Nahvalur x Enigma Stationery "Brilliant Bunny" Nautilus Fountain Pen Review

(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!.)

I have been a fan of the Nahvalur pens for a couple years now - I could have sworn I’ve written more reviews than the recent review about their Galen exclusive - so when the opportunity came up to review one with a gold nib, I said sign me up, even if it’s red! Little did I realize, it was a special Nahvalur Nautilus pen, created for Enigma Stationery, named Brilliant Bunny.

The Nahvalur Nautilus Brilliant Bunny was released earlier this year by Enigma Stationery in honor of the Year of the Rabbit which started on January 22, 2023 and goes to February 9, 2024 (at which point the Year of the Dragon begins). Only 50 pens were made for this edition.

Following the Nautilus’ nautical theme, this submarine-shaped pen sports 3 circular “portholes”, which function as ink windows and remain visible when capped. The Nautilus has a yellow gold-colored clip and cap band with the same wave pattern and logo as similarly-sized Nahvalur models (I compared it to another Nautilus as well as a Voyage). The pen does not post. For this exclusive, the Brilliant Bunny was made from a bright red resin mixed with “teal, blue and purple sparkle” and comes with a yellow gold-colored 14kt gold nib in Medium with the Nahvalur logo.

I like the design of the 14kt gold nib more than the steel version. You can also see how this yellow gold nib compares to their rose gold.

The Nautilus next to the Schuylkill (left) and Voyage Tromso (right.)

They are quite similar once uncapped, though the Schuylkill is a touch less girthy than the other two.

Since I had a good experience inking up other Nahvalurs with shimmer ink, I went for a matchy matchy red shimmer ink and picked Wearingeul Dracula. I had no problem with either the ink flow or seeing shimmer on the page, even when I didn’t use the pen for a few weeks (I deliberately set aside review pens for days and weeks at a time to test both evaporation and flow). As with all shimmer inks, to prevent clogging, periodically tilt the pen up and down so that the shimmer particles don’t all settle into the nib/feed.

The sparkles are subtle, which makes it difficult to photograph, but much easier to see in person, and pairs perfectly with Wearingeul Dracula.

The Nautilus feels balanced and comfortable in hand. It has a short, smooth step from the cap edge and threads, and tapers towards the nib where it flares to prevent your fingers from sliding forward.

I hold my pens pretty close to the nib, but neither the threads nor step felt intrusive when holding the pen further back.

The pen worked flawlessly each time, producing a nice, wet line. The nib is nice and smooth and softer than its steel counterpart. I could get a wee bit of line variation if I tried to “bounce” the pressure while writing, but I don’t recommend flexing the nib, but I did a little, for science :-) The softness of the 14 kt gold medium means that the line is a tad bit broader than the steel medium.

Writing sample on 68 gsm Tomoe River in an Endless Recorder.

Comparison of the Nautilus with the 14kt gold medium, steel medium as well as Platinum 3776 14kt gold medium, TWSBI Eco Steel Medium Architect and Sailor Pro Gear Slim 14kt gold medium.

Getting this bit of line variation made me nervous. I had to use more than my usual pressure (which, according to Pilot’s handwriting analysis, is fairly light). I don’t recommend pushing it further than this.

I’ve had this pen inked up for over 2 months and used it about a dozen times. Like other Nahvalur pens, cleaning the pen is pretty easy: you can either use the piston to get water in/out of the barrel or you can unscrew the nib unit and syringe clean it. Just be careful not to blast it too hard or you may get water behind the piston. If that happens, you can also disassemble the pen with a Nahvalur wrench (I don’t believe it was included with this pen since the Bossman literally handed me the pen by itself at one of the shows, lol).

L to R: Leonardo Momento Zero, Leonardo Momento Zero Grande, Nahvalur Brilliant Bunny, Pelikan M800, Visconti Homo Sapiens.

Pros:

• Lovely bright red pen with gorgeous shimmer
• Piston-filler
• 14kt gold nib is smooth and wrote well
• Very comfortable in hand

Neutral:

• Nib writes slightly broader than steel medium
• Slightly girthy pen
• Pen does not post (I didn’t take posted comparison pictures for this reason)

Cons:

• Only nib option is 14kt Gold Medium - I understand having just the 14kt gold option, but it would have been nice if it was also available in Fine.
• Price point? - I struggled with whether this was a Con or a Neutral, as there are plenty of gold nib piston pens that cost more than this pen (like Pelikan M6xx and M8xx), but also some that cost less (like the Pilot Custom Heritage 92). But there aren’t many in this price range that are made from a custom resin either.

