Pelikan Factor

[Ink Sandwich]

Hellew fellow Fountain Pen Networkers!

 

This is my first review of a fountain pen (ever!). I intend to post more in the future, but we'll see how that ties in with my schoolwork and procrastinative tendencies

 

The pen I'm going to review today is the Pelikan Factor fountain pen. Some of you may have seen them, some of you may not. Still others may think that this post is tl;dr already. For those of you who have never heard of this pen, here's a little review.

 

So, what is it?

 

Actually, the Pelikan Factor is a set: A fountain pen plus an ink rollerball, together in a neat little box. When capped, they are indistinguishable (and more often than not I've picked the wrong pen for that reason). Caps come in different colors, with matching

 

The basic shape and size is identical to the recent Pelikano – cylindrical barrel, about 13.5cm / 5.3" in length when capped, and only one centimeter longer when posted. Girth is about 1.7cm / 0.67" throughout the entire length. The ends of the cap and barrel are hemispherical, and the end has two holes in it.

 

The first thing you may notice, and the one which immediately sets the this pen apart from the Pelikano, is that the barrel is actually made of an aluminum / plastic mix. I find that this makes the pen far superior because the barrel is both lightweight and sturdy. – I actually cracked the barrel on a Pelikano once simply because I screwed it on too hard.

 

Like the Pelikano, the clip on the Factor is made of plastic, and just as flimsy. It's a shame they didn't keep the metal clip, and it somewhat detracts from the overall sturdiness of this pen.

 

Speaking of plastic: The grip section of the Pelikano is made of it, but instead of having a (somewhat strange, IMO) grip profile like the Pelikano, the Factor has a matte surface that slightly tapers towards the nib, but not much. I find this pen quite pleasant to hold.

 

Speaking of nibs: This one uses the same nib as a whole lot of other Pelikan fountain pens – the Pelikano, Future, Style etc. – you can also fit it with a stub nib like the one in the Pelikan Script, and also the old, gold-plated nibs in the Pelikan Go!.

 

But how does it write?

 

Now I must say that I'm a bit fan of fine nibs. A pen that isn't able to lay down a fine line won't make it far in my list of favorites. The Pelikan Factor only comes with an M nib (as far as I know), but I replaced it with an F nib. I still find the nib broad (for my tastes), and hardly any different from the M one. Apart from that though, the pen writes really smoothly, and I even find it pleasantly wet. Don't expect anything grand from this pen – it uses the same nib as the Pelikano, which is an inexpensive kiddo fountain pen, so sturdiness (i.e. the needs of the many) outweighs elegance (the need of the few, or the one – in this case, yours truly). – This won't be the best nib you've ever written with, but it works well, and there aren't really any major complaints, except for nib width.

 

(As I've written in the intro, the Pelikan Factor actually comes as a set. I only wanted to review the fountain pen here, but since it also comes with a rollerball, here's my opinion: I wasn't too impressed with Pelikan refill the pen came with – a bit of skipping, plus squeaky noises. The good news is though that you can easily replace it with a regular Pilot G2 gel pen refill, so you can turn it into a really nice writer.)

 

If you're one of those people who change the ink in their pens more often than their underwear ("Ew, I don't like that color anymore ..."), it's easily done in this pen. It takes both a converter and standard and long international cartridges.

 

The nib and feed section is simple friction fit. The nib can be pulled off using a piece of scotch tape (or even by butting the knob between your fingernails and gently pulling it out). If you want to remove the feed, just grab a paper towel and gently wriggle it out of the barrel. To put it back together, just put the nib on the feed and put the whole section back into the barrel until you hear a soft click. There barrel shape near the nib ensures that nothing is misaligned during reassembly.

 

As I've said in my beginning, you might have some difficulty finding this pen in the US. I've found some auctions on eBay, with prices ranging from a moderate $20 or so to outrages $40. In Germany, I've seen them in stores with prices ranging from 8€ to 15€. I got mine for a ludicrous 2€ (clearance price), which triggered me to buy this pen in the first place – so of course I think it's great value

 

 

 

La conclusion

 

 

 

Apperance & design: 8/10

 

Construction & Quality: 7/10

 

Weight & Dimensions: 8/10

 

Nib & Performance: 7/10

 

Filling System & Maintenance: 9/10

 

Cost & Value: 8/10

 

Overall: 7.8/10

 

This here is a sturdy little pen with a design that's cool but not too childish. The only real complaints I have about this pen are the shoddy plastic clip and the broad nib à la Pelikan. Other than that, you get a really decent writer with easy maintenance. If you manage to find one cheaply, I can really recommend this pen.

 

Here are some pictures of the pen (sorry for the bad quality - I had to use my cell phone):

 

 

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/3285/pen4z.jpg

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/6163/pen2.jpg

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/9615/pen3p.jpg

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Opel]

Great comprehensive review, good stuff and a nice pen!

Edited May 19, 2011 by Opel

[Sailor Kenshin]

Excellent pictures. Great review. I look forward to more reviews from you!