Thanks Eamonn, for going to the trouble of reviewing the Mistral - I'm sure a lot of people will find it useful. I'm delighted you like it and that it compares well to the Daycom kits - it was designed, at least in part to take on the might of Daycom and make kits of equally high quality available in this country, so obviously I'm thrilled that you agree it fills the brief.
Just to pass comment on one or two points that have cropped up in this thread so far...
The design of the 2.5 turn ACME thread was a conscious act, it is no accident that it happens to be that number of turns. Why? because another reason for designing the Mistral was to get back to something that can be made and assembled to be reminiscent of the classic marques of yesteryear and the premium marques that are made today- the very pens that collectors pay a fortune for. Part of the appeal of those collectable pens to pen aficionados is the method of cap closure being more than the modern trend for very few turns. The reason I know this is because I supply Bock nibs to fountain pen owners and collectors all over the world. Each to their own of course - there will always be people who prefer less turns and those who prefer more, but that is some of the background behind it.
The nibs that have been supplied with the Mistrals so far have been Bock. Now that the launch offers have ended, they will be supplied with the nib they are supposed to have, which is Beaufort Inks own. I'll try and put some information up about it during the week, but in the meantime, it is very definitely NOT made in the far east, it is our own design, manufactured exclusively for us in Germany. The proof of the pudding is in the eating of course, but I have every confidence that the Mistrals going forward will be just as good to write with as those that are already out there with a Bock on the business end.
Lastly, Steven mentioned he is waiting for chrome versions to come along. It's going to be a very, very long wait I'm afraid Steven, it's just not that sort of pen I'm afraid. However, it IS going to be available in rhodium in the coming weeks, and I have plenty of people badgering me to get it done, so I may have to get my finger out sooner rather than later.
