As many of you know by now, we here at The Poor Connoisseurs are all about getting the most for our money. As part of a closeout sale, I was able to snag this Libelle fountain pen for about 60% off.
Since it was such a bargain, the Libelle Siena feels like it is worth much more than I paid for it. It is “expensive feeling” in the hand; the parts are all machined and fitted together very well. I chose the “Palio” pattern, and Nick calls it my “Cosby Sweater Pen”, but I love it. I get a kick out of coordinating my ink and pen colors, and the colors in the Palio give me many options all in the same pen! The chrome-accented pen has a black base with flecks of orange, blue, and magenta. There are some pretty pearlescent parts which give a vintage depth to the finish of the pen. It comes with an extra cap that is all black, just in case you desire a more reserved look. This is a very thoughtful bonus! Also included are a standard international cartridge and a converter for filling from a bottle of ink.
As far as the important part goes (ie: how it writes)- very smooth and just a tad on the dry side. This one was kind of difficult to get going, but once I matched it with the right ink, it was smooth sailing. I decided to take mine to a nail buffer just a few times to eliminate the possibility of the “baby’s bottom” one finds on so many modern nibs. It took a small amount of tinkering, but the nib is very smooth, and certainly worth the $45 I paid at www.isellpens.com. I would definitely recommend this pen to a friend with the same level of FP experience as myself (which is not much, but enough to jump a few very low hurdles).
And now for the most important part: THE PICTURES!!!
Size comparison (L to R: Jinhao X750, Lamy Safari, Libelle Siena, Esterbrook J)
And finally, a writing sample and comparison to other nibs:
