Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Penquisition Touchstone Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

Penquisition, home of many useful review blogs and keeper of one of the more fun and tempting pen show tables, have teamed up with pen designer Ben Walsh of Gravitas Pens to bring us the Touchstone Fountain Pen. The pen is made from anodized aluminum and is carefully curated to be the goldilocks of pen sizes. It's not too wide or narrow. It's a full-length pen that will be comfortable in most grips, but short enough to fit in most pockets or pen holders. The grip section is gently shaped, but not in a way that steers the hand toward any one grip style. Basically, they've set out to make a pen that is comfortable for anyone to use. And while I can't speak for everyone, it was certainly comfortable for me.

The pen body is widest toward the middle, with a gradual taper toward either end, terminating in pointed finials. The cap screws on with metal threads, and is slightly wider than the body, leaving a clear edge so that you always know which end is up. The surface is a matte finish that still looks shiny but avoids the mirror-finish that collects fingerprints. The grip section is slightly narrowed at the middle, with a flare to prevent slipping, and is textured with very subtle ridges to help with grip. Ink does get into these ridges, especially when filling the pen, but they are shallow enough that it was easy to wipe them clean.

The pen comes in three very attractive colors. I chose the Orange with a deep Green grip section, but there is also a Purple with a Teal grip and a Blue with Red grip. It is taking a lot of willpower to not order the Purple one and create a frankenpen of the beautiful combinations.

The pen comes with a steel #6 Jowo nib engraved with the Penquisition logo. My EF nib was a little snaggy on arrival, with the right tine catching on the paper during certain directional strokes, but it smoothed out nicely with a few swipes of micromesh. Overall it writes very nicely, with great flow and the nib did not dry out even when I left the pen in my bag without using it for a week.

The pen also comes with a full-size converter, which doesn't look like it would fit in the pen from the outside, but Ben has access to TARDIS technology apparently, because it does indeed fit.

The first run of these pens also comes with a custom Rickshaw Bagworks Solo Pen Sleeve, turning this awesome duo into a trifecta of pen collaboration. I love to see this all come together, and the end result is a fantastic product. I've carried this pen daily since it arrived in its rad pen sleeve, and really enjoyed using it. The only days I didn't use it were when I ignored it on purpose to see if it would start up again right away after being neglected for a while. It was difficult to not use it! I kept reaching for it, and had to remind myself to use something else. I do feel that they've achieved their design goal of making a perfectly comfortable, portable pen. At $129, it's also priced well for what you get.

Well done, team. I hope that there will be more fantastic collaborations like this in the future.

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

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Posted on March 14, 2024 by Sarah Read and filed under Penquisition, Gravitas, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Kaweco ART Sport in Pebble Blue Acrylic Review

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

There are so many pens to choose from in Kaweco's lineup, that it can difficult to tell them apart. The most common of these is the Sport model, which is a pocket pen that magically becomes a full-size pen when you post the cap on the back of the pen body. Kaweco also has several other pen models, but the Sport is the classic and what they're known for.

The Sport is also a great entry point for many who are trying out their first or second fountain pen due to the lower price point for the base model. While there are different price points and materials used in the Sport models, the writing experience is largely the same. The Sport is a fun, dependable pocket pen that is known as a classic for a reason. Whether it's the base ABS plastic Sport or the aluminum AL Sport, you get a fantastic pen. But, different materials open up a fun avenue of trying a form factor you love with small changes. For example, the AL Sport is almost twice the weight of the plastic Sport, and they feel a little different when writing or handling them.

A less common variant of the Sport line is the ART Sport. Using the same design and form factor as other Sports, this one features a marbled acrylic material that brings new life to the old classic. The Pebble Blue model I have is a mixture of dark blue, turquoise, and black shards of acrylic that have been turned into the shape of a Sport. Pens that are turned from acrylic have an aesthetic and beauty that you can't copy or fake with other materials. They're all unique, and I think Kaweco is saying that they're also a form of art in the way of sculpture. They're beautiful pens, and since the Sport platform is a known quantity, you know you're also getting a great pen. And, if you happen to know you don't like the Sport pens, then you know to steer clear!

Aside from the material, there's one other big difference between the ART Sport and the regular Sport and AL Sport: the integrated clip. I really like the integrated clip on this model because it just fits right. I like the freedom to choose whether or not to use a clip on the other models, but this blue acrylic material looks fantastic with the silver clip setting it off, so it would have a clip regardless of if it was integrated or not (for me, anyway).

When handling this pen and writing with it, it feels unique compared with the regular Sport and AL Sport. I expected this because different materials just feel different in your hand. They retain warmth at different rates, they provide different levels of grip, or the weight slightly changes the center of gravity. I was actually surprised to find that the ART Sport weighs the same as a regular Sport (with a clip installed). At just 12.6 grams, it's a really lightweight pen that is easy to use and feels nimble in the hand.

Compare that weight to the aluminum AL Sport, which weighs 20.6 grams without a clip and 23.2 grams with a clip, and you can definitely feel how the pens handle differently — both when writing and when handling or storing in a clothes pocket.

