**UPDATE** - Kaweco Special Series Error Corrections

I am not too proud to repent of my ways... but making mistakes always feels good, right?

If you recall my reviews of the Kaweco Special Fountain Pen and the Special Ballpoint from several months back, I made a few errors in my reviews and wanted to provide some specific clarity to the line in it's own post.  The Special is a really cool series that I gave a hard time in error and I appreciate the people that pointed out the issues for me.  I have since updated the reviews with the appropriate information.

UPDATE #1: The Grip is Made of Brass

Based on its look and feel, my assumptions for the grip were that it was made of a textured plastic, but it is actually made of brass.  This was brought to my attention by Sebastian of Kaweco as well as another reader and I've confirmed this by removing the nib section which revealed some of the threads which peeked through.  

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UPDATE #2: You Can Buy a Clip For The Special

The second correction (or addition) is that there is a clip available for the Special series.  It is a similar spring loaded, slip on type as you can buy for the AL and Classic Sport series.  This was one of my major concerns for many readers which may change things.  I plan on picking up one of these clips as additional portability would absolutely help me to get more use from the Special as I do enjoy the aesthetic greatly. 

"Special" thanks to Sebastian and others for providing this information so I could set the record straight and I apologize for my errors!

- Mike

Pilot Knight Fountain Pen - M Nib (all IOS post)

A model that doesn't seem to get discussed much, the Pilot Knight was a model I knew of, but wouldn't say I was familiar with so I was excited to give it a go.

I want to thank​ Pen Chalet for providing this sample for me, and I wanted to mention that they have a smokin' deal going on at 50% off if this ended up being a model you may care to try as well...

Coming in at $48 retail ($24 with crazy discount), ​you could probably bundle this pen into the range of "economical" when compared to a lot of other more expensive options.  This price range puts it in the realm of the Lamy AL-Star or Safari, TWSBI 580 or Mini, and even the Kaweco Classic Sport or Pilot Metropolitan on the lower end.  Is it worth it's price tag?  I think so.

The cap and barrel of the Knight are metal, or at least mostly metal.  The cap has sort of a metal sheath around a plastic insert which makes the cap click on as well as seal the nib while closed.​  The grip section is also plastic.

The Knight has a sleek look with some nice tapers, a flatter bottom, and quite a bit of all metal hardware like the clip.  This feature alone does increase the "class" factor of the pen and makes it a bit more businesslike.  While the Metropolitan is an awesome cheap fountain pen and it looks pretty good, there are parts like the pressed metal clip that do diminish it's aesthetic in my opinion.  But for $13-15, Pilot did a heck of a job on it.  The Knight is a nice step up for a reasonable price.

The nib is steel and seems to be a slight higher quality than the Metropolitan.  Rather than being etched with detail it is stamped and says "Super Quality"...a little cheesy?  Yeah, but funny in an awesome kind of way.  Maybe a bit over the top?

I really do enjoy the nib though.  It is a good solid writer, doesn't skip, and is overall quite pleasant.  If someone used this pen as their first fountain pen I'd say it might kick them off on a positive note.  Pilot just makes great stuff, don't they?  I've yet to be disappointed at any price range.

The cap can post, but I opt not to.  It makes the pen too top heavy and isn't a really snug posting so the cap can wobble a bit.​

If you're looking for a step up from the Metropolitan, but don't want to buy a plastic barrel like a Safari, or quite jump on board with the piston filling system of a TWSBI, maybe give the Knight a try.  This could be a nice starter fountain pen gift for someone just getting into it, and with Pen Chalet's $24 deal the barrier to entry is low.  Remember, the CLICKYPOST promo code also drives an additional 10% off...

Thanks again Pen Chalet!

(this post was done entirely on my iPad Air as a test, photographs and all, through the Squarespace Blog app.  neat...)

Dudek Modern Goods Summer Sale! 10% off through July

For the month of July I wanted to run a special summer promo of 10% off any purchase of my Dudek Modern Goods products!

Ok.  To be honest, I am planning on taking a bit of time off from the shop in the month of August to do some vacationing with the family and since it is the hottest month of the year in Arizona, I thought a break during that time would seem appropriate.  Like, really hot... So, I figured that now was a great time to run a special.  Thank you all for the support! 

Prices in the shop have been marked 10% off on all products which will run through July 31st, 2014.