Ohto Fine and Ohto Tasche

[J-san]

OHTO Fine and Tasche

 

- Design, Fit & Finish -

 

Just looking at the Fine, you know it isn't an ordinary cheap pen. Mine is black colour with polished accents at both ends as well as the clip. Both ends of the pen are angled, giving it a unique look. The body is finished in a matte black and doesn't pick up fingerprints too easily, but oily smudges can take some doing to remove. Just under the clip is the pen's model (FINE) and below that, the company (OHTO). The opposite side of the cap designates the pen type (FOUNTAIN), followed by model numer and country of origin.

 

The seam between the cap and pen body are also at the same angle as the ends of the pen, but upon removal, one can see a polished inner sleeve that slides into the body, providing a precise fit. The sleeve also helps the cap engage the rear of the pen for a secure posting. Due to the unique angle of the ends, the cap only snaps on and posts in one orientation. When posted, the clip is always in-line with the top face of the nib. While a neat feature, it can make posting a bit more cumbersome if you are used to haphazardly sticking the cap to the end without thinking about orientation.

 

The Tasche is an interesting little pocket pen. Capped, it measures in at just under 9.5cm, but will extend to 14cm when posted. I like the "blacked-out" theme, and so my pens all tend to be of the same colour. The Tasche has an extra long cap that is almost as long as the pen's length, which allows it to have a comfortable length. The finish is a gloss black with silver lettering, and polished accents. The rear of the pen has a thin o-ring that provides a bit of resistance to prevent the cap from simply sliding off when posted. Personally, I would prefer a more positive lock-up like the little "ears" on the Lamy 2000, but the cap has not slid off under my use.

 

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/j3-san/P3292012.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/j3-san/P3292013.jpg

 

 

- Nib and Writing -

 

Both the Fine and Tasche share the same fine nibs, feed, and ink carts. The iridium-tipped nib is stainless piece with some decorative engraving and the words "Iridium Point Germany" etched into it. Apparently the nibs are the only part of the pen not from Japan. Both pens wrote smoothly on a variety of papers, but I found the ink to feather on standard printer paper. I decided to replace the factory ink with Noodler's black using a syringe and the feathering problems were solved. Both nibs lay down a dark and wet line using Noodler's. I did have a few dry starts after carrying the pens around clipped to my shirt pocket, but it didn't last long before the ink began to flow. The nibs are stiff and do not provide much line width variation. Because the iridium is a nearly uniform sphere, turning the pens upside down produce a similarly sized line, which is about 0.6mm.

 

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/j3-san/P3292015.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/j3-san/P3292018.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/j3-san/P3292019.jpg

 

 

- Ink and Filling -

 

The standard ink is water resistant and will survive a few drops of water without completely washing away. I ran a test sample under running water for a few seconds and some of the black ink washed away, but the text was still clearly readable. Refills are as easy as unscrewing the barrel and popping in a new cartridge. The ink carts are disappointingly on the small side. Understandably so for the diminutive Tasche, but for the full-sized Fine, a cartridge nearly 3 times as long could have easily fit inside the barrel. The Fine is a great daily writer, but expect frequent pit-stops to refill. At least both pens use the same refills so you are not forced to buy two separate sets, but it would have been nice for Ohto to offer a high-capacity cart for the Fine.

 

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/j3-san/P3292016.jpg

 

 

- Final Thoughts -

 

What a cool set of pens! I have long appreciated the "form follows function" philosophy and both Ohto pens are just that. I do like having two different pens that have the same functional internals. One is a staple at my desk, while the other is fit for duty to roam the world with me, yet provide a nearly identical writing experience as the one back home. Both pens can be had from jetpens.com for $20. A very reasonable price for a hardworking pens that are stylish and functional. The two of my pens can snuggle up together in the pocket of my new PLEPLE pen case!

 

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/j3-san/P3292020.jpg

[seikoguy]

Enjoyed the write-up and the photos. Thanks for sharing!

 

[NeoTiger]

Is that Pleble pen case from jetpens as well? Looks nice.

[Taki]

Thanks for your review, J-san! I like myaTasche as well. I clip mine to my wallet or Rhodia cover.

 

I got a PlePle pencase from jetpen, also. Very nice for the price

Edited April 1, 2007 by Taki

[bdngrd]

Thanks for the review, they look like fun pens.

Cool pen case!

[willietheshakes]

Damn this forum!

 

I check in for two minutes before starting my day and BOOM another $85 sucked out of my wallet.

