Review: Cleo Classic

[requiescat]

This is a steel F nib Cleo Skribent Classic that I <a href="https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/267534-papier-plume-in-nola/">bought from Papier Plume in New Orleans</a> a few weeks ago. I specifically went there in search of that pen, as it looked and sounded like a good workhorse on their website but I wanted to try it in person. Also, I've only been in a physical store that sold fountain pens a couple times before, and I was curious! It's a great store (see link above) and I definitely recommend it if you get a chance, not that there isn't already plenty to do in New Orleans!

I'm sorry for my shaky photography but here's a couple shots of the pen; I bought the one I ink-tested at the store, which was great as I was assured that it would work for me at least some of the time.

http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/cleo-classic-02.jpg

http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/cleo-classic-03.jpg

And here's a handwriting sample in Noodler's Red-Black, on Clairefontaine paper:

http://yoonhalee.com/images-pens/cleo-classic-01.jpg

Appearance & Design (1-10) – 9. I prefer either blingy pens (I love my azure pearl Parker Vacumatic, but subtle that pen is not!) or black-with-gold-colored-trim, and this falls into neither category. It's white with silver-colored trim, but it's tasteful enough, and the appearance is matter-of-fact. I would say that of course this is a matter of taste, but it strikes me as well-designed but not flashy, and it's not my favorite of my pens looks-wise. However, I find its looks unobjectionable, and for a working pen that's good enough.

(I believe the Cleo Classic is available in black-and-silver with a steel nib, but I was in a hurry because my husband looked, er, impatient with the whole enterprise and I didn't want to annoy him further, and he was nice enough to do the driving.)

All this would be an 8, but I bumped it to a 9 because I personally adore ink windows. I am unreasonably neurotic about knowing how much ink is left in the pen when it's something I may be carrying around with me. The clear ink window is quite functional and is actually the biggest reason this pen design caught my eye.

Construction & Quality (1-10) – 9. I believe this is an acrylic pen. I would not worry about dropping it (as long as it wasn't nib-first) in an accident, although I imagine it's no Lamy Safari in this regard. (I don't plan on putting this to the test.) This feels like a competent, solid, well-made pen in my hand.

Weight & Dimensions (1-10) – 9. This is on the lighter side as pens go; people have different preferences but I strongly prefer light pens. (For instance, I find the Pilot Metropolitan a little uncomfortable because of its weight.) So I have no complaints there. It's probably medium-sized as pens go, but since I have medium-sized hands, I find this congenial.

Nib & Performance (1-10) - 10. I got a steel nib because I needed to save money, and I've had good steel nibs and bad gold ones, so I don't care one way or the other. The nib is a Western F, and it's a definite nail. I have a Waterman 52V wet noodle from Mauricio Aguilar and I daresay it satisfies my wet noodling needs. When I am sitting down for a long session of writing (I am a sf/f writer), I actively prefer a nail or nonflexy nib. So the pen was what I was looking for. It writes very smoothly.

An interesting quirk is that the pen would not write at a lower (30-35 degree) angle when dipped, although I can write at 45 degrees when I have to (I was trained by the loan of a Safari). However, once I took it home and filled it from a bottle, the ink flowed quite readily for my preferred writing angle.

Filling System & Maintenance (1-10) - 9. The Cleo Classic is a piston-filler. The lady at Papier Plume showed me how to use it and I had no trouble with it. (I've used piston fillers before, but I figured a refresher never hurts, and she was so *nice*.) I was advised not to disassemble the pen, but I have a two-year warranty. She said that if there was any problem, I should bring the pen back to the store (I live in Baton Rouge, so driving down to New Orleans is doable if we ever figure out where the heck to park near the French Quarter--as you can tell, I am not a Louisiana native!), and they would attempt to fix it there, and if that didn't work, they would send it to the company, Cleo Skribent. I am hoping this will not become necessary, of course, but it's good to know.

Cost & Value (1-10) – 9. Bought at Papier Plume in New Orleans, and since I dip-tested it at the store, I imagine it had been dip-tested before. I actually feel better about that knowing that a pen has been put through its paces. I also had the opportunity to watch the lady at the fountain pen counter meticulously cleaning the previous pen I had dip-tested (the c/c version of this pen), so I feel confident that the pen is in good shape despite whatever previous use it's seen. I paid $120 plus sales tax for the pen. I'm pretty happy with the price; God knows, I've spent more than that per pen on a couple Pelikans M200s that consistently skipped, even though I love the M200's form factor. I'm very happy.

