Kaigelu 308 Review

[richardandtracy]

Kaigelu 308 Review.

 

This is a very brief review of my wife's Kaigelu 308 Pen. I have no idea how much it cost, as I am the last person who needs to know!

The pen came in a small card box, though I suspect this pen would normally come in the same large plush box as the Kaigelu 316. It's an open nib pen with a painted metal section and a composite cap & barrel. The parts of the cap & barrel closest to the connector are resin, with laquered metal ends to both the cap & barrel.

 

Initial Impressions.

 

On opening the box I was fairly impressed. The black lacquering was beautifully done, without a blemish, and the gold highlights looked smart and attractive. The resin insert into both the cap & barrel look intriguing and very attractive. It's a varient of the amber/grey resin used on one of the Kaigelu 316 colour variations, with a ceboplast type twist. It looks very posh, especially with an engraved ring at the cap lip. On opening the cap, the pen still looks attractive with its moderately small nib which looks in proportion to the rest of the pen. There are two decorative rings, an apparently plated ring on the section and an engraved ring on the bottom of the cap showing kangaroos picked out in black. All-in-all, it looks very smart and understated.

 

The pen is as below:

Uncapped:

http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx356/richardandtracy/Kaigelu%20308/Kaigelu308Photo1.jpg

 

The nib & section look nice, as shown below.

http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx356/richardandtracy/Kaigelu%20308/Kaigelu308Photo2.jpg

 

The pen dimensions are:

• Length, Capped: 134mm (5.28")
  Length, Uncapped: 118mm (4.65")
  Length, Posted: 158mm (6.22")
  Barrel Diameter: 11.3mm (0.44")
  Weight: approx 37g

 

Construction

I think this is a higher range Kaigelu, so the plating is probably as thick as that on the Kaigelu 316. The metal parts of the barrel and cap are lacquered, as is the metal section. The convertor is a higher range screw in convertor, and is almost identical to the one found in the K316 ( http://www.fountainp...316-grey-amber/ ). The resin parts of the barrel & cap are fairly thin, and the material seems to have distorted a little at the colour change interfaces, so it may not be as stable in the long term as one would hope, but it seems well attached to metal fittings at either end, so the pen should remain in one piece for the forseeable future. The pen it is well put together, there are no sharp edges and it is well designed. The clip is secure and there are no sharp edges. The cap lip is reinforced with a separate machining and the edge is well finished.

While it isn't a top of the range pen, it feels well made and durable, with good design and all the parts are well finished, giving an admirably smooth surface.

 

Writing

I've not written with it inked, but the nib looks smooth and the tines well aligned under a loupe. The point is on the fine side of medium, not as fine as the Kaigelu 306, but not as wide as the medium on the Kaigelu 316.

 

The pen is well balanced when un-posted, and rather less so when posted. When posted the metal part of the cap is very high up, making the pen close to being unbalanced. The size is perfect for my large hands trained to the size of the Parker 61 & 51. The weight isn't objectionable & the section shape prevents your fingers sliding down to the nib. All round, it's comfortable & very well built. Should be suitable for quite a few hours of writing at a time.

 

Conclusion

This pen is yet another good Kaigelu. The more I see of the brand, the more I am impressed. Thus far, I've not seen a bad one.

 

I hope this is of interest,

 

Richard.