Our Cover-Worthy Pelikan Pen Just Got Better

The Pelikan M200 special edition demonstrator that graces the cover of our new 2013 Goldspot Pens Catalog got an upgrade this week. For a pen that retails for $175, we felt that our customers would enjoy a higher quality nib from the original stainless steel that is installed on each demonstrator pen. After obtaining the proper nibs from Pelikan (nibs parts themselves retail for $170 each), we've fitted the M400 Souveran 14kt solid gold nib on the M200 pen to create an even more special, special edition.

Above is a silhouetted picture of the M200 with the 14kt gold nib installed. It is a bi-color nib, which means there are both silver and gold tones to the design. This nib is traditionally installed on Pelikan Souveran M400 fountain pen models. Note that the M200 pen on the cover is depicted with the gold tone nib that is gold-plated, stainless steel. Having the solid gold nib on the pen adds the additional comfort, smoothness and degree of flexibility that the material offers over the stiffer stainless steel.

For a limited time, we are offering the M200 Demonstrator with the 14kt solid gold nib for only $60 more than the stainless steel version ($139.95 steel vs $199.95 gold). Inventory on this is limited to the number of 14kt nibs we have on hand and it will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Visconti Turquoise Ink Review

The first appearance of the uniquely innovative Visconti V-Bottle on this blog. Visconti makes a high-quality writing instrument, but what of its ink? We explore Visconti turquoise using a nib that really allows the ink to shine - the Monteverde Prima Stub nib.

The turquoise is a bright, baby blue with solid saturation, excellent shading and a decently low dry-time, even with a stub nib. The V-bottle distributes the majority of the ink capacity towards the top two-thirds of the bottle, allowing for easier access to fill your pen. A great addition to any ink collection.

Change to our Newsletter Giveaway

Now, everyone has another chance to win at our newsletter giveaway and you don't need to be signed up for our e-mail newsletter to get the second chance.

Currently, the way the giveaway works is that anyone who is actively subscribed to our e-mail newsletter is eligible to be chosen for the monthly prize. At the end of the month, we randomly select one of these subscribers and ask for them to contact us with their current address so we can ship the prize off to them directly. We are now giving the selected winner 30 days to claim the prize. If we are not contacted within that time, we will open up the giveaway to our Facebook and Twitter followers.

When we open the giveaway, we will ask for Likes and Tweets to get your entries. Anyone who likes, replies to our tweet or re-tweets our link to the giveaway on our blog will be entered and we will randomly select one lucky user on Twitter or Facebook to receive the prize.

We first started our Monthly Newsletter Giveaway in June of 2012, as mentioned on our blog.

Noodler's Kiowa Pecan Ink Review

When you go "nuts" for fountain pens, chances are you might know Kiowa Pecan first as the lovely, warm brown color from Noodler's Ink as opposed to the sweet, easy-to-peel legume. Searching "kiowa pecan" on google will net at least one mention of the ink within the top 5 search results.

The ink behaved well in the Edison Herald it was used in. No issues with flow, which is something I periodically encounter with a Noodler's ink. The color is a lovely, rich brown that offers some shading quality. This will certainly be a brown that I will go back to again when I get into the autumn mood.