I've never seen a pen that reminds me so much of nature in all its beauty.
I think that's one of the greatest advantages of pens made from resin blanks - you can create some otherworldly effects. If the creator of this blank was going for a magical ocean effect, they hit the nail on the head! Rolandas of AuRola skillfully shapes the blanks from solid rods into fully-formed pens, and the simplicity of the design produces half the effect. Undistracted by any fancy shapes, you can admire what it's made out of. And it genuinely looks like it is made of a calm ocean, with swirls of gold and pale blue shimmer in the darker blue areas. This is only enhanced by the dark wood, which contrasts brilliantly and gives the impression of towering cliffs, streaked with rivers and waterfalls. Which the camera completely fails to capture, of course.
Unless I've suddenly been stricken with an over-active imagination. Do you see rivers? I see rivers. Rivers everywhere...
Now I've used the word 'river' so much that it has lost all meaning, I'll carry on with the review.
It comes in a thick felt case (actually more useful than a box in my opinion, so I won't gripe about a lack of the same), that you could use if you're taking it out and about.
When capped, the pen looks sleek, with the gentlest of tapers at each end. It feels completely smooth apart from the ridge where the cap meets the barrel, and it is pleasantly lightweight, like most resin pens. This is a great option for those who get hand fatigue after writing for a while, as you'll probably find that you can write for much longer when you aren't dragging as much weight across the page.
When you uncap the pen, you see the section, which is longer than any other pen in my collection. This tapers inwards and is extremely comfortable to hold. My fingers aren't pressed against the threads and they don't slide down to the nib. In fact, I find it very ergonomically friendly, and easier on my hands than your average short section, which due to my writing style can make my fingers sore unless I make a concentrated effort to keep my fingers in place. This section stops them 'migrating'. Often, the simplest designs feel best in the hand! I also think that it looks quite smart too - it quietly stands out from the crowd.
The smooth, tactile section pairs well with the firm medium Bock nib. I've never tried a Bock nib before, but I've found it pleasant to write with as it glides silkily across the page, laying down a nicely balanced line that is neither wet nor dry.
You can also unscrew the nib unit, which means that you can buy more Bock nibs and use those, if you like, or swap between any you might have in your own collection.
Speaking of balance, the pen's weight is consistent and not focused at either end. In fact, I can even balance it on my finger! As you can see, my finger is pretty much dead on the middle of the pen.
If you like to post pens, you may be disappointed that the design does not allow you to do so. This doesn't bother me much given that a fair few of the pens I own don't post and I've got used to it, but regular pen-posters may want to take this into consideration before purchasing. Personally, I think the advantages far outweigh this small downside but everyone needs different things from their writing instrument. Rolandas informs me that due to the material, the cap would shortly begin to scuff the pen if it could post, which is why he hasn't allowed for posting.
The pen is a converter filler, with a standard converter that has good ink capacity. It's accessed by unscrewing the barrel, and the whole pen comes apart easily due to precise threads. They didn't stick before, but as always I lightly lubricated the threads with silicone grease just to get rid of any hints of squeakiness.
The cap, if you try to screw it back on at a little bit of an angle, can give you a hard time sometimes. I've found that if you take a second extra to make sure it's properly aligned, it won't give you any bother.
This is a beautiful piece of workmanship that is so much prettier than a lot of machine-made pens. You pay a bit more when something is hand-made, but I think it's worth it for a one-of-a-kind writing instrument. Rolandas has produced a brilliant product!
Before I end the post, were you curious about that wood bit in the blank? So was I! Rolandas, who also makes some blanks in-house, told me a bit about the process of making the wooden bit:
'First all the wood is placed in a vacuum chamber with stabilising resin, called "cactus juice"
All the air is sucked out of the wood and the cactus juice replaces the air. Later this soaked wood is placed in an oven and "cooked".
The resin inside the wood hardens and the wood becomes stabilised. It's no longer that much sensitive to the moisture.
Most of my hybrid blanks are made in house by myself, but some of them I bought from blank makes just to speed up the process.'
Disclaimer: This product was provided for review purposes by AuRola. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.
Lovely pen!