REVIEW: VENVSTAS MAGNA C/C FOUNTAIN PEN

After too long of an unplanned hiatus (sorry!), we're back with a pen review you probably didn't see coming in a million years! Indeed my first encounter with the Venvstas Magna wasn't a flawless one, considering I had quite a few qualms with the original design. For me, those issues distracted from the impressive and unique looks of the Magna and ultimately made it a less enjoyable pen to use.

But Venvstas didn't leave it at that! Instead, they showed a very strong comeback with their latest version of the Magna: the Venvstas Magna CC. Here's the TL;DR, Venvstas improved on all the pet peeves I had with the original Magna fountain pen, and I really like the end result this time!

The original Venvstas Magna -a piston-filled pen- managed to impress me with its brutalist, minimal design made entirely from matte brushed linear carbon fiber, with matte stainless steel accents. I did, however, have some issues with the construction: an open barrel allowing the piston plunger to be depressed accidentally, and a barrel closure that didn't actually hold the barrel closed very well.

The new CC version takes over the design of the original down to the absolute smallest detail, with no visual cues to distinguish between the two versions. At least not on the outside...

The barrel closure is now much more robust

Remove the barrel, and you'll find that Venvstas exchanged the closure mechanism on the barrel for a clutch similar to the one used in the cap (which is much more robust), making the overall construction more secure and rattle-free. Especially when opening and closing the cap, the barrel is held on tight so it stays nicely in place. The updated closure also keeps the barrel and section aligned perfectly, which was another pet peeve I had with the piston-filled version. 

But the main difference, as indicated in the name, is the switch from piston-filler to a simpler cartridge/converter system. Where the exposed piston plunger left opportunity for an inky mess with an accidental press (Ha! That rhymes!), the converter in the new version is now fully enclosed by a fixed black cylindrical finial that protrudes from the barrel. The cap can still post just like before, as the overall shape of the barrel did not change at all. The Magna CC uses a standard international converter, and so you can also switch between regular ink cartridges if you like. 

Yeah sure, on paper the switch to a standard cartridge-converter system may sound like a step backward, but believe me when I say that for this pen it makes perfect sense. The only thing you lose is ink capacity, going from the generous 2mL to whatever a standard cartridge or converter can hold (which is roughly 0.8 mL), but that's a trade-off I'll gladly make in return for peace of mind. And let's be honest, c/c pens are actually quite convenient to use unless you really write a lot!

L to R: Pelikan M805, Ensso Piuma, Leonardo Furore, Venvstas Magna CC, Lamy Dialog 3, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari

The Magna CC takes on all dimensions from the piston-filled version: 15.5 cm (6.1") long capped, 14.6 cm (5.74") uncapped, and a comfortable diameter of 12 mm (0.47") across the entire length of the pen. One thing that did change: the Magna CC put on some weight (from 24g to 30g). 

The increase in weight makes for a pen that feels a bit more substantial and solid in the hand, more in line with what you'd expect to feel from a pen this size. The weight of the Magna is nicely balanced around the core of the pen, as most of the internals inside the section are stainless steel. The added heft, combined with the more robust barrel-section joint and lack of rattling, add to the solid feeling of the Magna CC. I also found that the overall fit and finish has become a bit more precise.

I like how the very minimal logo engraving is slightly hidden underneath the 'semi-hooded' part of the nib!

The Venvstas Magna comes equipped with a titanium nib as standard (a gold nib upgrade is also available). While the medium nib from before was a splendid writer, I wanted to try something finer this time. The fine nib came properly set up out of the box and runs true to size, if not slightly on the wider side. Ink flow is generous though not excessive. The F has a noticeable amount of pencil-like feedback, something the medium didn't have -though of course, that makes sense on a finer nib. 

Some ink on the hooded part of the nib is not uncommon due to the design of the cap mechanism. 

This particular nib feels quite firm for a titanium one, although that's not uncommon. There always seems to be a rather wide variation in springiness among titanium nibs. 

