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Faber-Castell Ambition Review (Medium In Black Resin)


a.zy.lee

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Faber-Castell Ambition Review (Medium in Black Resin)

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I have owned this pen for a year now, and it has been used very heavily during that time. It was the first pen I bought and chose myself and it was a sort-of grail at the time.

 

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Th pen's design is very minimalistic. It's all straight and cylindrical. The cap is made of chrome with plastic internals, but it's very heavy.

 

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The barrel is made from brushed "precious" resin. After a year, the brushing has worn away, so it looks more polished. Still doesn't look smooth and glossy, though. The pen was breathtaking when it was new. The resin could be compared to the Lamy 2000's makrolon:post-110643-0-68615300-1425733924_thumb.jpg

Makrolon on top, resin below.

 

Before buying the Ambition, my main concerns were the resin cracking and the comfort in the hand. There are no cracks in the pen to report, and the comfort isn't perfect, but it's fine. It's not for everyone, though.

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The step seen above is what concerns most. I hold the pen on the chrome section, but most hands would be too large to do so. I use the pen unposted, as posting throws the balance off a lot, due to the heavy cap.

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It does look very nice posted, though.

 

The writing experience is far from perfect.

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The nib is very smooth, but it makes a lot of sound when writing, which makes you think it's scratchy. There is some feedback on left-to-right strokes, but it's only noticeable with pressure. Speaking of pressure, the nib is definitely a nail. Very hard with almost no line variation to be had. I would rate the flow 3/5 for wetness. The feed doesn't maintain the flow perfectly, but it's not horrible. Keep in mind the pen is only £40. Compared to other pens in this price, you get a great writer.

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The medium nib is quite fine, so it's suitable for everyday writing.

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All nib units within Faber-Castell's "Design" range are the same and compatible with other pens from the range.

 

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Overall, I enjoy the pen very much but it's not without its flaws. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a £40 pen that's both beautiful and a good writer.

 

This was my first pen review. How did I do?

Edited by a.zy.lee
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Thanks for this review! I own the same pen, but in pearwood. Personally, I hold the pens quite far from the nib, so the step doesn't bother me that much.

 

I agree with you on the "sound" issue when writing, even if the nib is smooth. I tried to put other nibs on this pen to see if it was related to the nib or the pen, and I concluded it was related to the pen itself. I think is has something to do with the cylindrical shape of the barrel and the brass threaded section inside.

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It's a nice looking pen, it looks very smart and professional I think it is one of the nicest looking Faber Castell pens from the design range. I did consider the coconut wood one a while back but felt £60 for a fancy wood barrel over the normal black one was too much.

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Very nice review, thanks for sharing! :thumbup:

As for the pen itself, I like its elegant, minimalistic design, but I think that step would bother me, as I tend to hold the pen somewhat close to the nib.

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Some of the "experts" on FPN consider Faber Castell and Graf von Faber Castell to be the best-made and best values in German pens today. Your review seems to support that. Thanks.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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The nib looks odd to me, with all those holes I'm surprised it doesn't leak :P

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The nib looks odd to me, with all those holes I'm surprised it doesn't leak :P

They're not holes, but "engraved" dots. There isn't a single hole on the nib- not even a breather hole!

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Some of the "experts" on FPN consider Faber Castell and Graf von Faber Castell to be the best-made and best values in German pens today. Your review seems to support that. Thanks.

 

They havn't tried Diplomat pens I'm guessing.

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They're not holes, but "engraved" dots. There isn't a single hole on the nib- not even a breather hole!

 

Oh okay I see what you mean, my mistake

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This was my first pen review. How did I do?

 

Nice review a.zy.lee!

 

I have an ambition (M nib too) and usually post pens of this length for balanc., I find posting the cap a limitation for this pen. The cap rotates freely on the top and the clip imbalances the pen. Unposted it seems very light. (I second your thoughts on posting this) Whereas, with the intuition, I never felt that due to a thicker grip. I can use it quite comfortably both posted and unposted.

 

Best,

Sonik

Edited by soniknitr

You have come to earth to entertain and to be entertained - P.Y

 

Some Pen & Paraphernalia Reviews

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  • 6 months later...

This is my next consideration to buy.

The design is really elegant. My concern is if the grip section may be to short? We will see.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I own a FC E-motion too and notice the rather noticeable sound of the nib when writing. However, I quite like how the nib "sings", especially when writing loopy cursive letters :)

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Has anybody noticed this pen evaporating the ink very quickly? In a matter of days it will darken the ink for a couple sentences. I tried it with cartridges and a Schmidt K1 converter (the Faber-Castell one is a rebranded K2 which is pretty similar) and it always happens.

 

Mine has a great nib and I really like the design. I agree it is not very comfortable but it is interesting.

 

The one problem I have is with the evaporation. I like pens I can leave inked for a month with no trouble.

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ohh yeah there's that the seal isnt as "well" people would presume it to be the spring is actually an open air hole so yeah... there's that so unlike the Ondoro which has a better seal but in the end I couldnt care any less...

Edited by Algester
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Thank you for the review! I love faber castell! Do(es) you or someone else have Graf von Faber Castell INITIO? I do want a review on this, i think that Faber Castel Ambition is thicker than GvFC Initio.

People who know my name, dont know my work. People who know my work, dont know my name.

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ohh yeah there's that the seal isnt as "well" people would presume it to be the spring is actually an open air hole so yeah... there's that so unlike the Ondoro which has a better seal but in the end I couldnt care any less...

 

So yours is the same as mine? Inks get darker every day it stays inside the pen?

 

I wonder if the Basic and the Loom behave the same.

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So yours is the same as mine? Inks get darker every day it stays inside the pen?

 

I wonder if the Basic and the Loom behave the same.

the ink didnt get any more concentrate so... I cant say about it well I also found out the ink on my ondoro was nearly empty after 2 months-ish

well unlike my TWSBI mini which has an insane seal or my Preppy which to has an insane seal these pens wont probably last you 2 months at most I cant say with other brands which let their pens breathe though my Lamy logo is still almost full without seeing much writing action

Edited by Algester
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