Online Best Writer Calligraphy Pen

[scrawlhand]

This is my first review here on fpn. I don't have as much experience with fountain pens as most of you have, so I left out the point ranking. But I guess you can get the picture from what I wrote!

 

Introduction:

Online is a comparatively new German brand. I never paid close attention to them, I always thought their pens to be inferior to familiar brands like Lamy and Pelikan, and I didn't like their flamboyant design (which is aimed to school children).

A few days ago I came across their "Best Writer" series in a local shop. I was curious about the 0,8 mm italic nib, so I decided to go for it. The pen was only € 10,99, so I didn't have much to lose. It came without any packaging and with one blue cartridge in the barrel. I picked one that looked a little less in-your-face and a converter for additional € 3,99.

 

 

Appearance and Design:

You can get these pens in just about any color there is, from black with skulls to screaming pink with flowers. Mine is black with grey and white flowers on it and chrome-coloured end caps. The barrel and section have a smooth, almost rubbery surface.

The section has a triangular shape, similar to a Lamy Safari and is very comfortable to hold.

The pen is made of 99% plastic, the only metal part is the nib itself. It doesn't feel very solid in your hand. The converter on the other hand is quite nice. It doesn't differ much from one made by Waterman for example.

 

 

Construction and Quality:

It's probably "you get what you pay for". Basically, it works, but it has a few minor issues. The nib was scratchy at first, so I checked it with a loupe and found the tines misaligned, which I could correct by tweaking it with my thumbnail. When I fit in the converter I noticed that it doesn't fit really tight like on some other pens I own. It hasn't leaked or fallen apart yet, bit it just doesn't feel very reassuring when you can put the converter in without considerable resistance.

The cap posts nice and securely, but the pen becomes too long when posted and feels unbalanced. I usually don't post the cap, so that doesn't bother me.

 

 

Weight & Dimensions:

The weight of the pen is hardly 16 grams, and that includes converter and ink. Did I mention that it's a very lightweight pen?

The dimensions:

140 mm length capped

131 mm length uncapped

174 mm length posted

15 mm diameter of the barrel

11 mm diameter of the section

 

 

Nib & Performance:

At first I was very disappointed with this pen. Before fitting the converter, I tried the blue cartridge that came with it. The nib felt scratchy, and it produced nothing but a faint blue line. I was able to fix the nib very quickly, and the pen became a smooth and wet writer immediately. I realised however, that the ink in the cartridge was... useless, to say the least. Imagine mixing one third of Florida Blue with two thirds of tap water, that's what it looked like.

Needless to say, I tossed the cartridge away and flushed the pen.

Next thing, I filled the pen with Pelikan Blue-Black, and that was when I really started to like it. The nib has a good amount of line variation, but it is narrrow enough to be suitable for everyday writing. Writing in Blue-Black with this pen looks plain beautiful. Imagine, I just wanted to write a few lines of nonsense to test the pen, but I couldn't stop writing because it was so much fun... I guess you people are the only ones who can understand things like that.

 

Have a look at the writing sample below. It's written on Clairefontaine paper. I'm still not very happy with my handwriting, but it'll have to do for now.

 

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance:

This is a c/c filler that takes internaional cartridges. The converter seems to be of good quality, the piston glides very smooth and the material feels solid. The ink volume is problably the same as most other converters out there. I just wish the converter would fit a bit tighter in the section.

 

 

Cost & Value:

Considering that I paid only 15 Euros for the pen and converter, and considering what a fine performer it is, you obviously get very much bang for the buck.

 

 

Conclusion:

My overall conclusion is: thumbs up. It is really a fine writing pen, it doesn't cost you much, but you have to keep in mind that the pen's design may be too eye-catching for your taste and the overall build quality is not up to par with the school pens mady by Lamy or Pelikan.

Personally, I wouldn't want to carry it around in my shirt pocket because of the looks. Usually I prefer sturdier pens with more conservative looks, but I will use it at home for letters and such.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the review, and feel free to ask questions!

