Jump to content

Faber Castell Ondoro - Smoked Oak


dragon666

Recommended Posts

Hi FPNers,

 

This is my second review on FPN. My first being the Pelikan M1005 (which I love).

 

This is also only the second Faber Castell pen that I own. I used to have an orange colour Intuition (lost it) which I believe to be very overpriced (and neither did I like it very much).

 

This Ondoro is such a magnificent pen, and so I was compelled to write this review.

 

I won't bore you with box opening etc as I usually throw away the packaging.

 

My impressions: (close comparison with GVFC Intuition, similar size and design)

 

1. Size 10/10 - a lovely fat pen that is not very long when unposted. I have medium sized hands. * This pen has perfect proportions * fullstop. (actually a double fullstop... very American, LOL)

 

2. Appearance 10/10. Many ppl at my work notice the pen from a distance - very much a head turner. The chrome contrasts beautifully with the stained oak. In particular, the chrome section is elegant and does a great job of finishing the straight lines of the oak barrel . The oak grain, though not polished, is deep and reflects light at different angles. The industrial design is superb, particularly with the hexagonal cross section. The curved spring held clip adds a delightful softness to break up the hard lines and cold steel, much like the curves of a woman. I like how the clip is positioned about 8 mm below the top of the cap and centred on the cap surface. Again, just right.

 

3. Fit/finish 10/10 - The oak is cut perfectly with sharp edges that are not uncomfortable to hold. The grain is very tactile, natural and raw. The chrome is brilliant, has no imperfections at all and reflects light like a spotless mirror (when not adorned with my finger prints). The steel nib, though a little small in relation to the pen, is highly polished with a dimple pattern and the Faber Castell logo (very much prettier than the dull TWSBI nibs). The nib size is actually a very good size. The ink channel is very fine, finer than the width of a hair (it amazes me how they cut this channel). The clip has a lovely spring to it without lateral movement. The wood-chrome interfaces are perfect without gaps/irregularities. All screw threads are smooth and tight, from the brass barrel thread to the nib itself (which can be completely removed for cleaning like Pelikan pens). The chrome butt of the barrel is a lovely touch and is like a mini mirror.

 

4. Weight & Feel 9/10 - The overall weight is great (I prefer heavy pens), and there is a lovely balance here. The pen is slightly cap-heavy when capped. The cap looks heavier than it actually is. It is in fact not solid metal, just the exterior. As such, it is not overly heavy. The timber barrel, consisting of brass elements as well, is also not overly heavy. When posted, the whole pen feels very heavy... actually feels like lead and so prevents me from writing quickly. But I never post my fountain pens so those that do may find that posting this pen is not a problem. The chrome section feels too small for me and I prefer to hold the pen higher up at the oak barrel, where the hexagonal cross section perfectly fits my thumb and two finger grip, much like the ergonomic rubber pencil grips I used as a child. Also, the chrome section feels very slippery. So, I subtract 1 point out of 10 for the small chrome section (although it is a visually stunning complement to the oak barrel). However, I am sure that people with smaller fingers and those that like to hold a fountain pen close to the nib will find the section perrrrfect.

 

5. Filing system 8/10 - No filling system is perfect (possibly the TWSBI diamond range with ink bottle is though). This is as good as you get with a converter. The converter holds sufficient ink (about 0.75 mL) and fits snuggly into the section. I actually use a small syringe and needle to fill my fountain pens and prime the nib (keeping things clean and economical). I suspect that dipping the whole pen into an ink bottle/well may result in ink accidentally staining the lovely but fat oak barrel. Disaster!!! I deduct 2 points for the converter being small and being forced to refill every three days.

 

6. Writing experience 9/10 - Straight out of the box, the nib was super smooth (unlike my intuition which was never smooth). It is the best steel nib I have used. For this pen, the nib is perfect. I found myself flexing the nib naturally when writing, but when I went to flex the pen some more, it resisted. For a steel nib, I was very surprised at how soft it was. The TWSBI 540/580 is a stiff nail, the Ondoro is not. Because of this pen's dimensions and weight, a true flexi nib may be too delicate. But as it stands, this nib has enough flex in it to be creative. I apologise if I sound muddled here. It is the best I can do to describe this nib. Please refer to my writing sample. Regarding performance, the pen starts up every time, is neither wet nor dry and never skips.

