Uranus 966

"Hi Norman, I received the pens yesterday. I am happy to report that all 4 pens [Invincia Stylus and Yellow Filigree pens] work great right out of the box! I have been using fountain pens for many, many years and have bought more than my share. I have found that buying pens online is pretty tricky. I generally prefer to go to a store and try out the specific nibs, to make sure the alignment, flow and smoothness are what I expect. I have had mixed experiences even with high end pens like Montblanc (I even took a pen to their repair center, but it has never worked quite right). I really like Lamy pens, but I would not buy them online either, because of the variations in the nibs. The reason for mentioning this is that your shipments are the exception. I have now (between this last order and the previous one) purchased about a dozen pens from you. Every one of them has had great flow, smoothness and alignment. Every one. Thank you again for your attention to detail and as always, your handwritten, sealed note."
T. D., Thornhill, Canada

"Hi Norman. Just received my new pens today. They are even more beautiful than the WEB images imply! Absolutely love the Uranus Butterfly model...couldn't help myself...just so whimsical! And it was in YELLOW! Love the unique finger hold shape with the three sided finger flats...brilliant. The Duke Sapphire is as expected from Duke. Fantastic feel, just right weight and a splendid job of ornate metal inlay. I am going to build myself a wall display cabinet over the winter. Realized I forget about my small (but much loved) collection because they are hidden away for safe keeping. I'll send you pictures of the finished product! Thanks for the great customer service as well. Where else do you get hand written thank you notes with wax seals on original origami folds!!! You rock!"
R. P., Mount Albert, Canada

"First, let me say...I LOVE THEM ! The 966 is very cool looking, has a nib which seems "just right" (just "write") as far as line width is concerned, and has a snap on cap which I always look for...for a more rapid deployment!"
D. S., Warren, NJ

Here we have a really fun collection of colorful pens that are quite nice writers as well. These are full-sized pens, measuring 5-1/2" capped, 5-3/4" posted and 4-3/4" with cap held aside.

As you can see, there are two basic motifs of the 966 series. What I've called the sicles and the more obvious butterflies. The first two pens, because of the the colors used, immediately put me in mind of an orange creamsicle and a grapesicle. Due to lighting conditions I think, my camera had a difficult time capturing the true color of the Grapesicle. The individual photo above is too blue. The pen in real life is a true purple. I'd say the closest to capturing it is the group photo to the right.

The other four models all proudly display a spread wing butterfly. I'm not sure that I agree with the decision to but the center of the design behind the clip, but they're neat looking pens regardless.

The sicle versions have 'Uranus' and the model number '966' in script on the cap, while the butterfly version has more of a block style.

In either case, the standard Uranus clip is used, which displays the Uranus logo.

Uranus is a sub-brand of DUKE, and removing the slip cap, which reseats securely with a satisfying click, reveals a DUKE steel nib. I'd rate the model's nib as a light-medium, between a typical western fine and medium (although shaded perhaps to the fine end) and appears to be identical to that used on the Duke Bamboo and 962 series. This is a pretty terrific little nib and is engraved with the Duke logo and name.

The somewhat elongated section is ribbed on three sides, just where your thumb, middle and index fingers naturally fall when writing, providing for a very secure purchase.

The included piston converter for bottled ink (shown outside the yellow butterfly pen to the right), has a ball agitator to help prevent ink adherence to the converter's sides...but as with all new pens, I recommend to run a dilute solution of dishwashing soap (two or three drops to a small bowl of water) through a new converter a few times (outside of the pen!), followed by water only. Step one is effective at removing manufacturing oils that can tend to make the ink less than enthusiastic in heading from the converter to the nib, and step two removes the traces of the detergent you've used...which tends to have the opposite, diuretic effect.

The pen will also take 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!