Stationery Giveaway at I Still Write

I Still Write is turning one on December 25 ,2012, and to celebrate he's having a giveaway  Two, in fact:  a correspondence set from Original Crown Mill and some very nice large note cards (deckle--cool he knows the word, always wondered).  Check out the other posts, and leave a comment to enter.

TUL GL3 Retractable Gel Pen

Many thanks to OfficeMax for sending me some of their TUL pens to try out and review.  These were a pleasant surprise, as I don't get to OfficeMax very much and have been wondering about them.

The first up for review is this TUL GL3 Retractable Gel Pen with a medium (0.7mm) tip.  There are 0.5mm and needlepoint versions as well, both of which interest me, but for now I'll settle for this medium with blue ink.

I like this pen.  The barrel seemed to wide at first, but as I wrote I found my hand adjusting to its width and the slightly longer length. 

The marketing materials note that the smooth ink flow gets rid of skipping, and it certainly does.  This is one of the best ink flows I've seen in a gel pen, and my only observation would be that it flows just a little too freely.  The ink was definitely wet for a few more seconds than would be good for a left-handed writer, but that may be a function of the medium nib rather than the ink.  A needle-point would be fine, with the tip not allowing as much ink flow.

With that much ink flow, I was pleased that there was no bleed through on the paper--a Rhodia No. 16 notepad with 80gsm paper.  The shadowing wasn't too bad, but if that's an issue for you (as it sometimes is with me) then double-sided writing will be a problem.

The pen parts are standard issue, and likely you can find other refills to fit if you have one you particularly love to use. 

I do like the way this feels, the rubber grip has just a touch of give to it so I'm not chafing my finger when I clamp down.  All in all, this is a great pen and is now in my daily rotation at work.  If you're by an OfficeMax and looking for something to add to your collection, give the TUL retractable a try.

Fabriano EcoQua Notepad

Found these interesting Fabriano EcoQua notebooks at an art supply store near Fashion Institute of Technology, and had to try them out.  There were several sizes, but the A5 is my favorite as it fits neatly in my book bag.  It also has enough space for working out knitting patterns or whatever else is on my mind.  The cover is a heavy scratch-resistant stock, 290 gsm ecological paper. I'm interested to see how well it holds up in daily use.

I really liked the pale ivory-colored dot-pad paper, 85gsm so it's fountain pen friendly while the dots don't distract me the way lines/grids can. 

But what I really liked was the way this notepad is set up inside the cover.  The front cover opens and folds over to reveal a side-glued pad, an easy way to tear out sheets as you use them.  

Here's a side view of the Fabriano, and I have to say I'm really liking this idea.  Sometimes perforated paper gets stuck, or rips, but glued notepads are ideal for that.

No bleed through with either gel ink or fountain pens, making this great for double sided writing.  The paper is 100% TCF (Totally Chlorine Free), acid free with alkaline reserve for a long life, and is made from forests managed according to strict environmental standards.  Green, attractive, and inexpensive ($4.99), there are 8 colors and two sizes (A4 and A5) to choose from.

Happy Fountain Pen Day!

November 2nd is the first celebration of Fountain Pen Day, page down to see the discount codes available.  Some of my favorites?  Monteverde's Invincia Color Fusion,Waterman's Agnes B. Hemisphere, Namiki's Custom 823 Clear Demonstrator, Levenger's True Writer Golden Tortoise, and Jack Labusch's review of the Jinhao Evening Stripes.

I'm still digging out from Sandy, the power is expected to come back Saturday night by 11 pm.  We'll see, but so far it's been...an adventure. 

Guest Post: Life's Too Short to Drink Cheap Wine!

I'm so pleased to welcome Dinitro as a guest blogger on Pocket Blonde, to post what I hope will be his first of many observations on wine, Life's Too Short to Drink Cheap Wine!  Dinitro has been blogging about wine for some time, but took a break to do something frivolous, like attend to his business and silly things like that.  I hope you'll give him a big welcome in the comments section, and don't hesitate to talk wine or ask questions.

A page from Dinitro's Journal

Life's Too Short to Drink Cheap Wine!

The title to this post is both in jest and at the same time in all seriousness.  I firmly believe that given our short life spans, and perhaps even shorter periods of good physical and mental health, one may wonder why: waste what little time we have on really cheap wine?  The other side of the coin of course is that if I blow all my money now on really freakin' awesome expensive wines, I may not have enough to enjoy wine in my later years.

