Venvstas Carbon V Fountain Pen Review

[columela]

First Impressions (7/10)
I decided to support this campaign on Kickstarter last december. I was curious about the material as I know that only a few expensive fountain pens have this kind of material. The Visconti Skeleton comes to mind. The final result does not disappoint. The box in which it came is a small triangular cardboard which was not much impressive but had some nice touches like the logos on the top and bottom of the box. A small instruction leaflet came with it in which seemed like photocopied paper.

Appearance (9/10)
Once the box was opened the pen came out. It is a long pen with a beautiful design as it is clever as well. It is made in three carbon fibre pieces, the cap, the barrel and the section all of the same width and perfectly adapted to each other. It came with a cartridge although it might admit a standard converter. There is enough space for another international cartridge inside the barrel. Very lightweight, only 13.94 grams and well balanced on the hand.

Design/Size/Weight (8/10)
The design is certainly original and on the verge of being brilliant. However, there are a few caveats. The section is too short so I ended up holding the pen between the section and the barrel, which made for a poorer writing experience. The cartridge section is made of a not very nice brass, so it looks poor compared to the beautiful two toned carbon fibre. Besides, it is a bit difficult to put the cartridge in. Very well balanced on the hand, posted or unposted as it is wonderfully light. No clip added, but I think that would have ruined the beauty of the pen.

Nib (6/10)
The nib is a Jowo, completely unadorned steel nib, only for the letters EF on the wing of the nib. It was a hard starter but after a few tweaks it started to produce a nice line. It is hard, without any flexibility but it is fairly smooth.

Filling System (6/10)
A cartridge, converter system. Pity no converter was included, but it seemed to fit quite well. Nothing special here.

Cost and Value (8.5/10)
At 59 € it was not cheap but I do not think it was expensive for the originality of the materials and the beauty of the item itself. I find it very interesting and certainly different from most of the pens in my collection.

Conclusion (7.5/10)
Brilliant design , wonderful balance and weight, simple yet effective assembly system, without threads or clasps. I regret that the section is too short and some brass is visible when changing the cartridge. A brilliant effort, but there is quite a lot of room for improvement. This could become an iconic pen after a better quality control of the nib and hiding the brass and chrome bits that can be seen.

Edited May 5, 2016 by columela

[visvamitra]

Thank you for the review. I find this pen interesting but can't decide to pull the trigger.

[Namo]

I have the Schreiber model. I've been unsing it since two months… the Schreiber is very similar looking to the Carbon V, only in steel or bronze (?). It's a very nice, slim pen. The art work is excellent, and dealing wih them is very nice (although I don't know about English i this case). What I really love is the organic look and feel of the pen The inspiration is the reed pen, and it really works. Venvstas also offers what seems to be a in house made filling system of some kind, only with their higher end pens. Interessting.

[Aramchek]

Still waiting for mine (huge delays appears normal for Kickstarter projects).

You listed the nib as being from Bock but according to the description page, it uses a Jowo nib.

[EclecticCollector]

My understanding is that the visible brass section is intentional. I too backed this project but am still waiting for mine to ship.

[rafapa]

Mine leaks badly. Every time I uncap the pen there is ink in the short section near the nib. For me is a nice non functioning pen.

[VENVSTAS]

