In the past year or so, Wancher gained a lot of popularity with their new Dream Pen project. This new pen has really put them on the map for an international audience (deservedly so, I must add). But let's not forget Wancher has been around for quite a while, and has a rather extensive product line besides the Dream Pen! One of those 'other pens' is the Crystal, now on its second iteration (there's also a torpedo-shaped version available).
Big thanks to Scrittura Elegante for sending this pen over! They just recently launched their brand new webshop, and started carrying a lot of new brands along with it. So go check them out (link)!
Wancher has a somewhat unusual business model, in that most of their products are actually made by third party manufacturers. This has led to a few 'copycat' products, but also some really cool partnerships between brands (such as sailor, Platinum or Bexley), so there are two sides to the story. The Crystal, is supposedly also a rebranded pen. But so far that's hearsay, as I haven't actually come across another brand carrying it. UPDATE: Reader Javi brought another rebranded version to my attention, sold by the brand Divine Design. It seems to only be available in black, however.
Regardless of who actually makes it, the Crystal is quite an interesting pen. So let's get to it...
The Crystal II has a stately flattop design, and is characterized by a cap, section and blind cap made of flecked acrylic, combined with a crystal clear barrel. The Sapphire blue acrylic is complemented nicely with silver-colored trims, and a very nice springy clip with a rolling ball (one of the most functional clips I've come across in a while!). The barrel is straight and untapered, which accentuates the fact that it is unusually long in comparison to the cap.
The clear barrel is of course the main attraction to the Crystal. The threads that join barrel and section are long and end in a rubber O-ring, so you can safely eyedropper it (I did add a dab of silicon grease just to be sure though). You can also opt for the included converter, or cartridges, but seeing the ink slosh around inside is part of the appeal.
One downside I found is that the cap threads are tight and rather long. It takes a full 2,5 rotations to open and close the pen, and it's not the smoothest uncapping action I've come across. The tightness of the threads is partially due to the rubber O-ring, which expands the barrel a little bit when the barrel and section are over-tightened (and since this is an eyedropper pen, you're most likely inclined to properly tighten the section!). Capping/uncapping the pen takes some effort, but it's not a deal breaker for me. Just keep in mind that it's not the most practical pen to take quick notes with.
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| L to R: Edison Collier, Opus 88 Demonstrator, Wancher Dream pen, Wancher Crystal, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000 |
The Crystal II measures a respectable 14.6cm (5.75") closed, and 13.6cm (5.35") uncapped. The section measures about 11mm at the widest point. It's a large pen, and the untapered flattop design accentuates that. But despite the size, it's rather lightweight due to the acrylic material.
The light weight, long barrel and relatively gentle transition from section to barrel, make this a very pleasant pen to use. The cap does post, but the straight shape of the barrel prevents it from posting deeply. Since the pen is more than long enough on itself, I didn't bother posting at all.
The steel nib is a stock, blank JoWo #6, and comes in either fine or medium. The fine nib I chose has a bit of feedback, but it's an overall well-tuned, consistent writer -as most JoWo nibs tend to be. The cap of the Crystal has an inner cap similar to that found in the Platinum #3776, which prevents the nib from drying out. The inner cap does its job, but the spring inside the mechanism is a bit longer than that on the Platinum, so you have to do a push-twist motion to catch the threads.
The Wancher Crystal is a pretty interesting pen, and has quite a few things going for it. The demonstrator barrel is fun, it's a comfortable size and the JoWo nib combined with the inner cap mechanism make for a reliable writer. The Wancher Crystal retails for 65€ (at Scrittura Elegante), which I think is a completely fair price for what you get.
Scrittura Elegante is a sponsor of this blog. This product was sent to me 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.