So with that backdrop what should a wine lover do?  Well, as much as I rail on cheap wine, most of us serious wine nuts (not snobs mind you) do in fact look for good values out there.  The trouble in some sense is the plethora of wines on the market - more than 300,000 different wines produced each year, many at prices under $20, and some amazingly so, like Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck to things like Gallo's Barefoot Cellars.  Both of these (as examples) can be drinkable, but as much as I'll try anything once many of these wines I will not buy again, because they lack character.  Of course you will now ask what character means.  To go there will take another blog piece, but for now think in terms of complexity, various tastes to the wine, combined with an interesting aroma, and so on.

I should also mention that, for the most part I am talking about red wines; white wines for me having less character overall and certainly less interest (to me) in the colder months.  White wines are often chilled, and that alone can mask many flaws (and the finer points as well) in a white wine; though I prefer they mask the flaws.

To me, tasting wine is a highly personal experience - the admonitions of others, while maybe helpful, are no substitute for your own taste buds. My wine drinking friends and I spend endless hours and many glass pours of inexpensive wines in search of age worthy, awesome wine gems that won't break the bank. So what do we mean by "cheap" or "inexpensive" wine?

Many people have used the $20 mark as a threshold, with wines above that price being too expensive. Those below $20 are in the "won't break the bank" range. We can take that to a further extreme, with many bargain hunters looking at wines below, say, $12 (or $11.99 in the parlance of the retail arena) to below $10 ($9.99), as being in the super affordable territory.  Wines priced well below that, like the two I noted above, can be had in the $3-$5 range, which is clearly in the cheap.  Unfortunately, as I have experienced, these wines, while able to deliver a consistent, almost drinkable wine, they lack substance or character. Too many other wines in the "below $10" range often are too acidic (think battery acid), weak, or watery.

So as we step along in this merry journey of searching out wine deals or values, one question I am often asked is: do they even exist?  And indeed they do - but again never forget the personal taste bud experience issue.  What tastes good to me may not to you and vice versa.  We have proven that over and over again among many tastings.

With the advent of Fall, my wine nut friends and I are now squarely in the hunt for good red wines with character but priced between $10 and $17 (the higher end price here is somewhat artificial, but is based on what we are seeing and experiencing).  What we have found already is a number of great wines that will provide awesome taste bud experiences at reasonable prices and will accompany a wide variety of foods, beyond the Chianti for pizza routine.  So here are some recent "value" picks in no particular order - and if you have some ideas, please share them with us!

Secco Bertani Valpolicella Ripasso, Italy ($16-18) - prices for this wine can vary by store, but these are the latest I have found them for.  This wine comes from the Valpolicella wine district of Northeast Italy around the city of Veneto.  Three red grapes are commonly used: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara.  Not your household variety like Merlot or Cabernet, but nonetheless are among the largest productions in Italy.  Most valpolicellas are light table wines, but the "Ripasso" moniker on this one signifies something much better.  Here the wine is made from partially dried grape skins that have been left over from the fermentation of Amarone or recioto wines of the same region.  This gives the Ripasso more intensity and bite, darker colors, and greater dryness.  Some like to call Ripassos a baby Amarone; the Amarone wines a story unto themselves.  This Secco Bertani version is also an awesome one; so much so I buy it whenever I see it.  Of course almost any producer's version of Ripasso will be interesting; it’s just that you don't see many.  Another brand I often get is Santi Solane Valpolicella Ripasso, which can be a little less in price ($10-13) but about as good.

Luzon Jumilla, Spain ($8-11) – This is a major repeat wine buy for me.  Bodegas Luzon is the maker and Jumilla is the region in Spain where the wine is made.  They don’t tell you what grapes go into the wine, but a search on Google will reveal all – 70% Monastrell and 30% Syrah.  Most of you clearly have heard of Syrah, but not many I bet have heard about Monastrell, which is actually just another name for Mourvedre, a common French Rhone varietal.  Enough of the education for now and on to what this wine tastes like.  It is a red wine, typically a deep purple or eggplant in color with a dark rich almost earthy aroma.  The wine is drier than many American counterparts – a component of wines I certainly like, but not too much.  Overall it is fairly smooth with flavors of dark fruits and licorice and a reasonably long finish.  It is surprisingly complex for such an inexpensive wine, and highly enjoyable.  I have been finishing up my 2008 vintages, with the 09’s, 10’s, and now 11’s on the market I will need to try.  This wine is perhaps one of the best deals in the market, scoring high 80s to very low 90s on several wine ratings for almost every vintage.  If you are adventurous, you can step it up a notch to their Altos de Luzon wine for about $15-18 that incorporates some Spain’s classic Tempranillo grape and some Cab Sav.

