Gypsy Road Pen - A Handcrafted Treasure

I cannot recall how I came across Gypsy Road and the lovely lady behind the scenes but I am very glad I did. Janelle Tyler is the Artisan behind Gypsy Road and is most notably known for her work with glass, in this case, pens. The package arrived with a pen, some care info and a small bottle of black India Ink.

I reached out to Janelle through Instagram and then email as I had looked at her site (Gypsy Road.Ca)and still had questions about all of the custom options I could choose from with a glass dip pen. We decided Skype may be in order and I got to spend some time talking to this talented Artisan. Janelle is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada but is currently preparing to move across the continent. Janelle was very inviting, personable and very passionate about what she is able to create.

Her glass dip pens have a multitude of customization options or you can purchase pre-made pens off of her Etsy shop. She also has different nib width options from Ultra Fine, Fine, Medium Fine, Medium Bold, Bold and Variable. I chose the medium width nib based off of our discussion and it is very close to what a German Medium would be in a fountain pen.

The Variable nib is very interesting and quite special. I am sworn to secrecy as to how the variable is achieved but what I can say is that it is intended for artist based use. The nib is rather like the Sailor Zoom nib as that depending on how you choose to hold it. Fine, Bold and Medium are all possible in one nib. Incredible.

Ok, so I ordered a pen that had 3 colors and I wished to theme it off of the colors in the German flag. Janelle knocked it out of the park here with red as the main core with black swirls and the yellow is actual bronze. It is stunning.

Due to our Skype call, Janelle saw the size of my hands and tailored the pen to be a bit larger to accommodate. She also mentioned she also got to see my personality which also helped her make the pen more suited to me. I could not be happier.

This pen has a triangular grip, much like a Lamy Safari or Al-Star but this one is much more established and is cozy in my grip. The nib writes super smooth and the need to re-dip into ink is not needed as often as you might think. The reservoirs here hold a ton of ink and distribute it very uniformly.

I have also found out that there was a video done that showcases Janelle Tyler and how she makes these wonderful pens. Please visit that YouTube video.

Bob also was very interested in this.

This review is based off of my opinions and experiences. I do not represent Gypsy Road nor am I being compensated in any way.