Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Nahvalur Original Plus Rainbow Wrasse Fountain Pen Review

It’s been a year and a half since my Nahvalur Original Plus review, and since that time, this pen has proven to be a solid option for those looking to move past their first cartridge/converter filling system into something more unique, like a vacuum filler. That’s the main selling point for the Original Plus, that is, until you see their latest iteration, the Original Plus Fountain Pen in Rainbow Wrasse.

If you are like me, you may not have know what a Wrasse is, or what it means. According to the internet, the Wrasse is a fish known for its wide variety of colors, and the Rainbow Wrasse is one of the more stunning of the bunch.

Narwhal took a few liberties in translating the look of this fish into a pen, but I am completely here for it. The clear translucent barrel is loaded with glitter, mimicking flickering fish scales in the light, and all of the hardware features rainbow anodization, including the nib. It’s a knockout in my book.

Without fully rehashing my original Original Plus review, I did want to share a few thoughts about the pen. For starters, it fits my hand perfectly. The shape is comfortable, and the weight is balanced. When I’m writing with it, I feel like I could go for hours, if needed. The ink reservoir would allow for that, too, with its 1.5 ml ink capacity - easily filled with the vacuum mechanism.

The nib on my Rainbow Wrasse is Fine, which is the finest Nahvalur currently makes. I’m still holding out hope for an Extra Fine one day, but I like the Fine for daily use, and would have no issue modifying it in the future due to the generous amount of tipping. The line is slightly wider than a similar Steel Jowo #6 nib, but not so much that it feels like a Medium.

It took all of my willpower to not ink this pen up with a Hot Pink ink, which is my usual choice for a pen like this. Instead, I chose the dark Purple of Octopus Fluids Write & Draw Violet Giraffe, which is a pigmented ink. I’ve had good experiences with this ink lineup, and should have no problem cleaning it out when the time comes.

The Nahvalur Original Plus Fountain Pen in Rainbow Wrasse is a Goldspot exclusive release, and at $65, is flying off the shelves. And if you miss out, any of the Original Plus models (most at $55,) would make a nice addition to your writing arsenal.

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

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Posted on June 17, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Nahvalur, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Kaweco Sport Piston Fountain Pen Review

Like many Kaweco fans, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the launch of the Kaweco Sport Piston Fountain Pen since they first announced it was in the works a year or two ago. Would it be a modern interpretation of one of their classic designs, or would it be a fully vintage inspired release?

Why not both?

In my head, I fully expected a plastic barrel piston-filler, sort of an upgraded, built out, Kaweco Sport, without a clip. What we got was a throwback exterior design with the Black barrel and Gold clip, but using Aluminum for construction, a more modern material. It’s a perfect combination of old and new, and a bit unexpected if I’m being honest.

As obvious as this is to state, the design is less important for this pen than the piston mechanism. It’s the reason it is being made, and it has to work well. In a smaller pen like this, that is always a question. Can the mechanism fit while retaining the desired barrel size? Does it operate smoothly? Does it allow for enough ink capacity as compared to a cartridge? Is the pen easy to clean? So far, the Sport Piston answers “Yes,” across the board.

*The clip is easily removable if so desired.*

To access the mechanism, Kaweco uses a blind cap that must be removed from the end of the barrel. Under the cap you will find the twist knob that activates the piston to draw up ink, or to expel water repeatedly when cleaning. The twist is a decent size - not too small to use comfortably - and the piston moves smoothly inside the barrel.

My first draw from the ink bottle filled the ink chamber to around 75% capacity. That’s in the normal range. I could get closer to 100% if I drew up the ink, kept the nib submerged and expelled the ink, and drew up the ink again. That clears some of the air you get on the initial fill. YMMV.

You can check the ink capacity using the built in ink window, which I think is important for piston-filling pens. According to the product specs, the ink chamber can hold 1.2 ml of ink, while a short international ink cartridge holds 0.7 ml. That’s a decent increase for a pocket pen, with the caveat that a bottle of ink is required to refill it.

I ordered my Sport Piston with a Steel Extra Fine nib, and it is perfect for my handwriting. The ink flow from piston fillers is always something to watch, and this one is metered perfectly. I have yet to have any consistency issues in my lines, and I’ve been using this pen regularly for weeks, filled with Kaweco Royal Blue ink.

While my experiences with the Kaweco Sport Piston have been good so far, there are a few things to consider before purchasing:

— Price: This is an easy one to list first, because at $160 ($170 with a bottle of ink,) it is not a mindless purchase. Is it “worth it?” It is to me, but I’m a Kaweco fan, and was looking forward to this release for a while. Could they have lowered the cost if they used plastic/acrylic? Not by much I don’t think. I’m assuming much of the cost is on the inside of the pen, not the outside.