So up to now I have been pointing out some Old World area wines and have seemed to avoid the New World wonders.   Well then, you should consider the Phantom by Bogle ($17-20).  This is a bit of a cult wine in some areas of the wine world, and for good reason.  It blends Petite Sirah*, Zinfandel and Mourvedre (see above) to make a rich, luscious, almost sinfully slutty wine.  Not unlike the Luzons I noted above, I am pouring off my 2007 vintages of Phantom right now.  These are actually better when aged for a year or more, assuming you can hold off drinking them.  The Phantom’s come and go from stores wickedly fast.  I have seen some shops advertize that the Phantoms are coming, and if I don’t get there that weekend – bam they are gone!  They do command a higher price and close in on the mystical $20 threshold I talked about earlier, but I have seen them on sale periodically for $16.99.

A recent tasting of a weirdly named wine: Boom Boom -  a syrah from Washington State provided some boom boom taste experiences. This clearly works to be a more slutty** wine than the average and the name is somewhat indicative of what to expect when you taste it.  It’s dark and rich with more intense upfront fruity flavors.  Made by Charles Smith (he aptly named his wine business Charles Smith Wines – how innovative is that!), he seems to focus on crazy wine names and labels, but not so crazy in the bottle.  His more infamous wine Kung Fu Girl has won many accolades, if not for the name.  Wine makers from Europe find this type of branding and wine making something of a cowboy attitude – how American!  And awesome.  Anyway, Boom Boom is a good solid wine that someone managed to give 90 points for.  Not sure it gets that high, but it is still a pretty fun wine to drink with more intense flavorful foods, not to mention some very ripe and stinky cheeses.  Prices for this wine are all over the map ($12-19), depending on sales and such, so keep a mindful eye out for a better price.

Not to be stingy on white wines, I will mention one that remains through the colder weather:  Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($11-15).  “Savy B’s” as we call them can vary widely in tastes depending on where they come from and what the winemaker is trying to do with them, but this one from Spy Valley has tickled our throats and taste buds with its interesting citrus and grapefruit appeal.  When on sale I buy loads, and for party’s it has been a crowd pleaser among the Savy B quaffers.  It’s no top of the line SB, but pretty damn good for the price.



*Dinitro's explanation when I questioned him about the spellings:  "Syrah and Sirah are two different grapes.  The former is the common grape of the southern Rhone Valley and big in Australia where they call it Shiraz....Sirah is actually Petite Sirah, a grape that originated as a cross of Syrah pollen germinating a Peloursin plant.  It is also called the Durif grape, though no one uses that name.  Petite Sirahs are not very common but can be simply awesome."

**Second Dinitro explanation:  "As for 'Slutty,' it is indeed a common wine term used by many folks including the infamous Robert Parker.  It means all of what you might think it means, but commonly to wines that have a high alcohol content, and powerful over-ripe intense dark berry and super juicy flavors."

Architekt Ink Review: Antique Pink

 

Just received my shipment from xFountainPens and couldn't wait to try the Architekt ink, which is clearly a De Atramentis bottle.  I ordered several different inks, including Antique Pink, which should correlate to their special Historic Person ink "Maria Stuart" or Mary, Queen of Scots.  Described as "antique pink," the ink was made for the 425th Anniversary of Mary's death on February 8, 1587, and I was hooked when I first read about it on the De Atramentis website.

Architekt Antique Pink on the left, Diamine Flamingo Pink on the right

Is antique pink associated with Mary, Queen of Scots?  No idea, and the De Atramentis web site doesn't say.  Their history of Mary ends with her husband, Lord Darnley's, death, which is the third or fourth beginning (her birth/father's death, sent to France, the dauphin's death) of her long, sad saga and not its end.

On to the color, which is definitely pink.  Indoors this looked like it had a touch of purple in it, but outside (where I took these pictures) you can see it tends more to a strawberry color.  It's definitely darker than Diamine's Flamingo Pink, which almost glows on the Rhodia bright white paper.

  

The color is vibrant, and there's a lot of shading though I couldn't quite see it at the time. I wanted to record my Antique Pink/Fusion pen combination in The InkJournal as well, and noticed that there wasn't a lot of bleed through on the paper until I colored in the heart. 

