Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 341

This Waterman 'Allure' was purchased at a Staples store in Richmond in late November of last year. I saw it in a Staples flyer but I already owned a Waterman 'Graduate' fountain pen (reviewed here) -- basically the same model, but in brushed chrome -- so I wasn't sure I needed the same pen in a pastel colour. I loved my 'Graduate', though, so I decided to check the pastel 'Allure' models out when I was in Richmond.

The Staples store had the fountain pen and rollerball versions in four different pastel colours, but the minty green fountain pen looked so pretty and, since it was on sale, I bought it.

(please click on images to enlarge)

And here it is, my Waterman 'Allure' fountain pen in pastel green!

The body is made of lacquer over brass with polished chrome trim. I love the matte finish and texture--it looks really good and feels very nice to the touch. The pen came in blister card packaging (because it was hanging from a sales rack), but it also comes in a blue and white cardboard Waterman presentation box. It takes short or long international ink cartridges (one of which came with my pen), or an international converter.

Length: Capped: 5.3 inches, Uncapped: 4.8 inches, Posted: 6.0 inches.
Weight (empty):  Total weight: 21 grams, Cap: 8 grams, Barrel & section:13 grams.
(all my own measurements, made using a tape measure and a kitchen digital scale)

Side note: I checked my Waterman 'Graduate' fountain pen  -- the brushed chrome version of the 'Allure'-- and it has the same dimensions as the 'Allure', but weighs only 17 grams empty.

The pen was made in China and has a 2-year warranty "against product defects".

The 'Allure's black plastic section is identical to the Waterman 'Graduate's. I read one online review that said it was very slippery, but I didn't find that to be the case with mine. The 'Allure' model also has the same steel nib (and the same nib width - Fine) as my 'Graduate', and mine lays down a smooth, consistent line. Both models are nicely-balanced, fairly light in weight (esp. for metal pens), and comfortable to hold.

In addition to pastel green, the 'Allure' comes in several other colours, both pastel (pastel blue, pastel pink, pastel yellow) and non-pastel (red, blue, black and camo), and in three writing modes - fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint.

Speaking of colours....I was playing around with iPiccy's free photo editing program, and these are two colours I wish the 'Allure' came in:

A shiny white lacquer....

and a matte peach version. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for these two finishes to be made...but in the meantime, I'm really enjoying using the two I have.

The 'Allure' is a smooth-writing, reliable fountain pen, it looks classy, and it's affordable--you can find one as low as $21.99 CAD on Amazon.ca right now. I think it makes a nice gift, too, and a really good way to introduce someone to the wonderful world of fountain pens :)

(all photos & review by Maja)

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 340

Last Sunday, I made a little trip to Buchan's Stationery after checking out their supply of Benu pens in their web store and spotting this gorgeous pen for sale there:

(please click on images to enlarge)

Meet my new Benu 'Briolette' in "Black and White"!

Every Benu pen is one-of-a-kind due to the type of resins used to create their writing instruments. I was looking for one with a nice balance of black and white and chose this one out of the two they had left for sale.

I already owned a 'Briolette' fountain pen in "Luminous Amber" that glows in the dark (reviewed by me here) but this one doesn't glow in the dark....

...although it sure sparkles in the light :) Benu actually make their own resins; in fact, you can see the whole pen-making process here on their website.

But wait.... It's not a fountain pen--it's a rollerball! Yep, they didn't have any fountain pens in this particular pattern, but I loved the way it looked, so I bought it. It came with a Schmidt Topball 850 refill, but when I got home, I tried a Pentel Energel rollerball refill in it and it fit perfectly with no adjustments necessary.

It has an incredibly comfortable triangular grip - great design and aesthetics....

Now, here's another cool thing - I tried the nib-section unit from my 'Briolette' 'Luminous Amber' fountain pen (seen above) on my new 'Briolette' rollerball...

...and it fits onto the rollerball barrel perfectly! (and the pen caps properly, too). If you want to use the rollerball as a fountain pen with a long ink cartridge in it, I'd suggest sliding out the small spring in the rollerball barrel first (the spring slides out very easily). I've tried the pen with the spring in place with a long cartridge and the section screws on fine, but I didn't want to put any added stress on the threads, so I took out the spring. If you are using a short ink cartridge, the spring isn't an issue.

