This pen is beautiful. I actually have an arrangement with a pen pal that if either of us gets one, we will buy one for the other. That may mean neither of us buys one.... Both of us prefer the wood finish. And we are both fascinated by that nib with the unique feed.
Thanks for a good review. The pen will hold TWO LITERS of ink?! (9:14) But, it is a very interesting filling system. A bit bizarre, but definitely interesting. You hit a lot of high notes for me: O/S ( I would really like to see this Decoband compared to a Pelikan M-1000), gold nib sized #8 no less, ebonite feed, and lovely resin. The fit-and-finish seem to be excellent. I am very interested in owning one, but I must think through my willingness to deal with the eccentric filling system.
A fitting reissue of a high end pen. Updated filling system (I think that the original had a lever filler system), updated materials, but design is faithful to the original. I think that the filling system is similar to the Sheaffer Touchdown filler. Very good system IMO. (I've been happy with the Touchdown pens I have. 😁) Ridiculous length seems to be a hallmark of some vintage pens. Look at the 100 year old eyedropper fillers, for example. I think that it's because the style of writing has changed, as the really old ones seem to only write well with a feather light hand. The extra length may have been to keep the point just grazing the paper. (Carbon copies got people used to a firmer hand, I think.) I've gotten a Skyline that was sold as "flexible," that I could probably drive it into white oak, it was that stiff. Flex seems to be subjective. 😁 Wet and smooth is exactly what I expect from a Wahl-Eversharp. I have a soft spot for vintage Esterbrook pens, but I really love the way a Wahl-Eversharp writes, no matter the flex. Frankly, if the sleeve over the sac is not crimped into place, the replacement of an ink sac is dead simple. Plenty of information on how to do it online. I can get a new ink sac on in under 5 minutes, tops, at this point. Maybe they'll come out with a reissue of the Nozak, the only piston filler from the United States. And if a new Nozak is not a piston filler, complain. 😉
I agree that the people of the past wrote with a much lighter hand than today. I am in my 70's and among the last generation to learn penmanship in public school. Penmanship instruction ceased in 1960. I was indeed taught to write with a light hand. I think the ball point pen has had a major impact on how people write today. In the 1940's, '50's and '60's, when BP's were new technology, the paste ink forced one to hold the pen in a death grip and to push like h*ll to get any ink onto paper. Many current production BP's have similar issues. I have tutored a number of young people on writing with FP's. The first thing I do is point out to them how they hold a pen. Largely, they are unaware of how tightly they hold a pen. To use a FP, they must relearn how to hold their writing instrument. It surprises even me how many times I have to remind the novices, "Ease the frack up on that death grip!!!" This is a good reminder for all of us to pay attention to how we hold our pens.
@@jasondaniel918 Well said. I was fortunate enough to go almost straight to fountain pens when I started using pens, though it was in the early 1980s. The first one was a fairly stiff Esterbrook J, but wet enough to get "trained" to have a light hand. Now that I own a 1912 Mabie Todd Swan C2, it's very apparent that the lightest touch is preferable for a great pen. Feather light stroke, I have line variation.
I owned the Signature Jade. For me the nib was too smooth in the end, like oil on glass. So I ended up selling it. What do you think of that on the bigger Decoband? The material is the same as the Leonardo Furore Smeraldo, isn’t it? Beautiful pen, but the size, filling mechanism and somewhat silly small clip kept me from pulling the trigger, when they were available. Thank you for the review, nice to see this beauty here!
Hi Katja, yes the Wahl Eversharp nibs (and ASC nibs) typically are pretty smooth and very wet. That definitely has the effect of feeling when writing like butter or oil on glass. Personally I do like that kind of feel when writing although it can be more problematic to skipping and hard starts on glossy paper like Rhodia so it's not necessarily for everyone.
Great review Dave! Im sorry to quibble, but pressing in the filling mechanism pressurizes the barrel rather than create a vacuum. The pressure deflates the sac. When you lift your finger off, the pressure is released and the sac wants to return to its regular shape. As it does, it draws up ink. Thats why when you use the filling mechanism, you should wait a few seconds after releasing your finger to allow the sac time to slowly draw up ink.
Yes, essentially high pH and acidic inks, I'd also restrict shimmer due to the particulate used. Likewise any high sheen inks as the dye can dry out quicker and become a problem flushing out more. There definitely has to be more care used over sac filling pens in terms of inks used and cleaning regime.
@@PenultimateDave Your guidance is spot on. I go one step further and suggest to FP novices to apply those same cautions to any piston fill pen like a Pelikan Souverain or MB 149/146.
Gorgeous pen, however that filling mechanism will be on the difficult side to clean. Also, that sac will not last very long, just look at all those vintage sac fillers that need new sacs.
Hi Dave I have one for 2 weeks you say some don't unscrew can you tell me how I change the sac ? I'm afraid to push too hard and damage it can you help me thanks hug
The section may not unscrew from the body but you should be able to carefully unscrew the nib from the section. Some may not even be threaded and will just pull out. Just be careful putting it back in as the sac is very close to the metal cage and it might snag or get caught up.
This pen is beautiful. I actually have an arrangement with a pen pal that if either of us gets one, we will buy one for the other. That may mean neither of us buys one.... Both of us prefer the wood finish. And we are both fascinated by that nib with the unique feed.
That’s absolutely gorgeous ❤️
I love the filling mechanism as well.
Waiting on a Seaweed Green Decoband coming Monday. Supper excited and your video only helped stoke that excitement!
Hope you enjoy it!
A month has gone by since your comment. Do you have the pen? How do you like it?
That pen is gorgeous!
