This was a pen I came across a while ago whilst looking to increase my collection of demonstrator pens but at the time it wasn’t a make I’d heard of and it seemed quite expensive compared to other pens from China, so I took a rain check on it.
If you’re not familiar with the term ‘demonstrator’ it usually refers to a transparent pen often made from clear acrylic or in some cases they are opaque or the acrylic is tinted e.g. my Pilot Custom 74 is a clear smoke coloured acrylic. The clear acrylic allows the colour of the ink to be seen; this is most effective in either eye droppers or vacuum/piston fillers, the TSWBI Eco and Vac 700R are good examples of this as is the Moonman M2.
I stumbled across the pen again during a search for something else and decided it was worth a second look and it is. Aside from the clear version it comes in a wonderful range of colours and the double hourglass shape does set it apart. I read some reviews and decided to order one. I ordered from eBay seller: art-pen-book-dy. The service was excellent, and the pen was delivered in under ten days; I have, since, bought all my PenBBS pens from this seller and I am happy to recommend them.
The pen arrived in a small slim rectangular black box, and when I opened it I was very pleased to find the pen completely protected by foam. The pen really is as good as it looks in the photographs, if not better; it is a lightweight completely clear pen that is very comfortable to hold. Needless to say, I grabbed the first bottle of ink that came to hand (KWZ Azure no. 5) and loaded the pen. As you can see from the pictures I loaded the converter but there is a small O ring on the thread that secures the barrel to the nib section which leads me to think that this could very easily be an eye dropper. The other little thing to note about the converter is that it comes with a small spring in it to act as an agitator to keep the ink flowing.
The nib is the usual PenBBS no. 6 and as with other PenBBS pens the choices are Fine or Extra Fine, I opted for Fine and it writes beautifully. For a steel nib it is amazing smooth and it is obvious that PenBBS have been very insistent about production standards. I’m very glad I didn’t follow my first thought which was to replace the nib because this really is a very nice nib to write with.
So, the million-dollar question is ‘Is this pen worth your pennies?’
I say yes, it is; I admit I had reservations about the price, which at the time I thought was high for this type of pen, but I was wrong. PenBBS pens are superior pens and when compared with similar pens from different parts of the world the price is remarkably reasonable for such a well-produced pen.
If you are looking for your next pen and would like a more imaginative design in either clear or coloured acrylic then this one needs to go on your list as a possibility; I liked it so much I bought two more, my only problem now is which ink to load next that will make the best of the pen, ahh decisions decisions.
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 