BARON FIG SQUIRE ROLLERBALL PEN REVIEW

"THE PEN IS A MIGHTY SWORD" - Baron Fig

Baron Fig's Squire (aptly named for the above quote), was the product with which they showed 'look world, we can do much more than notebooks!'. And indeed, just a year (maybe two) later, they've expanded their minimalist, modern product line up to what is now an impressive collection of products to write with, to write on, and the paraphernalia associated with those two things. 

But of course an immense product line wouldn't mean a thing if the products are no good, so let's find out if the Squire rollerball can live up to their reputation....

First of all, let me express my fondness for minimal design. I'm probably repeating myself, but I can't stress this enough because of course my opinions reflect my own opinion and preferences, as I explained in THIS POST. So now that that is out of the way: Baron Fig really did create a brilliant minimalist pen. I won't say it's perfect, but the shape, the size, the details (or the lack thereof),... I'm impressed.

First of all, the looks. What can I say? Baron Fig knows their stuff when it comes to making sexy, sleek-looking products! All the way from the simple cardboard tube packaging, down to the little sword logo that represents the Squire product line, every detail in the design is pretty close to perfection. The design, that tapers down from the section towards the rounded-off twist knob is easy on the eyes, and has an almost organic feel to it. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just looks  and feels balanced.

L to R: Kaweco Skyline Sport pen, Karaskustoms EDK, Karaskustoms Retrakt, Baron Fig Squire, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

I'd call the Squire small, but that's not entirely correct. Indeed, when placed next to a fountain pen (as you can see above), it does look rather small. Even next to some other ballpoint/rollerball alternatives, such as the KarasKustoms Retrakt, it's on the smaller side of things. But especially the comparison with a capped fountain pen is quite deceptive because the Squire, with the refill extended, stands just a little taller than the Lamy Safari or Lamy 2000 uncapped!

With a length of 12.8 cm (5", tip retracted), and a width of 1 cm (0.4") at the widest part around where you grip it, this is not a particularly small pen in the hand, but it's also not too big if you want to carry it around in your pocket.

It's a pretty comfortable pen in the hand. As I said sizewise, it's not too small nor too big, the section has a comfortable girth near the tip where I hold it (there's no dedicated grip section so you don't necessarily have to hold it a certain way), and there are no sharp edges or threads that can get in the way. The lack of a dedicated grip section does mean that it can be a bit slippery at times. However I found that the texture of the anodized aluminium surface provides just enough texture to hold on to. I never felt like I was death-gripping the pen. In fact, I've put quite some use in this pen over the last couple weeks, and writing with it always felt balanced and comfortable.

People often say designing a minimal pen is the easy way of doing things, but I actually think it's the opposite way around. What you see is what you get. There aren't that many details, so naturally even the tiniest imperfection will stand out so much more. Machining is flawless, you can barely notice the lines from the CNC lathe, and the anodized finish (shown here is the Charcoal grey version) is smooth and even. 

Mind the gap

So far so good. I really like the Squire, but that doesn't mean it's entirely perfect. The one flaw I could find was a small gap between the barrel and twist knob. It seems like a small detail, but as I said even small details stands out on a minimalist pen like this. I assume the twist knob is press-fit to the mechanism, because I could actually get it to fit a little better with a firm push, but it still has a tiny bit of lateral play to it. 

Another detail that I would've liked to see differently -not necessarily a flaw but more a matter of personal opinion- is the engraving on the barrel. It says 'BARON FIG' on one side, and has the minimal sword logo on the opposite side. It looks clean, but in true minimal style I would've left one of the two off. Maybe just the sword logo would've looked even cleaner than it already does, but it's definitely not a deal breaker.

It seems that the Schmidt P8126 cap-less rollerball refill has pretty much become the industry standard for many pen manufacturers. And with good reason, Schmidt sure knows how to make a great refill! The fine (0.6mm) point is smooth and free-flowing, and it lays down a clean, consistent black line without stuttering. The P8126 is the same size as a Parker G2 refill (not to be confused with Pilot's G2 refills), so it can be interchanged with a wide variety of other refills.

The Baron Fig Squire retails for 55 USD, and is only available through the Baron Fig website. 55 seems to be around the average for luxury rollerball pens these days, it's not dirt-cheap but you get a quality pen for the price and the minimal design is top notch. Worth mentioning are the seasonal limited editions that Baron Fig also offers. There have been two limited editions so far, and they both sold out in no time, definitely worth looking into!

