Review: Shibui Traveler's Notebook Cover

In August, the creative team and developers behind the world-class products at Shibui PH sent me a prototype of their latest product, a zippered traveler's notebook cover, to evaluate and review. The prototype for the Shibui TN cover is very impressive, it looked perfect to me then, and after several discussions with the team, they were able to produce their very own TN covers and Shibui PH is launching them today! (Read towards the end of this review and check the special launch discount that Shibui PH is giving  away.)

The Shibui Traveler's Notebook Cover is made from high-quality leather and shows excellent craftsmanship. It's classy, elegant, well-made, and I'm so proud that this product is made by talented and skilled Filipino leatherworkers. This TN cover has all the features that a traveler and TN user could ask for: high-quality leather cover, pockets for cards and all kinds of paper bits, Shibui's Pull-Tag™ for any pen size, sturdy built-in elastic, and a zipper to keep everything together.

Shibui's leather products are presented in large white boxes with the Shibui logo. Inside the box are the TN cover, a small flyer with leather care instructions, and a postcard. The inside bottom of the box contains the Shibui brand philosophy, contact details, and their social media accounts.

The Shibui Traveler's Notebook Cover inside the Shibui's simple and neat white box. 

I've been using a traveler's notebook for several years, and I love keeping several inserts in the TN together with my diaries and a lot of ephemera and paper bits. Now that I have the Shibui TN Cover, I will transfer some of my inserts to the zippered cover to tidy them and keep my ephemera and paper bits together. I also think that this will be very useful for when I can travel again because it can fit so much paper stuff inside. I can have a notebook, pen, passport, tickets, IDs, and other cards in one zippered sturdy leather cover! It's very useful and so handy for travelers.

Shibui's own Traveler's Notebook Cover in regular size.

The Shibui TN Cover is available in both regular and passport sizes and in several colors including Ocean Blue, Olive Green, and Saddle Brown, which is the one in this review. It measures 23cm x 12cm x 2cm and fits regular sized Traveler's Notebook refills/inserts.

This TN Cover is definitely a dream come true for TN users. Aside from the elastic to keep a regular insert, it has so many pockets and slots for cards, an extra insert, a pen, and other stuff. I was able to fit my passport in the pocket behind the card slots.

The prototype that I received in August did not have a built-in elastic and I found it was a bit of a challenge to put it in the cover's spine. I also thought that sourcing it may be a challenge to some users, so I suggested to the team to include an elastic band to the TN cover so that each product is ready to use as purchased. 

The Shibui TN Cover has a built-in elastic for a notebook insert/refill with each purchase so it's ready to use.

It's very thoughtful of Shibui to include the Pull-Tag™ in their TN Cover. The Pull-Tag™ is a unique feature of Shibui's pen cases. It's an adjustable soft leather band that holds pens securely in their slots inside pen cases. The Pull-Tag™ allows pens in any size and thickness to fit securely in their slots without any risk of pen damage due to tight elastic bands. A pen inside the Shibui TN Cover is held securely in place by the Pull-Tag™.

Card slots, pockets, Pull-Tag™ in the Shibui TN Cover.

The back cover has three slots/pockets that can fit an extra regular-sized notebook insert/refill, a passport, and some extra bits of paper.

Shibui PH now has its own metal zipper tag. I love this branding!

Shibui has definitely made some design changes to the TN Cover prototype. I noticed that they reduced the height by maybe a centimeter, which gives the contents, especially the inserts a tighter fit inside the Cover. They are basically the same, but I like the extra space in the prototype because I get more room for my stuff.

On top is the final product, the prototype is at the bottom. The final product is 1cm less in height, but both have the same thickness.

It seems that they also reduced the TN Cover's width by a centimeter.

Again, the Shibui PH TN Cover is an excellent product and a useful travel companion. Like their pen cases, the TN Covers have their own characteristics — no two pieces are alike and each carries its own look and personality. The passport size is interesting, too! Get both for your travels and memory keeping!

