(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Christmas will be here before you know it, and if you're looking for any gift ideas for folks that appreciate a good pen, this product from BENU is a great option to consider.
The BENU Euphoria Collection is a classy pen design that looks great no matter which colorway you choose, but I'm smitten with this Bourbon variant. It reflects a lot of sparkly light, which attracts a lot of attention. The gold and red tones feel warm and cozy, and I just can't get enough of this material.
Before going into more detail about the material, let's look at the common traits that you'll find in any of the Euphoria Collection pens. The body and cap are faceted, with 10 small facets going around the diameter of the pen. These facets add a lot of visual interest to the pen, but also changes how the pen feels in your hand and how it behaves on flat surfaces (meaning it doesn't roll easily). Regardless of the colorway, every Euphoria pen has a broad, bold black band at the base of the cap that features a BENU logo debossed on the faceted side that also houses the clip.
These pens also share the same nib options — a Schmidt #6 with silver-colored plating and minimal scroll work. The grip is substantial and provides plenty of space to grip it however you like while remaining comfortable.
The overall size of the pen is similar to a Lamy Safari. While the cap only has a small taper from the opening of the cap to the top of the cap, the body has a more noticeable taper toward the tail of the pen body. This makes the pen body very comfortable to hold since most of the weight is concentrated toward the nib end. You can post the cap on the back of the pen if you want, but I prefer the balance of the unposted pen for writing.
The pen can house a full size international cartridge, but it also comes with a standard cartridge converter so you can pick the right ink to match or compliment such a bold pen material. I went with Robert Oster Whiskey even though I know it's some form of sacrilege to combine bourbon and whiskey. In this case, I make no apologies because I love the ink and pen pairing here.
Getting back to the real star of the show, this acrylic material is something I have yet to tire of seeing on my desk. The main acrylic is a translucent amber, but there are hundreds (thousands?) of small gold and amber metallic flakes suspended in the material that make it look like it's moving. Depending on the color of the light in the room, the pen can take on different colors from bronze, red, gold, orange, and even yellow. Regardless of the color of light, this pen reflects light like crazy and draws attention from whoever is nearby. Be prepared for conversations that start with, "Whoa; what is that?" when this pen is visible.
Writing with the fine nib on this pen has been a great experience. The balance of the pen is perfect without the cap posted, and the grip section provides a great area to hold and control the pen. Ink flow has been great, and I didn't need to tune the Schmidt nib at all out of the box. When it's time to pack up, the silver clip does a great job of securing the pen to a pocket or bag. The cap screws on to the pen with about two and a half rotations, so it's really secure when closed.
Overall, I've been so impressed and pleased with this BENU. The fit and finish are great, and the quality of materials are fantastic. Any pen from the Euphoria Collection would make a great gift, but I'm really partial to this Bourbon option. You can choose from fine or medium nibs at the moment, though it would be trivial to swap the nib out with another of the same standard size. At $157, this is a good value for the quality and artistry on display. I'd happily recommend this to anyone that looks at it and has a remotely positive reaction to the color.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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