Faber-Castell Ambition Fountain Pen Review

When I read Susan's review of the Faber-Castell Ambition she bought in Paris, the first thought I had was why don't people talk more about this pen? It is priced well, looks great, comes from a historic company - what am I missing? Not much it seems, especially for a $70 pen.

The model I am reviewing - the Ambition in Black with an Extra Fine nib - has been fantastic to use. The brushed resin barrel feels great, and the chrome accents, especially in the cap and the clip, give the Ambition a classic, dignified look. The dot pattern on the nib can be seen across Faber-Castell's steel nib lineup, which is a nice touch.

If there is one thing about the Ambition that people question it is the grip section, or lack thereof. The barrel terminates into a small chrome piece that is used for access to the ink cartridge or converter. There is a small step down where they connect, which begs the question of grip interference.

As a low-gripper, my traditional three point grip lands right above the edge, so I personally have no issue with the barrel digging into my fingers. Your mileage may vary, especially if you have a non-traditional grip. Otherwise, my fingers land on the barrel right where I would hold any other pen. I think it is designed this way. This is an instance where the pen section is designed for utility (barrel access), not for grip. Attempts to hold it there will be met with disappointment and discomfort.

I haven't had the opportunity to use many Faber-Castell steel nibs, but if this one is any indication, they are firm and a bit on the dry side. That is how I like my nibs, but if you are looking for more ink flow I would consider the Medium or Broad. This EF suits my style very well.

The Faber-Castell Ambition is going to find a place on my Top 5 Pens list for fountain pens in the $50-$100 range, likely knocking out the Kaweco Liliput in the 5-spot. I'm glad to discover more options in that bracket to be honest, and this one deserves it.

(Goldspot provided this product on loan to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Namisu Nova Studio Ebonite Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I’ve wanted a Namisu Nova ever since I first saw the pen on Kickstarter, but I wasn’t quick enough to get the aluminum or titanium versions. So, when I saw the new ebonite version, I was thrilled. I knew this material would be light and not slippery, like metal pens can be.

The pen comes in minimalistic packaging suited to the pen’s classic style: a black cardboard drawer box. The pen sits in a v-shaped recess in the drawer, but is not held there by elastic or anything else. I was a little concerned that it wasn’t at least wrapped in plastic or something else to protect it, but it seems undamaged.

This is a classy looking fountain pen. It’s all matte black ebonite with solid titanium finials and threading and comes without a clip. The ebonite warms to your hand while you write and it feels like satin. Although the pen is matte black, it does show fingerprints, but they are easily wiped away with a soft cloth.

I’m reminded of the Nakaya Piccolo when I look at the Namisu Nova. It has similar conical finials, with a gradual widening of the barrel near the middle. There’s a noticable step down from the barrel to the grip, but I’ve not found this to be uncomfortable when writing.

The pen is very light due to the ebonite materials, weighing 21 grams capped and 14 grams uncapped. It is 140mm long capped and 128mm uncapped. Namisu did not design the cap to be posted.

The top finial is engraved with “Namisu Studio.” Otherwise there’s no obvious branding on the pen itself.

The pen also has a titanium threads where the cap screws onto the barrel.

I purchased my Studio with a titanium EF nib, mainly because, at the time of my purchase, the only choices were a steel medium or the titanium EF. More options are available now. The nib has some basic scrollwork like other Bock titanium nibs.

I’ve found the EF nib to be pretty scratchy and loud on paper. The tines seem to be aligned, but there’s a divot on the top of the tines near the nib. I’m not sure if this affects its performance or not, but it does make the nib tip look a bit mangled.

Other than scratchiness, the nib writes well. I’ve not experienced any hard starts or flow issues.

And, the titanium provides a little bit of flex and line variation.

The pen is a cartridge/converter. It comes with a Schmidt converter, but no cartridges.

I am very pleased with my Namisu Nova Studio. I love minimalistic pens, and this one has a wonderful zen simplicity with unique titanium accents. You can purchase the Namisu Nova Studio in ebonite from Namisu with a steel nib for £105 (=$132 at today’s exchange rate) or with a titanium nib for £140 (=$178 at today’s exchange rate), plus shipping. This is currently Namisu’s most expensive pen.

Pros

• The Namisu Nova Studio is an affordable ebonite pen with a beautiful form factor: simple, elegant, and well designed.
• The pen is light and well-balanced, and the ebonite warms to your hand as you write.
• The nib writes without any hard starts or flow problems (but see below).
• The titanium nib offers a little bit of flex and line variation.

Cons

• This is Namisu’s most expensive pen. It’s affordability depends on the exchange rate.
• The titanium EF nib is a bit scratchy and may have some flaws (the divot I mentioned above). But since Namisu doesn’t design the nibs, that is really the fault of Bock. However, Namisu should examine nibs for flaws before shipping.
• For people who like heavy pens, I would recommend the Namisu Nova in titanium rather than the ebonite.

Pilot Cavalier Duo-Color Body Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

Somehow, in my scramble through the fountain pen hobby, I skipped the Pilot Cavalier. I think a lot of people do--it's not a pen I've heard much buzz about. And that's a bummer, because this is a great little pen.

The body is brass, giving it a nice weight, but it's a slim pen, so it isn't too heavy. This special Red & Pink Duo-Color edition is slightly larger than a standard Cavalier, but it's still very slender, which may not be as comfortable for larger hands. That does, however, make it well-suited to the smaller pen loops found in planners and folios. The brass is coated in a lovely marbled pattern. All the colors are gorgeous and rich, and very difficult to capture in a photograph. There's a shimmer to it that just doesn't come though. So you'll have to take my word for it that this is one of those pens that you'll find yourself staring at as you think what to write.

The furniture is gold-plated, the grip section and cap jewel are black plastic, and the nib is gold-plated steel (here in a size medium). The clip is firm--maybe a little too firm--and the cap snaps securely to close. It posts nicely without becoming too long or back-heavy, though the balance does feel better to me unposted.

As much as I prefer threaded caps, I'm developing a real appreciation for snap caps when I need to write a quick note. I have had some instances of the nib drying out slightly when the pen is stored nib-up. When I've stored it horizontally, I haven't had any trouble.

The pen takes Pilot's proprietary cartridges or the con-20 converter. I'm firmly in the camp that despises the con-20 and I wish that Pilot/Namiki would release more fun colors in their cartridges. So this pen will join my Prera and Vanishing Point in the ranks of pens that get their cartridges refilled with an ink syringe.

The nib is a nice wet writer with gentle feedback but no scratch. It's surprisingly springy for a small steel nib and shows some nice line variation. The nib is narrower than the Metropolitan nibs and it wraps around the feed in a way that makes it non-removable. It writes better than the handful of Metropolitans I've tried. There's no skipping or ink starvation--just good, reliable consistency.

I've been using this pen for daily journaling and as my planner pen, and it's been lovely. It's at a great spot in terms of price and look, I feel. It's a step up from the beginner pens (like the Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, and TWSBI Eco), but well below the cost of the next-level fancier pens (like the Pilot Vanishing Point, Pelikan M200, or Sailor Pro Gear Slim). It writes, looks, and feels like it could be more expensive than it is. It would make an excellent work/office pen, where you want to look a little bit fancy without exposing a nicer pen to the hazards of the workplace. It's also at a great price-point for a thoughtful gift for someone you'd like to push over the edge into fountain pen addiction.

Even though I missed this pen on my first trip 'round the pen world, I'm delighted to double back and make up for lost time.

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