My Shibui TN fits two notebook inserts (one in the built-in elastic and another in the back cover), my passport, a standardized fountain pen, and several bits of paper.

Shibui PH products are designed and crafted by Filipinos whose vision has always been to create a brand that will promote Filipino leather craftsmanship to the world. Shibui's creators are firm believers of local craftsmanship and their goal is to enrich local industries and compete with other brands on a global stage. They envisioned a brand that will have a strong local and international following because they believe that providing jobs to Filipino leatherworkers means that more families can stay together and will no longer need to look for work overseas. This way, fathers can stay with their children, train them, and pass on the legacy of leather crafting to the next generation, a skill that is slowly fading as next-generation leather workers become interested in other endeavors.

Shibui also offers 3- and 5-pen cases, an 8-vial case, Hobo Weeks Cover, A5 or A6 Notebook/Journal Covers, A5 or A6 Life Organizers, Travel Wallet, and Travel Organizer. To see (and buy) these amazing Filipino products, visit the Shibui PH website (https://www.shibuiph.com/).

In the Philippines, Shibui pen cases and other leather products are also available in the following stores: Scribe.ph (SM Aura, Glorietta 4, and Eastwood branches), Analog, Noteworthy (Podium, Rockwell, BGC, and Alabang Town Center branches) and Everything Calligraphy.

And did you know? Shibui PH has now reached the global stage! Overseas, Shibui leather pen cases are available in Malaysia (Pen Gallery), Singapore (Cityluxe), Hong Kong (Pierre Cardin), and the United States (Endless Pens). 

The Shibui Traveler's Notebook in this review is provided by Shibui PH where it retails for PhP2,895 for the regular TN Cover and PhP2,350 for the passport cover. If you buy one now, Shibui PH is offering a 10% discounted price at PhP2,605.50 and PhP2,115, respectively. The promo runs until December 12, 2020. For more details on buying Shibui PH products, visit their website at https://www.shibuiph.com/.

Fountain Pen Review: 2020 Special Edition Lamy Safari Candy

They say a fountain pen collection is incomplete without a Lamy Safari in it, and I know many users, enthusiasts, and collectors whose first fountain pen is a Safari. I first saw Lamy Safari fountain pens during my first pen meet in December 2008 and it was love at first sight. I fell in love with their bright colors, simple design, durability, and functionality. Two years later, I got my first Lamy fountain pen, and the rest, as they say, is history. I became one of the world's many collectors of Lamy fountain pens and I look forward to their yearly special edition pens.   

In 2019, Lamy launched three pens as the year's Special Editon Safari. This year—2020—Lamy did it again! The year's Special Edition Safari is not one but three beautiful pens in a happy, bright, and colorful matte finish. The 2020 Special Edition Lamy Safari Candy has three colors—Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango, reminiscent of pop art, fruit sorbet, and sugar icing. The Lamy  Safari Candy trio brings as much joy as a bag of colorful sweet candies without the sugar rush.

The Safari Candy pens are available as fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. 

The Lamy Safari Candy trio has the following measurements and specifications:

• Colors: Tone-in-tone Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango
• Material: ABS plastic
• Length, capped: 5.5 in | 14.6 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5 in | 13.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3 in | 9.1 cm
• Length, section to nib: 2.2 in | 4 cm
• Length, cap: 2.6 inches | 6.35 cm 65
• Full pen weight: 17 g | 0.9 oz
• Pen uncapped weight: 10 g
• Barrel only weight: 7 g | 0.65 oz
• Cap weight: 8 g | 0.2 oz
• Cap: Snap-on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: Interchangeable stainless steel in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or italics (1.1, 1.5, or 1.9mm)
• Filling mechanism: Lamy T10 Giant ink cartridge or Lamy Z27 or Z28 converter

These three pens have a matte finish and the special tone-in-tone concept that Lamy used for the first time. In this concept, all the details and trims including clip, spacer ring, and finial are matched to the pens' body colors.

