Pineider Avatar UR Demo Fountain Pen in Amber: 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.)

The Pineider Avatar Fountain Pen is made of a new material called "UltraResin" (thus the UR in the title). According to the pamphlet included with the pen, UltraResin is a mother of pearl compound resin that is resistant to breaks, oil, ink, variations in temperature, and UV rays. The company compares it to celluloid, stating that it has all the features of celluloid without the problems, such as crystallization and susceptibility to heat.

The pen comes in a classic-looking cardboard box, which contains the pen, the pamphlet, and instructions.

The Avatar is 3D engineered so that it can be assembled without any glue. Trims are palladium plated, including the bottom tip.

The clip is designed to resemble a quill and is spring loaded.

The cap band is engraved with the Pineider name and the skyline of Florence, Italy.

Using a sealed magnet, the cap locks securely merely by placing it onto the barrel--no twisting or fiddling necessary.

A converter is included with the pen. It has the Pineider logo on it and an ink level gauge as well.

Measuring 5.79 in/147mm (capped), 5.24 in/133mm (uncapped), and 6.46 in/164mm posted, the Avatar is a medium-sized pen. It is rather heavy at 30 grams (capped/posted) and 17.8 grams uncapped/unposted. The cap posts securely but makes the pen unbalanced in the hand. I liked the weight and balance of the pen unposted.

For comfort, the grip is covered in rubber, which does make it easy to hold while writing. However, ink somehow seeped beneath the rubber grip and stained it. Pineider's website states that the grip can be replaced easily, but I have no idea how to remove it.

I'm quite confused about the nib. The pamphlet included with the pen states that the nib is a "large N6 Demi Flex." However, both the Pineider website and Goldspot identify it only as a steel nib. It has a futuristic look to it with the Pineider name engraved decoratively on both sides of the nib.

If this is supposed to be a "Demi Flex" or "Semi Flex" nib, it certainly does not live up to the name. There's absolutely no give to it at all. I tried applying some pressure to produce line variation and this is what resulted:

Otherwise, the fine nib writes smoothly, even though the tines are a bit misaligned.

I used Bungubox Sweet Potato Yellow to create my writing samples. The ink flowed well, and the writing experience was pleasant. However, the cap apparently doesn't seal completely, because after leaving the pen unused, I experienced hard starts--actually no starts. I had to force ink down into the nib unit in order to begin writing again. Other than that problem, I experienced no skipping, scratchiness, or other issues.

The Pineider Avatar is a beautifully designed pen. You can really appreciate the engineering that went into it when you examine it closely. The palladium plated accents complement the pen, and I particularly like the easy on and off cap.

Although the rubber grip offers a soft and stable surface for your fingers, the fact that ink can get underneath and stain it is disappointing. I'm not particularly fond of the ink level measurement on the converter and don't see why it's necessary at all, especially with a demonstrator pen.

I haven't tried dropping the pen to see if it lives up to its "almost unbreakable" description, but the UltraResin material does seem substantial in the hand. That said, the company's claim that UltraResin is comparable to celluloid isn't convincing, at least for the demo models. The opaque models (in various colors) look a bit more like celluloid.

You can purchase the Pineider Avatar UR in Amber for $157.95 from Goldspot.

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

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Sailor Compass 1911 Fountain Pen Review

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

The sub-$100 price range can be difficult for a lot of pen manufacturers to succeed in. For some, this is where they excel at offering great value and excellent writing instruments for the price (ever heard of TWSBI?). On the other hand, being able to deliver high-end luxury writing instruments doesn't also make you an expert at delivering lower cost, affordable items that compete well with brands that operate exclusively in that space. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, though! And that's exactly what Sailor is doing with the Compass 1911 fountain pen line.

The Compass 1911 borrows a familiar shape from the high-end 1911 fountain pen line, but uses more affordable materials in order to hit a much lower price bracket: $50 MSRP. On top of that, the Compass 1911 even comes with two black ink cartridges and (wait for it) a cartridge converter. I've definitely criticized Sailor in the past for not including a cheap converter with their $200+ fountain pens. At that price range, it seems petty to discount it from the hinged box that contains the pen. In the $50 price range, it's a fantastic bonus that I would never expect.

But the value gets better from there since no one really sells goods for the MSRP. As of now, you can find the Sailor Compass 1911 for just under $40 at Goldspot. For that price, is an excellent value for a beginning fountain pen kit. But, how does it perform as a pen? Can Sailor scale down their excellent writing to an ultra affordable, entry-level pen?

Across the lineup, the Compass 1911 feature semi-transparent materials in a variety of fun colors. The trim is silver in every case, and there also aren't any nib choices to make. Every pen comes with a stainless steel medium fine nib. While this is a bold decision, I certainly agree with this being a default option for a nib size. Others won't appreciate it and will look for larger or smaller alternatives, but for most people that don't really know what nib size to use yet, it's a pretty good starting point.

The pen is fairly lightweight, but doesn't feel brittle or delicate. It can definitely withstand some abuse from being thrown in bags and pockets. The screw-on cap posts securely to the back of the pen, and I find it extremely comfortable to write with the cap posted or non-posted. Both lengths are great for writing. In all, the materials used in the body and cap feel great for such an affordable pen. Even the converter seems well-made.

