Fountain Pen Review: BENU Tattoo Black

Last year, I have had the pleasure of reviewing two of BENU's fountain pens, Tessera Amber and Euphoria Scent of Irises — both beautiful and excellent writers. Before these two pen models, BENU produced a series of fountain pens in 2019 that paid tribute to the earliest form of visual art and the most unconventional form of modern art — the tattoo. BENU's Tattoo fountain pens are inspired by the beautiful images that people from all over the world use to ink themselves, and they are truly fascinating. I missed getting one when the Tattoo Collection was launched, but BENU has kindly included one when they sent the Euphoria fountain pen. These pens are no longer in production, but major pen sellers still carry them.

The BENU Tattoo fountain pen is a statement pen. It's a large pen at 5.6 inches, and it is full of images, giving it a full tattooed appearance. I received the black Tattoo, the only model in the series without the colored patina, so the textured part of the pen contrasts with the glossy resin and stainless steel accents, giving it a dramatic and captivating effect.

Each fountain pen has eleven old-school style tattoo elements inspired by sailors from the 18th Century, including symbols of good fortune navigating the seas. These elements adorn the pen from the finial to the barrel end, including the following: swallow, dice, sun, gun, rose, nautical star, wind rose compass, ribbon banner with BENU logo, snake, skull, and fire and flame. These elements are sculpted with patinated colors that sharply contrast the pen's barrel color. 

BENU Tattoo Black fountain pen.

The Tattoo's design makes it a must-have pen. It's a beautiful mix of glossy and textured resin with chrome accents. The tattoo elements are embossed and glossy against the textured matte resin, giving them an almost 3-D appearance.

The Tattoo fountain pen is available in six colors: black, gray, blue, green, red, and yellow. The fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.6 in | 14.2 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.3 in | 13.5 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.8 in | 17.2 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.1 cm
• Length, section to nib: 2 in | 5 cm
• Length, cap: 2.75 inches | 7 cm
• Weight: 25 g | 0.8 oz
• Body material: Acrylic resin
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel
• Clip and cap rings: Stainless steel
• Nib: #6 Schmidt, stainless steel in Fine, Medium, or Broad
• Filling mechanism: Standard international size cartridge or converter included in each purchase

The eleven tattoo elements are beautifully distributed in the pen's cap and barrel.

Tattoo fountain pens are made from high-quality acrylic resin, a weatherproof and durable material. Capped, this pen weighs around 25 grams, and approximately 20 grams when uncapped, which is just right in the hand. This pen's size and length allow for inking with standard international long cartridges or converter. The Tattoo's screw-on cap can be posted and the barrel end is slightly tapered for this, but the pen becomes a little top-heavy when it's posted. 

BENU's Tattoo fountain pens can be filled with ink using cartridges or the supplied long international standard converters.

The Tattoo has the standard BENU steel clip, wide clip band, and cap ring. The sun is placed prominently under the clip, with the ribbon banner bearing the BENU logo.

More details in the Tattoo's cap: the dice are partly seen above the clip band in the left image, together with a series of nautical stars. The cap also has the iconic guns and roses with the wind rose compass above it.

A swallow rests at the Tattoo's finial. The swallow symbolizes love, happiness, freedom, and wisdom. It is used by sailors to show off their sailing experience and the successful end to a voyage.

The pen's barrel has more roses, but it also bears the skull (left) and snake (right). Fire and flame are at the bottom part with more nautical stars in the barrel end.

The Tattoo fountain pen is fitted with a stainless steel #6 Schmidt nib in Fine, Medium, or Broad. The Broad nib on my Tattoo pen wrote well out of the box. It's a very wet and smooth nib, perfect for regular writing for my notes, lists, and journaling. 

The Tattoo fountain pen is fitted with a stainless steel #6 Schmidt nib available in Fine, Medium, or Broad.

The Tattoo shares almost the same length as the Tessera, but shorter than the Euphoria by approximately 0.3 inches. These BENU fountain pens are truly collectibles and each has its own unique design story to tell.

