Narwhal Nautlius Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Every now and then, I'll pick up a new pen that just instantly feels right in my hand. I just know that we're going to get along based on how it feels. As long as the nib and everything else functions normally, I'm pretty much already in love with it.

This doesn't happen to me often, but the Narwhal Nautilus surprised me with this feeling the first time I picked it up. It surprised me because I wasn't instantly attracted to it at first sight. Sure, it's definitely a unique pen that attracts the eye, but it wasn't until I picked it up that everything just clicked for me.

Being made of ebonite, this pen already has a lot going for it. I really wish we had more ebonite pens to choose from, and I wish that more modern manufacturers used the material. It doesn't produce bright, vibrant colors, but it just feels so good in the hand. It's lightweight, but warms up quickly and always feels sturdy. It's a fantastic material that comes from a process of vulcanizing rubber, which in itself is fascinating. Throw in some black and burgundy notes with the dusty purple hue, and you've got a winner. The gold trim fits well with the ebonite tones, and the port hole ink windows are a fun accent that adds to this pen's unique aesthetic.

The actual name of the color is Pelagia Noctiluca. A quick search lands me on this page, where I'm lost reading about jellyfish for a few minutes. The main takeaway here is that Narwhal named this material colorway perfectly.

While the ebonite is the clear star of this pen's design, the shape is something that also gives it a lot of unique personality. The pen is a tad thicker than most standard fountain pens, and it's about as long as a Lamy Safari. It looks a little chunky or heavy at first glance, which is why it's so surprising and delightful when you actually pick it up because it's actually quite lightweight. The rounded ends and straight tubular clip match perfectly with the three ink windows, which take design cues from a ship's port hole windows. For me at least, these windows also make me think of Captain Nemo's ship in Disney's adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea — which also happens to be called Nautilus (mind-blown emoji). And, since there are three of these windows, it's really easy to get a quick idea of how much ink you have left in the pen.

The Nautilus uses a piston-filling mechanism for inking the pen. It's a great mechanism that feels smooth and well made. There isn't any play in any of the pieces when operating the piston, and it only takes a couple of quick turns to fill the pen.

Moving down to the nib, you have a large steel nib with the same gold-like plating as the rest of the pen's trim. There is some decorative scroll work as well as a Narwhal logo. The nib size is stamped on the left shoulder of the nib, which is a welcome addition in the event you forget what nib size you have! This happens to me more often than I'd like to admit, so I love it when manufacturers stamp the tip size on the nib.

The grip section of the Nautilus is also a big part of why I love this pen. It's a great size, and the slight taper toward a hefty shoulder at the end makes it really comfortable and secure. The ebonite material warms up in your hand quickly, and it has a tactile grippy-ness that is hard to describe. It doesn't feel like other materials that I'm used to (like metals or resins), and I'd say this is a perk.

The cap doesn't post on the back of the pen, but that's fine with me since I don't normally post the cap anyway. With the size of this pen, posting the cap would be a little awkward and would throw off the great balance it has.

The cap also features a decorative band that has the NARWHAL name printed into it twice along with some wave motifs. I think it's really well done and adds to the sense of quality and thought that went into the design and manufacturing of this pen.

This is my first exposure to the Narwhal brand (now Nahvalur), and I couldn't be more pleased with the Nautlius. From a pen that I shrugged at initially, this pen has been a nearly constant companion for the past few weeks. At price points ranging from $120 to $295 (depending on the material,) you definitely shouldn't overlook Narwhal's Nautilus offerings, and I look forward to seeing what they get up to next.

(Nahvalur provided this pen at no charge to The Pen Addict for purposes of this review.)

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Narwhal Original Fountain Pen Clear Demonstrator Review

Reviewing good products is the hardest thing I do.

You would think that after nearly 14 years of writing reviews online it would be easier to say “This product is good, here is why …” but if I am being honest, it’s easier to write about products that lean one way or the other. Is there something exceptional that sets this pen apart? Is there a flaw that makes you think twice about whether this pen will be good for you?

Or, as is the case with the Narwhal Original Fountain Pen, is being a good pen good enough? I think so, which is why I’m writing this review. This is a good pen. And I’m going to try to explain why.

