This is another eBay purchase. I found this pen for a mere $2.60USD. I ordered the blue anodized demonstrator version. It is available in many other colors. Prices on this pen flucuates, $2.60 is the lowest price I could find, with $15 or so at the highest. After ordering I waited about 3 weeks for it to arrive from China.

It arrived in a thin plastic envelope. INside it was swaddled with copious amounts of bubble wrap. A single cut to the packing tape and it unfurled. Inside the pen was safe.

Immediately I uncapped the pen and checked out the nib and feed. I washed the pen out with clear warm water. I then inked it with De Atrementis Deepwater Black. My intent was to use this pen at work for a week or so before posting my review. (Good news: I did.)

The piston mechanism clicks into place and clicks as you start to use the mechanism, then it slides smoothly down the barrel. The pen sucks up the ink with ease. It seems to hold 2ml of ink. I did not do any rigorous testing on this, just looking at the sample container I used to hold the ink as I filled.

The nib itself is silky smooth and feels great on all the paper I used it on. I did test this extensively at work. This means I’ve tested it on all the crappy paper at work as well as Story Supply Co Morning, HP LaserJet 24lb, Staples Sustainable Harvest, Staples 20lb office copy paper, and Baron Fig Confidant paper. The pen felt smooth and perfect on all paper. The only paper that it had any drag on was the colored paper we use for particular assessments. It’s made for Staples but it is rough even with gel pens. It is terrible paper. This pen performed as well as could be expected on such an awful paper.

The cap can be posted but sticks quite tightly to the silver ring that holds the piston in place. Pulling on the cap pulls on this ring, which also seems to remove the blind cap. Dangerous. The clip is well proportioned to the cap and very sturdy. It holds to my shirt with ease. I quite enjoy the elongated coffin shape of the clip.

I was shocked at the performance of this pen. I had very low expectations given that I ordered a $2.60 piston filling fountain pen. I’d read great reviews but didn’t know if they were realistic. They were.

This is a great pen, for $2.60 you can’t beat the performance and the look. The fact that with very little work- in screwing a few bits here and there, you can disassemble the pen to its parts means you can completely clean any ink stuck inside. This also means it is a good candidate for sketching.

This is another pen design that is clearly influenced by a couple of companies- the body and look by TWSBI Diamond AL series. The nib and feed by Lamy. The end reminds me of the Pilot Prera. It takes all the elements that I like about a lot of pens and mashes them together in something that doesn’t quite makes sense but does. Overall it works for me but it leaves me scratching my head.