The Kaweco ART Sport uses the same interchangeable nib unit (nib and feed combined) as the AL Sport and newer Sports, so changing out the nib is as easy as unscrewing it and screwing in another. You have your choice of standard nib sizes (EF - BB) as well as several specialty sizes (several italic sizes and a double nib), and even different nib materials (silver steel, gold tone steel, black steel, or a premium gold nib). The EF nib in this unit has written beautifully from the beginning, but it's nice knowing that I can easily swap it out for a different nib if inspiration strikes.

The Pebble Blue material is a striking blue that loves catching the light, but there are a few other material options as well: Hickory Brown, Mineral White, or Terrazzo.

Finally, there's the question of price. At $125 base price (the price goes up if you choose a specialty nib), it's certainly a bit more than the AL Sport model, and $100 more than the regular Sport. But, the ART Sport line is made of acrylic rods that are created and then turned into the pen. The finished product is very nice — there isn't a single flaw on this pen, so the fit and finish is top notch. It's a fantastic pen, and I think it's worth the price. If you love the Kaweco Sport and also love acrylic pens, then this is a great match.

I've really enjoyed using the Kaweco ART Sport for the past few weeks. The small difference in how this pen feels and behaves is delightful, and I love how the acrylic material catches the light and provides small transparent glimpses into the threads beneath the surface. Definitely check these out if you can.

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

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Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

IKKAKU by Nahvalur Gradient Urushi Fountain Pen Review

The story of Nahvalur as a brand has been an interesting journey, to say the least. As a stationery fan, it has been fun to see them begin with what many would consider an entry level fountain pen, continue to refine that same pen model over the years, and quickly escalate into new models, materials, and designs. Slow and steady has not been their mantra, and so far, it is working out.

The IKKAKU series, for example, is the pinnacle of their product range. Think Namiki, as it relates to Pilot - a sub-brand of the more well-known main lineup, where all bets are off as far as creativity and craftsmanship go. IKKAKU has already seen close to ten designs released, with the latest - the three pen Gradient Urushi Collection - launching earlier this month.

Each of the Cinnabar Red, Vermillion, and Scallion Green - the model I have been loaned for this review - go through a months-long creation process. Urushi lacquer art requires the repetition of coating, sanding, polishing, and drying dozens of times to end up with the finished product. I love the light, airy feel these pens and this process brings to my own writing experience.

I chose the Scallion Green model to review for two reasons: One, while each pen has a raden gradient sprinkled down the cap, it is most noticeable in this model, and two, the transition into the black grip section was the most visually appealing of the three models. Both Cinnabar Red and Vermillion have a much harsher transition, and on a pen defined by its gradient, I think it could be better represented into the section.

Speaking of gradients, the layering application of the urushi looks wonderful. As someone who owns a range of different urushi pens with different finish qualities, I appreciate this one as much as any. The Scallion Green color is darkest, and deepest, at the end of the barrel, and slowly gets lighter as it traverses down the barrel, ending with stray green brush strokes in black lacquer. The solid black then transitions into the aforementioned galaxy of raden, with the heaviest application near the top of the cap. All three pens follow this same pattern, with their respective colors.

The pen is fitted with a Fine 14K gold nib, manufactured in-house by Nahvalur. Combined with the feed, I have found the flow to be excellent, and would even call it a wet writer as it is currently set up. Obviously, there are specific ink and paper characteristics to consider, so your mileage may vary. The nib is soft, with a little bounce in it, so the lines are wide for a Fine nib, at least as compared to something like a firm steel Jowo Fine nib. The line width relates closely to the German manufacturers (Faber-Castell, Lamy, Pelikan,) more than anything else. The nib was smooth and properly aligned right out of the box, and I didn’t have to adjust it at all. I have enjoyed writing with this pen from the moment I inked it up.

While you will see rare instances of urushi lacquered pens with a piston-filling mechanism, that is an outlier, so Nahvalur uses the standard international cartridge/converter filling system. All of my urushi pens use a similar setup, and work well.

The final, and possibly most important, talking point of the IKKAKU Gradient Urushi pen is the price. At $699 for any of the three models, this is an expensive pen. That said, I believe it is priced fairly for the amount of time and the level of craftsmanship required to produce pens like these.

*Nakaya Piccolo, left. Nakaya Portable, right.*

*Pilot Custom 743, top. TWSBI ECO, bottom.*

If I were to break it down even further and focus on my personal value proposition for this pen, I’d want to see two changes to better justify adding this pen to my collection. First off, the grip section needs to be lacquered to match the barrel. This goes for the model I reviewed, but even more so, the other two models. Different brands handle this differently, and there is no wrong way, but it is something I would like at this price point. Secondly, I want a more substantial, and unique, clip design. I’m not a fan of this thin style of clip Nahvalur likes to use on many of their pens, and it stands out to me even more here. If IKKAKU is your premium offering, differentiate the clip somehow.

I like what Nahvalur is doing with their brand as a whole. A company who can make quality pens at every price point will always have my attention. I look forward to the continued experimentation of not only their standard pens, but with the IKKAKU lineup as well.

(Nahvalur loaned this product to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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