As a ballpoint pen fan, I can’t help but have a healthy dose of respect for Ballograf. I hesitate to call it the official pen of Sweden, but given it’s origination there in the 1960’s, and the continued production of over 4 million pens a year in Gothenburg, I think it’s a safe bet that it is.
I’ve reviewed the Epoca P previously, which is their standard ballpoint pen offering. The Epoca Medalist, which I’m taking a look at today, keeps the same overall shape and refill, and upgrades the exterior with a chrome upper barrel, and gold trim. It also upgrades the price from $6.50 to $12.00. Is it worth it? Let’s find out.
The one thing that I know I like about the Epoca is the ballpoint refill. It ships with a Medium Blue that writes like a Fine. That is right up my alley, especially with ballpoints that get too wide sometimes. This one isn’t, and has the added bonus of being a very clean writer. I can put up with a lot of things, but messy, sticky ballpoint ink is not one of them.
One thing I don’t like its tip rattle, and the Medalist has some. It’s not constant like it was with my Epoca P, but it was there from time to time on certain rotations of the barrel in hand. A little washi tape makes it better, but no, you shouldn’t have to add it. I’ll be adding it right after this review, because I want to keep using this pen.
Why do I want to keep using it? Because it writes well, and looks cool. I do have a question about the looks though: is this really a metal barrel?
There is a smooth spot for engraving on the barrel, but I would be hesitant to try that given the underlying plastic barrel.
The product description on JetPens states This Epoca Medalist pen features a two-tone metal upper barrel and a colorful resin grip section,” while on the Ballograf site simply calls it a “chrome upper.” To me, this means plated, or metal in color only. Even the weight between the two pens is the same at 13 grams each. So, don’t get confused that this is an aluminum barrel, or a brass base with a chrome overlay. It’s plastic, with a metallic coating, which is completely fine in my book, if nothing else for balance purposes.
Given all of this, I’m hesitant to recommend the Medalist over the standard Epoca P at more than twice the price. I do love the art deco style of the Medalist, but the P has fun, bright colors, too, and if I were to pick one for myself, I’d go with that. For a gift, I would consider the Medalist.
Ballograf makes great pens that I enjoy using. The main challenge with them, and any other ballpoint pen, is the mere existence of the Uni-ball Jetstream. I don’t discount that, but I have fun with all types of ballpoints as long as they are good writers. And honestly, who else is offering Moose Crossing pens? Thank you, Sweden, and thank you, Ballograf.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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