Picasso 903 Review

June 21, 2008

For Father's Day (well, that was the excuse ), I ordered five inexpensive pens* (< $20), each a different brand. I'll put up reviews of each over the next week or two. First up... *ta-dahhh*

Picasso 903

For the price, I was not expecting a nice box, so this was a surprise. Nothing too fancy, just a solid, good looking presentation box with a nifty magnetic catch on the front flap.

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/8977/picassoboxlo9.th.jpg

As I read the booklet that came with, I wondered about something. I've heard of Engrish, but what is it called when it's Chinese being translated directly to English? Among my favorites from the book:

"...being globalizingly designed and promoted..."

"You may enjoy the writing pleasure only by adjusting the handle angle to your best favorite."

"Clean pen with lint and grease-free cloth usually to keep it new and clean."

"Mixed ink is forbidden to use."

Amusing, but it gets the point across.

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/3691/picasso903od4.th.jpg

All righty then, on to the pen itself. This pen is sleek, slender, and nicely weighted, being mostly brass. It sports a good clip, being neither too loose nor too tight to use easily in a pocket. Here's a size comparison with the ubiquitous Safari:

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/9914/picassosafariha5.th.jpg

It's a pull-off/push-on cap, and when re-capping the pen there's a noticeable amount of air resistance, it almost feels hydraulic. The cap seats with a solid and positive click too. If you like your pens posted (I don't), this one feels pretty good. Not too tail-heavy.

It comes with a converter, and I don't have any cartridges to test for fit. The converter appears to be the standard piston model, so I assume international cartridges will fit. I cleaned out the works with water and then loaded the converter with J. Herbin's Lie de The.

Oh. My.

This is what people mean when they say it's "buttery smooth". This is by far the best writer of the five. The line is fine to medium. It took a bit to get used to the slender profile, but there's no slipping or twisting in my fingers as I write. I really like this pen and am looking forward to trying some of the other Picasso models.

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/8871/picassoviewmk1.th.jpg

http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/7260/picassonibgk4.th.jpg

*got the pens from ISellPens.com. Not affiliated, etc. Just a satisfied repeat customer.