Three iconic BENU fountain pens. From top: Euphoria Scent of Irises, Tattoo, and Tessera.

My first BENU fountain pen was the Classic Ghost White Silver, a short, clipless pocket pen with a #5 Schmidt nib. The Tattoo, on the other hand, is a standard full-length fountain pen, sharing the same length as an Esterbrook Estie and Bexley Intrepid, and shorter than a Laban 325 and Edison Collier while capped. Uncapped, the Tattoo is almost the same length as all four pens except the Estie which is the shortest pen in this lineup.

Top to bottom: Bexley Intrepid, Esterbrook Estie, BENU Tattoo, Laban 325 Wisteria, and Edison Collier Antique Marble.

The Tattoo and Bexley Intrepid are the longest pens in this lineup.

The Tattoo fountain pen's Broad Schmidt nib is complemented by the excellent flow of Monteverde Valentine Red ink, so it writes wet and smoothly. The Tattoo is a comfortable pen to use.

To test how the Tattoo fountain pen writes, I filled it with Monteverde Valentine Red, a bright red ink with excellent flow and consistency. I chose red ink for this big black pen for contrast and boldness. I am happy that I did not experience any hard start and the pen wrote instantly. The Schmidt nib wrote very smoothly. It wrote very well, no skips, no inky blobs, no trouble at all. The Tattoo is an enjoyable pen, and it is comfortable to use even for long periods of writing.

I am very happy that I finally have a BENU Tattoo fountain pen and I am recommending it to anyone who wants to own a pen with exquisite details. It's a beautiful pen and definitely a keeper. BENU is an excellent pen maker who uses only the best materials and takes great care in manufacturing their pens. Get a Tattoo for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks BENU for providing the Tattoo fountain pen in this review. While its production has been discontinued, the Tattoo is still available from major pen sellers where it retails for ~US$150-US$190. 

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/)

Fountain Pen Review: Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen Tuxedo Black

When I was new to fountain pen collecting, I ventured into vintage Esterbrooks and had close to ten pieces at one time. Difficulty in maintenance and sourcing replacement parts made me let go of some of the pens, keeping only the ones in better condition. I still have four Esties and though I want to have more, my previous concerns keep me from adding another Estie to my collection. But I got one more! This time it's a modern Esterbrook pen.

The JR Pocket Pen, inspired by the classic and vintage "J" fountain pen was launched by the Esterbrook Pen Company in September 2020. The JR Pocket Pen is a revival of the 1940s and 50s pocket pen and comes in the compact size that most of us loved with the vintage J Esties.

 

The Estie J that we all love is now truly reborn in the Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen.

The JR, short for "J Reborn," is an excellent "heritage" pen, built and designed well for a comfortable writing experience. It's a slimmer pen than the Estie J, and it fills with ink through cartridges or converters, but it feels almost the same as holding an original J fountain pen. The clip and accents are plated to match the nib and cap ring.

This new version of the Esterbrook J is offered in three colors, Capri Blue, Carmine Red, and Tuxedo Black. Tuxedo and Carmine are available in palladium trim and Capri in gold. The JR's JoWo nib and finial are engraved with the Esterbrook Eternity symbol. 

Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen Tuxedo Black

The Esterbrook JR fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5 in | 12.7 cm
• Length, uncapped: 4.6 in | 11.7 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6 in | 15.2 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.1 in | 7.9 cm
• Length, section to nib: 1.4 in | 3.6 cm
• Length, cap: 2.5 inches | 6.4 cm
• Full pen weight: 19.8 g | 0.7 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Trim: Chrome/Palladium
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Palladium plated metal 
• Nib: Stainless steel nib in rhodium plating in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.1mm)
• Filling mechanism: Cartridge or converter (both included with purchase)

The JR Pocket Pen has a screw-on cap.

