For a brand that has been in existence for less than four years, Nahvalur has remained extremely busy. From the launch of the Original at the 2019 Washington D.C. Pen Show, to store collaborations, to new pen models and materials, and yes, even to manufacturing and naming drama, they have made even the most active stationery fans heads spin. Mine included.
All of that work in has led to their latest release, the Original Plus, a vacuum-filling upgrade to the Original, which uses a piston filling system. It’s my favorite Nahvalur pen yet.
The first Original Plus models released mimicked the transparent swirl barrels of the Original, but it was only when the two latest models launched-Matria White and Lovina Black-that I got my hands on them to test.
Easy to take apart for cleaning.
Right out of the box, the Original Plus impressed. I chose the Matria White model to ink up, with a Fine Steel nib, dunking the section right into an ink bottle and engaging the vacuum filler. On first fill, the barrel reached around 50% capacity. I wanted more, so I pushed the ink back into the bottle and went with a double-pump vac, which got me a more expected 75% plus fill. If I were perfectly efficient, I’m sure I could get close to the full 1.5 ml of ink capacity available in the barrel.
When writing, the barrel feels perfectly balanced and comfortable. It checks in at 27 grams due to the added internal mechanism (the Lamy Safari weighs 15 grams, for example,) but it doesn’t feel heavy. The barrel is cylindrical, and the grip section has a slight taper down to a ridge at the bottom edge. The Original Plus doesn’t break any new ground design-wise, but is built for all-day writing. It succeeds in that aspect.
What I was most impressed with was the performance of Nahvalur’s Fine Steel nib in this pen. I had the same nib in my Original review and didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as this one. The tipping of Nahvalur’s nibs made the line too wide and inconsistent for me, but that tipping seems to have been refined on nibs used for the Original Plus. My lines are perfect, and meet my line width expectations for a Fine nib.
The nib was my primary hangup with the Original. The build quality was there, but I didn’t love using it. The Original Plus changed that for the better, and added a vacuum filling system to the mix. And the best part? The price. At $55, the Original Plus is a great value for such an enjoyable experience.
Only 500 of each of the Matria White and Lovina Black were created, and they have begun to sell out at various retailers. The original Original Plus fountain pen colors are still available as well. Either would make a great choice no matter your experience level.
L to R: Lamy Safari, Original Plus, TWSBI 580AL, Kaweco Sport.
Nahvalur has become a brand to watch as they broaden their fountain pen, nib, and ink offerings. The next thing I’m keeping my eye out for is the addition of Extra Fine nibs into their lineup. One can hope!
(Nahvalur provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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