Tuesday, October 19, 2021

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

I've been lucky enough to be able to follow Ben Walsh quite closely on his journey to get the Gravitas brand off the ground. Chatting and exchanging ideas with him on the regular got me a glimpse of the creative mind behind the brand. Ever since starting Gravitas in 2020, one of Ben's goals was to create a more affordable fountain pen to stand alongside the self-titled 'Gravitas' fountain pen (reviewed HERE) that started the brand. A more accessible option into the Gravitas brand (and an entry point into fountain pens, in general), while still being able to live up to the highest quality standards. 

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

The Gravitas 'Entry' fountain pen is all those things - but it would be a mistake to call it an entry-level pen! Because that, it most certainly is not! Instead, the Entry manages to offer an incredible bang for the buck, a design that's easy on the eyes, and a lot of thoughtful design details I've come to expect from Ben's creations. 

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

In the looks department, the sleek and nimble Entry is quite a departure from the chunky, ultra-minimal, torpedo-shaped Gravitas FP. The looks of the Entry are a bit more easily digestible, and perhaps even more traditional, which will undoubtedly make it appeal to a wider audience. It has a flat top design with rather sharp pointed finials on both ends (not that you could cut yourself on it, but they sure are pointy!). The cap has a slightly bulbous shape and is relatively short in comparison to the long and gently tapered barrel. The elegant, streamlined shape gives it somewhat of a brush pen vibe. 

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

As for now, the Entry is available in a myriad of anodized colors on an aluminum basis. I chose the Olive grey colorway, which is a beautiful dark and muted green. If you want a bit more pop, look into the Gravitas signature 'Skittle' rainbow finish. The pen is bead blasted before being sent off to the anodizer, which creates a very smooth and satiny finish that I find very pleasant to the touch.

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN
REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN
L to R: Karas Pen Co Ink, Namisu Nova, Ensso Piuma, Gravitas Gravitas FP, Gravitas Entry, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari

The Entry appears smaller but isn't. With a closed length of 14.5 cm (5.71"), it isn't all that much shorter than the oversized Gravitas FP. Uncapped, the Entry retains most of its length (13.8 cm/ 5.43"). Especially the narrower section (down to 9.8 mm/ 0.39" at the thinnest part of the taper) may trick you into thinking you're holding a much smaller pen. So if you prefer slightly thinner pens, the Entry has a high chance of appealing to you. At 31 grams, the Entry strikes a good balance between being nimble, yet offering just enough heft to let you know you're holding a solid metal pen. 

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN
The smooth and streamlined transition from section to barrel offers a comfortable grip

The skinny tapered barrel of the Entry doesn't allow for the cap to be posted. But a pen this size doesn't really need to be posted anyway if you ask me. The Entry scores very high marks in the comfort department, with its long and gently tapered shape, a long section that transitions smoothly into a set of shallow and non-sharp threads. There's also no step that could interfere with your grip.

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

The stainless steel section deserves some attention here, as it really ties the entire pen together. The black-PVD coating provides a sleek look that pairs well with this anodized 'Grey Olive' colorway. If you're not a fan of metal sections, don't write the Entry off just yet! The section shape is similar to that of the Gravitas FP, but of course narrower. It has a nice gentle taper towards the nib, before flaring out again to catch your grip.

Talking about grip, this metal section is far from slippery! If you look closer, you'll notice the machined line pattern that runs around the entire length of the section. The pattern is very fine and not aggressive on your fingers, yet does an excellent job providing grip. The more dense stainless steel section, in combination with the aluminum barrel, shifts the center of gravity towards the grip section, creating a pen that feels lightweight and balanced in the hand.

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

The original Gravitas FP prototype I reviewed a year ago, came with a steel Bock nib. But in the meantime, Ben switched entirely to JoWo nibs. Since many similar brands (such as Ensso or Namisu) stick to Bock, it's nice to see Gravitas provide some diversity on the market. Along with every pen, a small handwritten test paper is included, implying that every pen passes through a final QC before being shipped out. And indeed, I have only positive things to say about the writing experience! 

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

The medium steel nib on this particular pen wrote beautifully smooth and hassle-free out of the box. Even though in my experience, JoWo tends to offer rather consistent, properly set-up nibs, I still appreciate that Ben takes the time to check each one individually just to be sure. 

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, the Gravitas Entry comes in at a fairly accessible price point of 60€. For that money, you receive a sleek, solid metal pen with a stainless steel PVD-coated section, topped off by a hand-tested JoWo nib. Despite being a full-sized pen, its noticeably slimmer and more streamlined profile will undoubtedly appeal to those that find the Gravitas FP just too big. 

On the flipside, the rather slim profile of the Entry could also put some people off (it certainly took me some time to get used to!), though Ben also thought of that and designed the 'Gravitas Sentry': a slightly larger version of the Entry pen for those who prefer a more beefy pen, but with the same design cues as the Entry.

This product was sent to me by Gravitas 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 affilate links.

REVIEW: GRAVITAS ENTRY FOUNTAIN PEN

No comments:

Post a Comment