Introduction
I’ll be perfectly honest. I had just started getting into the hobby and one of my favorite blogs, Office Supply Geek, reviewed this pen. The price point was reasonable and I bought it pretty much based on his review. Since then, I have a better idea of what I like and dislike in a fountain pen.
Appearance and Design
The “stealth” part of the name is warranted. It’s a sleek glossy black body with an equally attractive shiny black nib. The pen sports some tasteful ridges at both the tail and cap ends of the pen. There is minimal type on the pen, just below the clip noting the company name and model. The paint appears to be durable and even, both sides of quality.
One odd thing I noticed, and am slightly annoyed at, is the cap does not post. I have tried every which way to get it to stay but it simply won’t. This actually might be a good thing due to the weight of the pen.
Weight and Comfort
This is a thick and heavy pen. I don’t have other people to compare with but I must have relatively small hands and the trend towards fat large pens does not bode well for me. However, the grip area of the pen narrows and my hand does not cramp as much as it does with other pens. Like I said previously, the cap does not post and this works out because the pen would be too “top heavy” otherwise.
I think the balance is quite nice and when you are writing, you don’t get a sense that the weight is throwing you in a certain direction.
Nib and Performance
It might just be my imagination but the length of the nib is quite long so there is some distance between your grip and where the nib touches the paper. This makes for less precise writing.
Besides that, the nib is one of the nicest I’ve used. It’s very smooth and has a slightly grippy feeling as it is draw across the paper. No, I don’t mean sharp or toothy, but more like a very fine sandpaper. It’s very reassuring and offers great feedback. I think the thickness might be due (in part) the Noodler’s ink which is sort of wet (and slow drying, I might add).
I am still experimenting with different grips because I still find fat pens, including this one, make my hands hurt while writing.
Conclusion
For the price, I sitll feel good about my buy. It’s an elegant looking pen and would be sure to draw some looks in a meeting or at an appointment. It would be appropriate in both professional and casual environments. The weight is some concern as it would potentially drag down a shirt pocket if clipped. The fact that it can’t be posted might mean lost caps for users.
Overall I’d rate this a 7.5/10 based on other pens I currently own.
