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Hermes Nautilus Review


Maxim

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Again, I'd have to have the pen in hand to make up my mind. As to Rams, I think Gerd Müller's Lamy 2000 perfectly captures the HfG Ulm's "concrete" sensibility - in a price range that is within reach for most people.

 

I think I agree there. The Lamy 2000 doesn't interest me, but it does seem to fit Rams' dicta.

 

 

I suspect that Pilot manufactures the pens for Hermes.

 

I suspect so too, but don't know for sure. I'm not sure it really matters when most companies have their components if not their entire product manufactured by others these days though. I can't tell if it's made in Europe or China, but it has the feeling of being well made.

 

Thank you for the review, I too have been on the fence about this pen and have been searching for one secondhand without much luck. Your high praise has pushed me ever so slightly closer to taking the plunge.

 

We have both discovered that secondhand Nautiluses are hard to find. Probably a combination of three factors - those who feel they can shell out the money in the first place don't feel the need to re-sell online, it's not in high circulation and I don't think there's much call to want to sell when you have it in your hands.

 

Yes it does have internals of the Pilot Vanishing Point, but we have to remember this system is bullet proof. Also the way it works is so much better than even the Fermo. The mechanism of the Fermo pales in comparison.

 

Thanks, gerigo. I think you'd do a better job of reviewing the Nautilus since I don't actually have experienced with its retractable cousins.

 

I agree on the price point -- it is expensive, and there's no getting around that. That said, unless one has an extraordinary system of swapping over pens or using one for work, one for home, one for highlighting, one on the bus, there's only a need for one great pen for most of us. And if I had to choose between buying 4 very nice pens and this extremely nice one, I would have just chosen the Nautilus.

 

Maybe I can find the body of this pen somewhere and use my new Matsuyama modified Pilot nibs in it.

 

Maybe! Although, unfortunately, this pen doesn't turn up much in the wild.

 

Thanks all for the kind comments on the review. I have a feeling the more I type in this thread, the more I tend to extol the virtues of the Nautilus and lose a sense of balance... but, as I've implied, I don't think there are any glaring problems with the pen, so it's just a matter of whether you can live with the two obvious potential 'issues' with it: the cost and the look.

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Thank you for the review and thank you for confirming that this pen can take the regular vanishing nib unit.

 

Enjoy your lovely pen.

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Thanks for a very interesting review. I like the distinctive quality of the design, a real masterpiece of minimalism. As to the price, Hermes makes products for people who don't need to worry about that, as long as the item is nice and makes a certain subtle but clear statement. In the circles of the wealthy, I see how there could be a great deal of satisfaction in pulling out this pen rather than just one more Montblanc. Here's a question: how do you think most users would carry it? Would you put the pen and its case in an inside pocket of a jacket, or more likely leave it in your desk? Not having a clip is obviously crucial to the design, but I like to be able to put a pen in my pocket.

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Thanks for a very interesting review. I like the distinctive quality of the design, a real masterpiece of minimalism. As to the price, Hermes makes products for people who don't need to worry about that, as long as the item is nice and makes a certain subtle but clear statement. In the circles of the wealthy, I see how there could be a great deal of satisfaction in pulling out this pen rather than just one more Montblanc. Here's a question: how do you think most users would carry it? Would you put the pen and its case in an inside pocket of a jacket, or more likely leave it in your desk? Not having a clip is obviously crucial to the design, but I like to be able to put a pen in my pocket.

 

Today, I am in the habit of carrying a few pens with me all the time and they always go into some sort of sleeve, case or roll. The pen is quite slim so it does not work well with pen cases with loops that are designed for fatter pens. It works so much better in a roll or even a case like the ones that Visconti makes. It really is meant to be used with the portfolios that are designed by Hermes.

 

I don't recommend carrying the pen singly in your pocket. It is sure to slip out because of the slickness of the material and that it does not have any sharp edges.

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Great review! How is the writing for long periods of time? I like, but my only concern is if it gets too tiresome.

Funnily enough, the pen works well with round nibs. The nib is round enough you could hold it at slightly different angles and the nib will accommodate these minor variances. The problem comes with the stub nib. It has to be aligned in a specific way which makes the pen a little tiresome after a while, at least for my grip.

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I mostly leave mine on my desk, but often just carry it around with a small notepad in my hand. I've got no problems sticking it in my trouser pocket though, generally in its sleeve.

 

I have never understood clips, so perhaps I'm not in the majority there. I don't ever want to clip a pen to my front pocket (when I have one), so don't miss the clip.

 

One more general point -- I find the Nautilus is great for fidgeting. When I'm bored in a meeting, I'll play with the mechanism, turning and retracting.

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I mostly leave mine on my desk, but often just carry it around with a small notepad in my hand. I've got no problems sticking it in my trouser pocket though, generally in its sleeve.

 

I have never understood clips, so perhaps I'm not in the majority there. I don't ever want to clip a pen to my front pocket (when I have one), so don't miss the clip.

 

One more general point -- I find the Nautilus is great for fidgeting. When I'm bored in a meeting, I'll play with the mechanism, turning and retracting.

 

Maxim, do you have any interest in selling the black ballpoint Nautilus? Please contact me at mrbataineh@gmail.com if so. Thanks,

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