Jump to content

Faber-Castell Writink


Angel91

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

 

I've recently seen in an Italian fountain pen online shop a Faber-Castell model called Writink Resin. It's quite cheap and has a dark nib. Has anyone heard of it? Is it a new release? I cannot find information in any other website.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 53
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Old_Inkyhand

    17

  • Feanaaro

    5

  • Angel91

    4

  • senzen

    3

I don't know anything about that one but I highly recommend Faber Castell as a brand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is a new release, which shouldn't be available yet (maybe in April). Affordable plastic pens, aimed at youngsters. May be an interesting model, as it will have a Faber Castell nib (I guess it will be their standard nib, not anything worse) and the plastic body will be cheap and lightweight. It will have a black 3d fingerprint mark on the barrel and a rubber-looking dark cap. It will be available in four colours - black, white, pink and blue. Another version of this one is going to hit the market in Autumn 2016, it will be an affordable wooden fountain pen.

 

To sum up - not the prettiest ones, but definitely worth having a look if you are looking for a nice, lightweight, durable, not-so-serious pen for little money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the info. In fact, the only informaion I've found is a video on youtube of a wooden WRITink. Do you think they'll be the same starter prize? They really look interesting, as everyone talks so good about F-C nibs. What put me offs a bit is that fingerprint mark. Do you have any pics or more information about that wooden version?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The plastic one should cost under 24$ (for a fountain pen, but there will be rollerballs and ballpoints available as well), I don't know anything about the price of the wooden version, but they will be cheaper than Faber Castell Basic FPs. As the wooden is only a variation of WRITink, I guess they would have the same price.

There will be three nib widths to choose from (yay!): F, M and B.

Although the first release date was April, one of the Polish stores claims that in March it was changed and the plastic version will be available in June, the wooden version should be available in September.

There is a thread about them on piorawieczneforum.pl, one of Polish pen forums. Polish can be difficult to translate and understand, so I share the essential information :)

Here are the photographs of the plastic version:

- official photos

- real life photos

- another real life photos

 

And a sneak peek of the wooden version.

 

And a Youtube review of the wooden version (in Polish, maybe I'll watch it soon and translate a bit). :)

 

Credits: The first two links were posted by a store and lead to their website. The other two were posted by a user nicknamed "Rebus". I'm not sure whether they are connected or not. The video review was posted by Tuzand, who reviews pens quite often (his reviews can be found on Youtube both on his own channel and a channel of "Twoje Pióro" store). I'm not affiliated with them.

 

EDIT: I have already watched the film.

- The pen is made of plastic and the barrel is covered with a thin layer of natural wood veneer.

- It will be available in three colours (see the picture - link above - or jump to this moment) - brown with a black cap, black with a black cap and white (cream) with a white cap and silver clip. The closeup of the texture. The finish looks nice and natural.

- The cap top is slightly concave; the other end of the pen is flat

- The section is plastic.

- The nib is a slightly modified version of the nib which we know from the current line of Faber Castell pens. It seems shorter (it is partially covered by the section) and more curved (Falconish ;) ). It is very pleasant, but the M writes like an F or even EF. It is impossible to use it upside down (to write with the top of the nib).

- The pen can be used with international cartridges and converters.

- The pen isn't heavy, it is well balanced and comfortable to use unposted

- The cap isn't heavy as well, it stays securely on the barrel when posted, the pen doesn't become end-heavy in this case (so if one likes using his pens posted, it shouldn't be a problem with WRITink).

- When we try to cap the pen, we feel a bit of resistance and a 'click'. The overall feeling: the cap stays securely and tightly on the pen.

- Pen's dimensions: capped - 13.4 cm, uncapped - 12.5 cm, barrel's diameter: 12 mm, section's diameter: 11 mm.

- Weight: 17 grams.

- Thicker and slightly longer than Parker Sonnet, both capped and uncapped.

- To reveal or hide the tip of the ballpoint version, one has to turn the "cap" a little bit.

- The reviewer says that in his opinion it is a very interesting pen and it should become popular in the near future.

Edited by Old_Inkyhand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it uses the same nib as all Basic/Loom/Ambition it is going to write well. As to whether users will take to the from I am not sure. I do like to write with the Basic polished steel that I have but it is not an FP that I like to twiddle with like with some others.

As to how the market will take it I suppose it will depend on how wide the FC marketing will be to provide exposure, be it on the web or physical shops. Lamy command the market it does because they are everywhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is a different nib, but it doesn't affect the overall user's experience, which is very good (based on what Tuzand says). It is worth noticing, though, that the line is very fine. WRITink medium is much thiner than the regular F.

This can be a nice workhorse, a good pen to carry around, toss into a backpack without the fear of damaging an expensive pen. Like Lamy Safari, but with a less quirky design. Lamy will have better availability and more types of nibs to choose from. It would be very nice to have a possibility to buy a cheap-yet-reliable wooden pen - or even a fancy looking plastic one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you very much for the info! It's been really helpful. Weird that they make such a fine nib, why do you think is that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're welcome. I think there can be a few explanations.

