pengwern

On Monday the Conklin Crescent arrived! - at which point I dove for the deceitful book of nothing-but-bird-flourishes.* I can't do anything credible along those lines yet, but it doesn't matter because this pen makes all of my handwriting lovely.

The nib can be used unflexed, and is probably the finest I have outside of dip nibs. In cursive, which is what it was designed for, the line variation is distinctly visible. I wanted to try a vintage flex pen to see if it could be used for everyday practice, and this is it! Good for willow leaves and all sorts of swishes. If it wasn't that I feared for the nib I'd have continued with the bastard hand I favor, but there were also constant hard starts and some railroading (on Rhodia paper), which could also be due to the ink or the way I tried to use it, with letters that aren't connected. Paper with some tooth seems to allow for better flow – plain printer paper did fine.

Smaller than I expected, but a comfortable length when posted. I may leave it uncapped anyway because a) tiny pens!! and b) light is better for practice. Thicker barrels/sections might be good for immortals who need to shelter from heavenly lightning strikes, but it does hurt my hand after a while. The filling mechanism was indeed self-explanatory. There's something like breather holes (?) and engraved initials on the cap. (The letters are much prettier than my own engraver's script ;__;)

All in all, a very pleasing object to hold and admire -- I want to bring it everywhere (but would never, except in the nifty case it was sent in, cushioned with tissue). It's such a good size! (TINY.) Once I wondered at the sense in pen cases, but that was when all my fountain pens were ~$2.50 and made of metal. This pen will be cosseted. I will scribble a little with it every day. Maybe sing 'In My Life' at it, and forbid it from crying for hours while some great blue-footed seabird stands with his head against a tree**.

* It claimed 150 examples of ribbons, birds, deer, rabbits, etc. I found....ONE (1) rabbit. For variety, there was a section with something other than birds!***

** still haven't read les mis

*** feathers.