Conclusion (Final score, 55/60) - I've been using this pen for a few weeks now and I'm incredibly pleased to have such a pleasant workhorse. I plan on using it to work on novels (probably alternating with other pens, but you know). Is it more compelling than other piston fillers at its price point? I don't know. But having the opportunity to buy it from a store in person was incredibly fulfilling, and knowing that I'm not buying a pen off the internet and praying that it behaves (Pelikan M200s, I'm looking at you; I kept one to use the Binder XXXF artist's flex nib with, otherwise...)? That's worth it to me.

[Ambien]

I love piston fillers and this does remind me of the m205. I like the streamlined design of the Cleo Classic, it looks understated but elegant at the same time. Thanks for the review.

[ttakacs]

Thanks for the review. Did you try out the gold nib version? Unlike the steel nib, the Cleo gold nib is springy, and a pleasure to write with.

Edited June 13, 2014 by ttakacs

[requiescat]

I didn't try the gold nib version--my husband was getting impatient or I would have lingered, and anyway I couldn't have afforded the gold nib on that particular day because the funds were tied up (long boring story), so I wouldn't have tried a pen that I wasn't going to buy. I actively prefer nails to springy nibs in any case, so it sounds like I made the right decision.

[vikramguliya]

I saw a Pens that had a gold nib version with my friend but i was not lucky to use it because the pen had a ink flow problem!

[zebra baker]

I have a black model with a steel nib, and it has been a work horse for several years now. I too love its lightness and ink window . . . and the fact that it is longer than the Pelikan 200. A bit more comfortable unposted!

[ThomasB]

Let me put a +1 in for Papier Plume. First, if you have never visited a brick and mortar pen store, you need too. The rush you get when you walk through the door and see all the pens in person is seldom rivaled (except when you got to a pen show and see a multiple of the same...Second, the folks at Papier Plume are super friendly and want to show you every pen they have and on top of that are very knowledgeable about their pens...I had the pleasure of visiting them about nine months ago and left with a Lamy Al-Star and a Franklin Christoph 19, both with italic nibs--two pen models that had never crossed my radar for purchase until I went to Papier Plume.

[John Hall]

Thanks for the review - a great pen at a very reasonable price. Cleo Skribent deserve to be better known than they are - excellent and reasonably priced pens throughout the range.

[deepkesh]

I am planning to buy the pen but with a fine gold nib. I have read quite a few reviews that their gold nibs have skipping and hard start issues and needs some tuning. I wonder if somebody can give some feedback about their experience with the nib.

[Bill P]

I have sold and personally owned several Cleo Skribent Fountain Pens....both Steel nibs and Gold nibs...They are simply excellent pens and nibs...and very good value for what you are purchasing....

 

I have NOT experienced or heard of any issues with the Steel or Gold nibs...no skipping or hard starts with either nib.

 

I highly recommend..

 

Bill P.

[deepkesh]

I have been reading up quite a lot about this pen, trying to formulate some kind of opinion about it as I will have to buy the pen online and hence no chance of trying it out first, and I found on the following blogs - 7heDaniel, Pens Paper Pencil, and United Inkdom - that they had issues with the gold nib, hard starts or skipping, or both. Incidentally, I could only find glowing praises about their steel nibs.

[jchch1950]

Cleo Skibent Fountain pens are underrated and not easy to find in every store.Price quality is OK.

[goodpens]

I didn't try the gold nib version--my husband was getting impatient or I would have lingered, and anyway I couldn't have afforded the gold nib on that particular day because the funds were tied up (long boring story), so I wouldn't have tried a pen that I wasn't going to buy. I actively prefer nails to springy nibs in any case, so it sounds like I made the right decision.

How has this pen held up after the years??

Thanks for an update to your initial review.

[donnweinberg]

I very recently obtained  a burgundy one with a gold broad nib from an Amazon seller, and I have a black one with a gold broad nib coming from Papier Plume.  I inked up the burgundy one with Pilot Iroshizuku "Yama-budo" ink (a reddish-violet).  The pen's piston filler worked perfectly.  The pen wrote immediately and very smoothly.  The pen feels great in the hand when writing.  Over the next two days, the pen wrote immediately without any hard starts.  So far, so good.

[donnweinberg]

Follow-up:  I am very happy with this pen (Broad 14K nib); the more I write with it, the more I like it.  It writes immediately and smoothly each time.  I also obtained the black one (broad, 14K) and the white one (medium, 14K).  Aesthetically pleasing to look at, well-balanced and warm to hold, as well.