First off, the build of the pen is nice. It’s on the large side, somewhere around a TWSBI 580 or Pelikan 800 series. Like those two pens, the Narwhal Original is also a piston-filler. Shouldn’t that be a great feature for a pen at this price point? Probably, but we will explore that topic further near the end of the post.

It feels good in the hand, has a good density to the material, and is well balanced. All in all, it’s set up to be a good writer.

Secondly, the nib is good. Narwhal makes their own nibs in-house, and this Fine steel nib does a good job. For my personal use, I prefer less tipping than this nib has. It is very round, which, in turn, rounds out my handwriting. Something great would be offering the nib in sizes other than Fine or Medium. I would prefer Extra Fine, for example, but maybe that is part and parcel with in-house manufacturing, which I can’t imagine is easy in the slightest. Nib grinders will enjoy the very workable platform, though.

Finally, the price. $50 for a well-built piston-filling fountain pen - that’s pretty great, right? In a vacuum, yes. 10 years ago, yes. Today? It’s still dang good. Add in the other colorful barrel options, and the promise of even more to come in the future, Narwhal is certainly a brand to watch.

Yet, I can’t get past “good” for this pen. Is that a bad thing? Of course not. I would certainly recommend it to someone whose needs it would fit. I would have a harder time recommending it blindly. That’s what separates the good from the great in my book.

If all of this sounds like I’m a Spoilt Victorian Child, well, I hope that’s not the case. In an effort to be objective, as opposed to subjective, maybe I’m straddling the middle line too closely. Or, maybe, that’s the feel I get from this particular Narwhal pen. Maybe, as the brand grows into the wondrous whale it is named after, it adds something a bit more magical into the feel of the pen.

Until then, the Narwhal Original is a good pen.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Narwhal Piston-Fill Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I hadn't heard of or seen a Narwhal fountain pen till I watched Brad unbox his on his Twitch stream. Even after seeing the video, I kept my expectations low. With its price tag of $45, I assumed it was more likely to be cheaply made and slightly overpriced than well-made and underpriced. When the pen arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe even shocked. Possibly flabbergasted.

The first thing I noticed about the pen is how substantial it feels. It's very solid. A bit heavy, but in a reassuring way. It doesn't feel like the plastic is fragile or cheap, the way some economically priced acrylic pens sometimes do. In the hand, it does not feel like a cheap pen at all. The joins and corners are all smooth and seamless. The threads are precise, both for the cap and for the piston. Because, yes, this is a piston filler! The mechanism resembles the one in a TWSBI ECO, and it holds a comparable amount of ink. As in, a lot of ink.

The piston is operated by twisting the end cap. The cap, end cap, body, and grip section are all in the same pretty, swirly acrylic. The ribbons of color have a great depth to them and it's a lovely effect. The grip tapers smoothly and is very comfortable to hold. The threads at the top of the grip section are so smooth that you can hardly feel them. There is a silver clip that has the perfect amount of grip and spring, and a silver cap band that says "Narwhal." The clip design even looks like a fountain pen! There is also a silver ring at the join for the end cap. Every fitting is absolutely seamless. I don't think I've ever seen this level of precision on a pen under a hundred dollars. Heck, I have some that cost over that that are less well fitted.

Narwhal also make their own nibs, which sounds bold, even foolhardy, but--again--they've exceeded my expectations. This is a good nib. Perfectly wet with no skipping. There's a bit more feedback than I personally prefer, but it doesn't feel too scratchy, and it doesn't feel dry. It also has one of the coolest engravings I've seen on a nib--a leaping narwhal (their company logo). The nib only comes in Fine, but it's not a true fine, in my opinion. It's closer to a western medium, or even a Japanese broad.

When uncapped, it's perfectly balanced. With the cap on, it's very cap-heavy, as there's a chunk of metal at the finial. The only negative I can name so far is that it does not post. I know that can be a dealbreaker for some folks. If it did post, though, that metal in the cap would be a problem. It's a large enough pen that it does not need to be posted, and would even be a bit unwieldly if it was. It's slightly longer than a TWSBI ECO.

I highly recommend this pen if you're looking to try a piston filling pen and want great quality for your money. I can't quite fathom (haha, get it?) how they've kept the cost so low while offering such high level of finish. They could easily be charging quite a bit more for these pens. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Narwhal comes out with next. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this new brand.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!