(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 check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
If you were one pen brand, which brand would you be? I'm Benu. Sure, we'd all like to think we're Nakayas, but I've met me. If I were to anger a wizard and he turned me into a pen, I'd end up something like this pen. If I'm lucky.
This new wild offering from Benu is part of the Skull and Roses Collection, which comes in three colors of fountain pen and rollerball configurations, all in this gorgeously decorated cigar shape. It's available in all transparent red, all black, or in this striking two-tone version.
The pen is made from lightweight acrylic resin. The background has a crackled matte texture and the decorative overlay is shiny, which gives it fantastic dimension. The carved shapes are of thorned branches, leaves, and roses, with the skulls circling the middle cap band. The overall effect makes it look like the vined porch pillar of a Gothic mansion.
The cap screws off to reveal the clear-red grip section. It's long and narrow with a taper toward the nib, and very comfortable to hold. Some may find it a bit too narrow. The pen overall is fairly small. The cap doesn't really post, as all the texture on the pen body prevents it from getting a good grip. The texture does prevent the pen and cap from rolling away, however, so you can set the cap aside with confidence.
While the texture looks sharp, it feels smooth, so it doesn't interfere with the comfort of writing at all. And the pen is so light that the shapes don't dig into the hand at all.
The nib is a Schmidt #5, which works well with this smaller pen size. It writes nicely and is less of a firehose than my other Benu pens have been. It's smooth and the Fine point is a true Fine. It comes with a converter and also takes standard international cartridges. Of course you must fill it with your most Gothic ink on hand.
This model of Benu costs around $163, in keeping with the brand's other special edition offerings. It's a very fair price, and less than I'd have been willing to pay for it.
Benu continues to surprise and delight me. I'm with you in all your skulls and sparkles, Benu. We're kindred spirits.
(Luxury Brands provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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!
