Pen Review: Faber-Castell E-Motion

November 16, 2016

I've developed a thing for German pens, especially those with steel nibs that write as well as gold. It's a sign that the design and manufacturing teams value attention to detail and quality control. Over the past six months, the Otto Hutt Design 06 and the Pelikan M205 Transparent Blue have both made their way into my regular rotation. Now I need to pick up a fountain pen from Faber-Castell.

Faber-Castell's international headquarters is located in Stein, Germany, while Faber-Castell USA is based in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of us in the States know the company for their pencils. Those of us who went to school in the 1980s-1990s might recall the ubiquitous Faber-Castell American pencils (of which I have a massive nostalgia stash). But Faber-Castell also manufactures a line of high-quality fountain pens, as well as a line of more expensive pens (read, $500+) marketed under the name Graf von Faber-Castell. The pen I'm going to review today is the e-motion, from the standard Faber-Castell line, which also includes pens such as the Ambition, the Basic, the Ondoro, and the Loom.

Build/Construction

The Faber-Castell e-motion is not a small pen, but the tapered design makes it feel relatively compact and comfortable to use.

The e-motion has a unique chunky design that some people may resist at first, but it grows on you. Why? Because this pen is extremely comfortable to hold. The wide body and tapered ends allow the pen to sit in your hand quite comfortably. To me, the pen is a touch short to use unposted, though if you have smaller hands I could see how posting this pen might make it feel top-heavy.

The e-motion sports one of the best spring-loaded clips that I've used.

This particular model of the e-motion features chrome trim and a white resin barrel with a guilloche/herringbone pattern etched into it. Other models of the e-motion combine the chrome trim with various woods, and there's even a blacked-out version for all you stealth pen fanatics.

The Nib and Writing Experience

The broad nib on this pen is exceptional - there's really no other way to describe it. However, Faber-Castell's broads (or "bolds" as some people like to call them) are too wide for me. At one point I owned a Faber-Castell Ambition with a broad nib, but ended up passing that pen along to my friend Bob over at My Pen Needs Ink. These nibs are indeed quite broad and very wet, which aren't the best for my handwriting style. When I eventually add a Faber-Castell to my collection, I will need to go with a medium or a fine.

Faber-Castell steel nibs are made by either Bock or JoWo - I've heard conflicting reports. Either way, they are excellent writers.

In terms of smoothness, though, this pen is unmatched, straight out of the box and unmodified. Ink flow, while heavy, has been consistent without any skips or hard starts. I'm often asked why people should be willing to spend the extra money and pay north of $100 for a pen with a steel nib. This is your answer. Every Faber-Castell pen I have tried has been tuned to near-perfection. This pen writes every bit as well as any gold nib I have used, and better than most. While you may spend more up front, you won't have to shell out for nib tuning later (unless, of course, you want to turn the pen into a stub, italic, etc.).

As you might expect, the Faber-Castell broad nib is, well, broad!

A quick note on the ink I used for this review: Anderson pens sent me a bag of samples from the Bookbinders line. Bookbinders is yet another excellent Australian ink brand that has made its way into global retail. The ink featured in this review is the aptly named Eastern Brown Snake. I plan on using these inks more before I write a comprehensive review, but let's say I enjoyed this one!

A close-up of Bookbinder's Eastern Brown Snake

Where to Buy

Thanks to the team at Anderson Pens for loaning me this pen to review. While this particular barrel pattern and color scheme doesn't really do it for me, fortunately Faber-Castell offers a wide variety of different looks, including the E-Motion "Pure Black" edition and Black Pearwood. Pricing on this pen ranges anywhere from $130 for the standard editions to $175 for the Pure Black. That Pure Black is calling my name!

If you'd like to read further on this pen, check out Ian's review over at Pens! Paper! Pencils!, as well as Mary's review at From the Pen Cup.

Disclaimer: The pen featured in this review was provided to me free of charge by Anderson Pens (on loan) for review purposes.

The Uniball Vision Elite threatens to take a spot in my list of Best Disposable Pens for Everyday Use.

Liquid Ink Rollerballs CAN Be Functional: Uniball Vision Elite

November 9, 2016

When I was in school I loved liquid ink pens. My absolute favorite was the Pilot V7 or V5, but my parents always tried to buy the Uniball Vision, which I always found to be an inferior pen because it had the tendency to bleed all over the place. As a result, until recently I stayed away from the Uniball Vision Elite, a different pen that has received rave reviews, and deservedly so.

