Stipula Etruria Prisma 88 Magma T-Flex

[@danlevene5478]

I bought a used stipula 22. A beauty with a stunning two tone titanium nib. I had the same problem as you. Maybe that is why it was sold. To cut a long story short, a bit of brass shim to widen the slit a bit did the trick for me. Now it is great.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I have a brass shim. Thank-you! That is now on my list of things to try after the easy fixes.

[@wayneclarkson375]

Waski i must say i do like the Prisma 88 range of pens. I especially like the way they have integrated the different coloured resins into one as though it is one colour is fading in and out of the colour spectrum so to speak. I also agree it is an attractive pen. Loving the ink but Titanium nibs can be a bit troublesome and easily sprung it is something to do with the composition of the alloys it is soft but has less of the springiness of say steel and gold. Waski i had the same ink skipping problems with my Conklin Crescent filler and after removing the actual nib and feed i looked at the feed with my loupe and found out that there were burrs running across the ink channel of the feed which were left over from the moulding process that were stopping the ink to flow correctly down the channel. I corrected the problem by carefully running a pointed craft knife blade along the channel thus removing the burrs. Hope this helps and thank you very much for another excellent review.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Yes, the design on this range is beautiful. I like this one a bit better than the rainbow version. Thank you for the suggestion about removing nib and feed. I've had a few good ideas from the comments on this video, and that's another one. I would be disappointed to discover that a badly made feed is the problem on this pen!

[@davidbusse8900]

I like the idea of a first impression "review" of a pen. It can be very interesting to see what you first run into using a pen. As other have already mentioned, comparing first impressions with a later full review could be very helpful indeed. Thanks for all the videos you post. I know it is a lot of work. I appreciate it.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you! yes, I'm now going to do this as a semi-regular feature. And I know first and later impressions can be quite different. Hopefully when I do the real review of this Stipula, I have nicer things to say.

[@chrisrap52]

What came to me was "Pens not is use". Videos on those pens that you don't use. Your experience with Stipula & t-flex sadly is not uncommon. They have a quality challenge. Beautiful Italian designs, but not so much with function.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That actually would be an interesting video: all the pens I didn't keep in a year and why. But, of course, I don't own most of them anymore. I wish I had researched Stipula more thoroughly. I've never been interested in their pens and never paid attention to their reviews. But I saw this pen and fell in pen lust. I really should have done due diligence.

[@frankbruno7122]

Thanks Jason! I have an Etruria Alter Ego t-flex.. I love the size and shape of the model.. I would like this one as well! Best wishes! Frank from Boulder, Colorado

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It's a great pen...except that one little issue.

[@brettwestphal7602]

Beautiful pen, I enjoyed the quick look and the ink. I think we all do the same thing when we get a pen thanks for sharing. I love my Tactile Turn with a titanium nib but the massive ink it lays down and small ink supply are a problem. I think one titanium nib is great but I would not have two.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you for the information about the titanium. I'm not in a hurry to get another one.

[@TheresaRobertsonLROL]

I really enjoyed this First Impressions review. And a beautiful ink. I know you said we may not see this type of format often so I’ll just look forward to when you may do one again. I find that I often like the look of a Stipula pen but there are far too many mixed reviews for me to want to pull the trigger on purchasing one.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I will consider doing more of these. Usually the first impression occurs briefly in "Pens in Use" without much comment. I wish I had researched Stipula better. I had never really even thought about one until I saw this one and fell in pen lust.

[@TheresaRobertsonLROL]

WaskiSquirrel lol pen lust. That about sums it up.

[@ArkansasMike]

I like first impressions videos. I'm anxious to see how the pen turns out.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'll try a different ink this weekend. I've had a few other suggestions in the comments that I will pursue as well.

[@Martin-gu5eb]

Yes, please do your first impressions of a pen, I would be interested in that, and if you returned to do a review of the pen it would be interesting to see if your findings change 👍🏻

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you! There is certainly a lot less prep work for a first impressions video, so it is easier to put together.

