Faber-Castell Design Ambition 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!)

I've had my eye on the Faber-Castell Design Ambition for ages, watching lovely limited editions come and go, but never at quite the right time for me to snag one. So I was thrilled to finally get the chance to play with one in this lovely shade of blue. I know, from the Neo and the Loom, that I like Faber-Castell nibs, though the Loom body didn't work well for me. I loved the Neo, but wanted more fun colors. This model seems to deliver on all my wishes.

The cap and finials are a chrome finished metal, and the body is wrapped in a resin sleeve with the OpArt Sky Blue guilloche pattern. While from a distance it looks like a pale blue, up close you can see that the grooves are an almost lavender-grey color, or maybe a putty color, depending on the light. In any case, it's very visually interesting and the grooved texture makes it easy to grip.

That grippiness is an important feature, as the pen lacks a defined grip section. There's debate, in the pen world, about whether or not one is supposed to try and hold it by the wee metal nub that holds the nib housing. And you could, but I doubt it would be very comfortable. It's very small, slick, and would force your fingers onto the fairly sharp step in the resin. Holding the pen further back on the resin body works much better for me, and the texture still gives me good control of the nib.

The cap snaps to close and has a nicely springy clip that pivots into the cap itself, so it clips firmly and easily onto pockets or papers. The cap is etched with a faint "Faber-Castell" that doesn't intrude on the sleek design. The cap posts, but only loosely on the shallow metal end and doesn't click in place, so it may wobble or topple when writing. There is no decoration on the finials. It is all simple elegance.

As I have experienced with all Faber-Castell pens, the steel nib is great. This one is an extra fine, and it writes with the perfect balance of fineness and wetness. It flows enough for me to enjoy the ink, but is fine enough to write in small grids or fill pages with copious class notes. It's been the pen I reach for first for school these past few weeks.

In short, this pen was worth the wait, and at $100, it's also worth the price. As pen prices are creeping up around the globe, this price starts to look better and better. It's a good quality pen for a price that's low compared to its peers. I wouldn't recommend it to folks who must post, or who hold their pens right at the nib base, but to all else, I say it's a gem.

(JetPens 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!

Wancher Primo Fountain Pen 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 an exciting time when there are new stationery companies appearing so often, and especially when they have really interesting designs and ideas. I've heard about Wancher several times, but I've never had the opportunity to try one out until now. When the Primo came across my desk, I was stoked to ink it up and see how it performed.

When you browse Wancher's website, it's really difficult not to get sucked into all the different categories they have to offer. The Urushi and Maki-e look absolutely amazing, but they have several more modern designs that also fit more budgets. The Primo is one of more budget-friendly pens that Wancher offer, but that doesn't mean it's cheap or lacking in quality. At a retail price of $250, it will definitely be outside many budget comfort zones, but this is also a really interesting price zone in the market. When you're willing to let go of $200+, your options open up quite a bit, and it can be really difficult to make choices.

The Primo is a modern and sleek design that looks similar to a cigar tube with an intricate pattern of crackly metal on the body and cap. It's made of a combination of titanium and aluminum, so even though it's a fairly large pen, it's actually pretty light in the hand. I was a little surprised when I first picked it up when I realized it wasn't as heavy as it looked. If this pen was made of steel, it would be a chunker that might put a hole in your pocket.

Not everyone prefers a large pen, but there are plenty of people that enjoy a larger pen diameter and/or length. For me, the length is just right, and the diameter is on the max side for my writing comfort. Despite being long, it balances perfectly in my hand. The majority of the weight in the pen body is concentrated on the nib/grip end, so that contributes to the comfort and balance. If the back end of the pen was heavy, it would create an awkward writing feel.

The cap doesn't post on the back of the pen, and that's probably for the best since the pen is long enough already. The cap has the same weight and feel as the pen body, but doesn't have a clip. Since it tends to roll around on my desk, I just hold it in my other hand while writing. It has a nice warm feel and fits my palm perfectly, so I rather enjoy holding it. That being said, it does roll incredibly easy, and I wish it had some kind of roll stopper built in.

In fact, the whole pen tends to roll since it's perfectly round. Without a clip or roll stop, it tends to roll quickly. Let's just say I know which of my desks and tables aren't quite level after using this pen for a few weeks.

The main aesthetic focus of this pen is the unique finish on the body and cap. To me, it looks like metal that's boiled and cracked in an unpredictable and beautiful way. According to Wancher, they use a color treatment during the anodizing process to create a thin oxide film on the titanium surface. This bonds to the titanium and creates some really interesting effects in different light. Wancher say they also use a blast-polish finishing technique to make certain parts of the pattern matte and others shiny. I don't understand the alchemy behind it, but the finished product is gorgeous. It's unlike anything else I've seen so far, and I can't help but keep looking at it. Even better, it morphs and changes with different light and angles. It really something unique and special.

The Frosty Silver version I have is just one of the four options. You can pick from Amethyst Purple, Russet Brown, and Midnight Blue as well. In my opinion, the purple and blue are fantastic.

