Fountain Pen Review: YSTUDIO Classic Revolve Fountain Pen

Four years ago, I wrote a review of a very interesting fountain pen that combines brass, leather, and wood. The YStudio Brassing Portable Fountain Pen with a white maple wood carrying tube and leather cords has been a constant favorite since then. It's a unique and dependable writer and also very sturdy. This year, I am happy to celebrate YSTUDIO's 10-year milestone with a review of a pen from their brand new series called the Classic Fountain Pen. 

I got a red Classic Fountain Pen from Kenro Industries, and it is such a unique pen. It still has a minimalistic design, giving the pen a modern industrial look. Cut from solid brass, the pen is covered with a matte red lacquer finish. This YSTUDIO pen is one of only several fountain pens with a hexagonal body, a design that the brand is popular for. The six corners of the pen are beautifully polished to shiny gold brass lines that beautifully complement the red lacquer. I also like that the Classic Fountain Pen is slightly thicker than the slim Brassing Portable, with just the right balance of weight and solidity. It is not a heavy pen, but not light, either, and is just right in the hand.

YSTUDIO's Classic Fountain Pen Revolve in its box. It's accompanied by a booklet and a sheet of sandpaper that can be used to personalize the pen.

Through the years, YSTUDIO has produced a number of writing instruments, with the Classic Fountain Pen as their most recent series. There are five pens in the series, an unpainted Brass pen, and four lacquered pens in Blue, Black, Green, and Red. Through time and use, the lacquer will wear off, showing the brass underneath. This is called the "brassing" effect. Owners can also personalize their pens' brassing effect by removing the paint using the sheet of sandpaper included in the product package.

YSTUDIO Classic Fountain Pen in Red. I love this red lacquer on brass. It changes color depending on the light intensity. It looks a happy, cheery red in bright light, and a deeper almost maroon in a darker setting.

Did you notice YSTUDIO's new logo? The Classic Series also carry the company's new logo. In renaming the brand, the company decided to capitalize their English name and use clear and definite strokes in the English alphabet that are easily recognized.

The new YSTUDIO Classic Revolve fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.45 in | 13.8 cm
• Length, uncapped: 4.93 in | 12.5 cm
• Length, cap posted: 2.29 in | 5.8 cm
• Full pen weight with full converter: 47 g | 1.6 oz
• Weight, cap only: 16 g | 0.6 oz
• Weight, barrel and section: 31 g | 1 oz
• Body material: Brass
• Trim: Brass
• Cap: Snap-on, not postable
• Clip material: No clip 
• Nib: No. 5 gold-plated steel in Fine or Medium
• Filling mechanism: cartridge or converter, both included in the package

The Classic Fountain Pen can be filled with ink using a standard international cartridge or a converter if filling from bottled ink. Both are included in the pen package.

The YSTUDIO Classic Fountain Pen's parts: barrel, nib assembly and section, ink converter, and cap. An international short cartridge and a converter are included in the pen package.

The Classic Fountain Pen's barrel and cap ends are flat discs of brass. I wish they placed a YSTUDIO logo either in the barrel end or as a finial.

YSTUDIO's ink converter has the company's logo and if you have multiple fountain pens, this is extremely helpful in putting the right converter into pens.

The Classic Fountain Pen is the first YSTUDIO fountain pen to be fitted with YSTUDIO's own nib. The nibs of all the pens in the series are embossed with the old YSTUDIO logo while the barrel of the pen adopts the brand's new logo for the 10th anniversary, linking the past to the future.

The medium nib wrote smoothly out of the box, and in the days that I used the Classic Fountain Pen, I did not experience skipping or a single hard start. The pen wrote smoothly without needing any nib priming or modification.

The Classic Fountain Pen is fitted with YSTUDIO's own nib. This medium gold-plated steel nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for priming or modification.

As I mentioned previously, the Classic Fountain Pen is slightly thicker than the slim Brassing Portable, and it's like a wish come true for me as I pointed out in my first review — "I wish it is fatter than it is now." It also has YSTUDIO's new nib and new logo. Unlike the Brassing Portable, the Classic's cap doesn't have a flat end and a loop for the leather cord. It also did not come with a wood-carrying tube. 

Two YSTUDIO fountain pens, both elegant, dependable, and sturdy.

The red Classic Fountain Pen bears YSTUDIO's new logo,

The YSTUDIO Classic Fountain Pen is slightly thicker and doesn't have a loop for the leather cord.

The Classic has a longer and thicker section than the Portable, but both pens are comfortable to use.

Missing a clip? YSTUDIO pens do not have clips, but their hexagonal design also serves as a stopper so the pens won't easily roll off even without a clip. I don't miss the clip in this pen, however, I wish it has a screw-cap instead of a snap-on cap. 

Capped, the YSTUDIO Classic Fountain Pen shares the same size as Lamy Safari or Al-star and Otto Hutt design06. It's slightly shorter than a regular Esterbrook Estie, Tibaldi Bononia, and Leonardo Momento Magico. Uncapped, all five pens share the same length.

From top: Esterbrook Estie Lilac, Tibaldi Bononia Seashell Mist, YSTUDIO Classic, Leonardo Momento Magico Millefiori, and Otto Hutt design06 Sheashell Pink.

To test how the YSTUDIO nib writes, I filled the Classic Fountain Pen with Esterbrook Scarlet, a matching bright red ink. The medium YSTUDIO nib wrote smoothly and wet without the need for priming, adjustments, or tuning. It wrote very well, and there were no skipping or inky blobs. I had no trouble writing with it at all. The YSTUDIO Classic Fountain Pen is such an enjoyable pen and one that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort.

YSTUDIO's medium nib wrote so smoothly out of the box. Perfectly matched by Esterbrook Scarlet!

I am very happy with YSTUDIO's Classic Fountain Pen and I'm happier that it's available in red! I will definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to explore and know this brand, or just to try brass fountain pens. It's a beautiful pen and well designed for long-term use. YSTUDIO has gone a long way and is now a world-renowned brand, with products available in many countries and cities including Paris, Milan, London, Copenhagen, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Lagos, Tel Aviv, and many more. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Kenro Industries and YSTUDIO for providing the Classic Fountain Pen for review purposes. YSTUDIO fountain pens are available for purchase in the YSTUDIO Online Store where the Classic retails for US$160 and also from reputable retailers including Goulet Pens and PenChalet. 

To learn more about these beautiful and well-crafted pens, follow YSTUDIO on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/YSTUDIO-105521671624276) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ystudiostyle_tw/).