Wearever Pennant Review

[JonB55198]

Hi Group,

 

If you haven't my original post, please see here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/188488-one-red-fountain-pen/page__p__1903771__fromsearch__1#entry1903771. The premise is that I will be making a series of up-trades starting with a Red Wing Sung 322. My plan is to get to my current Grail Pen: the Pelikan M1000 Green Striated with Double-Broad or Cursive Italic Broad nib.

 

Well, I made my 2nd trade and Kris was kind enough to trade me two pens. I traded my Airmail 69TS for a Wearever Pennant and a Stypen UP! So, as promised in my original "deal" with the FPN, I'm going to review each pen that I receive in trade along the way. This review will be for the Wearever Pennant and I will review the other pen shortly.

 

Wearever Pennant Review:

Appearance & Design (6/10) – I really like the appearance of this pen...from the outside. The high gloss gold cap and the high gloss black resin barrel and section look very nice. Shortcomings are the plain looking chrome cap which lacks any design at all and the plain looking filler bar. Once you open up the pen you will see what is probably the ugliest nib you have ever seen. There is very little ornamentation about this nib and the shield over the slit makes the appearance worse. The clear feed is really cool and you can see the ink making its way down to the nib.

 

Construction & Quality (7/10) – The pen has a good weight to it that conveys a sense of quality. However, the model I had been given had a loose clip which I was unable to tighten. This may be a weak point of the pen that may fail often. I'm not sure. I have heard though that the J-bars break quite often on these as well and are unreliable. Obviously the sac has a finite life as well.

 

Weight & Dimensions (6/10) – As stated before, this pen has a decent weight for its size. I like a pen to have a higher density than a disposable. I like to be reminded that I am writing with something special. At 6.25" posted, it has a good size and feel to it. The balance isn't bad either and I had no trouble writing with it while taking notes in a 3 hour class. But, the cap is a bit heavier than the barrel so it is not perfect. The pen is not too thin as to be uncomfortable.

 

Nib & Performance (7/10) – The pen filled right up with ease. At first it skipped a little. But after a while this was remedied. After letting it sit for a few days, it started up with about 5 strokes. That was not as impressive as my Pelikan M200. But for the price of this pen, I felt this was reliable enough. The nib lays down a nice wet medium-fine line. My only problem with the nib is that if it is held at just the wrong angle, it feels a bit scratchy on the paper. One of the coolest things about the performance was the thread pitch of the cap. It is coarse enough to be able to deploy quickly with just 3/4 of a turn. I like this better than the pens where you have to turn the cap a few times to get it off.

 

Filling System & Maintenance (7/10) - I liked the way the pen filled. It seemed to take up alot of ink with each lift of the filler lever. During the couple of weeks that I used the pen, it didn't leak or drip into the cap at all. I have heard that the J-bars break easily and often though. I never had to perform maintenance no this filling system, so I'm goign to give it a 7 of 10.

 

Cost & Value (9/10) – In NOS in box condition these go for $30. I can imagine a used one without box like mine might be worth $15. After all, even though this pen is from the 50s and onward, millions were made. For $15, this is probably the highest quality pen I have in that price range. It is certainly the only lever filler I have for that price. Therefore, this pen scores high on the value rating.

 

Conclusion (42/60 = 70%) - If you like lever fillers and want one for short money, try to find one of these pens. They are pretty easily found since they were produced in large volumes. If you like screw caps, you will like this cap. If you like a medium sized pen about the size of a Pelikan 120, then you will like this pen. If you like a pen that will dazzle people with looks, you will not like this pen. If you like a reliable writer that you can carry with you out of the office with some old-school nostalgia to it, you will like this pen.

 

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