Esterbrook JR fountain pen can be filled with ink using international cartridges or an Esterbrook converter, both included with each purchase. Unlike other pocket pens, the JR takes on a full ink converter which makes it easier to fill from ink bottles. 

This pen's section has an ergonomic grip that ensures comfortable writing, and the body is long enough to use for writing without the need to post the cap. I do not usually use my fountain pens posted because they become uncomfortably long and top-heavy.  

The JR's barrel, section + converter, and screw-on cap.

The JR's cap looks very similar to the vintage J fountain pen's cap. However, Esterbrook has included some changes into the new pen. The cap finial (and barrel end) is now a flat chrome-plated metal instead of the black button jewels found in the earlier J pens. The JR pen's ribbed clip is also longer and does not have the Esterbrook logo, which is now etched in the JR's smooth cap ring. (Comparison photos below.)

The JR's cap ring bears the Esterbrook logo.

The JR's finial is a flat metal engraved with the Esterbrook Eternity logo.

The JR's section has metal threading, which prevents loosening and breakage, and ensures a more secure fit into the pen's barrel.

The Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen is fitted with a #5 steel JoWo nib from Germany. It is available in various nib sizes: extra fine, fine, medium, broad, and stub 1.1. The markings on the nib include the Esterbrook Eternity logo and "1.1" (nid width).

The 1.1 nib on the JR Pocket Pen wrote well out of the box, smooth and wet to my liking. I can use it for regular writing for my notes, lists, and journaling, but I can also use it to do some beautiful italic calligraphy.

The Esterbrook Eternity symbol/logo is made up of two connected "E's," with no beginning or ending representing a timeline of perpetuity, linking tradition to modernity. It is a reminder of founder Richard Esterbrook's spirit and hard work, so the two connected E's is also translated to "Esterbrook Endures." The symbol/logo made its first appearance on the red polishing cloth that was included with the Estie Lilac. As new Esterbrook pen models are released, the Eternity symbol/logo is included in finials. 

The JR's stub 1.1 nib is smooth and wet, perfect for regular writing and italic calligraphy.

The J series was Esterbrook's most popular and best-selling pens when they were introduced in the 1940s. The classic double jewel J in the image below is the full-sized pen. The series has two more sizes, LJ (slender/slim), and SJ (demi, or the equivalent of the pocket pen back then).

Overall, the JR pen looks similar to the J, but it is slimmer than its vintage cousin. The barrel obviously does not have the lever anymore, but it has an extra ring towards the end. The barrel is also missing the Esterbrook imprint found in the vintage pen. The materials for the two pens are also different, but I like the turned acrylic that Esterbrook used in the JR. It has depth and unique marbling, and exceptional gloss. This JR is a neat, black pocket pen.

Top: Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen; bottom: Esterbrook Double Jewel J.

The JR has a longer section with an ergonomic design for comfortable writing.

The JR Pocket Pen shares the same length as a Pelikan Souveran M400, slightly shorter than Otto Hutt design04, but longer than a Kaweco Sport. The Lamy Safari is the only full-length pen here and it provides a good size comparison. Uncapped, it's the smallest and slimmest pen in this lot of pocket/short pens. Despite that, the JR is a well-designed pen that looks classy and elegant, and comfortable to use.

To test how this pocket fountain pen writes, I filled it Bleu Calanque, a J. Herbin ink with an average flow. The JR wrote so well out of the box, and the #5 JoWo steel 1.1 nib wrote wet and smooth. I did not experience any scratchiness, hard starts, or ink skipping. I had no trouble writing at all. 

I'm so happy that I can use this pen for regular writing for my notes, lists, and journaling, and also for italic calligraphy and ink art. The Esterbrook JR is such an enjoyable pen. It's elegant, classy, versatile, and one that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort.

The JR is perfect for regular writing - notes, lists, journaling.

The 1.1 JoWo nib is also perfect for italic calligraphy!

