Posts filed under Benu Pen

BENU - Did someone say Bling? A Comparison Of All BENU Pen Models.

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

BENU: They’re either “omg, gimme all the sparkles” or they’re “too much” ==insert hand waving== ; but either way, they are definitely not boring! Originally founded in Russia and as of last year, now based in Armenia, BENU is known for their sparkly pens that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. After working a couple of shows with Luxury Brands of America (the US distributor for BENU Pens), I thought it would be cool for people to see the different models, though they really need to be seen in person to get the full effect. My poor photography skills will have to suffice 🙂 Thank you to Bryce Gillett of Luxury Brands of America for loaning these pens for review.

*Sparkly, shimmery, colorful and not mistakable for other brands!*

All BENU pens are packaged in a Benu-branded white box with an inner paper pen “pouch”, warranty information and a long standard international cartridge (pretty rare to find long carts!). Standard international converters are included for models that fit them.

Features:

BENU uses stainless steel Schmidt nibs in sizes 5 or 6, and come in Extra Fine to Broad. Size 5 nibs come in silver or gold-tone, and size 6 only comes in silver-tone. 18kt Gold nibs are only available on some special editions only available on the BENU website.
Nib units are screw-in and interchangeable with other pens that take the same size (e.g. you can swap size 5 unit into another size 5 pen)
Entire grip sections are also interchangeable with each other as long as they fit the same size nib unit
All models can be eyedropperable.
Pen are primarily made of resin/acrylic so are fairly lightweight.
Some of the models even glow-in-the-dark!!

*Size 6 (left) vs 5 nib, also note that the tipping size is inside the square above the word “Schmidt” - in this case B and M, respectively.*

Models:

Ambrosia

The Ambrosia model is typically only offered as direct from BENU exclusive, so I don’t have one to show off, but here is an example of the Blue Lotus Ambrosia. It is slightly shorter than the Minima and has a raised/textured cap band.

Nib: 5

Clip: No

Postable: No

Converter: No

Retail Price: $132+

Briolette

One of BENU’s most popular models, the Briolette sports gem-like facets on the cap and barrel with a black band at the base of the cap.

Size: 5

Clip: No

Postable: No

Converter: No

Price: $98-106 USD

*BENU Briolette in Magenta Frost - bright colors and sparkles galore!*

*There is a fairly pronounced step down from the barrel but I don’t notice it because my fingers don’t touch it, and it’s also a smooth.edge.*

Hexagon

The Hexagon model is named for its hexagon/honeycomb-textured barrel as well as the hexagonally “faceted” cap band.

Size: 5

Clip: No

Postable: Yes

Converter: Yes

Price: $119 (USD)

*This is the Hexagon A, which is a subtly shimmering black with not-so-subtle gold shimmer flakes and grey transparent band and grip.*

Minima

The Minima is one of the smallest pens in the BENU lineup. It is a slightly pointy, cigar-shaped pen that typically has a black cap band, but occasionally sports a metallic one.

Size 5:

Clip: No

Postable: No

Converter: No

Price: $106+ (Pen pictured retails for $152)

*Minima Blazing Gold also sports a gold-colored cap band and nib.*

*This small pen still feels very comfortable to me, but then again I write with Kaweco Sports unposted, lol.*

Skull & Roses

The Skull & Roses pen has, wait for it, skulls and roses on the pen and cap. There are textured skulls around the cap band while roses and branches adorn the rest of the cap and barrel. It is the same size as the Briolette but is not faceted due to the patterns in relief.

Size: 5

Clip: No

Postable: No

Converter: No

Price: $163

*Even though the barrel is textured, it isn’t very noticeable for me because of the smooth grip section.*

Scepter

Clip: No The Scepter is a spirally-faceted pen, which is tapered in the center (where the cap meets the barrel). It is definitely one of the more unique pen designs!

Size: 5

Postable: No

Converter: Yes

Price: $117

*This blue and silver pen is the Scepter VIII.*

*The spiral facets did not interfere with my grip. It was comfortable to hold.*

Grand Scepter

The Grand Scepter is the same length as the Scepter but has a slightly girthier grip section to accommodate the size 6 nib.

Size: 6

Clip: No

Postable: No

Converter: Yes

Price: $140

*It is difficult to tell the difference between the regular (left) and Grand Scepters when they are capped.*

*The grip section of the Grand Scepter barely feels larger than the regular Scepter.*

Euphoria

The Euphoria is the largest pen in the BENU lineup and is typically the model for BENU exclusives, including their hand-painted limited editions. It has a 10-sided faceted pen & cap. Even though it is postable, doing so makes the pen quite long, since the barrel already has some length to it.

Size: 6

Clip: Yes

Postable: Yes

Converter: Yes

Retail Price: $149

*These are the only two BENU that I own -* *the Pen Addict exclusive* *(top) and Jazz. Jazz was my first BENU because it was less “out there” than the others.*

Talisman

The Talisman series was created “as a tribute to the ancient myths, legends, and tales that were used as inspiration for the design”. The material of each Talisman pen is infused with the actual item that it is named after. For example, there is powder from the foxglove flower in the Foxglove pen, peacock ore mineral powder in the Peacock Ore pen and so on. Each pen also includes an information sheet about the item which inspired its creation.

The texture of the Talisman is unlike any of the other BENU or even other pens. The best way I can describe it is that it has alternating gentle facets, but pictures are more helpful.

