Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Narwhal Nautlius 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.)

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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Posted on September 28, 2022 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Narwhal, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Laban Rosa Sky Blue 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.)

We're no stranger to Laban pens around here, and I have yet to be disappointed by one. Sure, they don't quite compete with the likes of Sailor, Pilot, and Platinum, but they're a solid fountain pen manufacturer with a unique style and excellent quality.

The Laban Rosa fountain pen is an acrylic resin pen that takes inspiration from the neoclassical style when it comes to the trim, but uses a fairly standard pen shape that fits great in the hand.

The part that stands out to my eye is the collar at the mouth of the cap. It reminds me of Roman or Greek designs from art history, but also fits right in with the overall aesthetic of the pen. The warm gold finish isn't my first pick against the sky blue acrylic, but it still manages to look fantastic. I'd be interested in seeing a variant of the sky blue Rosa with fatigued nickel finish, but that's not likely to happen. As is, the cap band looks fantastic and feels great in the hand. It feels like a solid piece that's been engraved versus a few cheap parts glued together.

Moving up the cap to the clip, it uses the same gold finish to cover a stout clip with simple angular features. It's a perfect fit for the rest of the pen, and it functions perfectly. This pen won't go anywhere when you've secured it with the clip.

The finials of the pen are a cone shape with a soft tip. This gives the ends a distinct look without scratching or poking your hands or getting caught on fabric. I like the sharp cone aesthetic paired with the rest of the pen — adds just a little more interest to the pen.

The grip section of this pen is the same acrylic material as the rest of the pen. It's a smooth finish and feels warm in the hand after handling the pen for a few seconds. Even though it's smooth, it has plenty of grip when writing. Similar to every other acrylic resin pen I've used in the past!

The German Bock is a two-tone finish with the same Laban scrollwork that they use on their other nibs. The size of the nib is perfect for the rest of the pen body.

The nib looks good, but how does it perform? So far, so good! It had a small flow issue at first, but moving the tines a tad fixed the issue in a few seconds. The nib is smooth and easy-flowing — exactly what you want from a fine German nib.

Along with the pen, Laban includes a simple cartridge converter — perfect for filling up with your ink of choice to match the sky blue material. It also fits international cartridges if you want to go that route. And, as an added bonus, there's a small bookmark included in the pen box.

The Laban Rosa is available from Vanness for $140 with a choice of EF, F, M, or B nib size. If the sky blue material isn't your thing, there are several (eight!) other fantastic materials available. For the price, I think the Rosa is a good value. This is a hot price range, so there's no shortage of excellent options out there. Still, it's great to see another acrylic resin pen that uses gorgeous materials to create a handsome writing instrument that also writes really well. This kind of pen makes an excellent gift for something looking for a stylish and unique fountain pen, or even a splurge for yourself!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 21, 2022 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Laban, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Sakura Craft Lab 002 Gel Pen Review

My first go-round with Sakura’s premium gel ink pen products, the Craft Lab 005, was positive from a personal usage perspective, but there were a litany of reasons, all laid out in the linked piece, why I would hesitate to recommend it. That said, I felt good enough about it to go ahead and buy-in to the product lineup once again, this time with the Sakura Craft Lab 002 Gel Pen.

The premise of the 002 is essentially the same as with the 005: unique design elements, fun colors, premium price. I’d even call this ultra-premium from a manufacturer more known for it’s $2 gel ink pens and markers.

This is a basic, cylindrical-shape pen barrel. It features a brass underbarrel, with an opaque acrylic outer layer designed to allow the color to shine through. And the colors are bright! I went with what may be the brightest, in Yellow, but they do offer a few basics, like Black and White, if searing Orange isn’t your thing.

The knock mechanism is a 180 degree twist to extend and retract the refill. It looks nice, and feels solid to use. It, and the nose cone, are exposed color, outside of the acrylic overlay on the barrel, which makes the color stand out even more.

Unlike the 005, which shipped with an interesting Sepia Black 0.5 mm gel ink refill, the 002 uses a basic Black 0.5 mm. I would have liked to have seen one of the other Black+ inks that Sakura offers ship with it, but they are available separately.

The refill is a good jumping off point to say that buying a Sakura Craft Labs pen is expensive from the jump, and the ongoing expense of buying refills sends the true cost of the pen exponentially higher. Not only are these low-capacity gel ink refills (compared to the standard gel ink pen refills,) they cost $4.15 each. At $45, you are making a commitment to the pen, and that means the refills, too. That’s something to consider in advance.

If I were to compare my 005 to the 002, I would take the 005 every time, and it’s not particularly close. It is $3 more expensive, and “only” has a plastic barrel, but the shape and feel of it are superior-especially the grip taper. The 002 is good in its own right, but there is only room for one of these on my desk … for now.

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

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