Pen Review: Inventery Mechanical Pen

September 13, 2017

Of all the different types of pens I've used over the years, I've given the rollerball the least amount of love - until this year, when something "clicked" and the retractable liquid ink rollerball now stands to become my primary fountain-pen backup. The latest pen to capture my attention is the Machined Pen from Los Angeles-based design house Inventery, a new company that launched in January of this year.

Inventery bills itself as an "independent design house specializing in the design and manufacturing of refined goods and stationery products," selling products for the "thinker, journeyman, and everyday essentialist." Their shop carries an eclectic array of goods, including the Machined Pen, the Construction Notebook, Clip-on Sunglasses, bifold wallets, and rings.

Currently, the Inventery Mechanical Pen is available in four colors: Brass, Onyx (coated brass), Chrome, and Brushed Chrome (both of which are also plated brass). The three shown here, from left, are Brushed Chrome, Brass, and Onyx.

"Refined" accurately describes the Machined Pen. Inventery has distilled the design of this pen down to the bare minimum, with three well-thought out design touches that set it apart from other "minimalist" machined pens on the market. First, the Inventery pens are all machined from a single rod of solid brass (even the black "Onyx" and Chrome pens are coated/plated brass). In order to swap out the refill, you unscrew the knock mechanism and drop the refill in through the back of the pen. As a result, you have a pen with seamless unibody construction and no seams or lines.

Per Inventery, the Schmidt knock mechanism has been modified to allow you to change the refill from the back of the pen.

Second, branding is minimal. Each pen features Inventery's small "I" logo on the front, with each pen also numbered on the reverse side. The logo and numbering appear most prevalent on the Onyx pen; they're barely visible on the brass and chrome-plated versions, especially once the brass has developed a nice patina from regular use.

Finally, my favorite part - and, in my opinion, the Machined Pen's key selling point - is the facet. Inventery has made one side of this pen flat, to act as a roll-stopper that allows the pen to sit on your desk. It's a small, thoughtful design choice that makes the Machined Pen a highly practical tool. Sure, a clip can serve the same purpose, but as I discuss further below, adding a clip would have ruined the beauty of this design.

You can see the facet on the Onyx pen pictured here.

The Inventery Machined Pen accepts the venerable Schmidt P8126/P8127 refill, and also features a Schmidt knock mechanism. This refill needs no further review - it writes smoothly and remains the standard for capless rollerball refills. Some people out there dislike the Schmidt knock mechanism, observing that there have been reported issues with Schmidt mechanisms wearing out over time. I've never personally experienced this, though Inventery does sell replacements at $9 each. For smaller designers and manufacturers, I'm not sure what other options they have, since I'm unaware of any stock mechanisms better than the Schmidt, and I imagine that developing your own mechanism "in-house" is out of the question until you reach a certain level of expertise/scale.

This picture shows the Inventery Mechanical Pens after about a month of use. While some other reviews have remarked that the brass pen doesn't develop a patina, that has not been my experience.  It's comparable to the patina that's developed on… — This picture shows the Inventery Mechanical Pens after about a month of use. While some other reviews have remarked that the brass pen doesn't develop a patina, that has not been my experience. It's comparable to the patina that's developed on my Kaweco Brass Sport and Supra. Compare this shot with the picture at the beginning.

And, no, this pen does not have a clip. In the information Inventery sent me accompanying the pens, they indicated that this was an intentional decision because the Mechanical Pen is intended to be a desk tool, not for pocket carry. That's how I've used these pens, keeping one pen at home and another at work within easy reach of my keyboard. The combination of the facet and the rather hefty weight ensures that these pens stay put. They won't go rolling off your desk anytime soon. Despite the weight (57g), the pens are well-balanced for someone with average-sized hands, like me. The back end of the pen sits just past the webbing between my thumb and index finder, so I don't run into the issue, common with metal pens, of it feeling "top heavy." If you have smaller hands, however, you may have trouble.

Inventery did a nice job on the packaging for the Mechanical Pen. Each pen arrives snug in a foam-lined box and slipcover, along with a microfiber drawstring bag.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While there are a lot of machined rollerball pens on the market, these stand out. Inventery didn't make "just another" machined EDC-style rollerball pen that looks like any other: they went with a well-thought out design that's "minimal" yet still functional. I also like the fact that they've remained unapologetic about the fact that this pen doesn't have a clip. Personally I think it would ruin the seamless nature of the design, and this pen would likely be too heavy to clip to a shirt pocket anyway.