Made-in-house nib? Well this is certainly not a standard-issue Bock feed!

As far as I know, Venvstas claimed their nibs are made in-house (in any case, the feed is not a standard Bock type). If so, they sure do know how to make a good nib, my writing experience with the Magna has been excellent in both instances.

If you recall the bottom line on my original review of the Venvstas Magna, I was hopeful. The Magna fell prey to what can best be described as a bit too much 'over-designing', choosing form over function. But there were clear opportunities for improvement to bring the Magna up to the standard I'd expect from a pen in this price range. I also promised that I'd change my opinion if they came through on an improved design... and they did! Needless to say, I'm beyond impressed that they carried out the improvements and changes I had in mind (and executed them flawlessly!), making the Venvstas Magna CC a pen I can 100% fully stand behind. 

The Venvstas Magna CC comes in at  239€/ 230$ without VAT (from our site sponsor Appelboom), conveniently also 10€ cheaper than the piston version. Between the two models, my choice for the Magna CC is clear. But if you're really willing to make some sacrifices in terms of usability and function to get the most 'purist' design object out of the Magna (the way the designer intended it), I suppose the piston-filled version would be the option for you.

Note: This product was sent by Venvstas, 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: BEN WALSH DESIGN GRAVITAS FOUNTAIN PEN & GRAVITAS TWIST PEN

I started chatting with Irish designer Ben Walsh about a year ago when all this was still a concept idea and a bunch of renders. Ben - who got into the pen making industry with unique, handmade concrete pens - wanted to create a metal pen from scratch, and he was actively engaging with the community to gather feedback. One year, and a lot of exchanged thoughts and ideas later, Ben has released his pen - I should say 'pens - out in the wild via a Kickstarter campaign that took off last week: Gravitas pens!

Now, if you know me and my reviews, you'll know that I have a sliiiiight tendency to get overly excited about cool metal pens, but believe me when I say this is a Kickstarter you HAVE to check out if you're even the slightest bit interested in this type of pens! If you still don't believe me after this review - no offense taken - check out Anthony's review over at UK Fountain Pens. Anthony likes it too, and he's a tough guy to convince!

From afar, you might be forgiven for thinking of the Gravitas fountain pen and Gravitas 'Twist' capless rollerball as a 'been there, done that' design. True, nobody's reinventing the wheel here (not that anyone has done that in the pen industry for a very long time, I'd dare to say), but if anything the Gravitas pens are very good looking wheels! The Gravitas and Gravitas Twist pair up nicely side by side, but they are two relatively different pens in terms of design. 

Let's start with the Gravitas fountain pen (and capped rollerball), which has a very pronounced torpedo shape with a girthy, straight cylindrical body. It tapers down sharply towards the cap and barrel finials into pointed ends... but instead of a point, you'll find a small silicon nitride ball on either end! 

Despite a somewhat tactical pen vibe, the finials' main intent is to provide a more durable design that could survive a drop better than a bare aluminium finial would. Compared to the more rounded cigar-shaped Ensso Piuma or Namisu Horizon - two comparable pens - the Gravitas has a much more robust and bulky appearance (probably because it IS robust and bulky), which I quite enjoy. 

Yeah... too much is too much!

The clean, minimal design is interrupted by a threaded section on the back of the barrel. While I don't find the threads as visually distracting as I thought I would, I'm still happy to know that they will be dropped in the final production version. The Gravitas is more than long enough to be used without posting (in fact, it looks a bit silly with the cap on the back!) so you won't miss those threads at all. 

Streamlined!

The Twist pen is a different beast altogether. It's sleeker, skinnier, and has a long and rounded taper towards the narrow tip of the pen. What sets the Twist apart is its flat spot that prevents it from rolling around. With respect to the center of the pen, the flat is angled towards the front of the pen (my photo's don't do this justice at all). This gives the pen a mean-looking 'stance' when it sits on a flat surface, with the tip angled downward - it's quite cool. 