In the past, Lamy has matched the finial color with the pens' body, but this year's Special Edition pens have matching finials, clips, and spacer rings. 

The Safari's triangular section is ergonomically designed to make writing easier — it helps users to get a firm and secure grip on their pen. An anti-slipping brake near the end of the section prevents a user’s fingers from slipping into the nib while writing. I do not find the triangular grip uncomfortable at all. I actually do not notice it when I'm using my Lamy fountain pens.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are fitted with sturdy, long-lasting stainless nibs. These nibs are interchangeable for the Safari and for other Lamy fountain pens, which is very useful. A Safari fountain pen has the same feed and nib as those on the Vista, Al-Star, Joy, Nexx, and Studio. For my Safari Candy trio, I swapped their default medium nibs with 1.1 italics, my favorite Lamy nib width.

LAMY Safari Candy VIOLET

Violet is one of the three special edition Lamy Safari Candy pens for 2020. This pen has a matte finish and matching purple body, finial, clip, and spacer ring. Violet has a lighter purple color than the 2016 Special Edition Dark Lilac but is just perfect with the 2016 matching ink.

The 2016 Lamy Dark Lilac ink is a perfect match to the 2020 Safari Candy Violet.

LAMY Safari Candy AQUAMARINE

Aquamarine is one of the three pens in the Safari Candy trio. It has a matte finish and matching aquamarine body, finial, clip, and spacer ring. The Candy Aquamarine has a deeper color than the 2011 limited edition Safari Aquamarine. It's closer in color to the 2020 Lamy Al-Star Turmaline and its matching ink.

The 2020 Lamy Turmaline is the perfect ink match to the Safari Candy Aquamarine.

LAMY Safari MANGO

Mango is one of the three special edition Lamy Safari Candy pens for 2020. This pen has a matte finish and matching yellow body, finial, clip, and spacer ring. The Candy Mango has a deeper yellow color than the regular yellow Safari and is the only pen in the trio with a matching Mango ink.

Perfect combination in yellow—Safari Candy Mango and limited edition Lamy Mango ink.

I changed the nibs on all three Safari fountain pens with 1.1 stubs and did some ink art with their matching Lamy inks. I enjoyed doing this ink art with the bright and rich Lamy ink colors, and the stub nibs wrote wet and smoothly. 

The Safari Candy fountain pens are bright, happy, colorful pens and this trio is one of the best ones from Lamy's recent Safari colors, especially the Candy Mango. The release of the Safari Candy pens was a bit delayed by the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so these pens are still widely available in most pen stores. Get them for your collection!

Rants of the Archer thanks Lamy Philippines and Times Trading for providing the Lamy Safari Candy fountain pens for review purposes. Lamy Safari pens are widely available in reputable pen sellers worldwide. For a global search of Lamy sellers worldwide, follow this link. In the Philippines, Lamy pens are available from Times Trading Company, through the Lamy Concept Store in Makati and kiosks at National Bookstore outlets around the country. Some of these stores may have lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19, but Times Trading accepts online orders. Email them at customerservice@lamyphillipines.com or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lamyph.

Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Furore Arancio

This month, my blog features a selection of local brands, some of my favorites, and a new, exciting name that has been a pen chart-topper for quite some time. Here is the Furore fountain pen in the Arancio finish from Leonardo Officina Italiana, one of the most talked-about pen brands these days. My research about Leonardo Officina Italiana brought me to the scenic UNESCO World Heritage Site of Amalfi Coast, to the mesmerizing fjord and churches of Furore town, and the 45-year history of this family-run father-to-son pen brand.

Did you know that Leonardo's Furore collection is inspired by a magical place? And that these pens are all made by hand? The Furore derives its inspiration from a corner of the Amalfi Coast, a magical place where land, sea, and Leonardo's origins meet. The Furore and all the pens from Leonardo's collections are passionately hand-turned by expert craftsmen using old loading systems, giving their unique pens soul and warmth.

