Sheaffer Taranis (Bright Amethyst)

October 19, 2015

This is my first pen review. I only have a few pens, all but the Delta Serena were well below $100. When the local B&M announced their fall show and sale, I went for a visit. This pen was on my list to look at, and as soon as I picked it up I decided to get it. This is my first hooded pen.

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Appearance & Design (9)
A contemporary design that will not be loved by everyone. The pen is wide in the center and tapers down to the squared ends. The nib section, about 2/3 the size of the cap, and the nib hood is chromed on top and black plastic (resin?) below. The cap is almost the same length as the body shell. If Steve Jobs and Apple had designed a fountain pen, it might look like this.

Construction & Quality (7.5)
I like the way it is constructed. The body and cap seem to be aluminum or brass and there is a brass insert on the body shell for fitting to the nib section. The finish, a muted purple seems durable, but time will tell, of course. The warranty is for three years.

One issue I see is when screwing the body back onto the nib section: it threads on fairly easily until the last mm or so, and then it feels tight. Not like it’s cross-threaded or going to break, but it definitely needs a little more force to go that last little bit.

Weight & Dimensions (9)
The pen’s length is about 5-1/2” (14 cm) overall. The cap and body shell are almost the same length, about 2 5/8” (6.5 cm) and 2/7/8” (7.5 cm) respectively. The weight is listed as about 2-1/2 oz. (35 grams).

The pen’s balance seems to be slightly weight forward, but it seems to fall into writing position rather naturally.

Nib & Performance (8)

This nib is a bit wider than I expected, but it is finer than the others I have. Being somewhat impatient at times, and spending the day in town with the family, I didn’t want to wait to get home and flush before trying. I immediately popped in one of the cartridges and the pen started right up. No skipping, so far; it will get a good workout this week.

Filling System & Maintenance (8)
I haven’t used the converter, yet, since the pen came with two cartridges. I’ll load it with something special later in the week and give it a run. The cartridge fits without leaking and the pen started right away.

Cost & Value (9)
This pen normally sells for $110 at this particular store but with a 10% discount on everything in stock (or ordered), it came in at $99. This allowed be to purchase two pens and a bottle of ink, keeping within my budget.

Conclusion (Final score : 8.4)

I’ve only had this pen a couple of days, and I am quite happy with the purchase. I am even considering a second one with the medium nib. If you like a pen with a sleek, contemporary design, you might want to look at this one.

cmw3_d40_6441 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

cmw3_d40_6436 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

cmw3_d40_6438 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

October 19, 2015

If that fine nib writes as good as my Sheaffer 100's fine nib does, I can imagine it being a fantastic writer. I'd love to get one of those, but I feel it's priced a bit higher than it should be.