Faber-Castell Ambition Review (Video)

[a.zy.lee]

I spent many hours on this video, mostly because the program I use to edit is garbage. There's a typo or two in the video that I don't want to fix, as that would risk losing every subtitle and transition. That's how bad the program is.The pen's alright, though.

I'm trying to improve, so feel free to leave criticisms.

 

Edited May 24, 2015 by a.zy.lee

[a.zy.lee]

Since it's against the rules to only share the video, here's the written review:

 

Design & Construction

The Faber-Castell Ambition has a minimalistic design.

The minimalism is what appealed to me most when I bought it.

The pen is completely cylindrical, and does not taper at any point.

There are no seams or steps, except for where the cap connects to the pen.

Those are rather large steps, however. They are __mm in depth.

This may cause slight discomfort for some users.

I usually hold the pen by the short chrome section.

The step does bite into the finger, but it is only a minor annoyance.

The barrel, where one is meant to hold, is __mm from the end of the nib.

The pen's balance is very good unposted.

Posted, the pen becomes very back-heavy.

The version I have is in black resin with chrome.

The brushed resin was stunning, but a year of use has worn down the brushing and made the resin glossier.

There are also variations made from steel, pearwood, and coconut shell.

I have no major complaints for the construction.

However, the chrome cap scratches the chrome on the section slightly.

The cap snaps on loudly and securely. It is relatively difficult to pull off.

There is a noticeable seam on the underside of the spring clip.

The threads here are smooth, and the parts fit snugly.

No cracks have developed as of yet.

Judging objectively, I would rate the Design & Construction 4/5, taking price into account.

 

Weight & Dimensions

Length Capped: 139mm

Length Uncapped: 121mm

Length Posted: 15.7mm

Nib Length: 19mm

Section Length: 7.5mm

Section Diameter: 8mm

Barrel Diameter : 10mm

Total Weight: 29g

Weight Uncapped: 15g

Writing Performance

The Ambition uses a steel nib unit which is used in every pen of the 'Design' range.

These pens range from £25 to £150.

This does not mean the Ambition uses a cheap nib, but rather the cheap pens use an 'expensive' nib.

It is very smooth without any pressure.

Pressing down slightly, there is slight scratch on right-to-left strokes.

It is very smooth in every other direction.

The nib is extremely reliable in my experience. It has never skipped or hard-started.

However, the feed doesn't maintain the flow perfectly.

Flow becomes drier and drier, as you would expect from a pen at this price. The decrease is not drastic, but it is enough to make the nib feel unlubricated.

The decrease is nowhere near that of the Pilot Metropolitan or Lamy Safari.

Some may not even notice the decrease in flow.

The nib is very hard, and it is what I would call a 'nail.'

The medium nib is ideal for everyday writing. It is quite fine.

Edited May 24, 2015 by a.zy.lee

[The Blue Knight]

Another good review, my compliments!.

[dylim1]

Great review. I own one with a fine nib and it's one of the smoothest steel nib that I own. Like it a lot.

[nujnay]

Great review! However I have not had the chance to try a Faber castell pen.

[Tas]

Fab review of both pen and ink. More please.

 

I own a Faber Castell Basic and think it's a wonderful pen. Their nibs, like you say, are marvellous.

[BillPorter]

Very nice! And I liked the fact that all the captions stayed on screen long enough to be read.

[nickmazur]

Congratulations on an excellent review! You really showed off the pen's advantages and disadvantages. This particular pen model has been on my mind for a while. The only thing stopping me is the unusual (but cool-looking) section. Unfortunately, I am not living close to a store where I could test the pen out. But maybe that's a good thing? Not sure if I am ready to dive deep into the fountain pen collecting hobby (yet).

 

One thing that worries me is the apparent ink starvation issue. I've seen this theme a number of times on this forum. I wonder what causes it. I hope somebody knowledgeable has some answers.

 

Nick

[collectibles114]

I appreciate this review and yours on the Pelikan M200. The PR ink is gorgeous and I love the bold lines the pen gives.

 

Excellent review, keep em coming!

[senzen]

Great video, very informative!

[senzen]

Great video, very informative!

[bubba818]

Great review.

 

This is the only fp I have that is not a Montblanc, and the nib is "hard" and not smooth compared to the other ones I have. The barrel on mine is pearwood and I have it in medium but it writes thicker than an MB medium nib.

 

Maybe I should change the ink and see if it will better.

[arcadeflow]

  On 5/27/2015 at 9:36 PM, bubba818 said:

Great review.

 

This is the only fp I have that is not a Montblanc, and the nib is "hard" and not smooth compared to the other ones I have. The barrel on mine is pearwood and I have it in medium but it writes thicker than an MB medium nib.

 

Maybe I should change the ink and see if it will better.

 

Well, you are comparing a $70 pen to Montblancs. I have just ordered one and I hope I will find the same good experience most people have with Faber-Castell nibs, which are actually either Bock or JoWo nibs, I can't remember which. I will be comparing mine to Lamy steel fine nibs.