Size: 6

Clip: Yes

Postable: Yes

Converter: No

Price: Starts at $154

*There is actual Dream Bean powder in the BENU Tasliman Dream Bean pen!*

*Luxury Brands has a* *handy chart* *with the dimensions of the pens.*

*I laid out the pens in the same order as the above chart (minus the Ambrosia) - Talisman, Jazz, Scepter, Grand Scepter, Briolette, Skull & Roses, Minima, Hexagon.*

Here are comparisons with other pens (L to R): Diplomat Aero, TWSBI Eco, BENU Talisman, Leonardo Momento Zero, LAMY Vista, Pelikan M800, Pilot Custom 823, BENU Euphoria, Scepter, Grand Scepter, Briolette, Skull & Roses, Sailor Pro Gear, Pro Gear Slim, BENU Minima, Pelikan M800, BENU Hexagon, Platinum 3776.

*Same lineup as above but I moved the Sailor Pro Gear to be in between the Scepters and the Briolette.*

The Schmidt nibs write well, though they did take a wee bit of priming to get the ink to the nib. If you are using a cartridge for the smaller pens, you might need to set it nib side down for a bit in order for the ink to flow or dip it into water to get the capillary action going. As you can see below, the EF and F had nice fine lines but the Medium and Broad were quite a bit broader. The steel Pelikan Broad nib gave similar lines to the Medium Benu nib! If you like a wetter/broader line, the Medium and Broad nibs are both great options. I generally don’t use many EF nibs, but was surprised at how nicely the EF wrote.

*BENU pens were inked up with Kaweco Blue so you can see the line differences are based on nib size, not ink. Comparison with several Fine to Broad nibs in steel and gold.*

If the color, sparkle, and shapes of the BENU line of pens are right up your alley, consider checking out BENU pens. They are fun pens that also write well and don’t hit the wallet too hard either. I’m happy with my two BENU pens and am relieved that these sparkling beauties didn’t tempt me too much (though I might need to look at other Hexagons).

(Disclaimer: All BENU (except the two Euphorias) were loaned to us for review by Luxury Brands of America. All other pens were purchased by me.)

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Benu Pen, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Benu Skull and Roses 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 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.)

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Posted on January 19, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Benu Pen, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

BENU Talisman Dragon's Blood Fountain Pen Review

Have we ever needed a Talisman more than we do now? This perfectly timed line from Russian pen maker BENU is something extra special and I am obsessed.

With this line, BENU stays true to their wild, over-the-top aesthetic--and then takes the creativity up a notch. At first glance, the Talisman pens look like any other BENU line--a creative shape, bright colors, a bit of bling: the BENU look we all know and love. Not satisfied with pens that merely look magical, BENU has set out to make pens that actually are magical. If there was ever anyone who decided that they would be the alchemists of the pen world, of course it's BENU.

BENU Talisman Dragon's Blood Fountain Pen

The Talisman line is inspired by folklore and legend, with each pen calling out to an origin myth for a magical substance. There's Edelweiss for the flower said to bring true love and bravery; Peacock Ore for the mineral of happiness and creativity; Mandrake Root for sexuality and wealth; Foxglove flowers for good luck and fairy magic; and Dragon's Blood for strength and invulnerability. BENU didn't stop at "inspired by" though. Because these pens are actually made of that stuff. Yes, these are infused with the actual flowers, minerals, and resins of their namesake. (Don't worry--Dragon's Blood is sap from the Dragon Tree. BENU isn't out there slaying actual dragons to make pens. I'm pretty sure. According to them.)

So when BENU says these pens are Talismans, it's more than just a name. And I for one, am enchanted. Who wouldn't need all of these? I was lucky enough to have been sent a Dragon's Blood pen. After a few weeks writing with it, I am delighted to say that even if your life is already charmed and you are in no need of any magical enhancements--this is also just a really good pen.

The first thing I noticed is that it's a more standard size and shape than some of my other BENU pens. It's close to the same size as a Lamy Safari, so it will fit well in most hands and do better in pen cases than some of the larger BENUs. But it can't be boring, so the body is covered in interesting facets of varying lengths, offset from each other. Each section has six facets. The effect is that it looks like an organic shape, like a tree branch or mineral shard. It's a very cool effect that is also comfortable to hold and keeps the pen from rolling.

The clip is stainless steel and very firm, but it has a push tab at the top of it to help it open. The cap does post, but with the facets some alignments work better than others. Posting can be a little fussy to find a secure spot--but if you're determined to post, it does work. The section is tapered and long, with a flare at the end to stop slipping. I found it very comfortable to hold. There are threads and a step up to the body at the back of the grip section, but they are all smoothed and not obtrusive.

The steel nib is an excellent writer. I've never had an issue with a BENU nib, so I was not surprised to find it smooth and well-tuned. BENU pens are wet writers, and this broad nib breathes ink like a dragon breathes fire. Between the generous ink flow and how much I was enjoying writing with it, I ran out of ink before I even sat down to write this review. It won't be cleaned and stored, though. It's getting immediately re-inked and put back into rotation, where I think it will stay for quite some time.

The Talisman line sells for around $122 each, so a bit more than a lot of the BENU lines, but those ones aren't infused with magical properties (as far as we know...). I think the price is very good, especially when compared with other brands of similar quality. If only BENU had sent me the pen that brings wealth. I would have used my riches to buy the rest of the Talisman pens.

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

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