Levenger True Writer Select Fountain Pen Review

When I think of Levenger the first things that pop into my mind are their amazing leather accessories and, of course, their famous Circa notebook system. Pens have always been part of the lineup too, and they are becoming part of Levenger’s focus now more than ever.

I was impressed with the L-Tech Stealth I reviewed last year, and when Levenger offered up another pen for review I wanted to branch out a bit, choosing the True Writer Select in the beautiful Mediterranean resin barrel.

My pictures do not do this pen justice in several areas. For one, the Mediterranean blue swirl pattern of the barrel is stunning. It looks great in the hand, great on the desk, great anywhere really. The chrome accents really make it pop. Secondly, this is a large pen. Larger than I imagined when looking at it online. And that may be my favorite feature.

I don’t have many large, heavy fountain pens so using the True Writer Select was a bit of a new experience for me. Size wise, it is in the range of the Pelikan M1000 series - another popular large pen. I had concerns that it was too large, but those concerns were completely dismissed when I started writing with it. The pen is so well designed and balanced - it took Levenger over a year to perfect it - that the size isn’t noticeable when writing. That’s good design.

The True Writer Select is a cartridge/converter fill, using standard international size accessories. I inked it up with Pilot Blue Black and the ink flowed smoothly and consistently from the fine steel nib. My lines were clean and sharp right out the box with no adjustments necessary. It is a joy to write with.

There are no downsides as far as form and function go. The True Write Select is a fantastic pen all the way around. The only hangup I see is the price. At $169.00, you are paying more for a steel nib pen than some popular 14k gold nib pens. Nib material isn’t everything though - one of my favorite pens runs $350 and has a steel nib. The total package is what counts, and Levenger has put in the time and perfected the details to make an exceptional pen.

My thanks to Levenger for sending me this True Writer Select Fountain Pen for review.

Levenger L-Tech Stealth Fountain Pen Review

Levenger contacted me recently with an opportunity to review one of their products. I had a list of pens and options to choose from, but knowing myself like I do there was only one pen that was going to head my way: The Levenger L-Tech Stealth Fountain Pen.

This stunner of a pen has been on my radar for a while. The all black design and faceted barrel are reminiscent of classic Rotring designs of the past. That is no surprise, as Levenger has long been a fan of Rotring products, including selling Levenger branded Rotring 600 pens and pencils in the 1990's. The L-Tech is Levenger's own design though, and they have done a fantastic job with it.

I chose to go with a steel Broad nib in my L-Tech (you can also choose Fine and Medium) for something different and it performed well. I did experience a few hard starts at the beginning of sentences but once it started flowing it never skipped or stopped. I plan on trying more lubricated inks going forward instead of Rohrer & Klingner Salix, which, while beautiful, is a bit on the dry side.

When you have a fully brass barrel as found on the L-Tech weight becomes a primary concern. This pen has some heft to it but is well balanced and easy to write with. Posting the cap throws the balance off, but I don't believe this pen is made to be written with the cap posted anyway. It becomes far too long.

On looks alone, the L-Tech, and especially the Stealth model, stands up with any of the classic engineering-style fountain pens, such as the Lamy 2000 and the Pilot Vanishing Point. The black matte finish is well done, and is set off by a glossy black clip and accents on the cap and section. The knurling on the grip is spot-on as well. Not too rough, not too fine. Just right.

One undocumented feature of the L-Tech that I stumbled on accidentally is that the nib is easily swappable with TWSBI 580 nibs. I was cleaning a few pens one night and when reassembling them I unknowingly put my 1.1 TWSBI stub back in the Levenger. It was a perfect fit and a real eye opener since I have several nibs I can now swap in and out of the L-Tech when the mood hits me.

At only $80, price may be the Levenger L-Tech's best feature. For a pen with this type of style, quality, and name, it is a great value. This is a workhorse pen, perfect for daily use or as a gift. If you choose to buy one please do me a favor: Don't get it engraved. It is too beautiful to ruin like that.

Thank you to Levenger for providing me with this pen for review.

For another look at the L-Tech Stealth and some great Rotring comparison shots be sure to check out Mike Dudek's review at The Clicky Post.

Levenger 4x6 Note Cards Review

As I have mentioned before, I am a big fan of the index card. I like their sleek, simplistic nature, and there is just something satisfying about having that one single card to jot down your current ideas or to do list. At the time I ordered these last year, you could buy the 4x6 Levenger Note Cards in a 75-card sampler pack, containing 25 five each of grid, ruled, and blank cards. That option doesn't seem to be available anymore on the Levenger website, but the 3x5 sampler is, as are all of the 3x5 and 4x6 single design options, and all are worth checking out.

I tried out several different inks on these cards, and as you might have guessed, some performed better than others. All of the gel ink pens worked great, especially the sub-micro tips like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.25mm and Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm. There was no delay or skipping at all with any of them. The liquid ink and fountain pen ink didn't fare so well. While there wasn't much bleed through the card, there was some feathering as you can notice in the picture. I felt like I had to write really fast with them to make the lines decent.

One thing I didn't like is that the cards in the sampler pack were only printed on one side. I think if you order the standard personalized note cards or non-personalized note cards they are printed on both sides, but not every note card description stated that fact, only a few. If I was to reload my stock I would definitely want grids on both sides.

The cost of the note cards isn't exactly cheap at $28 per 500 ($5.60 per 100 cards) for lined or grid non-personalized cards, but there aren't a slew of options in the high-end note card realm either. If you are looking for an upgrade over your standard store brand cards, the Levenger Note Cards may be your best bet.