The outer box of the Furore is designed like colorful traditional Italian tiles. It also says "Fatto a mano in Italia nelle Officine Italiane Leonardo" which translates to "Handmade in Italy in Leonardo's Italian Workshops."

The Furore is Leonardo's second pen model launched in 2018 after the famous and outstanding Momento Zero line. Inspired by the form and design of vintage Italian pens, the Furore's rounded ends bring to mind the looks of the old classics. Leonardo Officina Italiana derived the Furore's incredible colors from the beautiful Amalfi Coast landscapes such as the reflections of the sea, the bright colors of the Ceramics that characterize the decorations of the coast, the intense red of berries, the bright sand, and the white sharp salt. 

The Furore Arancio in its presentation box. A certificate of authenticity and warranty card is included as Leonardo's product guarantee for life against any manufacturing defect.

The Furore Arancio has a beautiful vivid color that comes from a mix of iridescent shades of orange that reminds me of cat's eye gemstone. It is a full-sized fountain pen that was hand-turned from a single solid bar of high-quality resin with a vintage shape and tapered grip section designed for comfortable writing. A well-balanced fountain pen, it can be used for comfortable writing whether posted or unposted. 

The Furore is not a limited Leonardo production, but it is an open numbered series, with each pen number engraved on the barrel together with the Leonardo name. My Arancio is pen N°2837 and I feel it's a very unique pen with its own identification.

Leonardo Furore Arancio N°2837

The Furore lineup is available in these bright, beautiful colors: Blue Emerald (turquoise), Blue Galaxy (dark blue), Arancio (orange, featured in this review), Yellow Sun (yellow), Bronze (brown), Vulcano (gray), Red Passion (red), Deep Purple (purple), and White Salt (white).

The Leonardo Furore fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.75 in | 14.6 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.2 in | 13.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.1 cm
• Length, section to nib: 1.6 in | 4 cm
• Length, cap: 2.5 inches | 6.35 cm 65
• Diameter: 0.6 in | 1.52 cm
• Full pen weight: 25 g | 0.9 oz
• Barrel only weight: 18.6 g | 0.65 oz
• Cap weight: 6.4 g | 0.2 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Trim: Rhodium or gold plated
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: Bock steel or gold  in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.5mm)
• Filling mechanism: Cartridge or screw-on Leonardo converter (supplied with purchase)

Polished chrome and orange look so perfect together. The chrome trims in the Arancio complement the pen's orange color so well. The two slim cap rings are smooth and highly polished, as well as the two rings on the pen's barrel.

Leonardo Furore fountain pens can be filled with ink using international standard cartridges or the supplied customized screw-on Leonardo converter with a metal knob. Unlike most converters, Leonardo's converters screw to the pen's section for a secure fit and avoid ink spills. The screw-on converter also allows for a piston-like filling mechanism by removing the cap at the end of the barrel.

The Furore's three sections: barrel, section + converter, and cap. 

Removing the cap in Furore's barrel end allows piston-like ink filling. This is possible as the converter is screwed on to the section.

The Furore shares the same clip with the Momento Zero. It's a shiny polished chrome clip with a tiny roller at the end so it can be easily posted to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

Leonardo's screw-on ink converter ensures a tight fit to the section.

Leonardo's ink converter is very impressive. It is sturdy and well made, and the Leonardo logo engraved on the knob is a nice touch. 

The Furore barrel is engraved with "Leonardo Officina Italiana" and the pen's number. 

When I received the two pens from Leonardo, I marveled at their beautiful material and polished steel nibs. The Furore is available with either steel or 14k gold #6 nibs in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.5mm) widths. My Arancio is fitted with a steel Bock nib engraved with the Leonardo logo and it looks elegant. It also wrote perfectly. I have been writing with fountain pens for the last thirteen years, and I have tried pens with excellent nibs, but the Furore Arancio's medium nib is one of a kind. It's one of the smoothest nibs that I have ever tried, and writing with it is a wonderful experience. 