Architekt Antique Pink with Nemosine Fusion Pen

Definitely I had a lot of fun with this color.  I'm not sure how much I'll use it day to day, though.  I'm in the office right now, taking notes, and I have to say there's something odd about using it on Rhodia graph paper--the violet lines seem to overwhelm the pink color.  I'll have to try it on my other papers (Whitelines, Kyokuto, etc.) to see how it handles.  I guess my first test will be when I use it for a memo to my boss!

Was there anything I didn't like about this Architekt ink?  No, but I do have a problem with the way xFountainPens shipped the order.  Two glass bottles of ink placed in a bubble mailer--nothing around them, no "fragile" on the outside of the mailer, basically the way you'd expect someone unfamiliar with USPS to mail something that could quite easily break and spill.  How this got to me intact I don't know, but I have to say it has made me a bit hesitant to order again.  I might want to put a few instructions in the comments section of the order form, particularly what their return/replacement policy is for broken bottles of ink.

Whoa! De Atramentis Ink By A Different Name

Just saw this at XFountainPens.com, they are offering Architekt Ink made by "De Atremis" of Germany--it's De Atramentis ink, at an amazingly low price. 

I know the Kermesin Red is one of the Historic Persons inks, Mark Twain, while the Oriental Red is Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle.  I don't see Sherlock Holmes (Night Blue), but there are others you can try to match up.

They also have Archival, Document, and Registrar's inks, what a great line up!

Nemosine Fission Fountain Pen

Got an email from XFountainPens.com announcing the new Nemosine Fission fountain pen, which looks really cool and is available at a great price.  There's a coupon as well for a pack of ink cartridges, if you order a Fission by this Friday.  I'm sooooo tempted!

PACK OF INK CARTRIDGES FREE

With Every Single Fission Buy a Nemosine Fission on or before this Friday the 19th, and we'll ship a free 10 pack of ink cartridges with every single unit (a $6.99 value)!  Click to see the Nemosine Fission Pens

Offer Expires Friday 10/19/2012. Offer may be modified or revoked at any time without notice. Please contact us with any questions.

Daycraft 2013 Executive Diary (A5 English Version)

Many thanks to Daycraft and Mr. Foreal Lee for sending me this 2013 Executive Diary to try out.  I do like Daycraft products, some of which are very clever, like these Retro Arcade notebooks, and all of which are useful and well-made.

The 2013 Executive Diary I received is an A5 size, about 5.8 by 8.3 or roughly the same size as a Rhodia No. 16 notepad (my favorite).  It's made of a very sturdy yet soft Italian PU leather, and I really like the clasp and elastic closure that keeps it secure.  The paper is 70gsm, not especially fountain pen friendly but I've learned to live with a bit of bleed through or shadowing.

Conversion tables

What I also enjoy in Daycraft diaries is the enormous amount of information that comes along with these page-a-day calendars.  There's an International holiday guide, a basic international guide (with information on tourist information, currency, electricity supply, and driving information), IDD codes for phoning home, a Vintage Chart showing the best year for things like German Mosel and Loire White, conversion tables, size tables, and a new favorite of mine--nutrition and health guides.

Size conversions next to a calorie table--accident?

My favorite--Nutriton & Health, with a cool food pyramid

January 2013

Each month starts off with a gray page on the left with a quote ("Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend"--Theosphstus, 372 BC - 287 BC), while the right page has a lined section for notes as well as a quick month-at-a-glance calendar.  The gray ink makes a nice contrast with the ivory paper, as well as with this particular pink Executive Diary.  All in all, great design.

The paper is, as I mentioned above, 70gsm and therefore a bit on the thin side.  I had some shadowing with a gel ink pen I used, as well as with one of my Pilot fountain pens.

Some shadow effect from the gel ink pen

What did surprise me what when I switched to a Noodler's Ahab Flex and used a gentler store with the nib--no shadow at all.  So I will have to try not to press so hard and see how that works as I use this more in the new year.

Finally ,there's a very nice pocket in the back of the Diary for papers, receipts, whatever you need to carry.

If you're looking for some great stationery products besides a 2013 Diary, take a look at their website.  I like these Astrology notebooks with a landscape view, as well as their Signature notebook.  You may want to take the plunge and place an order for some really well-made notebooks and journals.  And check out their Facebook page, there are some great photos of their products in action.

OHTO Dude Ceramic (Roller) Ball Pen

Just saw this comment from TJ at OHTO Americas, and many thanks.  If you like the look of the Dude but aren't a fountain pen user (or just want to vary your daily arsenal), there is an OHTO Dude ceramic (roller) ball pen for you.  It's not available from JetPens, but you can get one from Amazon.