Since my new Benu 'Chameleon' fountain pen (reviewed two days ago) uses the same nib-section unit as the Benu 'Briolette', I tried it on my rollerball, and --not surprisingly-- it fits as well (see photo above). I do think the gold-coloured nib looks better on it, as it matches the gold sparkles on the pen :)

My little Benu family (top to bottom): Benu 'Euphoria' "Bora Bora" fountain pen, Benu 'Briolette' "Black and White" rollerball, Benu 'Briolette' "Luminous Amber" fountain pen and Benu 'Chameleon' "Bossy" fountain pen.

The 'Briolettes' don't post due to their faceted design; the 'Euphoria' and 'Chameleon' do post and are very comfortable to use posted --despite their length-- due to their light weight.

Uncapped, the 'Chameleon' is actually the same size as the two 'Briolettes' above it. The 'Euphoria' is a much larger pen, so it has a different nib-section unit and nib size (#6) than the other two Benu models above. All three models are wonderful pens--very smooth, reliable writers that look great, too.

Many thanks to Buchan's for my newest Benu pen!

(photos and review by Maja)

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 339

While trolling eBay a few weeks ago, I saw that pen maker Shawn Newton of Newton Pens was running another set of pen-related charity auctions for his Newton Pens scholarship fund. This fund is an American registered charity that raises money for deserving high school students to put towards their college education. Since he started his charity in 2012, Shawn has raised over $58,000 USD for it (there's a very recent article about the fund here). 

I'd bought items from Shawn's eBay store (all proceeds of which go to his fund) in the past and got some great bargains while helping a worthy cause. This time around, the three items below (which were grouped together in one eBay auction) immediately caught my eye...

(please click on images to enlarge)

Two bottles of Leonardo black ink and a lovely Benu 'Chameleon' "Bossy" fountain pen!

The pen was second-hand and didn't come in a box - that's the box from my Benu 'Briolette' above

(Don't worry---that small notch on the barrel isn't a flaw or defect--read further down this blog post :)

The 'Chameleon' model is a beautiful triangular writing instrument, that like its namesake, changes colour in the light, depending on the angle at which it is viewed. The model is now discontinued, but when it was being produced, it was available in a variety of amazing resins, all named after different moods/feelings-- "Bossy", "Charming", "Dreamy", "Friendly", "Graceful", "Happy", "Jolly", "Lovely", and "Lucky".

Benu described this colour (the Chameleon "Bossy") as "a sophisticated shade of pine green that shifts as a chameleon to a dusty purple".

Same table, different angle of light coming in through the window....

I'd mentioned that the pen was second-hand and, in his eBay auction description, Shawn clearly stated that the pen's facets didn't quite line up when the cap was screwed onto its barrel. I'm still mystified as to how/why that happened, because I've never heard of that issue with Benu's faceted pens (and I did Google it). The alignment is off by less than half a facet, though, so it really doesn't bother me.

Look at the colour change from dusty purple to teal/green!

At 5.25 inches capped, it's a nice-sized pen, but at 20 grams total weight, it's not heavy. Uncapped, it measures 5 inches from nib tip to barrel end.

The nib it comes with is a #5 steel Schmdit nib; mine is a Medium that writes very smoothly. I knew it would write smoothly because the same nib type (but in Broad) is on my Benu "Briolette' "Luminous Amber" fountain pen, which is a very smooth writer. The pen takes short or long international-sized ink cartridges, or an international converter.

Unlike the Benu 'Briolette' , the Benu 'Chameleon' can be posted, and it posts very well...

....thanks to the barrel notches (above) that allow the cap to be posted securely and without the beautiful barrel being potentially damaged from repeated posting.

The pen's posted length is a nice 6.5 inches and I prefer to use it posted. It's actually one of the most comfortable fountain pens I own, thanks to its light weight and nice balance.

The wide cap band might be a turn-off for some, but it has grown on me since I first saw it at a Vancouver Pen Club meeting a few years ago; I've also grown to love the Art Deco font used for the Benu name on it lol.

 If there's one thing I'd change (aside from Benu bringing this model back into production), it would be the orientation of the Benu name on the cap band; when the pen is posted and held in the right hand, the word "Benu" appears upside-down to the person holding the pen. If you're left-handed, it would look right side up. I know this is a small detail (like the debate about coffee/tea mug designs--should they be facing away from the person holding the mug, or not?) but I love this pen... and I love seeing the manufacturer's name on it when I'm using it because Benu make great pens :) 

Many thanks to Shawn Newton for the pen and inks!

(photos & review by Maja)

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 338

(Long intro to this one, but if you want to skip ahead to the pen review, I won't be offended ;)

On May 19, 2021 I ordered a lovely handmade PennaRossa Modena fountain pen directly from the manufacturer, an Italian pen and leather goods maker. The company was founded in 2017 and I believe they originally made pens under the Martemodena brand (link). I own several Martemodena writing instruments and I love them, so I thought I'd give PennaRossa Modena a try. The pen had a variety of nib options, so I chose the Stub nib, which cost an extra €12.30. 

The next day, I got an email from the seller informing me that, in the process of inspecting my pen, an employee of theirs accidentally dropped it, breaking its barrel.😮 They ran out of material(s) to make a new barrel, so they asked if I still wanted the pen (they said it would take 20-25 days for them to create a replacement barrel after they got the materials), but if not, they'd issue a refund immediately. I did still want the pen, so I said I would wait. On July 3, I got an email notifying me that the pen was shipped (by overnight courier--a shipping upgrade, at no cost to me), along with the tracking information. The pen arrived on July 9, safe and sound (along with some nice gifts)...but with a Medium nib. 😩

I really wanted the Stub nib, but I was starting to feel that my luck was running out with this pen, so I decided to keep the Medium nib and asked them to just refund me the €12.30 extra I paid for the Stub upgrade. They wrote back and said they'd actually sent me an email before my pen was shipped to me (an email I never got) saying that they were out of Stub nibs and would I like a Medium nib instead? As they didn't get a reply from me, they just shipped the pen with a Medium to avoid further delay. They said the Stub nibs were back-ordered from their supplier, but were expected to arrive in about a month. I said I would mail them back the Medium nib (at my own cost) but they said I could keep it, which I thought was really nice of them. That was on July 10.

I hadn't heard from them in nearly 3 months, so I sent them an email in early October asking about the Stub situation. They replied, saying "we should have sent the nib several weeks ago", but that they'd check on it and get back to me. After 6 weeks without any follow-up from them, I emailed them (in mid-November). They wrote back, apologizing for the delay due to the back-order and explained that, due to a business agreement, they were tied to one supplier for their nibs. I sent a reply to that email saying I understood, etc., but I haven't heard from them since November 2021. I'm hoping PennaRossal Modena's nib supplier comes through with the Stubs they ordered, but I know a lot of companies are experiencing supply chain issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anyway, that's the never-ending saga about my pen purchase... Onto the actual pen now!

(~ please click on images to enlarge ~) 

My PennaRossa Modena The Artist Strat "The Sea" fountain pen!

Gorgeous, isn't it? :) The pen came with a very soft calfskin leather PennaRossa Modena 2-pen pouch (shown above) with a depiction of Modena's famous cathedral --a UNESCO World Heritage Site-- on it (note: the pouch is available from their Etsy store for a greatly-reduced price vs. ordering it from their website). I think the pouch was a gift because the pen was advertised as coming in a "plexi box". Along with the pen and leather pouch, they sent me two more nice gifts as a 'thank you' for my patience -- a very soft, dark brown leather (PennaRossa Modena-branded) business card/credit card holder, and a heart-shaped tan leather key chain. 

The pen was described as being "totally handmade in casein and acrylic", with "urushi lacquer hand painted" with "bronze and red gold trims". I fell in love with the design the moment I saw it online.

The barrel is composed of a series of concentric rings made of two different (alternating) materials separated by four thin metal bands. The colours used in the handpainted cap are the same colours as the barrel's materials. The cap depicts several small fish (light and dark) swimming in a coral reef with aquatic plants and is nicely rendered.

(Tip: to see extreme closeups of the photos, left-click on a photo, then right-click & select "Open image in new tab" or "View image", then left-click on the image in the new tab)

(I'm so glad they didn't put a plain black section on it!)

Here's the Medium semi-frosted steel #6 nib with the PennaRossa Modena logo (the letters P and M) engraved on, it as well as the nib width (M). You can't see it in this photo, but the feed is made of a clear plastic material.

The nib isn't scratchy and the tines aren't misaligned, but it was quite a toothy nib, so I used some very fine Micromesh on it and it's a lot smoother now. Don't get me wrong--I like nibs with *some* tooth, but this one was *really* toothy. If my Stub nib ever shows up, I'll switch it out and use the Medium in another Italian pen of mine. As for how to fill it, the pen was advertised as having "a removable piston filler filling system", but I haven't tried to remove it (and have no plans to), given my luck with the pen!