The Esterbrook Pen Company has a long history of pen making. At its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, the company was the largest pen manufacturer in the United States. US presidents signed legislation with their Esterbrook pens. Donald Duck was brought to life with an Esterbrook, and Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz used an Estie for all his comics. Millions of students grew up learning how to write using Esterbrook pens. Now that the J has been reborn, more people will be able to enjoy the brand and continue the history of one of America's iconic pen brands.

Each purchase of the Esterbrook JR includes a polishing cloth, a small fabric bag, and this lovely vintage-themed stamp.

As with the Estie Lilac I reviewed in September last year, I am very happy with the JR Pocket Pen, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to have a similar experience of using the Esterbrook J fountain pen or explore the brand. The JR Pocket Pen is a neat, lovely fountain pen designed for long term use. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks the Esterbrook Pen Company and Kenro Industries for providing the Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen for review purposes. The JR fountain pen and the entire Esterbrook collection is available at Esterbrookpens.com where it retails for around US$175. Aside from the JR Pocket Pen collection,  the following collections are also available: Camden, Estie, Estie Peacock, Estie Rocky Top, Sparkle, Phaeton, Popeye, and Navy Nook. 

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

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

Fountain Pen Review: Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Positano Blue

In 2018, the fountain pen world welcomed a new name from Italy, one that continues a family tradition that was handed down from father to son. Leonardo Officina Italiana launched their brand with a pen model that defines the moment their existence began and which symbolizes new beginnings. They named it Momento Zero. The Momento Zero Collection became a global phenomenon and I joined many fountain pen users in getting a Momento Zero in my bucket list of fountain pens.

The Momento Zero is the famous and outstanding first pen model of Leonardo Officina Italiana launched in 2018, inspired by the design of vintage Italian pens. This pen model is the product of a father and son team whose family tradition includes 45 years of craftsmanship. There are five colors in the regular production of Momento Zero, including this ocean wave-inspired Positano Blue.

The outer box of the Momento Zero Collection says "Fatto a mano in Italia" which translates to "Handmade in Italy."

The Momento Zero Positano Blue in its presentation box. Not in this image, but included in the package is a certificate of authenticity and warranty card as Leonardo's product guarantee for life against any manufacturing defect.

The Momento Zero is a full-sized fountain pen that was hand-turned from a single solid bar of high-quality resin with a vintage shape and tapered grip section designed for comfortable writing. A well-balanced fountain pen, it can be used for comfortable writing whether posted or unposted. 

This model is not a limited Leonardo production, but it is an open numbered series, with each pen number engraved on the barrel together with the Leonardo name. This is pen N°5753 and it's a very unique pen with its own identification.

Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Positano Blue N°5753

The Leonardo Momento Zero Positano Blue fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.6 in | 14.2 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5 in | 12.7 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.6 in | 16.7 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.3 in | 8.4 cm
• Length, section to nib: 1.6 in | 4 cm
• Length, cap: 2.6 inches | 6.6 cm
• Full pen weight: 25 g | 0.9 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Trim: Rhodium
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: Steel in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.5mm)
• Filling mechanism: Cartridge or screw-on Leonardo converter (supplied with purchase)

This pen's blue color perfectly matches the polished chrome accents. The chrome accents complement the pen's color so well. The two slim cap rings are smooth and highly polished, as well as the two rings on the pen's barrel.

Momento Zero fountain pens can be filled with ink using international standard cartridges or the supplied customized screw-on Leonardo converter with a metal knob. Unlike most converters, Leonardo's converters screw to the pen's section for a secure fit and avoid ink spills. The screw-on converter also allows for a piston-like filling mechanism by removing the blind cap at the end of the barrel.

The Momento Zero's three major parts, from top: barrel, section + converter, and cap.

The Momento Zero's blind cap allows for piston-like ink filling through the converter. This is possible as the converter is screwed on to the section, so it stays in place as the piston knob is turned while filling ink.

