Nemosine Singularity: The Best Entry Level Pen?

[putteringpenman]

After scanning Fountain Pen Network’s reviews sections, I discovered that the Nemosine Singularity didn’t have a review. The Singularity is one of my favorite pens and my everyday carry so I took it upon myself to write one. This is my first review but I hope it adds some value for anyone looking to purchase this pen. I personally think the Singularity is the best entry level pen available.

 

Appearance and design: 8

 

 

The Nemosine Singularity comes in a number of colors and options. Some are demonstrators like mine, but many are non-demonstrators in a lot of color options. There are even new designs like the blue marble version Nemosine released about a month ago which I may buy too. The ends of the pen are mostly flat but have a slight conical shape. The clear plastic with the chrome colored metal looks really sharp and modern.

 

In particular, the design on the nib is really nice. There is a butterfly shaped scroll pattern on it.

 

 

I decided to give it an 8 out of 10 simply because it’s not as flashy as other more expensive pens. But I think it is a very attractive design for an entry level pen.

 

Construction and quality: 7

 

The pen feels very solid and high quality. Nemosine even provides a 3 year warranty which is an extraordinary value for a pen at this price point. I have had this pen for five months and have not had any issues with it.

 

The one problem other reviews note is about the barrel. On the Singularity, both the cap and the barrel screw onto the section of the pen. This means that it’s possible the barrel will screw off the pen instead of the cap. This has never happened to me accidentally, but I can make it happen intentionally if I screw the cap onto the pen too tight. It’s easy to correct if it does happen to you though. That’s the only reason why I gave the pen a 7 of out 10 on quality.

 

Weight and Dimensions: 10

 

 

I personally find this pen to be a great weight and size. From the picture above, you can see that it’s roughly the same size as the Lamy Safari and Pilot Metropolitan. The Singularity is a nice 17g posted and 10g unposted. I usually post the pen. The nib is roughly a #6 size Jowo nib which is larger than the Safari and Metropolitan nibs so if you like a larger nib, this could be a good inexpensive pen for you.

 

I gave this pen a 10 out of 10 for its light weight and large nib.

 

Nib and performance: 8

 

Of entry level pens, this is my favorite nib. Even the other people at the pen meetups I go to are surprised how well this inexpensive pen writes. It is much smoother than my many Pilot Metropolitans and my Lamy Safari.

 

Even though it is smoother than other entry level nibs, it does have a hint of unpleasant feedback when I write an upstroke. The nib also dries out if I leave the pen uncapped for a few minutes during a meeting, but it starts writing again after 2-3 downstrokes.

 

Still, I find this pen much more enjoyable to use compared to my Metropolitan and Safari in meetings. The nib feels like writing with a TWSBI nib except in a larger size. I find it to be the best writing experience of all of my steel nib pens.

 

The Singularity is available in EF, F, M, B, 0.6mm stub, and 0.8mm stub. All are steel nibs. I purchased a M nib which writes about equivalent in line width to my Lamy Safari B nib. There is also no line variation, but I don’t expect that from this pen.

 

I am giving the Singularity an 8 out of 10 because of the slight toothiness and dryness. But otherwise it’s one of my favorite nibs in my collection. Certainly more of a favorite than my other entry level pens.

 

Filling system and maintenance: 10

 

The Singularity is one of my easiest to maintain pens. It is a cartridge/converter pen that uses short standard international converters. It is also possible to eyedropper this pen if you want a massive ink capacity.

 

Cleaning is easy since it’s cartridge/converter. Just flush water through the nib and convert. Since my pen is a demonstrator, I can easily get ink out of the cap with a Qtip.

 

Absolutely easy to maintain and fill so 10 out of 10!

 

Cost and value: 10

 

This is where the Nemosine Singularity excels! I would give it 15 points here if I could. The pen retails for roughly $20. I got mine from Goulet Pens for $19.99 and couldn’t be happier. I have many other pens that are in the < $150 price point that I don’t like as much as the Singularity. All other pens in our collection fall behind the Singularity, including my TWSBI Mini AL ($60), Platinum PTL-5000a ($64), Monteverde Invincia Deluxe ($108), Pilot Prera ($56), Pilot Metropolitan ($18.50), and Lamy Safari ($29.60).

 

Once I get to the $150+ price on pens, that is where I start to see better writing experiences compared to the Singularity. For example, my fiancee’s Pilot Vanishing Point and my Pilot Custom 823 are preferred to this pen.

 

Otherwise, I think the Nemosine Singularity is the best cost per dollar under $100. 10 out of 10!

 

Overall and conclusion: 53/60

 

A 53 out of 60 seems like a low score, but I am trying to keep my score in the context of all pens I’ve used, including Lamy 2000s and Pelikan M800s (which would get 57+ points). Those pens are very expensive. The Nemosine Singularity is not. I think a 53 point score for a $20 pen is outstanding value.

