When I was younger I never really had a thing for pens. Sure, you could write with them, but you couldn't erase with them and I always hated that. I just wasn't interested in pens because I liked being able to get rid of any mistakes on paper. My dad, on the other hand, always loved fountain pens. In the old days, that's what you wrote with and that habit of his never changed. He'd take a fountain over a ballpoint or gel pen any day of the week. So it was only a matter of time before I got my own fountain pen, whether I liked it or not.
This pen is many years old now, and still going strong. This is actually a discontinued model, and there was a small change made to the reissue, which you can see in a bit.
As you can see in the picture below, the newer model is actually about .25 inches longer than the original. It's still compact, but just a little longer which is great for people with larger hands, although it's not enough to make too much of a difference.
Now onto the actual review of the pen, both old and new:
Simply put, it's a great little pen. Despite its small size, when posted, I think it's the perfect length. I have small hands, so I'm not bothered by the (shorter) old model, and the change in length isn't super noticeable for me. The nib writes like a Japanese medium or European fine, in my opinion, and is pretty smooth for a pen that sells for less than $4 on JetPens. It's not scratchy and writes just as well as a Lamy Safari, especially after being broken in a bit. It's a great stocking stuffer and it always has a place in my vest (which conveniently has two pockets specifically for pens). It is a bit of a fat little pen, but I'm not bothered by this.
It's entirely made of plastic, but neither model feels flimsy. In fact, when you consider the price, this pen is definitely a good pen for the money. You won't cry if you lose it, and it's cheap enough that you could buy plenty of replacements in a rainbow of colors without breaking the bank. I've dropped mine plenty of times, and as you can see, it's still in excellent condition. Another thing- it's airplane safe! I've left it in my backpack before and it's survived several twelve hour plane flights (and major turbulence) without imploding, which I love. It really is a pen you can take just about anywhere.
I forgot that I had left the original dark green model in my travel backpack once, and it had been sitting in there for years. About a year ago I found it and despite the fact that I hadn't used it for at least four or five years(?) it started writing right away with no problems. That was surprising as well. The ink in my Lamy Safari dries up very quickly without use and cost about 7x this little pen. My understanding is that it has something to do with the white (cap?) thing that goes over the nib, which is supposed to help preserve the ink or something. The Pilot Petite really is great bang for your buck.
Pros:
Demonstrator body
Can easily converted into an eyedropper pen (just add silicone grease!)
Cheap
Sturdy, good quality for price
Won't cry if you lose it
Makes a great gift
Everyday carry
Airplane safe!
Cons:
Depending on preference, the nib could stand to be a little more fine
Small grip area (again, preference)
Not so great with people with larger hands
The Pilot Petit1 also comes in a marker and brush pen version, I would check those out too!
Since this is my first review, let me know how I did! Feel free to ask questions below. I'd also love to know if there are any details that I missed that you would like in future reviews.
Note: I am not affiliated with JetPens in any way, nor did I receive anything for this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment