Pen Review: Recife Mercuri Arabesque

In one of my previous entries I mentioned that I would talk about pens that write very well and are priced affordably but receive little or no attention. The pen pictured below is the Mercuri Fountain Pen (FP) made by the Recife Company founded in France in 1987. From the very beginning two friends, Stephan Arnal and Leo Smaga, knew that they wanted to design pens for the fashion conscious. Their concept was to design pens that are both a fashion accessory and a practical writing tool that broke new ground with innovative designs.

When I saw the Mercuri Arabesque FP I was impressed immediately with its design. (The version in the photo is the Scotia.) I would describe the design on the Arabesque as a black-on-black brocade design with stainless steel nib and trim. It's slightly under six inches when capped and measures six and a half inches when posted, placing the cap on the back of the pen when writing is known as "posting", which makes the Mercuri as long as the Montblanc 146 0r 149.

According to the information provided with the pen, the Recife Mercuri is made from a substance known as bakelite. Bakelite is used to make stems for smoking pipes as well as for umbrella handles, it's a synthetic resin that can be molded to any desired shape. The feature that stands out on this pen is the guilloche pattern that has been engraved into the bakelite. Guilloche is the process of engraving resin, steel, silver, gold or other substances with a particular pattern like herringbone for example. Some manufacturers like David Oscarson and Michel Perchin will then apply layer upon layer of transparent lacquer which gives the pen a glass like finish. The Recife pens are sans lacquer, so you feel the pattern when holding the pen which is in no way uncomfortable or distracting.

I purchased this pen without testing it out first, something I don't suggest that you do unless you're an experienced pen purchaser. Well, Recife delivered the goods when it came to the nib, which is the heart and soul of any writing instrument. Although the nib is designated 'medium' it writes like a fine point. This is the finest nib that I've ever purchased, that is to say fine in terms of the thickness of the line that it lays down. (I prefer a broader nib on most occasions.) This pen has made me very appreciative of fine nibbed writing instruments and I will be seeking them out in future purchases. The writing is smooth on any surface and it writes first time every time with a wonderful ink flow. It does not dry out if you leave it lying around for a week or two. It's particularly striking when filled with Noodler's Heart of Darkness or Private Reserve's Fast Dry Ultra Black inks. I can't imagine using any other color ink except black or red. If Dracula wrote with a fountain pen this would be the one he would write with, filled with blood red ink!

The Mercuri accepts the standard European short cartridge but it does not come with a converter, which was a little disappointing as I prefer to use bottled ink. The good news is that the Recife Mercuri will accept the same converter that is used with ACME fountain pens.

You may have difficulty finding this pen as it is not carried by many dealers. I purchased my pen at CURSIVE, New York which is located inside ABC Carpet & Home at 888 Broadway and 19th Street in Manhattan. The price of the pen is about $125.00, which in the world of fountain pens is very affordable.

Have Pen, Will Write

Jake