Ohto Dude Fountain Pen Review

There are a wide variety of fountain pens available in the entry-level price range of around $20. Some on the lower-end of that price scale are excellent (the Platinum Preppy and Sailor HighAce Neo for starters), as are ones on the higher end like the Lamy Safari. While there are many good choices, there are poor ones as well, and unfortunately the Ohto Dude falls into the latter category.

The Ohto brand has always appealed to me from a design perspective. Their barrel design ideas are interesting, and they generally pull them off very well (the Ohto Rook being the lone exception). Where they have been lacking - more times than not - is in the area of performance. Most importantly, where the nib meets paper.

I should have learned my lesson with the Ohto Fine. That nib gave me serious problems at the time, and the cost of repair would be greater than the original price. I was hoping the unfortunately named Dude would be better. It was, but only marginally.

What I have repeatedly experienced with Ohto fountain pens is the nib digging into the page. I don't mean that it is scratchy when I write - that is a different feeling - I mean that it is almost gouging the page. This made for a poor and inconsistent writing experience.

I have learned my lesson with this pen. Ohto ballpoints and rollerballs are good pens but I am going to swear off any future Ohto fountain pen purchases.

My Fountain Pen Education: The Pilot M90 Limited Edition

Mabeloos is the smart one as it turns out. Not that I didn't know that already, mind you. She has been an online friend and pen compatriot since the start of this blog. Back in 2009, she did a guest review that up until a few weeks ago I had forgotten existed. Looking back on it now, I remember thinking how insane she was for spending so much money on a pen. Today, I am jealous of her prescience. What was that review?

The Pilot M90 Limited Edition.

With a production run of only 9000 units, the M90 was released for Pilot's 90th anniversary in 2008 and was a nod to the original Pilot MYU which was released in 1971. If I only knew then what I know now I would have been one happy camper to pick one of these up for $180.

The MYU has been popular since its release despite not being manufactured since the early 1980's. That made the M90 a hot commodity and they sold out in no time. Luckily for me, my friend Thomas has one in his collection he allowed me to test.

I was wrong in my Pilot Murex post (and have since made the correction) that the Murex was the first of the line made by Pilot in 1971. The shorter Pilot MYU actually came first, with the full-sized Murex following in 1977. The MYU is just as highly regarded with its sleek portable design, durability, and beautiful integrated nib.

The M90 kept the majority of the original MYU design intact, with just the name on the clip, clip design, and blue stone in the cap differing according to Russ Stutler. The model Thomas sent me has one more slight difference: a nib ground to 0.20 mm (a true Japanese EF) by renowned nibmeister Mike Masuyama.

Like the PO nib in the Pilot Heritage 912 the firm steel nib of the M90 took some getting used to. This may be the firmest, finest nib I have used in a fountain pen to date. And honestly, it was difficult to write with. I think if I used it all day, every day I would find the sweet spot but I had a tougher time writing with it than I did the Murex. That said, that only knocks this pen down to a 9 out of 10 at worst. It is a marvel to hold and use and I would love to add one to my collection.

Thanks as always to Thomas for allowing me to test out some of his collection (there is more to come), and thanks to Mabeloos for being ahead of the curve and teaching me a thing or two along the way. You can find more from Mabeloos at her website The Jadecow Sketches.

My Fountain Pen Education: The Pilot Murex

From the first time I laid eyes on a Pilot Murex I knew I HAD to have one. Then I read the history around this storied pen. Then I checked their availability. Then I checked the price. And then I realized it will be a long time before I own a Pilot Murex.

Luckily for me, I have some amazing friends. Not only did Thomas hook me up with the Pilot Custom Heritage 91 and 912 that I reviewed last week, he also sent me the Pilot Murex shown above. Knowing that my podcasting partner Myke Hurley had never seen or heard of this pen I sent him a link to the Murex to check out. My headset was promptly filled with OMFG-type expletives and then he said something I agree with completely: "If Apple made a pen this is what it would look like."

The orgins of the Murex date back to 1971 (Correction: The MYU actually came first, followed by the Murex), making it the second greatest creation introduced to the world that year (behind me of course). Pilot created this pen for the Japanese market only, and the stainless steel, portable design was a big hit. The Murex line was only in production for a little over a decade, with only a half dozen or so different models. Since they were made for such a short period of time and were so popular there is quite an aftermarket for these pens today.

Russ Stutler is the king of all things Murex and runs a website devoted to the same. I gathered a huge amount of information from his site so be sure to check it out. And wear a drool bib.

My experience with the Pilot Murex has been nothing short of wonderful. The build quality is everything you would expect it to be. Thomas' model is dated 9/1980 and is in pristine condition. The Fine nib (they were only available in Fine and Medium) is firm and writes a much drier line in comparison to the Pilot Custom Heritage 91 with the 14K EF nib (I used Pilot Blue Black ink in both for consistency).

I will never, ever commit to using one pen and one pen only for the rest of my life, but if I did, the Pilot Murex would be in the running. That a pen several decades old still looks this good and writes this well is a testament to the design prowess of Pilot.

For a holy-grail type of purchase I think I will keep my eyes peeled for for a 1971 produced Murex. I imagine the cost would be outrageous but I can't imagine a more fun goal to shoot for.

This Thomas guy is going to cost me a lot of money.

(To save a lot of replies in the comments section I have a review of the Pilot Myu 2008 Limited Edition coming up later this week, so stay tuned.)