Two oddities…

[Dan Carmell]

Today arrived a steel L2K clone and the first of two oddities in the form

of fountain pens, the ‘Dami Wanka.’ This is a metal pen with a twist, quite literally. Handling, it’s an object that feels well machined and finished, and with than twist and without a clip, it’s a little like a mobius strip, with a satiny finish. 
 

The color gradient marks the cap, blue or green were the options but only green was available when I ordered, so I inked it with Diamond Green-Black, appropriately enough. The small gold plated nib is very smooth, but otherwise unremarkable. 
 

The magnetic cap is strong enough it was awkward to open one handed. The pen looks triangular but is actually four-sided, in the shape of a flattened diamond. That twist provides a grip superior to the Lamy Safari grip, at least for my style of grip. If you find the Safari grip a positive, you may like this grip as much or more. 
 

The section pulls out from the twist section of the barrel, which is rather unusual but it clicks back in very securely. It uses a generic piston converter. 
 

The cap doesn’t post, due to the inner cap. The slanted cap and barrel finials are a soft rubber-like plastic, marked DW inside the shield-like finial. 

At $40, this pen is over-priced. Some might say it’s over-designed as well. It certainly isn’t a ‘practical’ pen, although it writes nicely and some may prefer its grip. But it’s interesting as a sculptural oddity. 
 

This pen has a big brother, the Douwan DM015 (last two photos). By big brother, I mean pricier and more complex, their size may be the same, since it’s essentially the same model. And it’s the second oddity of the day, although I don’t have it in hand yet. 
 

This DM015 has the same body with the twist but you can peel off the ‘panels’ from the frame of the pen. To get the full effect, I’d recommend watching the video in the link to AliExpress below, the photos I’ve attached don’t do it justice. 
 

To be sure, this is gimmicky and unrelated to pen function—but it’s fun and interesting. 
https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0SgtOY

 

[lamarax]

1 hour ago, Dan Carmell said:

 

"Automotive engineering" = run over the pen with a truck 😛

[jchch1950]

The pen looks quite different from other FPs. The magnet construction can magnetize other objects? A pen that should be use without a watch?

[Dan Carmell]

31 minutes ago, jchch1950 said:

The pen looks quite different from other FPs. The magnet construction can magnetize other objects? A pen that should be use without a watch?

Someone with better knowledge should speak to those issues with these magnetic components, but certainly the day will come when the magnet is not as effective and you have a permanently loose cap…

 

Visconti and others have been offering magnetic caps for a few years now, so I imagine others have experience with them?

[jchch1950]

The pen as an adult toy? If you are bored in a meeting you can distract yourself by putting pieces on nd and off.

[antoniosz]

I have stayed away from pens with magnetic caps.  I had two the years which lost the magnetic function just by hanging a coat with them in the pockets over a heater vent.  Maybe they are better now.

 

 

[Dan Carmell]

1 hour ago, antoniosz said:

I have stayed away from pens with magnetic caps.  I had two the years which lost the magnetic function just by hanging a coat with them in the pockets over a heater vent.  Maybe they are better now.

 

 

I imagine magnet degradation is inevitable, Antonios, don’t you? It’s faddish but I like to chase these cheap pens with odd features. The second version is on the way, I feel like a kid waiting for his Transformer toy lol

[niuben]

Wow. I don’t even see this pen from Chinese platform. Maybe it’s a little..strange or..ugly ？sorry so direct. From your photos it owns a Parker jotter like nibs and as far as I konw the douwan（逗万）is indeed a factory which help other brands to produce fp.

[Penguincollector]

  Wow, Dan- that is definitely different! It’s really interesting to me, but at that price point it’s too big a gamble for my odd grip. Would you mind holding it between your middle and ring finger  with your thumb, pointer,  and middle fingers around the pen so" that it’s leaning on the area between the thumb and pointer and seeing if the pen digs into your hand anywhere (I said my grip is odd, sorry)? 

[Dan Carmell]

On 12/1/2024 at 10:41 AM, Penguincollector said:

  Wow, Dan- that is definitely different! It’s really interesting to me, but at that price point it’s too big a gamble for my odd grip. Would you mind holding it between your middle and ring finger  with your thumb, pointer,  and middle fingers around the pen so" that it’s leaning on the area between the thumb and pointer and seeing if the pen digs into your hand anywhere (I said my grip is odd, sorry)? 

I can’t quite visualize or get my hand into the grip you describe. Perhaps a photo might help?

[Penguincollector]

2 hours ago, Dan Carmell said:

I can’t quite visualize or get my hand into the grip you describe. Perhaps a photo might help?

 
    Thank you for helping! Here’s my weird grip:

[Dan Carmell]

On 12/3/2024 at 8:20 PM, Penguincollector said:

 
    Thank you for helping! Here’s my weird grip:

Okay, I was able to mimic your grip (but couldn’t write legibility without practice!) and overall it’s comfortable—except on the bottom where the section rests on the right finger. This is actually a four-sided pen (tho’ the grip is essentially three-sided), with a very minimal crease and wide angle marking the two bottom sides (in relationship to the nib). With my rather standard grip, the crease or edge rests on the knuckle of my ring finger and I don’t feel it. With your grip, if I had it right, the crease rested on the flesh between finger joints and is much more noticeable and even bothersome, or at least that was my impression. 

Edited December 5, 2024 by Dan Carmell
Spelling

[Penguincollector]

  Thank you for trying it out! Pretty much any non round barrel seems to bother the webbing between my thumb and forefinger, so checking before buying is a real help. 

[Dan Carmell]

2 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

  Thank you for trying it out! Pretty much any non round barrel seems to bother the webbing between my thumb and forefinger, so checking before buying is a real help. 

Even with my conventional grip, I feel the crease or angle between the lower two planes and some wouldn’t like that—I might not either, in a longer writing session. 

[antoniosz]

I see it on Aliexpess now... Temping. Despite the concerns 

[Dan Carmell]

9 minutes ago, antoniosz said:

I see it on Aliexpess now... Temping. Despite the concerns 

It writes decently and both models are, what can I say?, rather nifty! The effect of the curves is something like a möbius strip, I trace one plane with my forefinger half expecting my fingertip to disappear at some point. 
 

The more expensive take-apart version is clever and remarkably well machined. And the nib appears to seal in the ‘naked’ configuration. The writing experience of both is identical to, completely unexceptional but functional—a stiff Western size Fine. 

[antoniosz]

Thanks Dan, I will wait a little because delivery is expected on an incovinient time frame, but it is temping.. Has there been a corresponding western design? 

[Dan Carmell]

10 minutes ago, antoniosz said:

Thanks Dan, I will wait a little because delivery is expected on an incovinient time frame, but it is temping.. Has there been a corresponding western design? 

Not to my knowledge, but I don’t follow modern pens (outside of China) like I used to. Here’s an album of both pens with a few of the ad pages:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/018WI1ztctTcCKqdQztY54OYQ