(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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