Faber-Castell Grip Fountain Pen - A Quick Look

(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!.)

Faber-Castell’s Grip fountain pens are one of my favorite entry-level, budget-friendly fountain pens. There is already an excellent writeup of the Calligraphy set which contains the Grip fountain pen with calligraphy nibs, so this post is going to take a quick look at the non-calligraphy version.

The Grip Fountain Pen is part of Faber-Castell’s Grip line of pencils, erasers, and pens which all have subtle dots or bumps on the barrel for easy gripping (hence the name). Two versions of the Grip fountain pens are available, the 2010 and 2011, with the former sporting a glossy finish while the latter are matte. The snap cap is very secure, but also easy to open/close with one hand. The barrel is very subtly triangular, making it less likely to roll off one’s desk when uncapped.

From left to right, 3 - 2011s and 3 - 2010s. Can you tell the difference between pens’ finishes?

The fountain pen has a slightly triangular grip section as well. The pens come in EF, F, M, and B sizes and include a standard international Faber-Castell blue cartridge. The nib and feed are friction-fit into the barrel (there is no housing or nib unit) and can be swapped with the Faber-Castell Loom (and probably other models too), though you would need to pull the nib/feed out of the Loom housing to fit the Grip. I would equate the writing experience to be similar to a Jowo steel nib in its stiffness and line width. I like the Medium and Broad nibs for smoothness and flow, the Fine is nice too. The EF felt a bit too nail-like and borderline scratchy for someone with a high writing angle like me and is more sensitive to pressure. If your writing angle is closer to 45 degrees (versus 70-80 degrees like me), it will feel smoother.Prices range from $20-30 USD, depending on color and finish, which makes it a good value.

Left to right: Kaweco Sport, Pilot Metropolitan, Faber-Castell Grip, TWSBI Eco, Lamy Al-Star.

TWSBI Eco T, Faber-Castell Grip and Lamy Al-Star - The washi tape shows the Grip’s shape to be less angular/sharp compared to the other two.

Pros

• Pen takes readily available standard international cartridges or converter.
• Slight triangular grip is more forgiving than other triangular gripped pens.
• Secure snap cap makes quick note jotting a breeze.
• Two finishes and a variety of colors are available.
• Reliable steel nibs that are also swappable with other Faber-Castell models including the Loom.
• Solid writer at a decent price.

Cons

• The Grip is a very light pen. If you prefer heavier pens, this might not be the right pen for you.
• Slight triangular grip still might not be comfortable for all users.
• The glossy 2010 cap/barrel can feel a bit “cheap” compared to the matte 2011, but this is personal preference.
• Converter not included (but also not expected at this price point).

EF-B nibs with Sailor Ink Studio 252 on Clairefontaine 90gsm Triomphe paper.

So why is it one of my favorite pens? Because the snap cap makes it quick and easy to use but doesn’t feel flimsy, despite being a very light pen. The gentle triangular grip feels more like a suggestion rather than a mandate, making it more approachable than other triangular gripped pens like the Lamy Safari/Al-Star. The nibs are pleasant to write with, right out of the box. And the dots on the barrel make it look and feel interesting (in a good way), and the variety of colors and textures makes it easy to find one to match your style. All this in a budget-friendly price range, what’s not to love?

(All pens in this review were purchased with my own funds and I received no compensation from Faber-Castell for this review.)

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Retro 51 Tornado Vintage Metalsmith Rollerball, Raw Brass 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!)

I think it's wonderful that we're still getting fun, funky, and classic pens from Retro 51. I'd put the Vintage Metalsmith Raw Brass in the classic category, and while it's quite plain by Retro 51 standards, I think it's graced with a practical vintage elegance and I love it.

This pen has all the fantastic features of a Retro 51 Tornado--the sleek torpedo shape, the perfectly bendy but very secure clip, the knurled twist top, and the bold REF5P/REF57P refill. The decorative disc at the top is a perfect vintage green color. And while the body is brass, it isn't noticeably heavier than my other Tornadoes, weighing about 28g. It's heavy for a rollerball, maybe, but it feels perfectly balanced and never burdensome.

In contrast to the wild and wacky look of most of my favorite Retros, this one is all elegance. It looks like the sort of pen you'd find on a 1940s detective's desk, or tucked inside a ship captain's log. Because the brass is not sealed, it is slowly taking on a patina, enhancing that vintage look. It can also be polished back to the bright new brass it came as, if you don't like the patinaed look.

The only two nitpicks I have about the pen are that the raw brass makes for a very slick grip, so I do find my fingers slipping down the barrel if I'm writing more than a quick note. And the seam at the nose where the nosecone unscrews from the barrel is not as flush as it could be, so there's a little bit of a ridge there. It's really not bad, and not uncomfortable, but it's noticeable on a pen that's otherwise practically perfect.