The Furore's medium nib is one of the smoothest nibs that I've tried. Writing with it is an exceptional experience.

The Momento Zero is Leonardo's first pen series, shortly followed by the Furore. The two pens are so alike in their length, shape, and trims, although the Momento Zero has flat ends and the Furore has pointed ones, more like the classic cigar-shape. 

Be still my heart. Leonardo Momento Zero Positano Blue and Furore Arancio.

The Furore, a full-sized fountain pen, shares approximately the same length with a Tibaldi N°60 and TWSBI Diamond 540. The Bexley Intrepid and Edison Collier are longer pens when they are capped. Without their caps, the Furore is the same length as the N°60, Collier, and Diamond 540. 

The Furore is postable, but I love writing with it unposted. Posting makes this pen long and affects my writing speed and comfort. However, posting provides balance in writing to some people, so it helps that the Furore is a postable pen.

In good company. The Furore shares approximately the same length as the Tibaldi and TWSBI fountain pens while capped.

When they are uncapped, the Furore is now the same length as the Tibaldi, TWSBI, and Edison pens.

I like matching pens with inks, so I chose this bright red-orange Robert Oster ink for the Arancio. I ink my pens by filling the converter first before putting it back onto the section feed. Doing this, I noticed that ink flow to the feed was very fast and the medium nib wrote smoothly and very wet out of the box. The steel nib is springy and it performed so well without the need for any adjustments or tuning. It also matched Robert Oster Orange Zest ink so perfectly. 

Orange on orange. This pen's medium nib writes so smoothly.

The beautiful Arancio can do wonderful ink art, too! The medium nib is just perfect for intricate strokes and fine lines.

The Furore Arancio is an exceptional and eye-catching pen. It's my end-of-the-day-happiness pen, my make-me-smile pen. This orange pen is a delight to look at and even more wonderful to use. Get one for your collection!

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen line up getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have the Cuspide, Speranza, Messenger, and a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. The Momento Zero and Furore have also gotten an upgrade: they now have their "Grande" versions with piston filling mechanism and ebonite feed. I'm really excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Furore Arancio fountain pen for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, follow Leonardo Officina Italiana on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, and Fontanna Penna.

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, and Pen Chalet.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik). 

Fountain Pen Review: BENU Euphoria Scent of Irises

I published my first BENU fountain pen review in April 2017. It was a fun and memorable experience to have written about a fountain pen from Russia, a country that has mesmerized me since I was ten. I wrote a review of another BENU fountain pen earlier this year, and now I'm writing one for their latest collection called Euphoria. For this review, I went back to the one from 2017 and read how BENU was founded with one goal in mind: to make writing instruments and desk accessories for those who prefer bright colors and new designs that are playful, stylish, and fun.

BENU has realized that goal with each new pen collection that is bold, unique, and eye-catching. Through the years, they have made exceptional pens with multiple glossy facets, used color-changing materials, and created mosaic art-inspired tesserae. Now they have launched a new series that celebrates life's simple pleasures, combining a classic pen design with shiny, glittery, colorful material. 

BENU pens are hand packed in original BENU-branded boxes, avoiding plastic and using only paper and cardboard boxes that can be recycled without damaging the environment. The Euphoria fountain pen was inside the white pen sleeve set on a bed of thin strips of paper. A separate sheet with instructions on fountain pen care is also included in the box.

BENU launched the Euphoria pen series on October 15, 2020. It is a collection devoted to different sources of pleasures such as a beautiful flower, sea and travel, exotic places, poetry, music, a favorite cocktail, and delicacies. Each pen in the series is inspired by things that bring joy and add color to life. 