The twist mechanism of the Twist (the name certainly isn't far-fetched!) is of Schmidt make, the same as those found in Baron Fig's Squire. It has a pleasant action and feels quite solid (there's a slight rattle, but nothing too distracting). I do wish that the twist knob was a bit longer compared to the rest of the pen, to make it easier to reach and operate. Ben took note of this as well, when I and a couple other reviewers were asked to give input on these production prototypes, and so these changes will most likely end up in the final design. 

While the idea is to expand the Gravitas collection with various materials and finishes (including really neat laser-etched graphics that cover the entire pen!), the Kickstarter starts off with three clean-looking anodized aluminium finishes: black, silver and gold. Even on these 'prototypes' (quite advanced proto's, but still...), the finish is immaculate. The aluminium base pen is bead-blasted to remove machining marks, and then anodized to give a smooth matte finish that is very pleasant to the touch.

The Gravitas fountain pen...

And the Gravitas Twist pen

L to R: Baron Fig Squire, Karas Retrakt, Namisu Nova, Ensso Piuma, Gravitas fountain pen, Gravitas Twist pen, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000

The Gravitas fountain pen is a fairly large pen, noticeably larger than most other metal pens from the likes of Ensso, Namisu, Karas... It measures 14.8 cm/ 5.81" capped, and 13.4 cm/ 5.28"  uncapped. The maximum diameter of 1.5 cm/ .59" runs along almost the entire length of the pen, which makes it look bulky and robust. Underneath the cap, you'll find a long, gently tapered section with a comfortable diameter (1.1 cm/ .43" even at the thinnest point) that flares out slightly towards the nib.

Shallow threads and an angled transition towards the barrel create a comfortable writing experience 

The threads are shallow and fine, rendering them barely noticeable in the hand. The threads are single start on this prototype, and take a hefty three full turns to cap and uncap. The final production pen will get more common triple start threads that need fewer turns. One of my favorite practical design elements on the Gravitas is how the step towards the barrel is angled to make the transition much more gentle in the hand. It's an elegant and simple design decision that makes all the difference in terms of comfort, and yet you barely ever see it on other pens. It's a larger pen, so even the all-aluminium construction still comes in at 39 grams. I guess you could say the Gravitas has a reassuring... gravitas to it (terrible pun, I know), it sits nicely balanced in the hand.

The Twist pen is a bit smaller than its capped companion, although in absolute terms it's still far from compact. At 14.1 cm/ 5.55" in length, and with a maximum diameter of 1.4 cm/ .55" it's a bit shorter than the fountain pen. Due to the more tapered shape of the Twist, it definitely appears smaller than it actually is. With a weight of 34 grams, it feels positively hefty in the hand, too.

In terms of comfort, both pens score high marks with me. The Gravitas fountain pen has a comfortable design, a lot of the small details, like the shape and size of the section, the subtle threads and angled transition towards the barrel, are the result of careful consideration on Ben's end, taking into account a lot of input he got from the community. The Twist actually has a unique angle (hah! got it?) in terms of comfort, with the flat spot providing a natural area to rest your thumb, index or middle finger (either way you rotate it, it sits comfortably in your hand). The stretched out, tapered design means you can hold it closer to the tip or further up, to get the grip diameter you prefer. 

The Gravitas Twist comes loaded with Schmidt's P8127 rollerball refill. While that's not a bad refill, I've recently switched towards gel-based refills for my non-fountain pen writing. Luckily, the P8127 is similarly sized to standard Parker G2 refills (not to be confused with Pilot's G2!), which gives plenty of choices to swap refills to a ballpoint or gel refill (I've been using the Monteverde Ceramic gel refill, which fits perfectly and works quite well, even though it's not quite as fine as I'd like)

The Gravitas fountain pen, on the other hand, warrants some explaining: While the prototype I have in my hand has a Bock nib - common for most metal pens you'll find on the market today - Ben made the switch to JoWo when he noticed the quality wasn't as consistent as he'd like with Bock. It's good to know that a strict QC is in place to ensure each nib functions as it should. As a lot of brands adopt stock JoWo and Bock nibs these days, individual QC is the way to provide that little extra that sets your brand apart. Ironically, the Broad Bock nib on this particular pen has been one of the smoothest, and wettest Bock nibs I've come across. But regardless, I think JoWo is the safer choice, and it's something different from what most other brands are doing!

