Review: A Box of Serenity

We are grateful, at the end of the year 

We are alive, we can still feel, cry, and laugh

We can put ourselves together after falling apart

~ Laban Pen Company ~

The most extraordinary, tough, and trying year is about to end, and while most of us are in a hurry to leave 2020 behind, we all must remember to be thankful. Thankful because we made it through, and thankful that we are still here. We may have had a difficult year, but sometimes the difficult ones become the greatest, especially if we survive them. This sentiment is shared by Laban Pen Company through their latest release of a Christmas special boxed set called "A Box of Serenity."

A Box of Serenity from Laban, a Christmas special boxed set.

In November, Laban released A Box of Serenity, a boxed set that includes the Laban 325 Snow, a 20ml bottle of the limited edition Holly Green ink, a limited edition Christmas postcard, and a red Christmas hat pin. It's a festive set as the Snow fountain pen reflects light, while the Holly Green ink is a beautiful dark green that reminds one of Christmas trees and wreaths decorated with ornaments and lights.

The special boxed set includes a 325 fountain pen, limited edition Holly Green ink, a red pin hat, and a limited edition Christmas postcard.

The Snow fountain pen is a new addition to Laban's 325 Collection. Other colors in the Collection are Black Cambridge, Burgundy Cambridge, Wisteria (purple), Flame (red), Ocean (blue), Sun (orange), and Forest (green).

The 325 Snow has a crystal white resin barrel that was smoothed and polished by hand, reminiscent of the beautiful, bright, icy snow on a winter morning. The 325's ivory acrylic cap has a durable gold plated clip and Laban medallion in the finial, a wide wedding band ring, and two slim gold bands on top of the clip. I just love the beautiful combination of gold, white, and ivory in this pen! It looks classy, contemporary, and modern.

Snow is the latest addition to Laban's 325 Collection.

Similar to the nibs on other fountain pens in the 325 series, the Snow has a gold-tone nib made from rhodium and stainless steel available in the following widths: EF, F, M, B, 1.5 stub, 14k flex EF, and 14k flex F. The medium nib in my Snow fountain pen writes very smoothly, and it's springy and wet. It wrote well out of the box and did not need priming. The ink flow is consistent and excellent, I did not experience any hard starts or skipping.

Beautiful pen + ink combination: Snow fountain pen and Holly Green ink.

The 325 Snow fountain pen has the following specifications and details:

• Length, capped: 5.9 in | 15 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.15 in | 13.1 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.9 in | 17.5 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.14 cm
• Length, section to nib: 2.15 in | 5.5 cm 
• Length, cap: 2.7 inches | 6.9 cm
• Diameter, barrel: 0.51 in | 1.29 cm
• Diameter, section: 0.41 in | 1.04 cm
• Weight, capped: 34 g | 1.2 oz
• Weight, uncapped: 13.5 g | 0.48 oz
• Weight, cap only: 22.5 g | 0.78 oz
• Filling mechanism: Converter or cartridge, a converter is included in package
• Nib sizes: EF, F, M, B, 1.5 stub, 14k flex, and 14k flex

The 325 Snow fountain pen is a standard full-length fountain pen that is not meant for posting. It is a heavy pen, especially with its cap. It can be used posted, but it will be top-heavy and affect one's writing comfort. Thankfully, the 325 can be used comfortably without the need to post the pen's cap.

The limited edition Holly Green ink in the boxed set is a dark green ink without sheen or shimmer. It is a rich, dark, saturated green ink. Looking at Holly Green ink takes one to a forest of conifer trees, or to a room full of pine Christmas trees. Despite its dark color and medium saturation, this ink is well-behaved, has excellent flow and consistency, and dries faster than most saturated dark green inks.

I filled my Snow fountain pen with Holly Green and drew this beautiful ink art for Christmas. The Snow's medium nib surprised me as it wrote smoothly out of the box.

Christmas Wreath from Laban 325 Snow and Holly Green.

I am very happy with Laban's Serenity Box, the Snow fountain pen, and Holly Green ink. It would be a lovely gift to friends and family during the festive holiday season and I would love to recommend it to anyone but Laban has already released a notice saying the boxes are now sold out. However, the 325 Snow fountain pen can now be bought separately. This white fountain pen is a beautiful writing instrument and truly an eye-catcher! Go get one for your collection!

Rants of the Archer thanks Laban Pen Company for providing the Box of Serenity for review purposes. The Laban 325 Snow fountain pen is available at Laban.com where it retails for around US$140 (EF to 1.5 stub) to US$280 (14K Flex EF and 14K Flex F). Aside from the 325 Collection, Laban also offers the following collections: Abalone, Antique, Antique'II, Canyon, Flora, Galileo, Mento, Mother of Pearl, Pocket Pen, Rosa, Skeleton, Solar, and Taroko. Laban offers pens in different materials including aluminum, brass, abalone, mother of pearl, resin, and silver.

To learn more about Laban, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing their pens, visit their website at https://www.laban.com/ or follow them on social media:

• Facebook (https://zh-tw.facebook.com/LabanPen)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/labanpen) 
• YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pN51UTW4EZTTUxVmVNR1Q)