Fountain Pen Review: Click Pens Aristocrat Renaissance Michelangelo

As a pen reviewer and blogger, it's always a joy finding new and little-known pen brands from unexpected places—India. I came across several pen makers from India after my review of the GM Custom Pens Kusanagi last year. It's amazing to see the variety of pen designs from India's pen makers and the types of materials they use for their fountain pens. 

One of the pen brands I got interested in is Click Pens. Based in Indore, a city in west-central India, Click Pens was established in 1978 with a commitment to producing quality writing instruments.  They produce fountain pens, calligraphy sets, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. Since 1978, Click Pens has created more than 20 fountain pen models using different materials such as acrylic, ebonite, and ABS plastic. 

Click Pens Aristocrat Renaissance Michelangelo fountain pen.

The Aristocrat Renaissance Michelango fountain pen is well-made and handcrafted from acrylic. It is sturdy, well balanced in hand, and the section with a diameter measuring around 0.5 inches is easy to hold while writing, and comfortable even for a long period of writing. I tried writing with this pen on two pages of A5 paper, and I did not experience any discomfort with the section.

The Aristocrat Renaissance fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.7 in | 14.5 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.3 in | 13.5 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.1 in | 18 cm
• Full pen weight: 23g | 0.81 oz
• Body material: Acrylic
• Colors: White (Michelangelo), Orange (Da Vinci), Red (Raphael)
• Trim: Chrome
• Cap: Screw-on; postable
• Clip material: Steel 
• Nib: Steel
• Filling mechanism: 3-in-1 filling mechanism: converter, cartridge, or eye dropper

Click Pens Aristocrat Renaissance is available in three colors: white (Michelangelo), orange (Da Vinci), and red (Raphael). It can be filled with ink through the 3-in-1 filling mechanism. This includes filling hte pen with ink using international standard cartridges, through the supplied K5 converter, or by eyedropper conversion. This pen can be used as an eyedropper fountain pen as the barrel doesn't have 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 2.5ml of ink. That's a lot of ink!

This pen can be filled with ink using cartridges or the supplied converter. It can also be converted into an eyedropper fountain pen.

All pens in the Aristocrat Renaissance series are fitted with a black cap and barrel end. The two-ring cap band complements the chrome clip etched with the logo. The rings are securely fitted into the cap, but one of them is a bit loose and I'm afraid it may fall off.

The white semi-translucent barrel of the Aristocrat Renaissance Michelangelo is beautiful. The swirly silky white ribbons look so pure, so neat, so clean. It's also a nice contrast to the pen's black cap. It will be nice to see ink sloshing inside the barrel if I convert this into an eyedropper pen.

Aristocrat Renaissance fountain pens are fitted with No. 6 stainless steel nibs. The medium nib in my Michelangelo is embossed with the Click Pens logo, India, and M to indicate nib width. Out of the box, it wrote instantly and I did not experience any hard starts which is a common concern with new pens. It writes wet and smooth. Aristocrat Renaissance fountain pens are also available with Fine, Broad, and Semi-Flex nibs.

The Renaissance is fitted with a No. 6 steel nib.

Michelangelo is a full-sized fountain pen that shares almost the same length as a Lamy Safari and TWSBI ECO. This pen is postable, but I use it unposted. Posting makes this pen uncomfortably long at 7.1 inches. Uncapped, it's almost the same length as TWSBI ECO, Lamy Safari, and Laban 325.

From the top: TWSBI ECO, Lamy Safari, Michelangelo, Laban 325, Jinhao 159.

Uncapped, Michelangelo is as long as TWSBI ECO, Lamy Safari, and Laban 325.

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

Perfect combo. Krishna Inks Cool Breeze on Michelango on Ayush Paper. 

The Renaissance Michelangelo came in a nice box with a converter and two cartridges.

I am happy with the Aristocrat Renaissance Michelangelo fountain pen from Click Pens and I will recommend it to anyone who wants to explore and know this 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 Click Pens and Unique Pen Industries for providing the Michelangelo fountain pen in this review. The Renaissance series fountain pens are available from Click Pens where they retail for ₹2,200 (~US$30) each. For updates on their product offerings, follow Click Pens on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clickpens.in/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clickpens/

Review: A Box of Serenity

We are grateful, at the end of the year 

We are alive, we can still feel, cry, and laugh

We can put ourselves together after falling apart

~ Laban Pen Company ~

The most extraordinary, tough, and trying year is about to end, and while most of us are in a hurry to leave 2020 behind, we all must remember to be thankful. Thankful because we made it through, and thankful that we are still here. We may have had a difficult year, but sometimes the difficult ones become the greatest, especially if we survive them. This sentiment is shared by Laban Pen Company through their latest release of a Christmas special boxed set called "A Box of Serenity."

