Bamboo

"Hi Norman. The pen (Duke, bamboo) and pen-roll arrived! I'm still getting used to the feel of it--alas, the way I prefer to grip pens happens to span this pen's metal threaded join between section and barrel, due to the shorter section on this pen--but I can't believe how well it writes! Thanks for the tuning, you got the balance just right, not too dry, not too wet. It writes so "smoothly"... not butter smooth, but a more "utilitarian smooth", that's the best way I can put it. Reminds me a lot of the feel of the LAMY Safari in fact. I doubt the the professed German roots of the Duke are reason, but who knows. The smoothness is so at odds with nib's rather very common and basic appearance. Anyhow, thanks for a great pen, it's vying for top spot of "daily pen" with my Safari now. :-) BTW, I really liked the packaging (and the seal!)."
M. K., Waterloo, Canada

"Norman, Received my latest order this afternoon. Really appreciate your service in what must be trying times. Those series 329 pens took me back to my youth. They are smooth. Remind me so much of the feel of the Parker 61 although the barrel appears to be slightly smaller. I believe the Copper Burst does work better for my vision. Stands out more than the Chocolat for my reading. As usual, saving the best for last. Thanks for the selection on the Duke Bamboo. This pen in six hours has become one of my all-time favorites. To put it mildly, this is a luxury pen at a student price. The pen maneuvers with such balance that it's hard to believe the length is so great. Only comparable length I have tried is a Mount Blanc Diplomat and the Duke has it beat on balance. The dark bamboo brings back memories of a lamented lost Pelikan 800. That delicate taper makes you take a second look. And then I started to write with it. It more than matches the two pens I referred to above. Really satisfying...This Bamboo pen is so smooth...Thanks again."
J. C., Columbia, S.C.

"Norman, the pens arrived and are wonderful. The Duke is a Gorgeous pen and an incredibly smooth writer (given your adjustments), the ink flow is perfect for me! The Pilot is an incredible value, the stub nib writes wonderfully and it seems to be a great value in an everyday writer. I believe I remember that it comes in a BB nib as well, if so I will be ordering one. I love stub nibs and the nib is what makes that pen a great piece. Thanks for your prompt service. Till next time...."
A. R., Huntington, NY

"Hi Norman, I wanted you to know that I really like the Duke. I used it today at a conference, and besides its great looks it is a very good writer. The nib reminds me of those on Cross FPs (which, to me, are very good).
Thanks again Norman--you have a winner here! This is, by far, the best Duke pen that I have tried."
F. C., Chatham, NJ

The most versatile grass plant in the world -- and certainly the Panda Bear's favorite -- finds its way into making the barrel of the gorgeous DUKE Bamboo fountain pen.

This is a full-sized model, measuring 5-3/4" capped, 5" with cap aside, and a humungous 7" with its cap posted. The pen is light enough that posting the cap is not unreasonable, but certainly not necessary for a comfortable fit in the hand.

These pens were on my order waiting-list for several months, as my supplier told me that DUKE was out-of-stock of the special bamboo used in their manufacture. I thought that bamboo was bamboo, but have since learned that there are at least one-thousand species, and the deep, rich texture and coloration of this bamboo was definitely worth the wait.

The long barrel of bamboo -- which is lacquer-coated -- is interrupted at the end by a metal posting band. Interestingly, the bamboo is continued, in a stepped-down diameter, beyond that...until it meets the dome-shaped chrome end-cap.

An additional metal band balances the other end of the barrel, where it meets one of the three bands adorning the cap. All-in-all, a well thought out design.

The cap top is adorned with a pearl 'jewel', and the black lacquered cap tends to accentuate the beauty of the wood barrel.

Unscrewing the all-metal fittings between the cap and barrel reveals not only the silver steel nib -- which I would rate as a light-medium -- but also the two-step section. Rather than use just a plain black section, Duke used a resin with blue and white pearlized inclusions. It's a subtle, but pleasant discovery.

The pen comes equipped with a piston converter for bottled ink and will also fit International-style cartridges, such as those from Private Reserve. A gift box is included.

IMPORTANT SERVICE NOTE: Every nib that ships from His Nibs is closely examined under high magnification and tuned or adjusted if needed. About 85% of modern nibs need some adjustment out-of-the-box from the manufacturer for an optimal writing experience. Most commonly, the tines of the nib are misaligned -- which would cause scratchiness at the minimum; the slit between the tines is partially or fully closed -- which would starve the nib of ink and at best cause skipping; or the slit between the tines is too wide -- which will either again cause skipping, or conversely, flooding. There are other factors -- such as separation of the nib from the feed -- that are inspected and repaired before any pen leaves the Palace.

The only 100% guarantee of course comes when the pen is actually filled with ink and written with for the first time, but our pre-shipping inspections and tunings have eliminated 99.99999 (my finger is getting tired) of the frustrations that a customer experiences when first using a new fountain pen. Although this can be time-consuming on occasion, it affords our customers a much more pleasant experience when receiving a fountain pen from His Nibs -- and saves us the frustration of dealing with returns!