I seem to be attracted to coral pink pens!
The Papersmiths Primo is a useful little gel/ballpoint pen depending on which refill you decide to use. They sent me two refills to try out (I do have a soft spot for gel pens), but when you buy the pen you can select your preferred type.
It came well packaged in a cardboard box with shredded paper to keep it safe. It was also wrapped in some pretty patterned paper, no fancy presentation box here but at the price point I wouldn't expect there to be.
The pen itself is made out of aluminium and feels lightweight but sturdy. A bright coral pink coating covers the entirety of the barrel and is flawless except for a tiny little chip that is pretty much impossible to see unless you're looking for it. Do I nitpick? Why yes, I certainly do, but it's really a key part of being a reviewer!
Luckily, the chip isn't at all noticeable (I can't even get a photo of it) and the grading is fairly subtle too, which is also a bonus in my opinion. The clip is very firm but springy enough that you can easily clip it to a pocket, and the knock is also nice and bouncy. The only thing that I don't like about the knock is that it rattles quietly when I write. Not anything catastrophic that will drive me nuts, but it is still there and prevents a truly perfect writing experience.
Since the pen feels well-made, I think that this problem could be fixed by tightening up the tolerances around the knock area, as it moves from side to side, hitting the metal housing and causing the noise.
The Primo provides a beautiful writing experience with the Ohto Gel 0.5 refill, laying down a consistent pure black line. Even though the tip is very fine, it doesn't feel at all scratchy to write with. The ballpoint refill is a standard Parker-type affair that produces a fairly uniform black line. It hasn't run out yet so I hope it has more longevity than actual Parker refills, which have become extremely disappointing over the past few years!
Disassembly is simple as you only need to unscrew the nose cone to remove the refill and spring.
I think that Papersmiths should address the issue with the knock as I know that even the softest of rattles can annoy some people and essentially make the pen unusable for them, and it's such a good little pen that it would be a shame if this issue ruined the writing experience. Apart from this, I'd definitely recommend the Primo!
Please note that this is a very difficult colour to photograph, and each screen will differ slightly in the representation of colour. During editing, I tried my very best to accurately portray the colour of the pen, but I'd recommend visiting the Papersmiths website to get a good idea of what the colour looks like!
Disclaimer: Papersmiths sent this product for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.