Ohto F-Spirit Fountain Pen Review

This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.

Ohto is a company best known for its ceramic rollerball and gel pens, but they’ve also gotten into the midrange fountain pen market with pens such as the Rook and F-Spirit. These pens are based around a lightweight aluminum body with a lacquer coat and Iridium Point Germany (IPG) nibs. Although many cheap pens use IPG nibs and the quality can vary widely, the Ohto pens use the better nibs and so these are smooth writers. The pens are fitted for international standard cartridges, so you can try out many different inks. The nib width seems fixed at fine and the pen writes really well, since the lightweight body is very well balanced.

Smoothness: Even though it’s an IPG and very stiff, the nib is excellent and lays down a nice, solid line.

Grip and Balance: The grip is smooth plastic, and isn’t as long as some others, but it’s adequate. The balance is excellent with the cap posted and the entire pen feels light and easy to write with. The barrel is just right as far as thickness goes.

Ink Flow: Although feeds might need adjusting from the factory, I had no problems with this pen. No skips or blotches.

Build Quality: VERY pleasing! The cap snaps crisply and the lacquered finish is excellent, with no misfills or gaps. The threads on the feed and barrel are perfectly aligned and the pen has no problems related to manufacturing. Tines on the nib were perfect from the factory.

Capacity: Takes any standard international cart. Converters are available and I am sure that long international cartridges fit, too.

Clip: Strong metal with a ball at the bottom to hold fabric. VERY good design!

Post: Perfect post! Uses a friction fit, with the plastic shell inside the cap keeping scuff marks off of the barrel. The cap also snaps shut tightly on the front of the pen. No drying out happened.

Overall: This pen is an excellent value for the money in these days of plastic barrels. The class and style are perfect for the office and the usage of international carts means that you can go to JetPens and try many different types of inks! I recommend Kaweco inks as superior in this pen.

Ohto Super Promecha 1500P 0.7mm Review

The Ohto Super Promecha 1500P is one of the craziest pencils I have ever reviewed. It is so customizable I bet I played around with the different settings on it for ten minutes before even starting to write with it.

Let’s get the basics out of the way first. This is a fully aluminum barrel with a knurled grip, on board eraser, and lead grade indicator – all of which most drafting pencils in this class have. There are a couple items that separate it from the rest of the pack though.

First of all, not only is the guide pipe fully retractable, its writing length is fully customizable. Twisting the knurled grip brings the pipe from 0mm all the way out to 4mm, and anywhere in between. You can write normally with it in any position.

Secondly, there is a dial built into the barrel that controls the amount or lead extended with each push. You can get anywhere from 0.2mm to 2mm of lead with each click. I spent more time on this than any normal person should! I have never owned a pencil like this before and was pretty fascinated.

If you are a heavy drafting pencil user the Ohto Super Promecha line needs to be on your radar. Casual users may not get the full benefit of all this pencil has to offer, but if you want your pencil your way then this is the one.

Be sure to check out all of the pictures and video on the JetPens product page.

Ohto Rook Fountain Pen Review

Just as I have turned the corner on the erasable ink of the Pilot FriXion, I have really started to come around on fountain pens as well. The more I am around them, the more I want to use them. The more I use them, the more I enjoy how they write, and all the different options that are available. The Ohto Rook doesn’t fall into the category of a traditional fountain pen, but it is a fun portable fountain pen that I am very much enjoying.

When I first took the pen out of the package, it took me a few seconds to realize how to open it up to write with. When capped, it measures just 3.7 inches in length, but once I figured out how to pull it apart and post the cap, it reached its full writing length of 5.6 inches, which is comparable to most standard pens. Getting it to open after that first time hasn’t been an issue.

From a writing perspective, the Rook does a fantastic job. The fine iridium nib lays down a smooth, clean line, and the ink is a nice shade of black. The silver portion of the barrel is made from aluminum, while the black sections are plastic, making for a very light weight pen.

This is about as portable as you can get from a fountain pen. If you would like to get another perspective on the Ohto Rook, check out the review by Brian at Office Supply Geek.