Another pen I really liked the look of is this OHTO Words Metallic Bordeaux .  Beautiful, but not at JetPens or Amazon.  Hmm, will have to start looking around for this.

Uni-ball Style Fit Single Color Slim Gel Ink Pen

Saw these Uni-ball Style Fit Single Color Slim gel ink pens with a 0.38 mm tip and a 0.5mm tip and decided to try them both out so I could see how they compared to each other. I got a 0.5mm  in blue and and a 0.38 in blue-black, and have given them a pretty good writing workout over the past few days doing some research projects that require a lot of note-taking.

The Style Fit Single Color Slim is a little strange looking, but it's a very cool pen:  definitely slim (about half the size of a G2 or B2P), but standard-length so it doesn't get lost in your pencil cup.  The long, clear plastic section gives you a good view of how much ink you have remaining while also making about a third of the pen seem to disappear.

It's a simple pen, just three parts to it.  The ink refill fits into a slot inside the pen where the plunger, so no spring to get lost.  You have a choice of refills, as well: gel ink, ballpoint, and pencil. I like that I can change not only the colors and tip size but the format as well, and may check out the ballpoint options.

I have to say that I really preferred the 0.5mm over the 0.38mm tip.  The latter seemed more like I was writing with a nail, and I found myself really grinding into the paper. The 0.5mm was smoother in my hand, and writing felt easier and more natural. But I do love the blue-black color of the 0.38mm refill, and will have to look for some in 0.5mm at JetPens.

If you are looking for a new pen to add to your collection, check this out. I've really enjoyed writing with it, even the 0.38mm.

Pilot B2P Recycled Ballpoint Pen Review

Thanks again to Pilot Pen and Shoplet.com for sending some pens to review. Along with the other pens was this Pilot B2P Recylcled Ballpoint Pen, which I was really looking forward to trying out.

L-R: Ballpoint, Gel Ink

One of my favorite pens is the Pilot B2P Recycled Gel Ink pen, a sturdy roller ball that takes a G2 gel ink refill. I love the clear blue color, it does remind me of a water bottle and it's easy to spot on my desk or in my pen tray.

The B2P Ballpoint has a bright blue semi-soft grip, and a different style of clip that identifies the width, which is a nice feature if you're looking for a certain tip for writing. All in all, lots of points for styel and design.

Writing with the B2P ballpoint surprised me. It writes well, with very good ink flow and almost no ink blobbing on the paper. So little there's to no staining, which I really appreciate. The tip glides smoothly, didn't catch or skip on the paper, and this medium size is not too wide. Comparing the gel ink with the ballpoint above, the gel ink took a lot longer to dry and the 0.7mm tip seemed a bit too wide.

Definitely a good ballpoint, which I find I'm using more regularly now. If you're looking for a cute ballpoint that gets high marks on the Green scale (86% post consumer recycled material) then check out the Pilot B2P Ballpoint.

Over at Desert Island Blogs...

My response to Millie, the proprietor of Ms. Logica, regarding the three things I'd take to a desert island is up. Go take a look, and I'm curious:  what would you take?

J. Herbin Bleu Ocean 1670 Anniversary Ink

J. Herbin's new addition to the 1670 Anniversary line is Bleu Ocean, a great complement to their 1670 Rouge Hematite.  Like it's sister ink, Bleu Ocean's packaging is fun and elegant, touching on M. Herbin's travels as a sailor to India and other places on the Spice Trade.

While it's been touted as a blue-black ink, I'm not seeing much black in it. What I do notice is an icy tone I haven't seen in my other inks, something almost silvery-cool to this color.  The shading is fantastic, as the pics (all taken outside, mid-day to get the best light) show.

 

I was curious to see how the Bleu Ocean compared to Diamine's new Sargasso Sea, and was surprised at the closeness of the colors.  Sargasso Sea does seem to have a deeper hue, but Bleue Ocean is very close.  Both samples were swabbed twice, to really layer the color and look for differences/similarities.

I loved writing with this ink, especially in My Noodler's Ahab Flex fountain pen (which writes much better once I trimmed the feed).  I think the Bleu Ocean will become one of my go-to inks that I'll keep in one of my pens at all times for immediate use.  Drying time wasn't an issue, but that could be the Rhodia paper. If you find Bleu Ocean, grab a bottle and enjoy this beautiful blue ink.

Desert Island Blogs--Which Three Would You Take?

