In the stationery hobby, it’s easy to fixate on the acquisition of new things. For some creators, that is the basis for their output: reviewing a new bauble or providing news about an upcoming release. I don’t begrudge those who do this; plenty of my output has been in that vein as well. It can be an easy answer when the question, “now what?” appears in full force. That’s not what I want for myself, though. I want there to be more to my output and broader experience than a parade of new pens, inks, and notebooks that provide novelty but not meaning.
With this in mind, what are some of the reasons that product review isn’t really for me? Let’s dive into the specifics.
- It can quickly become expensive, especially when turning around articles on a regular basis
I don’t find aesthetic changes that interesting; i.e. a pen model being issued in a different colorway is not worth a full write-up - True innovation (that isn’t just the aforementioned aesthetic changes) isn’t that common, especially given that fountain pens have been around for over 100 years
- Trends can be fun to observe and track, but they require time and sustained attention to document properly (e.g. the rise of the popularity of the #8 nib, the increasing presence of Chinese pen manufacturers in the Western market, etc). To be honest, I don’t always have either time or attention in great supply.
- I find drama exhausting. (By drama, I mean something silly or trivial, not behavior that rightfully deserves to be investigated or criticized, like the Goulets being anti-LGBT). With that said,, while there are some legitimate controversies in the stationery world (again, see: Goulets), drama as I’ve defined it seems to be relatively rare.
- I already feel like my fountain pen collection is too large, so adding the expectation of regular reviews to the mix (which would give me an excuse to accumulate even more pens) is not the move. I can already hear the excuses I’d use: “that I needed a given pen as a source of comparison,” or that I was, “doing it for my readers.” Oof.
With that said, I want to talk about three pens I DIDN’T buy over the last few weeks. For the purpose of this article, money was not the limiting factor in any of these decisions. There’s plenty of pens I didn’t buy because of issues of cost; of course I didn’t buy the Montegrappa Chaos Pen, for example. I have no interest in such a purchase, and I don’t think that is a narrow enough decision framework to explain my thinking. The explanation of “I can’t afford it” applies to so many pens that we’d be here for days if I tried to list them all. The same goes for pens that are out of stock, no longer produced, or otherwise not readily available. Again, that framing would apply to too many pens for me to narrow this article down to just three!
So, what pens did I skip on (that were readily available and that I could otherwise afford)? Let’s discuss.
FIFTY4T SLIMLINE
FIFTY4T has recently received positive coverage from several large fountain pen YouTubers: “SBREBROWN” and “THE OFFSTAGE ME” with regards to their latest model, the Slimline. On first glance, the pen appears quite interesting: a bulk-filler style fountain pen that is both relatively reasonably priced and actually attainable (in both cases, at least compared to CONID)? That piqued my interest. The pen seemed like a winner based on price, availability, and novelty. What, then, kept me from actually going through with the purchase? For me, it came down to three things: the colorways, the rest of the FIFTY4T range, and the import fees.
Let’s start with the colorways. The pen comes in three colors at time of writing: frosted bronze, bramble (purple), and emerald shadow (green). While purple started as the clear front-runner, the frosted bronze definitely grew on me with time. Even the green grew on me a little, and I only rarely purchase green pens. What’s the problem, then? Only the cap and the “blind cap” (the bit you turn at the back end of the pen to activate the filling mechanism) carry the color. As such, while the pen looks fine while capped, it feels aesthetically unbalanced to me when uncapped. Had the section been the same color, this would be a non-issue. As it stands, though, I’m left underwhelmed and wishing they’d release a “raw” version with no color so I could avoid the problem all together.
The next problem is that the FIFTY4T range also includes a larger model, the “TITAN.” Based on reviews that I have seen, the TITAN isn’t actually that much larger. It does include a #8 nib (an aesthetic plus, even if it doesn’t make much of a functional difference), however. It also has a version where the cap and “blind cap” are the same color, thus avoiding the issue I have with the Slimline. In short, I know myself well enough to know that if I get the Slimline instead of the TITAN, it will feel like a compromise. I’ll be left wondering, “what if I had just purchased the one I wanted?” I might even end up with both pens, on a long enough timeline. Woof.
The last problem is the brand’s lack of distribution. It is only available directly from the manufacturer or from “Pen Venture.” While I have ordered from Pen Venture before (their Midnight Primary Manipulation Leonardo Dodici is one of my favorite pens), that was before the geopolitical madness that the last year has brought. In short, while I’m sure I can afford any import fees associated with the pen(s), I’d rather just buy from a US distributor, or skip the purchase entirely. Hopefully Fahrney’s or Endless Pens will pick up the brand at some point? We’ll see.
