(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
When I think of BENU, I think of bright colors, glitz, glam, sparkle, and pizzazz. The Lisa Frank of pens. So I did a double-take when this elegant writing instrument crossed my screen. We've still got the glitter--always the glitter!--but it's tempered by a formal, almost minimal (for BENU) black resin and gold accents. It's like a grown-up version of BENU and I like it just as much as I like the glowing neon they're known for.
The Tessera line from BENU is so called because of the textured grid pattern that mimics the tesserae of ancient mosaics. It's particularly striking in this smoky acrylic as each facet catches the light. The surface has a matte texture, while the cut-ins are polished, which accents its unique finish. The finial, cap band, and grip section are all in an amber colored clear resin that is loaded with sparkling gold flakes that make the material look like enchanted Amber. There are gold rings that separate the amber from the black. The clip and nib are also gold plated. The overall effect is very refined and formal.
The cap screws on to threads on the grip section. The threads can be felt when holding the pen, but they aren't sharp or uncomfortable and the grip tapers and flares so that it's comfortable to hold. The cap does post, but makes the pen a bit back-heavy in my opinion. Though overall, it's a very light pen.
It takes standard international ink cartridges or a converter, and it comes with one. And like every BENU pen I've ever used, it writes like butter. It has a fine point and writes so smoothly that I never want to put it down. This pen is classy, elegant, and a joy to write with. If you've been curious about BENU pens but felt that their usual vibe is a little too loud for you, I'd check out this line. There's one that is all black, if you want something even more minimal. And of course there's also bright purple, if you want to go full BENU.
The BENU Tessera Black Amber sells for $205, which is slightly more than some of their other offerings, but not by much. And it's much less than other highly designed resin pens. I think the price is about what I'd expect from a nice steel-nib pen, and BENU pens are high on my list of favorite brands.
(This product was purchased from Goldspot at a discounted price.)
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