The Leonardo signature clip was first used in the Momento Zero. It's a polished chrome clip with a small roller at the end so it can be easily posted to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

Momento Zero pens are numbered, though not limited in production. The Positano Blue barrel is engraved with "Leonardo Officina Italiana" and the pen's number/identity.

The Momento Zero is available with either steel or 14k gold #6 nibs in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Stub (1.5mm) widths. My fountain pen is fitted with a Fine nib engraved with the Leonardo logo and it looks elegant. But I have a confession to make. I'm extremely scared of Extra Fine and Fine nibs. Writing with them has never been a pleasurable experience and I prefer writing bold, big strokes using wet, juicy, and wide nibs. So when I received the two pens that Leonardo sent for review and saw that the Positano Blue has a Fine nib, I put off trying the pen until last week when I was testing it for this review. This pen's polished steel Fine nib surprised me. It wrote so well out of the box, and it was smooth and wet without any priming or modification. The Momento Zero's Fine nib is one of the smoothest nibs that I have ever tried, and writing with it is a wonderful experience.

The Momento Zero's Fine nib is smooth and comfortable to use. Writing with it is such an enjoyable experience.

The Momento Zero is Leonardo's first pen model, followed shortly by the Furore. The two pens are very similar in their length, shape, and trims, although the Momento Zero has flat ends and the Furore has pointed ones. The Furore is also a bit longer than the Momento Zero by almost a quarter of an inch.

Leonardo Officina Italiana's finest: Momento Zero and Furore.

Momento Zero, a full-sized fountain pen, shares approximately the same length as Lamy 2000 and Lamy Al-star. Laban 325 and Esterbrook Estie are longer than the Momento Zero when are they are capped. Uncapped, the Momento Zero is the same length as the Lamy 2000 and Esterbrook Estie. 

The Momento Zero is a postable pen, but I love writing with it unposted. Posting makes this pen long and affects my writing speed and comfort. However, posting provides balance in writing to some people, so it helps that this is a postable pen.

Loving this lineup of excellent, well-crafted fountain pens. Capped, the Momento Zero is the same length as the Lamy 200 and Lamy Al-star, and a bit shorter than a Laban 325 and Esterbrook Estie.

Uncapped, the Momento Zero is the same length as the Lamy 2000 and Esterbrook Estie.

I always try to fill my pens with matching ink colors, and I chose this blue Robert Oster ink for the Positano Blue. I ink my pens by filling the converter first then putting it back to the section. I noticed that ink flow to the feed was faster, and the Fine nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for adjustments or tuning. Oh, and it matched Robert Oster Marine ink so perfectly.

Positano Blue filled with Robert Oster Marine. This set is a match from the sea!

The Momento Zero is an exceptional and well-designed fountain pen. It's fully handmade in Italy, using high-quality, lovely resin. Like its pen cousin, the Furore, this blue pen is a delight to look at, wonderful to use, and great to keep. Get one for your collection!

These days, Leonardo Officina Italiana is one of the most active and talked about pen brands. Anyone into pens who is on Instagram knows this. Leonardo also has the fastest workshops with their current pen line up getting new additions almost every quarter. From the initial series of Momento Zero and Furore, they now have the Cuspide, Speranza, Messenger, and quite a number of limited edition pens in various materials in between. The Momento Zero and Furore have also gotten an upgrade: they now have their "Grande" versions with piston filling mechanism and ebonite feeds. I'm excited to see new pens coming from the Leonardo workshop this year.

Rants of The Archer thanks Leonardo Officina Italiana for providing the Momento Zero Positano Blue fountain pen for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, colorful, well-crafted pens, follow Leonardo Officina Italiana on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/leonardopenss/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_pens/).

In Europe, Leonardo pens are widely available from retailers such as Fontoplumo, Appelboom, and Fontanna Penna.

In the United States, Leonardo pens are available from Goldspot Pens, Truphae, and Pen Chalet.

In the Philippines, Leonardo pens are available exclusively at Pengrafik (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik). 