 

7. Price 8/10 - I got this pen for $125 from some internet shop. It blows my GVFC Intuition out of the water irrespective of price (actually 1/3 of the price). I deduct 2 points for the fact that the nib is steel and not gold. Having said that, this steel nib is way smoother than some of my other gold-nibbed pens. Compared to other brands/models, this has got to be one of THE BEST bang-for-your-buck pens out there. Having said that, one can also buy $10 Chinese copies of famous pens that write extremely well. I believe $125 for this pen is a bloody good deal.

 

Gripes: When recapping this pen, you have to align the hexagonal surfaces of the cap and barrel, which may not correspond to the orientation of the nib. For the first several times, I recapped with respect to nib orientation and was met with much resistance and crunching. I fixed this problem by unscrewing the nib and realigning it so that it matched the hexagonal surface of the barrel. Now I recap as I would any other cylindrical fountain pen.

 

Conclusion: The Faber Castell Ondoro Oak pen is a stunning example of industrial design. The Ondoro is a blend of cool chrome and warm oak. It writes magnificently and is not expensive. It punches well above its class and is at the forefront in my stable of fountain pens. Why pay $3500 for the latest World Fountain Pen Of The Year? (replace "World" with "Graf Von Faber Castell" [yeah, every year] or "I've been ripped off")

 

I paid $125 for my own "fountain pen of the year". Not to shabby if you ask me.

 

NB. Photos taken from a smartphone (more so than me)

 

post-49148-0-73896100-1381659352_thumb.jpg

 

post-49148-0-12285700-1381659448_thumb.jpg

 

post-49148-0-15975400-1381659491_thumb.jpg

 

post-49148-0-07894200-1381659542_thumb.jpg

Edited by dragon666
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 42
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • dragon666

    5

  • Edwaroth

    3

  • Tas

    2

  • displacermoose

    2

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

I like the looks of it but it seems like it might get uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. Am I wrong?

"The pen is mightier than the sword if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp." - Terry Pratchet

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/1338/hxl1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The converter comes with the pen.

 

In my line of work I write A LOT. No problems with discomfort long term. I have a light grip though and hold the pen about 1 inch away from the nib.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the great review and pics.

 

Also, thanks for an intro to a pen that seems to have gone under my radar,

 

Looks pretty innovative and exciting.

 

Inked

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The converter comes with the pen.

 

In my line of work I write A LOT. No problems with discomfort long term. I have a light grip though and hold the pen about 1 inch away from the nib.

 

That's good to know. I think I'll have find someone who owns it so I can give it a run before buying one of my own though.

"The pen is mightier than the sword if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp." - Terry Pratchet

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/1338/hxl1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great review and a nice looking pen. I never thought I would say that about a wooden pen. Still don't like the idea of a steel nib though. Living where I do I am unlikely to get to try one and be proven wrong though!

Skype: andyhayes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used the pen posted today at work. It is not as heavy as I initially thought, though still quite heavy. I still prefer this pen unposted but can now write fairly quickly when it is posted.

 

I'm liking the steel nib more and more btw

Edited by dragon666
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Mine just arrived from Cult Pens.

Came with a free pen and 3 pencils for 88 pounds delivered which included their fountain pen day discount.

 

Not bad price.

 

Quite enjoying the smell of the wood.. feels like i'm in school again drawing with pencils.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Thank you. That's a great review. A very nice pen. Glad to know the steel nib is that smooth.

 

Before I left my previous employer, the (now ex-) colleagues gave me a Graf von Faber-Castell Classic fountain pen and mechanical pencil set as farewell gift. Not sure at that time but thought these were a separate line of Faber-Castell. They are really beautiful. Never use the fountain pen as I was (still am) happy with my Pelikan M730. The pencil is always on my desk and I use it every day.

Edited by zerotester
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    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...