[Pen/Pencil Review Post] The Pilot Plumix – Medium Nib Beginner Fountain Pen

This week, we take another look at fountain pens – specifically the Pilot Plumix. This is actually the second Plumix I’ve owned. It’s categorized by JetPens (and Pilot, I believe) as a “Beginner Fountain Pen”. And I rather agree with that. I’ve bought both of mine at Target.

Now…why have I had two of these pens? I bought one on a whim and used it until the ink ran out – then couldn’t find refills in either Target or the major box stores. That’s one of the major stumbling blocks to impulsively picking up this pen. Unless you know about places like JetPens, finding refills for the Plumix is nigh on to impossible. Once I DID know about JetPens and what refills are required for the Plumix, I’d tossed my original Plumix and had to replace it.

So, the Plumix… It’s a decent pen. It won’t appeal to tons of people for every day, practical use because it has no clip to secure the pen to, well, ANYTHING. It’s more artsy than anything else, but it’s really designed to be comfortable. The grip is a tri-corner type thing that sits comfortably in the hand. The accents on the barrel are pretty. The plastic is sturdy, and the bullet-shaped cap does post firmly on the pen. It’s nearly 6″ long capped and posted, which is long enough for me to find it comfortable. It’s also remarkably well-balanced for a plastic pen.

The nib is stainless steel and comes defaulted to a Medium width – which for beginners or people who prefer a wider line is fine – I prefer finer nibs. It does write smoothly and lays down a good line of ink – the width does depend on how you hold the pen, and this does allow for beginner hesitation and learning curves. It’s a perfectly acceptable and serviceable pen.

Now to the numbers.

1. How does it work? – 1 – it works well. It’s got a decent learning curve. There’s minimal leaking around the nib (and generally only if you don’t dry it well after cleaning). The nib is sturdy and takes a lot of abuse.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – the length is comfortable. The pen is light, but balanced and comfortable in the hand. The grip is slick, but ergonomic. There’s no doubt that it can be used for long periods of time, because I have.
3. Material – .5 it’s plastic. It’s lightweight plastic. It’s meant to be a beginner pen and to be graduated up to a nicer pen. It’s not going to be a pen you weep over if it’s lost, stolen, or somehow thrown away.
4. Overall Design – .5 Though I do like this pen over all, there are so many “buts” and “ifs“. It’s great, BUT… it’s difficult to find refills if you don’t know where to look. It’s great IF you like medium nibs (which I’m not fond of). It doesn’t have a clip. It doesn’t secure to anything, BUT it’s comfortable and easy to use.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s an OKAY price point for a beginning pen. Looking online you can find this pen from $5-$8 (which for a fountain pen is pretty darned inexpensive). It runs in the $6-$7 range at Target, a bit over $7 on JetPens. It is refillable (if you know where to get refills), so that price can even out once you’re good to go on it.

That’s a 3.5 out of 5.

Tags: fountain pen, ink, nib, pen, Pilot, Plumix, writing instruments