Pelikan 337 Giant Ballpoint Refill Review

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

I'm always on the lookout for a new Parker-style refill to try. The Parker-style refill is one of the most commonly used in ballpoint pens, and almost every pen manufacturer has their own version of this refill size. While the size is common across the board, the quality of the ink and the writing experience is anything but. For the longest time, I've regarded the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 as my favorite Parker-style refill. In most cases, a new ballpoint pen that uses the Parker-style refill would immediately be replaced with a fresh EasyFlow to instantly improve the writing experience. Lately, I've been using the Pelikan 337 Giant refill, and I believe it's better than the Schmidt.

So, what does it take to knock the Schmidt out of first place in my book? The Schmidt is easy to find, affordable, offers a smooth writing experience, has a variety of color options (namely, blue), and is always quick to start writing even after a long shelf hiatus. The Pelikan beats the Schmidt in every area except for price, but I think it's worth it.

The Pelikan Giant refill is a standard Parker-style refill, but the ink formula is outstanding. It also comes in a wider range of colors and tip sizes (at least through JetPens) than the Schmidt. I'm currently using a Fine blue refill, and I love it. But, I also have the option of medium or broad tip sizes, and black and red ink colors. The Schmidt only comes in black or blue, and only one tip size — medium.

The ink in the Giant is somehow smoother than the Schmidt, and also lays down a more consistent line. In the world of ballpoint refills, the Schmidt does an absolutely fantastic job against the competition when it comes to ink consistency, color, and flow. The simple fact is the Giant does it all better. I like the lighter blue color better, I like the smaller tip size more, and the performance of the ink is crazy-good. It makes the Schmidt look like a Bic when compared side-by-side. And, it feels smoother when writing. I've been enamored with this refill ever since I started using it.

Performance and my own infatuation aside, this is an expensive refill. At just shy of $10, it's twice the price of the Schmidt EasyFlow refills and more than basically any other major competitor. Does this refill write twice as well as the Schmidt? I don't think so, and that will turn many people away from it. But, when you consider the improvement you can make on any pen, the price may be well within reason. Like most things, you're perspective will vary, as will the proposed value of a premium refill like this one. Bics make marks on paper, and they're also fantastic writing instruments when you can't have or afford anything else.

My assumption is that these refills are overpriced on purpose by Pelikan to align with the expectation of a premium luxury pen. From my research, any pen that Pelikan ships with this refill is in the range of hundreds of dollars. Considering that there are plenty of pens that accept the Parker-style refill and also cost less than the refill, it's a hard value proposition to swallow. Is it over-priced? Almost certainly. Will I still buy more? Oh, hell yes. For the same reason that I own pens that vary in price from the single-digit dollars to hundreds of dollars. They all offer something unique, and this refill elevates an ordinary ballpoint pen to something greater than the sum of its parts. It's a fantastic product with a special ink formula that really excels.

If you can stomach the price, I can only recommend the Pelikan 337 Giant refill as a big improvement on your favorite Parker-compatible ballpoint pen.

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

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Platinum Prefounte Fine Nib Fountain Pen Review

The Platinum Prefounte is a heck of a good pen. But, …

Sarah reviewed the Medium nib/Vermillion Orange model for the site recently, so in this review I'll be tackling the Fine nib/Night Sea model to finish testing out the nib sizes offered in the Prefounte.

As I mentioned up top, I really like this pen, but I have questions I have yet to answer about its place in the larger stationery marketplace. Yes, I tend to overthink these things.

What Platinum gets right with the Prefounte is nearly everything. The shape of the pen is classic, but with the modern twist of a transparent barrel in fun colors. The nib is spectacular, which Platinum does as well as anyone at this price point. It feels good, looks great, and writes well.

The only performance oddity I found - which Sarah did as well in her review - is that it would hard start when uncapping the pen to use for the first time of the day. A little scribble would get it going, but I wouldn’t expect this to be happening with the Slip and Seal insert they use inside the cap. That said, once I got it going it never stopped, but I also don’t recall this ever happening with the Platinum Preppy - even after sitting unused for weeks.

