Forever Inkless Pen - What?

[Chiyoko]

as you are probably right, it is kind of possible

[NedC]

The "oxidizes the paper" sounds like BS, more likely the particles of metal alloy oxidize on the paper and become darker, much like silverpoint does but I imagine they're using a softer alloy, probably bisthmus and something that will oxidize rapidly and darken. But I dropped out of chemistry;)

[arcadeflow]

They have a long way until they match our fountain pens and the unlimited amount of colors we can choose and brew ourselves And when they do it, they are going to have to match our shading abilities and butter smooth writing...

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Don't forget nib options - italics, obliques, stubs . . . wet? dry?

[Chiyoko]

Let's face it, nothing will ever match the fountain pen

[ethernautrix]

Let's face it, nothing will ever match the fountain pen

 

Yeah, sounds about right. This one* might be fun for drawing, though. Certainly not a replacement for my fountain pens.

 

 

*Or the same idea in a different style.

[Brian K]

I got the same e-mail and it's also featured on the back of Fahrney's current catalog. I'm definitely intrigued but I am sure I'd have to try before I buy - even the cheaper model.

[krz]

Might be useful for light sketching and markup, or maybe as an ultimate backup pencil.

[walkeraj]

I own both the premium Pininfarina pen with the "ethergraf" tip as well as the "Beta" pen, by Jac Zagoory designs. I love both pens (which write identically), but, as a long-time fountain pen user as well, I can honestly report that they will never replace them, and I can completely understand why some people wouldn't like them.

 

Due to being made of a soft alloy tip, these "pens" have a very light, somewhat tacky feel to writing. This is probably more noticeable to me since, being a side-writing lefty who refused to hook, the majority of my writing strokes are push, rather than pull. Your mileage may very on this sensation, but it's definitely still there when pulling.

 

It is mostly true that they do not smear, which is their main benefit to me. I find it very liberating to not obsess over ink/paper quality and drying speed when writing. I have written notes to several meetings and have also used the pens to write several journal entries. I have never had so much as a tiny stain appear on the left side of my hand. The exceptions to the smearing rule are papers with any kind of gloss to them.

 

As others have said, the line they lay down is somewhere in the vicinity of a 2H pencil, maybe a little heavier. On copy or notebook paper, I have found the line to be plenty readable. The bit about the ethergraf tips "oxidizing" the paper seem to me to be a bit of deliberate mistranslation for marketing purposes. While the metal will almost certainly oxidize (and thus darken somewhat) after being exposed to air by the action of rubbing it onto the paper, it is the metal, not the paper which is oxidizing. Even if the paper is oxidizing somewhat, the majority of the color is coming from metal deposition, which the Beta and similar pens make no bones about. From what I can tell, the main difference is that ethergraph, whatever it may, be does not contain lead. At least this is what the manufacturer claims. It is definitely a very soft metal alloy, and I have seen similar tiny deformations in its tip to those on the Beta.

 

That said, it is a fine writing instrument for any purpose you might use a pencil for, which is to say you won't be writing any wedding invitations or formal correspondence with it, but notetaking and sketching are great! The Pininfarina in particular is just a lovely looking instrument and feels wonderful in the hand, but the Beta is no slouch either, if albeit no-frills.

[rudyhou]

interesting. never knew such pen exists. thank you for sharing.

[Sasha Royale]

It will look nice, next to the Parker Fifth Generation thing. I saw it in the Fahrney's catalog.

We have no Emoticon for "ho-hum" ? It's a pencil.

[amberleadavis]

When we got married, I bought my husband a "forever" Space pen it was supposed to last a life time. The new ones say: You can write a continuous line over 30 miles long - which is enough to last the average person for 80 years. - Well, he's above average. 3 years. Thankfully, our marriage lasted longer than the pen.

[Doug C]

Lisa (Ethernautrix),

 

Here is your answer:

 

I got one, and it is largely what people have said.

 

Beautifully designed. That is what you would expect from Pininfarina.

 

Build quality: average. While the actual pen and base are nicely finished (and we do know we pay a premium for anything coming out of Italy), there was a dent or scratch running along the top of the wooden base. Not deep mine you, but not perfectly finished. The end cap has a cheesy little plastic drawer that slides off so you can get access to the pen. Inside is a rubber tube that holds the pen. Not the most elegant of solutions.

 

Writing capability: Pretty much what most people have said. It makes a light mark across the page. A VERY light mark. Like a very hard lead pencil. As a matter of fact, with my desk lamp casting a glare on the page, I have to hover over the page to see the writing. Better when it is not right below the light, but still not very dark. If you really press you can get a darker line. In this regard it is a lot like a hard lead pencil.

 

The writing experience is better for me than for most people. I need some resistance to write cleanly at this advance age so this works for me. I will translate this: the nib (or point or whatever you want to call it) sticks when pressed and squeaks all through the writing process. The darker you want it, the more stubborn it is. Again, I need the resistance for clean writing, but unless you are okay with the light print then it becomes a struggle. Having said this, I sort of like it for making quick notes. It works for me. By the way, I have a Kickstarter pen coming soon that uses an inkless refill. It also has the option of a regular refill though.

