Fountain Pen Reviews

Before we dig into this review, I should mention that I have owned quite a few Indian fountain pens in the past and have always been left feeling a smidgen indifferent towards them. The price is generally excellent and the fit & finish is usually… okay, but they were never particularly exciting. Just polished ebonite...Read More

The Jinhao 992 pen is more or less everywhere these days, and frankly, for good reason. I know there has been some controversy with cracking in the past, but in my experience this is a rock solid pen. Admittedly, I do have one of the later versions, so the first gen ones may be significantly...Read More

The Jinhao 992 pen is more or less everywhere these days, and frankly, for good reason. I know there has been some controversy with cracking in the past, but in my experience this is a rock solid pen. Admittedly, I do have one of the later versions, so the first gen ones may be significantly...Read More

I have had the photographs for this review ready to go since May, but I found myself floundering around like an idiot because my appreciation for this fountain pen is entirely based on feeling. On the surface of it, the Waterman Hemisphere is a pretty basic pen. In light of all the inexpensive goodness coming...Read More

I have been slacking with my review output recently and whilst I shan’t make excuses, the reality is that it’s all Platinum’s fault and not mine. I have been rocking the same pen over the past month and have had very little inclination to change it up. It’s a weird hobby, scribbling. I have so...Read More

De La Rue is a legendary British (former) manufacturer of ink dispensing tools, famed for its Onoto (the original plunger-filler). It’s a pretty damn common sight amongst various auction sites and thrift stores in the UK. I purchased “The Koala Pen” in pretty shoddy condition and fully serviced it, so bare that in mind with...Read More

The Wing Sung 233 is in a lot of ways the quintessential Chinese “New Old Stock” fountain pen. Found on eBay at ridiculously low prices, it offers an interesting (albeit, plagiarized) aesthetic that doesn’t match up to the cheap pens of today. In particular, we have the standard 60s plastic body with the metal cap,...Read More

The Pilot Penmanship is, for a lack of a better term, an odd duck. Reviewing this pen has proved a challenge because in a lot of ways, I am not reviewing a pen, but rather, just a nib holder. The great thing about this pen is the silky smooth Japanese EF nib that comes as standard,...Read More

I have decided to do a quickie update on my Nemosine Singularity review to clarify my feelings (or lack thereof) on a fountain pen that is (seemingly) adored. The crux of the issue for me is this narrative that the Singularity is first and foremost a solid pen. On a practical level, the construction is shoddy and...Read More

Before I begin throwing shade at this pen, I want to scribble down a quickie disclaimer: I only have 2 Nemosine pens, both are awful, but that’s still a sample size of two. I sometimes Google other people’s reviews prior to writing my own, and in this case, I did read a few. My experiences...Read More

It’s no secret that I love flexible nibs. In this day and age, it’s rare that we have to whip out our nibs for serious work. Many people, myself included, type more than scribble. So when the moment strikes me to lay down some ink, I do like having the tines flex and squeeze out some...Read More

The Waterman Carene is, in my mind, the most iconic fountain pen Waterman has ever produced. Its clear naval styling (with its superb nib) display a level of originality that is sadly rarely seen in today’s fountain pen world. We tend to have fountain pens with either gaudy embellishments (looking at you Visconti) or uninspired...Read More

The Platinum #3776 Century is, in my opinion, the gold standard for a mid-sized Japanese cigar (classically) shaped fountain pen. Its price point echos competing options from Pilot with the Custom 74 and Sailor 1911, but in my opinion, when it comes to selling points like unique nib options and interesting materials, I think Platinum wins hands down....Read More

Before I begin throwing shade at this pen, I want to scribble down a quickie disclaimer: I only have 2 Nemosine pens, both are awful, but that’s still a sample size of two. I sometimes Google other people’s reviews prior to writing my own, and in this case, I did read a few. My experiences...Read More

The pen community features a varied herd of aficionados: many different people with many different tastes, and yet when it comes to specific fountain pens, it seems like the whole gang salivates at the thought of their release. This is the case with the Twsbi Eco. It’s not revolutionary in design or performance, nor is it...Read More

It’s no secret that I love flexible nibs. In this day and age, it’s rare that we have to whip out our nibs for serious work. Many people, myself included, type more than scribble. So when the moment strikes me to lay down some ink, I do like having the tines flex and squeeze out some...Read More