So, the pen looks and feels great, but how does it write? Well, this was a pleasant surprise for me. The fine nib on this unit is exceptionally smooth and consistent. The ink flow is plentiful without being too wet, and the nib flexes just enough to remain comfortable at any writing speed or pressure. It really is a treat to use. According to Wancher, this is a JoWo stainless steel nib, but I have to wonder if they've tuned each nib prior to shipping out. It's really good.

The pen comes in a nice gift box that includes a converter, a couple of cartridges, some documentation, and a custom pen sleeve. Keep that pen sleeve handy because it's great for storing the pen on the desk and ensuring it doesn't roll away! The unboxing presentation is nice, and I think I'll be able to repurpose the balsa wood box for something else, which is a nice change from the plastic boxes that other manufacturers use that really serve no purpose after the unboxing is over.

Obviously, $250 (or $225 when they're on sale) is a lot of money and opens up your options to a lot of high-quality pens. I have pens in my collection that cost the same amount of money, and some of them even came with gold nibs. Still, I think the price is more than fair due to the level of craftsmanship, fit and finish, and the excellent nib tuning that comes out of the box with this pen. Ultimately, this will come down to a personal preference for what you find aesthetically pleasing. If this pen fits your interests, I can whole-heartedly recommend it. I really look forward to trying other offerings from Wancher in the future.

(Wancher 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!

Tuduriya “Moonlit” Fountain Pen Review

(The is a guest post by Andrew Coon. You can find more of Andrew’s fountain pen favorites on Instagram.)

I am always on the lookout for new makers. New shapes, new nibs, new materials, I get excited for all of these. Thus, when I saw a Kickstarter announced by Tuduriya (Instagram), I reached out to thank the maker for bringing this pen to market. The artist behind the brand is Takayuki Suzuki, and what caught my attention as I looked at the Kickstarter he had put together was the number of iterations that had gone into this final product. It is impressive to see how this model has developed. The subtle changes have added up to one very impressive pen.

The base model pen comes in 7 different materials (full details can be found on the Kickstarter page) for the section - all ebonite and all matched to a black ebonite cap and a black ebonite body. Further options include sections that are ishime, burl wood, layered urushi, and a pen that is entirely made of Calabrian briar wood. The two pens that I have for this review are the base model, with two different types of ebonite. The beige and black swirl is nice, but the red and black swirl really grabs my attention. The red and black are classic colors for ebonite, and polished to a mirror gleam.

Comparison vs. Sailor 1911L (top) and Pilot Metropolitan.

This pen appears to be longer than it is, as it measures 14.9 mm uncapped, 15.2 mm capped. In comparison to other pens, it is about the same length as a Conid Kingsize, or a Pro Gear King of Pen. It is not much longer than a Pilot Metropolitan. There is a subtle narrowing of the barrel, as it goes from 12.6 mm to 12.2 mm at the end of the pen. This is hard to tell with the naked eye. The section is a very subtly pinched shape, which is 12.3 mm at the thinnest. A Parker 51 has a section that is 9 to 10 mm (depending on where you hold it). So in addition to not being as long as it looks, it isn’t as thin as it looks, either. Not being a fan of vintage pens due to their slender sections, I was worried whether this pen would work out for me. I was wrong to worry, and am very glad to have been wrong. Overall, the shape is very comfortable for me. I like big pens, and this isn’t too thin for my taste, nor is it too long to carry in a pen sleeve as an EDC.

The polish is immaculate, the threading is well done. Being able to hold two of them, I can tell that there is a consistency in production of these pens. The way the edges are crisp and smooth, this is a well-made writing instrument. The name of the brand, Tuduriya, is engraved into the ebonite along the top of the cap, and is both well done and very tasteful. This is the right amount of branding – enough to be clear without getting in the way of the overall design. I applaud the maker’s restraint in this.

This is a Cartridge/Converter pen, and works well as such. I did use a touch of silicone and eyedroppered one of the pens, and set up like that it holds 5 ml of ink. I love a pen that uncaps quickly, and this uncaps in one turn. The nib that is underneath? A Bock steel 250 in a gold finish. It is just like any other Bock. But you can swap in something more interesting, which is what I did. I swapped in a stacked nib into the pen that was eyedroppered, and it has been a sweet combination.

If you would like, the maker can do a nib upgrade for you. A gold Bock is available, but the really interesting option is the ability to go with a nib from a well known Asian pen maker. Let me say that I am very excited to have a Pilot PO (aka Posting) nib in a pen that is both comfortable and more visually interesting than what that nib usually comes in.

What is there to critique? When filling from a bottle, the threads will be in the ink which could bother people. I make sure to wipe them off, so it doesn’t bother me. One of the two Bock nibs needed to be tuned out of the box. This is not a surprise for a Bock nib. If is sounds like I am reaching, I am. This is a great pen.

The base model runs approximately $225, depending on exchange rate, which makes this a great value. This is about as low as a hand made pen can cost. With the upgraded nib, this pen is a unique option. And as an ebonite pen without a clip, this is a prime candidate for urushi work.

I am excited for people to be able to enjoy these pens, and look forward to what this brand does next.

(The pens in this review were provided by Tuduriya at no charge for purposes of this review.)

---

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!