 

There you go; an unbiased mini review of the pen. I am hoping that so few of them are sold as to make it collectable......

Edited December 9, 2014 by Doug C

[Doug C]

Lisa (Ethernautrix),

 

Here is your answer:

 

I got one, and it is largely what people have said.

 

Beautifully designed. That is what you would expect from Pininfarina.

 

Build quality: average. While the actual pen and base are nicely finished (and we do know we pay a premium for anything coming out of Italy), there was a dent or scratch running along the top of the wooden base. Not deep mine you, but not perfectly finished. The end cap has a cheesy little plastic drawer that slides off so you can get access to the pen. Inside is a rubber tube that holds the pen. Not the most elegant of solutions.

 

Writing capability: Pretty much what most people have said. It makes a light mark across the page. A VERY light mark. Like a very hard lead pencil. As a matter of fact, with my desk lamp casting a glare on the page, I have to hover over the page to see the writing. Better when it is not right below the light, but still not very dark. If you really press you can get a darker line. In this regard it is a lot like a hard lead pencil.

 

The writing experience is better for me than for most people. I need some resistance to write cleanly at this advance age so this works for me. I will translate this: the nib (or point or whatever you want to call it) sticks when pressed and squeaks all through the writing process. The darker you want it, the more stubborn it is. Again, I need the resistance for clean writing, but unless you are okay with the light print then it becomes a struggle. Having said this, I sort of like it for making quick notes. It works for me. By the way, I have a Kickstarter pen coming soon that uses an inkless refill. It also has the option of a regular refill though.

 

There you go; an unbiased mini review of the pen. I am hoping that so few of them are sold as to make it collectable......

I forgot to mention that I got this at a substantial discount...

[ethernautrix]

I forgot to mention that I got this at a substantial discount...

 

 

Cool, Doug. I mean, your post about your experience with an inkless pen. Sounds cool - might be something I'd like. The next pen show I'll make is in April, so maybe I'll see them there and be able to try one out. Thank you!

[MYU]

I managed to buy one of these. It had a damaged tip (almost unusable) and one of the wood panels was loose. But for $15 you cannot go wrong! The box itself is worth about $50, in terms of wood quality. In fact, I bought it for that very reason, to have a nice pen stand with built-in pen holder compartment.

 

Well, I contacted the Napkin folks in Italy, who in turn forwarded me to Yafa, the official "umbrella" company for this brand. Their customer service was exemplary. I ended up with a replacement tip at no charge! Yes, that tip does unscrew. In doing so, you end up ruining the original one, but you don't use pliers to install the new tip. Technically you could use some glue, but I saw no need to as the threading has excellent friction. With a bit of "shoe goo" to put the wood back on, I've now got a slightly used example for a tremendous discounted price.

 

Now... is it even worth $15? It's a nice moderately heavy instrument that looks stunning. You could use it as a pointer. If you do decide to write with it, be prepared to be disappointed. This does NOT write like a normal pencil, for several reasons:

 

1) The paper must be porous. It will not write on slick paper, like the kind you find with PostIt Notes.

2) You must apply extra pressure

3) It will write and is legible, but the line is a little light.

 

It's more of a novelty than anything else. An "art object" to have on your desk. That's pretty much it. You can find them heavily discounted now. I've seen recent closed eBay auctions with these going for even as low as $60.

[mivox]

I bought a couple of "permanent pencils" once. I believe it's basically the same thing: A stick of some kind of alloy material, except in this case it replaces the graphite in an otherwise normal pencil.

 

Writes far far too faintly to be any use except as a draft/sketch pencil. I can't imagine why I'd want the same thing claiming to be a pen...

[MYU]

^ Yep. If only they'd blend the alloy a bit differently to make it softer... but then the challenge is that the tip can be damaged. It takes a lot to compromise the tip on the 4Ever pencil. It's really just a conversation piece... which is why it's best to get one that is styled nicely. If it's plain looking, then, what's the point?

[Mon34480]

I have a 2 of these it's just a metal alloy which replaces the graphite great concept however I think they "jumped the gun" on these products, they write too faintly to be of any actual use and unfortunately since it was so hyped in kickstarters...etc the interest in them also died just as fast when users quickly realized that they were borderline useless.

 

As someone mentioned above you can use them as a very quick guideline/draft/sketch pencil but as it's permanent kinda defeats the purpose of having a rough sketch int he first place :S

[Russ]

I saw one of these at the Chicago pen show a year ago. It was easy to use as a pencil. The actual contact of the tip with paper didn't have that smoothish feeling of graphite being laid down, but it was quick and easy to use. The writing was clearly visible, but not like a rough jagged line left by, say a broken graphite stub. It was fine precise, and ... useful. Just about $100...