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/)

Fountain Pen Review: Tianzi Sky Blue Piston-Fill Fountain Pen

Surprise!!! Here's a new fountain pen brand in Rants of The Archer! Did I surprise you? Maybe not, but MysteryhouseCrafts from Etsy.com (IG: finewordzfountainpen) surprised me with their Tianzi Sky Blue piston-fill fountain pen. I learned about the Tianzi fountain pen when fellow pen enthusiast Alex Umali told me about the brand. After our chat, I checked the fountain pens on Etsy and Instagram and I thought that the pens are quite impressive. I also read some good reviews from happy fountain pen users. There are several Tianzi fountain pens in different finishes and I liked the clear ones. I chatted with the makers of Tianzi, and we agreed to do a collab review of their Sky Blue fountain pen.

Tianzi fountain pen presented in a gift box.

Shanghai-based MysteryhouseCrafts calls themselves "material masters" because they can make the same material into diamond painting pens, crochet hooks, and yes—fountain pens. Before they ventured into making fountain pens, they thought that it was an outdated craft with ballpoints, gel pens, and electronic messaging now widely available. Yet, the following that their fountain pens received from enthusiasts from all over the world not only inspired them but gave them a new purpose. Now many more people are enjoying Tianzi fountain pens.

Tianzi is an impressive fountain pen. It's simple yet classy, inexpensive but functional, and designed well. Out of the box, I liked it right away. The pen size has a good balance, and the acrylic felt good in my hand. The steel No. 6 medium nib wrote well, but you know what the best part about this fountain pen? It's a piston filler! Not bad for US$40.

Tianzi Sky Blue Piston-Fill Fountain Pen. The transparent acrylic with swirls is beautiful.

The Tianzi fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.77 in | 14.7 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.24 in | 13.3 cm
• Full pen weight: 19.8 g | 0.7 oz
• Body material: Acrylic
• Trim: Chrome
• Cap: Acrylic, screw-on, cannot be posted
• Clip material: Metal 
• Nib: No. 6 stainless steel in Fine or Medium
• Filling mechanism: Piston fill only
• Colors: Sky Blue, White, Mauve, Dark Green, Mystery Blue

Tianzi fountain pen is an excellent daily writer with a large ink reservoir. Perfect for long writing sessions without the need to reink frequently.

Tianzi's cap is also made from the same material as the pen's barrel/body. The clip is springy, and the cap band is imprinted with the pen name. This pen's cap does not post, though, which is not a problem with me because I don't post my pens.

The transparent barrel of the Tianzi Sky Blue looks so cool! I hope it won't stain easily. The piston mechanism also works well and filling the pen with ink was a breeze! I just wish Tianzi has a wrench to help in disassembling the piston mechanism for cleaning.

I like the cap top and barrel end of the Tianzi. The solid acrylic reminds me of the glass marbles that my brothers used to play with when we were younger.

Tianzi's stainless steel No. 6 medium nib is engraved with the logo, TIANZI, and M to indicate the nib width. Though Tianzi is offered only with Fine or Medium nibs, these steel nibs are excellent. My pen's Medium nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for priming or any modifications.  

Tianzi's Medium nib writes smoothly.

The Tianzi is a full-sized fountain pen measuring 5.77 inches while capped. It has the same length as the Narwhal Original, both are slightly longer than the TWSBI 530, ECO, and Lamy Vista. Uncapped, all five pens share the same length.

From top: TWSBI ECO, TWSBI 530, Tianzi, Narwhal Original, and Lamy Vista.

I love filling my fountain pens with matching ink colors, and I chose J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche, an old favorite for my Tianzi Sky Blue. It's a perfect match! Tianzi wrote well as soon as I filled it with ink. I did not experience any hard starts, skipping, or ink blobs which is a common concern with piston fillers. I did not experience any problems with Tianzi's nib. It's perfect for writing, doodling, and sketching small shapes. It's an enjoyable pen and just right for my stick font handwriting style. It's beautiful, elegant, sturdy, and comfortable to use for long periods of writing. 

Tianzi's nib wrote smooth and wet, and it's a perfect match with J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche.

Perfect pairing: Tianzi Sky Blue and J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche.

I am satisfied with the Tianzi fountain pen and its Medium nib. I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the brand or try a piston-fill fountain pen. This fountain pen is a perfect daily writer for newbies and long-time fountain pen users. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks MysteryhouseCrafts for providing the Tianzi Sky Blue Piston-Fill Fountain Pen in this review. Tianzi is available in Etsy. For more details about the fountain pen series, check Tianzi on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TZPEN) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/finewordzfountainpen/).

Fountain Pen Review: GM Custom Pens Kusanagi Blue White Crushed Ice

In my work as a science writer and publications designer for an international non-profit, I am familiar with India, its top biotech crop which is cotton, and Maharashtra, its leading cotton producer. I have seen photos and videos of vast cotton fields and harvests in Maharastra, and they are amazing! Sometime during the COVID19 lockdown, I discovered something more amazing about Maharashtra—its growing number of fountain pen makers.

