Fountain Pen Review: The Good Blue R615 Fountain Pen Matte Black

I first saw the fountain pens made by The Good Blue on Instagram. I got curious about the CNC-machined fountain pens made from aluminum and stainless steel. I thought that these pens must be durable, sturdy, and perfect for daily use. Then I saw that these pens have flex nibs, something I dread using fountain pens. Oh, wait! They have a non-flex, wet medium nib! I reached out to The Good Blue and was surprised to learn that the UK-based pen company has a local distributor in the Philippines! The Good Blue is sold exclusively by my friend Kailash Ramchandani's PenGrafik. Two weeks later, I received a Matte Black R615 fountain pen with a non-flex Happy Medium nib and a spare Fine Flex.

The Good Blue is a London-based start-up that uses 3D printing and CNC machining to prototype and manufacture fountain pens. Born out of the pandemic, when most of us were forced to slow down and stay indoors, the manufacturer rediscovered his love for fountain pens, ink, calligraphy, and writing. He soon found that fountain pens with flexible nibs are expensive and began creating flex pens for himself. After careful design and several prototypes, he is now ready with a fountain pen with amazing flex that is well-made and affordable, the R615 Fountain Pen.

The Good Blue Fountain Pen is well-packaged in a tin box.

The fountain pen and spare nib inside the tin box.

The Good Blue R615 Fountain Pen 2022 series is available in Matte Black and Silver that can be fitted with any of the five different nibs that are interchangeable. Flex nibs are available in a variety of materials, including stainless steel, titanium, and gold.

The Matte Black fountain pen's body is made from high-grade 6082 aluminum that is anodized matte black for protection and durability. The grip section is machined from untreated 304L stainless steel that is precision textured with surface roughness for an ergonomic grip. 

The Silver fountain pen's body is also made from high-grade 6082 aluminum that is clear anodized for protection and durability. The grip section is machined from untreated CZ121 brass, precision textured with surface roughness for an ergonomic grip. The grip is expected to develop a patina over time. 

The Good Blue R615 Fountain Pen Matte Black 2022 Series

The Matte Black's anodized body and stainless steel grip look elegant and neat.

The R615 fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.90 in | 13.8 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.40 in | 12.5 cm
• Pen weight with full converter: 46 g | 1.6 oz
• Weight, barrel and section: 35 g | 1 oz
• Material: Anodized 6082 aluminum and untreated 304L stainless steel
• Cap: Screw-on, not postable
• Clip material: No clip 
• Nib: No. 6 two-toned Medium nib; also available in four different flex nibs
• Filling mechanism: Converter, included in the package

The R615 Fountain Pen can be filled with ink using a standard international cartridge or a converter if filling from bottled ink. A Schmidt converter is included in the pen package.

The R615 fountain pen can be inked using international standard cartridges or through a converter. A Schmidt K5 converter is included in the pen package upon purchase.

This fountain pen has a unique roll-stopper! A flat-plane stops the pen from rolling off, and the barrel and cap screw back aligned every single time. However, this alignment is sometimes off with the section, which triggers the finicky me. It doesn't affect writing, though.

I requested a non-flex nib, and this is what they call Happy Medium, a wet, monoline medium with no flex. This medium nib is perfect for everyday writing.

The Good Blue and Kailash offered a spare FineFlex nib for me to try. The FineFlex nib with a specially designed polymer feed is meant for "wetter writing and juicy swells."

Missing a clip? The Good Blue R615 fountain pens do not have clips, but one side is a flat-plane that serves as a stopper so the pens don't easily roll-off. 

Capped, the R615 Fountain Pen is longer than a Lamy Safari, Gravitas Entry, YStudio Portable, and Kaweco DIA2. Uncapped, it is slightly shorter than the Gravitas Entry, but longer than the other four pens.

Fountain pens in black, from the top: Lamy Safari All Black, Gravitas Pens Entry, R615, YStudio Brassing Portable, and Kaweco DIA2.

To test how the Happy Medium nib writes, I filled the R615 Fountain Pen with Robert Oster Signature Australis Rose, a charming pink ink. The Happy Medium wrote smoothly and wet, as promised. It wrote very well and I had no trouble writing with it at all. The R615 Fountain Pen is an enjoyable pen that can be used for long periods of writing without any discomfort. It is not heavy for my hand, despite being made out of aluminum and stainless steel. It is durable, sturdy, and tough, just perfect as an everyday fountain pen. 

Happy Medium is a happy nib! It's wet and smooth, perfect for daily use!

The FineFlex nib is just perfect for people like me who are not into flex nibs. The FineFlex nib has the right amount of flex just enough not to freak me out! For future FineFlex nib users: fill the pen with wet ink to facilitate faster flow into the nib-feed unit.

I am happy with the R615 Fountain Pen in Matte Black, and I'm wanting the Silver pen, too! I definitely recommend this pen to anyone who wants to explore and know this brand. It's a beautiful pen and is designed well for long-term use. I read that new pens are coming to The Good Blue in April. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks The Good Blue and Kailash Ramchandani/PenGrafik for providing the R612 Fountain Pen Matte Black for review purposes. R615 fountain pens are available for purchase on The Good Blue website. In the Philippines, it is available from PenGrafik.

