Nahvalur Nautilus Ruby Koi Fountain Pen on Stand

[Updated] New Arrivals: Nahvalur Nautilus Ruby Koi Fountain Pen, and New Lovina Graphite and Matira Quartz Original Plus Pens!

February 6, 2024

I’m not sure that we’ve ever had limited run fountain pens sell out quicker than the two Nahvalur “Pen of the Year” models, inspired by the Year of the Rabbit and Year of the Dragon, respectively. Fortunately, Nahvalur appears to be staying at it this year, releasing yet another gorgeous limited run pen in striated red and black German ebonite with red anodized trim that they’ve dubbed “Ruby Koi.” Given my love for anything red and black, but I’m not sure I could pick out a Nautilus color combination that speaks to me personally more than this one, and I hope it sticks around for at least a little while (though probably not since it’s a numbered edition).

Nahvalur Nautilus Ruby Koi Nib Comparison — Vintage-style striated German ebonite paired with either a 14k (left) or gold plated (right) nib makes for a gorgeous combination.

As with the Pen of the Year, the Nautilus Ruby Koi is available with both gold-plated stainless steel and 14k gold nib options. These pens are priced at $188 for the steel option and $308 for the gold. As a piston filler, the Nautilus Ruby Koi accepts bottled ink only, and we recently restocked on Nahvalur ink as well.

Nahvalur Nautilus Ebonite Material Comparison — This material is a gorgeous true red-black ebonite!

Updated: As of 11am Central Time, New Lovina Graphite and Matira Quartz Fountain Pens Are Available!

This morning, Nahvalur announced the release of two new colors in the “Original Plus” series - Lovina Graphite and Matira Quartz. These are new takes on last year’s limited edition “Lovina Black” and “Matira White” pens - they still have the rose gold trim but the Black and White resins add chatoyance (i.e. some sparkle/shimmer) to the material! It’s a very nice look with lots of depth. These have arrived and are available to ship immediately, priced at $55 each.

Note - for those of you looking for a Lovina Black and Matira White pen (without the chatoyance), we still have a couple left, mostly broad and stub nib sizes.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Nahvalur Pens.

Spotlight on Nahvalur Fountain Pens: Introducing the Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition

January 31, 2023

Last year we brought Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal Pens) into the shop, driven by two specific models: the “Original Plus” vacuum-filler fountain pen and the “Nautilus” piston filler, featuring Nahvalur’s signature “porthole” ink windows. This week, we’ve not only restocked on the Original Plus but have added two new Nautilus fountain pens and will soon add Nahvalur’s new “Explorer” ink line.

Nahvalur 2023 “Pen of the Year” is Now Available

The big announcement this week is the release of Nahvalur’s 2023 Pen of the Year, the “Year of the Rabbit” limited edition Nautilus. Featuring a pearlescent white resin and a 14k gold nib, this release is limited to 223 pieces worldwide and we were lucky enough to get a handful. Available in either fine or medium.

The white resin used in the Year of the Rabbit pen comes from Starry Night Resins.

As I mentioned above, we’ve also added the classic black Nautilus ebonite piston filler featuring either an antiqued bronze (“Bronze Corydoras”) or black (“Cephalopod Black”) trim, and we once again have all colors of the “Original Plus” fountain pens in stock, including the popular Ocellatus Gold which sold out quickly.

It’s Restock and New Arrival Season, So Keep Checking Back

We have new products arriving daily, so keep checking back to view the new arrivals in pens, inks, and pencils as well as paper and notebook systems!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Pen Review: Nahvalur Nautilus Ebonite Fountain Pen

October 5, 2022

Last week, I looked at the Nahvalur “Original Plus,” the updated vacuum-filler version of the Nahvalur “Original” fountain pen, and this week I’ll turn my attention to what is fast becoming Nahvalur’s “flagship”: the Nautilus fountain pen. Originally released under the Narwhal branding - with some current models still featuring the “Narwhal” engraving and logo on both the nib and cap band - the Nautilus has been around for a few years but recently has gained traction following a series of special editions and pen show exclusives in unique ebonites. The two pens I’m looking at in this post include a pen show exclusive that I received in Atlanta (the blue striated limited edition, numbered 205/400) and the “Stylophora Berry” release that I picked up in D.C. at the Nahvalur table.

Nahvalur Ebonite Striations — Two different ebonites: striated blue (left) and “Stylophora Berry” (right).