One pen maker is GM Custom Pens based in Pune, the second largest city in the State of Maharashtra. The company is run by Mr. Apurv Kulkarni and they produce unique writing instruments using a variety of materials such as acrylic, ebonite, and Urushi. Their Kusanagi fountain pen series look classy and modern, and one that easily appeals to many fountain pen enthusiasts. The fountain pens in this series are offered in resin, ebonite, and acrylic with chrome trims, No. 6 Jowo steel nib, and Schmidt K5 converter.

GM Custom Pens Kusanagi Blue White Crushed Ice fountain pen.

The Kusanagi has been made available in more than ten colors including beautiful marbles and swirls and the crushed ice series: Brown Crushed Ice, Aqua Blue Crushed Ice, Yellow Green Crushed Ice, Blue Crushed Ice, Turquoise Crushed Ice, and Aqua Blue Crushed Ice.

This GM Custom Pens fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.8 in | 14.7 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.5 in | 13.9 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.25 in | 18.4 cm
• Diameter: 0.6 in | 1.5 cm
• Weight: ~25 g
• Body material: Acrylic
• Trims: Chrome
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Steel 
• Nib: No. 6 JoWo steel in EF, F, M, B, 1.1, or 1.5 
• Filling mechanism: Cartridge or converter (a Schmidt K5 converter is supplied with purchase), this pen can also be eyedroppered.

The Kusanagi fountain pen can be filled with ink using international standard cartridges or the supplied Schmidt K5 converter. It's thoughtful of GM Custom Pens to include a converter for each pen purchase. The Kusanagi can also be used as an eyedropper fountain pen as the barrel doesn't have any holes or metal parts that will react to ink. I filled the Kusanagi's barrel to check its capacity and learned that if this pen is used as an eyedropper fountain pen, it can take as much as 3ml of ink. Now that's a lot of ink!

The Kusanagi's main parts: barrel, section + converter, and cap.

I disassembled the Kusanagi fountain pen and saw that it is well constructed. The acrylic is nicely polished and has a high gloss, the clip and cap ring are in place, and the threaded parts fit together, they turn properly and easily without any bumps. This pen also has the same material for the barrel, cap, and section.

I'm glad that I can easily take apart the Kusanagi fountain pen. I usually do that when I am cleaning my fountain pens before storage, or if I am reinking them, so it's useful that this pen's section can be taken apart and to thoroughly clean the nib and feed holder, feed, and nib. I can even take apart the converter if needed.

If I can disassemble a pen, it means I can clean it thoroughly. But please don't disassemble pens if you are not sure you can put them back again.

The Kusanagi's steel clip is simple yet functional and sturdy. The teardrop at the end makes it easier to post to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

GM Custom Pens' logo is embossed on the top part of the clip.

The White Blue Crushed Ice is the only material in the Kusanagi crushed ice series with white background. This material is nicely polished with a high gloss.

Kusanagi fountain pens are fitted with No. 6 stainless steel JoWo nibs from Germany. The medium nib in my Kusanagi is embossed with the GM Custom Pens logo, and it writes wet and smooth. Out of the box, it wrote instantly and I did not experience any hard starts. This pen is also comfortable to use even for an extended period of time.

The Kusanagi's No. 6 Jowo steel nib writes wet and smooth.

The Kusanagi is a full-sized fountain pen that shares the same length as the Esterbrook Estie. It's longer than my daily writers TWSBI ECO and Lamy Safari Al-star. This pen is postable, but I use it unposted. Posting makes this pen uncomfortably long at 7.25 inches.

The Kusanagi has the same length as the Estie.

Uncapped, the Kusanagi is longer than most of my pens here.

To test the performance of this fountain pen, I chose a matching turquoise ink. Krishna Inks Cool Breeze is a beautiful ink match to this pen. Ink flow to the nib was fast, and the medium JoWo nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for adjustments or tuning. I did not experience hard starts or skipping. The Kusanagi is an enjoyable pen and it writes smoothly every time I use it.

Blue on blue. Krishna Inks Cool Breeze is the perfect match for the Kusanagi Blue White Crushed Ice fountain pen. Writing sample on Endless Works Recorder Notebook.

I am happy with the Kusanagi fountain pen and will recommend it to anyone who wants to explore and know this young fountain pen brand from India. It's a lovely pen and I'm glad to have one for myself. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks GM Custom Pens and Mr. Apurv Vivek Kulkarni for providing the Kusanagi fountain pen in this review. GM Custom Pens is based in Pune, the second-largest city in India's State of Maharashtra, and they have new offerings including black Urushi pens and Xiphos, made from Nikko Ebonite with beautiful solid, ripple, and mottle colors! They also have a new selection of specialty nibs.

For more updates on their product offerings, follow GM Custom Pens on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmcustompens/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gmcustompens/

Fountain Pen Review: Nemosine Singularity Blueberry

I came across the brand Nemosine a few years ago through a fellow member of Fountain Pen Network Philippines. His pen, Nemosine Singularity, was a modest demonstrator with chrome trims, but what caught my eye was its #6 nib. More colors were produced since then, but it wasn't available in the Philippines, so the chance of getting one in my collection was slim. Until I got an offer to review one.