— Blind cap: There are two things to consider. One, people worry about losing the cap. Valid concern. Two, the blind cap can twist off inside of the pen cap when posted if you twist the pen cap itself when removing it from the back of the pen. It takes almost one and a half rotations to completely unthread the blind cap from the back of the pen, so it would take effort to cause this, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. I’ve had no issues so far, and don’t see this becoming a problem down the line.

— Grip: Out of these three considerations, this is the one I have to think about the most. When my fingers are dry, the satin finish of the aluminum barrel is slick. I need a little moisture to lock in my fingers for a more solid grip, and better writing experience. This is prone to happening with metal barrel pens, especially ones with a smooth grip like the Sport Piston.

For their first piston mechanism release in decades, I think Kaweco did a great job. It’s a throwback design to when this filling system was part of their regular lineup, while bringing modern updates to the pen with the choice of barrel material. Hopefully this is a platform they continue building on because I see many different ways Kaweco can take the Sport Piston in the future.

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

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Posted on June 10, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

uniball Jetstream Lite Touch Ballpoint Pen Review

*Top to bottom: uniball Jetstream Lite Touch 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, two 0.5 mm 4+1 multi pens.*

There’s no point in burying the lede: the uniball Jetstream Lite Touch is better than the standard Jetstream in every line width and ink color I have tested so far.

uniball considers the Lite Touch a separate product from all existing Jetstream models. They did this recently with the uniball One as it compares to their other gel ink offerings, like the Signo lineup (which, in itself, has many different ink formulations.) With the Lite Touch, not only has the ink formulation changed, uniball added some design elements - and marketing - into the barrel.

The Jetstream is already the best ballpoint pen on the market, so how did uniball make it better? They focused on smoothness and lower friction while writing on the page, and I’d say they succeeded in comparison to existing models, if only slightly. The biggest change I see is that the ink is richer and darker compared to the standard Jetstream. I was already a big Jetstream fan, but the way the Lite Touch ink looks and performs puts it a clear step ahead.

There is a bit of “Keeping up with the Joneses,” in the Lite Touch release, as the quiet barrel of the Zebra bLen has become a hit on the store shelves. uniball redesigned the barrel interior and knock to limit vibration when writing, which can be an annoyance. An annoyance which I never had with any previous Jetstream model, but the market has dictated with the bLen and Pentel Calme that tip rattle is out, and quiet writing is in. What took them all so long?

*Standard version 4+1 on top. Ignore the refill length difference between the two - the orange one has a specialty grip.*

I had several models of the uniball Jetstream Lite Touch sent to me by a friend in Japan: 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm single barrel pens, and 0.5 mm 4+1 multi pen. When I began testing them alongside Jetstream pens I already owned, I could instantly tell a difference: the ink is darker.

The Lite Touch refill (top,) is marked SXR-L, assumedly for “Lite Touch.” SXR-L-7 for 0.7 mm, versus SXR-7 for the standard 0.7 mm. The refill shape is the same so you can swap the Lite Touch refill into your favorite Jetstream barrel.

The ink color differences may be difficult to pick up in pictures, but I can tell them apart easily in person.

*Lite Touch is on the top, and maybe you can see a slightly darker line compared to the bottom.*

The Black 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm Lite Touch inks are fantastic. And the Blue ink from the multi pen is the standout among all of the colors, with a richness that puts it as the single best Blue ballpoint ink on the market. I cannot wait until I can get it in an 0.5 mm single barrel.

*These are the Lite Touch 0.5 mm multi pen refills, with the LT ink sample listed first for each color. It’s difficult to tell looking at the image, but in person I can tell them apart.*

The only ink that performed poorly was the Green ink. This is expected, as it is always the worst performing of the 4+1 colors. If they dropped it from the lineup completely, it wouldn’t be missed. Red can be hit or miss, and the Lite Touch color is a hit. It’s nice enough to use in rotation with Black and Blue, instead of every once in a while.

*Same with the 0.5 mm Blue ink comparison.*

What does the future hold for the Jetstream Lite Touch? If we use the uniball One as a roadmap, different barrel types - hopefully still of the quiet variety - are likely in store. It wasn’t until the One F that I became a fan of that ink formulation, and I still prefer most of the Signo gel inks over the One.

With the Lite Touch, I don’t think that’s going to be the case at all. I think it is superior in every way to the existing Jetstream, and I wonder if it won’t completely take over in the next few years. The plan, for now, is to have both Jetstream lineups available. Superfans - like myself - will be relegated to paying a premium price for a premium product. In this case, it is well deserved.

Remember the Jetstream? Those were good times.

Availability of the uniball Jetstream Lite Touch is still mostly limited to Japan, for now. Wider release is expected in 2025, and, of course, there are many importers and second-hand markets where you can currently find these pens.

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