(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
On January 1, 2024, the Noto Peninsula in Japan was literally shaken to its core by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami, causing widespread devastation “on the Noto Peninsula, particularly in the towns of Suzu, Wajima, Noto and Anamizu, with the neighboring prefectures of Toyama and Niigata also recording significant damage” (Wikipedia). Penlux decided to raise money for relief efforts with the release of the “Honoring Ishikawa 2024” Delgado pen. Proceeds from the sale of each pen will be donated to Peace Winds, a charitable organization which responds to natural disasters and other crises.
Penlux is one of the brands that is distributed by Itoya of America, who also distributes Sailor, Taccia, Profolio, Kuretake and others. I saw this pen at the recent California Pen Show and got the green light from the Bossman to get the pen for review since I didn’t have any experience with the brand. It was a bonus that the pen purchase would also benefit earthquake relief efforts too.
This beautiful teal leaning blue pen is the Penlux Delgado Honoring Ishikawa 2024.
”Honoring Ishikawa 2024” is engraved on the barrel of the pen.
It was a couple weeks after the show before I got around to inking up the pen and I wasn’t able to unscrew the section. Duh, Kimberly, it’s a piston filler! I wasn’t expecting that from a pen at this price point - I should know better, since there are other brands that have piston fillers at lower price points, like my beloved TWSBIs, for example.
If I read the instructions, I would have known this was a piston filler (insert facepalm, lol.)
I like the ruthenium trim on the cap band, piston cap ring, grip section and nib. The metal grip has a slight taper to a lip to prevent your fingers from slipping over the edge, but it is a fairly slick grip. The slight drop on the barrel above the threads is subtle and isn’t very sharp, so it should be comfortable if you gripped your pens higher up. There is a liner inside the cap so your nibs don’t dry out - you can feel the slight springiness when capping the pen.
The Penlux Delgado (top) and the Pelikan M800 - both are equally comfortable for me.
I don’t post my pens but this is what it would look like if I did.
It is a comfortable pen that isn’t particularly light or heavy. Since I’ve already inked it up, it’s hard to accurately compare the pen’s weight to others. It felt similar to an uninked Pelikan M800 or Nahvalur Voyage/Nautilus, and slightly heavier than a Leonardo Momento Zero.
Comparison pens capped: Sailor Pro Gear, Platinum 3776, Pelikan M800, Penlux Delgado, Leonardo Momento Zero, Pilot Custom 823, Nahvalur Voyage.
Writing sample on 100gsm Ayush Dot Grid paper.
The nib on the Penlux is a steel Jowo nib, so it writes as one would expect from a Jowo nib. The ruthenium plating feels a bit “squishy” on paper to me, not in the flexy or bouncy kind of way but like there’s something between the nib and the paper. Even though the Robert Oster Sydney ink (which has an average to slightly dry flow) wrote fine, I think wetter inks would do better in this pen. Nibs are available in Fine, Medium, Broad and 1.1 Stub.
Closeup of the ruthenium-plated nib, which has the Penlux logo on it.
Penlux hopes to raise $10,000 for Peace Winds by donating $100 each from the sale of 100 of these, which is more than half of its $170 price tag. Kudos to them for donating such a significant portion to charity - I won’t name names, but a certain luxury company’s donation of 5 € per multi-hundred dollar pen is laughable by comparison.
The Penlux Delgado Honoring Ishikawa 2024 is currently available for $170 on the Squid’s Choice website, which is the online retail site for Itoya of America.
As you can see, I have a soft spot for this material, and knowing that money is going to a good cause makes this a great addition to my collection. Pens shown (left to right): Franklin-Christoph 20, Leonardo Momento Zero Positano, Penlux Delgado, Levenger Select.
(Disclaimer: The pen was purchased at regular price at the CA Pen Show.)
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