(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Every now and then, I'll pick up a new pen that just instantly feels right in my hand. I just know that we're going to get along based on how it feels. As long as the nib and everything else functions normally, I'm pretty much already in love with it.
This doesn't happen to me often, but the Narwhal Nautilus surprised me with this feeling the first time I picked it up. It surprised me because I wasn't instantly attracted to it at first sight. Sure, it's definitely a unique pen that attracts the eye, but it wasn't until I picked it up that everything just clicked for me.
Being made of ebonite, this pen already has a lot going for it. I really wish we had more ebonite pens to choose from, and I wish that more modern manufacturers used the material. It doesn't produce bright, vibrant colors, but it just feels so good in the hand. It's lightweight, but warms up quickly and always feels sturdy. It's a fantastic material that comes from a process of vulcanizing rubber, which in itself is fascinating. Throw in some black and burgundy notes with the dusty purple hue, and you've got a winner. The gold trim fits well with the ebonite tones, and the port hole ink windows are a fun accent that adds to this pen's unique aesthetic.
The actual name of the color is Pelagia Noctiluca. A quick search lands me on this page, where I'm lost reading about jellyfish for a few minutes. The main takeaway here is that Narwhal named this material colorway perfectly.
While the ebonite is the clear star of this pen's design, the shape is something that also gives it a lot of unique personality. The pen is a tad thicker than most standard fountain pens, and it's about as long as a Lamy Safari. It looks a little chunky or heavy at first glance, which is why it's so surprising and delightful when you actually pick it up because it's actually quite lightweight. The rounded ends and straight tubular clip match perfectly with the three ink windows, which take design cues from a ship's port hole windows. For me at least, these windows also make me think of Captain Nemo's ship in Disney's adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea — which also happens to be called Nautilus (mind-blown emoji). And, since there are three of these windows, it's really easy to get a quick idea of how much ink you have left in the pen.
The Nautilus uses a piston-filling mechanism for inking the pen. It's a great mechanism that feels smooth and well made. There isn't any play in any of the pieces when operating the piston, and it only takes a couple of quick turns to fill the pen.
Moving down to the nib, you have a large steel nib with the same gold-like plating as the rest of the pen's trim. There is some decorative scroll work as well as a Narwhal logo. The nib size is stamped on the left shoulder of the nib, which is a welcome addition in the event you forget what nib size you have! This happens to me more often than I'd like to admit, so I love it when manufacturers stamp the tip size on the nib.
The grip section of the Nautilus is also a big part of why I love this pen. It's a great size, and the slight taper toward a hefty shoulder at the end makes it really comfortable and secure. The ebonite material warms up in your hand quickly, and it has a tactile grippy-ness that is hard to describe. It doesn't feel like other materials that I'm used to (like metals or resins), and I'd say this is a perk.
The cap doesn't post on the back of the pen, but that's fine with me since I don't normally post the cap anyway. With the size of this pen, posting the cap would be a little awkward and would throw off the great balance it has.
The cap also features a decorative band that has the NARWHAL name printed into it twice along with some wave motifs. I think it's really well done and adds to the sense of quality and thought that went into the design and manufacturing of this pen.
This is my first exposure to the Narwhal brand (now Nahvalur), and I couldn't be more pleased with the Nautlius. From a pen that I shrugged at initially, this pen has been a nearly constant companion for the past few weeks. At price points ranging from $120 to $295 (depending on the material,) you definitely shouldn't overlook Narwhal's Nautilus offerings, and I look forward to seeing what they get up to next.
(Nahvalur provided this pen at no charge to The Pen Addict for purposes of this review.)
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