Fountain Pen Review: BENU Euphoria Forest Pond

In my other job, I write science articles on biotechnology. I write about breakthroughs and research results, mostly on major food and feed crops. When news about Russia's invasion of Ukraine broke out, we saw a lot of news about wheat, an important staple food feeding millions around the world. A Twitter influencer said the war is hitting plates directly across the globe as Ukraine is a major grain producer. My thought went further than my plate and out to my friends at BENU in Moscow which is one of the world's producers of unique and beautiful fountain pens. It's been a year since, and BENU has found a new home in Armenia, producing writing instruments and accessories in Yerevan.

My last BENU fountain pen review was in 2021, the Talisman Foxglove. BENU has produced many beautifully-designed fountain pens since then, including some wonderful hand-painted ones in their signature Euphoria and Minima collections. These hand-painted pens are one-of-a-kind BENU online store exclusives, and some of them are numbered. This review is already my sixth BENU fountain pen review, but it's a special one because this hand-painted pen called Forest Pond from the Euphoria series is from the Yerevan workshop and an online store exclusive.

BENU Euphoria Forest Pond fountain pen, an online store exclusive.

BENU launched the Euphoria series on October 15, 2020. It is a collection of fountain pens devoted to different sources of pleasure such as a beautiful flower, sea and travel, exotic places, poetry, music, a favorite cocktail, and delicacies. Each pen in the series is inspired by things that bring joy and add color to life. Aside from Forest Pond, the hand-painted Euphoria fountain pens are White Christmas, Northern Light, Dream, Summer Meadow, Midsummer Night, October Fall, Beam Me Up, and Early Bird.

The Euphoria is a faceted pen with a section designed for comfortable writing. It's a long pen at almost six inches capped, but it's not a heavy one. Capped, this pen weighs 26 grams, and approximately 15 grams when uncapped, which is just right in the hand. The screw-on cap can be easily posted, as the barrel end is slightly tapered for this, but I prefer to write with my fountain pens unposted. 

The Forest Pond fountain pen features hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies.

The Forest Pond fountain pen features hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies on a pearly aqua-blue background (see details of these hand-painted items below). Blue and green glitter foil added to the pen's material creates an illusion of the play of light in the depths of a forest pond, adding vibrancy and vividness. A true piece of art, this unique pen has been lovingly handmade and hand-painted with a series of multicolored layers. This process takes up to five days to complete and results in the pen's impressive depth of colors and unique glare.

BENU Euphoria fountain pens can be filled with ink using cartridges or converters.

BENU Euphoria Forest Pond fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.86 in | 14.9 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.4 in | 13.7 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.1 in | 18 cm
• Weight: 26 g | 0.9 oz
• Body material: High-quality resin
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel
• Nib: #6 Schmidt, stainless steel in F, M, or B
• Filling mechanism: Standard large international size converter or ink cartridge 

BENU has kept their pens' clip design consistent from the Supreme model to the Tattoo, Tessera, and Euphoria. Their standard clip is stainless steel, which adds gloss and shine to the pens. Stainless steel is also durable, and the clip's top can be pressed so it can be easily posted to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

Euphoria fountain pens have the standard BENU stainless steel clip which adds gloss and shine to the pen. Note that the BENU logo in the hand-painted Euphoria pens is painted white. Logos in regular Euphoria pens are not painted. 

These are the hand-painted goldfish and white water lilies in the Forest Pond's barrel. The depth and color in these hand-painted details are amazing!

BENU fountain pens are fitted with stainless steel Schmidt nibs that are manufactured by JoWo and then hand-assembled at the Schmidt factory in St. Georgen, Germany. Hand assembling ensures every unit gets special attention, resulting in a truly superb nib quality. These nibs are smooth, wet, and juicy.

BENU Euphoria fountain pens' long sections help a lot in writing comfortably.

BENU has continuously used Schmidt nibs on their pens. I love that they are consistently smooth, wet, and trouble-free. They write so well out the box! For a while now, I have shifted to using Medium and Fine nibs from Broad and stubs. BENU's Fine nibs are smooth writers!