Note: This product was sent to me by Baron Fig, free of charge, 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.

YSTUDIO PORTABLE FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

Ystudio only very recently hit the fountain pen market, but they sure made quite an entry! Especially on Instagram their two new fountain pens -simply called the 'portable' and 'desk' fountain pens- have been hot items amongst some of the biggest influencers in the community (Brad from Penaddict, Catharine Mi-Sook, and Azizah from Gourmetpens to name a few). Needless to say I was quite eager to give it a try for myself, so I was very happy when Amsterdam-based design store Kohezi contacted me to see if I was interested in trying one out as well! 

There's often a discussion about new brands and products not being innovative enough, that there's a lack of 'exciting' products....Well, if this pen from Ystudio can't prove the opposite, I think I'm out of arguments.

The Ystudio portable fountain pen perfectly illustrates why I have been quite 'into' designer pen brands recently. There seems to have been a surge of new small pen brands popping everywhere, which I think has a lot to do with crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter. Platforms like this offer the opportunity to designers and creative individuals to step into the world of (fountain) pens. These design brands offer a creative and fresh look at the products we use everyday. Ystudio happens to be a 'traditional' brand that didn't take the crowdfunding route, but they still fit that category of 'young and fresh' perfectly. They offer a product that is different, something people instantly notice and recognize.

Incredible packaging for a pen in this price range!

The pen itself, called the 'portable classic', is a smaller pen with a hex profile. Ystudio describes itself as a design studio that tries to capture and honor the traditional Eastern culture, and I think they succeed quite well at doing so. The pen could be described as minimal, but at the same time it appears vintage and rustic. The complete package -together with what could be the most elaborate packaging I've ever seen on a pen in this price range- shows a clean aesthetic but retains a very obvious traditional and 'vintage' vibe. 

I might sound a bit poetic, but that's really how this pen makes me feel. It has character, and it's made to develop even more character over time. There are two versions of the Portable available, 'Classic' which is this raw copper version pictured here, and 'Brassing' which is a brass version covered in black laquer. They will both change over time, the black laquer on the Brassing will slowly wear off (or can be sanded off with the included sandpaper), the copper version will develop a beautiful patina over time. 

The name of the pen says it all, the Portable is made to be, well... portable! It comes with a wooden storage tube that holds the pen. The top of the cap is pinched and has a hole that allows it to be attached to one of two included leather strings. Put all these things together, and you can attach the Ystudio Portable to a backpack or purse, while keeping it protected inside the wooden tube. 

My opinion about this system is quite divided. On one side I think it's unique and ingenious, cleverly designed as well. But on the other side I find it a bit bothersome. I don't feel like hanging the pen inside its' wooden case somewhere where you risk it banging into everything (I don't think the wooden case would hold up very well to that kind of abuse), and it sounds a bit risky to hang a 140$ pen on the outside of a backpack, ready to get lost. I appreciate the effort they put into designing this system, and I'm certain it'll offer functionality for some, just not for me I'm afraid.

L to R: Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari, Ystudio portable, Namisu Orion, Namisu X-01

But so far for the negative side, because the pen itself is totally my kind of thing. It measures 13.8cm closed (5.4'') and 11.9cm (4.7'') without the cap. The barrel and cap have a diameter of 1.2cm (0.46''), but the section is considerably narrower (8mm/0.31'' on average). All around, the Ystudio Portable is a noticeably smaller pen. On top of that, the lack of taper in the design makes it impossible to post the cap, so size will be an important detail to consider. I found the narrow section to draw my grip forward towards the nib, which helped keep the size manageable, but if you persistently grip it higher up the barrel, you'll notice it's quite short.

The copper construction adds noticeable heft to this small pen (around 72g total), without making it feel overly heavy. I was afraid the section would prove too narrow to be comfortable, but it's actually not that bad. It required some time for me to get used to it because I usually tend to lean towards larger pens, but found it quite pleasant to use, even for longer writing sessions. If you prefer a larger pen, the Ystudio Desk pen might be ideal for you, but the trade-off is of course portability. 

The Portable comes with a smaller #5 steel nib, made by Shmidt. While Shmidt converters are practically an industry standard, their nibs are actually not that common to come by. Designwise I personally prefer Bock nibs over this. It's a standard-looking nib with the usual classic flourishes (something less cluttery might've looked better on a clean, minimal pen like this). Performance-wise I have nothing to complain about. The medium nib is stiff as a nail but runs true to size and lays down a consistent, juicy line. I never had any issues with hard starts or skipping.

