(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Several months ago, I was first introduced to the Nahvalur Nautilus and instantly fell in love with the design. I've used that pen regularly since then, and I'm still attracted to the whimsical design, sturdy construction, and pleasant writing experience. But when has that stopped any of us from buying another version of the same amazing pen? Exactly.
The limited edition Mariana Trench colorway of the Nahvalur Nautilus is absolutely fabulous. It features the rock-solid piston filling system, smooth nib, light weight, and comfortable shape as the regular Nautilus, but in a spectacular blue-green ebonite material with blue PVD coating on the metal bits. It's gorgeous, and it's been by my side for weeks now.
I still love my original Nautilus, but the gold trim was never my favorite. It works well on the purple ebonite, but it isn't perfect for my preferences. The Mariana Trench colors fits that spot perfectly. The swirling green and blue is a great characterization of the deep ocean, along with a sense of green rust that the harsh ocean water causes. The blue metal accents are a great touch. They're really shiny and almost flourescent, which just makes the pen that much more visually interesting. Something to note is that the blue coating on the nib is consistent whether you go with the steel or gold nib options.
Writing with the Nautilus is a great experience. The nib is smooth and consistent out of the box, and the piston filling system works well. It holds a large amount of ink, which makes this pen great for extended writing sessions. The fine steel nib on my pen is incredibly smooth, and I didn't have to do anything to it. It's a #6 size, which is a complimentary pairing to the body of the pen. Nahvalur makes their own nibs, so this probably explains how they're able to experiment with different coatings and effects. Whatever it is, I hope they keep it up.
For me, the Nautilus gets really, really close to "the perfect pen." It's lightweight but still a good size for comfortable writing, it writes well and holds a lot of ink, and it's aesthetically enjoyable when not in use. The only downside I can think of with this pen is the fact that you can't post the cap, but I don't want to post it due to the larger size of the body. As long as that doesn't bother you, I can't think of a reason to dissuade you from buying this pen (or another variant) if it fits your budget.
At $160, this pen definitely has a lot of competition, but it certainly holds its own due to the fun design, light and colorful materials, and superb writing experience. If this pen even remotely interests you and you have the budget for it, give it a try! The Mariana Trench colorway shown here is a limited edition and might be hard to track down at this point, but the Nautilus pen is available in many other fantastic colors.
(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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