Today is a special day! Because today, I met my soulmate. A Conklin Duragraph Abalone Nights fountain pen. A mouthful, I know, but it deserves a complicated name, because it is not simply a writing tool. It is a work of art.
I'll address the packaging first, because I expect any pen worth over $40 to be packaged in something at the very least protective, and if possible, attractive. Conklin did not disappoint!
As you can see from the above pictures, my new best writing friend arrived in a blue faux-leather case, protected by a cardboard sleeve. This is, in my opinion, the epitome of careful packaging. Not only does the case scream 'luxury!' and make me feel like I have bought an expensive piece of jewellery, the pen is nestled safely and securely inside. No chance of damage in transit! The box is solid and could definitely take a beating.
I advise that you open the case whilst firmly seated on something soft. It will be much less painful when you pass out after seeing this:
This, without a doubt, is the most stunning fountain pen I have ever seen. I LOVE greens, blues, and pinks, and this is as if Conklin has captured the Aurora Borealis and coated the barrel of the pen with it!
Which makes it quite hard to review...
Green, purple, pink, green, purple, pink, GREEN PURP...
Ahem.
Oh, yes, I'm supposed to be reviewing, aren't I? Back to it then.
The black resin section and lid really sets off the bright, shimmery barrel. If the black resin parts were, say, silver or gold, it would detract from the beauty of the abalone, so I like that Conklin decided to keep it simple with just a few shiny metal details. I think that many other companies would try too hard to dress the pen up, completely ruining the effect, then slap a huge price tag on it. Less is more, in this case! I was happy to see that filling instructions for both a converter and cartridge were included. If the top piece of the inside of the pen case is lifted up, you will find two ink cartridges included. Inside the pen, there is an empty ink converter. Perfect! I always use bottled ink.
As always, I promptly disassembled the pen when I recieved it. The cap unscrews smoothly, as does the barrel. This reveals the converter, which also screws into the section. I am happy about that- I always worry that the converter will be dislodged! No chance of that happening!
Having taken it to pieces, I screwed the converter back in, and twisted the top until the plunger reached the bottom. I dipped the lovely medium nib with its unique crescent- moon breather hole in a bottle of Pineider Black, and pulled the pluger back up. A nice, smooth fill.
Now for the moment of truth. It would be too good to be true if it wrote like a dream too. Surely there's a catch, it will spit out blotches of ink, or the nib will fall out, or something...
But no. There is no catch.
The nib is as smooth as butter. It has the perfect width for a medium nib, and it lays a firm line, not too wet nor too dry. Not a hint of scratchiness. Conklin has manufactured a pen that not only looks the part, but does what it is meant to do. It is getting very difficult to find products like that these days, but Conklin seem to take great pride in their work. As a fountain pen enthusiast, I appreciate that.
Just like the nib, the barrel is the perfect width. It is slim enough for my small hands, yet thick enough that it has a pleasant heft to it. The slight weightiness feels like quality, and I have written this whole article with it- no wrist fatigue at all!
I always use pens posted:
Okay, yes. It is, perhaps, a little long when posted. It may look, to a few select individuals, somewhat humorous.
I admit that the length would allow this to double as a weapon.
BUT that doesn't bother me, and it writes fine without the cap. If you do choose to post, the cap sits firmly atop the barrel.
I really don't have anything negative to say about this fabulous pen. Conklin have surpassed themselves- beauty, quality and functionality are ingrained in this product. If I were to be very, very picky and slightly cruel, I would say that the logo on top of the cap is uneccessary, and the clip is a little tight, but still perfectly usable.
(I take no credit for the above picture. Thank my father and his amazing macro-cam skills!)
It doesn't bother me at all, but maybe it would annoy others. I'm not sure. Personally, I'm too distracted by the abalone, dancing in the sunlight!
And this nib. I love the shape of the breather hole!
(There goes Dad and the macro-cam again!) All in all, I couldn't be happier, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of Conklin's products in the future! I would also like to add that my pen arrived speedily from the US to the Uk in just over a week, and the Pen Chalet lady that I worked with to produce this article is a very kind, helpful and overall just a wonderful person. From my experience of them, Pen Chalet is a top- notch company!
This review was also published on their rabbit hole, I mean, website. Yes website, that's right. They are currently having a massive sale across many products including this stunning pen, so visit and see if you can bag any Christmas bargains!
https://www.penchalet.com/blog/conklin-duragraph-abalone-nights-fountain-pen-review/
And finally, thank you to Pen Chalet for this wonderful opportunity! Recieving this pen has made my Christmas. But don't worry, it hasn't biased my review, and all opinions expressed are my own!