The Conklin Mark Twain Demonstrator Crescent Filler Fountain Pen
Today we have a gorgeous surprise of a fountain pen! The Conklin Mark Twain Demonstrator Crescent Filler fountain pen. Noting early that this fountain pen was kindly gifted to me by the parent company, Yafa brands :)
The packaging for the pen was pretty lux feeling! I like that the sleeve for the box has a diagram showing the various parts of the pen. The pen came in a leather box that was pretty snappy opening it - very tactile. According to my reading on the card included in the box, Roy Conklin (the founder of the Conklin Pen Company) “registered the patent for the first working automatic filling mechanism in 1898”. The crescent moon shape is attached to a bar within the barrel of the pen. By pressing in on the crescent, the bar squeezes the sac inside, which can fill the sac with ink. At the bottom of the post is a short video I made of unboxing the pen and showing the process of filling the pen with ink.
The thing I would critique the pen for are small details - but we’re fountain pen folk, and fine details I think goes with the territory.
The nib itself is silver, which just stands out and feels a bit odd considering the rest of the trimming is rose gold. I’m sure it’s due to the availability of the Jowo nibs, but I think plating the nib even would’ve added to the final touch.
Also of note is the sac filler itself - the sac was a slightly yellow in colour, which may just be due to the sac itself being exposed to light for too long. Ultimately it doesn’t matter too much since it gets filled with ink, but I was still a bit disappointed by that.
Overall, I really like the pen! The grip with the crescent filler is something I was initially confused by, but getting used to the grip came pretty fast.
Hi! Just a disclaimer that:
This pen was generously gifted to me by Yafa Brands, who own Monteverde USA, Conklin Pens, and Private Reserve Ink, in exchange for posts about said products. However, the opinions I’ve shared are still my own, as like any other post I’ve made :)
If you'd like to support me and have some stationery shopping to do you can shop at Atlas Stationer's site using my affiliate link - use code PAPEREMM10 for a discount on your order too! Some exceptions may apply.
Check out some recent fountain pens I’ve enjoyed:
The 2023 TWSBI Eco in the Creme colour way, from a broad nib to an architect + reverse grind.