You can purchase the Inventery Mechanical Pen directly from Inventery's website, along with their other collections. The Mechanical Pen retails for $90, which is comparable to similar machined metal pens and strikes me as a very fair price. I've enjoyed using these pens and look forward to seeing what Inventery releases in the future.

Disclaimer: Inventery sent me the pens featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.

Three Fortuna Heartwoods, from left: Pear, Walnut, and Teak

New Product Alert: Montegrappa Fortuna Heartwood Series

September 6, 2017

Montegrappa continues to introduce new variants of their "Fortuna" model, which has become the Montegrappa pen that offers a relatively accessible introduction to the brand. I've reviewed the Fortuna before - if you missed it, check out my review of three earlier Fortuna releases: the Fortuna in white/ruthenium trim; the Fortuna Silver, and the Fortuna Mule. Next, I'll turn to Montegrappa's latest: the Fortuna "Heartwood" collection.

Introducing the "Heartwood" Series

“Heartwood pays homage to that most Italian of values: a love of organic materials and the gifts of Mother Nature. The new pens explore the relationship between man and nature, a precious link that must never be underestimated.”

— Montegrappa

I'm a fan of the Montegrappa Fortuna in general - it's an excellent example of classic pen design modernized to take advantage of the diverse materials available to pen makers today. That said, if I had to recommend one version of the Fortuna over all others, it would be the Heartwood. I absolutely love the look and feel of this pen.

The brushed bronze-colored trim complements the wood nicely. This picture shows the fountain pen in pear wood.

As it has done with its other Fortuna editions, Montegrappa kept the overall design of the pen the same, but changed up the materials. Here, you can choose from walnut, pear, or (my personal favorite) teak wood, which is so dark it appears nearly black. All three pens feature the same brushed bronze-colored trim, with the fountain pen sporting a plated stainless steel nib in the same tone. Kenro Inc., Montegrappa's U.S. distributor, sent me three pens to check out: the fountain pen in pear, the ballpoint in walnut, and the rollerball in teak. Of these three, I preferred the teak and the pear over the walnut, which turned out lighter than I expected.

The Fortuna Heartwood shares all of the design elements of the Fortuna line: the "roller" clip, the "Montegrappa"-engraved cap band, and the metal threads. Like the other pens in the Fortuna series, the fountain pen is cartridge-converter filler.

Montegrappa-Fortuna-Heartwood-Walnut-Ballpoint

Because these pens were loaners with a relatively quick turnaround, I didn't have a chance to spend an extended amount of time with them. But I liked what I saw, and especially enjoyed my time with the Fortuna rollerball in teak. Before now, I had not had the opportunity to use either the ballpoint or rollerball versions of the Fortuna, and I expect that if I end up adding a second Fortuna to my collection, it will be a rollerball. The Montegrappa-branded refill writes smoothly and keeps a fairly narrow line for a liquid ink pen, causing me no trouble with excessive feathering. The ballpoint refill was nothing exciting, but it was serviceable. All three pens felt extremely comfortable in the hand. Montegrappa did a nice job with the weight and balance of the Heartwood collection, coming in lighter than the Fortuna Silver and the Mule, but heavier than the standard resin version. I could definitely see myself using these pens for extended writing sessions.

Pricing and Where to Buy

The Heartwood collection sits at the upper end of the Fortuna price range, though most retailers are offering these pens at a lower price point than the Fortuna Mule and the Fortuna Silver. The fountain pen version will run you around $340, the rollerball $320, and the ballpoint $280 (with prices listed here taking into account available discounts off MSRP). Pen Chalet currently offers the entire selection of Heartwood pens in all three woods (walnut, teak, and pear) and all three styles (fountain, rollerball, and ballpoint).

Additionally, for every Heartwood pen purchased by retailers, Kenro has pledged to donate money to plant a tree. You can read more about Kenro's charitable initiative here.

