Kickstarter Alert: The Wingback Journeyman Pen

It’s always exciting to see U.K.-based Wingback release a new pen! They’re one of my favorite penmakers working with heavier materials like brass and stainless steel, since they pay close attention to the design and balance, with a focus on building pens that are both durable and capable of being used as an everyday writer. Specifically, Wingback pens and mechanical pencils tend to be shorter in order to offset the increased weight of the metals they use. You might think that this is an obvious point, but you’d be surprised at the number of machined pens on the market that end up too heavy to use for more than a few lines of writing at a time.

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Introducing the Wingback “Journeyman”!

While Wingback’s latest release, the “Journeyman”, is a touch longer than the existing “Mechanical Pen”, it maintains an excellent feel in the hand and should be on your list of pens to consider if you’re looking for a durable go-anywhere pocket writer. Even better, this new model has customization options previously unavailable.

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The new crown/knock incorporates a milled clip.

For those unfamiliar with the Wingback Mechanical Pen, it features a unique “twist bolt action” mechanism that locks down and, with some practice, can be operated one-handed. The Journeyman uses this same style of knock, but incorporates a milled clip into the crown that allows the pen to be secured to a bag, pen case, or pocket. Personally, I also find that the clip makes the mechanism easier to grip and deploy. Wingback has retained other favorite design elements such as the diamond knurling on the grip (neither too sharp nor too slick - just right!) and a comfortable barrel diameter that once again emphasizes the pen’s usability.

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The Wingback Journeyman (right) is only slightly longer than the Mechanical Pen (right). The Journeyman is shown in a combination of brass and stainless steel, while the Mechanical Pen is shown in Black Steel.

So what differentiates the Journeyman from prior Wingback offerings, in addition to the clip?

• Customization. The Journeyman can be customized on a component level, allowing you to mix and match materials. Available in brass, stainless steel, and Black Steel, you can now choose different combinations of metals for the barrel, crown, and clip. The pen I was sent for review features a brass barrel, with a stainless steel crown and clip. A full titanium pen is also available, though you cannot mix and match the titanium components with other materials.

• Refill Compatibility. The Wingback Mechanical Pen used a Fisher Space Pen pressurized refill, which is somewhat polarizing as many people don’t enjoy the way that it feels on the page. (I like it, but it’s not for everyone.) The Journeyman offers more flexibility, as it takes an international G2/Parker-style refill. While it ships with a Schmidt Easyflow 9000, you can choose from any number of ballpoint, gel, or even rollerball options in this format.

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The mechanism isn’t complex: simply unscrew the knock and drop in a new refill.

Are there any drawbacks to the Journeyman’s design over the clipless Wingback models? In addition to a bit of added weight from the clip and increased length, I should mention that the edges of the milled clip are somewhat sharp, and can snag your hand if the pen rotates while you’re writing. If you don’t tend to rotate your pen, this may not be an issue, but I’ll also add that my pen is a review sample so the finished product may differ as production specs are finalized.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

As with the other Wingback products I have reviewed, I found the quality to be top notch, and fans of machined mechanical pencils and pens will want to check out the Kickstarter page for full details. With two weeks to go at the time of writing, the Journeyman already has received nearly $100,000 in pledges (blowing past its funding goal of $2000), and Wingback has a track record on Kickstarter, so while Kickstarter projects are never guaranteed, there’s no doubt in my mind that the project will deliver. Current estimates have the Journeyman pens arriving in March 2025. Pledges start at £150 (roughly $195), making it a not-inexpensive purchase, but Wingback has always been known for not skimping on the quality of materials or construction.

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Clockwise from left: Wingback Journeyman, Wingback Mechanical Pen, and Wingback Mechanical Pencil. Check out the patina on the pencil, that’s developed over a couple of years.

If you’d like to read further on other Wingback pens and pencils, you can check out my reviews of the Wingback Mechanical Pencil and Fountain Pen and Mechanical Pen here. Pocket pens are one of my core areas of interest, and I periodically update the site’s “Guide to Top Pocket Pens”, which I also encourage you to visit.

Wingback provided me with the pencil featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases through our own T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Expanding the Pocket Fountain Pen Lineup: A First Look at the Wingback Fountain Pen

Pocket fountain pens are hard to get right. For starters, it’s extremely difficult to design a pocket fountain pen that works for for a broad swath of the market, because once you start reducing the size and weight of the pen to so-called “pocket-sized” you limit the number of people who can use it. On the other hand, if you make a “pocket” fountain pen too big, it may no longer be truly “pocketable.”