To learn more about these beautiful and well-crafted pens, follow The Good Blue on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegoodblueco/).

Fountain Pen Review: Gravitas Entry Fountain Pen Black

Blogging about fountain pens and reviewing them is exciting work not only because I get to try more pens, but also because I meet many people from different countries, and learn about their culture and design preferences through their products. One of the most unique and surprising fountain pens I found last year is Gravitas Pens, a brand from Dublin, Ireland. Designed and ran by Ben Walsh, Gravitas Pens has a wide selection of fountain pens made from machined aluminum, stainless steel, or a combination of both. His pens are unlike the ones I usually keep in my pen cases and I got curious.

I spotted Gravitas Pens on Instagram last year. I chatted with Ben Walsh in February, and I was so surprised when he agreed to send me a sample pen to review. Dublin to Laguna took 37 days by registered post, and I'm so happy to finally see the Gravitas Entry Fountain Pen last week.

Gravitas Entry Fountain Pen - Black

I received the black Entry fountain pen which according to Gravitas is designed "for the new and experienced fountain pen user." It was love at first sight, and this Entry fountain pen is nowhere entry-level at all. Because it's made from delicately bead blasted  6061-T651 aluminium—the same alloy used for bicycle frames, fishing reels, rescue ladders— the Entry fountain pen is cool and very smooth to the touch. It has a tapered barrel, and I consider it a slim and light fountain pen even with a full converter. 

I find the Entry fountain pen comfortable to use, and I love the stainless steel section. Metal sections are usually slippery and uncomfortable to hold when writing, but the Entry fountain pen's section has micro machined grooves for a steady and comfortable grip. Ben uses JoWo No. 6 nibs on his pens, and I got a wet, smooth, juicy Broad in my Entry pen. It wrote well out of the box and I did not experience any hard starts or skipping.

The Entry Fountain Pen is slim and light, but solid and sturdy.

The Gravitas Entry Fountain Pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.53 in | 14 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.45 in | 13.8 cm
• Length, cap posted: 5.75 in | 14.6 cm
• Full pen weight: 30.8g | 1.08 oz
• Weight, uncapped: 23.9g | 0.84 oz
• Body material: Aluminum and stainless steel
• Colors: Black, Dark Olive Gray, Teal, Burgundy Red, Dark Green, Purple, Gunmetal Grey, and Rainbow Skittle
• Cap: Screw-on; postable
• Nib: No. 6 JoWo steel available in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Stub 1.1, and Stub 1.5
• Filling mechanism: International standard ink cartridges, or K5 converter (supplied with every pen purchase)

Gravitas Entry Fountain Pen can be filled with ink using cartridges or through the K5 converter supplied with each pen purchase.

The black Entry fountain pen is free from any markings except for the logo on the cap.

The tapered barrel is cool and very smooth to the touch. 

Gravitas Pens uses JoWo nibs on their fountain pens.

A designer's thoughtful touch—this pen's section's micro machined grooves help users get a firm and comfortable grip while writing.

I find the tapered barrel of the Entry fountain pen a little slim. Then I realized I could post the cap and the Entry becomes hefty. I like it posted and it's only the second pen I will be using with the cap posted—the first being my Kaweco Sport pens.

I've been reviewing black fountain pens lately, and I'm enjoying them. I'm finding black pens calming and soothing. The Entry Fountain Pen shares the same length as the BENU Tattoo, Lamy 2000, and Lamy Safari. Uncapped, it's longer than Lamy 2000, and shares the same length as the BENU, Stanford Wood Studio Impressionists, and Lamy Safari. 

From top: BENU Tattoo, Stanford Wood Studio Impressionists Fountain Pen, Entry, Lamy 2000, and Lamy Safari All Black.

The Entry Fountain Pen is the slimmest pen in this set, but shares the same length with most of them.

To test how this slim pen with a Broad nib writes, I chose Robert Oster Terracotta, a nice red-brown ink to match the black aluminum finish. Ink flow to the nib was fast, and the Broad JoWo nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for adjustments or tuning. I did not prime this pen's nib, I don't do that to most of my pens unless I am aware of ink residue due to testing. I tried the pen on MD paper and on VECO 100gsm paper and I did not experience any hard starts or skipping. The Entry Fountain Pen writes smoothly every time I use it.

Gravitas Entry Fountain Pen with Broad nib filled with Robert Oster Terracotta.

Ben ships his pens in a special custom-designed leather pen sleeve printed with Ogham text. A box of six ink cartridges is also included in the pen package.

I am very happy with Gravitas Pens Entry Fountain Pen and I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore and know this pen brand from Dublin, Ireland. The Entry Fountain Pen is an enjoyable pen, it writes smoothly every time I use it, and it's one solidly built, well-designed fountain pen. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Ben Walsh and Gravitas Pens for providing the Entry Fountain Pen in this review. The Entry Fountain Pen is available from Gravitas Pens Shop where it sells for €55.00. To learn more and see their offerings, visit the Gravitas Pens website at https://www.gravitaspens.com/. For updates on their product offerings, follow Gravitas Pens on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravitaspens/.