Posts filed under Ensso

Ensso Japanese Ebonite Regular Size Fountain Pen Review

Ensso Japanese Ebonite Fountain Pen

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

If you've ever been to a pen show, then you've probably seen your fair share of Ebonite pens. The coloration isn't particularly bright — usually just black or dark green — but they always strike me as being incredibly elegant. This elegance is even more apparent when you pick up an Ebonite pen and realize how incredibly light it is!

Ebonite is a fascinating material that is hard to describe. It's made through a process of vulcanizing rubber using certain chemicals to make the rubber permanently hard and plastic-like. The result is a material that is super lightweight, strong, and easy to machine. As an added perk, it also feels really organic because it warms up in your hand really quickly — similar to the feel of the Makrolon barrel of the Lamy 2000.

Ensso Ebonite Fountain Pen

Modern Ebonite pens aren't unheard of, but I wouldn't say they're common either. Fortunately, ēnsso is working to bring Ebonite pens back to the main stream for hundreds more people to enjoy. The ēnsso Japanese Ebonite Fountain Pen is a modern pen in a classic material, and it really hits the nail on the head.

At only 16 grams, this pen is incredibly light. I'm still shocked every time I pick it up after not using it for a few minutes or hours. Despite being so light, it's still easy to handle and use for long writing sessions. Keep in mind that I'm using the regular size option, not the pocket option.

The shape of the pen borrows from a timeless cigar shape that makes me think of the standard Nakaya. The finish is smooth and feels great on my fingers. You can see some of the machining lines if you look hard enough, but it usually keeps the slightly satin look in most light. For me, it's an incredibly handsome pen that I enjoy keeping on my desk even when it's not in the regular rotation.

Ensso Ebonite Fountain Pen

Beyond the warm feel of the material in my hand, my favorite aspect of how this pen feels is the shape of grip section. There's a pronounced ridge around the base of the grip that provides a perfect level of tactile feel for my fingers when using this pen. It's soft and sharp at the same time, and gives my fingers great feedback when I'm writing. This pen really fits my hand and grip style perfectly, and I've really enjoyed using it so far.

The version of the pen in this review features the black steel Bock nib, but you have an option of a Bock Titanium nib as well. Both nibs are #6 size, which is a perfect size match for the rest of the pen's proportions.

The pen comes with a black cartridge and a plastic cartridge converter. The converter is made entirely of plastic, so I'm not sure how long it will last, but I'm glad that ēnsso made the choice to include a converter with the pen. That makes it so easy to pop it out of the box and ink up right away!

Ensso Ebonite Fountain Pen

If you want even more ink, this pen is even set for eyedropper-ing as well! There's an o-ring gasket on the section above the threads that screw into the body, so you'll have a great seal if you choose to fill this pen as an eyedropper. Like they say on the Kickstarter page, though, you should probably also apply some silicone grease to the section threads as well to ensure no ink finds its way out. The silicone grease isn't included, but it's easy to find if you decide to try the eyedropper route.

The rest of the pen is so simple — there isn't a clip to get in the way, and cap posts on the back of the pen with little effort. It's not a super snug fit when posted, but it's tight enough to do the job as long as you aren't making any fast or jerky motions with the pen while writing. The simple design is something I love about this pen, so I really appreciate the dedication to the minimal aesthetic that ēnsso achieved here.

Ensso Ebonite Fountain Pen

This is a pen that I've really enjoyed using, and the price just makes it an even greater value in my mind. There are currently just a few spots left on the early bird tier, which brings the price for one steel nib pen to just $79 (+$40 for a titanium nib). If you miss out on the early bird pricing, the regular pricing for the Kickstarter is still phenomenal at $89 per pen with the titanium nib being an extra $40. You have a choice of EF, F, M, or B nib size, and this pricing (at the $89 mark) is 30% off the expected retail price after the Kickstarter concludes.

