Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Zebra Disposable 0.6mm 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.)

There are many reasons that Zebra is a household stationery name, but fountain pens aren't among them. Gel pen, ballpoints, pencils, and multi-pens are easy to come by in Zebra's product line, and there only a couple of fountain pen options to pick from. But just because there aren't many options doesn't mean what they do offer isn't any good. At least with the entry level disposable fountain pen, it definitely serves a good purpose.

The Pilot Varsity is probably the most well-recognized disposable fountain pen. It's also very similar in size, design, and price to the Zebra featured here today. With both of these pens, I think they fill an important spot for two kinds of people: those that are apprehensive to trying fountain pens, and those that want a disposable fountain pen that they don't have to worry about losing or maintaining.

At just under $3.50 a piece, these pens are a dollar or so more than comparable gel refill counterparts. What you get for those three and half dollars is a fantastic writing experience with zero fuss.

For many of us, the fountain pen platform is so alluring because of how customizable and infinite it can seem. You can choose practically every small element of your writing experience and dial in your personal preferences to an exact point. That same endless intersection of choices can be daunting for someone who isn't entirely sure if they want to test the water. For anyone in that situation, this really is one of the best ways to try it out.

While the Zebra fountain pen is a great fountain pen for what it costs, it's not difficult to spend just a few more dollars to find a superior pen — and one that you can refill and keep for many, many years. What I really appreciate about this pen is that it offers a great introduction to what you can expect from other fountain pens in terms of how they write and operate. It would be a shame if this entry-level experimental pen was so cheaply made that it failed to deliver a decent writing experience. That would turn away any would-be fountain pen fans immediately. I appreciate that Zebra and Pilot put enough cost into these disposable pens so that you can test drive a fountain and determine if you want to go deeper or not. Well done on that front.

And this is where I think the pen excels — it's perfect for someone who doesn't mind spending a few bucks to see what the fuss is about, or for fountain pen fans to keep on hand to give out to people that are interested in testing the water. It's simple because all you have to do is uncap the pen and start writing. There's no ink cartridge to install, no waiting several seconds for the ink to reach the tines, no chance of user error.

The writing experience with the Zebra fountain pen is good. The nib and feed system are fantastic, but the grip and body materials feel cheap and don't provide the best gripping performance. Still, it works as well as any other pens that fit in the same price bracket. Visually, these pens are similar (look and feel) to the Uni-ball Vision rollerball pens, but the Zebra writes so much better than those rollerballs.

The steel nib lays down a 0.6mm line, which is close to a Japanese medium nib. I'm not sure why Zebra went with 0.6mm instead of using a traditional nib size nomenclature, but at least they went with a good average size. The nib is stiff and smooth. There's not much in the way of flex, and the lines are crisp and dark. The turquoise version that I have is a beautiful, bright blue that looks really good. The feed system integrated into the pen does a great job at feeding the ink into the nib regardless of how fast I write or scribble. And, the good seal that the cap provides means it should last quite a while when not in use (and capped).

Overall, the Zebra fountain pen (and the Pilot Varsity) is a great fountain pen that fits a specific need. Want to try out a decent fountain pen for minimal money and zero hassle? This pen is a great choice for you or your fountain-pen-curious friend. Want a fountain pen that you won't mourn being stolen or lost? This is also a suitable pen as long as you like the ink options and 0.6mm nib size. Already have fountain pens and inks? This pen isn't for you (unless you want it just to give away)!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 20, 2023 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Zebra, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Wingback Fountain Pen Review

After enjoying Wingback’s previous releases, the Mechanical Pen and the Mechanical Pencil, I was happy when they reached out to send me a review sample of their current release, the Wingback Fountain Pen.

Like their previous two releases, the Fountain Pen features various metal barrels - in this case Brass, Stainless Steel, and Titanium - plus a knurled grip section. This style is consistent through all of Wingback’s writing lineup, and, while these are simple, classic designs, I appreciate the refinement and clarity of the final product.

Being a stainless steel fan, I was happy that was the material I received for my review model. Like with previous Wingback designs, this pen is on the small side of the ledger, but it is not a small pen. At just under 10 mm in diameter, and 117 mm in length when capped, it is a perfect pocketable, portable size.

Weight-wise, the stainless model checks in at 39 grams. That’s on the heavy side, but to be expected given the material choice. Heavy is fine if it is balanced, but this one is not. When unposted, the pen is too short for anything but quick notes. That means the cap needs to be posted, and when it is, the weight shifts too far to the rear.

Having the weight towards the end of the pen means that as you lighten or adjust your grip, the pen twists in your hand. That also means you have to re-adjust your grip to get the nib back to the proper writing angle. As it turns out, I do this a lot, so the weight imbalance was very apparent to me. If your grip is on lock and stays that way, you won’t run into this as much as I have.

Designing a shorter cap is obviously a solution, but that breaks the design symmetry it looks like Wingback has gone for with this pen. Is there an easier solution if this looks like a pen you will like? Yes. Choose the Titanium option.

