Gravitas Pocket 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.)

Gravitas Pens, maker of custom machined writing instruments, have been around for over three years at this point. I'm surprised I've still only tried a couple of their pens so far, and I'm excited to see what they're coming up with.

I recently had the opportunity to try out one of their more classic designs — the Pocket Fountain Pen with a medium nib. This all-metal pocket pen is delightfully small while still being surprisingly big when the cap is posted. Similar to a Kaweco Sport in size and functionality, this variation has its own tricks and highlights.

The exterior parts of the pen are all made of aluminum that has been anodized black, though there are several other color options if matte black isn't your style. The aluminum is hefty but still lightweight. The grip section is made of PVD-coated stainless steel, which gives it more weight where it counts. The balance of the pen is near perfect due to this lower center of gravity. With the cap posted, it feels just like a full-size pen. And, to be sure it doesn't roll away when not in use, there's a flat edge on the cap. Bonus points: the Gravitas logo is on the opposite side of the flat edge so that the logo faces up when it's laying on your desk. Excellent little detail.

The cap secures to the pen with threads, and it only takes 1.5 turns to open or close it. The section also secures to the pen body with threads, but there are many more turns involved with removing or installing the section. The number of threads — 11.5 turns by my count — make me think that you can use this pen as an eyedropper (as long as you remember to use some silicone grease on the threads) if you want to increase the ink capacity. I haven't tried this yet, but the thought hasn't left my head since I first realized how secure the section attachment is. One day...

Otherwise, the options are few in terms of ink cartridges for this pen. Compact pocket pens trade off ink capacity in favor of size, and I'm all for it. Just know what you're getting into. International short cartridges fit this pen perfectly, and that still gives you plenty of ink options.

The Pocket fountain pen also features a #6 JoWo nib, which is a wonderfully large nib for such a compact pen. Oddly enough, the large size fits it really well — especially when the cap is posted. Looking at a Kaweco Sport nib after this makes the Kaweco body/nib pairing look comical. The large #6 nib is the perfect choice for this pen. In my case, it's a medium nib and writes beautifully out of the box.

The grip section has machined grooves that provide excellent grip and tactile feedback. It feels really secure in my hand and is easy to write with. The secure grip is also due to the lower center of gravity that the stainless steel provides. Again, once you post the cap, the balance is perfect and this pen is a joy to use.

It's really easy to think that this is just a copy-cat Kaweco Sport or AL Sport. Yes, it certainly borrows some ideas from the form of the Kaweco, but this is a completely different pen in my mind. For one, it feels more substantial in the hand due to the materials. That's not to say that Kaweco AL Sports don't use good materials — the Gravitas Pocket just feels like everything is just a little thicker. Once again, the stainless steel section also makes your brain think that it's high quality due to the small weight difference.

While the Kaweco has faceted edges all around the cap, the Gravitas Pocket only has one that's intended to keep the pen from rolling away. The top and bottom of the Gravitas also has a sharp cone shape that I personally love.

The last similarity is size — the Gravitas Pocket and Kaweco Sport are both pocket pens that look roughly the same size! But I was genuinely surprised when I set them side by side and noticed a difference. The Gravitas is actually a good bit smaller than the Kaweco when closed, but longer when open and posted. This is a wonderful design feature that makes the pen more portable while also being more comfortable when writing. Beautiful.

The Gravitas Pocket Fountain Pen is currently €95. Depending on where you live and how the exchange rates work out, this is probably still an excellent deal. Kaweco AL Sports start at around $75 — not much less than the Gravitas. This is where I'm really torn. I love the design, feel, and usability of the Kaweco Sport line. They're incredible pens and easier to come by. Plus, with the price starting a little lower you can also throw in an extra nib or some ink before you hit the $100 mark. But the Gravitas Pocket is also an excellent pen. It reminds you of the Kaweco Sport design, but it feels completely unique in your hand. I fell in love with it almost instantaneously. That makes it a tough job to compare them side by side when you're trying to make a choice.

For me, it comes down to what you're looking for. Will this be your first pocket pen? Maybe start with the Kaweco Sport to try out the form factor with your writing style. Do you already love the Kaweco Sport style and know that pocket pens work well for you? Then absolutely pick up a Gravitas Pocket. It's familiar, but still unique and so good in its own rite.

The Gravitas Pocket Fountain Pen comes in a variety of colors, materials, and finishes, and you also have the option of Fine Flex, EF, F, M, B, 1.1 Stub or 1.5 Stub.

Good luck deciding!

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

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TLDR: Pelikan Pens 101

(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!.)

Ok, I know what you’re thinking, Kimberly can’t write a short article to save her life and you’re probably right but I did want to do a “quick” post about Pelikans since today is Pelikan Hub for most folks around the world and I heard from a lot of folks that they don’t have a Pelikan or don’t know much about them, so here goes!

