BENU Viper 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 her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Not a year goes by where BENU doesn't get me at least once. Their irresistible creativity overrides my willpower on a very regular basis, and the most recent temptation to run away with me was the BENU Viper. I mean, look at it. Whether it's glitz and sparkles or these tactile gothic designs, they are always a match for my mood.

Made of acrylic resin with a snakeskin-like texture, this pen sports a fully 3D snake wrapping around the body and cap. The snake is hand painted, so it pops off the background in more ways than one. This model has a black pen body with a wonderfully iridescent green snake, the Bamboo Viper, but there are other combinations available, such as the Mangrove Viper that has a dark teal background with a gunmetal grey snake, or the Bush Viper--purple with a bright green snake. The BENU brand letters are hidden, scattered among the snake's coils.

It's spooky and elegant, but also practical. The snake's 3D form keeps the pen from rolling, and the coils are cleverly placed in such a way that they create a comfortable grip, stopping the pen from slipping in your hand. So often I wonder if these wildly textured pens will be comfortable to hold, but BENU has definitely considered that in the design of this pen. The acrylic body is also lightweight, so the design does not add uncomfortable weight. It's a very comfortable pen to write with for hours on end. About spooky things, of course, because mood.

It is cartridge-converter filled, and comes with a converter. The nib is a gold-toned stainless steel and comes in Fine, Medium, and Broad. For all the playfulness of BENU's pen bodies, I'd love to see them play a little more in their nib offerings. But despite the lack of variety, the nibs work well and are pleasant to write with.

In the past, I've reviewed a number of BENU pens that felt a bit underpriced for the quality they deliver, but in this case, I think we're creeping well into the "fair" category. This pen clocks in at $180, which is by no means a bargain, but it's in range for what I'd expect a pen like this to cost. BENU's recent offerings have really broadened their market, with affordable (by fountain pen standards) pens still coming in around $100, and some hand-painted works of art as high as $4000.

As always, I can't wait to see what BENU will do next. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying writing with thisssss beauty.

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

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Kokuyo Me 0.5mm Gel Pen Review

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

It's not often at all that you see a new gel pen manufacturer enter the market. At this point, the big companies that operate in the stationery space already have various ballpoint refill pens available en mass, and they regularly churn new and updated variations on these. Bringing a new, cheap semi-disposable pen to market must be an extraordinarily large cost. So, when I see a pen from a manufacturer that I haven't previously associated with writing instruments, I jump at it.

Kokuyo is near and dear to my heart for the paper products they sell. Their paper is a good "middle of the road" quality, but it's paired with lower prices. It's nearly impossible to compare Japanese stationery culture with the American version, but Kokuyo feels like the ubiquitous brand that you can find at any office supply store. It's nothing special, but it's good at what is does. At any rate, it's about a thousand percent better than the paper products you find at any generic office supply store in the US.

Remember when Moleskine started selling pens? And they turned out to actually be pretty good? Well, that's kind of what's happening here with Kokuyo. The Kokuyo Me gel pen is fairly new, seems like a sleeper, but it actually hangs with the best gel pen options out there.

The Kokuyo Me pens are fairly new for the US market (forgive me if these pens are something that are really old news in Japan!), and I haven't seen much info or reviews on them so far. After trying one out for a while, I can tell you that Kokuyo's gel pen game is strong.

The 0.5mm black gel refill included with this pen is fantastic. It writes instantly and has no issues with starting, skipping, or bleeding. The ink is black and consistent in hue. The line edges are sharp and crisp. The only gripe I have about the refill is that I don't agree with the 0.5mm label they've given it. It's more akin to most 0.7mm refills, but that's a minor gripe.

The shape of the refill is very familiar. It's just a tiny bit different than the common Pilot G-2 refill, but it's essentially a complete match for other common pen/refill types. I've tried swapping with Uni Signos and Zebra Sarasas with great success. In theory, you could use the Kokuyo refill in other pens, or in machined pens made to use specific refills (like the Signo, for example). The only problem is, there aren't a lot of options in terms of Kokuyo's refills at the moment (at least for the US market). Black 0.5mm is the only option, unfortunately. I really hope that Kokuyo expands on their options for refill colors and sizes, but I guess it's still early days.

