[Pen/Pencil Review] The Ooly Splendid Fountain Pen in Blue and Black
Sometimes I find the most random things at Half-Price Books, this past week it was the Splendid Fountain Pens by OOLY in blue and black – so I had to get them. Just for kicks. And because I was “celebrating†finishing up a thing for work. And I have an office supply…problem. I didn’t need these but I bought them anyway.
The pens are translucent plastic with barrel colors matching the ink color. There’s a slope to the pen to make it more comfortable to write with and black rubber grips. The nib is marked “F†and is stainless steel. The pen is about 5.5″ long capped and about 6″ long posted. The cap is the same translucent plastic with a molded clip that seems relatively sturdy
These come with an ink cartridge in the barrel (loose) and two refills. They’re not the short international cartridges, though, they seem more like Pilot style, which are different. But the cartridges seat securely and the ink flows well. The nib is not scratchy and the ink dries pretty quickly.
It wasn’t expensive…however… I did get them at Half-Price Books (in Hurst, TX) at the counter for $5.99 (I’m pretty sure). They’re available online through Ooly.com for $4.99 (and in some fun other colors). There are also relatively inexpensive refills for all the colors – blue, black, red, pink, purple, and green. I’m tempted to buy directly from them because they also look like they have some other fun stuff, too.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works. The stainless steel nib seems pretty sturdy. The color is good.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s a good length with decent balance. For an inexpensive plastic fountain pen, it’s surprisingly comfortable.
3. Material – 1 – They’re translucent plastic with the ability to see the ink. It’s inexpensive plastic with some nod to ergonomics.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It’s a beginner, no frills plastic fountain pen that so far doesn’t leak, has a good solid feel to the cartridges. The cartridges are rather proprietary.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s an okay price point – but they are cheaper online at $4.99 than finding them at a Half-Price for $5.00, but they are refillable and come with more refills than a typical fountain pen.
That’s 4 of 5 bronze pencils.
