Pentel TRF91 Tradio Fountain Pen Review

Can expectations get in the way of a product review? I think the answer is yes, but I try not to let any preconceived notions jump onto the page and screen. I do try to be honest about my true feelings for a product though, whether good or bad. So, my honest, preconceived thoughts of the Pentel TRF91 Tradio Fountain Pen before reviewing it? I thought it would be terrible.

That is one of the reasons it took so long for me to order it - I didn't want it to be a waste of money. I did like the looks of it, and was generally happy with the similar Pentel Tradio EnerGel Combo Pen, so I bit the bullet and bought one. And you know what? It is better than I expected.

What we have here is a true entry level pen. There are six barrel color choices but only one nib option - medium. It is made to be used with both short and long international cartridges so you could probably find a compatible converter as well. The design is comfortable with just enough style points to set it above more run of the mill pens.

The surprise factor with the Pentel Tradio Fountain Pen is the nib. I don't have many other M nibs to compare it to, but this one is unbelievably smooth. I think this is what fountain pen people refer to as "glassy" - there is little to no friction or feedback when the nib hits the page. It is as smooth of a writer as you can get.

The one gotcha with the Tradio is when posting the cap. It goes on firmly, or so it seems, but as you write it works its way up the barrel until it is loose. The Tradio Energel did the exact same thing. If you write with the cap posted this might be an annoyance.

Will the Tradio Fountain Pen move ahead of the Lamy Safari as one of the best entry level fountain pens? No, and it is not even close. The Safari offers way too many options to ignore. But the Tradio can hold its own performance-wise, and if you are searching for a good looking, good performing entry level fountain pen you could do much worse.

Ohto Dude Fountain Pen Review

There are a wide variety of fountain pens available in the entry-level price range of around $20. Some on the lower-end of that price scale are excellent (the Platinum Preppy and Sailor HighAce Neo for starters), as are ones on the higher end like the Lamy Safari. While there are many good choices, there are poor ones as well, and unfortunately the Ohto Dude falls into the latter category.

The Ohto brand has always appealed to me from a design perspective. Their barrel design ideas are interesting, and they generally pull them off very well (the Ohto Rook being the lone exception). Where they have been lacking - more times than not - is in the area of performance. Most importantly, where the nib meets paper.

I should have learned my lesson with the Ohto Fine. That nib gave me serious problems at the time, and the cost of repair would be greater than the original price. I was hoping the unfortunately named Dude would be better. It was, but only marginally.

What I have repeatedly experienced with Ohto fountain pens is the nib digging into the page. I don't mean that it is scratchy when I write - that is a different feeling - I mean that it is almost gouging the page. This made for a poor and inconsistent writing experience.

I have learned my lesson with this pen. Ohto ballpoints and rollerballs are good pens but I am going to swear off any future Ohto fountain pen purchases.

My Fountain Pen Education: The Pilot M90 Limited Edition

Mabeloos is the smart one as it turns out. Not that I didn't know that already, mind you. She has been an online friend and pen compatriot since the start of this blog. Back in 2009, she did a guest review that up until a few weeks ago I had forgotten existed. Looking back on it now, I remember thinking how insane she was for spending so much money on a pen. Today, I am jealous of her prescience. What was that review?

The Pilot M90 Limited Edition.

With a production run of only 9000 units, the M90 was released for Pilot's 90th anniversary in 2008 and was a nod to the original Pilot MYU which was released in 1971. If I only knew then what I know now I would have been one happy camper to pick one of these up for $180.

The MYU has been popular since its release despite not being manufactured since the early 1980's. That made the M90 a hot commodity and they sold out in no time. Luckily for me, my friend Thomas has one in his collection he allowed me to test.

I was wrong in my Pilot Murex post (and have since made the correction) that the Murex was the first of the line made by Pilot in 1971. The shorter Pilot MYU actually came first, with the full-sized Murex following in 1977. The MYU is just as highly regarded with its sleek portable design, durability, and beautiful integrated nib.

The M90 kept the majority of the original MYU design intact, with just the name on the clip, clip design, and blue stone in the cap differing according to Russ Stutler. The model Thomas sent me has one more slight difference: a nib ground to 0.20 mm (a true Japanese EF) by renowned nibmeister Mike Masuyama.

Like the PO nib in the Pilot Heritage 912 the firm steel nib of the M90 took some getting used to. This may be the firmest, finest nib I have used in a fountain pen to date. And honestly, it was difficult to write with. I think if I used it all day, every day I would find the sweet spot but I had a tougher time writing with it than I did the Murex. That said, that only knocks this pen down to a 9 out of 10 at worst. It is a marvel to hold and use and I would love to add one to my collection.

Thanks as always to Thomas for allowing me to test out some of his collection (there is more to come), and thanks to Mabeloos for being ahead of the curve and teaching me a thing or two along the way. You can find more from Mabeloos at her website The Jadecow Sketches.