Goldspot Pens, seller of brand name luxury and fine writing fountain, rollerball, and ballpoint pens based in New Jersey, USA, has kindly sent me a Nemosine Singularity fountain pen in Blueberry with a 0.6mm stub nib to review here.

Nemosine, a pen company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been around for a couple of years. Their writing instruments, offered only as fountain pens are: Singularity, Neutrino, and Fission. The Singularity, their flagship fountain pen, is available in three finishes: Traditional, Demonstrator, and Acrylic. For a fountain pen in the $20 price range, the Singularity has a wide range of colors and nib widths to choose from. The Blueberry fountain pen in this review is one of the 13 colors of the Traditional Singularity, with seven other colors in the Demonstrator and Acrylic lines.

Nemosine fountain pens are packaged in simple white laminated cardboard boxes that bear the Nemosine logo on one side. The other side has details about the pen such as color, nib width, warranty, and the origins of the pen's parts. Interestingly, every Nemosine Singularity pen box is marked with the Schwarzschild radius equation.

Inside the box are: Singularity fountain pen, converter, six short international ink cartridges, and a fountain pen filling and cleaning instruction leaflet.

The Singularity's parts are manufactured from different places, as the box indicates. The pen bodies (cap, barrel) are from Taiwan, while the nibs come from Germany (either Jowo or Bock). The pens are then inspected and packaged in the USA. Nemosine offers a three-year 'perfection warranty' for their pens.

When I tried the Singularity Blueberry for the first time, I noticed that it's a very light fountain pen, even with a full converter. It's just as light as a Lamy Safari, but the difference in their plastic material is noticeable. While I am confident that the Safari will survive a fall, I cannot say the same for the Singularity. The Singularity, however, has an impressive gloss.

The Singularity weighs ~17 grams (capped), and measures ~5.4 inches long while capped, ~4.9 inches without the cap, and ~5.8 inches when the cap is posted.

Parts of the Singularity: cap, barrel, converter, section, feed, and nib.

The barrel and cap of the Singularity have the same tapered shape, where they are widest at the center of the pen, and narrows slightly towards the ends. The Singularity pen's barrel is shaped from a single piece of plastic which is excellent for eyedropper conversion. The cap is screw-on type, which is a nice feature for an inexpensive pen.

The Singularity's wide cap band is set above the cap lip, giving it a nice look together with the barrel's thin chrome band when the pen is capped. The Nemosine logo is handsomely inscribed into the cap band.

The Singularity clip and clip band are in the same chrome finish as the barrel and cap bands. The folded-metal clip is springy and holds the pen securely in place.

The conical endpoints (top cap, barrel end) of the Nemosine Singularity fountain pen.

The Singularity's #6 nibs have a unique and distinctive design. The design suggests butterfly wings, but I also see flower petals and bird feathers. The imprint includes "Made in Germany" at the base, nib width (0.6) above it, and the letter N (for Nemosine) just below the breather hole.

There are six nib widths available for the Singularity: extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm. The 0.6mm nib is untipped and quite sharp, and may not be suited for writers who rotate their pens, but the sharp italic creates impressive line variations.

Traditional Singularity fountain pens have the same black plastic section. It has a nice hourglass shape without any grip guides that is comfortable to hold.

In other pens, the threads used in screwing the cap to the barrel is placed in the barrel. With the Singularity, the threads are placed in the section and not in the barrel, so that at times, my fingers are resting on the threads above the section. It does not bother me at all, nor does it make writing uncomfortable.

The Singularity's (center) nib with other #6 nibs: Jinhao (left) and Edison (right).

I am including the Nemosine Singularity (5.4 inches) in the full size pen category, together with the TWSBI 540 (5.6 inches), Lamy Safari (5.5 inches), and Noodler's Ahab (5.4 inches). Its length is just right for comfortable writing.

I love matching ink colors with my fountain pens. Diamine Sapphire Blue seemed the perfect match for the Blueberry Singularity. The untipped 0.6mm stub nib was not smooth throughout the writing sample I included here, but I am happy and impressed with the line variation it produced.

Perfect together: Diamine Sapphire Blue and Singularity Blueberry

The Nemosine 0.6mm stub nib makes writing very expressive.

While I have a few minor reservations about the Singularity, I would still recommend this $20 fountain pen not only to beginners, but to long-time fountain pen users, as well. Its material may be a downside, but the #6 nib is probably worth $15-$20 on its own. It's a lightweight pen, and comfortable enough to use for longer periods of writing. If you are looking for a beginner fountain pen, or for one to add into your collection, head over to Goldspot Pens and get one (or two)!


The Singularity and other Nemosine fountain pens are widely available in many reputable sellers worldwide. If you want to look at other Singularity pens, visit Goldspot Pens.

I received the Nemosine Singularity fountain pen in this review free of charge from GOldspot Pens. For more details, visit their website.