Quite a narrow section, but surprisingly comfortable

For a first venture into fountain pens, I think Ystudio did a pretty great job. You get a product with a unique design and concept, and the complete package is well-made with an eye for detail. That's the least you should expect, because at 140EUR for the Portable fountain pen, and 160EUR for the Desk version, they don't exactly come cheap. Availability also depends on where you live, as they seem to mostly be available in Europe through Kohezi and a few other pen stores online.

Note: This product was sent to me by Kohezi, free of charge, 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.

NAMISU X-01 PEN REVIEW

Around the same time when I reviewed the Nova fountain pen in the ebonite finish, Namisu came up with a new pen project: the X-01. It's their fourth kickstarter already, and the second rollerball/ballpoint (The previous one being the Nova rollerball). 

L to R: Namisu Nova Brass, X-01 Brass, Orion Copper

The design of the X-01 is largely inspired by the Namisu Orion, but obviously now in a ballpoint pen shape. It may have lost some of that clean design that the Orion and Nova had, but they still did a pretty great job of keeping everything simple and straightforward. 

If I have to be really picky on the design, there's just one small detail that I'm not a huge fan of: the machined lines on the twist knob. I think it would've looked better without the machining, and I don't feel like it adds much practical value either. The twist mechanism works so smooth and effortless that you don't need the extra grip these lines provide.

Here you can clearly see how it develops patina after just a few days of carry, the barrel and twist knob were polished

I was sent a prototype version of the brass X-01. Apart from brass, you can also choose for aluminium or Titanium. I like brass, it's a neat material that feels hefty and solid, and it gets some really neat patina after a while. It also makes your hands smell like pennies, which is something I personally quite like, although it could also be a downside for some people.

The brass version is the heaviest of the three, and weighs in at a little over 70 grams. That's some serious heffor a pen, and I'm pretty sure a lot of people would probably find it too heavy. I personally like heavier pens, but even I sometimes found it fatiguing to write with for longer periods. In their kickstarter campaign, they recommend the brass version for short notes or signatures, whereas the other versions are more suited for longer writing sessions.

If you want to play safe, the lighter aluminium (27g) and titanium (41g) versions are definitely the better choice. The brass version has some unique properties, but it's either hit or miss depending on your personal taste.

L to R: KarasKustoms Retrakt, Namisu X-01, Namisu Orion, Lamy 2000 pen, Lamy Safari

Measuring in at 13.2cm (5.2in), the X-01 hits a sweet spot of being compact enough for pocket carry, yet remains long enough to be held comfortably. The machined ridges around the section make for a very tactile experience, and provide decent grip to an otherwise slick pen. The ridges are quite deep which makes them noticeable in the hand, but the edges are bevelled so they don't dig into your fingers as much as I initially feared they would.

The X-01 has the potential of being a great pocket-carry, EDC pen. However, in true Namisu style, you'll have to do without a pocket clip. While that means it won't interfere with how you hold your pen, it also limits the ways you can carry it with you. Other than that it's a pen that's made to be used. The parts are all solid metal, and everything fits together perfectly. Just by looking at it, and holding it in your hand, you can feel that this is the kind of pen that can handle years of intense use without breaking a sweat.

The twist action mechanism is custom machined for this pen, and the knob and mechanism are all just one piece which is quite a neat bit of engineering. One remark is that the mechanism has a ridiculous amount of travel to fully retract or extend the refill (two and a half turns!), but the people from Namisu pointed out that this will be improved in the final production version.  

As for the refill, the X-01 comes standard with a Schmidt P8126 rollerball ready to go. Schmidt refills are definitely a good way to go, so no complaints there. An added benefit is that normal parker-style refills also fit, so you have quite a wide variety of options to go with.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of minimal design, so the X-01 is off to a good start there (at least in my book), but it also turned out to be quite a functional pen that I reached for more often than I thought I would. It's a cool, rock-solid pen, that I think would definitely be suited for EDC.

The kickstarter campaign for the X-01 (that you can find HERE) is almost over, with just three days left on the clock. So if you're interested, there's no time to waste! Prices are very reasonable, starting at 35 GBP (44 USD) for the aluminium version, 46 GBP (58 USD) for the brass, and 69 GBP (86 USD) for the titanium version. Of course those will go up a bit after the Kickstarter, but their pricing is generally very sharp (especially considering the quality you get) so I expect that the price for the X-01 will remain competitive in the future as well.

Note: This product was sent to me by Namisu, free of charge, 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.

