Review: Faber-Castell Ambition Pearwood Fountain Pen - Fine

Well, it's no secret that I love Graf Von Faber-Castell fountain pens. My quest for yummy pens never ends so when I was given the opportunity to review one of these beauties, I did not turn down the chance! I love the warm, fiery look of the pearwood barrel, so that is what I picked. I believe a hearty thank you is in order to The Pen Company for making this review possible!

ABOUT

Brand: Faber-Castell
Model: Ambition
Body Material: Pearwood
Trim: Chrome
Length (capped): 5.47"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 4.79"
Length (posted): 6.2"
Barrel Diameter: 0.44"
Section Diameter: 0.35"
Nib type: German
Nib material: Steel
Weight: 33g/1.1 oz
Barrel design: Round
Fill type: Cartridge/converter
Price: £59.40 (£49.50/$75USD excluding VAT)
Where to buy: The Pen Company

PACKAGING

The Faber-Castell Ambition comes in a very cool white hard plastic box. It opens up to reveal a felted bed where the pen can slide out from. This felted bed actually has three slots so this neat pen box can actually double as a pen case! Attractive, and useful. It's a keeper. It won't let your pens touch and the hard shell will protect your pens inside from the dangers outside (okay, that might have been too dramatic). 

APPEARANCE

The Pearwood barrel Ambition is a round pen from cap to end, with blunt edges. The cap is relatively short and it is shiny and chrome-plated, as is the clip, the very small section, and the back end where the cap posts. The awesome clip is classy and spring-loaded - one of my favourite features of Faber-Castell pens. When posted or capped, the cap is flush with the pen body. The pearwood barrel is a rich brownish orange colour. Of course, saying that makes it sound hideous, doesn't it? (Update: Gentian suggested sienna to describe this! PERFECT. Thank you so much Gentian! Sienna is bang on) It isn't. It is striated like woods often are, though very subtly, and it is quite smooth to the touch. It is eye-catching and very attractive. The warmth of the pearwood and the contrast of the chrome is pretty.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib is somewhat small but the pen is not particularly larger either, so it does not look bad. There is no single breather hole; rather, there are many small holes all over the nib. The nib is a fine stainless steel with iridium tipping. Being a German nib, I expected the fine to write more broad than it does but I think it is actually a decent fine! Ink flow is consistent; there is no skipping, even with quick writing. It is not a super wet writer, but it isn't too dry. It certainly isn't a juicy nib by any means, though I wouldn't expect it to be, being a fine, stainless steel nib!

I experienced no hard starts with this pen, even after it sat for a few days. The cap is really snug so the ink does not really dry out. There was no skipping at this point either. It is very pleasant. 

With a fair amount of pressure, as in, more than you would exert in typical writing, there is some line variation possible. I wouldn't call this flexible or springy, but the tines can spread and give you wider lines should you really want it. As such, you should expect a stiff nib for normal writing.

IN HAND

The pen is nice in hand. The section is very small and there is a small step from the section to the barrel, but it's not uncomfortable because it's so minor. There is no grip or anything but the pen is comfortable to hold - there are no threads to get in the way. The cap is very small and although it's heavy, it doesn't alter the weight and balance of the pen much when posted. It's still nicely weighted and balanced to write with.

I did find that during extensive writing sessions, I started rotating the pen a lot to "re-grip" it. While I did not consciously feel the little piece of section was slippery, it could be that I was instinctively rotating the pen so my fingers would not slip. The section is really quite small though and it forces your fingers to hold that little piece, or grip the wooden barrel higher up, where I think most people would want to grip the pen right where the wood meets the section.

By the way, as I mentioned, the clip, like my Graf Von Faber-Castell fountain pen, is quite awesome. It is one of those spring loaded clips so it's easy to use and won't tear your papers. It's one of my favourite parts of this pen. 

PROS

• Buy now and get a Faber-Castell 4GB USB memory stick! Most adorable.
• Nice, consistent ink flow.
• Reliable writer - no hard starts.
• Not a very wet writer - a suitable choice for lefties. 
• Posts very snugly. 
• Awesome spring loaded clip.

CONS

• Pen is very tightly capped.
• I worry about the life of the plastic sleeve inside of the cap.
• Body can be scored/scratched by sharp materials.  
• Short section.

OVERALL

The Faber-Castell Ambition Pearwood fountain pen is a lovely, attractive pen, and is not badly priced. The steel nib is a reliable one to write with, and the pen will offer a comfortable, decent writing experience. It's not a juicy nib if that's what you're looking for though A very nice choice for a new user as this is a pretty low maintenance pen that will likely not need tweaking, but also great for experienced users. There is nothing bad to say about the performance of this pen; I think it's quite lovely. The only thing thing I dislike is how short the section is.

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This gorgeous pen was sent by The Pen Company for review. I was not compensated monetarily, but I am spoiled rotten and get to keep this delectable thing. All opinions here are 100% my own, cross my heart.