[@robp.7769]

Gorgeous pen. I love the flow of the nib, that's exactly what a flex pen needs -- hope the ink keeps flowing in it.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It definitely flows well...when it flows.

[@neuratron7425]

Hi, Waski. Thank you for the work. I was wondering, I don't know how much of a tinkerer do you consider yourself, but I think you can try to widen the channels in the feed, not only the ones just below the nib (those that carry the ink), but those at the not-nib side of the feed underneath (those that allow the air interchange). That should solve the ink starvation problem. Usually just a few very subtle passes with a razor blade can do the trick, with those cheap standard asian feeds. Greetings from Argentina. Keep up the good work.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I will look at at. I am someone who likes to fix things, but only to a point. With a pen this expensive, I have to decide whether to try that level of fix or whether to use the Stipula warranty. On this pen, that's an important consideration.

[@ChrisSaenz13]

I like first impressions reviews -- it's great to see later (when the full review comes out) which impressions remain. You were very clear that it's just first impressions. Beautiful pen! I'm the same way though, I write pages and pages at a time and that would BOTHER me a lot if it stopped. I have one Stipula pen, the Passaporto and I really like it it writes great - it's a tiny pocket pen so it's not for LONG writing sessions but I've been very favorable about Stipula because of it and have thought about looking for a full sized pen by them if I can find one in my price range! Enjoyed seeing your new pen and I hope the nib issues will be as simple as ink that it likes or an easy nib fix. Although, like you said at $200+ price point you shouldn't have to work on the pen to make it write.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you! Yes, pens need to write. I shouldn't struggle like this to get it writing at any price point. The Pilot Varsity and Platinum Preppy get it right at a far lower cost. This pen was bought without sufficient research. I worked a side job I don't enjoy and promised myself something nice as a reward. I'll be trying a different ink this weekend. If that doesn't work, I've gotten some good suggestions in the comments. But none of this should be necessary with a pen like this.

[@keithwhitney7491]

I pulled up this older review because the Stipula Etruria T-Flex I purchased was supposedly a $500 pen sold by a very well known online vendor for around $250. I have talked to a well-know nib master who indicated the titanium nib is great most of the time but horrible of horribles when bad. I apparently have a bad one, because mine is impossible to write with. Mine never worked. The titanium nib is supposed to be soft; mine was a NAIL! I washed it out, changed inks, and tried every trick. I talked with the the pen you mentioned (extraordinarily followed vendor), and they did not encourage me to send it into them. I didn’t, and I will always resent that encouragement. I finally put it away for a year. I pulled it out and tried to increase the nib flow and smooth the nib. It wrote wet for a few minutes, then it skipped, hard-started, and went dryer and dryer. I too primed the nib with the piston. It would drop ink in wet drops…then quit writing. I am thinking of giving it to someone who might be able to fix it and use it or give it to someone else. All I can tell you is that my thoughts are that there a lot of problems with this pen, which just seems dropping in price, because it was such a bad model. By the way, I cannot tell, but mine is so hard to move that I am afraid I will break the pen if I try too hard to remove the nib or unscrew the nib unit. It acts as though it is glued. Can you tell if its? I am an old, retired professor, and I am disgusted with both customer service by a proud firm and by a pen with an Italian name! Buying from an online vendor, I got no warranty card.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Mine was not a nail, but otherwise my experience matches yours. Happily, this nib does very well in other pens. But I'm really disappointed that I can't get even successful nibs to work in this pen. I won't be purchasing another Stipula pen.

[@keithwhitney7491]

@@WaskiSquirrel Your comment may have helped me move on! I will not sell it without disclosing each issue. I know of one nib moister who might take it in a trade (as a challenge to see if he can “fix” it. If I was positive that the section was not glued to the body (with piston filler), I could at least grease the piston so it would move more easily. I get slightly longer writing sessions with it now, but I must prime the nib everyone so often to get sufficient flow. It is easily my most frustrating purchase of a pen, since I paid over $250 (supposedly at a 50% discount) for a pen without a gold nib. It now sells new for $225, even though the MSRP may have stayed high. I do not see how they can maintain their status as a premium Italian pen manufacturer. The L.A. area holding company seems to buy a lot of such companies. KW

[@mge1082]

I just bought one and it great thus far. I believe what I bought was post the problem period. The only thing is when you fill it ink gets inside on the feed and looks like it’s on the barrel and not removable. The nib unit and feed screw out easily and the area cleans up. I’ll post further if any problem. Thanks.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Good to know. I could not get mine to unscrew and the reviews I've read seem to say both. Some can, and some cannot. I need to play with this pen some more or else send it to Stipula.

[@andrewbrindle5346]

I admire your calmness! If I buy a pen, whether it cost $50, or $500, and it doesn't write, I feel very disappointed and let down. Recently, I bought a Noodler's safety pen and an Aurora 88 flex, and neither of them are able to write for a page without drying up. Oh, well!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

My students tell me I get really calm when I'm angry. I agree with you: if it is on the market it should write reliably. Certainly at the high price point, but also at the low end. A Platinum Preppy and a Pilot Varsity write with no trouble. I'm sorry to hear about your Aurora 88 flex. I have one and love it.

[@jmm95076]

Please make a follow up video and let us know how Stipula responds to your warranty request and/or how (or how not) you were able to make the pen work. Thanks for this first impression.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I will certainly follow up. It will be in Pens in Use for the next few weeks while I try some suggestions. But it may come down to Stipula's warranty.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

By definition, a first impression video can't be comprehensive, but when juxtaposed with a later, full review, the first impression is very useful. It helps to provide perspective for the full review. Do more, and not just for the new pens :-)

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you! I feel like my vintage Polish Inco might have made an interesting first impression video, especially if I did some footage of it before I did anything to it. It became a very different pen after a few hours of work.

[@rachelsReflections]

Thanks for the shout-out. :) You might be able to improve the ink flow by sticking the nib unit it an ultrasonic cleaner. The nib unit unscrews fairly easily. I just hold the nib with some wadded up paper towel to turn it so I don't risk stressing the tines. But, I'll agree with you, this pen is a disappointment. The other two Stipula pens I have are lovely.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I will try the ultrasonic cleaner. Thank you! I wish I had read your blog before purchasing this pen.

[@rachelsReflections]

@@WaskiSquirrel yeah, it's such a shame that this version has so many problems. It makes me wary to buy future Stipula pens. Best of luck with the nib.

[@periwinkle197]

I have the stipula Etruria lE Rainbow red resin with steel nib and it writes great.....I reckon I'd be putting some Waterman Florida blue ink in it.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'm going to try one of my well-behaved inks this weekend. If it turns out to be an ink problem, I'll forgive Stipula. I do know this ink can be a difficult one.

[@steveconquest6684]

Hello, I have the Stipula celluloid amber and it writes beautifully out of the box. I liked it enough that I also purchased the Stipula Volterra which should arrive this week. I own six Viscontis with gold nibs and they all write incredibly well, however, I stay clear of the palladium nibs. Perhaps if this had a gold nib you wouldn't have had that problem. Titanium just doesn't impress me very much. Cheers, Steve

[@WaskiSquirrel]

This pen shows flashes of brilliance. But then it disappoints. I've put other nibs in it, and it does great. I think you're right about titanium.

[@helenbugsynelson]

Firstly I love that ink colour. I really don't think I will ever be able to buy a fountain pen at that price point and I console myself by taking note of some of the quality issues that you touched on. I noticed an owie on the tip of your thumb. It looks sore. The other thing I noticed is a marked improvement in your penmanship. Your writing is really improved science I first started watching your videos a couple of years back. Keep up the good work. I always learn something from your videos be it pen related, driving videos or touring your garden .

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Yes, this pen definitely came from extra money I earned working a side job. And yes, the thumb bled quite a lot, but not as much as it did in the stories that the kids that witnessed it took home! I do try to keep working on my handwriting. When I started these, I had just started making a conscious effort with my writing. And I'm glad you can learn something. I'm a teacher first!

[@TheHardcoreDilettante]

I find that titanium nibs are prone to swinging wildly between pouring way too much ink down on the page and skipping/stopping entirely. I put a ti Bock nib in an Indian pen with an ebonite feed, and it's amazing. Flow is consistent and juicy, but not excessively wet. I think there's something about the titanium itself that doesn't wick the ink as steadily as steel or gold, so it really doesn't work well with your standard mass-produced plastic feed, but ebonite will help it out enough to deliver a reliable and pleasurable writing experience.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Yes, I feel like there is a reason most companies aren't using titanium nibs. Maybe if other avenues fail, I can look at using an ebonite feed if I find one that fits.

[@LifeinLancashire]

A lovely looking pen. Hopefully when you have tried different inks, you won't continue to have a problem, but should imagine you are quite disappointed in the performance of the pen at the moment. I don't own any Stipula pens, but have heard that some do have problems. Given the high cost of some pens, if I continued to have problems with one, I would be contacting the manufacturer and complaining, because it's totally unacceptable for a pen to leave the factory with those problems.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I am very disappointed! I tried writing with it on really horrible paper tonight at school. Same problem. I'll be trying Parker Black in it this weekend. I wish I had researched Stipula more thoroughly. I have never really been interested in a Stipula pen until I saw this one, so I've never paid attention to the reviews. And yes, I will be contacting Stipula about this pen if I can't easily solve it. Meanwhile, I'm mailing in that warranty card!

[@sachakahn2052]

I was interested to see your first impression of this pen when it showed up in my feed. I am less interested in the pen now. Hopefully you get it to write not only beautifully, but also reliably.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Yes, I wish I had researched this pen better before purchasing. I had extra cash from a side job and let pen lust take over. I have had some good suggestions, so I hope I can get it working.

[@sachakahn2052]

I tried a titanium nib pen at the pen show I visited the previous month. I don't remember the model well. It could have been tthe Stipula with the non-gold plated nib.

[@chrislj2890]

I've heard that the Stipula titanium nibs sometimes have issues. The only Ti nib I own is a Karas Kustoms, which is very good with no issues, but it's not a flex. I do have two Stipula Etruria pens with steel nibs and they are some of my best writers, so please don't think all Stipula pens are problematic.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Sadly, I didn't do much research on the Stipula brand. I've never been interested in a Stipula before. But now I'm learning a lot. From what I'm hearing, they are inconsistent. Some are amazing, some are okay, and some are really bad like mine.

[@andrewcamacho4092]

Beautiful pen and ink. Does the skipping happen on other paper? If so it may be this pen and ink combination doesn't work as you said. Try your most reliable ink and a variety of papers. If skipping continues then it's most likely a problem with the nib and feed.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

The skipping happens on any paper. But I agree on both pen and ink: both beautiful. I'll probably try my Parker Black in it next.

[@polksie]

Good review. Do you think a different ink would solve the flow problem?

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I don't really think so. But I have that hope. That will be the first and easiest fix. Sometimes a pen and an ink don't "like" each other. But they're both Stipula products, so I'm not holding out much hope.

[@polksie]

WaskiSquirrel I’ve always said the pen chooses the ink.

[@Soundreducerz]

Hi! I've been collecting Etrurias for a while (mostly the celluloid versions) and meight have a solution/workaround to your nib problem. My Etrurua rainbow had a similair problem with the nib, but the nib+feed are friction fit into the collar. You can easily remove the nib+feed and fit in a jowo nib+feed. I use the 1.5 Goulet nib in it! The stipula feeds are not any good..

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Last night I took the feed out of a cheap Chinese Hero pen and put it in the Stipula. (I kept the titanium nib.) It will slow down the ink flow, but I wrote 3 state pages last night with only occasional railroading but it never stopped.

[@Soundreducerz]

@@WaskiSquirrel looks like the feed is causing the malfunction. The problem in my pen was the feed also, there was a slight gap between the feed and the nib. Anyway, standard jowo nibs can be put in place easily making them great for steel nibs with fun grinds. I've been collecting pens for some years now, and the Stipula Etruria pens are 'the' pen for me in terms of size, shape, weight, looks (celluloid or cool demonstrators). Just the nibs could be better but than again my gold Stipula nibs are performing amazingly! I was the guy that asked about etrurias on your last live stream btw

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I just switched feeds again. I remembered that I had a broken Delta Serena. So I switched in the feed from that pen. It's doing even better than with the cheap Hero feed. But both are better than the Stipula feed, and I feel like all three have to come from the same factory? The pen does feel good in the hand, and I really want to use that t-flex nib.

[@Mattw1987]

My that is a long name for the pen, i do rather like that ink as well, great review

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I love this ink, even if it doesn't work in all pens. And yes, quite the name for a pen!

[@jasonshone1510]

I think a First impressions Video is a good idea,My Jinhao x750 acted the same with Parker quink it now writes lovely with Diamine ink. However a stipula should work with its own ink so id be thinking about sending it back as its not in The same price band as a Jinhao

[@WaskiSquirrel]

There are a few simple things I may try to fix it. But, yes, it may end up getting sent back.

[@12halfshell]

Here's another recent Stipula Magma experience. I ordered the pen from a reputable dealer, paid much closer to retail price and the pen looked beautiful. Yes, it showed a few small glue contact spots by the inner cap and clip, and the stripes did not align (which didn't bother me). I counted myself lucky. Then I uncapped the pen. Nib had a definite hairline crack, confirmed by my loupe. Oh Stipula, I want to love you, why must you make it so difficult.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Ouch! Sounds like you cam off even worse than I did!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I want to thank you for your comment. I am clearing out all my comments older than a few months with this generic comment, but I want you to know that I did read your comment, even if I missed it when it was originally posted.

[@davidanderson3425]

I like the idea of doing a "first impressions" video. It should release you from the constraints of a full review and all the time-consuming research required at the planning stages. Often our first impressions are very reliable. Turning to the Stipula pen, it would be very unusual if the ink were the cause of this pen stopping writing. I say this because the ink is actually branded Stipula. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if Lamy ink didn't suit Lamy pens, or if Parker ink didn't work well in Parker pens. I'm not ruling out the ink but it would be strange. As you have already cleaned and flushed the pen I would be thinking in terms of adjusting the nib and feed. But, I'm no expert, and I'm confident you will get this pen working better.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'm wondering if I should do more first impressions. I've had a few positive comments. I think first impressions of my Polish Inco pen would have been interesting: I wish I had photographed what it was, the results of all the cleaning, and the final product. Night and day! I'm scared that you are right about the ink. This ink does not cooperate in all pens, but it should work in a Stipula. I'm going to try another ink this weekend. I've also gotten some good suggestions for other fixes in the comments.

[@greyareaRK1]

The ink is very nice.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It doesn't play well in a lot of pens, but I do love this color! When I first saw the pen for sale, my mind immediately leapt to this ink.

[@453421abcdefg12345]

An excellent review on this pen, I do think that at this price a pen should be fully sorted out at the factory, I do not see why the buyer of a $700 pen should be expected to spend hours getting it to write as well as a $5 pen, and when the pen also looks like it dropped out of a Christmas cracker , a pen at this price should be reliable straight out of the box, so I think Stipula may be going under any time soon. Many thanks for posting this, it makes me feel much better about buying a $1000 vintage pen.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I paid a lot less than $700 for this, but it's still too expensive to have this problem. As you say, my Platinum Preppies and Pilot Varsities have no issues. I haven't spent $1000 on a pen yet, but there are some tempting beauties out there.

