Saturday, December 29, 2012

Review of the Conway Stewart 27!



Review of the Conway Stewart 27 in Red Herringbone

I will follow the FPN guidelines for reviews since I'm use to reading reviews in that format, and I think they cover most bases. So here it goes!

-First Impressions
When I first received this pen I was very excited. Since I know the Herringbone pattern is highly sought after for its stylish looks, I was checking the mail everyday like a mad man. Upon arrival the pen was in pretty good shape, it looked stunning, and it had a #5 semi flex nib. What's not to like?

-Appearance and Design
Again the herringbone design is absolutely gorgeous. I can see why all the hype. The pen screams elegance. The actual pattern itself looks intricate, and there are different hues of red like a marble effect that serves as a perfect backdrop for the herringbone design. The clip, lever, cap jewel all screams vintage Conway Stewart. The cap jewel on mine has brassing. The jeweler's band is un-monogrammed and has a hint of brassing just starting to show, but overall the band looks great. The clip shows very minor brassing. The lever looks great with deep details, and just a hint of brassing on the edges of the lever bar.

-Weight and Dimensions
I don't have a scale handy, so I'm afraid I can't give weight in numbers. It doesn't feel like a super lightweight pen, but since the cap and body is celluloid it definitely isn't heavy.
I can give dimensions fortunately:
Capped: 13.2 cm
Uncapped: 11.6 cm
Posted 16.2cm

This pen has a good size for big, and small hands. I have small hands, and if feels great. I think the pen will work for most people unposted, but for people with very large hands maybe the option to post might be better. The pen feels very balanced when posted, and not heavy cap side or nib side. Which is very nice. The 27 has about a 1.3cm girth which seems to work for anyone unless they want a really beefy pen. Not slim, but not overly hefty, it feels just right.

-Nib and Performance
The 14k #5 CS nib is a joy to write with. Very smooth, and being a semi flex feels great to show emotion and line variation on the paper. More on the wet than the dry side helps the nib glide on paper. Conways are known to be great daily writers with many having spring or semi flex to them, so I don't know much more to say about this.

-Filling System
Classic lever fill system is great. Very reliable as long as you change the sac every few decades. The lever bar actuates smoothly, and has Conway's "CS" hallmark on the lever. I love lever fillers, because they are so easy to maintain.

-Cost and Value
I can't say how much I got this pen for, but I believe I did very well. This pen is up for sale for $230 shipped

-Conclusion
A stunning pen in very good-excellent condition. Writes smoothly, has good size, very well balanced, and just overall screams elegance and class. I'm very proud to do this as my first review. The pen has made me confident in Conway Stewart's personally, and has put a mentality of quality in the back of my head. A great instrument for daily writing with a semiflex nib.








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