Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler Fountain Pen - Black Chase with 18 Karat Rose Gold Trim - Flex Nib

I love fountain pens, have for fifty years. I've had (and still have) Waterman, Parker, Mont Blanc, Visconti, Pelican, and many others, but lately I've gotten hooked on Conklins. I have over a dozen, exclusively resin, and enjoy them all. My least favorite model is the Duragraph though it is also a fine pen. It's smaller in circumference than the Stylograph or All American, though it writes just as well, but I have long fingers so it doesn't suit my gripe as well. For size, I refer the All American. But today, I received my first mark Twain Crescent Fill, fine point. Blown away. Best pen I've ever had. I love the crescent fill mechanism--easy, quick, neat--but the only way you know you're writing is because you can see the words on the paper. It's like you're writing on air, smooth and silent. It was obvious what ink to use.: Monteverde Writer's Blood. Old Sam Clemens would love this.d Which is probably why he endorsed this model in 1898.

It leaks around the feed. It was a beautiful pen, but I could not ever get the ink to not leak around the feed. I bought two different versions of this Crescent Filler, and they both leaked ink into the cap. I had to return them both for a refund.

Beautiful pen with a smooth ink flow. It feels comfortable in my hand and writes effortlessly. The crescent filler is unique and easy to use once you try it. Great quality and a lovely addition to my fountain pen collection.

I like this pen a lot, but I wouldn't recommend it as a first pen or even a second pen. It's a specialized item for those who want that kind of thing. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by its quality when I first held it in my hand. It feels solid and seems well made, though I haven't had it long enough to find out how the rose-gold trim holds up. It's made of acrylic, not cheap plastic, and I hear rumours these pen bodies are made in Italy. The steel nib (mine is a Fine) has a little spring to it, not a lot but just enough to give it some character. It also needed tuning when I got it and still needs a bit more, as it's still a little dry, but overall it writes quite well, and it starts right up if left for a few days. The pen balance, even with all that stuff in the middle of the pen, is good, and it's long enough to be comfortable unposted. And it looks about as much like a vintage pen as you could hope a very modern pen could look, being a somewhat updated replica of one of the original Conklin company's most iconic early 20th-century designs, one of the great early innovations in the development of the fountain pen. The downside of this pen for the average user is the same as what makes it "vintage." Of course, it only fills from ink bottles, no cartridges. The filling system is integrated into the pen, can't be opened up, and although it works fine, is somewhat awkward to empty and clean out compared to a modern cartridge/converter or even a piston-filler fountain pen. You wouldn't want to change inks often in this. The plastic ring that controls the crescent, on my small hand falls just about at a level where it's a bit intrusive when I hold the pen for a while. Not terrible, but it could be bothersome. Probably not to a larger-handed person. And of course, it's just an imitation of a genuine vintage pen, many of which are still out there and you could get the real thing. On the other hand, vintage pens need repair and are delicate, and this thing's well built and has a lifetime guarantee by the manufacturer. But it's not made of real hard rubber, it just looks that way. (Incidentally, hard rubber, also known as ebonite, is one of the most pleasant materials to make a pen out of and I highly recommend it.) In short, I do like this pen, I do consider it a quality pen, and I am admittedly a sucker for its vintage aura - even with its shameless allusion to Mark Twain, who endorsed the original Conklin pen at least in part because 1) he was endlessly fascinated by all newfangled inventions, and 2) he was frequently short of money - but I would only recommend it for people who know what they're getting into and are willing to deal with the consequences. It's going to be a bit of a pain to clean out, especially if you want to change your ink colour (if you don't change inks, as people generally didn't in the old days, then the filling system really isn't a problem and is kind of fun); the nib, as is notorious for (modern) Conklin and Monteverde pens, may need minor or major tuning; and the design, with all its charm, is rather awkward by current standards. Also, although I don't believe it's overpriced for what it is, considering the manufacturing quality and the materials, the price is on the high side compared to many other fountain pens that write just as well and are more affordable. So if any of that is going to bother you, stick to the modern world of cartridge/converter fillers. There are a lot of beautiful ones out there.

The Purple Fusion is great. The filling mechanism is pretty fun and easy to do. Nice pen, looks great. The box is lovely, too, and if you lift up the tray inside the box, there are cards with information underneath. I love the Omniflex nib - 3 of them so far, and all have been great.

I've had this pen for a month, now. Immediately inked it with Parker Quink Black, and have been using this pen nearly exclusively since. It is not a pen for a novice to fountain pen use. Yes, it will not start easily if you leave it set uncapped for a few minutes. Yes, it will start hard if you don't use it for a few days. If the nib isn't aligned right, it can be scratchy. Once it starts to run low on ink, it can "burp" when it warms up as you're using it. That said, I am not a novice, at this point. I like the crescent fill system much better than I do the lever fill style. The nib on mine (a fine nib) was perfectly aligned, straight from the box, not scratchy at all, and is butter smooth, laying down a line a little bit finer than a Lamy EF nib. The pen is substantial, but not terribly heavy, posts well, and is a comfortable diameter in the hand. Mark Twain's signature etched on the back of the cap's trim band is small, but perfectly readable. I can definitely see his point of view: now that I have this pen, I'd rather use it than any of my other pens for writing. In short, I love this pen. I find it well worth the price I paid for it, and couldn't be happier, and that's leaving out the pen history nerd cool that this pen carries.

DON'T BUY! The pen won't write at all after the bit of ink already in the nib is depleted. There is a gap in the tip of the nib that can't be fixed and that's why the ink won't come down. The bottle ink is spilled upon arrival. The plastic thing in the cap fell off. One of the worst pens I have ever seen. Requested a refund.

This is of course a replica of the fountain pen used and endorsed by Mark Twain back in 1903. I love it, love the nib, love the writing experience, and it has quickly become my favorite. The filling mechanism is fun and easy, a very efficient design even today. The black chase design is so handsome and it feels very comfortable in the hand. And no, I don't post the cap. Highly recommended.