I knew that I’d enjoy this pen (as I already have a Nautilus which I liked) but was pleasantly surprised by the smoothness and wetness of the 14kt gold nib. As of this writing, it is still available on the Enigma Stationery website for $295 USD.

(Disclaimer: Thank you to Dan of Enigma Stationery for sending us this pen for review. All other items in this article are my own.)

Gravitas Pocket Fountain Pen in Teal Splash Review

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

The Gravitas Pocket fountain pen is no stranger around here, but there's nothing like an injection of some fun colors to spice up something you've already seen. Teal Splash features a black pen with beautiful blobs of teal scattered over the body to make this pen really stand out.

If you're new to the Gravitas Pocket, here is the summary. It's a short pen that looks and feels similar to a Kaweco AL Sport, but with plenty of unique design choices that bring this pen close to the top of my pocket pen list. The cap unscrews and posts to the back of the pen to make it a more comfortable length for writing, and it takes short international cartridges due to the short body. You can fit some converters into this pen, but they have to be short — a standard converter won't fit.

Where this pen departs from the ordinary is obvious once you take a closer look. The cap features a flat edge that keeps the pen from rolling away, while the rest of the cap and body are round. The tips taper from a cylinder to a point in a really pleasing distance, and there's no branding outside of a tiny Gravtias logo debossed on the lower part of the cap.

Once you uncap the pen, you'll notice the grip section is much larger than the typical pocket pen. This makes for a really comfortable writing experience once you've posted the cap. The grip section also has micro grooves cut into it that provides a soft but tactile grip. The grip also flares out a bit at the end to provide a nice butt for your fingers to rest while writing. Overall, it's a really comfortable pen.

There's a nice feature on both sets of threads for this pen — both for the cap and the section. There's a small o-ring at the base of both of these threads that make for a snug and secure fit when the section or cap are tightened down. I don't know if this is technically necessary for the pen to function properly, but it definitely feels nice.

Something different for me on this model is the nib. This unit has a titanium flex nib that really fits my writing style. When writing with soft pressure, it puts down a line that is similar to any European fine nib. The line is crisp and the ink flows well. But, if you want to add some flourish, just apply a little pressure to the nib to make those tines spread and really distribute the ink. This flex nib isn't as dramatic as some I've used, but this one is so incredibly easy to use. I'm guessing part of this experience is due to the soft titanium material as well as the shape, but it sure is fun to use.

While flexing is easy, you have to be careful not to flex too hard or else the feed can't deliver enough ink and you'll end up with some railroading. This will vary a bit depending on what ink and paper you're using, but it's something to keep in mind. In my use, using soft and moderate pressure to flex the nib is no problem. It's only when I try to max out the tine spread that the railroading happens.

The nib is a #6 size that Gravitas produces in-house. There aren't any markings on it, and I really appreciate the dull finish of the titanium against the shiny black grip and speckled body.

Finally, the finish on the outside of the pen. I absolutely love this edition of the Pocket fountain pen. Teal Splash is a perfect name, and I really enjoy looking at the splatter patterns that adorn the pen. The regular pen is so sleek and unassuming, but this treatment kicks it up a notch to an eye-catching piece of art when it's on your desk.

The Gravitas Pocket Fountain Pen in Teal Splash starts at €120, but the model featured here is €135 due to the titanium flex nib option. In my opinion, the €15 difference is totally worth it for this nib. Gravitas is definitely one of the brands I suggest you check out if you haven't already. If the pen featured here doesn't fit your fancy, there are so many other models and options to pick from, and they all feature top-notch quality and craftsmanship.

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

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Choosing The Best Beginner Fountain Pen

(This is a guest Post from Sam Alpert. Sam is a geologist, gamer, and general lover of all things with good, clean design that will last a lifetime.)

ABSTRACT

I have compared a number of properties, both quantifiable and subjective, across three of the most widely-recommended beginner fountain pens: the Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, and Platinum Plaisir. Based on my findings I have determined that the Pilot Metropolitan represents the best balance across all compared categories and is therefore the best beginner fountain pen.