 

The Singularity is my everyday carry at work. At this price point, I’m not worried if I lose it, a coworker “borrows” it and destroys the nib, or if it gets dropped. But I still love writing with it.

Edited October 13, 2018 by putteringpenman

[TSherbs]

I agree. My clear version has cracked a bit around the barrel threads, but the solid colors are going strong.

[inkstainedruth]

I keep looking at those. Back when Birmingham Pens still had a B&M store in Pittsburgh, I tried all the different nibs they had (they didn't have the .8 mm stub in stock). And they were pretty nice writers at a great price. I just didn't like any of the colors at the time. I do want to try a .8 at some point, to see how it compares to the .6 stub.

Oh, one of the guys behind Birmingham Pens (previously known as the e-business xfountainpens.com) is *also* the guy behind Nemosine (which are made for them in Taiwan, IIRC). I keep hoping they find another B&M location sooner or later (every month practically, there is discussion at the Steel City Nibs meetings "Hey, anyone know if Nick has found another location yet?"); I don't remember Nick's brother's name, but I met him once when the shop was still open, and the brother is the guy who does the Nemosine pens. I also have a couple of bottles of Nemosine ink -- the red, Aolus Palus Red, is a nice middle of the spectrum "true" red; not sure who does those inks (Nick does the Birmingham Inks line).

Guess I will have to go troll their website again and check out the new Singularity colors (the other Nemosine pens were a bit too heavy for me, but the Singularities were a good size).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Mongoosey]

I always have this pen on the back of my mind because it's a great size and descent nib for $20.

 

One thing that kept me from purchasing it was the fact that I borrowed one from a friend and since the threads are on the section it would unscrew the barrel when uncapping.

 

I can understand why they didn't put threads on the barrel because the plastic is quite cheap feeling and seems like it would break easily.

 

I would love to see this pen made of better plastic/resin, at least on the barrel and see them put the threads on the barrel (make it safe for eye-droppering) and then you have a comfortable section with that hourglass-like ergonomic grip, agreeable dimensions, solid design, and a pen you can even swap other #6's in if you wish. I'd pay extra for that.

 

Nemosine's design's IMO are lacking. I'm not a fan of their more expensive models with the metal sections, the smallness of the Neurtrino, and the excessive heft of the Fission.

 

Nemosine's one of those companies I want to like, but the shortcomings keep me from spending instead of saving, but I still think the singularity for $20 is a safe try as long as you don't eyedropper it.

[XYZZY]

Thanks for the review.

 

I have one with the 0.6mm stub which I ordered from Goulet a short while back. I generally write small, all of my other nibs are Japanese EF or F nibs, and while I appreciate the appearance of the line I see people get from a stub, I resisted due to them often seeming fatter than I want. But I stumbled across the 0.6mm stub and decided it was worth a shot for $20. This nib lays a much thicker line than I expected, I wish it were finer, yet I keep writing with it, which seems like the best way to judge it.

 

The nib is very smooth when held right. I enjoy some feedback and wouldn't have thought I would like this, but then again I keep picking up this pen. If I hold it too high or too low an angle off the paper then it is scratchy. I can't spot any obvious defects under a 15x loupe. Trying to improve the nib is on my to-do list, but with the problem not obvious and the pen being mostly enjoyable to write with I just haven't gotten around to it.

 

When I first received this pen I noticed that the section would unscrew from the barrel when I uncapped the pen. The solution to this was simple: I just screwed the section back in tighter than I would normally screw on the cap. It's not a problem for me.

 

I'm definitely pleased that I spent $20 on this pen. It's worth every penny. But with the scratchy bits I mentioned I'm not sure I would be happy if this were a $50 pen, but I don't have any $50 pens to compare with.

[Gloucesterman]

Good review and thank you!

 

A while back, I bought a number of these pens back when xFountain pens was selling them for $15.00 (with free shipping on orders over $15.00).

 

Got some demonstrators and color ones with EF, F, .6mm and .8mm nibs.Have occasionally encountered the screw-in issue but learned to avoid it over time. Also had an issue with a converter and they (xFountain pens) were super quick to send me another one.

 

Periodically I go back and fill one (or more) of these pens and they work just fine. I am currently using a Navy blue, one with a .6mm nib and Diamine "Marine" green/blue-ish ink. It looks quite nice.

 

Again, thank you for the review.

[Addiosn832]

I like my two Nemosines. Nice weight, length fits my hand without being posted but feels good posted as well. They do get scratched easily but they are $20. so I am not too upset. The magenta color which is really a pretty purple and does not show the wear the way my clear one does. Has a decent converter. I wish Nemosine would come out with more colors. I switched out the nibs for #6 Goulet nibs which are wonderful.

