Tuesday, March 3, 2020

QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL

QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
2019 was maybe not the best year for Namisu. With a bad taste of the Ixion project still lingering (all in all not a bad product, but the campaign was plagued by communication issues and delays), their 2019 Kickstarter pen -Stratos- didn't catch on. And a mechanical watch campaign met the same fate, before completely vanishing into thin air (unfortunately so, because both the pen and watch looked cool!). Luckily, Adrian and Maria didn't give up just yet, and 2020 brought us a new Kickstarter pen from the UK-based design studio: the Namisu Naos

This is a quick look post, and so let's try to keep it short: I like the Namisu Naos... I REALLY like the Namisu Naos! Of course, I'm a sucker for anything remotely minimal in design, and made out of metal, so don't just take my word for it.
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
One could argue that the Naos is just a rehash of the Ixion. True, the Ixion has a faceted (decagonal) cap and round barrel, where the Naos has a round cap and faceted (octagonal) barrel. But in any other way, the Naos looks and feels like a more mature and refined pen, that fits better in the Namisu design language.
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
All machined edges and facets of the Naos are crisp and clean. Perhaps the only gripe I have is that some edges can be a bit TOO crisp and would benefit from being ever-so-slightly rounded off to feel a bit easier on the fingers. The crispness does add to the minimal design though, which together with the non-tapered overall shape of the pen, makes the Naos feel a lot more modern than the Ixion.
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
The Naos shares some of its design elements with the Ixion (in the middle).
A small detail that makes its return from the Ixion, is the finial inlay on the back of the barrel. The ones on the Naos are completely flat, with a chamfered edge (as opposed to being slightly domed). The cap finial is completely flat, and the sides are lightly knurled so you can easily unscrew it to add or remove the optional (unfortunately a 10$ add-on) brushed stainless steel clip. The clip is very sturdy (read: not super-easy to use) and perfectly complements the design of the pen. Every small design element and detail is crisp and refined and makes for a very clean-looking pen.
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
L to R: Ensso Piuma, Namisu Nova, Namisu Ixion, Namisu Naos, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000
One of the reasons why I really like the Naos is its size. In case you didn't notice, the Naos is a fairly large pen. At 14,3 cm (5.63") closed, and 13.4 cm (5.27") uncapped, it's no small pen. The straight shape (1.36 cm/ 0.53" in diameter) adds to its sizeable appearance. In the hand, you'll notice the block threads, which are a bit sharp (especially on the titanium pen), but the section is decently sized and the slightly flared-out shape towards the nib helps prevent your fingers from slipping off.
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
The barrel of the titanium pen received a sandblasted finish, on the bronze pen it is brushed diagonally to contrast the brushed finish of the cap and section.
There are three metal options to choose from, and each has a distinct finish and weight. Interestingly, not the aluminum, but the titanium pen is the lightest option this time, at a -still respectable- 40g total. The anodized aluminum (black, green or blue) comes in at 48g, and that's because the cap, section and finials are stainless steel (so really, only the barrel is actually aluminum). The heavyweight (80g!) is not made out of brass (an alloy of copper and zinc), but the more uncommon bronze (copper and tin), which has a distinctly more coppery-pink color. I like heavy pens, and I certainly like an uncommon material, so for me the winner is bronze, but be warned of the weight!
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
One of the "selling points" of the Naos is the interchangeable rollerball section. You can choose which one comes stock with the pen (fountain pen or rollerball), and additional sections can be bought (a 13$ add-on) so you can switch between the two writing modes. I suppose that's quite neat, but in the grand scheme of things, it's mostly useful if you like the design but prefer a rollerball over the standard fountain pen option. I don't see myself switching it out often (or at all) afterward, especially because it's not just something you can do on the go.

(PS: the rollerball version comes with a Schmidt 5888F refill, which is a classic rollerball. Not my favorite, but I suppose it can be 'hacked' to use a gel-based refill.)
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
Since I wanted to keep this post short (I know, I failed miserably, and I'm not even done rambling!), I didn't include a writing sample, but by now you'll probably know what to expect: a stock Bock nib. Love it or hate it, these nibs are a quintessential part of pretty much every metal/minimalist pen you can imagine. I quite like these nibs, and the two Naos samples I was sent, both wrote flawlessly out of the box. The titanium -as always- has a bit of softness, and yes you can get a slight bit of line variation out of it, but please don't take the writing sample on the Kickstarter page as an example... you'll most likely just bend the nib if you try this (titanium doesn't really spring back like gold flex nibs do).
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL
The branding on the barrel is quite extensive, especially for a minimalist brand... but it might change in the production version!
As usual, the Kickstarter campaign offers a chance to get one of these at a very reasonable price point, starting at 50$ for aluminum, 73$ for the bronze, and 90$ for the titanium version. The only pitfall would be the rather pricy add-ons (clip and additional grip sections) that quickly add to the cost. I'm really impressed by the Namisu Naos, it's a close tie with one of my all-time favorites, the Namisu Nova. The design is instantly recognizable as theirs, and yet it doesn't feel like a been-there-done-that rehash of yet another minimal pen.

Most importantly, it seems that Namisu has dealt with one of their biggest weaknesses, which was their rather poor communication. They've been very responsive on the Kickstarter campaign and also in my personal messages with them, it seems like they are on top of things. It's always tricky to write a conclusion on a product that hasn't even hit the market yet, but I have a good feeling about this one and I hope that feeling lasts until I have the final products in hand. In any case, my Kickstarter order is already in, so if you'd like to do the same, head over to their Kickstarter page (within the next three weeks!). They already passed their funding goal with ease, so the project is guaranteed to move forward into production!

This product was lent to me by Namisu 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.
QUICK LOOK: NAMISU NAOS 2-IN-1 FOUNTAIN PEN & ROLLERBALL

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