(Above: the original salespage for the pen; total pen weight = 36 grams; barrel weight: 24 grams)

The salespage above doesn't say if it was a limited edition or not, but I suspect it might be, due to the amount of time it takes to make one pen. It really looks like a work of art - a dreamy painting of a tranquil undersea scene -  and I think that's why I was so drawn to it. I don't own any other handpainted fountain pens (and I've never seen one like this before) but I do use this one...and I love looking at it, too :) 

(photos and review by Maja)

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 337

Honourary VPC member Glenn Garside from Australia told me that he recently acquired a 2022 Special Edition (SE) Lamy 'Al-Star' fountain pen, so I asked him if he wouldn't mind photographing it next to the other silvery Al-Star' fountain pens in his collection. 

He was happy to do so, so here's his photo showing how similar it is to some of the others:

(photo courtesy of Glenn G ~ please click on image to enlarge)

     Photo above, left to right:

• Lamy Al-Star SE 2022 White-Silver
• Lamy Al-Star SE 2006 Bastian Schweinsteiger signature edition
• Lamy Al-Star Aluminium - regular edition colour; first appeared 1997, discontinued 2015.
  
• Lamy Al-Star Graphite - regular edition colour; first appeared in 2008
• Lamy Al-Star SE 2016 - 50 Years of Design

Glenn adds: "Apart from the fact that it has a silver tone clip, I would be hard put to pick the new White-Silver from the original Al-Star, which is disappointing."

It is interesting that the Al-Star SE for 2022 (the White Silver) most closely resembles the Aluminium, the very first Al-Star colour.The latter pen came out exactly 25 years ago, so perhaps the 2022 SE colour was a tip of the hat to the Aluminium on this special anniversary?
In any case, our thanks to Glenn for sending in his photo for our blog (and a happy 25th birthday to the Lamy 'Al-Star' :)

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 336

If the handsome vintage Sheaffer ballpoint below looks familiar, it's because Christopher acquired a similar one a few weeks ago and shared it with us here on this blog. Christopher was kind enough to send in a photo of this newer acquisition, along with a write up that includes information on an adapter he recently acquired that now allows his pen to take modern refills!

Christopher writes: "In 2013, I acquired a limited edition book produced for the centenary of the Sheaffer Pen Company. In it was one whole chapter devoted to the history of the Sheaffer ballpoint, starting with their Stratowriter. This ball pen was definitely a remarkable step forward for Sheaffer. Finished in rolled gold and complete with a cap button retracting mechanism, the pen was not only smart looking but worked extremely well. The retracting mechanism had to be operated with two fingers because you had to depress it then turn it to lock. The same exercise in reverse brought the writing point back into the barrel. When released in 1946, it was more of a top end pen subsequently reasonably expensive. Still, with its smart, streamlined, space age appearance, well worth the money charged."

(photo courtesy of Christopher ~ please click on image to enlarge)

"The pen also came in an attractive presentation box, complete with working instructions. But shortly after the pen’s release, the Sheaffer company designed what they called ‘The White Shirt Guard’. This was a matching rolled gold cap that slipped over the business end of the pen, protecting the user’s shirt from any ink which might leak out of the end of the pen when at rest in a breast pocket. Then when the pen was in use, this guard could be slipped over the pen’s cap and was notched out on two sides to smoothly fit around the cap clip.

The ballpoint came with a good sized refill, which could simply be inserted into the pen when the cap was unscrewed from the barrel. Unfortunately, the Stratowriter refills were history a good number of years ago, but an adapter can be acquired on the internet, which matches the Stratowriter refill exactly but is hollow to accommodate a ‘Mini D1’ modern and current refill which works like a charm.

Sheaffer went on to adapt different models of the Stratowriter to partner up with a good number of Sheaffer’s different pen models, but the Stratowriter RA1 remains the first true Sheaffer ballpoint pen."

If you're in need of an adapter that allows modern refills to be used in a vintage Sheaffer Stratowriter ballpoint, they're currently available in two forms--one made of 3D-printed plastic that takes a mini D1 ballpoint refill, and another one made of machined brass that can accommodate a current Sheaffer ballpoint refill. Our thanks to Christopher for sharing another new vintage pen with us!

