Mayfair Pens Vanyar Fountain Pen Unboxing, Initial Impressions & In-Depth Review

Today's video about Mayfair Pens' Vanyar model is a little bit of an experiment for me. Rather than just an unboxing and initial impressions review, this video also includes a much more in-depth review that I made after taking about three weeks to really get to know my new fountain pen. Check out the time stamps to skip ahead.
Time Stamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Unboxing & Initial Impressions
4:22 - In-depth Review
4:53 - Specs
9:06 - Matching Inks / Ink Swatches
12:29 - Writing Samples
14:46 - Size Comparison
17:53 - Final Thoughts
#fountainpen #pencollection
Mayfair Pens: / mayfairpens
This video is not sponsored and the products featured were purchased with my own money. All opinions expressed are mine.
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[@tilliet00]

omg…that blank is spectacular! i’ve had mayfair on my radar for a while but haven’t come up with anything deserving of their unique shape. it’s overwhelming to see his monthly drops because they get better every month. LOL. congratulations on your new beauty. enjoy writing…

[@snarkywordsworth]

Thank you so much for watching! It was great working with Ben on this - I would definitely recommend his pen studio. 😍

[@gypsyfroggie]

Beautiful pen! You made my Want Button get stuck!

[@snarkywordsworth]

Awwwww. Thank you for watching! You'll have to let me know if you decide to order a pen from Mayfair!

[@tinacampbell2610]

In the last 3-ish weeks I have bought 2 Franklin-Christoph Model 46 pens. I love them both and Franklin-Christoph has been at the top of my Grail Pen list since 2018. I now have one in Antique Glass & Cathedral. I have inked my Antique Glass with a Nagahara Needlepoint nib, with Troublemaker Kelp Tea. I need to get a full bottle of that ink. I only have a sample and I ♥how that ink has a greenish-brown tone when it dries. In the FC Cathedral model with an EF SIG nib, I put BPC Saltmarsh, I love the green undertones in Saltmarsh ink. I think it complements the Cathedral resin (Cathedral resin looks exactly like the Estie Botanical Garden resin) so well. IMO, BPC has some of the best inks on the market; and BPC Burlap is still my favorite ink of all time...
Helpful hint: Did you know that the Kaweco Sport pen clips fit the Franklin-Christoph Model 46 pen body. It will also fit a Pilot Kaküno pen body... So if you need a clip for those clip-less pens get a Kaweco Sport clip... I have a Kaweco Sport clip on both of my FC 46 pens and all of my Kakünos just so I can carry them securely in my pocket...
Great video as always! I love seeing how you chose the color for your Mayfair pen. It’s such a neat pen and looks very comfortable to write with. Love the nail polish color...

[@snarkywordsworth]

I do love a nice Franklin Christoph pen and actually just picked up the 46 in Antique Glass, as well. 😍 Thanks so much for watching!!

[@Adventuresover40]

What a stunning pen. I have been looking at the Mayfair pens on Instagram for a while. I'd like to hold one and write with one because I am unsure of the grip sections. I am hoping they will be at a pen show I attend one day. The resin you got is stunning. The ink you chose is perfect.

[@snarkywordsworth]

I really am absolutely loving this pen so much! Like I mentioned, it did take a couple days for me to get used to the pinch grip, but now I love it. It definitely helps with hand fatigue for me, I think.

[@afountainpenawakening]

such a great shape and I love the colours you have chosen for this bespoke pen... great pairing with the ink too 😀

[@snarkywordsworth]

Thank you so much for watching! I really am totally in love with this ink from BPC. It shades so beautifully, and you can truly see all the colors, but it's still wet and easy to use unlike a lot of my other chromoshaders.

[@mshaunplans]

That pen is so beautiful

[@snarkywordsworth]

Thank you so much! I'm honestly so delighted with it. 😍

[@wildlyimaginable]

What a beautiful yet different pen! I have not yet gone down the rabbit hole of purchasing a bespoke pen but it’s on my list of things to try in 2024.

[@snarkywordsworth]

It's been so much fun exploring, but I've definitely had to hold myself back because there are SO many amazing options out there. And then there are designs like this where I fall for them so hard that I'm already contemplating another colorway. :)

[@wildlyimaginable]

@@snarkywordsworth I'm gonna be the best penabler I can be....GO FOR IT! 😬😆

[@BooknBroom]

WOW! This is such an absolutely STUNNING pen!! How does this work, is it a pen you just selected and bought, or do you have to do a lot of back and forth to design the pen with them? I am so sorry if this is a stupid question. I know a few places that sell pens like Atlas and Goulet pens, but I have not seen anything like this before!

[@snarkywordsworth]

It's not a stupid question at all! I'm fairly new to bespoke pens, so I'm still having fun learning. Anyway, Atlas and Goulet are generally just retailers, so they don't make their own pens. The exclusives they offer are designs where they likely offered input to the big name pen companies to create a custom design, similar to the way we can go back and forth with some of the small studios (like the ones I've been featuring in my last few pen videos). Ex: the Goulet exclusive Lamy Vista is a Vista with alternate coloring. Yoseka's Sailors are also like this.
Ben at Mayfair offers both ready-made pens (like any standard pen-buying experience, except these are hand-turned in his studio so all of them will be unique to an extent) and the opportunity to have pens commissioned. Commissioned pens allow customers to decide what kind of blanks they want to make up the pen, plus some makers will be open to other input, as well. Not every penmaker is the same, so the process will vary from artist to artist. I like going the commission route just because that means I can have more input than just buying a piece that's already been made.

[@BooknBroom]

@@snarkywordsworth Oh my gosh that is such a cool process! That has got to be an expensive way to buy a pen...Do you mind me asking what this ran you?

[@Journalesq]

@@BooknBroomI wanted to jump in because I have been loving buying “turned” pens which is made by these small makers themselves. It’s really cool because the community is so supportive of each other. They buy “blanks” from one another which is essentially the resin used to make the pen and they have so many cool colors and styles. The pen maker will then turn the resin into a pen. Many of the pen makers will make ready to ship pens which is great because you can see exactly the pen you will get (the blanks are all unique so you may get ones with different swirls although it’s within the same colorway) or you can get a custom pen made so you can pick the blank and the style you want. I’ve gotten pens both ways and have been so satisfied with all the pens obtained. The prices vary but I would say they range typically from $150-$250 depending on the complexity of the pen model (i.e. finials or a clasp would run you more). I think the hand turned pens are really my favorite pens thus far. they are so unique and it’s nice to interact with the maker as well. Have fun shopping! it’s quite addicting. LOL

[@BooknBroom]

@@Journalesq New rabbit hole unlocked!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my newbie questions. I really appreciate it. I have been seeing these hand turned pens and loving them, but have no clue how to start getting into it. I might just reach out to one and talk it all through. Your awesome, love your content and you are just lovely. Thank you again.