PREFACE

I am assuming that the person purchasing this pen wants to use their own ink, and will therefore also need a converter. For those looking to get the highest ease of use a cartridge is significantly easier, but it also limits you to the inks available in them. To me this defeats one of the biggest reasons to switch to a fountain pen: being able to choose almost any ink color imaginable. I am also assuming that the person purchasing this pen is not prone to losing their possessions and is willing to make some sacrifices in terms of ease of use in order to switch to a fountain pen. If you are not, then stop reading now. You may as well stick with ballpoint or rollerball pens. There are many phenomenal options out there for upgrades from the basic Pilot G2 and this article does not cover them.

BACKGROUND

My name is Sam. I'm a PhD candidate studying meteorites at the American Museum of Natural History. I've always been very pedantic with a tendency to nit-pick my possessions. I like things to last while serving their purpose as cleanly and effectively as possible. I've loved pens ever since I first saw my grandfather's Cross pen/pencil set he kept on his desk. I like simple, classic designs; I prefer my writing utensils to only serve one purpose at a time. I wouldn’t attempt to use a fountain pen (FP) to write lab notes (though I have at least tried). Likewise, I see no better utensil to write notes on talks, papers, and to-do lists than a FP.

Disclaimer: this article does not describe how to use a fountain pen, or what each individual part of a fountain pen is. Such information is not in debate and there are numerous resources online that will provide this background. The goal of this article is to help answer the most basic question one is left with after researching FPs and deciding to take the plunge and buy a first one: which is the best?

The primary reason for writing this article was the lack of inter-comparisons across the internet. Most reviewers do not put pens head to head. Instead they review one pen at a time, and while they may have a rudimentary formula for how their review is conducted, a comprehensive series of quantifiable and subjective criterion is often lacking, instead opting for soft (non-quantifiable) comparisons to a single property of a single similar (or dissimilar) FP. For example, The Pen Addict’s review of the Metropolitan contains only a single mention of the Safari as his preferred entry level fountain pen, with the given reason as it having more barrel options (6). The article doesn’t discuss things like the ink capacity of the FP, a feature which may be more important to some than barrel options. In addition the article, which was published in 2013, doesn’t line up with the current recommendations on his “Top 5 Fountain Pens for Beginners” list (7).

This lack of continuity across even a single reviewer is not unsurprising. Changes in taste and shifts in the market play a huge role in the opinions a reviewer might hold. Additionally, most reviewers do not all start by reviewing the most popular, or most entry level FPs before moving on. The process of reviewing pens this way is organic, but lacks a rigorous baseline from which to compare reviews against one another.

Broadening the spectrum to other reviewers we find that searching for “the best beginner fountain pen” also results in a wide range of opinions, most of which do not agree. The Pilot Metropolitan, Platinum Preppy, LAMY Safari, TWSBI Eco, and Kaweco Sport all appear repeatedly in lists online (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, others). Less commonly mentioned are pens like the Platinum Plaisir, Diplomat Magnum, and a variety of pens by Jinhao (2, 5). Browsing forums like Reddit or Fountain Pen Network will give similar results. These recommendations range in their level of detail from simple filters on a retailer’s website (5) to full guides with extensive reviews of each individual pen in separate articles linked from the body of the guide (1). Each of these reviews still lack methodology or criterion that are shared across each pen. Even in cases where pens are compared to each other, there is little consistency in what aspect of each pen is being compared. For example, a review might state that the Safari is lighter than the Metropolitan, and therefore more comfortable for long writing sessions. However, when comparing the Plaisir to the Metropolitan weight is not referenced at all, and instead the review focuses on how wet or dry the nibs are relative to each other. The lack of consistency fails in the primary objective of assisting a reader in determining which pen to buy. As an additional example, were one only concerned with ink capacity and price then neither of the aforementioned comparisons would help in the decision making process. While reading multiple reviews is always the best method to get the broadest view of any topic, the lack of salient points to compare across those reviews makes developing a consistent opinion impossible.

This article seeks to address this lack of baseline by using the same methods to compare each pen under review. Thereby providing the reader with all the information necessary to make their own comparisons or conclusion as to which pen they would prefer. This also allows the reader to compare this article to articles from other sources no matter what points those reviews chose to cover.