The Uniball Vision Elite uses similar liquid-ink rollerball technology, only this time Uniball has managed to create a pen that dries quickly and doesn't bleed or feather like the regular Vision. And the colors - the colors on these things really pop. I tested out an 8-pack, which contained one of each of the following colors: blue, black, purple, red, green, orange, blue-black, and red. There's also a "BLX" pack that includes colors such as blue-black, red-black, green-black, etc. Those are next on the list for me to pick up.

A writing sample of the various colors, done on the Slice Planner dot-grid paper.

The Vision Elites are now sitting in the pen holder on my desk at work, and they've been getting a lot of use color-coding the clockface in my Slice Planner. (If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, please read the review. It will make more sense, I promise!) The pens have worked exceptionally well on the Slice Planner paper, and also have held up on ordinary recycled office paper. That said, I tested the Vision Elite in the "micro" point, so your mileage may vary if you prefer the medium or bold tip size, which may increase feathering as they apply more ink to the paper.

Where to Buy / Thanks to Office Mall!

The great thing about the Uniball Vision Elite is that these pens can be found pretty much anywhere, in big box stores or online. They aren't particularly cheap (anywhere from $12-20 for a pack of 8, depending on where you buy), but they offer one of the smoothest and most reliable writing experiences on the "mainstream" stationery market.

These particular pens were sent to me by Office Mall, an online retailer of office supplies that stocks everything from pens, pencils, and paper to typewriter ribbons to break room supplies. If you are stocking stationery for a business, visit Office Mall to take advantage of the ability to order lots of different stationery supplies in large quantities. Office Mall also stocks quirky, one-off products that I haven't been able to find anywhere else, like these:

Office Mall also sells these awesome pencil-shaped Ticonderoga erasers.

Pen Review: Diplomat Esteem

November 2, 2016

While I'm on a Diplomat kick, I figured that in addition to the higher-end Diplomat Aero, I would go ahead and post a quick review of one of Diplomat's mid-tier offerings, the Esteem. The Esteem isn't stocked by many retailers in the United States, probably because it sits in the difficult $50-$75 price range. Though there aren't many pens at that price point for it to compete with, I'm not sure that the Esteem presents a compelling enough offering to warrant purchasing this pen over, say, an imported Pilot Custom Heritage 92, a Platinum 3776, or even a TWSBI 580.

The Diplomat Lineup

Before I get into the Esteem itself, it may be helpful to explain Diplomat's lineup a bit, especially since this is a brand few are familiar with (at least in the States). Diplomat's high-end pens are the Excellence and the Aero, both of which have gold-nib options. The mid-tier options include the Balance, the Esteem, the Optimist, and the Traveller. There isn't really an "entry-level" diplomat pen that you see regularly priced below $50, though occasionally you can find the Esteem on sale. Curiously, Diplomat seems to have done very little to promote its various models other than the Aero, or to differentiate between its other offerings.

Build/Construction

The Esteem is a lighter - and, yes, cheaper feeling - pen than the Aero.

As befits it's lower price point, the construction on the Diplomat Esteem feels less sturdy than the build on the Aero. A few things make me waffle a bit when deciding whether or not I like this pen: First of all, while the barrel is metal (either anodized brass or aluminum?), the grip section is plastic. This pen reminds me somewhat of the Retro 51 fountain pen, at a slightly higher price point.

The clip on the Esteem also isn't as solid as the clip on the Aero; it's made from folded over steel.

Diplomat has done a nice job with the end-cap and finial on the Esteem. The back of the pen features a plain stainless end-cap, which helps the cap post nicely. The finial on the cap contains a "jewel" with Diplomat's propeller logo.

Diplomat's "Propeller" Logo is incorporated into the design on most of their pens. Here, it's featured on the cap finial of the Esteem.

Nib and Writing Experience

While my experience with the Diplomat Esteem's nib wasn't quite as good as my experience with the Diplomat Aero, the fine nib on my Diplomat Esteem is still pretty darn good, if a touch dry. As I've noticed with JoWo nibs in the past, there's not much difference in terms of line width between the fine and the medium. If I had to make a recommendation, I would go with the medium, which is a much smoother writer. The nib on my Aero is one of the smoothest-writing pens in my collection.

The Esteem shares the same stainless steel nib as the Aero, but the plastic section...I'm not really a fan.

Takeaways/Where to Buy

It's probably unfair for me to compare this pen to the Aero, because I like the former pen so much, and - to be frank - the Aero is intended to be a nicer, and more expensive, pen. That said, I personally would probably recommend saving a bit more money and holding out for the Aero rather than purchasing the Esteem. However, if you dislike the Aero's design, or prefer a pen with a more classic design, the Esteem may end up being a better entry point into the Diplomat brand.