[49erfantom]

I have 3 Nemosine Singularities. I agree, great pens for the price. My most recent purchase, the Obsidian, has a black Goulet 1.1 stub. Currently I have it inked with Noodler's Apache Sunset. I'm liking it a lot.

[Mongoosey]

Well, They're on sale at Goulet's for $9.99 for fountain pen day if you want a good deal.

 

They are Closeout items so that may entail no returns, but I ordered a couple anyways.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Mongoosey

[inkandseeds]

Well, They're on sale at Goulet's for $9.99 for fountain pen day if you want a good deal.

 

They are Closeout items so that may entail no returns, but I ordered a couple anyways.

 

I ordered three and they arrived today. I tried the 0.6 mm stub and really liked it so thought i would order a couple more. Unfortunately, they are now out of stock.

[Misfit]

I got the Aqua demonstrator version of the Singularity for my brother and me for a special occasion. I was drawn to these pens for the science themes. The 0.8mm nib is great. We both like the line it gives. I was going to get another with the 0.6 nib, but when the clear with rose gold accents was available, I ended up choosing the 1.1 nib. I still want to try the 0.6 nib. Unfortunately the Fountain Pen Day deals I saw for the $9.99 Singularity only had F and M nibs.

 

I try to be careful with the cap, so that the cap comes off, not the section. And never tighten it too much. I like the Singularity a lot, and would recommend it wholeheartedly.

 

I received samples of the ink line last Christmas. I have not tried them all, but like Alpha Centauri and Solar Storm. I need to give Neptune Blue another chance, but there are blues I like better.

 

Thanks to @inkstainedruth for the information on Nemosine and Birmingham Pens. I didn’t know that, and am glad to have learned it.

[Mongoosey]

Yes, Pen Chalet had a sale on them for $11.10, and are pretty much sold out except for a F and M in some version.

 

My thoughts also on the Capping and uncapping issue: I'll just be careful. And for $9.99 or even $11.10, that's fine with me.

 

I will say it is one of the few full sized beginner's pens that doesn't look like a toy, uses a #6 nib, and can swap in other prominent #6's, so that's quite a few "+"'s.

 

It is light when uncapped, but I like how it posts deeply.

 

I'd still love to see a more "fortified" version with better resin and one that addresses the capping/uncapping issue with the barrel, is made of better resin, keeps a good ergonomic grip section or the same (unlike their other models), keeps the #6 nib of course, and allows for the use of a Standard International Converter, as I saw on a video that the Singularity can't fit a Standard I.C., and heck, throw in an innercap to enhance the seal of the nib. TWSBI and Jinhao do it at little cost

 

Then I think you have a "complete pen", and I'd pay a little more money for that.

[LizB]

It's a shame they are not better available in the UK. They are listed on Amazon UK for £50-100.

[Brianm_14]

I found the several Online Slope and Skyline (?) pens I purchased at a similar price at Goulet's (when each pen came with a free 90 ml bottle of Monteverde ink) to be sturdier German pens in build, with better writing German nibs. This surprised me, as I had expected to find at least the Singularity nib to be superior. For a few dollars more, there is the TWSBI Eco waiting in the wings, as well.

 

There is nothing particularly wrong with the Sigularity (except perhaps the aforementioned cracks), but nothing in particular about it really stands out, either. I mainly find myself using their nibs on Chinese pens I happen to like for their looks. Yes, better resin and better inner cap could change my mind.

 

I recommend beginners buy a few entry-level pens, use them to see what they like, and then look at big girl/big boy fp at slightly under or around $100. I don't see the Singularity having a necessary place in that plan.

[Misfit]

It is a long time ago since I bought my first fountain pen. That was a Waterman Laureat. I never used a fountain pen throughout my school years.

 

I buy what is termed entry level now even though I own fountain pens that are not entry level. My third fountain pen is in my avatar photo.

 

I like the idea of the entry level pen being one that can easily switch out nibs. That gives the new user a chance to find out which nib is best, or which nibs. Then in time maybe branch out to stub and italic nibs, all with that single pen.

[Mongoosey]

Well, if you missed the $9.99 of the Singularity at Goulet's, now it's going on at PanChalet.

Edited November 9, 2018 by Mongoosey

[dut1974]

Seems like they are going out of business? Just my guess, the Pens are all over the place at 50% off and 90% of the listings, including all merchandise, on Birminghams website are sold out. Hope its not true but somethings going on it appears

Edited November 9, 2018 by dut1974

[TSherbs]

Didn't we hear that Birmingham Pens is selling off all their pen stock and then going forward will sell only the pens that they actually turn and make themselves? Or am I crazy....