AURORA OPTIMA MONVISO 360 FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

Since the demise of Omas, another Italian brand took over the 'hip and trendy' status Omas had at the time when they went into administration. People raved about Omas, and now they rave about Aurora. Let's just hope they don't go down the same road...

The Aurora pen company has been around since 1919, an impressive feat on itself. The Optima, a smaller pen with a distinctive flattop design, was introduced in 1930, and has been one of the flagship pens for the brand ever since, along with the Ottantotto (similar design, but with rounded finials).

Part of the charm and attire of their pens comes from the fact that they make every part in-house, down to even the gold nibs! Only a couple brands still do that today, so for that alone they are quite unique!

What's also unique are the custom materials they use for most of their pens: Auroloide, a more modern kind of celluloid that is supposed to be more stable (If you saw Inglorious Bastards, those film reels burning vigorously: ... Celluloid!).

The pen I have in front of me today is the Aurora Optima Monviso 360, a limited edition (almost sold out at the moment, so yes I'm terribly late with this review!) of 360 pens, dedicated to the Monviso mountain in the Italian Alps. The standard version of this pen comes in a variety of Auroloide colors (all equally beautiful), but for this limited edition they went with a subtle black and white flecked auroloide.

In the recent years I've changed my opinion about colorful pens quite drastically, though when I have the choice I'll still go for more subtle materials. In this case, the strong contrast between deep black and pearl white flecks offers a stylish, business-like appearance, yet it's much more appealing than 'just another black pen'. Together with the wide, greek-key engraved, center band, and the subtly curved clip, the Monviso makes for a sleek pen that doesn't scream for attention, yet with just enough visual interest to keep it from being boring.

Limited to only 360 pieces worldwide, the few that still remain probably won't last long!

Worth noting is the exceptionally precision with which each piece is made and assembled. I can usually find at least one flaw on a new pen, but in this case that has yet to be the case. It's dangerous to call something perfect, but this definitely comes close.

The Optima is a fairly small pen at 12.7cm (roughly 5 In) closed, and  12.3cm uncapped. For a short and stubby pen, it has quite a decent width, which makes up for the shorter length. It's a really comfortable pen to use because of the long and tapered section, and the lack of any sharp edges or threads to distract from the writing experience.

L to R: Pelikan M400, Pelikan M805, Aurora Monviso, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari.

A small, but clever detail that perfectly shows Aurora's expertise, is the filling system: its a normal piston-filler on first sight, with a large, clear ink window behind the section. But when you start running low on ink, the ink stops flowing. At that point you have to unscrew the piston, which acts as a step up to allow the remaining bit of ink to flow. It may sound useless, but when you look at the pen and notice the loose piston knob, you'll know it's time for a refill. Clever!

The nib, as I said, is also completely homemade, and features some scrollwork along with the gold content imprinted in the middle. I would've preferred if they placed the Aurora logo in the middle of the scrollwork, and put the '14k' somewhere else at the bottom, but that's just my two cents.

Aurora is known for their 'feedbacky' nibs, comparable to how most Japanese nibs write. It may take some getting used to, but it provides with a consistent, skip-free writing experience. The flow is balanced slightly on the wet side, and it keeps up flawlessly, in part because of the ebonite feed.

Not everyday you see a red ebonite feed, especially on modern pens!

Regarding nib sizes, Aurora seems to lean more towards Asian style pens, and they tend to run quite a bit finer than most European counterparts. On this specific pen, the 18k broad nib wrote more like a regular medium. That's good news for those that like EF and F nibs, but somewhat dissapointing if you want a wide, juicy writer.

After spending some time with this pen, I definitely understand why these pens have become so popular in the recent years. The craftmanship is immaculate, the design is stylish, and the performance is on par with what you'd expect from a 600 dollar pen. It's a lot of money for a pen (something I keep telling myself everytime), but I think it's safe to say that you get a quality luxury product in return. On top of that, Aurora apparently lowered the prices on the standard collection recently, so the regular Optima colors can be had for around 450 USD (Here  in Europe 550 EUR, which includes VAT).

Note: La Couronne Du Comte is a sponsor of this blog, I received a discount on this purchase, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own! This review does not contain any affilate links.

PELIKAN SOUVERÄN M400 TORTOISE BROWN FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

Pelikan has made quite a few beautiful and interesting special edition pens over the last couple years. But one of them stands out from the rest: the Pelikan Souverän M800 Tortoise brown (2013 special edition). It was by far the most popular release, which shows in the ridiculous price they currently fetch on the second-hand market (upwards of 1000$!).

