This was my first Danitrio. I haven’t seen another pen similar to it, so perhaps it never passed the prototype stage. The entire pen is ebonite, except the feed. The barrel features sterling silver inserts: one engraved with a phoenix, the other with a dragon.

I’ve had it a couple of years, and it shows. It’s scuffed in places, and it used to be shinier.

Danitrio Dragon and Phoenix

It’s big, but not heavy. The girth of the barrel makes it comfortable to grip. I do hold my pen in an unusual way, with my hand higher on the barrel and my thumb hiding under my forefinger, so this observation might not hold true for others.

Danitrio - detail

It came with a flexible extra-fine nib, originally. I had it replaced with a flexible stub.

Danitrio flexible stub nib

The ink is J. Herbin’s Gris Nuage, and the writing sample is on Rhodia paper.

10 Responses to “Danitrio Dragon and Phoenix.”

1. Margana says:

   December 1, 2008 at 3:27 am

   Shiny pens are nice but the patina makes your Danitrio look loved.
2. Leigh Reyes says:

   December 1, 2008 at 3:51 am

   I agree. This pen and I have been through a lot.
3. Reshuffling the Deck « An Inkophile’s Blog says:

   December 5, 2008 at 7:06 pm

   [...] I saw an online image that sent me down a whole new track. Gray ink would be perfect in a wide nib! My Japanese fines [...]
4. Mona says:

   January 3, 2009 at 11:22 pm

   Hi Leigh, grey is so elegant this way. Did you order a Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun or a Kiri-same? Was wondering about those, if they were as nice as the Gris Nuage…
5. Leigh says:

   January 4, 2009 at 11:29 am

   I have the fuyu-syogun. Kiri-same is a warm gray, both Gris Nuage and fuyu-syogun are cool.
6. Yellotrace says:

   February 8, 2009 at 3:16 am

   I am about to put an order in for a Danitrio Densho with a flex nib.
   I was hoping to land a raw ebonite version on the marketplace, but I think I have better luck winning the lottery.
   You said you replaced the nib on this pen, did you replace the nib yourself? or did you send it in?
7. Leigh Reyes says:

   February 8, 2009 at 10:31 pm

   Yellotrace: No, I sent it back to Kevin and he replaced it for me.
8. Gray Inks Are Not Created Equal « An Inkophile’s Blog says:

   April 20, 2009 at 11:39 am

   [...] already in my collection but were decidedly unloved. Leigh changed that with one image. Scroll down her post to see which one did it for [...]
9. J. Herbin Gris Nuage « An Inkophile’s Blog says:

   May 4, 2009 at 12:40 pm

   [...] black? Or do you have a “where’s the color” reaction when you see gray? The writing sample at My Life as a Verb just might change your [...]
10. MORE Ink Tests & Reviews, plus Bonus Side Notes « The Orchard says:

    June 29, 2009 at 3:19 am

    [...] also a true grey ink, not a diluted black, and has beautiful shading. View more photos of this ink here and [...]