The Ben Walsh Design Gravitas pens are the result of a million small little details and considerate design choices. It has taken quite a few years, but the culmination of Ben Walsh's effort has led to two great-looking AND functioning pens (technically three, also counting the capped rollerball) that I can wholeheartedly stand behind. Maybe because I've had a teeny tiny say in how they turned out, but probably because they are just fantastic pens - simple as that! If I sound enthusiastic about them, that's because I am. 

If you feel like supporting the Gravitas pens, you can check out the Kickstarter page until September 17th. The Gravitas Twist pen starts at 45€, and the capped Gravitas rollerball and fountain pen each start at 50€, which is very affordable. Even at future respective retail prices of 65 and 70 euros, I still think these are a killer deal. Enough blabbing already! I've already gone and put my money where my mouth is, and I think you should, too.

This product was sent to me by Ben Walsh Design 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: INVENTERY LEATHER PASSPORT SLEEVE & NOTEBOOK COVER

Inventery is one of those low-key brands that you don't hear about very often (maybe not often enough). They don't flood the market with new products, but when they do come up with something new, it's usually a good one. As a fan of well-thought-out minimal and industrial design, I've always enjoyed the pens they came up with (the Mechanical Pen, Pocket Fountain Pen, and the No.2 Mechanical Pen + Pencil). The product we're looking at today is not a pen though: the Inventery leather passport/ notebook sleeve!

Inventery's notebook cover was created with two main use cases in mind - the straightforward naming convention of Inventery products already sort of gives it away: a sleeve to protect your passport when traveling, or a pocket-sized notebook cover. In both cases, the sleeve provides additional credit card slots, and a flap to hold larger loose papers (a boarding pass, for example-. The elastic band on top additionally provides room for a pocket pen. 

I don't have a passport so I can't speak for the first use case, but as a notebook cover, it certainly works quite nicely. A very unusual aspect of this cover is that it's designed to take a pocket pen along the top edge instead of on the side, which supposedly helps the entire thing fit in your pocket a little better. While this -rather unusual- configuration indeed makes it somewhat easier to fit inside a coat pocket or back pocket of your jeans, the cover obviously still adds quite a bit of bulk to your EDC. Especially if you then also fill up all the credit card slots and the additional pocket, it maybe becomes a bit too bulky to carry around on your person.

The fact that your pen has to sit on the top side, also means that it's quite restricted in terms of how long it can be. It really only fits extremely small pocket-sized pens such as the Kaweco Lilliput or Inventery's own Pocket fountain pen. Most other pens will be too long, causing them to stick out from the sides which isn't particularly practical. The broad elastic band does a good job of keeping pens securely in place.

A somewhat strange configuration with the pen loop on the top side, but it works.

It's definitely worth talking about the excellent build quality of this cover. Inventery aims at a luxury, high-end market, and their leather notebook cover certainly fits the bill! The build quality is excellent, everything is put together precisely and stitched neatly with thin black thread. The entire cover breathes luxury, with its completely black color scheme and full-grain leather, similar to that of an expensive wallet. Even the velours-lined interior looks and feels classy. The cover is minimally branded on the inside behind the notebook, and the front flap is finished with a small gold Inventery logo in the bottom-right corner. The veg-tanned leather does have a fairly strong smell to it when it arrives, sort of reminiscent of leather shoes, but it lessens over time. 

