Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Penquisition Touchstone 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 her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

Penquisition, home of many useful review blogs and keeper of one of the more fun and tempting pen show tables, have teamed up with pen designer Ben Walsh of Gravitas Pens to bring us the Touchstone Fountain Pen. The pen is made from anodized aluminum and is carefully curated to be the goldilocks of pen sizes. It's not too wide or narrow. It's a full-length pen that will be comfortable in most grips, but short enough to fit in most pockets or pen holders. The grip section is gently shaped, but not in a way that steers the hand toward any one grip style. Basically, they've set out to make a pen that is comfortable for anyone to use. And while I can't speak for everyone, it was certainly comfortable for me.

The pen body is widest toward the middle, with a gradual taper toward either end, terminating in pointed finials. The cap screws on with metal threads, and is slightly wider than the body, leaving a clear edge so that you always know which end is up. The surface is a matte finish that still looks shiny but avoids the mirror-finish that collects fingerprints. The grip section is slightly narrowed at the middle, with a flare to prevent slipping, and is textured with very subtle ridges to help with grip. Ink does get into these ridges, especially when filling the pen, but they are shallow enough that it was easy to wipe them clean.

The pen comes in three very attractive colors. I chose the Orange with a deep Green grip section, but there is also a Purple with a Teal grip and a Blue with Red grip. It is taking a lot of willpower to not order the Purple one and create a frankenpen of the beautiful combinations.

The pen comes with a steel #6 Jowo nib engraved with the Penquisition logo. My EF nib was a little snaggy on arrival, with the right tine catching on the paper during certain directional strokes, but it smoothed out nicely with a few swipes of micromesh. Overall it writes very nicely, with great flow and the nib did not dry out even when I left the pen in my bag without using it for a week.

The pen also comes with a full-size converter, which doesn't look like it would fit in the pen from the outside, but Ben has access to TARDIS technology apparently, because it does indeed fit.

The first run of these pens also comes with a custom Rickshaw Bagworks Solo Pen Sleeve, turning this awesome duo into a trifecta of pen collaboration. I love to see this all come together, and the end result is a fantastic product. I've carried this pen daily since it arrived in its rad pen sleeve, and really enjoyed using it. The only days I didn't use it were when I ignored it on purpose to see if it would start up again right away after being neglected for a while. It was difficult to not use it! I kept reaching for it, and had to remind myself to use something else. I do feel that they've achieved their design goal of making a perfectly comfortable, portable pen. At $129, it's also priced well for what you get.

Well done, team. I hope that there will be more fantastic collaborations like this in the future.

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

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Posted on March 14, 2024 by Sarah Read and filed under Penquisition, Gravitas, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Kaweco ART Sport in Pebble Blue Acrylic 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 so many pens to choose from in Kaweco's lineup, that it can difficult to tell them apart. The most common of these is the Sport model, which is a pocket pen that magically becomes a full-size pen when you post the cap on the back of the pen body. Kaweco also has several other pen models, but the Sport is the classic and what they're known for.

The Sport is also a great entry point for many who are trying out their first or second fountain pen due to the lower price point for the base model. While there are different price points and materials used in the Sport models, the writing experience is largely the same. The Sport is a fun, dependable pocket pen that is known as a classic for a reason. Whether it's the base ABS plastic Sport or the aluminum AL Sport, you get a fantastic pen. But, different materials open up a fun avenue of trying a form factor you love with small changes. For example, the AL Sport is almost twice the weight of the plastic Sport, and they feel a little different when writing or handling them.

A less common variant of the Sport line is the ART Sport. Using the same design and form factor as other Sports, this one features a marbled acrylic material that brings new life to the old classic. The Pebble Blue model I have is a mixture of dark blue, turquoise, and black shards of acrylic that have been turned into the shape of a Sport. Pens that are turned from acrylic have an aesthetic and beauty that you can't copy or fake with other materials. They're all unique, and I think Kaweco is saying that they're also a form of art in the way of sculpture. They're beautiful pens, and since the Sport platform is a known quantity, you know you're also getting a great pen. And, if you happen to know you don't like the Sport pens, then you know to steer clear!

Aside from the material, there's one other big difference between the ART Sport and the regular Sport and AL Sport: the integrated clip. I really like the integrated clip on this model because it just fits right. I like the freedom to choose whether or not to use a clip on the other models, but this blue acrylic material looks fantastic with the silver clip setting it off, so it would have a clip regardless of if it was integrated or not (for me, anyway).