Fountain Pen Review: Otto Hutt design 06 Seashell Pink

Last year has been a remarkable time for everyone, including Rants of The Archer. It was a time for rebirth, and a time of discovery. While the pandemic wreaked havoc on every single country in the world, products from across the globe poured in. I got the opportunity to review amazingly excellent products through brand collaborations, and also made friends with wonderful people from different places. One brand that truly impressed me with the quality of their products is Otto Hutt. Their products are well-crafted and designed for functionality. They're beautiful pens, too!

When Otto Hutt was relaunched in 2016, they offered a modern collection of seven different design lines, design01 to design07. Each line has unique variations in shape, material, and pen type. design06 has a classic and modern design with a shape that fits perfectly into the hand. The series has rich color schemes in black and red; soft, calming pastels in summer colors of cashmere, lilac, sand, and pistachio; elegant rose and white with rose gold accents; and lacquered classics ash gray, seashell pink, lavender violet, and arctic blue.

Otto Hutt design06 series is available as a fountain pen, rollerball pen, and twist ballpoint. All pens are 100% made in Germany, and everything is produced on-site in the Otto Hutt factory in Pforzheim. This review is focused on the design06 Seashell Pink fountain pen with rose gold accents, a lovely, elegant, and well-built fountain pen.

 

Otto Hutt design 06 Seashell Pink with rose gold trims.

design06 Seashell Pink is one of the four popular colors from the Otto Hutt Configurator that was made available in their standard product range in early 2020 as a response to customer requests. Arctic Blue and Lavender Violet with platinum décor, Seashell Pink with rose-gold fittings, and Ash Grey with aubergine-coloured décor are now available as regular offerings. design06 Seashell Pink is made of solid aluminum with a special lacquer coat in matt finish, giving it a unique feel.

Otto Hutt writing instruments all carry the label "Made in Germany." Initiated by the German Federation of Jewelry and Watches, this label shows that the product came from Germany and is a unique distinction within the jewelry industry. To get the distinction of this label, a brand must fulfill an extensive range of requirements. To fulfill such requirements, Otto Hutt products are exclusively manufactured in Germany using high-quality materials and a sustainable manufacturing process.

Otto Hutt design06 fountain pens have the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.4 in | 13.9 cm
• Length, uncapped: 4.8 in | 12.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.1 in | 15.5 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.14 in | 8 cm
• Length, section to nib: 1.6 in | 4 cm 
• Length, cap: 2.4 inches | 6.1 cm
• Weight, capped/empty barrel: 44.9 g | 1.58 oz
• Weight, cap only: 13 g | 0.45 oz
• Weight, barrel only: 30 g | 1 oz
• Body material: Solid aluminum
• Clip material: Brass, coated with platinum
• Nib material: Steel or 18ct gold
• Nib widths: EF, F, M, or B
• Filling mechanism: Otto Hutt converter or cartridges (standard international long or short) 

This Otto Hutt design06 Seashell Pink fountain pen has a bicolor medium nib.

design6 fountain pens can be filled with ink using standard international short or long cartridges. It can also be inked using the Otto Hutt converter included in each fountain pen purchase. The Otto Hutt converter is branded with their logo and this helps me to prevent pen and converter mix-ups and to use the correct converter for each pen. A mismatched pen and converter could result in breakage or ink spills.

The design06 has Otto Hutt's unique mechanical spring clip that is handcrafted from solid brass with high-quality platinum coating. To ensure the quality of the clip's design and functionality, it is checked by hand several times. This clip is a special feature of Otto Hutt writing instruments. It is highly polished and constructed well. There are no sharp corners or uneven parts that could snag a shirt pocket or pen case slot. It feels solid, very sturdy, and the spring works perfectly all the time.

All design06 pens, including fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens have the Otto Hutt mechanical spring clip.

The pen's cap finial is engraved with the Otto Hutt logo, in the same rose gold color of all the pen's trims and accents. 

Otto Hutt logo on the cap finial.