The cover can hold only one notebook, which I think is fine for day-to-day use. But it does mean that you can't really use it as a notebook and passport cover at the same time. The cover comes with a single notebook that matches the black and gold color scheme of all Inventery products, and you can buy replacement books on their website (a 4-pack, containing one of each ruling type: blank, grid, ruled and dot grid). Contrary to what you might think, these are not Field-Notes sized, but rather they are similar to Baron Fig's Vanguard pocket notebooks, coming in at a slightly smaller 3.5x5" form factor. So if you don't want to stick to Inventery's own paper, you at least have options from other brands.

However, I don't really see a reason why you'd want to change the notebooks, because the paper quality is actually surprisingly good! Surprisingly, because good fountain pen friendly paper is not easy to come by in general, so I was impressed to find it here, from a brand that doesn't necessarily specialize in fountain pens. The notebooks come with 80gsm cream-colored paper, 60 pages per book. A nice detail is that all pages are perforated, so you can use your notebook to leave small notes!

I obviously went right ahead and threw fountain pens and ink swabs at it, and for the most part, the paper took the abuse without feathering or bleedthrough.

Very broad nibs can get the paper to budge and bleed or feather slightly, but all in all, it's far from the worst performance I've ever seen. Besides, super-wet nibs and ink swabs are probably outside the scope of what you'd be using in a pocket notebook, anyway, no?

Ink even dried quite nicely, showing little to no sheen, but better-than-expected shading. The textured paper also means that it's excellent for pencil, ballpoint or rollerball/gel pen use, so it's a good middle ground that's practical for on the go. 

While Inventery products typically tend to not be super cheap, I think the Leather notebook cover strikes a good balance, coming in at 70$. With that, it's actually far from the most expensive pocket notebook cover on the market, say for example, compared to the 110$  One Star Leather or the 95$ Field Notes x Bellroy cover. At 15$ for a 4-pack of 60 pages each, the paper is priced very reasonably as well. The price per page is roughly equal to something like Field Notes or Baron Fig pocket Vanguard notebooks.

If you're in the market for a luxurious, well-made and quite practical EDC carry, Inventery provides a solid option that may not be the first one to come to mind, but it's sure worth checking out!

NOTE: This product was provided by Inventery, 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 INTERCHANGEABLE PEN + PENCIL

Inventery is a young luxury design and lifestyle brand based in Los Angeles that has made a strong come up in the last few years. I've been following along on their journey, taking a look at a couple of pen-related Inventery products here on the blog. At a glance, you'll notice that Inventery's style is unmistakably uniform across all of their products, and is dominated by an industrial minimalist design language. While simple in looks, Inventery definitely likes to experiment with packing a lot of functionality in their products, as they displayed last year with their impressive customizable pocket fountain pen (reviewed HERE).

Their latest pen is even based completely around a modular concept, being able to switch between ballpoint and mechanical pencil in a single writing utensil - all while maintaining that super-sleek and minimal aesthetic. If you want to check them out, they are on IndieGoGo right now at a really tempting introductory price!

The straight, cylindrical shape of the Interchangeable pen + pencil (and any Inventery pen, for that matter) is clean and simple. What you see is what you get, no unnecessary details - as you'd expect from a minimal design. There's not much to talk about in terms of design, really. But there's just something about minimal pens, and how they reduce the experience to the barebones functionality, that pushes all the right buttons for me. Nevertheless, the hard, industrial design and all-metal construction makes for a pen that's probably not for everyone.

The choice of knurled or smooth top adds just a hint of customisation.

In terms of construction, Inventery continues to loyally use brass for ALL their pens, with three different finishes to choose from. The brass construction means that they are essentially all the same, and have the exact same heft. The raw brass starts out as a sleek gold pen, but the finish is at its best after a while of use when the patina builds up. For some reason I've always been a fan of Inventery's brushed nickel finish. I'm normally not the one to go for silver pens, but this one I like a lot. The brushed finish adds a slightly weathered, satin look to the shiny silver, and the brass base shows at the corners of the pen. Finally, the matte black oxide coated option is stealthy and the finish has a great tactile feel in the hand where the other two are slick.