Getting back to the actual pen body, it's pretty standard fare with a couple of unique touches. The grip section is hard plastic instead of a rubberized, textured grip, and one side of the grip is faceted. This flat side of the grip is a nice place for a finger to rest while writing, but unobtrusive for those that prefer a different grip.

There's also a small round window between the clip and the grip section that shows you the numeric designation of the refill inside. It's easy to see the "05" through the window whether the refill is extended or retracted. This is possible because they've actually printed the 05 on the refill dozens of times to account for basically any possible placement of the refill inside the pen. Seems to me like something that was over-thought or over-designed as it doesn't really provide much value. Most pens in this price range have the refill size printed somewhere on the pen, but I guess being able to see the refill label is more accurate.

The "bell pepper" color I picked is a nice basic green. The pen body color has no bearing on the ink color — they're all black ink refills. There are several other pen body colors to pick from.

Vanness sell the Kokuyo Me gel pens for $4.50, which is in the ballpark for other comparable gel pens from the more well-known brands. Even if it's a little more than some options, I'd still say it's worth checking out. The refill that Kokuyo are using in this pen is promising, and I can't wait to see more options in terms of point size and color. Keep it up, Kokuyo!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Caran d’Ache 849 Year of the Dragon Ballpoint Pen Review

“Brad, why do you like the Caran d’Ache 849 so much? I just don’t get it.”

I’ve reviewed the 849 before (back in 2019,) had my own Pen Addict Edition made, and yes, I keep bringing it up in conversation, and buy special editions of it. I’m a fan, but why?

For starters, the style. First launched in 1969, the design of the 849 is a stationery classic. Like a LAMY Safari or a Pelikan fountain pen, the design of the 849 is noticeable from across the room. That likely comes from the unique clip design, tailored perfectly to the fit the hexagonal barrel.

The size of the 849 is also an important factor. This is a small pen. Modern pen designs tell us that the market prefers slightly wider and longer pens, but designs like the 849 and Parker Jotter have sustained for decades by keeping their original silhouette. At 5 inches long and 0.5 oz. in weight it may not necessarily seem or feel small, but in comparison to similar pens it does land on that side of the ledger.

Attached to the Traveler’s Passport notebook.

Ballpoint refills sometimes get a bad rap, but the Goliath (yes, that’s what they named theirs,) is excellent. Only standard colors (Black, Blue, Red, Green,) and sizes (Fine, Medium, Broad,) are available, but the ones I’ve tried (Black and Blue, Fine and Medium,) have all been excellent.

I prefer the Fine Blue Goliath refill, but the Fine Black version may make me reconsider. The line is clean, consistent, and mess-free.

The sum of the above reasons I like the 849 brings us to main one: fun. Caran d’Ache makes fun pens. Look no further than this Caran d’Ache 849 Year of the Dragon Ballpoint for one example why these pens are so popular. This Limited Edition features a Red body with Gold trim, and is filled with dragon scales, including a random layout of gilded-edges. The entire package pops, including the Gold slimpack it ships in.

For all of the upside I see in the 849 lineup, the one downside is the price. The base single color models start at $22, with various Limited Editions on up from there. This Year of the Dragon model is $47. I paid over $100 for a chromed-out Keith Haring edition. So yeah, I’m way in on the Cd’A 849 lineup.

Left to right: Kaweco Sport, Cd’A 849, LAMY Safari.

Should you be? I think there is a checklist to run down if you are thinking about making a purchase. As I discussed above, think about how the size fits your hand, if you like ballpoint refills (the 849 is compatible with Parker-style refills,) and does the style match yours. Am I going to tell you that the 849 provides better performance for the price than the Jetstream Lite Touch that I just raved about? No. Am I going to tell you it’s cooler? I might.

I know that the Caran d’Ache 849 is a staple in my lineup, and I always look forward to what the brand will come up with next.

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