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 335

You're in for a treat today, courtesy of Christopher---a rare vintage fountain pen and a short history lesson about one of their most innovative filling systems, too!

Christopher writes:

"In a decade and a half of vintage pen collecting, there have only been a handful of pens which have grabbed me. Oh sure, there have been contenders, but when I first saw a vintage Parker Stubby, I knew eventually I would have to have one. Actually, the first time I laid eyes on one was one of two Parker Stubby pens owned by another member of the Vancouver Pen Club. He had brought some Parker Vacumatic parts that I desperately needed but, along with the parts, he treated me to a few of his upper end vintage Parker Vacumatic examples. Amongst these fine Parker Pens were not one but two Parker Stubbies. I was so taken with them at the time that I immediately started turning over stones in hopes of finding one. Alas, the Parker Stubby is one rare item and not a pen which turns up that often

Turning the clock forward, it seemed that I did have an item that this Vancouver Pen Club Parker Stubby owner really was enamoured with. Subsequently, a deal came together and I drove home with a magnificent vintage Parker Stubby. But this begs the question, what exactly is a Parker Stubby?"

(photo courtesy of Christopher ~ please click on image to enlarge)

"Well, after the famous Parker Duofold, that had brought much success to the company for the better part of 11 years, it was time for a new Parker pen to take the company into the future. With this in mind, the company turned its attention to developing a new fountain pen with an extremely advanced filling system. A pen that would, in fact, be able to hold more ink, which was something that their Duofold with a rubber sack inside the barrel was-- as other similar pens-- not capable of. The sack limited using the full extent of the inside of the barrel to hold ink. The solution was to be able to seal the barrel at both ends and use an ink drawing mechanism which took up very little of the barrel’s interior. Parker not only designed and applied such a system, but placed most of this new innovation outside of the barrel covered with a screw on blind cap.

The first experimental model of this new pen was called the Golden Arrow. This really related to the clip being beautifully rendered in the shape of an arrow, as with a similar arrow being applied to the nib. There were few of these Parker Golden Arrow pens produced by the company because the model was more of a marketing test by Kenneth Parker, George Parker's (the company founder’s) son. A short time later, the Golden Arrow was dropped but improved and released as the Parker Vacuum Filler. This name directly related to a rubber diaphragm which had been part of this new modern Parker ink filling system. But the Parker Vacuum Filler pen definitely differed with advances over its predecessor, in that the barrel and grip section were one piece and instead of a small metal arrow being soldered to the nib, re: the Golden Arrow model, the arrow shape was engraved directly onto the nib’s surface. There were other differences as well, in that the finish on the barrel, grip, cap and blind cap as well as the jewels all matched, but was made up of horizontal bands of coloured pearl integrated with horizontal bands of black laminate. This rendered the finish totally opaque.

The Parker Vacuum Filler was released in 1932 and the model that first saw the light of day was the stubby at 110mm. It was accompanied by only one other size, a larger contender at 126mm. Both sizes first came out in silver pearl and black laminate, but were shortly followed by similar sized models in a rich burgundy pearl and black laminate. The main difference with these two were that the silver was sold as a standard model with steel fittings and a sold 14K gold nib, while the burgundy was sold as the deluxe Parker Vacuum Filler with 14K rolled gold fittings and a 14K gold nib with a beautiful platinum mask. The Vacuum Fillers had the lock down style filler mechanism, which most are familiar with re: the later Parker Vacumatic, but whereas the silver pearl had an aluminum filler tube for its filling mechanism, the burgundy had a nickel plated one. There was also, for the more conservative fountain pen user of the time, an all black laminate model but in just nine months, Parker dropped the entire Vacuum Filler line in support of their new Vacumatic, which was somewhat similar but did differ at least in a few ways.

So as you might have guessed, my Parker Stubby is a Vacuum Filler and the Deluxe model. A little different to restore and service with the one piece barrel and grip, but once up and running just a wonderful addition to my vintage pen collection. A closing word to the wise: If you ever run across a Parker Vacuum Filler Stubby as a vintage pen collector, make sure it finds a way into your collection. Trust me, you will not be sorry."

Our thanks to Christopher for sharing this rare and beautiful vintage fountain pen with us! :)

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 334

Today's featured new acquisition is courtesy of Lawrence, who got this fountain pen at Nikaido...