METHODS

Each pen will be compared based on its specific characteristics: materials, price, filling mechanisms, available options (colors and nib sizes), weight, length, grip diameter, and grip style. Pens will be subjected to 1 week of real world use. During this time the pen will be carried unprotected in my daily bag (either in the pouch on the front of the laptop sleeve of a Timbuktu messenger bag or the top zipper compartment of my Osprey Stratos 24 backpack) along with a few other EDC items (varies depending on the day). This is intended to test the durability of the finish of the pen and its reliability when used afterwards. For the entire week this will be the only fountain pen I use. I will also carry the pen in my pants pocket for 1 day of the week while at work to provide an added level of stress testing.

Pens will also be put through a series of tests under controlled conditions. This will include: a standard writing test (same passage will be used for all pens) in a Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Classic, a short writing test (sample sentence and some line tests) in a generic Staples brand notepad, and a test consisting of 5 drops from desk height onto my office floor (carpet tile over concrete) to simulate accidents that may occur during daily use. For all writing test pens will use the same ink: Pilot Blue Black. This ink was chosen for being relatively inexpensive per mL, acceptable dry time (<20 s), good performance (not too dry, not too wet), ease of cleaning, high quality (relatively resistant to developing mold), and good color (subjective but I just couldn’t bring myself to do this with black ink, sorry, not sorry).

Each pen will also be evaluated based on a series of additional subjective points. This will include: writing feel (how smooth the nib is, how much feedback the nib has, how comfortable the pen is while writing), ease of maintenance, ease of carry, and aesthetics.

RESULTS

Physical Characteristics

The physical characteristics of each pen are listed in Table 1. This information was gathered from a combination of my own measurements in the case of the length, weight when full, minimum/maximum section diameter, and drop test. The ink capacity of the converters, and prices were sourced from JetPens.com.

Table 1 - Physical characteristics of pens

Because of the “ergonomic grip” design, a diameter is not relevant here.

Figure 1 - A) pens capped top to bottom: Plaisir, Metropolitan, Safari, G2.

B) pens uncapped same order as in A.

Writing

The Metropolitan performed the best in terms of overall smoothness of the nib, there was no feedback or snagging in the F nib I received even while writing on lower quality papers (such as basic Staples brand notepads). The flow was generous without being too wet that it began to pool while writing normally. The Safari is the second smoothest, having some feedback but never felt scratchy or untuned. It had a good flow to keep up with the slightly wider European-style F nib that was less wet than the Metropolitan but never felt dry. On lower quality paper the lower flow combined with the blueblack ink created a slightly lighter overall effect to the writing which was nevertheless still dark enough to be considered professional. The Plaisir had the highest feedback, feeling almost pencil-like in its scratchiness. On lower quality paper it was beginning to feel like it was dragging into the paper and could have resulted in tears if not writing on a hard surface. The flow was also very dry. Even on high quality (Kokuyo) paper the difference is noticeable when compared to the other two pens. In the writing samples below the Plaisir has significantly lighter coloration to the same ink when writing on Leuchtturm paper.

The grip section of the Metropolitan is small but works well, with the flare at the nib acting to prevent sliding forward despite the slickness of the plastic material. The grip of the Safaris is both textured to prevent moving, as well as contoured to effectively lock you into a single writing position. The grip of the Plaisir is not textured and not flared, as a result I experienced some sliding over the end of it while writing for extended periods of time.

During writing I found that the weight of the cap was too great to use posted for the Metropolitan. The length of the cap moves the weight of the Safari too far back and also makes it less effective when writing with it posted. Comparatively, the Plaisir being both light and relatively compact means that writing posted is preferred.

Maintenance

All three pens are relatively low maintenance requiring no special tools to clean them thoroughly. Because the Plaisir has the special seal inside its cap it will require less maintenance overall than the other pens if left for extended periods of time while filled. All 3 pens were left for 1 week without use with no issues and were able to write immediately after being picked back up. The CON-B converter which is included with the Metropolitan is the hardest to clean as it’s a simple squeeze action converter (like an eye-dropper) and therefore getting all the ink and cleaning water out can be tricky. If the CON-40 twist converter is purchased it makes cleaning without additional tools identical for all pens. Purchasing a blunt-tip syringe and a bulb syringe makes cleaning and maintenance for all base pens identical (both items will also drastically reduce the cleaning time required and are highly recommended in general). Additionally, a blunt-tip syringe could be used to fill the CON-B converter directly similar to how one would refill a cartridge. This improves the performance of the Metropolitan overall as it makes filling the converter fully possible thus giving it the largest capacity of all 3 pens.

