(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
If you've ever been to a pen show, then you've probably seen your fair share of Ebonite pens. The coloration isn't particularly bright — usually just black or dark green — but they always strike me as being incredibly elegant. This elegance is even more apparent when you pick up an Ebonite pen and realize how incredibly light it is!
Ebonite is a fascinating material that is hard to describe. It's made through a process of vulcanizing rubber using certain chemicals to make the rubber permanently hard and plastic-like. The result is a material that is super lightweight, strong, and easy to machine. As an added perk, it also feels really organic because it warms up in your hand really quickly — similar to the feel of the Makrolon barrel of the Lamy 2000.
Modern Ebonite pens aren't unheard of, but I wouldn't say they're common either. Fortunately, ēnsso is working to bring Ebonite pens back to the main stream for hundreds more people to enjoy. The ēnsso Japanese Ebonite Fountain Pen is a modern pen in a classic material, and it really hits the nail on the head.
At only 16 grams, this pen is incredibly light. I'm still shocked every time I pick it up after not using it for a few minutes or hours. Despite being so light, it's still easy to handle and use for long writing sessions. Keep in mind that I'm using the regular size option, not the pocket option.
The shape of the pen borrows from a timeless cigar shape that makes me think of the standard Nakaya. The finish is smooth and feels great on my fingers. You can see some of the machining lines if you look hard enough, but it usually keeps the slightly satin look in most light. For me, it's an incredibly handsome pen that I enjoy keeping on my desk even when it's not in the regular rotation.
Beyond the warm feel of the material in my hand, my favorite aspect of how this pen feels is the shape of grip section. There's a pronounced ridge around the base of the grip that provides a perfect level of tactile feel for my fingers when using this pen. It's soft and sharp at the same time, and gives my fingers great feedback when I'm writing. This pen really fits my hand and grip style perfectly, and I've really enjoyed using it so far.
The version of the pen in this review features the black steel Bock nib, but you have an option of a Bock Titanium nib as well. Both nibs are #6 size, which is a perfect size match for the rest of the pen's proportions.
The pen comes with a black cartridge and a plastic cartridge converter. The converter is made entirely of plastic, so I'm not sure how long it will last, but I'm glad that ēnsso made the choice to include a converter with the pen. That makes it so easy to pop it out of the box and ink up right away!
If you want even more ink, this pen is even set for eyedropper-ing as well! There's an o-ring gasket on the section above the threads that screw into the body, so you'll have a great seal if you choose to fill this pen as an eyedropper. Like they say on the Kickstarter page, though, you should probably also apply some silicone grease to the section threads as well to ensure no ink finds its way out. The silicone grease isn't included, but it's easy to find if you decide to try the eyedropper route.
The rest of the pen is so simple — there isn't a clip to get in the way, and cap posts on the back of the pen with little effort. It's not a super snug fit when posted, but it's tight enough to do the job as long as you aren't making any fast or jerky motions with the pen while writing. The simple design is something I love about this pen, so I really appreciate the dedication to the minimal aesthetic that ēnsso achieved here.
This is a pen that I've really enjoyed using, and the price just makes it an even greater value in my mind. There are currently just a few spots left on the early bird tier, which brings the price for one steel nib pen to just $79 (+$40 for a titanium nib). If you miss out on the early bird pricing, the regular pricing for the Kickstarter is still phenomenal at $89 per pen with the titanium nib being an extra $40. You have a choice of EF, F, M, or B nib size, and this pricing (at the $89 mark) is 30% off the expected retail price after the Kickstarter concludes.
Ebonite is one of those materials that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. It feels great in the hand, is super lightweight, and is incredibly durable. If you'd like to try a new, modern pen made of this material as opposed to finding something in the vintage market, this is a great place to start.
The Kickstarter campaign ends on June 29, and it's already met the minimum goal for funding. Get over there and check it out!
(ēnsso provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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