Mr. Luoshi Cigarette Fountain Pen

[Motomo]

Mr. Luoshi Cigarette Fountain Pen

 

 

I was wasting some time the other night surfing on Ebay and came across these little novelty pens and for a buck each I figured why not.

 

 

First Impressions:

 

As stated above I honestly did not expect much since these little pens are obviously more of a novelty pen than any kind of writer. It is about the size of a standard cigarette but the one thing that caught my eye immediately was the fact that the cap screws onto the threads on that back of the barrel to make it a bit easier to write with which was good due to the size of the pen.

 

 

Appearance/finish:

 

First and foremost it does look like a cigarette, especially the one with the more yellowish beige cap. It is a brass barreled pen with a overlay of resin and is a decently constructed pen with a bit of heft for it's small size. The cap threads easily threads on the bottom of the barrel for posting and fits tightly when capped. The section is chrome (I doubt it is stainless steel) and when removed exposes the bulb filler that does have a breather tube that runs about 3/4 the way up the tube.

 

 

Nib performance:

 

The nib is a steel semi hooded nib with a good bit of iridium that I would not call scratchy but maybe a bit on the toothy side and lays down a nice fine line that is neither wet or dry but in between. Even after a few hours of non use it starts up well without a lot of coaxing . I have used both Waterman and PR ink without any issues.

 

 

Filling system:

 

As mentioned above the pen has a non removable bulb filling system that does have a breather tube to facilitate filling the pen. It holds a reasonable amount of ink for the small size of the pen. The only issue that I have filling the pen is I had to use a pair of rubber tipped pliers to dip the pen far enough into the ink to squeeze the bulb filler and not get ink on my fingers due to the short length of the inner assembly.

 

 

Value:

 

I paid a grand total of $3.98 with shipping for the two pens, one of each color. In my opinion the value was about right for the price for which I bought it. It is a fun little pen which when I have taken it places does make people look twice and it writes well enough to sign credit card receipts and the like.

 

 

Conclusion:

 

It is a small pen and nothing that you would want to write with for a long period of time but if you want something a bit on the odd side that might bring a grin to someones face then it is a good choice.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Motomo

[merzig]

Aah! I've seen these for sale on ebay and wondered how they performed. I think I need one -- hilarious!

 

Thanks for the great review!

[diplomat]

Now: is there an ST Dupont pen-lighter to go with this one?

[rwilsonedn]

Great review, and an interesting little pen. I would never have expected a novely to be that nicely finished or useful.

ron

[agchristie]

i use these pens every day, they are actually some of the smoothest nibs i have tried. I really like the small form factor and they are so very practical. They also make great gifts wih a gift.

[Yuki Onitsura]

I just couldn't resist the temptation and ordered one the other day. Eagerly awaiting its arrival =)

 

Yuki

[Pen2009]

For smokers, this type of pen could draw some interest. But, as a non smoker, holding a cigarette looking item (including pens) gives me an automatic mental reaction to throw it out in the ash tray/garbage box. I know I cannot use this type because of my strong aversion to cigarettes.

[Yuki Onitsura]

I'm not a smoker either, but I do have some friends who are serial smokers. Perhaps I'll just pull this out and scribble a few things while they smoke. =)

 

Yuki

[WirsPlm]

I picked up two of these and really, really like mine, it's not toothy or scratchy at all (I'm willing to put that down to inconsistent Chinese QC or different inks used). The pen feels sturdy and well made (solid metal, cap screws firmly on), the nib looks like an M nib (about as wide as my Esterbrook 2668 M or Pilot 78G M), and it's perfect for tossing in pockets on the go, I wouldn't mind writing with this for many minutes although it might be a bit cramped to use it for multiple hours. If you like small, light pens and you're looking for a cheap and sturdy hooded nib pen this is a good choice, perhaps better than the Hero 616 (so long as you can stand the size).

[Paul80]

Where did you get yours from, I cannot find any on eBay.

 

Paul

[richardandtracy]

Paul, they're on ebay.com, no-longer visible through UK e-bay unless you watch the item and then re-enter through UK e-bay. The link is: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110983483587

 

Regards,

 

Richard.