Anyone who has spent some time here will know that I like the PenBBS range; they are always well-made pens and the thought that goes into the design of the pens sets them apart from the other pens in the same price range. So, as I collect demonstrators I had no trouble adding this one to the collection.
The pen was bought from office_supplies_pen, an eBay seller with an excellent reputation who is one of my preferred sellers and if you are interested in Chinese pens I would recommend visiting his store.
Once ordered the pen was with me in less than two weeks along with a notebook and a Wing Sung 698 but more on those another day. I’m always impressed by the packaging PenBBS pens arrive in but this time they have outdone themselves; as you can see from the images the box consists of what appears to be two parts; a red textured inner box and a black textured outer which forms the base, back and lid. The pen then sits nestled in a custom cut foam insert and is held in place with an elastic strap; it would be hard not to be impressed by this much attention to detail, especially as there are plenty of expensive pens that don’t come this well presented.
Unpacking the pen was interesting as I didn’t expect the elastic strap holding it in place and neither did I expect to find two spare nibs under the pen; a size 5 and a size 6, both as far as I can tell are fine nibs.
The pen itself is a classic cigar shape and is made from acrylic which is polished to ensure a perfect clear finish with no trace of manufacturing marks. As with all PenBBS pens this is a precision-made pen and all of the parts fit very snugly together. Added to this you will find at the top and the base of the nib unit (this unscrews from the section) there are very small O rings which seal the nib unit into the section. There is a further O ring (see image) at the base of the nib section that seals the section and the barrel and which I would suspect would allow you to convert this pen to an eye dropper. However, test with water and some blotting paper first.
For the less experimental amongst us PenBBs have provided a convertor, normally, I wouldn’t have much to say about a convertor, but this is a good one. It has a smooth mechanism with a small spring agitator and a seal which was so good when I first tried to remove it that I thought it was a screw in convertor until I heard a ‘pop’ when it released.
The nib is the standard PenBBS fine nib which I would estimate is similar to a western fine and as with all their nibs it writes well; not wet not dry but it is a nice pen to write with.
Last but not least, the cap. It’s a screw on cap with silver furniture and an opaque finial, the silver band is engraved with ‘Penbbs’ below the point of the clip and the model number on the rear, ‘266’. The clip is firm but springy so should hold the pen securely to whatever it is clipped to.
So finally, is it worth your pennies?
Yes, I think so, I paid $16.50 USD for mine and for a pen of this quality that represents excellent value.
Would I buy another? Yes, but it will have to be a different colour; these pens are built to last, so a little variety is a good thing especially as they come in a wide range of colours. So if you are in the market for nice competitively priced demonstrator this could be the pen for you.
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 