The Euphoria is a faceted pen with a section designed for comfortable writing. It's a large pen at almost 6 inches capped, but it's not a heavy one. Capped, this pen weighs around 26 grams, and approximately 15 grams when uncapped, which is just right in the hand. The screw-on cap can be easily posted, as the barrel end is slightly tapered for this, but I prefer to write with my fountain pens unposted. 

I chose the Scent of Irises fountain pen to review and it's breathtaking. The combination of turquoise, ultramarine, some purple, and the shiny, glittery sparkles is beautiful and so uniquely BENU. This pen has a unique feature, too—it magically glows in the dark and also in a semi-dark setting with an ultramarine blue color after an hour's exposure to light. The pen's turquoise parts—top of the cap and end of the barrel—glows beautifully in the dark. According to BENU, they created this unique effect by mixing luminescent material with the resin for the Euphoria pens. The color and brightness of the pen's glow depend on the time it was exposed to light. The light source affects the glow as well, as it glows brighter and longer when it was exposed to natural light, and a subdued turquoise if exposed to indoor light. Please see the last photo in this review to see the magical glow-in-the-dark feature of Scent of Irises.

BENU Euphoria Scent of Irises fountain pen.

BENU offers the Euphoria series as fountain pens and rollerball pens. There are 11 pens in the series, including three that glow in the dark: Scent of Irises, Ocean Breeze, and Love Story. 

BENU Euphoria Scent of Irises fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.9 in | 14.9 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.4 in | 13.7 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.1 in | 18 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.1 cm
• Length, section to nib: 2 in | 5 cm
• Length, cap: 2.8 inches | 7.1 cm
• Weight: 26 g | 0.9 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel
• Nib: #6 Schmidt, stainless steel in F, M, or B
• Filling mechanism: Standard international size cartridge or converter
• Glowing color: Ultramarine blue

The other pens in the series have unique names and inspirations, and interesting color bases to suit the preferences of many fountain pen users and collectors: 

• Tropical Voyage has a blue and purple combination with green glitter/sparkles;
• Bora Bora is a turquoise pen with silver and gold glitter/sparkles;
• French Poetry has a black base with blue and green glitter/sparkles;
• Caviar is black with silver glitter/sparkles'
• Pink Guava has a combination of pink and silver sparkles scattered on a bright green base;
• Vodka on The Rocks is the most glittery pen in this series with mostly silver sparkles set on a gray almost transparent base;
• Jazz has a dark blue base filled with blue, turquoise, silver, and gold glitter/sparkles; and
• Big Wave, evoking sea waves, has a combination of turquoise and bright blue base with silver sparkles.

BENU's Euphoria fountain pens can be filled with ink using cartridges or converters.

The Euphoria fountain pens can be filled with ink using standard international short or long cartridges or converters. BENU includes an international non-proprietary converter with each pen purchase. 

It's good that BENU kept their pens' clip design consistent from the Supreme model to the newer pens Tattoo, Tessera, and Euphoria. Their standard clip is stainless steel, which adds gloss and shine to the pens. Stainless steel is also durable, and the clip's top can be pressed so it can be easily posted to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

Euphoria pens have the standard BENU stainless steel clip.

BENU logo on the cap ring.

The faceted and tapered barrel of this pen is not only beautiful but also very cool! The resin has exceptional gloss and shine, and the combination of ultramarine blue, turquoise, and blue and silver glitter/sparkles is fascinating.

BENU fountain pens are fitted with stainless steel Schmidt nibs that are manufactured by JoWo and then hand-assembled at the Schmidt factory in St. Georgen, Germany. Hand assembling ensures every unit gets special attention, resulting in a truly superb nib quality.

Scent of Irises has a #6 Schmidt nib available in Fine, Medium, or Broad.

My first BENU fountain pen was the Classic Ghost White Silver, a short, clipless pocket pen. They are now called the Minima. Through the years, BENU released several pens, and I am very fortunate to have some of these pens that are crafted well by their design team led by the Chief Designer and BENU Co-Founder Alex Semanin.