It just so happens to be that I bought my first Pelikan (an all black M805) at the exact moment that the M800 tortoise was sold. Yet for some stupid reason I decided to get the boring black pen. Worst decision ever now that I look back on it. And so I -along with many other pelikan enthousiasts- have been begging for a re-release ever since.

Sometime early August, Pelikan -out of the blue- announced the M400 Tortoise brown. It took me approximately 5 minutes to contact a pen store to pre-order one. Needless to say, I wouldn't miss out on it again!

I've reviewed a bunch of Pelikan products here over the past couple years, but the only Souverän model I hadn't tried out yet is the M400 size. Because all the Souverän pens are generally quite comparable, I'll try to stick to the differences between other models in this post. If you want to read more about Pelikan pens, go check out my other Pelikan Reviews.

Let's begin with the absolutely gorgeous Tortoise Brown material, the star of the show. Just like the green/red/blue striped colorways, the tortoise consists of a striped resin barrel. What makes it so special is the color variation and chatoyance this material offers. The brown-orange-silver-black streaks are mesmerizing to look at, and it has a warm orange glow when the light hits it just right. The color of the barrel is accentuated by gold-plated hardware, and a dark brown resin, that appears almost black, for the cap, section and piston knob (same as on the M800 Burnt Orange).

The Souverän series uses a pretty clever (yet sometimes confusing) number system to indicate the different models and finishes. It starts with the M300, the smallest fountain pen, and it goes up to the M1000, the 'flagship' oversized version of that same fountain pen. One up from the M300, which is a true pocket pen, you'll find the M400. The fact that it's only slightly bigger made me wonder if it's big enough to be comfortable in use. After all, we're not talking about a cheap pen, so it should be comfortable to use.

But in practice there isn't much to complain about sizewise. The M400 is a considerable step up from the M300. It's still a smaller than average pen when closed, but uncapped it measures in at 12.2cm, only a few mm shorter than the lamy 2000 for example. I can easily get away with it unposted (and if necessary, the cap can be posted securely).

For me personally, the width of the M400 poses a more noticeable difference than the length. Around the section, it measures in at just over 9mm, which is comparable to a kaweco sport grip section. It's comfortable to hold, and it's by no means a narrow pen, but I do prefer the more beefy M800 grip section as I'm more used to slightly larger pens in general.

In terms of comfort, I can't really complain though, the size is just a matter of preference. Pelikan does a great job with their grip sections. There is no step, only the threads that can possibly get in your way, but even those are in general quite shallow and not very sharp. The section is short, so I automatically hold it a little closer to the nib, which in terms makes the shorter barrel less noticeable. Because every Souverän pen under the M800 size is made with a plastic piston mechanism, it's also noticeably lighter than the bigger models, almost unsubstantial, but in return you get a fatigue-free writing experience.

The other difference with the larger M800 and M1000 -apart from the piston mechanism- is the nib. It sports the same two tone design with the pelikan logo, but it's made from 14k gold instead of 18k. Does that make it any different? In my experience not really. I found it to be a bit softer than the M800 nibs, but any nib apart from the M800 size generally is a bit softer, the M800 is the odd bird in the flock (#pelikanpun)

A special treat for the tortoise brown is that you can get one with the quite-hard-to-find Italic Broad nib, so I obviously went for that one. To my biggest surprise, it was perfectly tuned out of the box (seems like Pelikan upped their QC game in the last couple years?), it's a crisp stub with good line variation. The crispness comes at a price of having a very small sweetspot, meaning you can't rotate the pen or it'll skip and scratch. It may take some practice to hold correctly, but t's a joy to use when you get the hang of it. The flow is on the wet side, as we're used to from Pelikan, but paired with their slightly drier edelstein inks it makes for a balanced match.

Sometimes it's hard to conclude a review, but in this case my recommendation is quite simple: If you're sold on the absolutely stunning Toroise Brown material, you should act fast and get one of these, once they are gone, they are gone (and trust me, these won't stick around long!). Chances are Pelikan will release other models in this finish, but god knows how long that will take (They should really make this part of the permanent Souverän collection!)

Retail price, because this is a smaller model, is actually quite reasonable. In the US they go for 380 USD, here in Europe they retail for 325 EUR (that's still with VAT!), and of course you can get an additional 10% off with the discount codes provided by the blog's sponsors!

Note: Penworld Supports this blog. I received a discount on this purchase, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own. This review does not contain any affilate links.