Moving on to the more important part of the pen, the nib is incredibly plain compared to Sailor's more expensive options. Even though it's plain and looks a little cheap, this nib is a solid performer. The MF nib is stiff as a nail and writes smoothly and reliably. It's always such a joy to ink up a pen straight out of the box and find that it writes beautifully without any fuss. The Sailor Compass 1911 is one of these pens, and an excellent first option for those that are curious about the world of fountain pens. I also enjoy that the material used for the feed is transparent as well, which shows off the ink color you've chosen. For my Olive version of the pen, I went with Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-rin to compliment the light green transparent color of the body. The green feed just makes it even better.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this box. I've been disappointed in the past by some of Sailor's sub-$100 offerings, and I thought this might be another lackluster attempt to break into that price range. The Compass 1911 won't disrupt what TWSBI, Pilot, Lamy, Kaweco, or other brands that offer pens in the same price range are already doing, but it is a fantastic offering from the brand that directly translates what kind of quality and dependable writing experience you can expect from their more luxurious offerings. Here's to hoping they continue experimenting in this fun category.

The review unit featured here is the Olive color option, but you can also pick from Clear, Brown, Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue, Pink, and Red. At $40, they're a fantastic deal for a gift or a personal treat.

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

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Pokka Jakket and Dokk Accessories Review

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

As 2020 is nearing the end, many of us are still spending most of our time in our homes instead of out and about. But just because you're staying home doesn't mean you can't carry a pen around at all times. There are so many great pocket pens to choose from, but today we'll focus on the Pokka Pen — an affordable and "disposable" pocket pen that's only 3.25 inches long when closed. When open and posted, the pen is 5.5 inches long, making it very comfortable to use. And, while it's advertised as a disposable pen, you can actually purchase additional refills (and multiple colors) for when it's time to replace the ink refill.

Pokka Pens have been around for a few years now, and I've enjoyed using them myself and giving them as gifts. They're so small and easy to throw in places where you might need a pen at some point (like a glove box in a car or a bag or purse), but also affordable enough that you can purchase a few without breaking the bank. While I prefer the Fisher Bullet, it doesn't make much sense to purchase multiples at a time. And this is exactly the problem that Terry O'Connor was trying to solve. He was tired of buying and losing his Fisher pens!

Pokka Pens are affordable because they're made using injection molded plastic materials and standard ballpoint refills. The refills are very similar to what you'll find in any Bic ballpoint pen, which isn't fantastic but is at least very dependable and long-lasting.

Lately, Pokka Pens have released some more durable caps and accessories for their mini ballpoint pens: the Jakket and Dokk.

The Jakket is an all-aluminum replacement cap that fits any Pokka Pen. The aluminum is machined and fairly robust without adding any weight. There are some machines grooves that run along the length of the cap to provide some visual interest and extra grip, but I notice every time I use it just how sharp the edges of the grooves are. I could probably fix this with some fine grain sandpaper to knock down the microscopic sharp edges, but it's not annoying enough to merit the tedious chore of sanding something so small. Maybe a future revision would include some kind of smoothing down of the edges of the grooves to make them more pleasant to hold and handle.

Outside of the material and shape differences, the Jakket operates exactly like any regular Pokka Pen cap. It fits the pen body and post mechanism perfectly thanks to the snap and o-ring system (dubbed Double Dokk). The Jakket is just a few millimeters longer than the normal cap, but it's not enough to make much of a difference when storing or using.

The Dokk is a small bit of aluminum that snaps onto the back of the Pokka Pen and adds a convenient lanyard point to any Pokka Pen. The Dokk shares the same machined look as the Jakket and looks right at home when combined. When using both the Jakket and Dokk together, the overall length of the closed pen is about half an inch longer than the standard plastic Pokka Pen. Again, not a substantial size difference.

The convenience of being able to attach the Pokka Pen to other things is fantastic. The Dokk includes a small split ring, but I've just been using a small carabiner that was laying around. The carabiner is much easier to use than a split ring, and adds a bit more versatility. If you want to attach it to a lanyard, the split ring is perfect.

When you're using both the Dokk and Jakket, it actually works best if the Dokk is attached to something else, like a lanyard, keyring, bag, or something else. That way, you can just pull the larger Jakket to remove the pen from whatever you've attached the Dokk to. In most cases, only the Jakket comes off the pen, and then you have to pull the plastic Pokka Pen out of the Dokk, post the cap, and then start writing. Some times, the pen comes out with the Jakket. I wish it always did this, but either way you need to post the Jakket to the back of the pen before using it. Given the design, I don't see an easy way to ensure that the pen always stays attached to the Jakket when removing it from the Dokk. Not a big deal, big something to consider if the big use case you have in mind doesn't line up with this behavior.

Overall, the Jakket and Dokk are a great addition to an already rugged and extremely portable pen. At $8.95 for the Jakket and $4.95 for the Dokk, they're a decent deal for what you get (solid machined aluminum!). It sounds expensive when compared to the regular Pokka Pen prices, but this comes down to materials. The aluminum will definitely add a lot of durability to the pen, and the mounting point that the Dokk provides adds a lot of versatility to you can use this sleek little pen. Pick up a combo of the Jakket and Dokk with your next Pokka Pen order! The Jakket and Dokk come in silver (pictured here) or anodized black as well.

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

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