BENU fountain pens through the years. From top: Classic Ghost White (now Minima), Sublime 019 (now Supreme), Tattoo, Tessera, and Euphoria.

The Euphoria, a full-length fountain pen, shares almost the same length with Edison Collier, Bexley Intrepid, Esterbrook Estie, and Tibaldi N60, but it has a thicker middle section. This pen is surprisingly well balanced and comfortable to use even with a thicker middle section. BENU designed the section and grip of this pen to be ergonomically correct for long periods of writing.  

The Euphoria shares almost the same length as Edison Collier, Bexley Intrepid, Esterbrook Estie, and Tibaldi N60.

Uncapped, the Euphoria is the longest pen in this lot. Note the Euphoria's long section measuring up to 2.5 inches. This design allows a comfortable grip on the pen while writing.

Uncapped, the Euphoria is the longest pen in this lot.

I like matching pens and inks, so it took me some time to test Scent of Irises because I didn't have a matching ink. A few days into my ink search, a bottle of Diamine flower ink Iris turned up in our local fountain pen group and I am so happy I got it because it's the perfect ink color for my Euphoria pen. The Broad Schmidt nib wrote smoothly and very wet out of the box. I did not experience hard starts, skips, or uneven ink flow. The Schmidt nib wrote very well. The Euphoria is an enjoyable fun pen, and its long section helps in writing comfortably.

Perfect pen and ink match: Scent of Irises with Diamine Iris.  

And now for the fun in this glow-in-the-dark Euphoria fountain pen. I chose Scent of Irises to review because of its beautiful color combination and glow-in-the-dark feature. I never had anything that glows in the dark before! When I took Scent of Irises out of its box, I was sitting in front of our house in the middle of the day while the sun was shining brightly. I wasn't aware that the pen began absorbing light the moment it got out of the box. When I went inside the house, my nieces asked why I was playing with glow sticks, and I was puzzled because I wasn't. Then I realized I was holding Scent of Irises, and seeing the bright, glowing blue ends of the pen was just amazing. Everyone who saw this pen glowing thinks so! 

This beautiful BENU pen magically glows in the dark!

I am very happy with the BENU Euphoria Scent of Irises and I am recommending it to anyone who wants to know the brand and explore their unique designs. It's a beautiful pen and I'm glad to have one in my collection. BENU is an excellent pen maker who uses only the best materials and takes great care in manufacturing their pens. Get one for your collection.

In the last five years, BENU has created pens for different series depicting bold, unique, and eye-catching designs. Aside from the Euphoria Collection, BENU currently has eight other pen collections, and I'm including their descriptions below:

• Minima, portable pens with compact, streamlined faceted bodies. Their small size conveniently fits into pockets and bags. The Minima Collection has almost 20 color combinations.
• Briolette, pens with long facets that highlight the visual appeal of the material. The Briolette Collection has 22 color combinations.
• Chameleon, pens with features never seen before. These pens have incredible chameleon-like material that allows colors to change depending on the angle from which you are looking at the pens. The Collection has nine color combinations.
• Supreme, standard-sized pens with innovative design. There are six color combinations in the Supreme Collection.
• Hexagon, features the pattern of nature’s most perfect six-sided polygon shapes. This collection has six color combinations.
• Tattoo, pens that give tribute to the most unconventional form of modern art – the tattoo. BENU's Tattoo pens have bold designs and showcase beautiful imagery of stars, skulls, roses, and more. There are six combinations in this series.
• Tessera, pens inspired by mosaic art created from tesserae.
• Scepter, pens crafted for an exquisite and luxurious experience similar to scepters. This collection has six color combinations.

The Euphoria Scent of Irises fountain pen in this review was sent by BENU where it retails for US$128. To learn more about BENU, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing BENU pens, visit their website at https://www.benupen.com/.