My first BENU fountain pen was the Classic Ghost White Silver, a short, clipless pocket pen. They are now called the Minima. Through the years, BENU has released several pens, and I am very fortunate to have some of these pens that are crafted well by their design team led by the Chief Designer and BENU Co-Founder Alex Semanin. These pens are truly work of art.

Some of my BENU fountain pens. From top: Tattoo, Tessera, Euphoria, and Talisman.

I'm a proud owner of three BENU Euphoria fountain pens. From top: Forest Pond, Scent of Irises (now sold out), and the 2021 Limited Edition Halloween Orange.

The Euphoria, a full-length fountain pen, shares almost the same length as my pen from On A Whim Woodworks (second from bottom), but it has a thicker middle section. Capped, it is longer than a Lamy Safari, TWSBI ECO, and Leonardo Momento Zero. Uncapped, it's still the longest pen in this group. Despite its length and thicker middle section, this pen is well-balanced and comfortable to use. BENU designed the section and grip of this pen to be ergonomically correct for long periods of writing.

From the top: TWSBI ECO-T Blue, Leonardo Momento Zero Positano Blue, BENU Euphoria Forest Pond, On A Whim Woodworks Peacock Springs, and Lamy Safari Blue.

Uncapped, Euphoria is still the longest pen in this group. Note this pen's long section.

I took a long time choosing the ink for this pen. I wanted to fill it with orange ink to match the goldfish but changed my mind. I also wanted to try green and red but decided to finally use Robert Oster Signature True Blue. The Fine Schmidt nib wrote smoothly out of the box. I did not experience hard starts, skipping, or uneven ink flow. The Schmidt nib wrote very well. The Euphoria is an enjoyable fun pen, and its long section helps in writing comfortably.

The Fine Schmidt nib wrote smooth and wet out of the box. This pen is going to my pen case of daily writers!

I am very happy and proud of the BENU Euphoria Forest Pond and I am recommending it to anyone who wants to know the brand and explore its unique designs. This is a beautiful pen and I'm glad to have it in my collection. BENU is an excellent pen maker who uses only the best materials and takes great care in manufacturing their pens. Get one for your collection.

In the last five years, BENU has created pens for different series depicting bold, unique, and eye-catching designs. Aside from the Euphoria Collection, BENU currently has eight other pen collections, and I'm including their descriptions below:

• Skull & Roses, fountain and rollerball pens inspired by one of the most popular motifs that represent the eternal struggle of good vs evil. 
• Hexagon, features the pattern of nature’s most perfect six-sided polygon shapes. True inspirations for those who prefer edgy geometry design!
• Briolette, pens with a striking faceted contour. Long briolette-like cuts prevent the pens from rolling and enable the true color and brilliance of the material to emerge.
• Minima, portable pens with compact, streamlined faceted bodies. Their small size conveniently fits into pockets and bags. 
• Ambrosia, 5 unique pens named after a colorful and flamboyant flower, to honor the nectar that was drunk by the Greek gods to preserve longevity and immortality.
• Talisman, pens that allow you to step into the hypnotizing realm of folklore. Inspired by myths and legends, the collection fuses elements believed to bring luck, protection, money, or love.
• Euphoria, pens devoted to different sources of simple, hedonistic pleasures, such as favorite music, a beautiful scene, an exquisite cocktail, or a delicacy.
• Scepter, inspired by a century-old symbol of power, this collection of pens offers a glimpse of a majestic staff as depicted in the history of civilizations, ancient legends, and modern fantasy stories.

Rants of The Archer thanks BENU for providing the Forest Pond fountain pen in this review. The Euphoria series is available in BENU's online shop. The Forest Pond, an online store exclusive, retails for US$280. BENU pens are also available in international retailers in the US, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. See the retailers list here. 

To learn more about BENU, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing BENU pens, visit their website at https://www.benupen.com/ or follow them on social media:

• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/benupen/)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/benupen/)