I've been reviewing a lot of Aurora and Montegrappa pens lately, and this one comes to us from Federalist Pens, who loaned it to me for review (and a giveaway!). Scroll to the bottom for the giveaway!
The Kappa is a collection of pens is a brand new line of pens from the venerable Italian brand. Priced under the Ipsilon model, this is their new entry level pen in rollerball, ballpoint, and fountain pen. Obviously, I'm reviewing the fountain pen version. Because...duh.
So, here's the packaging:
It does the job.
The Pen
This one isn't like anything else that Aurora has in the lineup. It's light, translucent, and a little futuristic. It's all swoopy and angular like something from Speed Racer. The look is going to be polarizing. I'd guess that you already either like it or hate it.
One virtue of this look is that it sort of resembles the pens that you can find in the office supply cabinet. It'll blend in at the table when you're in a meeting and it won't draw a whole lot of stares from your coworkers or classmates. It's sort of flashy-stealth.
If you're not into the translucent blue barrel, there is a black version that doesn't appear to be translucent.
The section is curved, glossy, and a little prone to fingerprints. Obviously. It's a comfortable section. In fact, the section and the nib are identical to the Ipsilon.
Here are a couple of shots of the nib, section, threads and the cartridge. That black band is actually Gorilla Tape. It's only there because the cartridge had a crack in it and it was leaking ink into the barrel. It's not standard. Also not standard with this pen: a converter. That's a disappointment with this pen. At $70 MSRP, it ought to have come with a converter. Of course, the Aurora converters are pretty expensive, so the lack partially explains how they lowered the price.
The cap is actually really good. It's a metal shell with a plastic liner and a plastic inner cap. I've never had a problem getting this pen to start writing, and it hasn't dried out at all. Pretty impressive. That plastic liner also keeps the metal cap from scratching the plastic barrel when you post the pen.
Specs and Writing Samples!
Video Review!
It's always best to see a pen in action!
The Give-Away!
I'll have Rafflecopter pick a random winner on Saturday the 27th. Make sure you pay attention to the Rafflecopter for precise ending times and such.
- I'll ship you the pen (and boxes) anywhere in the USA. (Sorry, no international shipping.)
- The pen doesn't come with a converter and I can only include the (used) cartridge that it came with. Make sure you order some Aurora cartridges or a converter if you're the lucky winner! (I've found that a Lamy converter seems to work, but use it at your own risk. I don't know if there are real risks, but one never knows.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks, again, to Federalist Pens for providing the pen for review and sponsoring the giveaway!