Hi there. it's me. Well can't agree more with the review. After doing many of them (and still doing them and shipping) it's a pen that from all the other designs I've ever did, still needs improvement and that's why I won't do it again for a while, until I get enough information, as this one has been a pen meant to be easy but it turned out to be complicated in some ways. For instance the Schreiber mentioned above, is a pen that went easy right away, there's nothing I can change now from that pen without ruining it, but this one seems to. As an architect with 20+ years experience (although young still and with lots to learn) and a designer (my name is Lucio Rossi) I have always worked in avant garde projects and well, this is just a pen, but I tried to make it as different as I could, while being functional. I do that in all my designs, I've done designs ranging from chairs, cars, little stores to huge buildings, and I always look to push things. For me and for the subject I'm working on....These pens were meant to be working tools, mostly for drawing and writing, so I put a lot of energy on making them well balanced and practical. Your pen is leaking Rafael? Just tell me what's going on with it and I'll fix it. For the others I'm shipping. I have faced lots of problems I was not expecting, but for prices, time in shipping and things of the sort, as long as the "pen company" starts, things will be chopped down. Being now in the other side of the market, I think most pens are really overpriced! Taking into account that most are machine made and most carbon pens I've ever seen, they are so expensive, and the pen cannot be said it's made of carbon, sometimes its just a decorative detail, I liked the pininfarina when I saw it just after a walk in Florence, (Visconti has a flag ship store there) and when I asked for the price my pocket screamed! When I saw that pen I thought that maybe it will be a good idea to make a capeless piston filler. I only know one pen like that, a very nice old french pen that I forgot the name. So a pen like that, capeless and piston-filler will be out by the time of the DC show, I expect. At least a prototype and a few pre-series, as the drawings for that pen are in my archives since half a year. A version of the V with a clip it's coming in the second half of the year. The clip will be just a piece of steel coming out from the carbon in the same manner all the other steel parts are coming out. So it will look good. having no clip was let's say my own taste on pens. Which it's very peculiar. As I only have three fountain pens, all broken. Also this model will most likely to be shipped in the future with a pen case (in carbon or in semi-translucent fiber) and I'm studding to make a version that will have a plunge. I did some prototypes in the past with this 10mm pens and I was able to achieve capacities in the order of 1.5ml, which for such a pen is excellent. Well, thank you for the backing, I hope these to get to be collection pieces one day! The overall packaging except from the small booklet (that definitely should be improved), will remain the same. I feel very bad when let's say, we through away so much stuff, or so much energy is used to produce something that will be a few minutes in our hands, and then to be lost in a drawer or eventually put in the trash can, so that's also the idea behind the carbon pen case, to actually have something that you'll like to keep and will be a good complement for the pen, in keeping it safe, storing it and well, I think pens, specially fountain pens, even the cheapest, are utensils we keep and we care about, and often, gifts to someone we care a lot. For the nibs origin, they are Jowo. I use Jowo, I have an agreement with them. although I did some prototypes using Bock. I'll also introduce some models with gold plated flex nibs next half of the year, plus stubs, (in solid gold) and other things more pointing at specific users who are looking for that, or let's say, having a vintage writing experience in a modern design. As I think each time I look on what's modern in fountain pens (although they have a lot to do with nostalgia in many ways) people keep referring to the lamy 2000.......and it's 50 years old I think. Still I think the writing experience and the pleasure of sketching with a fountain pen cannot be replaced, only with a dip pen, and well, I don't see myself appearing in front of a client sketching with a dip pen and an ink pot, but now that I think, maybe I'll do that next time, just to see the look on the face of the guy.
Well, enjoy the pen!!! if problems appear I'm there to look on what's wrong, I read the reviews and I keep the feedback, as again, there's a lot of room still for improvement.

Best,

Lucio Rossi

[columela]

Sorry about the mishap on the origin of the nib, it is of course Jowo.

 

Thank you for reading my review. it is not usual to be in contact with the designer of a pen. I love the looks of it and I think that you might get a niche in the difficult world of pen manufacturers. I wish you luck and fortitude.

Edited May 5, 2016 by columela

[VENVSTAS]

Sorry about the mishap on the origin of the nib, it is of course Jowo.

 

Thank you for reading my review. it is not usual to be in contact with the designer of a pen. I love the looks of it and I think that you might get a niche in the difficult world of pen manufacturers. I wish you luck and fortitude.

Well thank you, I think your name is Roberto, I could answer in Spanish! but it would be bad for the rest of the readers, with the exception of Rafael who is spanish. I'll see what's going on with the pen. I think it is not usual to see also designers behind most pens, a few Lamys are made by designers, some pelikans (I remember some Luigi Colani ones) the montblanc M by Newson, although it's to me .well..not .a good design under any point of view, but my view is that every one that buys one of my pens or other designed objects are my clients, I want very much to see customers, clients, and not consumers. Probably the difference is that I may be the only guy who's a designer but also setting up a company, the good thing is that I don't have to deal whit marketing people or burocrats or executives who sometimes have an idea of what "people wants" and that drives the whole design. And that's a big mistake. Best designed objects we have out there are the result of passions and freedom, thank you and check the site from time to time more designs are to come after a couple of months!

Edited May 5, 2016 by VENVSTAS

[rafapa]

Lucio,

You have a message from me.

