Author Topic: Desiderata Pen Review  (Read 8908 times)

Offline JanisTX

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Desiderata Pen Review
« on: December 06, 2014, 10:54:43 AM »
Hello, Flourish Friends!

I ordered a pen from Pierre of Desiderata Pens http://www.desideratapens.com/.  It is very beautiful and feels wonderful to the touch.  It's lightweight and the finish is very smooth.  It uses a replaceable Zebra g nib.  You fill the little ink bladder by squeezing the bladder, dipping the open end below the surface of a bottle of ink and then releasing your hold on the bladder.  The suction acts to draw the ink up into the bladder.  You then insert the open end of the bladder onto the nib end of the pen & screw the bottom back onto the nib holder.  It holds a good amount of ink & you can write a lot without having to refill it again.  You have to wad up a paper towel or napkin to hold the top of the bladder when attaching it back on the nib holder, or you'll get ink on your fingers.  (Like that's a problem we don't all already have? Ha, ha!)

I'm attaching a photo of an alphabet exemplar, so that you can see that it gives decent thicks and thins.  My lettering is not very good, as I haven't written with a straight pen (v. an oblique nib holder) in a very long time.  You'll note a lot of ink splatters, particularly as I got toward the bottom of the page.  I think that as I got closer to myself, the angle of the pen became too sharp, causing the ink to splatter.  I'm going to have to re-learn how to maintain a proper angle without an oblique holder!

PROS:  beautiful, easy to carry around, lightweight, holds lots of ink, fun to write with, relatively inexpensive, cap and base screw together very snugly!

CONS:  not an oblique holder, so you have to readjust/relearn the proper angle to hold your pen.  It can be finicky, as sometimes the ink doesn't want to flow.  Putting just a dab of saliva on the tip seems to make that stop happening.  I can't explain why, but I like to have the cap of a pen "seat" on the back of the pen while the pen is in use.  I think I like the extra weight on the back of the pen? This pen is not designed to do that, so you have to remove the cap & just set it aside.  And, this' just picky, but instead of having to fill the bladder, I wish that this pen would accept the little plastic cartridges of ink that come pre-filled.  I use those often for travel and they are super convenient!

I haven't had to change the nib yet, but I am scared about how hard it will be.  Pierre sent detailed instructions and has a YouTube video to walk you through it.  I'll report back with an update after I have changed the nib.

All-in-all, this is an outstanding pen and I recommend it.  I believe it has solved my frequent problem of not being able to do pointed pen practice while traveling on a plane!  I've been stuck using broad-edge pens (like Pilot Parallel pens), as you can't dip your pen into an open ink bottle while in flight.  Next trip, I'm going to fill up this pen with ink, throw it in my carry-on, and go!  Every pointed pen enthusiast should treat themselves to one of Pierre's beautiful pens!!

I'm not able to post all of the attachments to this one post, as they are too large.  I'll post the sampler to this post & then repost with pix of the pen itself!

Janis

Offline garyn

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2014, 01:10:30 PM »
I like the idea, but like you, I've gotten so used to using an oblique holder that I would have to relearn to use a straight holder for the nibs that I use in the oblique.  Although I can in no way even come close to your writing.
Gary

Offline schin

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2014, 01:46:54 PM »
I have one too and was planning to do a video review this weekend!

I had a lot of trouble filling it up and especially in removing the feed and nib.. my hands were full of ink! But I managed to try fitting other nibs with it.. however it does fit best with a Zebra G...
I also had the trouble where the ink doesn't flow well on upstrokes.. surprising because it is great on downstrokes. Weird!

Did you have trouble with it leaking?
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Offline JanisTX

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2014, 01:59:09 PM »
@Schin:  I haven't had any problems with it leaking.  Do you mean when stored, or when lettering?  You're supposed to store it upright & I'm afraid that it might leak if stored upside down or flat.  I haven't had it drop any excess ink when I'm lettering, but you can see the splatters that it threw off when I was lettering towards the bottom of the page.  Again, I think that was my fault, as I was most likely holding the pen at an improper angle and the nib wanted to let me have it for being so dumb!

I did try to get the ink to flow into the nib once when it was not laying down ink.  I squeezed the little bladder just a little bit.  BIG mistake!  Ink erupted from the nib like a volcano!  Note to self:  Don't squeeze the little bladder!!

@Garyn:  Thank you for the compliment, but I'm just learning calligraphy, the same as you!!  I'm working hard, though, on getting better!!