*#TeamStainless, from top to bottom: Wingback Pencil, Pen, and Fountain Pen.*

I’m a huge stainless steel fan, but at less than half the weight (19g for Titanium, 39g for stainless steel,) I know which pen will work better for me. Even though the design doesn’t change, there is so much less weight that I’d wager the balance issue will be negated almost completely.

As I obsess over the balance, it is easy to forget the writing aspects of the pen. In short, it’s great. I’ve become a fan of Bock’s #5 nib ever since I got one in my Hardy Penwrights Model 10-R Retro Fountain Pen. As I mentioned in that review, it is around a 5-1/2 size, which works well for this pen.

My initial inking of this pen was with the included black short international cartridge. That’s something I rarely do - use the default cartridge - but I accidentally engaged it when unboxing so I went for it. I should do that more often, because this ink is great! Maybe it’s because I haven’t used a smooth, rich, black ink in a while, but I’m sure enjoying it.

The included ink cartridges should never be part of your buying decision, but it does bring up another consideration: what filling options do I have for this pen? Short international options, mostly. If you are feeling frisky, Wingback mentions the possibility of eyedropper-filling this pen, but you go first and let me know.

*#TeamStainless, Part 2, from top to bottom: Kaweco Liliput Ballpoint, Kaweco Steel Sport, Wingback Fountain Pen.*

What should be a consideration is price, and the Wingback Fountain Pen is priced right. £95 for Brass or Stainless, £135 for Black Steel or Titanium. That’s completely fair for a pen of this quality.

The Wingback Fountain Pen is now available on Kickstarter, and is well past its funding goal. There are aways risks with Kickstarter, but so far, Wingback has run great campaigns that have gone smoothly. This one ends 17 days from the time of this post, so be sure to check it out if this fountain pen fits your needs.

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

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Posted on September 18, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Wingback, Fountain Pens, Kickstarter, Pen Reviews.

Platinum Prefounte 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.)

One of the easiest pens to recommend to people new to fountain pens is the Platinum Preppy. It's just a few bucks, it performs well, and it's even refillable. While it's great for an entry point or for testing nibs, it does look like a cheap, disposable pen (even though it's refillable). There are plenty of other Platinum fountain pens (and, of course, many other brands) that provide a little more style and durability, but they come at a higher price. The Platinum Plaisir is just over $20 and comes with a metal body, but I just don't like the design. The shiny band on the cap feels too out of place for my taste. Fortunately, there's another option that is closer to the Preppy in price, but with a cleaner and more durable design.

The Platinum Prefounte is a entry-level fountain pen that packs the same great nib and feed system found in the Preppy and Plaisir, but with a trimmed profile and more durable materials. I'm a sucker for anything that uses semi-transparent colored plastics — especially blues, greens, and purples, and this dark emerald variant of the Prefounte is lovely. The color and opaqueness of the material is uniform, but it looks like it shades due to the varying thickness of the material in different areas of the pen. I love looking at this pen while it's on my desk, and I'm still shocked that it costs only $11.

If you've ever used a Preppy or Plaisir, the Prefounte will feel very similar to both of these. The grips are the same, and it's only the balance of the pens that differ due to slightly different weights. The transparent grip provides a great view to the gray feed, and it also has a good feel when writing. The plastic material isn't slippery, and it remains comfortable to use even after a few minutes. It's a straight profile, but I find that there's plenty of tactile grip without a tapered shape or textured surface. The pen is so light that you don't need contouring or texture to provide extra grip control.

The nib is also the same nib that you'll find on any sub-$100 Platinum, which means it will perform well out of the box and provide a smooth writing experience. The Prefounte comes with either a fine (03) or medium (05) nib. The section unscrews from the body so that you can pop in a Platinum cartridge or converter. There's a single black cartridge included with the pen, but I opted for a blue-black cartridge that I already had on hand. You could add a converter to this pen, but at $11, I'm not sure I'd by one specifically for this pen. I'd certainly use a converter if I already had one that wasn't being used in another Platinum pen, so it's nice to have that option.

The cap uses a snap fit for securing it to the pen. Uncapping and capping the pen both have a satisfying feel, and I have no concerns that the cap will come off when in a bag or pocket. There's also a nice click sound and feel when capping the pen so you know for sure that it's secure.

The only branding on the pen is on the base of the cap. There's a small "Prefounte" logo directly under the clip, and a "Platinum" logo on the opposite side. Speaking of the clip, it's really strong. It's metal, so it also makes the pen look slightly more professional. It has no trouble securing the pen to anything it can fit under the clip.

With the Prefounte, this has become my standard recommendation for someone that is interested in getting into fountain pens. It's such a great nib/grip platform, and the nicer build and materials make it easier for people that want something that looks nicer than a Preppy. At $11, it's a fantastic value, but still a low enough price for folks that aren't sure if they'll like fountain pens. This makes a great entry-level "try it out" pen, but also a great low cost gift for that fountain-pen-curious friend, or even a great beater pen to carry yourself. The Prefounte only adds value to the Preppy platform, and I'm so glad it exists.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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