The Diplomat Esteem is a bit harder to find at retail that the Diplomat Aero, which has become one of Diplomat's premium "flagship" pens. As with the Aero, the MSRP on this pen is too high, at $95. Street price tends to be in the $50-75, which is more reasonable, and Amazon again has the best prices on Diplomat pens. Occasionally, you will find the Diplomat Esteem on Massdrop at a discount, typically in the sub-$50 range.

Disclaimer: Massdrop provided me with this pen through their affiliate/referral program at no charge.

Pen Review: Diplomat Aero

October 29, 2016

The biggest surprise from my 2016 D.C. Pen Show Haul was one of the lesser-known pens that I picked up: the Diplomat Aero. Diplomat is not as well-known in the States as other major German brands like Pelikan, Montblanc, Lamy, and Faber-Castell but they are building a small and loyal following, moreso than other smaller German manufacturers such as Otto Hutt and Cleo-Skribent. Let's just say there's a reason that they've been around since 1922. I've had the opportunity to write with multiple pens in Diplomat's lineup, and have been uniformly impressed, especially with the quality of the nibs. Along with the Otto Hutt Design 06, the Diplomat Aero has recently been one of my daily workhorses.

Unique Design and Quality Build

The "ribbed" design of the Diplomat Aero is its most distinctive visual feature.

The Aero sports one of the most unique fountain pen designs out there right now. (Well, there might be designs that are more "unique," but I'm referring to designs that are both unique and don't destroy the functionality of the pen.) It's inspired by the "Zeppelin" airships of the 1920s-1930s. The Company's "propeller" logo is painted on the top of the cap - more on that below. Overall, I enjoy the design. At first glance, some might consider this pen a little weird looking and even ostentatious, but in real life the design ends up being fairly understated, especially in the matte-black/gunmetal color scheme.

I enjoy using this pen posted more than unposted. The Aero is manufactured from relatively lightweight aluminum, so the fact that the pen is metal doesn't really affect the overall balance or make it awkward to use.

The Aero's aluminum construction gives it some heft, but this is a well-designed and well-balanced pen. Personally, I think this pen has better balance posted rather than unposted, but that's my preference with most pens as long as they aren't too long. The slip cap fits tightly, with no wiggle or play. It also posts firmly on the tapered end. The anodized section is grippy, slightly tapered, and makes the Aero a comfortable pen to use for long periods of time.

Those who don't like to post their pens will still be able to use the Aero just fine.

The clip has what I consider to be the optimal level of tension. It's not so loose that it feels flimsy, but it's not so tight that it won't easily clip to a shirt pocket. The matte black anodization on the clip makes it slide even easier.

I was able to easily scrape the Diplomat "propeller" logo off the top of the cap using a fingernail. Fortunately I like the look of the unadorned cap better.

The one issue I have with this pen has to do with the finish. Not necessarily the anodized coating that's applied to the metal body, clip, and section - which has held up very well - but with the painted Diplomat logo on the top of the cap. Mine started to flake off almost immediately, and I finally got so fed up with it that I took my fingernail to it and was able to completely remove it in less than 10 seconds. Honestly, this isn't a big deal for me because I like the plain black cap better than adorned version, but at this price point Diplomat needs to either fix this issue by actually etching the logo into the anodized coating or remove it from the top of the cap entirely. Flaking paint makes an otherwise excellent pen look cheap.

An Extremely Smooth JoWo Nib

As fun as the design is, the nib is what makes this pen a joy to use. My Aero sports a very smooth and very wet JoWo medium. This nib might be slightly wider than optimal for my style of writing, but for a stainless steel nib, it's been tuned perfectly. I met the Diplomat distributor at the D.C. Pen show, who told me that Diplomat has employees in the JoWo factory who personally test and tune all Diplomat nibs before they leave. I tend to believe this, because of the two Diplomat pens I own - the Aero and the lower-priced Diplomat Esteem - both write much better than stock JoWo nibs that I've purchased from other sources. These nibs clearly have been tuned.

Diplomat uses a standard cartridge/converter filling system. Nothing too exciting here.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I like this pen and don't regret adding it to my rotation. While the flaking paint issue is annoying, the nib is outstanding and I love the design and the matte black color scheme. (If it's all-black or red, I'll typically buy it.)

Diplomat is popping up in multiple online retailers as the brand gains popularity. MSRP on the Diplomat Aero is $195, with some dealers selling for around $160, which is what I paid purchasing from the distributor directly at the D.C. Pen Show. While I really enjoy the pen, $160 is high, and $195 prohibitively expensive, especially compared to a similarly priced pen like the Otto Hutt 06 that didn't have the annoying flaking paint issue.

Fortunately, you can usually find the Aero on Amazon at a more reasonable price (though the actual price changes regularly). Massdrop deals on this pen also pop up from time to time. In addition to the matte black model featured in this review, the Aero comes in a silver version and a very attractive brown. (Honestly, I eventually may pick up a brown version for myself. The color looks that good.)