A Box of Serenity from Laban, a Christmas special boxed set.

In November, Laban released A Box of Serenity, a boxed set that includes the Laban 325 Snow, a 20ml bottle of the limited edition Holly Green ink, a limited edition Christmas postcard, and a red Christmas hat pin. It's a festive set as the Snow fountain pen reflects light, while the Holly Green ink is a beautiful dark green that reminds one of Christmas trees and wreaths decorated with ornaments and lights.

The special boxed set includes a 325 fountain pen, limited edition Holly Green ink, a red pin hat, and a limited edition Christmas postcard.

The Snow fountain pen is a new addition to Laban's 325 Collection. Other colors in the Collection are Black Cambridge, Burgundy Cambridge, Wisteria (purple), Flame (red), Ocean (blue), Sun (orange), and Forest (green).

The 325 Snow has a crystal white resin barrel that was smoothed and polished by hand, reminiscent of the beautiful, bright, icy snow on a winter morning. The 325's ivory acrylic cap has a durable gold plated clip and Laban medallion in the finial, a wide wedding band ring, and two slim gold bands on top of the clip. I just love the beautiful combination of gold, white, and ivory in this pen! It looks classy, contemporary, and modern.

Snow is the latest addition to Laban's 325 Collection.

Similar to the nibs on other fountain pens in the 325 series, the Snow has a gold-tone nib made from rhodium and stainless steel available in the following widths: EF, F, M, B, 1.5 stub, 14k flex EF, and 14k flex F. The medium nib in my Snow fountain pen writes very smoothly, and it's springy and wet. It wrote well out of the box and did not need priming. The ink flow is consistent and excellent, I did not experience any hard starts or skipping.

Beautiful pen + ink combination: Snow fountain pen and Holly Green ink.

The 325 Snow fountain pen has the following specifications and details:

• Length, capped: 5.9 in | 15 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.15 in | 13.1 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.9 in | 17.5 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.14 cm
• Length, section to nib: 2.15 in | 5.5 cm 
• Length, cap: 2.7 inches | 6.9 cm
• Diameter, barrel: 0.51 in | 1.29 cm
• Diameter, section: 0.41 in | 1.04 cm
• Weight, capped: 34 g | 1.2 oz
• Weight, uncapped: 13.5 g | 0.48 oz
• Weight, cap only: 22.5 g | 0.78 oz
• Filling mechanism: Converter or cartridge, a converter is included in package
• Nib sizes: EF, F, M, B, 1.5 stub, 14k flex, and 14k flex

The 325 Snow fountain pen is a standard full-length fountain pen that is not meant for posting. It is a heavy pen, especially with its cap. It can be used posted, but it will be top-heavy and affect one's writing comfort. Thankfully, the 325 can be used comfortably without the need to post the pen's cap.

The limited edition Holly Green ink in the boxed set is a dark green ink without sheen or shimmer. It is a rich, dark, saturated green ink. Looking at Holly Green ink takes one to a forest of conifer trees, or to a room full of pine Christmas trees. Despite its dark color and medium saturation, this ink is well-behaved, has excellent flow and consistency, and dries faster than most saturated dark green inks.

I filled my Snow fountain pen with Holly Green and drew this beautiful ink art for Christmas. The Snow's medium nib surprised me as it wrote smoothly out of the box.

Christmas Wreath from Laban 325 Snow and Holly Green.

I am very happy with Laban's Serenity Box, the Snow fountain pen, and Holly Green ink. It would be a lovely gift to friends and family during the festive holiday season and I would love to recommend it to anyone but Laban has already released a notice saying the boxes are now sold out. However, the 325 Snow fountain pen can now be bought separately. This white fountain pen is a beautiful writing instrument and truly an eye-catcher! Go get one for your collection!

