An Ultraslim No-Name Pen

[txomsy]

Introduction

When I was young (a long time ago) I had a share of fountain pens. As a student, cheap pens with nail nibs where the most common ones. At some point I started saving my money to get "better" pens, such as Parker or Waterman. Usually the reason for buying a new pen was that the old one would break, typically at the nib end of the section. At some point, I got tired of buying pens that would break (Parkers and Watermans fared no better), I still have around the "beak" of a Parker with the nib and feed, at some point I started saving them (and the converters) for re-use, but as it was the section that usually broke, I would rarely use them.

 

And so, after some time, I started to look for pens that 1) were metallic so I could carelessly wear them on a jeans' back pocket, 2) would have a metal ring at the nib end of the section (in the hope these would hold better) and 3) wrote in fine or extra-fine (so I could use a smaller -and faster- cursive when taking notes).

 

It is this way that I found this little gem. It became my workhorse for about 15 years (until the metal ring broke).

 

It had all I wanted and proved an excellent performer.

 

 

Appearance & Design (1-10) - 9

 

This is HIGHLY subjective. I give it a 9 since it was all I wanted: strong, slim (ultra-slim actually), with a ring to harden the nib end, and wrote a fine line.

 

The body and cap are metallic, in a brushed chrome finish that I do actually like a lot for its minimalistic design. As minimal as the cap's clip, which is plainly plane. There are no engravings at all anywhere, so it is truly difficult to identify the brand. I guess I must have has a box for it when I bought it, but it has long been lost in the mists of time. Most likely it was some brand from Spain. Not Inoxcrom, that I would remember, but there were lots of different pens around when I was young.

 

It is truly slim, I think that t is about 5-6mm at its widest. You can see it here close to a Noodler's Ink Creaper (blue) and a Noodler's Ahab for comparison. Thinner than a metal Pilot marker of yonder if you know which I mean.

 

 

Ups! Sorry, should be 'laying' up there... lapsus calami.

 

It had a metal ring at the nib's end, but it finally broke down, which is why I stopped using it. It is missing now (I still keep the pieces around for some microsurgery one day (if I can find the time and means to do it properly).

 

It also has a metal ring at the junction of the section and the screwed-on metal barrel. The pen is so thin that it uses special, ultra-slim, long cartridges. The rings on the section, as well as the barrel end and the finial are golden. I find this combination of chrome and golden truly attractive (it can not be well appreciated in the pictures, but is discreet enough not to stand out while subtly pleasing).

 

The nib is rather longish, and has a "broad" round tip, which, despite its apparent width, writes in a fine line.

 

 

Construction & Quality (1-10) - 7

 

This pen lasted me about 10-15 years. Since -judging by the fate of all previous pens, some of which are generally deemed to be sturdy, I must be a bad pen abuser, it means it must have been a very strong one. Certainly the metal body held well despite being in a jeans' back pocket almost every day, and I have always been astounded it did not bend at the plastic section.

 

As we will see, since it draws a fine line, that was not a problem and it did last rather long.

 

For its thinness, the time it has lasted, the owner and the conditions it endured, I would classify it as a rather strong survivor.

 

Weight & Dimensions (1-10) - 8 Long, slender, and lightweight

 

YMMV. I give it a high score because that is what I was looking for, it is an unobtrusive, lightweight pen, is like having nothing on your hands, and since it glides on paper without resistance, it's as imagining you write more than writing....

 

It is long enough to be comfortable to wield, but being so thin, it may become uncomfortable for long writing sessions unless you write with a very light and relaxed touch. That's not difficult as we'll see since it slides on paper like a red-hot iron skate on ice.

 

Nib & Performance (1-10) - 8

 

As I have already mentioned, the nib glides on paper very, very smoothly. This is essential to enjoying it, since otherwise it would become uncomfortable very soon. With it, one is forced to use a very light stroke for long sessions, and since it writes smoothly and does not dry out, that was part of the enjoyment of the pen.

 

The nib has some kind of engraving, but I can hardly see it, even with the help of a loupe. It is a tiny nib, and has seen a lot of bashing. It looks like a circle or a circle and and x. But for the heart of me, I can't make it out. If I can find time, I'll take a macro lens one of this day and try a good enlargement. But that'll be other day.

 

Edit: I remembered I also had a jeweler's monocle and with it and a magnifier glass could see it: is GE, with an 'E' that looks like the € symbol (with only one crossing line).

If anybody knows what that engraving correspond to, I'd be glad to know.

 

You can see a sample of its writing in the pictures.

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance (1-10) - 7

 

Now, I must say that there is a problem though: with such a thin section, and tiny feed and nib, the pen is prone to become obstructed if left with ink for too long (I mean over a month or more) as it is very easy for ink to dry and clog the channels, but nothing a good wash and patience cannot fix.

 

The pen is actually in bad shape nowadays, after too much abuse, but the nib still glides as softly and swiftly as the first day. I really got terribly sad the day I stopped using it because of the broken ring and section end.

 

This pen uses cartridges. Since I learnt very soon to refill cartridges to save on costs, and I kept a stock of empty cartridges, I confess that I do not know if these cartridges can be found commercially any longer. Nor do I care, as long as I can refill them.

 

 

I took the photos with my cell-phone, interposing a loupe to facilitate the close-up, which is why this photo is distorted and seems bent, actually it isn't, it's straight as a rule.

 

Here you can see it with several cartridges. I have included a standard international cartridge as a reference so you can estimate how slim it is. The mouth of the long cartridges is only slightly wider (by a tiny fraction of a millimeter) than the mouth of an international cartridge, and the section of the pen is only a tad wider.

 

By the way, for those who complain about lack of tools to refill cartridges: as a boy I soon learned that there is nothing easier to find than an insulin (1ml) syringe and an intramuscular needle. You can also refill cartridges with an insulin needle, but it it very thin, and the intramuscular needle is much more comfortable. You could also use a 5ml syringe, (which may be OK for eyedroppers), but a 1ml one gives more precision.

 

Cost & Value (1-10) - 9

 

I cannot remember how much did it cost. But as I was a pre-university student, it must not have been very expensive, certainly more than a cheap plastic one, and I think it was on the range of a lower-end Parker or Waterman (I am talking of the late 70's). Something affordable in any case. However, seen as how it overlasted my frantic scribbling and note-taking of my Medicine years, went through MSci and PhD well over many, and more highly regarded ones, I think it was an exceptional bargain.

 

Conclusion (Final score [sUM/6]: 8) - A pity these things didn't last

 

That pretty sums it up: it is a pity that the ball-point pen came and took over pens, and even worst, that computers are taking up hand writing. I am really sorry I cannot get a new one, and even more that I didn't get more than one at the time, but that is fate, we cannot foresee the future.

 

Anyway, I wanted to leave this hommage to a humble pen of yonder that passed unnoticed despite its many merits.

 

And before leaving, please, do consider that the grading I gave is highly subjective. One cannot be objective about a good friend that has shared good and bad times, honors and hardships. So, if you don't like this, is OK. YMMV

 

There, a late hommage to a dear goode olde friend.

Edited December 4, 2018 by txomsy