The Preppy is part of the reason for the “But, …” at the top. The other part is the other choices consumers have in the under $20 price range - mainly the Pilot Kakuno and Pilot Metropolitan.

All four of these pens represent some of the best choices for fountain pen users, beginner or experienced, and I’m trying to sort out where the Prefounte lands within this group.

I think the Preppy is the best of the bunch, and also the least expensive. At either $4 or $5 (depending on the nib size), it provides the exact same writing experience and a similar feel as the $10 Prefounte. Barrel style is the only reason to pay twice as much for the Prefounte.

One of my other favorite pens in this category is the Pilot Kakuno. It is Pilot’s entry-level fun pen, and the quality is exceptional. It’s the Platinum Preppy of Pilot’s lineup when compared to the more classically styled Pilot Metropolitan.

If I’m forced to break these entry-level pens down into a ranking, it would look like this:

1. Platinum Preppy
2. Pilot Kakuno
3. Platinum Prefounte
4. Pilot Metropolitan

The good thing is that there’s no wrong choice. It’s like if I had to choose my favorite bread style. I might choose sourdough over ciabatta, but I’d gorge myself on both equally if the opportunity presented itself.

I’ve learned a few things reviewing the Prefounte. One, Platinum really knows what they are doing at this price point. Two, I probably need an Under $15 fountain pen list on the Top 5 Pens page, because there are several great choices. The Platinum Prefounte definitely makes the cut - right behind the Preppy and Kakuno.

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

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TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Prussian Blue with Mark Bacas Predator Grind: 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.)

Last week I reviewed the TWSBI Diamond 580 in Smoke and Rose Gold with an EF nib. So, why, you might ask, am I reviewing another 580 this week? Well . . . first, because the Prussian Blue has some distinct stylistic differences from the 580 in Smoke and Rose Gold, and second, because this 580 boasts a specialty grind by Mark Bacas.

I’ll start by discussing the Prussian Blue version of the Diamond 580 and how it is distinct from the Smoke and Rose Gold. The Prussian Blue arrives in the same plastic TWSBI box.

The aluminum trims on the pen have a dark teal matte finish which is still shiny but in a subtle way.

One thing I don’t like about this version of the 580 is that the clip is plain silver rather than the gorgeous Prussian blue color. I wish they had matched the clip like they did on the Rose Gold.

Unlike the Rose Gold 580, the cap finial and grip are machine-grooved. This gives the finial a special look and provides texture on the grip for your fingers.

Although the Prussian Blue is the same size as the Rose Gold 580, it weighs slightly less: 27 grams capped, with no ink, 17.9 grams inked and unposted. The grip diameter is just a smidge larger at 11 mm. Like the Rose Gold 580, Prussian Blue holds 1.8 ml of ink and is a piston filler.

I purchased my TWSBI Diamond 580 in Prussian Blue from Mark Bacas (nibgrinder.com) and requested a Predator grind. The Predator is created from a broad nib. It is ground so that when the pen is held normally, you get an extra fine line. When you hold the pen upside down, you get a medium to broad line. It is similar to a Sailor Cross Concord but without the doubled nib.

Here are several photos showing the Predator grind from various angles:

This nib grind is so much fun! The EF point is smooth and creates lovely delicate lines. Writing examples follow:

The B point offers substantive line width (it’s not so broad that its unusable for writing) and you can use it for both cursive and print writing.

I created a mandala using this nib and Sailor Yama-dori ink. It’s really great for artwork because you can create super fine lines and use the other nib side for broad lines or for filling in.

The fact that you can get this grind on a TWSBI 580 with its huge ink capacity makes this nib more practical than the Sailor Cross Point (which only comes on Sailor pens with tiny converters). Plus, it’s almost impossible to find Sailor Cross Point nibs anymore, and if you can, they are very expensive.

You can purchase this pen from Mark Bacas for $60 (if he still has some in stock; if not, he carries other TWSBI models). The Predator grind is an additional $50.

(I purchased this TWSBI Diamond 580 in Prussian Blue with the Predator grind with my own funds.)

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Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!