Pen Review - Blackstone Axiom

[mehandiratta]

BLACKSTONE AXIOM

This pen was available for review on FPN for review and was made available by Just Write Company and I happened to be at right place at right time and also I was lucky enough to be selected amongst many to review this pen. I thank Kevin for sending me across the pen and later on the inks too for review.

I have extensively used this pen and this actually is detailed review of the pen.

 

 

 

DESIGN & BUILT: 3.5/5

 

The pen arrived in very well packaged PU leather zip case along with the spare JoWo nib as the pen was available for review with two nib options.

Blackstone Axiom – Arrived in PU Leather Case

The pen is available in 2 options with 3 different trims. Two finishes were PU Leather and Carbon Fibre , both in black colour. And the trim options were Gold, Silver and Black Titanium. And I opted for the PU leather finish with black titanium trim.

Well it is actually a kit pen and is known as CHURCHILL FOUNTAIN PEN KIT.

Blackstone Axiom – In the wild

The pen arrived and the first impression was “Wow.. its a hefty pen” and in actual it weighs around 30 g when uncapped. I think the Jinhao 159 almost weighs in the same category.

Blackstone Axiom – Beauty shot

The pen is made of brass except the ABS plastic grip section. The finials are brass also with black paint finish. The cap and barrel are finished with very nice warm textured PU leather finish. It feels very good in hand unlike the cold metal in your hand. I can almost compare it with feel of ebonite in my hand.

The pen is cylindrical with rounded edges and bullet shaped bottom finial which is painted and I think this finish will wear off after some wear and tear. The grip section has hourglass design, which I really like.

Blackstone Axiom – Capped

Blackstone Axiom – Uncapped

The pen is well detailed out with nice addition of trims with double centre band and triple band at bottom of barrel. There is also one band at cap top along the clip. All are nice and sturdy. There is small O ring at the junction of cap and barrel also.

Blackstone Axiom – Barrel PU Leather Finish

Overall the pen is very well finished and executed in detail and is very well built and I must say the quality control was stringent as the pen I received had perfectly aligned rings at regular spacing.

The cap has cylindrical finial in painted finish and the centre portion of the cap has PU Leather finish and the cap lip is again painted finish with double bands. As far as cap clip is concerned I really like the design and the clip is stiff and sturdy but not springy.

Blackstone Axiom – Cap Birds Eye View

Blackstone Axiom – Cap Top View

Blackstone Axiom – Cap Side View

Blackstone Axiom – Cap Inside view

As far as the branding goes the name “Axiom” is not mentioned anywhere, only brand name “Blackstone” is mentioned below dual centre band on cap.

Below are the few images showing comparison of pen with other pens:

Capped – Blackstone Axiom, Parsons Italix, TWSBI Eco, Ranga Model 3 (from bottom to top)

Uncapped – Blackstone Axiom, Parsons Italix, TWSBI Eco, Ranga Model 3 (from bottom to top)

Angled View – Blackstone Axiom, Parsons Italix, TWSBI Eco, Ranga Model 3 (from right to left)

I must say its a very well built pen. Though the pen is hefty some may not like it (e.g. my wife) but I do like it. This pen looks classy. Few things i don’t like are triple bands at bottom, I think dual bands would have served the purpose well.

BALANCE : 3/5

As I mentioned earlier the pen is a hefty one and the bottom finial is also heavy which actually balances the brass barrel. Thus this pen is a bottom heavy pen.

Pen is well balanced when writing cap unposted but cap posting makes it unbearable (yes the cap posts securely). Below are the pics showing comparison of pen length while writing posted or unposted:

Blackstone Axiom – Writing with cap unposted

Blackstone Axiom – Writing with cap posted

When cap is not posted most of the weight is in centre but when cap is posted at back more than 2/3 rd weight goes to the back, thus making it uncomfortable.

Some specifications are as below:

• Length uncapped : 125 mm (including nib)
• Length capped : 140 mm
• Dia of Barrel : 13.5 mm
• Dia of Section : 9.5 to 11 mm
• Weight of pen (capped) : 49.11 g
• Weight of pen (uncapped) : 29.4 g

Blackstone Axiom – Weight with cap

Blackstone Axiom – Weight without cap

 

NIB & INK FILLING MECHANISM: 5/5

The pen comes with option of #6 JoWo Ruthenium nib in EF, F, M, B, 1.1, 1.5. I took up M and 1.1 and this particular review was written with 1.1 calligraphy nib. It wrote amazing and very well. Even though JoWo nibs have never disappointed me still I have had bad experience with JoWo #5 Chrome finish 1.1 nib but this one was amazing even the ruthenium finish was matching with black titanium trims.

Blackstone Axiom – Nib Unit Top View

Blackstone Axiom – Nib Unit Side view

Blackstone Axiom – Nib Unit Bottom view

Ink Filling is via converter or cartridge. The pen comes with good quality converter which is not Schmidt made. The pen can’t be converted to eyedropper as it is a metal pen.

Blackstone Axiom – Taken Apart – Ink filling via converter

CONCLUSION:

 

It is extremely well built hefty kit pen with excellent #6 JoWo Ruthenium nibs. Priced around 70 USD puts it in mid range segment.

I recommend this to people who want hefty and classy looking pen.