Disclaimer: These pens were loaned to me by Kenro Industries, Montegrappa's U.S. Distributor, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Pen Review: Morning Glory Mach 3 Liquid Ink Rollerball

September 2, 2017

I enjoy the fine, precise line that a needle-tip pen offers, especially when I'm annotating legal documents at work and (1) need to write very small or (2) need to write on crappy paper. Sometimes both. I've previously preferred the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, which is my go-to needle-tip gel pen, but that pen can be finicky and tends to skip and hard-start more than I like. Apart from my Coleto multi pens, I find myself using the Hi-Tec-C less and less. After one particularly frustrating experience in which I had to throw out an orange .4mm Hi-Tec-C that, for whatever reason, I simply couldn't get to write, I took a flier and ordered a few of the Morning Glory .38mm liquid ink rollerballs in blue and orange. Now I might have found a great all-around needle-tip pen that works for me.

The textured grip of the Morning Glory Mach 3 prevents the pen from becoming too slippery.

Before reading this review of the Mach 3 over at The Pen Addict several years ago, I'd never heard of the brand "Morning Glory." The pens have received positive reviews, but liquid ink rollerballs generally aren't my thing. They can feather and bleed just as badly as fountain pens (and sometimes worse) on "office quality" paper once you get above the .5mm tip size. Would a .38mm tip be the sweet spot for this type of pen?

So far, yes. The Mach 3 may become one of my standard "office pens," and it will certainly make its way into my "highly recommended" category. I've test driven the Morning Glory for the past two weeks, and I've reached for this pen nearly every time over the Uniball Vision Elite, which simply can't write the extremely fine line that I often need. And while the Morning Glory may not be quite as smooth or vibrant as the Hi-Tec-C, I've found it more reliable. (No skipping!)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you're a fan of needle-tip pens, or wish that your liquid-ink Vision Elite or Pilot Precise V5 wrote a finer line, then you should check out the Morning Glory Mach 3. I'm not aware of another liquid ink pen that comes in a .38mm tip size. Though it's relatively inexpensive, the Mach 3 can be hard to find. Jet Pens will sell you single pens in more uncommon colors (like the orange one shown here) for around $2.50 per pen. If you're a fan of the more conservative blue, black, or red (and Morning Glory's blue is great), you can purchase packs of a dozen at a much lower cost via Amazon.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pens featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use.

Pen Review: The New Wahl-Eversharp Skyline Technik

August 26, 2017

There are good ways and bad ways to relaunch vintage pen brands. We all know the bad, but I don't see a lot written about brand revitalizations done correctly. In 2013, Syd Saperstein did just that - acquiring the rights to and manufacturing pens under the name of a vintage brand that he had collected and loved for years: Wahl-Eversharp. I won't go into a full history of the brand here, but Wahl-Eversharp was a major American pen brand until the advent of the ballpoint in the 1950s, at which point it failed to keep up, fell by the wayside, and ultimately disappeared.

Potentially the most impressive pen packaging on the market, though I don't believe the lacquered boxes still feature the wood inlay.

The new Wahl-Eversharp chose to launch with the Skyline collection, an updated version of the vintage pen of that same name. For those unfamiliar with vintage pens, the Eversharp Skyline features iconic 1940s design, taking inspiration from city skyscrapers, hence the name. Skylines are great little pens - I've restored several myself - though as the years go by the plastic on these pens becomes brittle, and many people dislike having to deal with the often temperamental sac and lever-filling system on the original.

Here, the new company has taken the Skyline's original design and modernized it. They retained the oversized cap and slim, tapered barrel, but have utilized modern materials such as anodized aluminum and transparent acrylic (though they also have a gorgeous series of celluloid pens as well). The pens use a cartridge-converter filling system, and the barrel accepts the long Waterman-style ink cartridge.

Unfortunately the blue Skyline Technik is no longer available in rhodium trim, only gold. The rhodium pairs better with the blue, in my opinion.

Ceramic Coated Nibs and Optimized Feeds

The new Wahl-Eversharp nibs have drawn much of the attention around the brand. The nibs are stainless steel, but they've been treated with a ceramic coating that makes the nib not only super smooth but gives it some bounce. The company describes these nibs as "semi-flex," and claims that they writes from a fine to medium line. I'm not a flex-pen aficionado in any sense, but I'd caution against expecting a true "flex" experience - if that's what you're looking for, save up for a Decoband. Regardless, the nib on this Skyline has some nice variation, and I would describe the fine-to-medium range as accurate.