L to R: Tactile Turn Mover, Inventery Mechanical pen, Inventery Pocket fountain pen, Inventery Interchangeable pen + pencil, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari

The Interchangeable pen hits a comfortable sweet spot with its 13.7 cm (5.4") overall length. It's longer than Inventery's own Mechanical Pen (reviewed HERE), yet not quite as long as the Tactile Turn Mover or Glider (which I'd consider large pens). At 50 grams, the brass construction is immediately noticeable when you pick it up. But it's not as hefty and fatiguing as some brass/copper fountain pens like the Namisu Nova or Ensso Piuma, which easily go into the 70-90 gram territory. Still, if you don't like heavier pens, this one might not be for you. 

The clip is the same as on the pocket fountain pen, but with an added ball at the end to add tension. Branding is laser engraved on the underside to retain a clean look.

In terms of build quality; the all-metal outer construction feels solid and is well put together. As a testimony to its durability, the nickel-plated pen has been in my EDC for a few weeks now, and came out remarkably unscathed of an unpleasant meeting with a tile floor.

The interchangeable pen + pencil (not exactly a catchy name, but at least you know what you buy!) obviously tries to set itself apart through its dual functionality. With each pen you get two refills accompanied by two complete inner mechanisms. The important nuance to make here, is that the system isn't exactly made to swap out on the go. You'll need to do a bit of dissasembly to switch the parts, because the entire knock mechanism has to be replaced when you opt for the pencil mechanism - and vice versa. Switching isn't necessarily dificult, but it takes a minute of fiddling, and I wonder why they didn't just machine a single custom mechanism that works for both the ballpoint and pencil refills (which I think should have been possible). The final production version will also include a separate eraser-topped push button to use along with the pencil insert (not shown here).

Both pen and pencil refills are Schmidt-made, and are hard to knock (terrible pun intended). On the ballpoint side, you'll find the excellent Schmidt Easyflow 9000 - a perfect ballpoint/gel ink hybrid that's smooth and lays down a pitch-black line. The Schmidt Easyflow 9000 has been a personal favourite ever since I discovered them in the Baron Fig Squire Click, and it makes me reach for this pen a lot. As far as ballpoint pens go, it's hassle-free and reliable, yet the more liquid-like ink provides the comfortable, smooth flow that a gel pen would have. On top of that, it also lays down a much darker and consistent line than the average ballpoint pen.

The Schmidt DSM 2007 mechanical pencil mechanism - while rather generic - does its job perfectly fine. The mechanism threads into the front section of the pen, which provides a rattle-free and steady writing experience. The 0.5mm lead size mechanism that comes with the pen is a good standard size for writing. As other reviewers indicated, the lead does seem a tad prone to breaking, but going for a different brand of leads is an easy fix. Another nice feature is that these mechanisms are very cheap and easy to replace if you'd want a different lead size.

The mechanism of the ballpoint pen seems to be a generic plastic two-piece knock,whereas the pencil refill itself has a partially plastic construction but comes with a metal click mechanism. So in both cases there are some plastic parts on the inside Time will have to tell whether or not that means you're trading in a bit of durability for the option to swap between writing modes.

Whereas earlier Inventery products mostly reside in the higher price segment, they explicitly chose to go for a more affordable offering this time around. The retail pricing on the Interchangeable pen + pencil will be 60$, but for now there's still some time to get in on the IndieGoGo campaign, where they are offered at just 42$, or 72$ for a two-pack. I'd be comfortable putting this pen up to the likes of Karas Pen Co., or Tactile Turn, where it offers a similar quality writing instrument for the same price or less. Yes, the mechanism is somewhat generic, but it doesn't impact the user experience, and both pen and pencil systems are well thought-out.

NOTE: This product was provided by Inventery, 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.