Rants of the Archer thanks Laban Pen Company for providing the Box of Serenity for review purposes. The Laban 325 Snow fountain pen is available at Laban.com where it retails for around US$140 (EF to 1.5 stub) to US$280 (14K Flex EF and 14K Flex F). Aside from the 325 Collection, Laban also offers the following collections: Abalone, Antique, Antique'II, Canyon, Flora, Galileo, Mento, Mother of Pearl, Pocket Pen, Rosa, Skeleton, Solar, and Taroko. Laban offers pens in different materials including aluminum, brass, abalone, mother of pearl, resin, and silver.

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

• Facebook (https://zh-tw.facebook.com/LabanPen)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/labanpen) 
• YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pN51UTW4EZTTUxVmVNR1Q)

Fountain Pen Review: BENU Classic Ghost White Silver

Since 2008, I have reviewed a number of fountain pens from Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. I have also reviewed pen-related products from Australia, China, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Now, for the first time in Rants of the Archer, I am honored to write the first-ever review of BENU Pens' Classic fountain pen, an emerging and promising pen brand from Russia.

I came across BENU Pens in October last year, a few months after the Moscow-based brand was launched. I was impressed by their wide selection of vibrant pen colors and material textures. I saw colorful, shiny, and pearlescent pen barrels, some of which have gold and silver inserts. In March, I was surprised to be discussing pen reviews with one of BENU's founders, Kate Dmitrieva, who let me choose three pens to review at Rants of the Archer.

Fountain pens from BENU's Classic Collection: Turquoise Blue Silver, Midsummer Bronze, and Ghost White Silver.

One of the pens I chose was a white pen, and Kate sent me the Ghost White fountain pen in silver trims. It was love at first sight. The Ghost White fountain pen is elegant, sophisticated, and classic. I am excited to review this beautiful and unique pen, but before that, here is a short glimpse into my fascination with Russia.

I have always loved reading even as a young elementary pupil, and my fascination with the country began with reading books, and looking through an old, tattered world map in our school's small library. Russia's vastness mesmerized the 10-year-old me, and I believe Robert K. Massie's words summarized my fascination: "So immense were the Tsar's dominions that, as night began to fall along their western borders, day already was breaking on their Pacific coast."

It was a book which I salvaged from a trash can near my high school that truly stirred my interest in Russia. Frederick Forsyth's The Devil's Alternative was both entertainment and education, and I was left craving for more. That led me to Ludlum and Clancy. In college, I hang around with the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov for several semesters while I studied classical conditioning. But it was Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov that eventually took me to St. Petersburg.

Snippets from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novels.

Recently, a friend tagged me along when he joined the postcard exchange program Postcrossing.com. The postcard exchange took me on a virtual tour of Russia. I saw churches: The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior; and monasteries: Novodevitchiy Monastery and Kurskaya Korennaya Pustyn. I also saw the State Historical Museum, the Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge across the Neva River, and the Moscow Kremlin.

From Russia with love: postcards and fountain pen.

I read and learned about Russia through literature and postcards, but my conversations with Kate and the pens that she sent brought me closer to the country. And to Pavlov, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov.

BENU Pens is a young pen company launched in early 2016 by co-founders Alex Semanin and Kate Dmitrieva with one goal in mind: to make writing instruments and desk accessories for those who prefer bright colors and new designs that are playful, stylish, and fun.

Alex and Kate previously worked together in Russia's fine watch industry. Alex was the Chief Designer and Director of Product Development and Innovation at the Nika Group Company, where he helped launch several collections of gold and silver writing instruments, accessories, and watches. When Alex decided to create his own line of writing instruments, Kate decided to join him, bringing in her experience as the General Manager of Konstantin Chaykin, a daughter company of the Nika Group.

BENU Ghost White fountain pen inside the box.

BENU fountain pens are presented in elegant gray cardboard boxes that are lined with thin and long shreds of paper. Inside the box, the pen is wrapped in kraft paper and secured by jute twine. Printed on one side of the kraft paper is a brief description of BENU Pens, and product care for their pens.

The pens have uniform shape and size, all handcrafted and made in-house in the company's own Moscow-based workshop. The pen in this review is a fountain pen, but it is also offered as a ballpoint.

The company currently offers three collections of fountain pens and ballpoints:

1. The Classic Collection includes fountain pens and ballpoints in over 30 color combinations. Most pens in the Classic collection have pearlescent or aventurescent effects and various inserts, such as golden and silver leaves, to achieve a luminous, eye-catching look and to enrich pen’s color.
2. The Ornate Collection includes fountain pens and ballpoints with geometrical or skull pattern. 
3. The Sublime Collection includes a limited number of fountain pens with contrasting color combinations. The Sublime collection is produced in limited editions, numbering from 1 to 10 pens only.