Millie at mslogica has started a new series featuring bloggers from her blog roll, asking for their three "must have" items for desert island survival.  She originally contacted me in June, but I was working on this little project (yes, I'll spring it on you one more time) and, unfortunately, forgot.  She didn't, however, and sent me another request for my thoughts.  Pocket Blonde's Three will be appearing in the weeks to come, but Azizah at Gourmet Pens has started off the series.  Do go over and take a look, it's going to be a fun thought experiment.

Ken Cavers Custom Fountain Pens

Ken Cavers designs and makes custom fountain pens (and custom flyfishing rods, too), and I have to say I'm really take with his signature Bamboo design.  Check out his blog (I love the banner pic pen), the nib adjustment post is a great guide for the faint of heart like me.

Nemosine Singularity Fountain Pen Review

Nemosine Singularity Demonstrator

Some months back a reader emailed about the Nemosine Singularity fountain pen, and when an  Amazon.com gift card started burning a hole in my pocket I decided to add one to the cart (and the $15 price was too good to pass up).  I chose the Demonstrator model with a German fine nib, very happy to see in the description that it came with both cartridges and a converter.

This is a good-looking pen. Spare and elegant, with a few touches that aren't flashy or annoying, such as the top of the cap coming to a very slight point. When I started writing with it, my first thought was that the nib shaded more towards a medium than a fine.  As that's not my usual nib preference, I put the pen away for a few days and went to fill a few others to use. Going through my pen tray though, I pulled out several medium nibs I do have, as well as a few other demonstrators, and decided to see how the Singularity stacked up against them.

L-R: Nemosine Singularity, Monteverde Artista, Pilot Custom 74, TWSBI 530

The Nemosine actually does quite well against its more expensive cousins.  The capped pen measures almost 5.5 inches, just a bit bigger than the Artista but shorter than the Custom 74 and TWSBI in the above picture. 

L-R: Nemosine Singularity, Monteverde Artista, Pilot Custom 74, TWSBI 530

Posted, the Nemosine is just a shade under 6 inches, and again it compares well to the other Demonstrators.  But what about the medium nib, how does that hold up?

L-R: Nemosine Singularity, Monteverde Artista, Pilot Custom 74, TWSBI 530

The Nemosine has a very large nib, one of the biggest in my collection.  The only nib I have that is a match is my Pilot Namiki Custom 823.

L-R:  Seranne's paws, Pilot Namiki Custom 823, Nemosine Singularity

The larger nib does look a little strange on the smaller Singularity, a bit over-engined for its hull you might say.  But it is impressive, and I found that it writes very well.  I didn't have any of the usual dry-starts or skipping, and it has good hand-feel--not too heavy or too light, pretty well balanced, and overall very easy to use.

 I love the box it came in, with the Morse Code on the lower left spelling out "memory."  Nemosine is a variation of Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory and the mother, by Zeus, of the nine Muses.

The back spells out the details: the pens are made overseas, but their US home is Pittsburgh, PA.  I like that someone actually wrote on the box.

Nemosine takes the 3 year perfection warranty very seriously, and if there are any problems with the nib flow you can return it for repair or, most likely, replacement.  One of the funniest caveats I've ever read was on the company's web site:

** To forego a bunch of fancy legal jargon, we must reserve the right to rescind our warranty offer at any time, at our sole discretion, without notice. We certainly don't foresee any chance of resorting to this kind of action... but instead of paying a lawyer buckets of money to state the same thing within 3 pages of legal jargon, we figured we'd just protect ourselves by saying it outright. 

Nemosine's line vs. a few other pens

 But what about the nib line width, which seems more like a medium rather than a fine?  I got out a few other mediums I own, as well as two other fines, and tested them out.  The Waterman Hemisphere was definitely wider than the Nemosine, and the Faber-Castell Ambition was just a touch wider as well.

What surprised me was comparing the Nemosine Singularity to a Lamy Safari and Nakaya Decapod Twist, both fine nibs (for the latter, in every sense of the word).  The Nemosine wasn't that much wider than either of them, an almost undetectable hair's breadth of thickness.  So my initial reaction was definitely off, and the Singularity's fine nib really is a fine line.

This is a great pen at an amazingly low price, with different color and nib options that should keep most people happy.  I'm not sure if the pen is in any retail shops (they never got back to me, alas), but if you're inclined to buy one then Amazon.com is your best bet.  I can't think of a better pen at this price, and it's a great addition to the daily arsenal.