(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!.)
BENU: They’re either “omg, gimme all the sparkles” or they’re “too much” ==insert hand waving== ; but either way, they are definitely not boring! Originally founded in Russia and as of last year, now based in Armenia, BENU is known for their sparkly pens that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. After working a couple of shows with Luxury Brands of America (the US distributor for BENU Pens), I thought it would be cool for people to see the different models, though they really need to be seen in person to get the full effect. My poor photography skills will have to suffice 🙂 Thank you to Bryce Gillett of Luxury Brands of America for loaning these pens for review.
Sparkly, shimmery, colorful and not mistakable for other brands!
All BENU pens are packaged in a Benu-branded white box with an inner paper pen “pouch”, warranty information and a long standard international cartridge (pretty rare to find long carts!). Standard international converters are included for models that fit them.
Features:
- BENU uses stainless steel Schmidt nibs in sizes 5 or 6, and come in Extra Fine to Broad. Size 5 nibs come in silver or gold-tone, and size 6 only comes in silver-tone. 18kt Gold nibs are only available on some special editions only available on the BENU website.
- Nib units are screw-in and interchangeable with other pens that take the same size (e.g. you can swap size 5 unit into another size 5 pen)
- Entire grip sections are also interchangeable with each other as long as they fit the same size nib unit
- All models can be eyedropperable.
- Pen are primarily made of resin/acrylic so are fairly lightweight.
- Some of the models even glow-in-the-dark!!
Size 6 (left) vs 5 nib, also note that the tipping size is inside the square above the word “Schmidt” - in this case B and M, respectively.
Models:
Ambrosia
The Ambrosia model is typically only offered as direct from BENU exclusive, so I don’t have one to show off, but here is an example of the Blue Lotus Ambrosia. It is slightly shorter than the Minima and has a raised/textured cap band.
Nib: 5
Clip: No
Postable: No
Converter: No
Retail Price: $132+
BENU Ambrosia Blue Lotus. (PC: BENU)
Briolette
One of BENU’s most popular models, the Briolette sports gem-like facets on the cap and barrel with a black band at the base of the cap.
Size: 5
Clip: No
Postable: No
Converter: No
BENU Briolette in Magenta Frost - bright colors and sparkles galore!
There is a fairly pronounced step down from the barrel but I don’t notice it because my fingers don’t touch it, and it’s also a smooth.edge.
Hexagon
The Hexagon model is named for its hexagon/honeycomb-textured barrel as well as the hexagonally “faceted” cap band.
Size: 5
Clip: No
Postable: Yes
Converter: Yes
This is the Hexagon A, which is a subtly shimmering black with not-so-subtle gold shimmer flakes and grey transparent band and grip.
Minima
The Minima is one of the smallest pens in the BENU lineup. It is a slightly pointy, cigar-shaped pen that typically has a black cap band, but occasionally sports a metallic one.
Size 5:
Clip: No
Postable: No
Converter: No
Minima Blazing Gold also sports a gold-colored cap band and nib.
This small pen still feels very comfortable to me, but then again I write with Kaweco Sports unposted, lol.
Skull & Roses
The Skull & Roses pen has, wait for it, skulls and roses on the pen and cap. There are textured skulls around the cap band while roses and branches adorn the rest of the cap and barrel. It is the same size as the Briolette but is not faceted due to the patterns in relief.
Size: 5
Clip: No
Postable: No
Converter: No
This Skull & Roses is called Smolder.
Even though the barrel is textured, it isn’t very noticeable for me because of the smooth grip section.
Scepter
Clip: No The Scepter is a spirally-faceted pen, which is tapered in the center (where the cap meets the barrel). It is definitely one of the more unique pen designs!
Size: 5
Postable: No
Converter: Yes
This blue and silver pen is the Scepter VIII.
The spiral facets did not interfere with my grip. It was comfortable to hold.
Grand Scepter
The Grand Scepter is the same length as the Scepter but has a slightly girthier grip section to accommodate the size 6 nib.
Size: 6
Clip: No
Postable: No
Converter: Yes
Grand Scepter X.
It is difficult to tell the difference between the regular (left) and Grand Scepters when they are capped.
The grip section of the Grand Scepter barely feels larger than the regular Scepter.
Euphoria
The Euphoria is the largest pen in the BENU lineup and is typically the model for BENU exclusives, including their hand-painted limited editions. It has a 10-sided faceted pen & cap. Even though it is postable, doing so makes the pen quite long, since the barrel already has some length to it.
Size: 6
Clip: Yes
Postable: Yes
Converter: Yes
These are the only two BENU that I own - the Pen Addict exclusive (top) and Jazz. Jazz was my first BENU because it was less “out there” than the others.
It is comically long when posted.
Talisman
The Talisman series was created “as a tribute to the ancient myths, legends, and tales that were used as inspiration for the design”. The material of each Talisman pen is infused with the actual item that it is named after. For example, there is powder from the foxglove flower in the Foxglove pen, peacock ore mineral powder in the Peacock Ore pen and so on. Each pen also includes an information sheet about the item which inspired its creation.
The texture of the Talisman is unlike any of the other BENU or even other pens. The best way I can describe it is that it has alternating gentle facets, but pictures are more helpful.
Size: 6
Clip: Yes
Postable: Yes
Converter: No
There is actual Dream Bean powder in the BENU Tasliman Dream Bean pen!
Luxury Brands has a handy chart with the dimensions of the pens.
I laid out the pens in the same order as the above chart (minus the Ambrosia) - Talisman, Jazz, Scepter, Grand Scepter, Briolette, Skull & Roses, Minima, Hexagon.
Here are comparisons with other pens (L to R): Diplomat Aero, TWSBI Eco, BENU Talisman, Leonardo Momento Zero, LAMY Vista, Pelikan M800, Pilot Custom 823, BENU Euphoria, Scepter, Grand Scepter, Briolette, Skull & Roses, Sailor Pro Gear, Pro Gear Slim, BENU Minima, Pelikan M800, BENU Hexagon, Platinum 3776.
Same lineup as above but I moved the Sailor Pro Gear to be in between the Scepters and the Briolette.
The Schmidt nibs write well, though they did take a wee bit of priming to get the ink to the nib. If you are using a cartridge for the smaller pens, you might need to set it nib side down for a bit in order for the ink to flow or dip it into water to get the capillary action going. As you can see below, the EF and F had nice fine lines but the Medium and Broad were quite a bit broader. The steel Pelikan Broad nib gave similar lines to the Medium Benu nib! If you like a wetter/broader line, the Medium and Broad nibs are both great options. I generally don’t use many EF nibs, but was surprised at how nicely the EF wrote.
BENU pens were inked up with Kaweco Blue so you can see the line differences are based on nib size, not ink. Comparison with several Fine to Broad nibs in steel and gold.
If the color, sparkle, and shapes of the BENU line of pens are right up your alley, consider checking out BENU pens. They are fun pens that also write well and don’t hit the wallet too hard either. I’m happy with my two BENU pens and am relieved that these sparkling beauties didn’t tempt me too much (though I might need to look at other Hexagons).
(Disclaimer: All BENU (except the two Euphorias) were loaned to us for review by Luxury Brands of America. All other pens were purchased by me.)