Wahl-Eversharp-Skyline-Ceramic-Coated-Nib

Wahl-Eversharp also pairs these nibs with a specialized "magic" feed. I'm not exactly sure what exactly the company has done to the feed to optimize the ink flow, but the result is impressive - I experienced no dry writing or railroading, and the nib wrote a pleasantly wet line throughout my test-drive of this pen.

Not the best writing sample, but this will give you some idea of the bounciness of the nib. The nib is NOT a dry writer - this particular ink looked a bit washed-out when it dried.

Overall Takeaways and Where to Buy

Pros:

If you're a fan of the original Eversharp Skyline's design, but don't want to mess around with often-temperamental vintage lever-fillers, you now have a cartridge-converter option.
Sturdy construction
Smooth stainless steel nib that's on the softer side - not flexible, but most should be able to coax out some line variation
Gorgeous presentation in a lacquered box

Cons:

The slim barrel might make this pen too small for some to use comfortably over longer writing sessions.
This particular pen (the Skyline Technik) sits at a high price point, though other versions of the Skyline fall into the $160 range.

I can absolutely appreciate the new Wahl-Eversharp Skyline: it's more than a tribute pen or an homage to the vintage brand - it's a full-on modernization of an iconic piece of 20th century design, which arguably retains the best aspects of the original and improves upon its faults. It's a well-made pen that writes well, especially if you like a little bit of spring in the nib.

At the same time, I probably won't be acquiring one of these pens, for the same reason that I'm not a big fan of the original Skyline - the look of the oversized cap paired with the tapered barrel just doesn't do it for me, and I find the pen a touch small for my hand, especially since this nib is one that I'd want to use for longer writing sessions. Now, if Wahl-Eversharp ever makes a normal-size version of their oversized Decoband, or brings back the faceted Doric from the 1930s, then I'm all in. (I've heard rumors on the pen show circuit that both are in the works, but it might just be wishful thinking on the part of Wahl-Eversharp enthusiasts.)

You can purchase the Wahl-Eversharp Skyline directly from the company itself, or through retailers nationwide. Anderson Pens currently offers most of the Wahl-Eversharp product lines, including the Skyline Technik Collection featured here. Price-wise, the various Skyline models range widely from $159 for the "Skyliner 50 Collection", to $280 for the aluminum Technik Collection, to $289 for the "Empire Celluloid Collection". There are even more expensive special/limited edition models, some of which have crazy cool packaging, but those are beyond the scope of this review.

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Anderson Pens for making this review possible. Brian Anderson loaned me this pen from his personal collection. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Pen Review: ystudio Portable Fountain Pens

August 19, 2017

I won't lie - at times I've started to get a bit bored with the pen scene over the past year. While there certainly have been bursts of inspiration, occasionally I want to see something more than just the latest color Pelikan in the special edition M800 series, or another "minimalist" metal pen on Kickstarter that more or less looks the same as another one released the previous year. That's why Taiwanese manufacturer ystudio is a great addition to the market, and I'm glad to see more U.S. retailers like Vanness stocking their pens.

The ystudio Portable "Classic," left, and the "Brassing" in its wood carry case, right.

Design and Build

Ystudio combines contemporary Taiwanese design with traditional craftsmanship. The company has designed and manufactured these pens with a striking attention to detail. Like Kanilea Pen Co. (and Nakaya), each Ystudio portable pen arrives packed in an attractive wooden box that you can reuse for other purposes.

“Made by the local factories in Taiwan, each of the stationery from ystudio is manufactured by the scorching heat of one thousand degrees in furnace, and characterized by the masters’ hands with decades of experience. Although the stationery carried a little bit weight and some rust on it which reflects that the products are absolutely honest and durable just like the people who live in Taiwan.”

— "About yStudio"

The pens themselves are some of the best brass and copper fountain pens that I've used, from both a design and functionality perspective. While I enjoy my Kaweco Brass Sport and Supra, neither pen pushes the envelope on design or really seeks to do anything different other than offer an existing pen model in a new material and/or size. Here, I enjoy ystudio's unique hexagonal barrel, and have probably drawn a bit too much satisfaction from playing with the cap, which opens and closes with a loud snap, in meetings.

