Ok so this isn’t one of the biggest selling albums of all time, incidentally Back In Black is the best of the biggest selling albums; what it is, is a very very nice black fountain pen made by the lovely people at PenBBS.
This is the last of my PenBBS reviews and it is the one pen from PenBBS I have been able to find out least about. It’s a subtle unassuming pen; a classic piano black cigar shaped pen with minimal silver fittings, this is a pen that would not look out of place anywhere.
It arrives in a discreet black box and as with the previous PenBBS pens I have reviewed this one is really well made and very nicely finished. It strips down to a nib section, barrel and cap and as with the others this one comes with a converter complete with an agitator; I don’t think this pen would work as an eyedropper as it doesn’t have the O ring on the nib section thread (which is metal) that the 323 has. I’m not saying it can’t be done but I think it might be more trouble than it’s worth.
Uncapped this pen reminds in both size and shape of a Montblanc 146 and despite not being overly long at approximately 130mm (and approximately 150mm capped) it is not too short to use unposted. I have average sized hands and it causes me no problems; you would only need to post it if you have large hands.
Overall, I have been very impressed with PenBBS nibs and how the design of the pen takes use into consideration; both this pen and the 323 sits lightly in the hand and are easy to write with as is the 350 which despite being brass is designed with a centre of gravity that tilts the pen and makes it very easy to use.
When I dip tested the nib (standard PenBBS size 6), in KWZ Brown Pink, it was very smooth and combined with the lightness of the pen the nib felt like it was floating across the page. I scribbled a couple of lines and kept on dipping and writing for quite a while; it’s one of those pens that is a pleasure to use so you keep on using it.
So, I’m glad I bought it, it was a speculative purchase and one I’m happy I made; if you are interested then this is a good quality pen that comes in a range of colours but if you want a classy looking pen then black is the only way to go.
Disclaimer: This pen was purchased with my own funds at retail price. The opinions expressed in this review are my own; and I am not connected with either the retailers or manufacturers in any way.
The Indian Marmalade Company 