Otto Hutt pens are unique writing instruments with individual numbering which make them valuable to those who collect them. A six-digit numerical code is engraved on the opposite side of the cap finial. This code is also noted on the warranty card, and it ensures that every writing device is a unique item and one of a kind.

Each Otto Hutt writing instrument is unique and has a six-digit code engraved on the cap. This code ensures that the Otto Hutt writing instrument belongs to its owner for a lifetime.

The cap ring is engraved with the Otto Hutt logo.

The other side of the cap ring is engraved with Germany, indicating that it is exclusively made in Germany using high-quality materials.

Otto Hutt's pen design and construction are truly impressive. These long brass threads in the barrel and section ensure stability and durability. These threads will always stay in place and prevent unnecessary loosening of pen parts.

Brass threads on Otto Hutt's pens ensure stability and durability.

Otto Hutt offers both steel and 18ct gold nibs for their fountain pens. The nib on this Seashell Pink fountain pen is a happy surprise for me because it is a lovely bicolor nib that is platinum- and rose gold-plated. The plating is neatly done, and it's very pretty. I also noticed that this nib has the Otto Hutt logo engraved onto it instead of the previous design of a stylized image of a half nib.

Nib widths for design06 are available in EF, F, M, or B. This nib has the Otto Hutt logo and width (M) engraved onto it. 

The nib on my design06 Seashell Pink fountain pen is very pretty. I love the platinum- and rose-gold-plating on this nib which matches the rose gold plating of the section, clip, cap ring, finial, and barrel end.

design06 is my second Otto Hutt fountain pen after the design04 I received in October last year. The cigar-shaped form of design06 makes it longer and chunkier than the slim design04. The two pens are both made from solid brass and have the Otto Hutt unique mechanical spring clips.

Otto Hutt design04 (top) and design06 (bottom) fountain pens. 

However, they have different nib design and width. design04 on the right has a bicolor platinum- and yellow gold-plated nib. It also has a different nib design than the platinum- and rose-gold nib of design06.

Otto Hutt design06 is a cigar-shaped standard-sized fountain pen. While capped, it is longer than design04, almost the same length as a Lamy AL-star or Stanford Wood Studio's Ghost's Breath, but shorter than a Leonardo Furore.

Uncapped, however, design06 is now the same length as the design04, and shorter than the other three pens in the batch.

I love matching pens and inks. To test how the design06's steel medium nib writes, I filled it with the latest Robert Oster Shake'N'Shimmy Rose Gold Antiqua ink with rose gold flecks/shimmer. The ink looked so beautiful pouring out of the rose gold medium nib which wrote so well out of the box. It's smooth, springy, and wet. This pen's steel nib is so good, it's perfect! Get one for your collection!

Otto Hutt's design06 fountain pen is an excellent pen. It's elegant, classy, and modern. This full-sized cigar-shaped pen is well-built, sturdy, and comfortable for writing. The barrel and cap are made from solid brass, fitted with the Otto Hutt mechanical spring clip. The pen's overall grainy texture has a unique feel to it. The design06 also comes with a 10-year availability and guarantees on all parts. Get one from Otto Hutt where it retails for €160.00, or from their authorized sellers in 23 countries worldwide. Find the one nearest you!

Last year, Otto Hutt celebrated 100 years of traditional craftsmanship, technical perfection, and timeless design. The company marked this important milestone with many unique products including Unique by Otto Hutt, a bilingual magazine, new pastel colors for design06, three new additions to design04, and the iconic and innovative designC fountain pen by award-winning international designer Mark Braun. 

Rants of The Archer thanks Otto Hutt for providing the design06 fountain pen for review purposes. Visit the Otto Hutt website or click the links below to learn more about their series 01 to 07:

• design01 - classic
• design02 - classical style with traditional artisanal craftsmanship
• design03 - modern
• design04 - pure elegance
• design05 - functional
• design06 
• design07 - perfection in form and functionality

Follow Otto Hutt in their new adventures!

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