Lawrence writes:

I did not know very much about this pen, only that Joe told me this is a new variant - it has a brushed metal look. I saw this olive green color and instantly fell in love with the looks. It gave a very Tiki/ Exotica vibe for some bizarre reason. I know that is the last thing anyone will have in mind when they think of Faber-Castell fountain pens (well, at least for this series...my POY has a very tropical feel and will, in fact, make a better Tiki pen come to think of it...but 'nuff about that).

May I present the olive green Neo Slim Tiki pen (just kidding).... 

(all photos courtesy of Lawrence ~ please click on images to enlarge)

 The green color reminds me of some tropical palm leaves, and the actual shape of the pen has a very bamboo like feel; it has some subtle tapering like a plant stalk. At least that's how I would describe the feeling I have for it. And the Faber-Castell logo...because my eyes are indeed getting old and failing....looks like palm trees from a distance, instead of the two jousting knights. I thought they looked like the tops of coconut palms at first glance...LOL Anyway, it gave me mondo tiki vibes, so I got it. 

The nibs are coated in black (which I am hoping will be more durable than what Montblanc gave me...) 

I can barely see the nib details because of the black color, but I got mine in medium.

It writes smooth, like other Faber-Castell pens that I have.  Not the floaty writing -- there is feedback-- but the nice kind of feedback, not scratchy.

The unusual thing about this pen was the nib angle...it points downward. I thought it was broken when I tried it at Nikaido LOL...but it is intentional...

It takes a converter and I filled mine up with purple ink (because green goes with it...Maja looked it up in a color chart...thanks for that...:))

The pen body is metal, but it is very light. Even the cap is light, so posting it does not add any weight whatsoever at all...unlike some of Faber-Castell's pens (I had the pear wood Ambition which becomes off-balanced when posted..).  It's a bit thin, but because of the brushed metal, it does not slip off easily like other thin metal pens I have. It stays put.  Because it gave me Tiki vibes all over...I don't think it would have the same appeal if it was any thicker...right now, it gives me the impression that I'm writing with a bamboo or palm stalk....

I never really felt that way with any of my pens before, but this one whispers "Bring me with you on your vacations.... to Hawaii, Caribbean...Southeast Asia.....and of course, we will use purple ink..."

Till next time.

Aloha :P

L.

Our thanks to Lawrence, as always, for sharing his new pen-related purchases with us here on our club's blog! Faber-Castell steel nibs are nice writers, so it's good to see them on another interesting model like the 'Neo Slim' ...and I'm glad to hear my ink recommendation was a good one ;)
Cheers,
~Maja

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 333

Today, we'll be featuring a couple of non-fountain pen writing instruments - my Sheaffer 'VFM' rollerball and ballpoint pens...

(~please click on images to enlarge~)

 I actually remember when this line of entry-level rollerballs, ballpoints and fountain pens came out in 2010. 'VFM' stands for "Vibrant, Fun, Modern" and the pens are available in a multitude of colours. It was the white rollerball and ballpoint versions (in Nikaido's clearance section) that caught my eye, though...and I knew I had to have them. They reminded me of something familiar....but what??

                                                        Oh, yeah - these guys ;)

                                                                  A perfect match!

I love the contrast between the shiny pen body and the matte trim, the simple elegance of the black & white, and the clean looking designs. The pens also feel great in the hand--the metal is smooth and cool to the touch--and the ballpoint makes a satisfying 'click'. The clips are rather tight, but I don't clip them to my clothing, so it's a non-factor for me. My only real complaint is that my rollerball's cap doesn't like to stay posted (I found the same issue with my Cross' 'Calais' rollerball). The inner cap liner is the culprit, but I'm not sure how to fix that issue. I tried putting a small strip of tape inside the cap (near the cap lip) but that didn't help.

Although the 'VFM' fountain pen takes international cartridges (which is rare for a Sheaffer fountain pen), the ballpoint and rollerballs only take Sheaffer's proprietary refills. These refills can be found at stores like Staples and London Drugs, in addition to pen shops.

                                              The pen is mightier than the E-11 blaster!

                                       Stormtrooper guarding my goodies from Nikaido
 

Despite the posting issue with the rollerball, I'm very happy with my Sheaffer 'VFM' ballpoint and rollerball. Many thanks to Sara & Joe of Nikaido for the pens, and their excellent customer service!

(photos and review by Maja)