Edison Jameson Fountain Pen Review: A Number Eight Nib Hiding in Plain Sight

Introduction

The Edison Jameson is one of the newest additions to the Edison Pen Company signature line, and its distinguishing feature is a rather large number eight stainless steel nib. Edison pens are made in Milan, Ohio, the boyhood home of Thomas Edison, who serves as the inspiration behind the company name. The brand has grown significantly over the years, but it still carries a small-shop attitude toward quality: every pen is tested and tuned before it leaves the shop, with particular care given to nib quality.

The Jameson retails for $325 and arrives in a cartridge-converter configuration, though a piston-filler option is available at an additional cost of $100. This review covers the design, materials, measurements, and writing experience of a pen built around one clear idea: surprise the owner with a much larger nib than the exterior suggests.

Who This Pen Is For

The Jameson suits fountain pen enthusiasts who love big nibs and want some say in how their pen looks. Edison builds each Jameson to order, and if the maker has the resin in stock, the pen can be made from it. The unit reviewed here uses Jonathan Brooks Primary Manipulation 3.5 material, a multicolored alumalite resin with wispy, smoothed-out color transitions rather than the stark, bolder tones of earlier PM versions. No two pens will ever look the same, given the variance between blanks.

The unboxing experience is also worth noting. The pen arrives with a letter from the maker, a sticker, a metal bookmark, an in-house bound notepad, and a small branded wooden pen stand. It is a thoughtful package that reinforces the custom, personal nature of the purchase.

Design and Materials

The cap top is flat, finished with a translucent purple end piece that pairs well with the palette of the resin body. The clip is a new design for Edison: low profile, not especially bendy, but functional in materials of varying thicknesses. The cap angles up slightly at its end, where another first for the company appears: a non-captured brass cap band. It angles down slightly as it transitions from cap to barrel, a transition that leans toward the medium-to-large side.

The barrel is straight for about an inch and a half before tapering down to a flat end, with the resin slightly translucent at the tail. The barrel engraving is a quality detail, and buyers can choose between a prominent, filled version or a very subtle one; the subtle option chosen here is barely noticeable unless the light hits it just right. The cap twists off with just over one rotation.

One material caveat: the pen is made from alumalite, which has a heat deflection temperature of roughly 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius). Extended exposure to temperatures in that range or higher could warp the pen, so avoid leaving it in a hot car.

The Number Eight Nib

Underneath the cap sits the real highlight: a large stainless steel number eight nib adorned with the Edison light bulb logo, paired with a low-profile ebonite feed marked with an M for medium. The design intent was deliberate. Rather than pairing a large pen with a nib that looks undersized, the maker wanted a medium-sized pen that hides a surprisingly large nib under the cap.

The section is another new element for Edison, significantly longer than on most of the company’s other pens. It starts with a raised ring and angles up slightly before stepping to the cap. It is a bit girthier than standard Edison sections, and the extra length accommodates a wide variety of grip styles.

Usability: Posted and Unposted

The Jameson is plenty long enough to use unposted. The cap posts fairly deep, and the angled cap band helps minimize the transition between cap and barrel, keeping things comfortable even if that portion rubs against the inside of your hand.

It is a cartridge-converter pen that accepts standard international cartridges, and a converter is included. Because of the solid barrel construction and the lack of internal metal parts, the pen should also convert to eyedropper filling with the appropriate amount of silicone grease, if you prefer maximum ink capacity.

Writing Performance

In use, the medium stainless steel number eight nib falls squarely into the juicy category. It lays down a nice fat line with a healthy ink flow, and a modest amount of line variation is possible, though it is not a flex nib. Reverse writing is a little sharp, but it produces a nice extra-extra-fine line. For fast writing, the nib is very smooth and the feed keeps up without trouble.

At $325, the value proposition is reasonable: essentially a custom pen made to your specifications, built from the material of your choosing, with an intriguing design and a large number eight nib that is a lot of fun to write with.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The alumalite resin’s heat sensitivity is the main practical consideration; owners in very hot climates need to be careful about storage. The subtle engraving option is extremely subtle, so buyers who want a visible barrel engraving should request the filled version. The PM 3.5 resin also varies significantly between blanks, so no two pens will look alike, which is either a selling point or a gamble depending on your preferences.

Buying Advice

The Jameson is available through the Edison Pen Company website at $325 for the cartridge-converter version, with the piston-filler option adding $100. Buyers who prefer a standard ink capacity and lower cost should stick with the cartridge-converter configuration, while those who want maximum ink storage and a sealed barrel can justify the piston upgrade. Either way, the core appeal remains the same: a medium-sized pen with a hidden number eight nib, made to order in your chosen resin.

Conclusion

The Edison Jameson is a strong addition to the Edison lineup. New features like the low-profile clip, the non-captured brass cap band, and the longer section help it stand apart, and the number eight nib delivers a smooth, juicy writing experience. For enthusiasts who want a semi-custom pen with an oversized nib, it is easy to see why so many borrowed Edison pens end up never going back.