I've seen brass pens like this one from YSTUDIO a few times, and I've always thought that they might be too heavy for my relatively small hands.
When I got the opportunity to review this one, I was happy that I would finally get to test this type of pen. It looked gorgeous on the Kenro Industries website - the sleek angular design, shiny gold colour and pretty green lacquer was very attractive. Note that the pen is actually a darker green, it doesn't have a blue hue in person!
The pen was sent out promptly, and arrived just six days from dispatch! That is amazing, given that average delivery time from the US to the UK is around two weeks. It was packaged extremely well, in a large padded mail bag. After removing that, I found a thick cardboard box inside. I opened this, to be greeted by yet another tightly wrapped mail bag! Pass the parcel, anyone?
After impatiently clawing that off, this is what I found inside:
This is THE perfect example of how a pen should be packaged. Kenro Industries made sure that the parcel definitely couldn't be damaged in transit, and YSTUDIO did the rest. The box feels lovely, full instructions are included inside, as well as some fine sandpaper in case you want to remove some of the lacquer to personalise your pen.
The foam inside the high GSM paperboard box and inside the lid makes sure that your pen is not going to be going anywhere. It firmly grips the cap, pen and converter and eliminates any risk of damage. It also looks sophisticated - black with gold detailing, classy indeed. It lets the pen inside take centre stage.
First, I picked up the pen. My eyes were immediately drawn to the bright shiny nib decorated by engraved lines and the YSTUDIO logo. Then I held the pen as if to write. The brass section is smooth and pleasant to grip, and it all has a nice balance in the hand.
Before I proceed further, I would like to mention that a friend said that raw brass, or other metals, can leave a metallic scent on your fingers that may annoy some people. I can confirm that the section and my fingers do smell of brass after writing, but I cannot detect this smell whilst writing, and my fingers return to their unscented state very quickly. If you have an allergy to brass or you despise the smell, this may not be the pen for you unless you invest in a separate pen grip.
I did mention before that I worried about the weight of the pen. I shouldn't have! It is so nicely balanced that I have no trouble using it and my hand doesn't tire.
What does Chloé always do next? That's right, it's disassembly time!
The barrel unscrewed with ease. Once it was off, a cartridge fell out.
I rarely use cartridges, but I keep them for emergencies. You never know when you might need spare ink!
Bottled ink is always my go-to, so I took the converter out of the box and pushed it into the feed until it was seated firmly. I like the bit of brass decorating it, converters are usually plain but this one is very pretty.
The nib is one of the smoothest I have every encountered - there isn't even a hint of a scratch there, and it lays a perfect medium line down on the page. I would, comparing it to a lot of other pens I own, say that it errs on the side of a dry writer. When I use this ink in my other pens. It is a deep black, but in this one it is like a very dark grey. the pen also runs dry after about a page of writing, even when full of ink, so I have to twist the converter down to get it going again.
These aren't fatal flaws though, and I don't think it is necessarily the pen's fault. All pens work better with some inks as opposed to others, and a wetter ink - say Diamine, J. Herbin or De Atramentis - would probably completely resolve any issues. I do use Pineider because it is a drier ink, but this pen just needs something else.
That said, my YSTUDIO Revolve is probably one of the best writers in my collection because of the nib alone. It soars across the paper!
I notice that I haven't yet mentioned the cap, which doesn't have a clip. This doesn't bother me at all, because I'll carry it in a bag or case as likely as not. If you tried to hang this pen from your shirt, it would boggle it (the shirt) out of shape! There's one feature of the cap that I love.
IT CLICKS!
It makes such a great little clicking noise when you push it into place over the nib! A small thing, but one I love. The only thing that may bother some people is that the cap can't be posted. The barrel of the pen is too thick for posting, but to be honest, if you could post it the balance of the pen would be ruined. It is perfect as it is, and think you'll love it so much that you won't be so careless as to lose the cap when you write!
Some final points about the pen. The brand name only appears twice on the outside of the pen, once on the nib and once on the barrel. I approve! With the cap on, the pen looks like the ultimate stylish writing instrument!
I'm very impressed with the quality of this pen, especially the wonderful nib. The hexagonal shape is lovely, as is the solid brass construction, and the whole thing is flawless. Not a scratch or scuff to be seen. The logos, far from being annoying, are simply elegant.
Using this pen makes me want to go and buy every YSTUDIO pen I can find - I shall resist! I want to use this one more first as I am thoroughly enjoying it. If any of you own a YSTUDIO pen, leave a comment and tell me if you like yours. I am delighted with this one!
Disclaimer: This product was provided by Kenro Industries for reviewing. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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