Review: J. Herbin Fountain Pen @BureauDirect

ABOUT

Body Material: Plastic
Trim: Metal
Length (capped): 117.5 mm/4.62"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 98.2 mm/3.86''
Length (posted): 139.9 mm/5.50''
Barrel Diameter: 8.2 - 10.2 mm/0.32'' - 0.40''
Section Diameter: 9.8 - 11.8 mm/0.38'' - 0.46''
Nib material: Steel
Weight (all): 12 g
Weight (cap): 12 g
Weight (body): 12 g
Fill type: Cartridge/Converter
Price: £8.95
Where to buy: Bureau Direct

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PACKAGING

No packaging, just the way I like it.

APPEARANCE

This fountain pen is small and cute. It is round and tapers towards the back end, which is rounded off. The finial is a rounded off chrome dome that angles downward towards the clip, just slightly. The clip is plain and unmarked, and it suits the design of the pen. The cap has J. Herbin printed on it in silver type.

The section is relatively thin and tapers towards the nib. There is a ring before the nib as well. The section is pretty plain. There isn't much else to this pen. It's small, simple, and plain, but not necessarily in a bad way.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The steel nib is a standard fine/medium. It has a single slit and a breather hole. It is engraved with Iridium Point Germany and some flourishes.

The nib wrote immediately upon inking. It did not hard start or skip, ink flow was good and consistent - not all that wet, but it kept up. Given the drying times and the width of the lines it put down,I think this could make for a good everyday writer/planner pen. The nib wasn't particularly smooth, but it wasn't scratchy either - just some feedback I didn't mind.

The nib was somewhat springy. With pressure, it actually produced some decent line variation. It did not snap back into place very quickly if too much pressure was applied. The nib was quite soft so I actually found it easy to bend the nib up too fast - easy to fix but just something to be aware of.

Decent nib performance overall. I was pretty happy with it.

IN HAND

This is a pen that is certainly on the smaller side. The metal clip feels pretty sturdy and is quite springy. I like how it feels and how it operated - it doesn't feel cheap and it didn't feel weak.

The section of this pen is thin and quite short. The ridge at the end is a little sharp and because of how short the section is, I found myself gripping it quite tightly to control the pen. For those with large hands, the section might feel uncomfortable.

Unposted, the pen is short and lightweight. The cap did post with a push and twist. Posted, the pen felt more balanced, had a more comfortable length, and a more usable weight.

The holes at the back of the barrel can be plugged (epoxy/glue) and the pen can then be used as an eyedropper, if you wish. Make sure you plug them properly though!

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

This isn't a bad fountain pen at all. I was pretty pleased with its performance. I find it quite small and a little on the expensive side for what it is (small, plastic, cartridge, no supplied converter). However, both pens I tested performed without issue. One of these and some J. Herbin cartridge tins are cute together and are a great gift!

I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. One of these pens will be given away on Serious Nibbage! Hang tight!