First of all, if you wanna know all there is to know about Pelikan, stop reading and go to The Pelikan’s Perch by Joshua Danely. He has one of the best blogs out there about Pelikans, including new, the various models, its history, company, manufacturing and more. Go check it out, you won’t regret it. Also, this is not a be-all-end-all article about Pelikans, just a few things to know about the more common models that might help you in your research and possible purchase of a Pelikan. They are known for their fountain pens but Pelikan also makes ballpoints, pencils and inks. I am going to focus on their modern (post ‘90s) piston-filling fountain pens in this article.

Naming, The Brand

Yes, that’s Pelikan, with a K, not a C, in the middle. It used to be C but now it’s K and if you want to know more - read Joshua’s post about the brand/ spelling. Autocorrect will eventually learn to spell it with a K, lol.

Naming, The Letter

You will often see Pelikans listed as M400, M805, M640, K600, P200 etc. What does it all mean? For modern Pelikans, If you see P or M, they are fountain pens; K is for ballpoint, and D is for pencil. The PXXX fountain pens are cartridge fountain pens. Most of the time when people are talking about Pelikans, they are referring to the M series, which is their piston-filler fountain pens.

Naming, The First Number

Pelikans have a 3 or 4 digit number following the letter, like M405, M620, M800, M1005. There are a bunch of models but here are some general guidelines: M2xx series has steel nibs, the M4xx and M6xx have 14kt gold nibs and the M8xx and M1xxx have 18kt gold nibs. Yes, there are other models as well, but this is a good starting point.

Pelikan M200 Caffe Creme, M400 Blue Souveran (or Blue Stripes), M600 Red Tortoiseshell, M800 Brown Tortoiseshell.

Naming, The Last Number

Yes, I am skipping to the end because this is more frequently different than the middle number. The last number tells you if it is gold trim or silver-colored trim (I use the term silver trim to describe the color not because it is sterling silver). If the model ends in 0, it is gold trim (clip, cap/pen rings, primary nib color); if it ends in 5, it is silver trim.

Some gold vs silver comparisons - (left to right) M200 Caffe Creme vs M205 Marbled Petrol and M400 Blue Stripes and M405 Stresemann.

Naming, The Middle Number

Most of the time, the middle number is 0, but occasionally you will come across a pen with a different second digit, like M215, M620, M640, M815, etc. The second digit tells you that there is usually something special about it. For example, the “1” in M215 or M815, tells you that there is metal “on the barrel”, which makes the pen a little heavier than its non-metal sibling. The M620 is for the M6xx sized City Series pens. The M640s are a bit bigger than the M6xx with metal barrels and therefore are heavier than the M620s, and have more intricate designs. You get the idea.

M215 Rings and Orthogons (things I learn from the Pelikan’s Perch!), M620 Place de la Concorde, M640 Sahara, M750 Jubilee, M815 Metal Striped.

Size/Weight

The M2xx and M4xx are similarly sized and weigh about the same. Their main difference is in the nib (steel vs gold). The M600 is a bit larger and therefore a slight bit heavier. The M800 is a bit larger but feels a lot heavier (compared to the jump from M2xx/4xx to M6xx) because of the brass piston vs plastic in the smaller models.

Comparison with M2xx/4xx: Kaweco Sport, TWSBI Mini, Pilot Prera, M200 Golden Beryl, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy AL-Star, M400 Blue Stripes, TWSBI Eco, Kaweco Student, Faber-Castell Grip.

Comparison with M6xx: Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy AL-Star, Sailor Pro Gear, M600 Red Tortoiseshell, TWSBI Eco, Platinum 3776, M620 Place de la Concorde, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, TWSBI 580.

Comparison with M8xx: Sailor Pro Gear, Leonardo Momento Zero, TWSBI 580, Pelikan M800 Burnt Orange, Gioia Partenope, Platinum 3776, Esterbrook Estie, Pelikan M815 Metal Stripes, Platinum President, Pilot 823, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Montblanc 146, Leonardo Momento Zero Grande.

Swapability

For the most part, you can swap the nib units between several of the models. Just carefully unscrew the nib unit from the pen barrel. For example, you can swap nibs between the M2xx and M4xx series as they are the same size pen and nib length. You can also put an M4xx nib unit into an M6xx nib - you can technically fit the M6xx nib onto one of the smaller pens, BUT there might not be enough room in the cap for the longer M6xx nib. The 600 nibs don’t fit in the 800/1000 bodies (and vice versa). I don’t know if the M8xx and M1xxx nibs are swappable or not (I don’t have one of the latter). For me, to keep things simple, I keep my nibs in the same “series” - so 200 nibs go in 200 bodies, 400 nibs in 400 bodies, etc.

Since the nib unit is easily unscrewed from the barrel, I unscrew it to gently syringe the barrel for cleaning - it gets a majority of the cleaning done. I will use the piston a few times to expel the water from the barrel. Then I will blast the nib unit with a bulb syringe until it runs clear before putting it back into the pen and then using the piston a final few times. Just be careful, as always, when unscrewing nib units, so you don’t damage the feed or cause any misalignment of the tines.

