Faber Castell - Ondoro Review

[ewsforos]

Hello,

 

Please find below a handwritten review of the Faber Castell Ondoro Fountain Pen.

 

As mentioned in the review this is my first one, so please, be gentle :-)

 

 

 

 

Images:

 

 

Thanks,

 

Ewsforos

[InkyWinky]

Nice review!

[Kaych]

Great review. Nice to see Faber-Castell getting more attention around here lately. It's definitely a brand that should be more well-known.

 

How do you like this pen compared to the Anello?

[Brian]

Nice review. Ondoro looks like it has a snap cap and a nice plastic section. Its easy to see it is fairly wide and would be pleasant to hold. Anyone know the retail for this?

[ewsforos]

Thank you for your comments :-)

 

I agree that Faber-Castell is a much underestimated brand.

 

I have to admit that even though I like both pens, my hand always reaches for the Anello when I need to write something.

 

Strangely, even though the shape and size of the Ondoro sits better in my hand, the sublime smoothness and combination of slight flex and feedback of the nib, as well as the quality feel of the Anello always win me over.

 

Then again the Anello costs 5 times as much as the Ondoro, so If this wasn't the case I would be very worried indeed :-)

 

All in all, for the price it costs, it is a superb pen that I would happily recommend.

 

I feel that you would really need to look at quite more expensive pens to find something that looks/feels as good and writes as well.

 

 

Edit: I just saw Brian's reply. I believe that the current retail price is around the £75-£80 mark (though it seems to be extremely hard to find for some reason)

Edited May 9, 2010 by ewsforos

[Ed Ronax]

Thanks for the review and nice looking pen.

[rdh]

Thanks for the review.

 

It looks like this is the same pen as the Mondoro. Any idea of why it has 2 names?

 

Different names for different markets, perhaps?

 

Dave

[ewsforos]

Indeed, after reading your post, and a few google searches, it looks like the pen is mostly known as "Mondoro".

 

What I find surprising is, that as far as I can tell, looking at Faber-Castell's international version of the site, as well as the US and German it is referred to as Ondoro.

 

* Note: Just found it referred to as "Mondoro" in the "Hong Kong" version of the site. Looks like it has indeed been given different names for different markets.

[beluga]

Thanks for the review.

 

It looks like this is the same pen as the Mondoro. Any idea of why it has 2 names?

 

Different names for different markets, perhaps?

 

Dave

 

 

 

I got to know the pen as Mondoro too and this was also the original name on the German and US Faber-Castell websites.

The change from Mondoro to Ondoro appears to be recent and on several US websites the pen is still sold under the earlier Mondoro name.

 

There is a Asian based design company under this name and an Italian sparkling wine carries the name Mondoro too.

It is entirely possible that the name Mondoro had been registered by some company before, which now insists on exclusivity.

 

 

BTW: A great pen in this class - no matter what it's called.

My 9-year old daughter picked one when I took her with me to the pen store and I own two as well.

 

 

 

 

B.

 

 

 

 

Edit:

Typo

Edited May 11, 2010 by beluga

[Pfhorrest]

Isn't the name Mondoro? And thanks for the great review. I was thinking on this pen, and now I'm a step closer to buying

[Silvermink]

The Ondoro is probably my favorite Faber-Castell design (though I also like the Graf Intuition, especially in the orange/black variant - well, and a couple of the POTYs, though I doubt I'll ever own one due to the cost) - I like the unusual body shape. Might have to pick one up eventually.

Edited May 11, 2010 by Silvermink

[emrecan]

Hello,

 

Thank you for your review. I do have Faber-Castell Emotion FP with M nib. Which has the same nib as "Mondoro". Also ambition has the same nib. I think FCastell uses same steel nib on their FP's.

 

Take Care,

-Emrecan

[ericthered2004]

Thanks for the review. I've been using this pen for a while. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the nib is excellent. I think I'd prefer it a little thinner, even though the design makes a nice change. Now what would be really nice is to have an Intuition, but at its price I don't think that will ever happen.