 

For more images and handwritten samples kindly visit my blog here : MEHANDIRATTA

[visvamitra]

Great review. And it's really nice that you've posted pictures of the pen that you actually made. The other reviews of this pen were nice but they were lacking pictures. And you know how it is in internet. Without pictures description looks to dry.

 

ANyway I like the look of carbon version but this one (Leather PU) is definitely NOT for me. I dislike the looks of it.

[mehandiratta]

Great review. And it's really nice that you've posted pictures of the pen that you actually made. The other reviews of this pen were nice but they were lacking pictures. And you know how it is in internet. Without pictures description looks to dry.

 

ANyway I like the look of carbon version but this one (Leather PU) is definitely NOT for me. I dislike the looks of it.

I agree with you on that... picture is worth a thousand words...

Well actually this leather finish feels warm in hands... and to certain extent looks are okay... acceptable..

but yes the personal choice...

 

Thank you

[Sagarb]

Superb Vaibhav superb..an amazing review..photography..outstanding..thanks for the review..

[mehandiratta]

Superb Vaibhav superb..an amazing review..photography..outstanding..thanks for the review..

Thank you sagar...

[Prithwijit]

Great review as always Vaibhav. My only ask is that is the finishing so good as to be worth paying a premium of $56 for someone finishing a basic kit that costs $14.

[mehandiratta]

Great review as always Vaibhav. My only ask is that is the finishing so good as to be worth paying a premium of $56 for someone finishing a basic kit that costs $14.

For 14 USD you get the kit only... And on top of that you have to buy #JoWo ruthenium nibs .. But yes it still is still expensive...

[inkeverywhere]

Great review and very informative, the only problem is the pen is not yet on Justwrite's wbesite. There is a Blackstone Maxim, but this model just doesn't have the same appeal to me.

 

After reading your review this pen has just made my wanted list.

 

 

 

Greg

[RwindleIII]

Great review!

[Jamerelbe]

For 14 USD you get the kit only... And on top of that you have to buy #JoWo ruthenium nibs .. But yes it still is still expensive...

 

My understanding (from emails with Kevin, aka "Mr JustWrite") is that the components that make up this pen come from a few different sources - though obviously the grip section and finials come from the source mentioned in this review. You also have to factor in additional parts - especially the JoWo nib, the feed (which I don't think is part of the kit), and the 'finish' on the body and cap of the pen, the cost of which is not inconsiderable. Add to that and the labour costs involved in putting the pen together - which tend to be higher in countries like Australia - and you're starting to get an idea of where the added costs are. Not to mention the need for some kind of profit margin, to make the project viable?

 

I'm enjoying my version of this pen - and once the dust has settled from moving house and getting through the end-of-year 'silly season' (hopefully in the next week or two!), I'll aim to put up a review of my own. In the meantime, thanks Vaibhav for yours!

[mehandiratta]

 

My understanding (from emails with Kevin, aka "Mr JustWrite") is that the components that make up this pen come from a few different sources - though obviously the grip section and finials come from the source mentioned in this review. You also have to factor in additional parts - especially the JoWo nib, the feed (which I don't think is part of the kit), and the 'finish' on the body and cap of the pen, the cost of which is not inconsiderable. Add to that and the labour costs involved in putting the pen together - which tend to be higher in countries like Australia - and you're starting to get an idea of where the added costs are. Not to mention the need for some kind of profit margin, to make the project viable?

 

I'm enjoying my version of this pen - and once the dust has settled from moving house and getting through the end-of-year 'silly season' (hopefully in the next week or two!), I'll aim to put up a review of my own. In the meantime, thanks Vaibhav for yours!

 

Thank for clearing this up on my behalf....

And Guys its a JoWo #6 Ruthenium nib.....

[mehandiratta]

Great review and very informative, the only problem is the pen is not yet on Justwrite's wbesite. There is a Blackstone Maxim, but this model just doesn't have the same appeal to me.

 

After reading your review this pen has just made my wanted list.

 

 

 

Greg

first of all thank you for going through and liking the review...

Secondly I suggest you put an email to Kevin for an enquiry....

 

Great review!

Thank you

[sannidh]

Thanks for the detailed review of the pen. Though personally my preference is into extremities of traditional looks or the mathematical precision of geometrical faces. Looks-wise this pen fails to appeal to my tastes too.

[mehandiratta]

Thanks for the detailed review of the pen. Though personally my preference is into extremities of traditional looks or the mathematical precision of geometrical faces. Looks-wise this pen fails to appeal to my tastes too.

Well looks wise... Its subjective... I also don't love it ... and neither do I hate it...

[Prithwijit]

 

Thank for clearing this up on my behalf....

And Guys its a JoWo #6 Ruthenium nib.....

 

I am happy to be corrected, but it seems Jowo sells a steel nib which is given a Ru plating for the finish. To its akin to a gold plated steel nib.

[Jamerelbe]

 

I am happy to be corrected, but it seems Jowo sells a steel nib which is given a Ru plating for the finish. To its akin to a gold plated steel nib.

 

Of course, that's correct: the two nibs that came with my Axiom prototype pen were ruthenium-plated stainless steel - I love the darker 'gun-metal' look (so much so that I purchased a #5 JoWo unit from , but the feel is no different from a standard JoWo nib. Then again, I love JoWo steel nibs, and the nibs on this pen were no exception.