Ebonite is one of those materials that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. It feels great in the hand, is super lightweight, and is incredibly durable. If you'd like to try a new, modern pen made of this material as opposed to finding something in the vintage market, this is a great place to start.

The Kickstarter campaign ends on June 29, and it's already met the minimum goal for funding. Get over there and check it out!

(ēnsso provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


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Ensso Ebonite Fountain Pen
Posted on June 8, 2022 and filed under Ensso, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pocket Pen Roundup

(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!.)

One of the more surprising things I discovered during my fountain pen journey thus far is how much I like pocket pens. Maybe they aren’t the best for writing for long periods of time, but for quick notes and to do lists and such, they’re really handy. My first pocket pen was the Kaweco Sport Macchiato with a BB nib. I specifically got it so I could get it ground to an architect to see if I’d like that grind. It may seem counterintuitive to get a grind on an inexpensive pen but that was precisely the point. If I didn’t like architects, at least I would only be out the cost of the grind and a $20 pen. Turns out I ended up liking the architect AND the Kaweco and thus, the rabbit hole within the rabbit hole began!

A few things to note:

  • This isn’t a comprehensive list of pocket pens by far, just some of the more common ones as well as a few of the lesser known ones.
  • I generally do not post my pens, but when I do, it’s only for ones that are screw-to-post or have some mechanism (like o-ring) to prevent scratching the barrel.
  • Prices for some of the pens vary drastically if buying domestically vs overseas. As always, do your homework.

Kaweco Sport - This is one of the most common pocket pens out there and for good reason. They are inexpensive, come in a wide array of colors and trim colors too. The Classic is gold trim and the Skyline is silver trim. They have made some with black nib/trim too. Most folks use cartridges with their Sports but you can also use their piston converter (avoid the mini squeeze converter like the plague unless you like throwing money away). Kaweco Sports are also eyedropperable with a bit of silicone grease on the threads. The nib/feed can be pretty easily pulled from the housing; most of the Sports these days have glued in housings but that wasn’t always the case.

Price: $25-27

Nib: Steel, Bock 060

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes

Filling system: Standard international cartridge, proprietary mini converter

Kaweco Sport

Kaweco AL Sport in Golden Espresso (L) and Kaweco Sport, Galen Leather exclusive.

Kaweco AL Sport - I am calling this out separately because of a few differences from the regular Sport. The Aluminum cap/barrel makes this a slightly heavier pen that is also more durable. The nib units are fully removable; they screw in/out vs being glued in on the regular Sports. I don’t have the other metal sports like the Brass or Steel ones, as they are heavier and I don’t like patina. The AL Sports are also a fair bit more expensive than the regular Sport, especially for store or regional exclusives.

Price: $80-90 (more for exclusives)

Nib: Steel, Bock 060, screw-in nib unit is removable

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes

Filling system: Standard international cartridge, proprietary mini converter

Cult Pens x Kaweco Mini - Cult Pens worked with Kaweco to design this adorable Mini fountain pen. The first release was grey brushed aluminum and the second/current one is navy blue. It is remarkably well made and very durable, while still being classy and cute at the same time.

Price: £25 (with vat) or ~$27 USD

Nib: Steel, Bock 060, screw-in nib unit is removable

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes

Filling system: Standard international cartridge only

Cult Pens Kaweco Mini

The Cult Pens Mini Fountain Pen by Kaweco is one of the smallest and durable pocket pens!

Ensso XS - I first heard of Ensso from Kickstarter years ago and backed their first pocket pen. I really like it because it is a “snap” cap and not a twist cap, making it very convenient for quick note taking or todo/packing lists (my favorite use for them). There is a rubber o-ring on the grip end of the barrel, so it is more of a slip cap when capping, but you get a bit of a snap or pop when uncapping. There is also an o-ring on the other side of the barrel so you can easily post without damaging the pen. I am a sucker for faceted pens and this one is no exception.