The first explanation - strange writing out of the box. My Faber Castell Ambition (F nib) laid a thin line at the beginning, now it is more like a F/M, closer to the Waterman's F. Maybe this one will 'heat up' a bit as well.

The second explanation - it was a test model from an early batch and the later pens will write in a different manner. Very unlikely.

The third explanation - Faber Castell wanted to make a different nib for WRITink to reduce costs and/or justify the higher price of the more expensive models. It was an additional cost, they had to adjust their production line etc., etc. - a lot of work to produce a cheap pen, so in their hunt for affordable, reliable, smooth nib they didn't fuss a lot about the line width.

The fourth explanation - people who just start using fountain pens are usually used to ballpoints and gel pens, which lay a thin line. I've heard some beginners complain about Waterman's fine nib, which is definitely on the wet, broad side. A very fine line is less disappointing for a beginner than a thick, watery line, which can induce rapid changes in their handwriting. What's more, the pen is aimed at students, whose handwriting is usually dense (checked notebooks, equations, graphs, lots of writing). Please note that the pen produces a thicker line, when pressed harder. Maybe they expect the beginners to press harder than avid fountain pen users - I don't know.

The fifth explanation - maybe they try to reach a number of people who are looking for some very fine nibs. Japanese FPs are still hard to get in brick-and-mortars in many places, and someone looking for an entry-level pen won't be eager to order it online or have it shipped from Japan.

 

Fine nibs are... well... fine :) for many people, but they definitely should be properly marked. In this case M looks like XF, so F probably looks like XXF, and B looks like F. Whoa. We'll see :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh wow, great explanation. So would you say it is worth it over a loom?

What do you say about those threads in the section? They look quite uncomfortable. Has any of you tried it personally?

Edited by Angel91
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't tried it yet. It is hard to predict... I don't own Loom, I have only had a possibility to use on for a short period. I doubt it will be better than the Loom, as it would be cheaper and there is no point in making budget pens, which are considerably better than their more expensive equivalents. I think it might be just as good or only a bit 'worse', so they can actually have a better value for money. There are some differences between the Basic/Loom pens and the WRITink. WRITink is a good choice for those who like very fine nibs and a different design (not everyone is crazy about the childish look of Loom, its chunky fat cap and metal section - or the serious, 'boring' office workhorse: Basic, too cheap for a businessman, not exciting enough for a trendy youngster).

 

I think one shouldn't have much problem when trying to decide between WRITink, Loom and Basic. There are a few factors which should be taken under consideration, including line width, design preferences and price (although the differences in price won't be very big, it can be important for someone who is short on cash and can get, let's say, two additional bottles of ink when s/he chooses the cheaper pen).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Still waiting for my FC Ambition but these look interesting, particularly in wood. Thanks!

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still waiting for my FC Ambition but these look interesting, particularly in wood. Thanks!

If you like wood, the WRITInk can be a perfect 'toss around' pen. If you have a wooden Ambition, you should be gentle with it. Avoid flying with it, rapid temperature changes, ink stains... If you use some hand balm, be particularly careful. Sometimes the wood becomes a bit grey if you use it after having applied a moisturiser, even if it is already quite a few hours later.

 

 

EDIT: ...but Ambition is a wonderful pen, I hope you'll be very satisfied with it. Give it some time - it writes well out of the box, but it writes even better after a few days of usage. And a bit wetter.

Edited by Old_Inkyhand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

EDIT: ...but Ambition is a wonderful pen, I hope you'll be very satisfied with it. Give it some time - it writes well out of the box, but it writes even better after a few days of usage. And a bit wetter.

I've noticed this about my Loom as well. The more I use it, the more I love it! (I believe that loom and ambition use the same nib)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've noticed this about my Loom as well. The more I use it, the more I love it! (I believe that loom and ambition use the same nib)

This is a very pleasant feature of many pens :) I don't fall in love easily, I'm usually full of doubt when I test drive my pens. I tend to look for their weaknesses and judge my expenses in a harsh way. I absolutely adore the way they're getting better, like if we (a pen and I) were learning to like each other. I wouldn't sell any of my pens, although some of the beginnings haven't been very joyful.

 

Steel nibs simply have to check if someone steel loves them ;)

Edited by Old_Inkyhand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That wooden one looks nice, maybe one of my next purchaces :-) Thanks for links.

... I believe in purple ink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

is anyone selling it somewhere....

It may be possible that someone has received an early batch of these pens, but the 'official' release will be in June...

 

EDIT: The release date of the plastic ('resin') version is June, for the wooden version - September. :) Based on what I've heard from the sellers.

Edited by Old_Inkyhand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It may be possible that someone has received an early batch of these pens, but the 'official' release will be in June...

 

EDIT: The release date of the plastic ('resin') version is June, for the wooden version - September. :) Based on what I've heard from the sellers.

they are beautiful...

vaibhav mehandiratta

architect & fountain pen connoisseur

 

blog | instagram | twitter

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...