 

Steve

[777]

I for one, really like the look of that pen! I think it's a fine looking writing instrument that will serve you well as long as it's well taken care of. Perhaps not the sturdiest thing ever but your just going to be writing with it anyway. I like the option of italic nibs too. It's fun to try something out without spending $50.00+ dollars or such.

 

Thanks for the review and enjoy your new pen !

 

Regards,

777

 

Edited to add: Good job on your first review !

Edited July 31, 2010 by 777

[scrawlhand]

 

Edited to add: Good job on your first review !

 

Thank you 777

[Edgar Allan Bo]

The nib will fit the modern Kaweco Sport fountain pens (they share the same type of feed), so if you want a nice looking pen with a stub/italic nib...

 

http://images.manufactum.de/manufactum/produktdetail/70818_1.jpg

 

the 0.8 nibs are my favourite! You can also get the 3 nib pack (0.8 / 1.4 / 1.8) for just 5 € in shops!

Edited July 31, 2010 by Edgar Allan Bo

[scrawlhand]

Excellent advice, Edgar Allan Bo! I may be getting one of these.

Can I just pull out the nib and feed from the Online pen?

[Edgar Allan Bo]

Excellent advice, Edgar Allan Bo! I may be getting one of these.

Can I just pull out the nib and feed from the Online pen?

 

yes, just pull it out - it's very easy! The KaWeCo has different nibs but the same feed - so the online nibs will fit perfectly... and the KaWeCo nib will fit the Online pen! KaWeCo nibs are only in F, M or B!

[GeeBee]

Hi, Is there an online shop for these pens?

I like Italic/ calligraphy nibs and a fountain pen with skulls sounds like a perfect match, my tastes are some what eclectic.

 

Edit: Found the company and it looks like the Skull version is discontinued.

Edited August 1, 2010 by GeeBee

[xuan87]

the pen is gorgeous! i tried the neuwood version with the same nib and i love it! i'm getting one soon once i've decided on which model i want.

[scrawlhand]

Hi, Is there an online shop for these pens?

I like Italic/ calligraphy nibs and a fountain pen with skulls sounds like a perfect match, my tastes are some what eclectic.

 

Edit: Found the company and it looks like the Skull version is discontinued.

 

Hi GeeBee,

 

I found one skull pen on their website, although I think the one I saw in the store looked a bit different. See the screenshot below.

I'd suggest you to look at http://www.online-pen.de/ and check for a retailer in your area!

 

Steve

Edited August 1, 2010 by scrawlhand

[Edgar Allan Bo]

All the nibs available for those pens are = standard M, italic 0.8 / 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 but the 1.2 is very hard to find... I think they don't make this one anymore.

 

The problem is that every pen with its unique design has it's own nib, either 0.8 or 1.4 or 1.8 or just the M and if you want for example the skull design with the

M nib you have to change the front sections and take one from another pen that has the nib you want... and that's the problem = you have to buy both pens!

 

But I often make those changes in the store when nobody is watching :roflmho: just unscrew the front section and change it with the one I want from another pen.

 

You can see that the nib width is also indicated on the clip of the pen - I don't care about that, but if I would - the clip can also be switched - it can be pulled off the cap!

Edited August 1, 2010 by Edgar Allan Bo

[scrawlhand]

I just found a place that sells spare nibs for these pens:

http://www.goldspot.com/prodTypeV.cfm?type=19&mfr=48

[Edgar Allan Bo]

I just found a place that sells spare nibs for these pens:

http://www.goldspot.com/prodTypeV.cfm?type=19&mfr=48

 

didn't knew they had F and B nibs

 

but wow, 11,20 USD for ONE nib!

 

compared to ca. 2 USD for one nib in stores here...

Edited August 1, 2010 by Edgar Allan Bo

[scrawlhand]

Yeah, that's pretty expensive. I guess I'll check what they charge for the nibs here in Germany one of these days.

[Scribble Monboddo]

I bought an 0.8mm stub italic Online 'Best Writer' recently and I was quite impressed by the writing performance at such a low price-point (only a little over £10). You can see a hand-written review here: http://scribbledemonboddo.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/online-best-writer-o8mm-italic-stub-2014.html