Writing Experience

Pelikan’s writing experience for their steel nibs is a bit different than their gold nibs. I have found their steel nibs to be pretty firm but some have experienced bouncy, almost borderline flexy nibs in their M2xx pens. The steel nib sizes are pretty consistent and what you would expect width-wise from a European nib. The gold nib sizes, however, are all over the place. You might get an EF that writes like a Medium or a Medium that writes like a Broad, while another Medium writes like a Fine. I think my M8xx pens are wetter than the others - probably because there’s just more ink in the barrel. I don’t have any M100x pens because their nibs are too long for me to use comfortably due to my steep writing angle, but they feel a bit squishier to me.

Both the steel and gold nibs write well, with the gold nibs writing more like butter. It is almost too smooth if you get a nib with some baby’s bottom. Most Pelikans write fairly wet, so drier inks are sometimes recommended if you don’t want a super broad line. Pelikan 4001 series inks were designed to be drier so that they’d work well in Pelikan pens. The Edelstein line is overall less dry than 4001. Some of the lighter chromashading inks can be dry, but they behave beautifully in my Pelikans.

I don’t have all the nib sizes for all the models but these are the fairly common ones, except for the factory Italic Broad, which you don’t see very often.

Where to buy

There are lots of places to buy a Pelikan, both new and second hand. To my knowledge, you’re not likely to find fake or clone Pelikans but you may get some frankenpens (nib doesn’t match the body/era, wrong colored cap) if you buy second-hand, especially with some of the vintage models. I have bought most of my Pelikans either from European vendors, where Pelikans tend to be cheaper, or from eBay, so it helps to pay close attention to the listing and pictures.

Alright, that’s my somewhat short primer on Pelikans - hope you found it useful. Now to get me and my flock ready for the Pelikan Hub tonight!

(Disclaimer: all pens pictured are mine. I received no compensation for mentioning or including them in this post.)

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Zebra CLiCKART Retractable Marker Pen Review

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

It's been years since I've tried a new type of marker, and after trying the Zebra CLiCKART markers, I can only conclude that I need to try markers more often. Felt tip markers aren't my favorite writing instrument for day-to-day notes and doodles, but they're just so much fun to use.

The particular variant I have is a 12-pack of CLiCKART markers that cover a basic range of colors. At around $14, this set is a great value for what I consider to be excellent markers.

Taking a look at the exterior, each marker features a white body paired with a color-coordinated nose cone and click mechanism. There isn't a clip, but there is a nub where a clip would be that prevents the markers from rolling on your desk.

There's also a round window in the barrel (close to the nock) that is black when the marker tip is retracted, but red when the tip is extended. This is a cool feature, but I'm a little confused as to why it was included since you can tell the tip is extended by looking at the length of the nock button (and also by looking at the tip). The nock button sits low when the tip is extended, but it looks fully extended if you turn the pen upside down. Either way, I'm not complaining about the little window — it's a great feature!

The pen barrel diameter is a great size that fits comfortably in my hand. The plastic material provides plenty of grip without getting slippery after a little use. The nose cone is short and doesn't cause me any issues with the way I grip the marker. I actually found myself wanting the nose cone to be smaller so I could use the broad side of the felt tip to make a wider line. The large nose makes this nearly impossible.

Now, getting to the felt tip that makes this pen so great. Out of the box, the felt tips lay down a 0.6mm line that is a sharp and crisp. I imagine the line definition may get a little larger and maybe a little fuzzy as the felt tip wears down with use. I've been drawing and writing with these pens for a couple weeks, and the tips show no sign of wear yet. That said, I've been consciously trying to use light pressure when using them.

The colors are vibrant and solid. No wishy-washy colors here. A couple of the colors are light by design, but the only one that is hard to see on white paper is the yellow. This color works best on a dark paper or in conjunction with other dark inks on a light paper. Still, when you use the right paper or approach, the yellow is vibrant.

Felt tip pens are great, but most of them use caps. Caps are easy to lose — especially when you have several different colors on your desk at once while working on something. The convenience and practicality of a retractable felt tip marker is amazing. The only downside I can think of is the felt tips drying out prematurely since they're exposed to air constantly. Well, Zebra have thought that through and claim that these markers don't dry out. In fact, they supposedly absorb moisture through the air to remain viable. I haven't had these markers long enough to vouch for this claim, but I hope that the marketing lines up with real-world performance because markers deserve some popularity and notoriety.

Like I said at the beginning, felt tip markers aren't really my thing, but I've really enjoyed using these Zebra CLiCKART markers over the past couple of weeks. My drawings aren't any better for it, but at least I've had a lot of fun making them!

Zebra CLiCKART Markers are available as individual colors for $1.75 each, and in various 12-color multi-packs, and one 36-pack of all the colors, both of which bring the price down closer to $1 per pen.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

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