Inoxcrom Oxford

[jslallar]

INTRODUCTION: Just browsing through a local market a few months ago I came upon a thin black metal pen with lacquer coating. Turned out to be an Inoxcrom. The price was very reasonable. I have had some experience with Spanish Inoxcroms before and knew that the pens are worth their price and more. Closer inspection showed a small dent in the barrel. I showed it to the shopkeeper and got the pen for nearly half the already very reasonable price. I later found that it is Inoxcrom Oxford.

 

 

 

1. Appearance & Design (6/10) – Drab, all black lacquer with golden straight squarish clip, golden top and bottom ends and the name of the company near the cap lip, also in golden letters. The pen is quite thin but surprisingly heavy for its size.

 

2. Construction & Quality (8/10) – Although drab in appearance the pen is well made and the only defect (the small dent) was post production most likely. The cap snaps on well and with a satisfying click, neither too loud and forceful nor too light. The grip section has horizontal ridges, increasing the grip and belie the thin size of the grip section. The barrel screws on easily. The cap posts securely with a very small click and stays there, surprisingly not affecting the balance much and making the pen long enough for use even by people with long hands.

 

3. Weight & Dimensions (7/10) – I do not have the exact weight of this pen but it is about 18 gms. It is 13.8 cm long capped, 11.8 cm uncapped and 15.2 cm posted. Maximum width (cap band) is about 1.2 cm, barrel is 1.0 cm, and the grip section tapers down from 0.9 to 0.7 cm. It is a thin long pen. Being thin it gives the impression of being smaller than it actually is. The numbers were deducted for I find it too small and narrow for my large hands (glove size 8.5).

 

4. Nib & Performance (8.5/10) – This pen had a M nib. It is a wet writer (8/10), does not skip, and starts every time I put it on paper. I have used Pelikan 4001 Black, Green, and Turquoise with no problems ever. The nib is a steel with coating of gold, mono-tone, size 4. The nib extends 16 mm beyond the grip, and is 6.5 mm wide at the shoulders and 4.5 mm at base where it goes in to the grip section. It writes with a stroke of about 0.6-0.7 mm, making it a true western Medium.

 

5. Filling System & Maintenance (8/10) – The filling system is International cartridge, converter. The good thing is that most International converters would fit. The barrel is long enough to accommodate both long and short International Cartridges. The nib is friction fit, and the feed has longitudinal ridges on the underside.

 

6. Cost & Value (9/10) – I got this pen from a retail store as damaged for half the listed price ended up paying about Pak Rs 650 odd for this pen, which is roughly $8. Its MRSP was Pak Rs 1200 or $13. For the price it is an excellent pen, and in performance would give the Pelikan 381 a run for its money. It also compares favorably with the P381 in size and heft.

 

7. Conclusion (Final score= 46.5/60) – Apart from the thinness of girth I could find no problem with the pen. It writes well, does not skip, does not dry up too often, and takes about 10 min of being left on the desk before it needs a shake to restart in winters – that is important as Pakistan is a hot country and most offices and homes are equipped with ceiling fans and when they run at top speed, as they do most of the summer, the FP have a hard time staying alive under the constant draught.

 

A very nice thin and thinnish pen, heavy for its size, good nib, dependable writer, and a good poster. I would not buy it again for the small size, but I do use it occasionally in rotation especially when I take out my P381, as this has the same general feel

Edited May 28, 2012 by jslallar

[Chi Town]

Thanks for your review. A few more pictures and a written sample would be nice to have been seen.

[basterma]

I have several Inoxcroms and they are great writers for the most part. Inoxcrom is a really underrated brand that has some really great pens. Thanks for the review.