Price: $99 for the Titanium XS

Nib: Steel, Bock 060

Cap: Slip cap

Postable: Yes

Filling system: Standard international cartridge-only

Other: The Titanium one is the only one currently available as other colors are either sold out or discontinued.

Ensso XS

Ensso XS in Red aluminum.

Conklin Minigraph - I’ll admit that I snagged this because it’s adorably cute. Like many of the smaller, slimmer pocket pens, the grip is very slender so it’s not the most comfortable pocket pen. The screwed-in nib unit is easily removed; “Iridium Point Germany” engraving usually indicates that it is a Chinese-manufactured nib but I don’t have any compatible nib units.

Price: $40-50

Nib: Steel

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes, but nothing protecting the barrel

Filling System: Standard international cartridge only

Other: Might be discontinued or difficult to find.

Conklin Minigraph

Conklin Minigraph in Purple Dunes.

Gravitas Pens Pocket Pen - Ben Walsh of Gravitas Pens has been making metals pens for some time and added the pocket fountain pen to his line up. It is available in a variety of finishes but I particularly like the flat edge on one side of the cap, so that the pen won’t roll away. The grip section is slightly knurled so it isn’t slippery. There doesn’t appear to be anything protecting the PVD-coated barrel, but the threads are further in the cap, so posting shouldn’t pose too much risk of scratching.

Price: €65 or $70

Nib: Steel, Jowo 6

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Standard international cartridge only

Other: There is a newly released Polycarbonate eyedropper version which is slightly larger and is available for 95EU/$100.

Gravitas Pocket Pen

Gravitas Pocket Pen in Skittles Finish.

Namisu N1 Pocket Pen - Released as a Kickstarter in early 2021, the N1 was added to Namisu’s lineup of machined/metal pens. Several finishes were offered but all are currently sold out. They use Bock 250 nibs, which are a bit larger than the ones in Kaweco Sports. The three rubber o-rings on the barrel allow the cap to post without damaging the barrel.

Price: £57-99/$70-125 depending on finish

Nib: Steel, Bock 250

Cap: Slip cap

Postable: Yes

Filling system: Standard international cartridge-only

Other: The Titanium one is the only one currently available as other colors are either sold out or discontinued. Unclear if they plan on making more.

Namisu N1

Namisu N1 Pocket Pen in Petrol finish (can you tell I love these rainbow finishes?)

Schon Dsgn Pocket Six - The Pocket Six houses a, wait for it, size 6 nib unit! Originally offered with Bock 6 nibs, most of Ian’s pocket pens are now outfitted for Jowo 6 nibs, though you can still buy Bock 6 sections. I really like that you can make your own Pocket Six as well as getting different grip sections if you wanted the rollerball attachment (which uses fountain pen cartridges!). There are also faceted and anodized aluminum versions as well as brass and copper options too.

Price: $125 and up

Nib: Steel, Jowo 6

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes, screw to post

Filling System: Standard international cartridge-only

Schon DSGN Pocket 6

Schon Dsgn Pocket Six with a Jowo 6 nib on the left and a rollerball attachment on the right (currently inked with a Montblanc Pop Pink cartridge)

Pilot Petit 1 - One of the early fountain pens that I had discovered was this little inexpensive gem of a pen called the Petit 1. It comes in a Petit Marker format as well. The internal cap seal is incredibly good and I’ve misplaced my Petit 1s for several years, only to find out that they didn’t dry out and wrote immediately!

Price: $4

Nib: Steel

Cap: Snap

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Proprietary mini cartridge-only

Pilot Petit

I forgot how good the Pilot Petit 1 is!

Sailor Pro Gear Mini - A smaller version of the Sailor Pro Gear, the PG Mini has the same size cap, grip and nib as the regular PG, but a shortened barrel. There is also a Pro Gear Slim mini as well. Earlier models of the mini were screw-to-post but current models of the mini do not require screwing the cap to post. Mini converters are also available if you don’t want to use cartridges.