Carry

The overall construction of the Safari is good, with rounded edges everywhere and tight threads keeping it together even when carried in the pocket. The additional security of the snap in converter is a nice bonus. The Metropolitan has an incredibly smooth construction, with even the edges of the clip seeing some form of rounding and smoothing. Despite the snap cap not feeling particularly strong, it holds up well when in the pocket and even during the drop test where it may have been expected to pop open. The Plaisir suffers from having sharp edges with the end of the clip being the most notable. In addition the threading on the one I received seemed to be slightly loose between the body and the grip section, resulting in the pen body beginning to unscrew both while carried in my pocket, and during the drop tests.

Aesthetics

This section is highly subjective. I only include it because I want to make it clear that I am not unaware of the effects of this on people’s decision-making. I believe that the range of colors in the Metropolitan and Safari lines (especially with the frequent special and limited editions offered for the Safari) give them an edge over the Plaisir. I also find the design language of the Metropolitan and Safari to be clear and well-executed whereas the Plaisir seems disjointed. The cap band on the Plaisir in particular seems out of place to me, being overly large compared to the width of the barrel, with excessive faceting causing it to be much brighter than the rest of the metallic coloration of the rest of the pen.

DISCUSSION

Taking all of the various factors into account I would generally recommend the Pilot Metropolitan to new pen enthusiasts based on its incredible writing experience in terms of both ink flow and smoothness, universally comfortable grip section, middle price point, excellent construction, solid selection of colors, and high ink capacity (when paired with its default CON-B converter and the additional purchase of a blunt-tip syringe). Even with the included purchase of a blunt-tip syringe ($2.50 on jetpens.com) the Metropolitan is cheaper than the Safari which must have its converter purchased separately.

The Safari would make a fantastic purchase for someone who is ok with a limited grip area, and wants the lightest possible writing experience. The fact that the Safari comes in the largest selection of colors is an advantage that it has over the other two pens, and if color is a high priority for you then I think this is a fantastic option.

I’m going to be slightly harsh here. The only reasons I can see to buy the Plaisir are its low relative price, and the fact that it can be left unused for extended periods of time. That being said, the other two pens also demonstrated their ability to be left for a week unused with no issues. So unless you plan to leave this pen for multiple weeks at a time, then this really isn’t an advantage. I acknowledge that the issues I experienced (body unscrewing, dryness, high feedback) could all be due to general QC, however given that I have experienced these same issues with other Plaisirs and never heard of them with the other two pens it is safe to assume that this is more normal than unusual. While it is possible to get a lemon from any company, it seems that Platinum has intentionally designed this pen to write on the dry side, and have feedback more similar to a pencil than a brush.

CONCLUSIONS

The best fountain pen

While this is hardly the only review of these pens, I believe that it represents the best objective head to head review of all three pens that I could achieve in a reasonable timeframe. The Pilot Metropolitan and the Lamy Safari are both clear winners, while the Plaisir had numerous issues that presented themselves under what I would consider normal use cases. Either of the two pens (Metropolitan and Safari) would make fantastic choices for someone looking to make their first foray into the world of fountain pens. Each pen presents a couple unique pros that makes picking one definitive best option hard, but the Metropolitan has the least specificity to its design and is therefore the easiest to recommend in a vacuum.

Future work

I intend to expand this article into a series where I review other entry-level fountain pens using the same methods and compare them back to these three. The next on the list are the: Diplomat Magnum, Kaweco Sport, TWSBI Eco, and Jinhao x82.

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Bibliography:

1) JetPens “The Best Beginner Fountain Pens” (2023)

2) Gentleman’s Gazette “5 Best Inexpensive Fountain Pens For Beginners” (2018)

3) Robb Report (2022) “How to Use a Fountain Pen—and 5 Great Models to Get You Started”

4) The Pen Addict (2015) “The Beginner's Guide to Fountain Pens (By a True Beginner)”

5) Pen Chalet (accessed 2023) “Best Starter Fountain Pens”

6) The Pen Addict (2013) “Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review”

7) The Pen Addict (accessed 6 May 2023) “Top 5 Fountain Pens For Beginners”

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