Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 373

I've got a bit of an odd one for you today---it's a fountain pen that was described by its seller as "Old Stock OEM (unbrand) Triangular Solid Color Fountain Pen Fine Nib"  in this eBay auction. Two things drew me to pen - its appearance and its price :)

(click on images to enlarge)

I got it from eBay seller "office_supplies_pen" for less than $8 USD shipped ($4.99 + $2.90 shipping, to be exact) via a Buy-It-Now. At the time of my purchase, this mystery model was available in eight different colours -- red, blue, aquamarine, green, olive green, black, brown (mine) and clear -- but the aquamarine, green, olive green and clear ones are currently sold out at that seller's eBay store.

It's a clipless, triangular acrylic fountain pen that's light in the hand (17 grams with no converter in place) and light on the pocketbook, too. Yes, it looks like a poor man's OMAS 360 lol, but I think it looks pretty cool ...and for that price, why not???

Removing the snap-on cap reveals a clear section, black plastic feed and stainless steel nib...

The pen came with the twist converter shown above; I haven't tried it with any ink cartridges yet. Aside from some fancy scrollwork, the nib only has "Iridium Point" and "F" (for Fine) stamped on it - no manufacturer's name or logo. The nib lays down a true Fine line and the pen is a consistent, if unremarkable, writer. It has a bit more tooth than I like, so I might smooth the nib out a bit.

Uncapped, the pen is approximately 13 cm long from nib tip to barrel end, and about 13.6 cm long capped. The pen doesn't post, but I find it long enough to use unposted.

The grip section, like the body of the pen, is triangular and comfortable to hold. When the section is screwed onto the barrel, the sides of the section align with the sides of the barrel with a faint "click" sound. Similarly, the cap and barrel align when the pen is capped.

I'm not sure how to describe the acrylic, but you can see that it has a clear component and a reddish-brown component. I think that's called a double layer acrylic, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Whatever the correct term, the material looks very attractive. I like how its translucency obscures the converter inside, while still allowing some light to shine through the pen. The shade of brown is really nice and reminds me of the colour of black tea.

And then there's this odd-looking cap top (above)....

..and this triangular cutout on the bottom of the barrel...


I didn't realize why the manufacturer did that until I got another pen in the mail recently. Take a look at the cap top and barrel end of the Pelikan 'Twist' fountain pen I reviewed in the previous blog post:

What's that expression--- "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"?

(Note that the barrel ends of both pens are actually triangular shaped holes, so neither pen can be used as an eyedropper filler)

It's obviously trying to copy the Pelikan 'Twist'....but the no-name pen has a cool look to it already, so there really was no need for its maker to copy those small design features. I really like the no-name, but I don't regret paying an extra $20 CAD for my new Pelikan 'Twist fountain pen- it's a much better-made pen, and it comes with a very smooth Medium nib. Both are eye-catching fountain pens, though, and neither will break the bank. 

(photos & review by Maja)