Monday, July 2, 2018

REVIEW: INVENTERY POCKET FOUNTAIN PEN

Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
Inventery Co. I've had a first encounter with them last year when I checked out the Inventery Co. Mechanical Pen. If I had to describe the Mechanical Pen in two words, it would be something along the lines of 'thoughtful design'. It has a simple, minimal design, but is put together with attention to detail in the right places (such as the flat side that acts as a roll stopper.

But apparently we haven't seen anything yet. With the new Pocket Fountain Pen, Inventery Co. takes that thoughtfulness one step further. 
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
The Pocket Fountain Pen is not just...a pen, it's a modular writing system that you can fully customize to your personal preferences or depending on the situation. On top of that, Inventery Co. manages to present all that in a delightfully clean and minimal way. 
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
But I realise this may sound more like an advertisement than a review, so what are we really looking at? The Pocket fountain pen is -as the name suggests- a pocket fountain pen in the purest form. It's a very compact, straight cylindrical design that -just like the Mechanical pen- has very little design elements that actually set it apart. It comes standard as a clipped fountain pen, but in the box you'll also find three replacement finials: one clipless, one styles-tipped, and one with a lanyard attachment. 
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
The clip finial is my personal favourite. It completes the design with a sleek touch of functionality. The clip follows the rest of the design aesthetic in that it's a very minimal piece of bent steel. In profile, the clip looks worthless: it doesn't sit tight against the cap, so it won't stay put if you clip it to something thin. But inside a pen case, jeans pocket, or on the cover of a notebook, it does the job quite well.
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
The next item you'll find in the really tiny packaging (REALLY tiny) is a replacement Schmidt cartridge-rollerball tip. You see, this is not just a pocket fountain pen, it's also a pocket ink rollerball -or whatever you would call this-, but more on that later. 
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
The final piece in the box is exclusively available for the more expensive package: an extender tube. This additional piece of connects almost seamlessly between the section and barrel, and allows the pocket pen to transform into an -almost- full sized pen by adding almost an inch in length. 
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
cap posted, no extender
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
extender, without the cap posted
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
L to R: Kaweco Lilliput, Kaweco Supra, Kaweco Al Sport, Inventery Co. Pocket Fountain pen, Inventery Co. Pocket Fountain Pen + Extender, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000
Depending on whether or not the extender tube is used, the Pocket Fountain Pen measures 10 cm (3.94") or 12.8 cm (5.04") closed, so either way it's a compact pen. Without the cap, the Pocket Fountain Pen + Extender measures just 12 cm (4.7"), but I tend to hold it close towards the nib so it fits my hand quite nicely. 

Posting the cap is kind of a necessity the extender, and brings the total length up to 13.5 cm (5.3"). With both the extender and the cap posted, it gets quite long (16 cm/ 6.3"). It has a constant diameter of just 1cm across the entire length of the pen. That's quite slim, especially because it narrows down to 8-8.5 mm at the section. I'm not normally used to thin and compact pens like this, so it required some getting used to.
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
Since all three pens are brass (just finished differently), they all weigh the same. But of course the total weight changes depending on the way you choose to use the Pocket pen. Without the extender it's a solid 31g total, and the extender adds another 8g to that.

Of course all these measurements are only approximate, since the different finial options will slightly change the weight and length. 
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
Go with what suits you best!
I prefer using it unposted and with the extender in place, even though that kind of defeats the purpose of having a pocket pen. I'm not the kind of person that regularly pocket carries his pen, but that's the beauty of this pen: you can use it however you see fit! Inventery Co. isn't immediately the most affordable brand in town, but you can expect to get quality in return. The Pocket Fountain Pen is no different: everything from the detailed packaging, the crisp and nicely bevelled threads or the overall impeccable fit and finish, show that this design was thoroughly thought out.
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
Slightly ostentatious packaging for some cartridges...
One downside I could find, is the plastic liner inside the cap and extender piece. Given that it's a pocket pen, I would've liked to see the entire thing made out of metal (especially the threads) for extra durability. Another downside -inherent to pocket pens- is that the converter only fits with the extender in place. If you want the freedom to regularly switch between pocket and full-sized, you should stick with short international cartridges (which are easier on the go anyway). 
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
I realise I haven't talked about the leather pen sleeves yet. Inventery also sent their three leather pen sleeves along to take a look at. They come in three sizes to fit the Pocket Fountain Pen, the Mechanical Pen, or the Pocket Fountain Pen + Extender. They match the Inventery pens with a small metal emblem on the back.
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
L to R: Pocket Fountain Pen, Mechanical Pen and Pocket Fountain Pen + Extender
The concept is nice, but they cost between 30$ and 40$ depending on the size... I simply don't think they're worth that kind of money. The leather is thin, the fit and finish is nothing out of the ordinary, and the fit is extremely snug (all three pens will stick out a bit from the top, so not the most ideal protection).
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
As for the nib, Inventery Co. opted for Schmidt for both the fountain pen nibs and cartridge-rollerball parts. For the nib, you can choose between F and EF widths in either black, gold-plated or steel. I received only fine nibs, which are a very balanced option for a pocket fountain pen (they run on the slightly wider side). I have to say, for #5 nibs I prefer Schmidt over Bock. These are solid writers, hard as a nail but ample smooth. The ink flow isn't the most consistent ever, but it never hesitated. It writes from the first letter to the last, no hard starts or skips. Design-wise, Schmidt nibs aren't immediately the most modern or minimal-looking ever, so I would've preferred if they had left the nib face blank or at least less adorned.
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
The cartridge-rollerball is designated as 0.5mm, and lays down a crisp line that is comparable in width to the F nib. The cool thing is that the cartridge-rollerball utilizes the same cartridges/converter as the fountain pen, so you can use your favorite fountain pen ink with it. I found it a tad bit scratchy for my personal preference, but it's nice anyway that you have the option to change.
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen
The Inventery Co. Pocket Fountain Pen has a lot to offer, and the multitude of exchangeable parts ensures that you will almost certainly find a setup that suits you best. Inventery is a design brand pur sang, and unfortunately design never comes cheap. Having to machine so so many different parts (8 in total, without the nib and converter!) inevitably adds to the cost as well. The Pocket Fountain Pen comes in at 135$, and the set with extender is 30$ more at a total of 165$. I would be lying if I said that's not a lot of money. But I don't think it's entirely unreasonable, given the great multifunctional concept and excellent execution.


This product was sent to me by Inventery Co., so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.
Review: Inventery Pocket fountain pen

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