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Wingback is a UK-based designer/manufacturer of writing instruments and personal accessories, and I’ve previously reviewed their Mechanical Pencil that won a 2023 Red Dot design award. A hallmark of Wingback’s design is their ability to avoid the pitfalls of so many manufacturers who attempt to work with heavier materials such as brass and stainless steel, by striking a near-perfect balance of width, length, and weight. I now have a full set of the Wingback writing instruments - Mechanical Pencil, Mechanical Pen, and Fountain Pen - and all of them are exceptionally useable in addition to being beautiful design pieces.

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The Wingback Fountain Pen in stainless steel, shown next to the Wingback Mechanical Pen in black stainless steel. Both come with a nice cotton sleeve that you can use for pocket carry. I plan to review the Mechanical Pen in the near future.

The Wingback Fountain Pen, which recently launched on Kickstarter, adopts the cylindrical profile that’s probably familiar to many pocket pen enthusiasts, but in a size that’s somewhat uncommon and, in my opinion, fills a need in the market. For example, I loved the idea of the Kaweco Liliput, but that particular pen ultimately ended up being too small for anything more than quick notes. I’d place the Wingback Fountain Pen between the Liliput and the larger Kaweco Supra size-wise, which could be a sweet spot for those who love this type of design but have had a hard time finding a pocket pen that balances well in their hand.

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The Wingback Fountain Pen adopts a minimal, streamlined design with no branding other than the subtle “Wingback” engraved on the cap. Diamond knurling is perfectly centered on the barrel when the pen is capped, and well-executed in the sense that it’s comfortable to hold this pen for long periods of time. (More on that below.) Finally, both ends of the section feature an o-ring on the threads, which protects the user from any ink leakage and prevents the nib from drying out. Interestingly, Wingback implies that this pen can be eyedroppered, stating that with the o-ring, “you can convert the pen’s chamber within its body into a reservoir for your ink of choice,” and that “we have tested and approved the stainless steel for corrosion resistance to inks, and are currently testing brass and titanium in longer long term trials.” I don’t personally eyedropper metal pens, but I do know people who have done so without incident, and as long as the metal resists corrosion long-term you should be fine. I lump this one under the header of “proceed at your own risk.”

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Three of the four finishes. Sorry, I don’t have an example of the titanium (yet).

The Wingback Fountain Pen is available in four materials/finishes to start: stainless steel (pictured here), brass, tungsten-carbide coated black stainless steel, and titanium. Custom laser engraving of up to 50 characters is also available, if you would like to personalize your pen.

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Nib and Overall Writing Experience

The Wingback Fountain Pen uses a standard Bock 076 stainless steel nib, and the one I received (a fine?) arrived perfectly tuned. According to the Wingback Kickstarter page, five standard nib options will be available, including extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, or double/extra-broad. I would consider the Wingback a pure cartridge pen - while one of the mini converters from Kaweco or Monteverde might fit, those don’t hold much ink and you’re likely better off refilling a standard short international cartridge via syringe if ink choice is important to you.

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The Wingback Fountain Pen measures 95mm unposted / 135mm posted.

Though I personally find them well-balanced, some have remarked that the Wingback Mechanical Pencil and Mechanical Pen are a touch short. The Wingback Fountain Pen is indeed quite short unposted, but offers a workaround since the cap posts, much like the Schon DSGN Pocket Six or the aforementioned Liliput. While the Wingback Fountain Pen might be just long enough to jot quick notes unposted, longer writing sessions will probably require posting the cap unless you have very small hands.

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I’ve been using the Wingback Fountain Pen for the past two weeks, and haven’t experienced any of the hand fatigue that sometimes comes with machined metal pens of this weight. The knurled grip eliminates any slippage, while remaining subtle enough not to hurt your fingers. This pen will stay in my pocket pen rotation, and I’m considering whether to back the Kickstarter for a Black Steel or Titanium version.

Read More on Pocket Writing at T.G.S.

I jumped at the chance to review this pen because pocket pens (and pocket fountain pens) are what I consider to be one of the last categories where there is a lot of room for innovation. As fountain pens become more mainstream, enthusiasts want to be able to carry their writing instrument of choice everywhere they go, which has led to an explosion of more compact, pocket-sized options over the years. I periodically update the site’s “Guide to Top Pocket Pens”, and once the Wingback Fountain Pen is released, I see a clear path to that pen being prominently featured on that list.

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The Wingback Fountain Pen shown with, from left, the Schon DSGN Pocket 6, TWSBI Mini in White + Rose Gold, the Kaweco AL Sport in Red, the Kaweco Supra in Stainless Steel, and the Schon DSGN Full-Sized Metal Fountain Pen.

Details on How to Get the Wingback Fountain Pen

As of the date of publication of this post (September 16, 2023), you have 19 days remaining to back the Wingback Fountain Pen on Kickstarter. While pledges are listed in £, they start at around $120 (which may fluctuate a bit due to the exchange rate). Wingback estimates that this will represent a 25% discount off the eventual retail price, which seems about right since both the standard versions of the Mechanical Pencil and the Mechanical Pen currently retail for around $158 USD.