[@Maraaha55]

HI. this looks like a pretty pen, but the writing issue is a big disappointment. It may not be hard to fix, but I agree with you - at this price, it should *write*! For the little it is worth, to me, it looks like there is NO pen slit, so maybe widening it with a piece of shim could do the trick. I think first impressions are useful - please do this again

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I have heard this suggestion of using a shim from several comments. I will try that if some of the less invasive fixes do not work. And I agree that it should write. If a Platinum Preppy or a Pilot Varsity works right out of the box, a pen at this price point should work too. And, because of viewer suggestions, I may do more first impressions. I find myself wishing I had done one on the Polish Inco I debuted last week. I wish people knew how much I did to get that thing going.

[@matthewbeddow3278]

I'm really sorry your having issues with your pen, one of the things i do in this situation is change out the ink for a waterman ink but having read Chris's comments below then maybe it is the pen. One thing i really don't care for, apart from the skipping, is the black inner cap , its ugly and for a pen which is meant to be pretty i think it spoils the aesthetics. Thank you Jason for sharing.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Overall, it's pretty. But I agree: that inner cap should have been clear. I'm looking at some other options with this pen. It may be visiting a nib smith. I have it writing much better now, but still not well enough.

[@kookatsoonjan]

I just received this pen from Gouletpens, and there are 2 opague white stripes down both sides of the barrel, the section and the cap and the piston knob, none of which line up. Curious as to whether your pen also has this seeming defect in esthetics...supposed to be, advertised as being clear, red, orange transparent resin...no mention of white stripes...very ugly looking...please let me know...thank you...Janis

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I do not have any white stripes on mine. It is just the clear, red, and orange resin. I would be very disappointed by that. Out of curiosity, have you used yours yet? How does it write?

[@shadowmihaiu]

Seems to be an ink issue to me. I have similar experiences with some inks that just seem to dislike certain pens.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'm hoping it's the ink. I will experiment this weekend.

[@ccb1949]

Hi. Stipula makes very beutiful pens, But it is known they often have serious nib problems. Mainly the titaneum nibs. I have a Etruria Rainbow with a titaneum nib and a Vista with stell one witch wrote perefectly out of the box: But in another Etruria cartridge/converter, also with a titaneum nib, I had to «open» the feed chanel to increase the flow of the ink. Now it writes well. In a passeport I changed to an chinese gereric nib and the problem is solved. It's a shame in such beu«autifull pens

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I wish I had researched Stipula better before buying this pen. I have gotten some good suggestions from viewers about how to improve this pen. But I will start with the ink this weekend. A better ink may solve the problem.

[@tomasgimenez3199]

3 Italianisms: length of the name, price and quality.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I've been lucky with my Italian pens until now.

[@tomasgimenez3199]

Lucky you, indeed. I have a 3 out of 3 pens record of poor finish, poor assembly or poor writing. Well, I´d better change "or" for "and".

[@blackletter2591]

Like buying an Alfa . .

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That's the Italian sports car I thought of!

[@tsherbs1309]

Nice looking ink. Don't like the look of the pen. Nor that skipping.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I think this pen is gorgeous...and that overcame my normal caution. But I agree with you on the skipping.

[@harleydavidson1554]

First

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I want to thank you for your comment. I am clearing out all my comments older than a few months with this generic comment, but I want you to know that I did read your comment, even if I missed it when it was originally posted.

[@YanDoroshenko]

It looks like a $5 pen. Actually no, it doesn't. $5 pens rarely have some ugly text printed on the barrel.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It's definitely not to everyone's taste. But I fell in love the instant I saw the picture. Now that I've replaced the feed, I'm enjoying the pen.