PILOT CUSTOM 823
Pilot’s prices have risen a lot over the last few years. Hell, it feels like Pilot’s prices have risen a lot in the last six months. I remember a time when it was easy to pick up a Pilot Custom 823 on the secondary market for $200 USD. Granted, this was when the pens retailed for around $300 USD new, so this makes perfect sense. Now? Good luck getting that price! The cheapest I’ve seen these pens on the “grey market” (sellers who are not authorized retailers and thus can cut a deal for the pen but are unlikely to provide after purchase service or warranty support) has been around $330. I know I said that my decision to NOT purchase this pen was not a matter of economics, but seeing the pen skyrocket in price has greatly diminished my desire to make a purchase.
There’s another reason I haven’t purchased the pen, though, even despite the rise in price. In short, it’s that I generally find vacuumatic fountain pens a bit finicky to use. While it’s true that they can hold a lot of ink, my experience has been that they don’t always have the best flow. Pilot may have a sterling reputation for quality control, but the previous Custom 823 I owned drove me up the wall with its inconsistent ink flow.
The fact that you can’t disassemble the pen without voiding the warranty is the proverbial “cherry on top” of the shit cake. It feels anti-consumer to not let the end user service their property without also punishing them. This, in turn, also disincentivises cleaning and servicing the pen (which was bad when the pen could be found for $200 USD but feels even worse now that the pen streets for over $400 USD). I’ve also been unimpressed by the way the “blind cap” (which is on the back of the pen and used to operate the vacuum) always felt a little loose, but that feels like a nit-pick in the context of the other issues I’ve raised. In short, The Pilot Custom 823 is not a pen I will be buying again any time soon.
THE ENSSO POCKET PIUMA (TITANIUM)
Ensso recently launched a Kickstarter for :a a pen I’m not particularly interested in (a titanium bodied pen that looks like a Bic Crystal). With that said, the launch of the Kickstarter also meant a discount code for other titanium products on Ensso’s website. Given that I’ve been wanting to try an Ensso Piuma for quite a while (and I’m annoyed I missed the urushi version they released a few years back), this seemed like a great opportunity to give the brand a go. When I got to the website, however, I found that Ensso had two titanium pens on offer: their full-size Piuma and a pocket Piuma.
A few years ago, I would’ve purchased both, as both were eligible for the sale. Since I’m trying to be more sensible with my pen purchases, however, I decided that I’d buy one and if it was good enough, I’d buy the other. Between the two (the full-size and pocket), I landed on the full-size because I already have a titanium pocket pen from Namisu (the Nova) that I really like. Granted, I also have plenty of other full-size fountain pens with #6 steel nibs, but nothing quite like the full-size Piuma.
The pen arrived quickly and my first impressions were positive. It was weighty without being cumbersome. The pen also lived up to its “minimalist” ad-copy, given its lack of a clip, subtle branding, and sleek cigar shape. My only two qualms were that the section was a bit smaller than I would have liked (not unuseable by any means, but still a minor annoyance) and the metal-on-metal noise produced when capping and uncapping the pen. The broad Bock nib the pen was equipped with also wrote a bit more like a medium than I would have liked, but at least it wrote (which I can’t say of every Bock nib I’ve received).
If the full-size Ensso Piuma was a hit, why didn’t I run out and buy the pocket-size? First, as previously mentioned, I still have the Pocket Nova from Namisu filling the “titanium pocket pen” slot in my collection. Second, there is no option for a clip with the pocket Piuma. While I normally prefer clipless pens, I like having a clip on my pocket pens because it prevents them dropping to the bottom of the sleeves in my pen case. Also, the metal-on-metal rubbing which annoyed me while using the full-size would happen twice as much with the pocket version of the Piuma, given that the cap screws to post. No thanks!
The last reason is simple, and stopped the purchase in its tracks: I have a hot and cold relationship with pocket pens. I find them interesting as design exercises, and I like to see how different brands and designers approach them. With that being said, my preference for girthier pens means that I tend to like pocket pens more in theory than in practice. This ratio is an exaggeration, obviously, but there’s a reason why I have 10 full-size pens for every pocket pen in my collection.
CONCLUSION
With these pens identified and discussed, what have I learned or been reminded of? I am reminded that I have a lot of opinions about fountain pens (I doubt that is a surprise to anyone, though). Perhaps my thought processes will help you make an informed decision about your next pen purchase? I am also reminded of the fact that whether a pen works for me can come down to the details (the location of color on the pen, the tightness of the blind cap, whether the pen squeaks in use, etc), and that’s OK! Lastly, and most importantly, I am reminded that buying a new pen – even when I can afford it – is not always the right answer! As I’ve learned so many times (and will continue to have to learn, I suspect): it’s not my tools, it’s my time, effort, and attention that define me as an artist.
Or maybe all of this was just an excuse to write about pens for a bit. That’s cool, too.