[Pen_andy]

@Venvstas: any chance to see some prototype pictures of the new pens you have mentioned on your webpage (V12, Allure, Vulcaine)?

[VENVSTAS]

@Venvstas: any chance to see some prototype pictures of the new pens you have mentioned on your webpage (V12, Allure, Vulcaine)?

Hi Andy, Yes, I shall post some tomorrow. Although some of the stock models won't look like the prototypes, but similar. I'll post the Allure, a picture of the finishing of the Vulcaine. The V12 I have no pictures yet. For instance the Allure model will have a different type of nib to that of the prototype. Also there are other models that Im planning to take out, where I'm getting some feedback of customers and Im thinking on doing something with that information. For instance a pen that has no name yet that its translucent, so you can see the level of ink, or a set of thicker pens, as some people like more hefty pens, The ink capacities of those pens (they all have their own filling mechanisms) will be from 1.5ml for the Allure to 3.5 for the V12. The ghost pen will be something in between. The V12 willl be more like the Avant garde but all in carbon fiber, the Allure is an specific ergonomically designed pen for writing and sketching with the center of gravity in the geometrical barycentre. So the pen has a 50-50 weight distribution (inked). That one will be a pen in the middle range, the others are going to be more expensive. The translucent one will be placed cheaper than the Allure. Also a version of the 77 will be translucent, and that's an entry price one.

 

[Jamerelbe]

@Venvstas, if you're thinking of making a capless fountain pen, you might want to check out the Pilot Capless (also known as the Pilot Vanishing Point), which uses a click-to-open, click-to-close mechanism, and the Pilot Fermo and Lamy Dialog 3, both of which (I believe) use a twist-to-open-and-close mechanism. Just so you know what is already on the market. I'll be very interested to see what your new capless design looks like - Bon chance!

[Pen_andy]

@Venvstas, if you're thinking of making a capless fountain pen, you might want to check out the Pilot Capless (also known as the Pilot Vanishing Point), which uses a click-to-open, click-to-close mechanism, and the Pilot Fermo and Lamy Dialog 3, both of which (I believe) use a twist-to-open-and-close mechanism. Just so you know what is already on the market. I'll be very interested to see what your new capless design looks like - Bon chance!

There is also the Stipula Carbon T and it's wooden counterparts DaVinci and Vespucci. There was as well a capless french pen in the 1930s (??) by La Plume d'Or, I think.

[visvamitra]

Sounds exciting.

[VENVSTAS]

@Venvstas, if you're thinking of making a capless fountain pen, you might want to check out the Pilot Capless (also known as the Pilot Vanishing Point), which uses a click-to-open, click-to-close mechanism, and the Pilot Fermo and Lamy Dialog 3, both of which (I believe) use a twist-to-open-and-close mechanism. Just so you know what is already on the market. I'll be very interested to see what your new capless design looks like - Bon chance!

I know them of course (and I could add more to that list) , Im talking about another pen which is a piston filler. The pens you are describing do not have a filling system like a piston, they are cartridge pens. (with very small cartridges by the way...) The pen Im talking about is called pullman météore or something like that. And yes it has to do with "La Plume d'or' that was the company in the 20s I think, this one is from 1930s yes. Its a very rare pen and if you find one in auction somewhere or even ebay you'll have to pay quite some money to get them. Im not a pen collector but I have a big database on fountain pen history....the dialog 3 is twist. the one Im working is not twist nor clicky....

[Jamerelbe]

@Venvstas, now you've *really* got me interested. Please make sure you update us on FPN when your new design is ready to be released into the world!

[VENVSTAS]

http://s32.postimg.org/4ykuuj3b9/DSC_0090.jpg

 

http://s32.postimg.org/wgzbfg4g5/DSC_0096.jpg

http://s32.postimg.org/5wtvatxmt/DSC_0109.jpg

[VENVSTAS]

Here the allure and a very early Vulcain prototype. The nib in he Allure will be different. I'm not much on this site, so for updates and more information in upcoming things you can subscribe to the website.
Thank you for the comments;

[VENVSTAS]

Here the allure and a very early Vulcain prototype. The nib in he Allure will be different. I'm not much on this site, so for updates and more information in upcoming things you can subscribe to the website.

Thank you for the comments;

By the way, the Allure is the gray pen....