It was so gorgeous, although this one had to go back, I bought one for myself 😂
Gorgeous pen. Did you say it holds 2 liters of ink? Impressive ;-)
My girlfriend Milli got left out of the conversation.
Oh good. Im not the only one that heard that!!! lol
Haha, yes I think 2 litres would be an incredible task, I meant around 2 milliliters.
Thanks for a good review.
The pen will hold TWO LITERS of ink?! (9:14) But, it is a very interesting filling system. A bit bizarre, but definitely interesting.
You hit a lot of high notes for me: O/S ( I would really like to see this Decoband compared to a Pelikan M-1000), gold nib sized #8 no less, ebonite feed, and lovely resin. The fit-and-finish seem to be excellent. I am very interested in owning one, but I must think through my willingness to deal with the eccentric filling system.
A fitting reissue of a high end pen. Updated filling system (I think that the original had a lever filler system), updated materials, but design is faithful to the original.
I think that the filling system is similar to the Sheaffer Touchdown filler. Very good system IMO. (I've been happy with the Touchdown pens I have. 😁)
Ridiculous length seems to be a hallmark of some vintage pens. Look at the 100 year old eyedropper fillers, for example. I think that it's because the style of writing has changed, as the really old ones seem to only write well with a feather light hand. The extra length may have been to keep the point just grazing the paper. (Carbon copies got people used to a firmer hand, I think.)
I've gotten a Skyline that was sold as "flexible," that I could probably drive it into white oak, it was that stiff. Flex seems to be subjective. 😁
Wet and smooth is exactly what I expect from a Wahl-Eversharp. I have a soft spot for vintage Esterbrook pens, but I really love the way a Wahl-Eversharp writes, no matter the flex.
Frankly, if the sleeve over the sac is not crimped into place, the replacement of an ink sac is dead simple. Plenty of information on how to do it online. I can get a new ink sac on in under 5 minutes, tops, at this point.
Maybe they'll come out with a reissue of the Nozak, the only piston filler from the United States. And if a new Nozak is not a piston filler, complain. 😉
Yes you are correct, the original was a lever filler and also a lot smaller too, but almost identical in design outside of those two.
I agree that the people of the past wrote with a much lighter hand than today. I am in my 70's and among the last generation to learn penmanship in public school. Penmanship instruction ceased in 1960. I was indeed taught to write with a light hand.
I think the ball point pen has had a major impact on how people write today. In the 1940's, '50's and '60's, when BP's were new technology, the paste ink forced one to hold the pen in a death grip and to push like h*ll to get any ink onto paper. Many current production BP's have similar issues. I have tutored a number of young people on writing with FP's. The first thing I do is point out to them how they hold a pen. Largely, they are unaware of how tightly they hold a pen. To use a FP, they must relearn how to hold their writing instrument. It surprises even me how many times I have to remind the novices, "Ease the frack up on that death grip!!!" This is a good reminder for all of us to pay attention to how we hold our pens.
@@jasondaniel918 Well said. I was fortunate enough to go almost straight to fountain pens when I started using pens, though it was in the early 1980s. The first one was a fairly stiff Esterbrook J, but wet enough to get "trained" to have a light hand. Now that I own a 1912 Mabie Todd Swan C2, it's very apparent that the lightest touch is preferable for a great pen. Feather light stroke, I have line variation.
I owned the Signature Jade. For me the nib was too smooth in the end, like oil on glass. So I ended up selling it. What do you think of that on the bigger Decoband? The material is the same as the Leonardo Furore Smeraldo, isn’t it? Beautiful pen, but the size, filling mechanism and somewhat silly small clip kept me from pulling the trigger, when they were available. Thank you for the review, nice to see this beauty here!
Hi Katja, yes the Wahl Eversharp nibs (and ASC nibs) typically are pretty smooth and very wet. That definitely has the effect of feeling when writing like butter or oil on glass. Personally I do like that kind of feel when writing although it can be more problematic to skipping and hard starts on glossy paper like Rhodia so it's not necessarily for everyone.
Great review Dave!
Im sorry to quibble, but pressing in the filling mechanism pressurizes the barrel rather than create a vacuum. The pressure deflates the sac. When you lift your finger off, the pressure is released and the sac wants to return to its regular shape. As it does, it draws up ink. Thats why when you use the filling mechanism, you should wait a few seconds after releasing your finger to allow the sac time to slowly draw up ink.
Excellent comment. I learned something. Thank you. 👍👍
What is the difference between the "Flexible" nib and the "Superflex" one.
I beleive the Superflex nibs are supposed to be a little more flexible and 14kt.
Are there any inks that should not be used on these type of pens or can any fountain pen inks be used (especially high sheen sans shimmer)? Thanks
Yes, essentially high pH and acidic inks, I'd also restrict shimmer due to the particulate used. Likewise any high sheen inks as the dye can dry out quicker and become a problem flushing out more. There definitely has to be more care used over sac filling pens in terms of inks used and cleaning regime.
@@PenultimateDave Your guidance is spot on. I go one step further and suggest to FP novices to apply those same cautions to any piston fill pen like a Pelikan Souverain or MB 149/146.
Gorgeous pen, however that filling mechanism will be on the difficult side to clean. Also, that sac will not last very long, just look at all those vintage sac fillers that need new sacs.
Hi Dave I have one for 2 weeks you say some don't unscrew can you tell me how I change the sac ? I'm afraid to push too hard and damage it can you help me thanks hug
The section may not unscrew from the body but you should be able to carefully unscrew the nib from the section. Some may not even be threaded and will just pull out. Just be careful putting it back in as the sac is very close to the metal cage and it might snag or get caught up.
@@PenultimateDave thank you Dave Big hug 🙏
2 liters?! Really Dave....