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Yes, for those of you who will ask, the Wingback Fountain Pen does fit in the Plotter Pen Holder!

Wingback is a company with a long track record of successful Kickstarters, so I have no concern about backing this one, but anyone considering backing a crowdfunded a project should of course be aware that Kickstarter offers no guarantee of timely delivery (or of any delivery, for that matter). Projects do hit delays, and by funding a project you are supporting the project itself, as opposed to “purchasing” a unit. That said, this project already has raised nearly $78,000 of its $2,500 funding goal, so I wouldn’t anticipate any issues here.

Disclaimer: Wingback sent me the Wingback Fountain Pen pictured here for review purposes, free of charge. T.G.S. has not otherwise been compensated for this review and is not being paid for referrals or advertising. T.G.S. is supported financially via purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Pencil Review: Wingback Mechanical Pencil in Brass

Like their machined pen counterparts, machined mechanical pencils have grown in popularity over the past five years or so, with many of these brands vying for top billing in the “buy it once/use it forever” category. People get emotionally attached to their mechanical pencils, possibly more so than any other tool or stationery item, and it’s not uncommon to find people still using the same drafting pencil they purchased in high school or college twenty or thirty years later. If you’re looking for such a workhorse, why not consider a high-quality, machined metal pencil that’s guaranteed for 30 years?

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Wingback is a UK-based company that makes a variety of stationery and lifestyle products, ranging from pens and pencils to hip flasks and leather wallets. The company presents itself as “a 100 year company and antidote to disposable culture,” offering a 30-day return period and a 30-year guarantee on all of its products. After a month or so of experiencing the Wingback Mechanical Pencil, I can easily see it lasting that long (or more likely, even longer).

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All of Wingback’s writing instruments - there’s also a pen - are machined from brass or stainless steel. The pencil has a shorter length and wider diameter than your typical drafting pencil, which helps significantly with balance. If there’s one drawback to a machined metal mechanical pencil, it’s weight, and a combination of weight and length can throw off the balance for some users, leading to hand fatigue and even more frequent lead breakage. Though shorter than I’m used to, the Wingback rests perfectly in the web of my hand. The subtle knurling on the barrel offers excellent grip and control without sacrificing comfort, though knurling is always a matter of personal preference.

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I opted for the .7mm. With a heavier pencil, I sometimes find that .5mm leads tend to break more frequently, especially at the softer B and 2B hardnesses.

Clearly, the Wingback Mechanical Pencil has been designed and created as an all-day, everyday writing instrument. (In other words, what I’d call a workhorse.) Though it’s a bit more complex to refill than the average mechanical pencil, the Wingback holds a massive number of leads inside the metal barrel. Wingback pegs this number at 40, and I haven’t done an official test, but I was easily able to fit an entire pack of Pentel 2B leads, which will take me at least a year to use up. The pencil features a retractable pipe, making it suitable for pocket carry. One drawback, however, is the lack of an integrated eraser. That’s not an issue for me, since I rarely use mechanical pencil erasers in favor of better stand-alone options, but those who don’t want to carry a separate eraser should be aware.

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The Wingback Mechanical Pencil is machined in England, with the internal pencil mechanism made in Japan. The pencil is capable of holding an absolutely massive number of pencil leads inside the barrel, so you should rarely have to refill.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you appreciate the look and durability of a machined mechanical pencil, but worry that many of the models currently on the market are too heavy or unbalanced for your hand, you should consider the Wingback Mechanical Pencil. Personally, I love the “buy it once” philosophy Wingback espouses, and I especially appreciate the large lead capacity and retractable pipe, which lands this pencil squarely within “portable workhorse” territory. If you’re the type of person who loves to have a single pen or pencil in your bag, at hand and always ready, you can opt for the Wingback Mechanical Pencil without any concern over whether it will be ready to go.

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The Wingback Mechanical Pencil, second from left, shown here alongside the Rotring 600, Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil, and Rotring 800.

You can purchase the Wingback Mechanical Pencil directly from Wingback, starting at £95.00 in either the brass shown here or stainless steel. Wingback has also started to offer special finishes, including a “Black Steel” version that’s now sold out, as well as an artist collaboration with cartography studio Lást Maps. Given the quality of the work and the fact that I would expect this product to last for many years, I consider Wingback’s pricing more than fair, and even a good value. If you’re in the market for a machined pen or pencil, I would highly encourage you to check out their offerings.

Wingback provided me with the pencil featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review. This post does not contain affiliate links, and all opinions expressed herein are my own.