(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
The Benu Pixie has gotten a lot of attention and hype ever since it launched since it's a new entry in the pocket pen category. Pocket pens are exciting because they usually have some sort of interesting or unique design due to the size constraints. While pocket pens aren't for everyone, the Pixie is certainly one to consider if you're a fan of the small form factor.
The BENU Pixie in Emerald Green and Silver Trim is the one that called out to me, and I couldn't be happier with the look of this little pen. The material is a mix of a rich, royal blue and a vibrant emerald green that both have sparkly, reflective particulates floating around to add character and dimension to the luxurious colors. Where the green and blue materials meet, there's a band of gold/copper flakes that do a great job of marrying to the two hues.
The pen body and grip section are both made of the same blue material, while the cap is split 50/50 between the blue and green. The gold/copper flake band and debossed BENU logo fall directly on the border of green and blue material. The area of the cap that has the logo is also slightly concave. Either capped or posted, the pen is gorgeous. The silver BENU logo and nib match well with the green and blue materials.
Like a lot of pocket fountain pens, this pen also relies on you posting the cap when you want to write. When the cap is posted, the length of the pen is comfortable for writing as long as you like. It balances nicely and the fit of the cap on the back of the pen is snug and secure. It's easy to operate, and the cap only takes a couple of turns to remove or screw on. The pen body without the cap is just impossible for me to use, but I'm sure some people could make it work. I'm not sure why you'd want to when the posted setup is so comfortable, though.
The silver #5 Schmidt steel nib worked great out of the box for me. I chose an EF point since this such a tiny pen, but it's actually comfortable enough in my hand that I could have easily gone for a large nib. In my mind, smaller pens are easier to use when they have small nib tips, but that's entirely unrelated. The Pixie can easily handle large, wet nibs with no problem.
But, large, wet nibs will fly through short international cartridges, which is the largest refill you can fit in this little pen. This isn't a problem for anyone that's used a pocket pen before. The diminutive size means they're also paired with a small ink capacity. You could probably find a converter or two that can fit inside the tiny body, but I'd stick with the short international cartridges. Either that, or you could convert this into an eyedropper pen pretty easily provided you have some silicone grease. There are plenty of threads mating the grip to the pen body to ensure a tight seal.
I was hoping the concave area of the cap would provide a nice stopper for the pen to keep it from rolling around, but this is unfortunately not the case. The concave detail just isn't prominent enough to offer any sort of stopping power, so the pen rolls freely on uneven surfaces. This is a slight bummer, but not a deal-breaker.
I also wish there was an option for a clip on this pen. Pocket pens can be tricky to secure to things given their unique sizes, and a clip can be handy if you don't plan on carrying this pen loose in a pocket or bag. I'm betting that they didn't include a clip so as to keep the minimal aesthetic and to avoid covering the beautiful material. Still, I like to think it could have been done tastefully if they really wanted to.
LAMY AL-Start, left, Kaweco ART Sport, right.
The Benu Pixie has been an absolute pleasure to use. I like pocket pens and really enjoy a Kaweco Sport. The Pixie is similar in size, but a little shorter both when capped and posted. For my hand, it doesn't seem to make much difference in terms of feel between the two pens. Once again, BENU has given us a bunch of gorgeous material options to choose from. While I still adore this Emerald Sea colorway, there are several others that are still calling to me. I just don't need that many pocket pens. Right?
If you want a Pixie of your own, you can peruse the different options at Vanness. There are several material options split between two main categories: silver trim and gold trim. The trim and materials are meant to compliment each other.
At $72, the Benu Pixie is priced in a way that makes it really difficult to turn down. It's cheaper than most BENU full-sized pens, but you still get the stellar materials and color options. Sure, it's more than double the price of a Kaweco Sport, but it's well worth it in my mind due to the custom materials that give the pens most of their character. Either way, if you like the color, you won't be disappointed in the performance.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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