Online Switch Plus Fountain Pen/stylus - Cheap And Cheerful Combo

[pstjmack]

I'd been looking for some time for a combination fountain pen and stylus. Via Google, I ran down a German manufacturer, ONLINE (https://www.online-pen.de), and a stockist in Switzerland. On a recent trip to Geneva, I picked up one of the ONLINE Switch Plus stylus/fountain pen combinations (https://www.online-pen.de/shop/catalogsearch/result/?q=switch+plus). Here are my impressions.

 

For one thing, ONLINE seems to be targeting the youth market with the Switch Plus - specifically the schools market that is also learning handwriting and calligraphy (at least in Germany and elsewhere in Europe). The Switch Plus line is made in cheap and cheerful plastic, in a range of colours with mix-and-match heads. Even the ink capsules are provided with a choice of colours which have nothing to do with the ink inside, but are designed to show through a little window in the barrel. Replacement nibs are also available, but I'm not clear whether these come in any other styles or sizes than the basic nib.

 

All the same, the Switch Plus is perfectly comfortable and practical as a fountain pen. The barrel may be thicker than some prefer, but that fits it very well as a stylus, and I don't find that my handwriting suffers at all, not least because it's very light. The construction seems pretty practical and robust, and at this price point, no one is going to complain if they do need to buy a new nib. Most models retail for around 15 Euros or equivalent. I'll continue to dream of my perfect tortoiseshell fountain pen/stylus, but for now, the ONLINE Switch Plus, will do just fine.

Edited June 25, 2018 by pstjmack

[thx1138]

I have an Online FP and for such a cheap pen it is a beautiful writer.

[SoulSamurai]

Interesting, any feedback on the nib?

Edited June 25, 2018 by SoulSamurai

[pstjmack]

Interesting, any feedback on the nib?

 

The nib on mine is ONLINE's standard 1.4mm size. Personally, I'd prefer a narrower nib, and ONLINE apparently does a 0.8mm in their calligraphy range, but I'm not sure if there is one for the Switch Plus. The nib on mine is perfectly good for general writing, though, and as said above, the replacement nibs are cheap and plentifully available.

[Torrilin]

The 0.8 mm is a good match in width for the Pilot Plumix M, which also gets listed as 1.0mm. So it’s on the fine end of italic. Both are excellent for general purpose writing.

 

I haven’t put much time in with the 1.4mm Online.de nib. I’d eyeball it as a good match for Lamy’s 1.1mm or TWSBI’s size 5 1.1mm. So still perfectly usable for a daily writer. I haven’t inked up the widest italic nib at all yet, but my guess is it’ll match up well with typical 1.5mm nibs.

 

The only body I have from them is the more generic Collegiate one, which gets called a solid half dozen or more different things here in Germany. It’s pretty easy to buy it with either an italic/rollerball/medium nib combo or a full set of italic nib widths. Otherwise it’s medium, medium or medium (not that they don’t HAVE other widths, but the inexpensive school pens don’t come with them). The Switch runs a good bit more expensive if you want a set of nibs. For obvious reasons I haven’t tested whether the Switch and Collegiate nibs swap.

 

I haven’t put in enough time to judge whether I find the online.de nibs crisp enough for my taste. Mostly it’s been used for scribbles and doodles so far, nothing like formal italic. Definitely good enough as a step up from felt tips or as a convenient practice tool.

 

My summary is it’s a perfectly reasonable competitor to the Lamy and Kaweco calligraphy sets, and possibly better since it’s cheaper and seems to have more consistent nibs. It might be comparable to the old sheaffer no nonsense sets, or other better quality italic fever sets.

[minddance]

Would it be possible to have some writing samples?

[inkstainedruth]

Would it be possible to have some writing samples?

 

+1 on that. Not to mention pix of the pen itself.

I know almost nothing about the brand, except the I have a sample of Online Black ink (which, admittedly, I've had for something like 4-5 years and never tried...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Torrilin]

 

This is exceedingly messy but should give an idea. Sorry Ive drawn enough today that my hands arent up for getting thorough.

[thx1138]

This is the same as the one I bought.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Judds-NEW-Online-Germany-Vision-Ice-Blue-Fountain-Pen-0-8-Nib-/122279335954?_ul=BO&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1

[minddance]

So, this is an Italic calligraphy pen at 1.4mm? It looks rather dry to me.

 

Thank you for sharing, now I know this is not the pen for me

Edited June 28, 2018 by minddance