  However, I worried for nothing.  The Medium nib laid down an average sized line that was neither too thin nor too wide, as you will see in the photos below.  The nib is sturdy, but the tines will open if pressure is applied.

Opening and Closing: This pen is a twist cap and posts securely.

Size/Weight: This is a thick, fat pen…or maybe I should say phat.  Anyway, there is definitely more pen to grip.   I was also concerned about this aspect before using the pen, but it is actually very easy to write with and a great change from always writing with thin pens.  The thickness of this pen would be especially great for someone with large hands.

The pen also feels sturdy in the hand, without being heavy.  I prefer to use this pen unposted, as posting the cap makes it a bit top-heavy.  However, someone with larger hands than I have would probably disagree.

Writing: No problems here!  It lays down a smooth line and is really a fun addition to the collection.  The pen will dry up if not used for a while, but this is typical of most fountain pens.  The usual trick of running the nib under water will cure this temporary condition.

Ink: The ink in the photos below is Diamine Chocolate Brown.

Other Considerations: Think pens are available in cartridges or converters, so there is something for everyone.  I prefer converters and that is how I used the pen for this review.

The Box: If the pen wasn’t exciting enough, box aficionados are going to be thrilled.  The box is bright green plastic, lined in black felt, with a sliding top bearing the name “THINK” in black and magenta.  It’s quite cool and just as eye-catching as the pen!

Overall: A very cool pen.  I would like to try more of the Think line.  Preview all the designs at www.thinkpens.com.

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In addition to pens, PFK accepts monetary donations that are used for postage to ship pens to Africa.

I spoke with Linda, the Executive Director of PFK, about whether they are getting enough pens and money to adequately serve the children.  She told me that:

“Getting pens donated is not problem (we’re currently receiving about 2000 pens a month from all over the world including a pen company in the US, but the issue we have is paying to ship them to Africa. We receive about $200 per month in monetary donations and we pay for the balance needed personally.  Right now we are collecting pens to personally take . . . a couple friends and I are going on a safari and are trying to get the airlines to let us take extra bags.”

Even though PFK gets a good number of pens, there are still not enough pens for all who need them.  Linda also told me, ” These countries are poverty stricken and dealing with child AIDS, malaria, infant mortality, corrupt governments, lack of food and clothing etc.   School is TRULY a luxury and the one area that we chose to focus on to make a difference. Education is the only way to solve the other issues.    We are a grassroots effort and 100% of what ever is notated - pens or cash for shipping  - goes directly to the kids.  We have no paid employees and are only a group of 6 people around the world slowly making a difference.  So, the short answer is no, we are always under-supplied but $$ is the bigger challenge.”

It is truly touching that people like Linda make these trips and personally supplement PFK’s financial deficits to help children in need.  Please visit www.pensforkids.com to learn more about how you can help.  You can ship pens to PFK’s Long Beach location or directly to Africa.  You can also send money to help PFK ship pens to Africa.

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Nib: The nib is stainless steel, etched with the Diplomat logo and the words “DIPLOMAT Since 1922 F.” The nib is connected to the section, so if for any reason you change nibs, you change the whole section piece with the nib, not just the nib itself. My nib often has nib creep, but that does not affect the performance of the pen at all.

Opening and Closing: This pen has a pull-off cap that removes easily. When capping the pen, the cap seals with a satisfying click and stays on securely.

Size/Weight: This pen is a good width, neither too skinny nor thick. It is comfortable for me to wrap my fingers around when writing, but someone with very large hands might find it small.

I find the pen to be well balanced and I prefer to write with it unposted because the pen’s body is slightly heavy for me, even though it is not really a heavy pen. It feels substantial in the hand. Despite the fact that the B’s weight is heavier than pens with which I normally write, I have comfortably written with this pen for several hours at a time.

Posting the cap requires a bit of pressure. If the cap is not pressed down enough to post properly, it will flop around and fall off, so I advise making sure it is on good.

Writing: Writing with the Excellence B is smooth and easy. Like I said, I have comfortably written with it for long periods of time.

Ink: This is a cartridge/converter pen and I have been using it with a converter. The flow is also quite wet on this model, which adds more shading to my ink — a feature I like. The ink used in the photo below is J. Herbin’s Vert Olive (a favorite!).

Other Considerations: Like the Diplomat Esteem I reviewed before, the Excellence B has not given my any problems with drying out after leaving the pen sit for a while. I actually had not used this pen for a couple of months while I was busy with other projects and it was still fresh when I picked it up again! I do not know of many pens that will maintain a good flow without drying out after several months.