Design and Build Quality

The Nautilus has received quite a bit of attention since its release due to its distinctive looks, which are plainly inspired by its namesake, the famed submarine from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. (RIP best Disney ride ever.) Nautical motifs predominate, including a torpedo/submarine shape, an engraved “waves” pattern on the cap band, and three “porthole” ink windows, which I consider more of a design flourish than anything else. The “portholes” can sometimes struggle to let in enough light to offer great visibility on the ink supply, but it’s still a cool visual touch nonetheless.

Nahvalur Nautilus Porthole Design — The porthole ink window and engraved cap band (still showing Narwhal branding, as this pen was released prior to the rebrand).

By far, my favorite aspect of the Nautilus fountain pen is Nahvalur’s use of premium ebonite in striking striated patterns. Why do I enjoy ebonite as a material for fountain pens? For starters, it feels solid in the hand - lightweight yet sturdy, with a warmth that acrylics and resins sometimes lack. You get a lot of visually interesting variation in the material that exudes some of the vintage vibe you get from celluloid or cellulose acetate without the price premium that those materials command.

Writing Experience

Given its shape, the Nautilus obviously doesn’t post. Nonetheless, this is a well-balanced pen that’s incredibly comfortable to write with, even for extended periods of time. Like the Original Plus, the nib on the Nautilus is smooth and requires very little pressure to write. The dark blue Nautilus pictured here initially featured a round double-broad (BB) nib with a lot of tipping - not usually my cup of tea - and while it wrote well out of the box, I chose to have it ground to a “Mini-Naginata”-style nib by C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens. It’s of course now an excellent writer. My Stylophora Berry Nautilus (the purple pen) has a standard Nahvalur fine nib, and while it definitely writes on the broader side for a “fine”, the consistently wet line makes for a pleasant writing experience.

Nahvalur Nautilus Nib — The engraving on the nib is the same as on the Original Plus, though both of these Nautilus pens have rose gold nibs and trim. As a general observation, Nahvalur fountain pens tend to feature a fair bit of tipping, making them excellent platforms for nib customization (especially in the “B” and “BB” nib widths).

Since it’s a piston filler, the Nautilus holds a lot of ink, making it a writer’s workhorse. I’ve had one of these pens in rotation at any given time since late Spring, and I’ve especially enjoyed using them in my journals for longer sessions at night and early in the morning. Larger, unique pens like the Nautilus tend to be a bit too “conversation-piece-y” for my office environment, but I have taken them to work with me, and there’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t rely on this pen as your daily driver. I will note that for whatever reason, I’ve found that ebonite pens don’t necessarily travel well in that they tend to burp ink in response to air pressure and temperature changes more than other types of pens. If you’re looking for a pen to take on an airplane, go with the Original Plus, which features a shutoff valve.

Nahvalur Nautilus Writing Sample — Writing samples for the Nahvalur Nautilus standard fine nib (top) in Wearingeul Metamorphosis, and custom-ground BB nib (bottom) in Anderillium Colossal Squid Dark. The Anderillium “Cephalopod” ink series seems like a great match conceptually for these pens. Writing sample is on Life Noble Note paper in grid layout.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

One reason why I love the Nautilus is that there’s nothing quite like it currently on the market. If I had to choose a “peer” pen, I would compare it to something like the Opus 88 Jazz or Omar (with a slight price increase to account for the piston and the premium ebonite), and the standard Leonardo Momento Zero with a steel nib. I would avoid calling any of these pens direct “competitors,” because they are extremely different aesthetically, and Nahvalur pens definitely have their own unique visuals and writing feel.

You can really see the unique pattern in the ebonite on the sections of both pens.

As Nahvalur has grown as a company and expanded its retail presence, the Nautilus lineup has likewise expanded and can now be found at most Nahvalur retailers. The T.G.S. Curated Shop currently stocks the Nahvalur Nautilus in the aubergine “Stylophora Berry” ebonite pictured here, priced at $160. There will be more versions joining in the near future. As I’ve mentioned before, one of the major things I look for when deciding to bring new items (and especially pens) into the shop is value, and after six months of regular use, the Nautilus continues to impress at this price point. Any time a company releases a unique-looking ebonite piston filler under $200, they have my attention, and I look forward to seeing what Nahvalur has in store for this particular model in the future.

Nahvalur Nautilus Size Comparison — A size comparison, showing two Nahvalur Nautilus fountain pens with, from left, the Nahvalur Original Plus in Gold Ocellatus, a TWSBI 580, and a Schon DSGN full-size.

Disclaimer: The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of select Nahvalur Fountain Pens, including the Nahvalur Original Plus and Nautilus “Stylophora Berry” pictured here. While I acquired the Stylophora Berry with my own funds, I did receive the blue “Pelagia Noctiluca” for review purposes, free of charge. This post does not contain third-party affiliate links.