 

Regards

eric

[marmite]

I was in the market for a mechanical pencil - bought the Ambition in black but after your review cancelled that and ended up buying the Ondoro pencil and fountain pen (both in orange). Looking forward to receiving them tomorrow!

[schuco]

i am not sure, but, still an opinion: the white one i have seen called Ondoro, the black one Mondoro.

 

another thing: i also have a FC Ambition. nibs seem to be identical, but Ondoro's writes way more smoothly than the Ambition's.

[beluga]

i am not sure, but, still an opinion: the white one i have seen called Ondoro, the black one Mondoro.

 

another thing: i also have a FC Ambition. nibs seem to be identical, but Ondoro's writes way more smoothly than the Ambition's.

 

 

The pen was designed and introduced as the "Mondoro", but apparently Faber-Castell was made aware that this name was registered as trademark already and the company was then obliged to change the name.

 

As the pen had already gained acceptance and was well established as "Mondoro", the easiest solution was to drop the "M", which would still make it sound similar to the original name.

 

 

To me the name changed from something that sounded like French or Spanish for "world" and "gold" to something that sounded more like a crater in Tanzania , but who cares; these pens write quite nicely, fit well into my hand and prove what can be achieved with a good steel nib.

 

 

 

B.

Edited March 6, 2011 by beluga

[penmanila]

i just picked up this pen today at rome's fiumicino airport--i'd been in italy for a month and hadn't bought myself anything, so i figured a 99-euro faber-castell wouldn't be too bad. (it's still being sold as the mondoro in rome, btw.) tried it immediately with the cartridge supplied (along with an FC converter) while waiitng for my flight. was surprised by how well it wrote, and how nicely it felt in the hand!

 

this is my fourth FC--after the guilloche, the pernambuco, and the e-motion, all of which are good writers--but the mondoro is a worthy addition to the line. the chunky hexagonal profile might not be for everyone, but the sculpted section feels just right, and the combination of black barrel and silver (chromed, most likely) cap is simply handsome. its steel nib only came in M, but i was told (and it looks like) the nib of the e-motion can be switched with it, so i can still use my B.

[Phormula]

Thanks for the review :clap1: :clap1: :clap1:

 

I have the Ondoro in orange resin and, apart from the solid performance, I like the light weight of the pen and the hexagonal barrel, which prevents the pen from rolling down from the table.

[beluga]

i just picked up this pen today at rome's fiumicino airport--i'd been in italy for a month and hadn't bought myself anything, so i figured a 99-euro faber-castell wouldn't be too bad. (it's still being sold as the mondoro in rome, btw.) tried it immediately with the cartridge supplied (along with an FC converter) while waiitng for my flight. was surprised by how well it wrote, and how nicely it felt in the hand!

 

this is my fourth FC--after the guilloche, the pernambuco, and the e-motion, all of which are good writers--but the mondoro is a worthy addition to the line. the chunky hexagonal profile might not be for everyone, but the sculpted section feels just right, and the combination of black barrel and silver (chromed, most likely) cap is simply handsome. its steel nib only came in M, but i was told (and it looks like) the nib of the e-motion can be switched with it, so i can still use my B.

 

 

E-Motion and Ambition nib and grip sections can be ordered as spare part (in the US at least) and cost $17-$19 each.

( http://www.faber-castellusa.com/21264/Products/Spare-Parts/Spare-Parts-2/index_ebene2.aspx )

Ondoro grip sections are not listed, but if the nib can be exchanged easily you may not have to give up your B nib.

 

 

I like Faber-Castell pens for their style and writing qualities, find all their nibs are solid performers, and their steel nibs show how good the humble steel nib can write.

 

 

 

 

B

[Pengrump]

I picked up an Ondoro in black at the closing of Bob Slate's stationery store in Cambridge, MA. I hadn't considered the pen at all, but the clerk took it out to show someone else, who wasn't interested in it. I tried it and was sold immediately on how comfortable it was and how well it wrote. I had tried an E-motion a few years ago at Joons in Manhattan and found it awkward and unbalanced, too short to use unposted and back heavy when posted. The Ondoro, however, is pretty near perfect. I finally cleaned it out for the first time since getting it over two months ago. Soon I'll ink it up again.