Pen Review: Trilogy Zero (On Kickstarter Now!)

October 22, 2016

Last week, I posted a brief announcement for the Trilogy Zero Minimalist Fountain Pen, which is now live on Kickstarter. Before I get into the details of this pen review, I should say that the pen Trilogy sent me for review is a prototype, NOT a final product. Trilogy was very insistent that the prototype had certain flaws that they plainly identified to me before sending me the pen, and which will be corrected before the final Kickstarter products ship to buyers.

That said, I like the Trilogy Zero overall, and I came away from the review impressed. This pen is not for everyone, but most machined metal pens aren't. Let's take a look in a bit more detail.

The Trilogy Zero features a smooth section and a black PVC-coated Bock Nib.

What I Liked about the Trilogy Zero

Size and Comfort. As other reviewers have observed, the Zero is larger in real life than it appears in the pictures, or at least it ended up being much larger than I expected. The added length balances the pen well for writing, especially since the cap doesn't post. The section is rather large, without a pronounced step down from the rest of the barrel, so you should be able to get a comfortable grip no matter how you hold your pen.
Presentation. The packaging is sleek and well-made. I like the concept of the wood box/pen rest that ships with the Zero, but wish that they had spent a bit more time on the finish. More on that from Mike Dudek. With a bit of polishing, the wood box might make an excellent piece for your desk.
Flat Ends. The Trilogy is completely flat on both ends, creating a tapered cylinder that will stand up vertically on your desk. I've done this at work and at home, and haven't had it fall over yet. The Zero's design reminds me of a more slender, tapered Newton Shinobi.
Nib. Trilogy uses Bock nibs, and the medium I received is a good one. I've had hit-or-miss experiences with Bock Nibs in the past, but I can't complain here. The black nib is coated, including the underside of the nib and tipping material, so there may be a brief period after you first receive the pen where there is slightly more feedback. I experienced this as the nib "squeaking" for the first page or so that I wrote, but it disappeared as the nib broke in. Again, I've noticed this on other PVC-coated nibs, and is nothing unique to this pen.

What I Didn't Like

Portability. Size is a double-edged sword. The Zero is very comfortable to write with, but it's not very portable. The length of the pen when capped makes it difficult to fit the Zero into certain pen cases and pen wraps, and it's impractical to carry in my pants pocket. This may be a personal preference, but when I think "minimalist pen," I think of something that I can slip in my jeans pocket and take anywhere on a moment's notice.
Wear on the Finish. The black coating on the aluminum looks great, but has a tendency to wear along sharp edges, especially the threads. I haven't used this pen that hard yet, and I expect to see similar chipping and flaking on the flat-end of the Zero.
Squeaky Threads. This issue is something that Trilogy is aware of, and has indicated that they have resolved in the final production specs. I'm not really sensitive to it, but some people have noticed a "nails-on-chalkboard" noise when you screw/unscrew the cap.
Marketing. I found the emphasis on "minimalism" in the Kickstarter marketing materials to be a bit over the top. ("A Minimal Fountain Pen Designed to Distill Writing to its Finest, Most Essential Form. A Seamless Link Between Mind and Reality.") That's a personal preference, though, and may speak to some people more than others.

Promotional photo for the Trilogy Zero fountain pen in silver (Courtesy of Trilogy Pens)

Should You Back this Kickstarter?

If you enjoy pens like the Namisu Nova, the Karas Kustoms Ink, or the Tactile Turn Gist, the Trilogy Zero caters to a similar niche. You should expect some of the issues I highlighted in this review to get ironed out as Trilogy finalizes their production specs. I consider the Zero a relatively low-risk Kickstarter project to back because the price of the pen is so reasonable. While Early Bird and Super Early Bird pricing is sold out, you can still pledge $60 and receive one Zero, or $105 and receive two. Pens are available in silver or black, with the option of a steel, gold plated, or coated black nib.

This price point also bodes well for Trilogy in the market as a whole. There's a relative dearth of quality fountain pens out there in the $50-75 price range, and if Trilogy continues to target the $55-$60 price point post-Kickstarter, they could really have something here.

Build/Construction

The Nib and Writing Experience

Where to Buy

Where to Buy / Thanks to Office Mall!

Further Reading:

The Diplomat Lineup

Build/Construction

Nib and Writing Experience

Takeaways/Where to Buy

Unique Design and Quality Build

An Extremely Smooth JoWo Nib

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Further Reading

What I Liked about the Trilogy Zero

What I Didn't Like

Should You Back this Kickstarter?

Further Reading.

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