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

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.

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.

ITALIA Fountain Pen by ēnsso (Sponsor)

ITALIA is the new fountain pen by ēnsso available to pre-order on Kickstarter at a 40% discount off the future retail price.

The design of this pen was inspired by the golden age of Italian pens. Its minimalistic design with peaked ends and clip is only adorned with a milled Greek Key or 3 stripes on the cap and grip section.

It has a very comfortable and well-balanced size of 139 mm when opened or closed (nib included). It is 150 mm in length when posted. ITALIA comes equipped with a #6 German-made Bock nib and a Schmidt ink converter. It accepts short and long standard international ink cartridges.

Although its design draws inspiration from vintage pens, this is a modern-looking pen expertly milled from solid titanium, brass, or aluminum.

You can back the ITALIA on Kickstarter starting at $49 for aluminum models, $59 for Brass, and $79 for Titanium.

My thanks to ēnsso for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

ensso XS Minimalist Pocket Fountain Pen Review

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

Just a few years ago, the portable fountain pen market was pretty bare. On top of that, finding something made of metal was even more difficult. Today, there are so many options available that it can be tough to make a choice. The latest of these that I've had the pleasure of using is the XS Minimalist Pocket fountain pen from ensso (stylized as ēnsso).

If you've ever used a pocket fountain pen before, the XS Minimalist will be very familiar. Unlike most of the pocket pens I've used, however, the XS uses a friction fit cap instead of a threaded cap system. To aid in the fit, there are small o-rings on the grip section and back of the pen to provide additional friction for the cap. It's always important that you can trust the cap will stay on a pen meant to go in your pocket or bag, and the XS delivers that secure fit.

The multi-faceted barrel adds even more visual interest to the pen, and also provides a nice grip when handling it. My particular idiosyncrasies mean that I always make sure the facets line up properly when capping the pen, but it looks fine when they don't line up as well.

The top of the cap and the bottom of the pen barrel both feature a nice convex dimple that reminds me of a metal spinning top. It's a visual feature that shows off the attention to detail that the designers put into this pen.

The only visible branding is a very small ensso logo on the rear of the barrel. It's tastefully done and doesn't detract from the overall design at all.

The most direct comparison I can make regarding the size of this pen is the Kaweco Liliput. The pens are roughly the same length and diameter when open and closed. Where the Liliput is completely round, the faceted barrel of the XS sets it apart. Still, if you've used a Liliput, you can use that experience to determine if you'd enjoy the XS since the size and writing feel is so similar.

The XS rocks a steel Bock nib with a black finish. It matches the rest of the aesthetic perfectly. The EF nib on my pen is smooth and reliable, putting down a nice line with plenty of ink delivery. The great thing about using Bock nibs is that you can easily swap out the nib with another unit from ensso, or you can even replace it with other Bock nib units of the same size.

The XS takes a short international cartridge, and I haven't even experimented with seeing what converters might fit just because of the minuscule size of the barrel. There are a couple of converter options, but not worth the hassle for a pen of this size and given the easy nature of cartridges. This is a pocket pen, after all — the ability to quickly throw in a new cartridge is part of the ideal use case.

The ensso XS Minimalist Pocket fountain pen is a beautiful little pen that stows away easily but opens up to be a completely useful fountain pen. The subtle aesthetic lends itself to the daily carry category and can also stand up to the various levels of abuse that everyday objects have to endure.

The aluminum finish and brass innards mean that this pen will last. Along with a sample cartridge, ensso include a couple of extra o-rings in case the installed rings come off or break over time. It's clear that ensso intend this pen to be used, abused, and cherished as it comes along with you everywhere.

The XS Minimalist is available in the black finish featured here or a silver version. The XS is priced at $59, which is a fair price for the materials used and the great aesthetic it delivers. If you're a fan of brass pens, you can also buy the XS in a completely brass model for a few bucks more.

(This pen was purchased with my own funds via the Kickstarter campaign.)

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