When handling this pen and writing with it, it feels unique compared with the regular Sport and AL Sport. I expected this because different materials just feel different in your hand. They retain warmth at different rates, they provide different levels of grip, or the weight slightly changes the center of gravity. I was actually surprised to find that the ART Sport weighs the same as a regular Sport (with a clip installed). At just 12.6 grams, it's a really lightweight pen that is easy to use and feels nimble in the hand.

Compare that weight to the aluminum AL Sport, which weighs 20.6 grams without a clip and 23.2 grams with a clip, and you can definitely feel how the pens handle differently — both when writing and when handling or storing in a clothes pocket.

The Kaweco ART Sport uses the same interchangeable nib unit (nib and feed combined) as the AL Sport and newer Sports, so changing out the nib is as easy as unscrewing it and screwing in another. You have your choice of standard nib sizes (EF - BB) as well as several specialty sizes (several italic sizes and a double nib), and even different nib materials (silver steel, gold tone steel, black steel, or a premium gold nib). The EF nib in this unit has written beautifully from the beginning, but it's nice knowing that I can easily swap it out for a different nib if inspiration strikes.

The Pebble Blue material is a striking blue that loves catching the light, but there are a few other material options as well: Hickory Brown, Mineral White, or Terrazzo.

Finally, there's the question of price. At $125 base price (the price goes up if you choose a specialty nib), it's certainly a bit more than the AL Sport model, and $100 more than the regular Sport. But, the ART Sport line is made of acrylic rods that are created and then turned into the pen. The finished product is very nice — there isn't a single flaw on this pen, so the fit and finish is top notch. It's a fantastic pen, and I think it's worth the price. If you love the Kaweco Sport and also love acrylic pens, then this is a great match.

I've really enjoyed using the Kaweco ART Sport for the past few weeks. The small difference in how this pen feels and behaves is delightful, and I love how the acrylic material catches the light and provides small transparent glimpses into the threads beneath the surface. Definitely check these out if you can.

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

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Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

LAMY Safari Rollerball Review

With my love for all things Safari, you would think I would have reviewed the LAMY Safari Rollerball by now. I checked, and I haven’t, although Jeff did share his opinion a few years back. It’s time for me to get on the board as well.

The LAMY Safari Fountain Pen has been a long time favorite of mine - this 2008 review is hilarious - and the Safari Ballpoint is a more recent fascination. (Side note: we don’t mention the Safari Mechanical Pencil around these parts.) While those two pens see regular use in my writing kit, it’s only with the 2024 Violet Blackberry Rollerball Special Edition did I commit to using one. So far, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

Let’s get the obvious LAMY Safari issue out of the way first. This is not a pen for everyone due to the molded grip section that “places” your fingers into a set writing position. That’s all well and good if you have a traditional writing grip like I do, but it is a non-starter for many people for a valid reason.

I’m fortunate that it does work for me, because aesthetically I love everything about the Safari design. All of the bright colors they have released through the years - either in standard or special editions - are right up my alley, and they can design a pretty good dark-themed pen, too. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the famous LAMY Safari pen clip, which I also enjoy. It’s ostentatious, but somehow works.

With design talk out of the way, it is time to focus on what can make or break a rollerball pen: the refill. LAMY uses their proprietary M63 Rollerball refill and, luckily, it is a good one. I say luckily, because the downside of a proprietary refill is that it is difficult to hack in another refill if you love the pen but hate the refill. There is a Pilot G2 hack out there if you want to cut an extender for that particular refill, but otherwise, the M63 is your lone choice.

As best as I can tell without markings, the M63 Rollerball tip is approximately 1.0 mm. This is in the normal range for water-based rollerball refills, and while my preference lies in 0.7 mm tip sizes (there are a few rare 0.5 mm and finer rollerballs out there, but that’s an article for another day,) the M63 is manageable for my writing. Importantly, given the wide line size, it hasn’t exhibited bleeding and feathering on the papers I’ve tested it on, but I’m sure there are some non-compatible fibers out there. My expectations when I pick up this pen are a dark, controllable line, and the M63 delivers.

Should you buy a LAMY Rollerball pen? As much as I enjoy them, there is a solid list of pros (good refill, style,) and cons (grip, broad line,) to consider. At $20, the price is fair if you are interested, so add one to the list if it checks the right boxes for you.

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

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