Offline AmyNeub

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2014, 05:43:34 PM »
Thanks for the review

Offline Elle Dechene

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2014, 08:10:15 PM »
Yes, thank you for sharing this.  I've been wondering why we can't just use a Zebra G in a fountain pen and not have all of the angst over springing a 14k semi-flex nib. 

Might these be great for flourishing?  I'm new to all of this, but I seem to have read somewhere that oblique pens are not as useful for flourishing, although I don't understand why that would be the case. 

Thanks,
Elle

Offline SueL

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2014, 09:06:59 PM »
Thanks for the review, Janis. I'm looking into buying one as well so this is great. I'm also looking forward to your review, Schin. I'm wondering if this would be safe to take on a plane, you know, in case it leaks due to cabin pressure.

Offline garyn

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2014, 10:29:33 PM »
Thanks for the review, Janis. I'm looking into buying one as well so this is great. I'm also looking forward to your review, Schin. I'm wondering if this would be safe to take on a plane, you know, in case it leaks due to cabin pressure.

Sue,
Probably same as with FPs, keep it nib up, so any air in the sac will go directly out the feed rather than push ink out the feed if the pen were nib down.
Gary

Offline elsa.d

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2014, 01:31:37 AM »
Can you only use fountain pen inks with this? It's quite an interesting idea for someone like me who exclusively uses a straight holder.

Offline JanisTX

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2014, 02:36:45 PM »
Elsa, I think that ANY liquid ink would work!  Not sure about Pearl-ex or gouache, though!  Pierre is on Facebook & he has a website, so you could ask him!

Offline prasad

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2014, 11:24:07 PM »
Can you only use fountain pen inks with this? It's quite an interesting idea for someone like me who exclusively uses a straight holder.
Hi Elsa,
I have not used this particular pen, but before I got my oblique holder, I had a pen maker make a dip pen to take a nikko-G nib and have an Ebonite feed too.  The feed is similar to the one used by Pierre. 

It works like a charm with fountain pen inks.  I have tried it with Walnut ink, Shellac based black ink and home-made ink which had Iron sulphate (similar to iron gall, but did not use Galls to make it)

The thicker the ink, the more difficult for it to travel through the feed and it clogs up the feed very fast.  You have to remove the feed and wash it every line or two.  Being a straight forward dip pen it was not SO much of a problem, but it was still frustrating.

Though my home made ink was less viscous than the walnut (thinner than even fountain pen ink) the ink dried quite fast and created particles in the feed clogging it.  Again, have to clean out feed every so often.  Same experience with the Walnut ink. 

The G nibs (Nikko, Zebra and Tachikawa) used with the dip pens are great.  The other nibs like a Gillot rust quite fast if you leave them with the feed.  So again, after each use I have to remove the nib and dry it and store them separately.

This is the post I had made on another forum about the Dip Pen

Again, my pen only shared a similar feed system to Pierre's.  Like Janis said, Pierre responds fast to queries and is a pleasure to communicate with.  You could ask him more specific questions and he will reply, and particularly with reference to his pen.

-Prasad
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Offline Lori M

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2014, 05:26:47 PM »
Ooooh - Now I have to decide between this and a modified Ahab flex!  :D Or maybe I should just get one of each...

Offline JanisTX

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2014, 06:01:59 PM »
Lori, I've got the Ahab & haven't yet modified it, but plan to do so.  I can't recommend the Desiderata pen enough!  The Ahab is very functional, but utilitarian.  Pierre's pen is a thing of beauty & wonderful to hold in your hand!  It's very reasonably priced, too!  If I had to pick, I'd pick the Desiderata pen!!!

Janis

Offline schin

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #13 on: December 10, 2014, 11:28:15 PM »
I love the Desiderata! I made some videos of it:

An indepth review:
Writing calligraphy:
Simple penmanship:

A little issues with leaking and railroading, but otherwise it is great.. especially with a titanium zebra G!
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Offline prasad

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Re: Desiderata Pen Review
« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2014, 02:11:12 AM »
I love the Desiderata! I made some videos of it:

An indepth review:

A little issues with leaking and railroading, but otherwise it is great.. especially with a titanium zebra G!
Thanks Schin
Absolutely great review :)
The in-depth review covers everything.
I Think I shall order a pen

Never be afraid to try something new
Remember - An amateur built the Ark and Professionals built the Titanic
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