Price: $180

Nib: 14kt gold for PGS Mini or 21kt gold for PG Mini

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Proprietary Sailor cartridge or mini converter

Sailor Pro Gear Mini

Sailor Pro Gear Mini (early version with screw-to-post end)

Sheaffer Tuckaway Valiant - I will be the first to admit that I don’t know a lot about vintage, but I wanted to include an example of what the vintage world has to offer by way of pocket pens. I saw this beauty on PaperWantsAPen’s IG account and had to get it. The Golden Brown material is stunning and the little clip is there for a purpose. My understanding is that, back in the day, the military did not allow adornments on uniforms (other than medals and such), but folks needed to be able to pocket carry their pens so the little clip allows them to hold a pen upright in their pocket while still being discreet.

Sheaffer Tuckaway

Sheaffer Tuckaway - one of many pocket pens available in the vintage arena.

TWSBI Mini - The TWSBI Mini is the smaller version of the 580. (There is also the Vac Mini, which is the smaller version of the Vac 700R, but it is slightly longer than the Mini). This screw-to-post mini pen is great for folks who want large ink capacity but their reputation for cracking barrels makes this not the best pen to carry in one’s pocket. I like that their nib units are easily swappable and that you can buy Mini nib units separately.

Price: $50 for standard Mini, $60 for the AL version, $85 for Rose Gold trim

Nib: steel, screw-in nib units

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes, screw-to-post

Filling System: Piston

TWSBI Mini

TWSBI Mini in Rose Gold - Hard to find a higher capacity pocket pen than this one.

Franklin-Christoph 20P - The Model 20P is the pocket version of the Model 20, both of which are Franklin-Christoph’s only slip-cap model (other pens are screw caps). The 20P takes a size 6 Jowo nib and takes a cartridge or it can be eyedroppered with a bit of silicone grease (just don’t uncap too forcefully or you may expel a little ink). One other thing to keep in mind for eyedroppering this model is that people often forget that it’s a slip cap and will start to twist the cap, which will unscrew the section from the barrel and potentially make an inky mess. I like that the slip can be capped/uncapped single-handedly. If you can’t uncap it in one hand, you’ve cranked it down too hard.

Price: $145 (more for other grinds or gold upgrade)

Nib: steel, Jowo 6 screw-in nib units

Cap: Slip

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Standard International Cartridge or eyedropper

Franklin-Christoph Model 20

Franklin-Christoph Pocket 20 (or 20P)’s slip cap is one of my favorites for quick notes.

Pilot Elite E95S - The Pilot E95S is a great example of Japanese pocket pens often called “short-long pens”. These pens have a short barrel and long cap; the pens are also short when capped and long (nearly full-size) when posted. Also, the slip cap makes it easy to open/close/post. All 3 of the major Japanese brands (Pilot, Sailor, Platinum) had a variety of short-long models, some had steel nibs and others had 14kt or 18kt gold nibs. Vintage short-longs can vary in price from $20 to several hundred dollars, especially for the more sought-after/discontinued models like the Pilot Myu, M90, Volex and Murex.

Price: $136

Nib:14kt gold (for the E95S)

Cap: Slip

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Proprietary Pilot cartridge-only

Pilot Elite

Pilot Elite E95s (left) and Pilot Myu (right) are examples of “short-long” fountain pens.

After this point, it is difficult to categorize these pens as pocket pens as they are not marketed as such, but they are fairly small, so I am including some of the more common ones.

Pilot Prera - The Pilot Prera is an acrylic alternative to those who like the Pilot Metropolitan nib, but don’t like the heft or the grip. It has a wonderful snap cap and uses the same steel nib and feed as others in the Pilot lineup (which are easily swappable via gentle pull). Solid colors are harder to come by in the states but can often be found on Ebay and Amazon.

