Now I know what you’re thinking, why would anyone write a review of a generic own brand fountain pen; especially one that was really meant to be a throw away on the way to something better.
Well I’m writing this review because I found a vintage one in a thrift store, I’d heard the underground rumours that these rarities were still to be found tucked away on dusty shelves and then I stumbled across this one; brand new and still sealed. I snapped it up and as it turns out my vintage find was about half the price of some of the current range.
It’s a very lightweight cigar shaped pen made from thin plastic and styled, I think, after the MB146; the only clue to its origins is the word ‘Germany’ written in very small letters at the top of the clip. It has a screw cap which I think serves two purposes, firstly its meant to bestow a sense of quality and secondly the plastic is too thin to cope with a click top.
On to the important thing, the nib. As you would expect and can see from the image it’s a generic nib with no indication of size et cetera; and from this I expected a rough ride when I started to write. However, I was very surprised at how smooth the nib was, and I wrote for about half a page at varying speeds and even though I had only dipped the nib the feed kept up with me and it turned out to be a very pleasant pen to use, sometimes it’s nice to find out you’re wrong.
It’s a nice novelty to own and if you see one for a few pennies it’s worth buying; this little pen exceeded my wildly expectations and has earned a permanent place in my collection.
Disclaimer: The 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 