There's something magical about the Retro 51 appeal. This pen will look entirely at home in the board room, and still fit in perfectly with my other Retros, alongside ghosts and skeletons and garden gnomes. At $42, it's a little bit more expensive than some Retros, but still very reasonable and in a good range for a nice gift for someone classy. I think this is another winner from Retro 51.

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

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Pilot Acroball Spotliter 3+1 Multi Pen and Highlighter Review

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

It's been a little while since I've looked at a multi pen, so the timing is perfect to take the latest Acroball multi pen for a spin. The Acroball Spotliter is a 3+1 multi pen, which doesn't sound like anything unique at first glance. 3+1 multi pens are usually a combination of three ink colors and a mechanical pencil component, but that's not the case with the Spotliter. In lieu of a mechanical pencil component, the Spotliter has a small highlighter tucked into the top of the pen — as well as the expected three ink choices.

I've spent a lot of time with Acroball multi pens in the past, and this version sports the same refills as other models. This means you'll get a buttery smooth writing experience, bold colors, and decent life before it's time to replace the refill. If you're a fan of hybrid ballpoints, like the Jetstream, you owe it to yourself to try Pilot's offering at some point. I'm not sure which one I like better at this point — Acroball versus Jetstream. They're both so, so good at what they do. In a lot of cases, I like the aesthetics of the Acroball multi pens more than the Jetstream. And in this specific case, the highlighter on this pen is something that Jetstream doesn't offer...yet.

Writing with this pen is identical to other Acroball multi pens. It's a great experience, and I love these multi pens. The refills are 0.7mm and come in black, blue, and red. Standard stuff. Let's focus on the unique part of the Spotliter: the little highlighter on the back. It's not often that I need a highlighter, but when I know I need one, I'll grab one from the closet or carry it with me in a bag. It's tough to beat a dedicated highlighter in terms of ergonomics and how long the ink will last. This is similar to the idea of carrying a dedicated eraser with your pencils — they're just better than what you find on the ends of pencils. But, just like with the pencils, it turns out the best highlighter is the one you have with you. In a pinch, the highlighter on the Spotliter is a fantastic little tool.

It works exactly as you'd expect. Uncap the highlighter, mark over stuff to emphasize it with a bright translucent color, and get back to writing. To me, it's somewhat fiddly to flip the pen over, uncap the little highlighter to use it, then recap and flip over again. I'd much rather use a separate highlighter if possible. But the fact that I have one in a multi pen makes it very interesting for those instances when you don't have a highlighter on hand.

Similar to the small erasers on wood case pencils and the even (comically) smaller erasers found in many mechanical pencils (the ones that are hidden under the lead click button on the top of the pencil), this highlighter is more of an "in case of emergency" solution as opposed to a full-on replacement for a dedicated highlighter. That being said, this highlighter performs as well as any standard dedicated highlighter I've used, which is more than can be said for erasers. It really is a fantastic solution if you find yourself occasionally needing a highlighter.

While the highlighter tip shape and color are great, I do have a couple complaints. For one, the ink chamber is really small and you won't get much life out of this highlighter. I don't have any numbers on how long it should last, but I wouldn't bet on it going very far. Fortunately, Pilot sell replacement highlighter components that you can snap in instead of tossing the whole pen. That's fantastic. Plus, you can choose between yellow or pink ink.

My bigger complaint is how easy it is to accidentally remove the highlighter component from the pen body. If you grab the cap and pull straight out, the entire component slips out. According to the instructions, you have to rotate the highlighter cap to uncap it. This works great every time provided I remember to do it correctly. My muscle memory is ingrained to just pull caps off to remove them, so this has been tough to re-learn with this pen.

Also, given how easy it is to remove the highlighter component, I worry that it could come off in a bag or pocket and get lost. It really doesn't take much pressure to remove it, and I just know I'll lose the highlighter at some point if I'm not really careful.

Aside from those concerns, I'm really happy with this pen. It's great having a multi pen I already know and love, but with a new hidden feature tucked into the back. I don't need a highlighter often, but it's easy to swap this pen into my "out of the house" kit with a similarly sized Acroball to ensure I have a tiny highlighter around if needed.

The model I have is the blue body with pink highlighter, but you can also get a black body and/or yellow highlighter. The highlighter refills are almost $3 and available in pink and yellow.

The Pilot Acroball Spotliter 3+1 multi pen is just $9.75 at JetPens. It makes a great addition to any kit, and I highly recommend checking it out if you're looking for a good multi pen or if you haven't yet tried the Acroball ink.

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

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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.

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