The Box: The Excellence B’s box is also quite nice. It has a satin pillow patterned with the Diplomat logo and a little piece of ribbon to hold the pen in place. For some reason there is a bit of lint in there which does get on the pen, but is easily wiped off. Then the box comes with a metal top that slides over the main box and then fits in a regular Diplomat cardboard box.

Overall: Diplomat’s website at www.mydiplomatpen.com, accurately states their products are “Fine German Writing Instruments.” The Excellence B is one of the more expensive pens in the line, but it is one of my favorite modern fountain pens and I highly recommend it.

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On Paper: Like most J. Herbin inks, it looks great on paper and lives up to its expectations. If you have tried the disposable Pilot Varsity in the similar color, Bleu Pervenche is just a bit lighter and less saturated.

Consistency: Fairly saturated and consistent. It flows well and exhibits some slight shading. The first writing sample shown was written with my J. Herbin glass dip pen on Rhodia paper.

I wrote the next sample with a Pilot Varsity refilled with Bleu Pervenche on card stock.

The photo editing makes these writing samples look a bit washed out.  They are brighter and more vibrant in reality.

Other Considerations: Bleu Pervenche means Blue Periwinkle in French. Using this ink in business is “iffy” because on the one hand it is blue, but on the other hand, it’s a bit more fun. This one stays in my personal rotation and is a great, cheerful alternative to blue.

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About the inkwell: There is not much information about this kind of inkwell online and it seems to be somewhat rare.  I have learned they were produced roughly between 1940 and 1952.  The base is made of bakelite, which is one of the first plastics made from synthetic compounds.  Bakelite has been used for radio casings, jewelry and other items.  The “dipless” type of Esterbrook inkwells does not mean that you don’t have to dip the pen.  The construction of the inkwell allows for a resavoir of ink where the pen inserts, so the pen needs to be dipped less often.

These inkwells also came with chrome clips that fit on the grooves of the glass, but these clips were missing on mine.

The Beginning: Here is a photo (using the flash) of my inkwell when I received it.  The glass wells are upside down here and, as you can see, the entire inkwell is caked in dirt.

Here is a shot without using the flash:

Cleaning: I filled a bucket with water and dish soap.  I rinsed all parts with water, and let the parts soak in the bucket while I worked on each piece individually.  There was still some very old ink inside the well and I was surprised to see it flowing out when I rinsed the well.  I carefully scrubbed the glass wells and rubber stoppers with a toothbrush and the soapy water.  Next, I did the same with the base portion, however, I also had to use a hard bristle cleaning brush because the remaining dirt was firmly stuck to the base.  Here is the result after cleaning it as best I could:

As you can see, there was still a bit of grime on it and the finish is very dull.

Polishing: After doing some online research and asking around, I learned the best product to restore and polish bakelite is a polish called Simichrome.  Simichrome is also used for silverware and, you guessed it, chrome.  The problem with this product is that it is extremely hard to find in brick-and-mortar stores.  I called eight stores before finding it in a local hardware store.  Simichrome is available on Amazon.com and various online retailers, but I much prefer buying products at a physical store.

After finally buying a tube of Simichrome, I used it with a soft cloth to polish the base.  I used a car polishing cloth, but you can also use a soft old t-shirt.  First, apply a tiny amount of Simichrome on the cloth.  Second, rub Simichrome on the bakelite in circular motions, then buff it off with a clean portion of the cloth.  At first, the bakelite didn’t look much shinier than before.  Then I discovered that the magic really happens in the buffing portion.  Slowly, the bakelite started getting shiny.

After buffing, the bakelite looked good.  However, I decided I wanted the bakelite even shinier.  I came to terms with the fact it would not be as shiny as if it had a clear-coat on it, but I wanted it to be as shiny as possible.  I then used Turtle Wax car polish and rubbed it on/buffed it out in the same manner as I did with the Simichrome.  The Turtle Wax I used was the paste version in the tub and it really helped to bump the shine up a notch.

Disclaimer: Using Turtle Wax was my own decision, as nobody recommended it to me for restoring bakelite.  I do not know if Turtle Wax is good for bakelite in the long term.  However, it worked really well, with no apparent damage to the bakelite.

Final result: In bright light, as seen below with the flash, you can still see some scratches in the bakelight:

Without flash, you can see how the bakelite really shines.  This is how it looks in reality:

Here are two more shots, with flash and without flash respectively, as to how the inkwell looks on my desk:

I am really happy with how beautiful this inkwell looks now!  I am also happy to be able to give it new life and a good home.

I am happy to answer further questions about this restoration and comments are  welcome!

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