(Editor's Note: Per the comments below, I've made a correction. Upon further review, I don't believe the cap is actually magnetic, though it does pop on and off with a very firm snap/click. The tolerances are very tight.)

The ystudio Portable Fountain Pens fresh out of the box.  Note the lack of a patina on the copper pen in this photo. Stay tuned. — The ystudio Portable Fountain Pens fresh out of the box. Note the lack of a patina on the copper pen in this photo. Stay tuned.

The ystudio Portable Fountain Pen comes in two models: "Classic" copper and "Brassing." Both share the same hexagonal design, with a metal cap and a hole through which you can run a black or brown leather cord (both options included). Each pen also comes with a separate wooden "carry box," which is actually a wooden tube with a slit in the top through which you can fit the "tab" on the Portable's cap and secure with the leather cord, forming a more secure pen case for travel and rougher daily carry (especially if you worry that the cap will pop off).

Now look at that patina, approximately one month later!

As you may have read elsewhere, all ystudio "Brassing" pens arrives with a sheet of fine grit sandpaper that you can use to remove the black coating from your brass pen and create unique "wear patterns," per your preference. Though this is a major selling point of the "Brassing" design, I've decided not to sand off any of the coating because I like the look of the pen as-is, and would rather allow the lacquer to wear off naturally. It will probably take some time. While I've accumulated a few micro-scratches here and there, this black coating was thickly applied.

Branding is minimal, and limited to the small ystudio logo towards the back of each pen. I love how the brass just barely shows through the black lacquer on the edges of the "Brassing" pen.

Nib and Writing Experience

You can't post the ystudio Portable, so it ends up being a shorter fountain pen. In general, I like my metal pens to be a bit shorter than your traditional full-size fountain pen, since the shorter length offsets the heavier weight and creates better balance. These pens are a viable option for pocket carry and jotting down short notes in a pocket notebook when I'm out running around. Though I usually don't like to carry a fountain pen in my pocket, I've ventured outside my comfort zone a bit with the ystudios and have enjoyed the experience. So far, the cap has stayed put, with no pocket inksplosions.

Ystudio uses No. 5 stainless steel Schmidt nibs - smooth and reliable but somewhat unremarkable. Currently, only fine and medium nib sizes are available. Both pens featured here are mediums, and they write on the narrower side of that designation. Some have criticized ystudio for using "generic" Schmidt nibs on a pen at this price point, but I feel that faulting the company for this choice is a bit off-base. Pen makers have limited third-party sourcing options to begin with, and Schmidt nibs are as good as any. To expect a company to launch their first fountain pen with a house-made nib is not only unrealistic from a logistical perspective, but it would drive the price of the pen up to a point where an company with no previous track record would have a hard time gaining a foothold in the market, not to mention nightmarish quality control issues. Here, ystudio's focus has plainly been on creating a line of well-made, functional writing instruments with a unique aesthetic, for that purpose the Schmidt nib works fine.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I've enjoyed using the ystudio Portable fountain pens over the past month or so, and they've become a regular addition to my daily writing kit. I appreciate them both as pens and as design objects that have attracted quite a bit of attention on my desk at work, and I can see myself carrying these pens long after this review is complete.

That said, there needs to be some discussion of the price. At $160, these pens aren't inexpensive. My initial impression - probably colored by commentary I've read elsewhere - was that the price point is too high, but after thinking it through I'm not so sure. In light of the craftsmanship and what you're getting in the overall package (stained wood boxes, leather cords, brass beads, etc.), this pricing doesn't seem excessive and lines up with Kaweco's pricing on its brass pens. (The Kaweco Brass Sport sells for $100, the Kaweco Brass Special for $130, and the Kaweco Supra for $140.) Copper pens are generally more expensive than brass, and the process of applying the black lacquer to the "Brassing" model justifies a small premium as well.

You can purchase the ystudio Portable Fountain Pens from Vanness Pens, currently available in both the "Classic" copper and the black "Brassing" models. Vanness carries the full range of ystudio products, including not only the Portable Fountain Pens but also the ystudio "Classic" copper and black "Brassing" Desk Pens and ballpoints and mechanical pencils. Many thanks to Lisa and Mike at Vanness for making this review possible.

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens sent me these two ystudio Portable Fountain Pens free of charge for review purposes.