 

 

[handlebar]

Thanks for the review.

 

JD

[Headache Corporation (TM)]

Great review! I'm keeping my eye out for these. Incidentally, the nib isn't the only German thing about the pen - the word "Tasche" (tah-shuh) means, very appropriately, "pocket" in German

[AndyHayes]

I am looking forward to these being sold in the UK. Fantastic little pens.

[owenm]

I am looking forward to these being sold in the UK. Fantastic little pens.

 

You can get something that looks very like the Tasche from Muji in black or aluminium finishes for about £10.

 

[AndyHayes]

I am looking forward to these being sold in the UK. Fantastic little pens.

 

You can get something that looks very like the Tasche from Muji in black or aluminium finishes for about £10.

 

I found them but they lack the colapsability of the others. I like the fact that it can be made so small. So it is function rather than style that I want!

Edited June 25, 2007 by AndyHayes

[Taki]

I am looking forward to these being sold in the UK. Fantastic little pens.

 

You can get something that looks very like the Tasche from Muji in black or aluminium finishes for about £10.

 

I found them but they lack the colapsability of the others. I like the fact that it can be made so small. So it is function rather than style that I want!

They might have discontinued the model and I can't find it on Muji website, but they used to sell their version of Tasche. See the Japanese blog below.

 

http://3points.blog10.fc2.com/blog-entry-214.html

 

In the first photo it looks bigger than Tasche but it's an optical illusion, I think

 

EDIT: After reading Japanese sites some more, it sounds like Muji ones are not the same as Ohto, though the design is very similar. I found a site that says Ohto ones are better quality.

Edited June 25, 2007 by Taki

[inkysmudges]

I don't mean to be poopy or anything but I'd like to offer a differing view on the Ohto Tasche: I'd have to call it "underwhelming". Sure it's okay, it works and the nib is satisfactory, but I found the ink flow to be a bit "anemic" and the nib to be stiff, a bit toothy and unresponsive. If it wasn't for the unusually small size of it when capped I'm pretty sure I'd just toss it in the "misc pens" bin and forget about it.

 

FWIW, my guess would be that it's a Chinese pen being marketed in Japan. I think the generic "Iridium Point - Germany" text on the nib is some evidence of that (several of the cheapo Chinese pens I've purchased have exactly the same imprint). As with most of the Chinese pens I've seen the Tasche's strong points are it's novelty packaging, not the character or performance of the nib.

 

FWIW, if I had the $20 to spend on a pen of this class I'd much rather go for a Lamy Safari, a Pilot 78G, a Pelikan Steno, or even a Hero 508 which might even save a bit of money. All are smoother, wetter writers and have nibs with much more "personality".

Edited June 25, 2007 by inkysmudges

[Taki]

FWIW, if I had the $20 to spend on a pen of this class I'd much rather go for a Lamy Safari, a Pilot 78G, a Pelikan Steno, or even a Hero 508 which might even save a bit of money. All are smoother, wetter writers and have nibs with much more "personality".

 

Tasche and Fine are sold for 1000 yen each (or equiv. of U.S. $8) in Japan. I don't know where they are made but the company is reputable and they are in business since 1929.

 

http://www.ohto.co.jp/english/english.html

 

And, no, you don't get a free ink roller even if you click the link on top of the page I guess that's one of product-line names.

[rroossinck]

J-san, thanks for the review! I thought these were cool pens the other night when I handled them at dinner. A touch on the slim side for my hand, but cool nonetheless.

 

I owe you a PM...expect it tonight.

[inkysmudges]

Tasche and Fine are sold for 1000 yen each (or equiv. of U.S. $8) in Japan.

 

Ah, well that changes things a bit. That would make them less than 1/2 the price of the others I listed. At that price the Tasche would be pretty hard to beat.

 

[keevinl]

I own both the Ohto Tasche and the Muji equivalent. The Muji one comes in a matte aluminium finish. It doesn't post as well as the Ohto and feels loose and wobbles when you write with it. The Muji nib wrote just as well as the worn in ohto straight out of the wrapper. For the price you're paying for these pens, they're pretty darn good.

[sclt45]

Thank you for hte review.

[lisa]

From the picture it looks likr they take international short cartridges. Is that correct?

 

Thanks

[Penache]

Yes, both of mine came with short cartridges. You couldn't possibly fit anything longer in the Tasche but the Fine could probably handle a longer cartridge.

I prefer my Tasche to the Fine. The Fine is just a tad heavy for my hand to be entirely comfortable for long writing sessions.