The Ghost White Silver fountain pen belongs to BENU's Classic Collection and is also available with gold-plated trims. BENU Pens designed it to echo the alluring romanticism of ghost stories. Crafted from misty, airy pearlescent material, the Ghost White fountain pen is drenched in the mystique and lightness of a white phantom.

I used the Ghost White fountain pen daily for a week, and found it to be an excellent pen. It's a good pen for all fountain pen users -- newbies/beginners, collectors, students, and artists. Uncapped, it weighs 22 grams (similar to a Lamy AL-star's weight) which is just right in the hand. This bullet-shaped compact pen measures 4.9 inches long (only a bit longer than a Kaweco Sport). The Ghost White fountain pen is a light and compact pen that is just right for daily use: note-taking, journaling, and even sketching.

I also noticed the pen's exceptional gloss and shine. The cap, section, and barrel are spotless, shiny, and very smooth to the touch. The aventurescent resin from which this pen was made from was perfectly polished to a beautiful shine.

Due to their streamlined compact size, fountain pens from BENU's Collections are not fitted with converters and can only accommodate cartridges. Each fountain pen is packaged with a short international Schneider cartridge, but I filled the Ghost White fountain pen with Iroshizuku Asa-gao.

BENU Pens has indicated that they are about to launch a new fountain pen collection soon. The new fountain pens will be longer in size, fitted with converters, and will have clips and postable caps.

The Ghost White fountain pen parts: barrel, section (feed + nib), and cap.

The cap and barrel of this pen are made from high-quality, non-toxic, scratch- and wear-resistant aventurescent resin. BENU pens are created from high-quality resin of different colors with glossy, pearlescent, or jewel-dazzling star effect. To ensure one of a kind look, BENU's artisans prepare the resin for each pen separately, and carefully matches the colors by hand.

BENU Pens took great care in creating a pen ergonomically designed to fit a hand perfectly. The cap and barrel of this fountain pen are bullet-shaped and taper off toward the end, making the fountain pen comfortable to use.
It is noteworthy that in BENU pen production, the last step is cap assembly. Their fountain pens have screw on caps, and to secure the locking mechanism of the pen’s cap, the company uses the square thread. Though difficult to fabricate, the square thread has the lowest friction, which makes it the most efficient thread form known.

This pen's design does not include a clip, and won't allow the cap to be posted as well. But that's fine, as I do not post my pens. I am missing a clip, though. Also, I am not comfortable that I cannot fully take apart this fountain pen. I usually disassemble pens for thorough cleaning and even drying. Cleaning pens for reinking or storage is always a must for me.

BENU pens have decorative cap rings in rhodium plated brass or gold plated brass. These rings are attached to the cap and bear the BENU logo.

BENU logo on the cap ring.

BENU fountain pen parts are handcrafted in-house, except for their nibs. BENU fountain pens are fitted with Schmidt nibs that have high-quality JoWo and Bock nibs. The available nib sizes are Fine (F), Medium (M), or Broad (B). My fountain pen has a medium nib that wrote very smoothly out of the box. I did not experience a hardstart, skipping, or ink blobbing. I love writing with it, especially in my bullet journal.

The Ghost White fountain pen's section is very comfortable in the hand. Despite its gloss and shine, I did not experience my writing fingers sliding in the section's surface.

The Ghost White fountain pen's section is comfortable even in prolonged writing sessions.

Another white pen with a medium Schmidt nib, Retro 51 Scriptmaster II Maryanne.

BENU Ghost White with Retro 51 Scriptmaster and Pelikan M400.

Iroshizuku Asa-gao is a perfect ink partner for the Ghost White fountain pen.

Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekov would have been proud of this pen. 

If you are a new fountain pen user or a collector, this fountain pen (and other BENU pens) is for you! The Ghost White fountain pen is elegant, yet strong. It writes smoothly, durable, and is available in more than 40 colors! What are you waiting for? Order your pen now! To order, visit BENU's Online Store.


The Ghost White fountain pen in this review is provided by BENU Pens where it retails for US$90. For more details on purchasing pens from BENU, visit their website at http://www.benupen.com/online-store.