Price: $40-56

Nib: Steel

Cap: Snap

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Proprietary Pilot cartridge or converter

Pilot Prera

Sporting a great snap cap, the Pilot Prera is a nice (but pricier) alternative to the Metropolitan.

Pelikan M2xx/M4xx - The Pelikan M200 and M400 series are the same size with the former having steel nibs and the latter 14kt gold nibs. Both models are readily available from many retailers at a variety of prices depending on color, limited edition, etc. The nibs are swappable between them; this is also true with the M600s as well too but not necessarily the other way around, due to the M600 nibs being longer, there may not be clearance in the cap.

Price: $200 for M200s and $300+ for M400s

Nib: Steel for M200s, 14kt gold for M400s

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Piston

Pelikan M215

Pelikan M215 Rhombus is one of many styles available in the M2xx and M4xx size.

Sailor Pro Gear Slim - The regular sized Sailor Pro Gear Slim is often mentioned as a pocket pen because it is on the smaller size. Their 14kt gold nibs have a pencil-like feedback that is loved by many. And if you don’t like a particular color/style, just wait a bit and chances are high that more designs will come out to tempt your wallet.

Price: $180+

Nib: 14kt gold

Cap: Screw

Postable: Yes

Filling System: Proprietary Sailor cartridge or converter

Sailor Pro Gear Slim

Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Bungubox special edition for the 2019 San Francisco Pen Show.

Here are some comparison photos showing the pens while capped, posted and unposted (for folks like me).

Pen Comparison Capped

L to R: Schon Dsgn Pocket Six, Ensso XS, Conklin Minigraph, Gravitas Pocket Pen, Namisu N1, Cult Pens Kaweco Mini, Kaweco Sport, Kaweco AL Sport, Pilot Petit 1, Sailor Pro Gear Mini, Sheaffer Tuckaway, TWSBI Mini, Franklin-Christoph 20P, Pilot Elite E95s, Pilot Myu, Pilot Prera, Pelikan M215, Pelikan M405, Sailor Pro Gear Slim.

Pen Comparison Posted

It always surprises me to see how much a pens length can change when it is posted.

Well, that’s about the extent of my pocket and pocket-adjacent pens! I know there are way more out there, even in my own collection, that wasn’t included in here but hopefully it gives you an idea of the variety of pocket pens that exist in our little rabbit hole.

(Disclaimer: All pens are my own and links used were based on where I could easily find the products.)

ENSSO ARIA: A metal pen for BIC. Now on Kickstarter! (Sponsor)

Ensso Aria aluminum

Do you have a BIC ballpoint pen? Almost everyone does. It is the most famous and best-selling pen in history. About 60 pens are sold every second. Its success relies on its affordable price point, reliable ink refill, and worldwide availability.

For a few years, we have been thinking about designing a premium, yet affordable pen that accepts all classic BIC refills- a pen that would serve you a lifetime. The result is ARIA, a minimalist all-metal pen conceived with utmost attention to detail. It has a streamlined design based on ergonomics, which is perfectly balanced for the most comfortable writing experience. The barrel also features integrated threads to securely close and post the cap while writing.

Ensso Aria Brass

ARIA is machined from solid bars of space-grade (6061-T6511) aluminum and natural brass. The lightweight aluminum version is anodized in matte black for an understated and elegant aesthetic. The brass edition is heavier and offers a more tactile experience. The brass is left uncoated and will develop a patina over time. Such patina is appreciated by collectors but can easily be removed with any brass-cleaning product for a new and shiny appearance.

Our ARIA pen has been designed and engineered for over a year and it’s manufactured in California using state-of-the-art machinery with the best raw materials. Our mission is to deliver a writing instrument to be used for many years with the highest quality and elegant atemporal design.

ARIA is available on Kickstarter for $29 (50% discount off future retail price). My thanks to ENSSO for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Ensso Aria
Posted on October 26, 2020 and filed under Ensso, Featured Sponsor.