Review: Lindauer Classic Piston Fountain Pen - Green Marble

A pretty green pen with a piston! Paul at PW Akkerman provided this pen for review (and then giveaway - coming very soon!). Thanks Paul, as always, for your outstanding service!

ABOUT

Body Material: Plastic
Trim: GP Metal
Nib material: GP Steel + iridium
Filling system: Piston-filler
Cap: Screw on
Posts: Yes, friction
Length (capped): 134.5 mm/5.29"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 122.2 mm/4.81"
Length (posted): 143.7 mm/5.66"
Barrel Diameter: 11.5 mm/0.45"
Section Diameter: 9.4 - 10.4 mm/0.37" - 0.41"
Weight (all): 12 g
Weight (cap): 2 g
Weight (body): 10 g
Price: € 27,50
Where to buy: PW Akkerman (Den Haag)

PACKAGING

None. Picked this up at PW Akkerman from a small display stand on the counter. Nice and simple.

APPEARANCE

This is a small, cute pen that reminds me of a vintage Pelikan (400NN) and the Reform 1745. It is round with rounded off pointed ends. The finial is black plastic, which matches the black piston-turning knob. The clip is attached externally by a gold colored band around the cap. The clip looks a lot like a vintage Pelikan clip. At first glance, one might think it has a pelican bill - it is shaped the same but the distinguishing features of the bill itself are missing.

The center band is a gold colored band around the end of the cap. It is engraved with Lindauer and W. Germany. It's simple and I like the tidy, minimal branding. The section is small and hourglass shaped, ending in a smooth, somewhat rounded out ridge before the nib.

The cap and barrel are plastic, but there is a sticker wrapped around both. It lines up pretty well but you can see the seams of the sticker coming together. The design on the sticker is cute - it looks like a green celluloid. From afar, you might really think it's green celluloid! Cute idea. If you really hate the sticker, I imagine you can just peel it off. I don't really have an issue with it, except that if it doesn't completely line up with the trim, any small gaps will be noticeable. Plus, it's a sticker, so you can only expect so much. One of my favorite parts of this pen is the huge ink window. It's nice and clear, and on a piston-filler, this is very useful.

Overall, the pen is decent looking. It looks like plastic, and the sticker is cute but it is just a sticker, but the pen itself has a nice shape that is quite classic.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

This is a small, gold-plated steel nib. It has a single slit, a round breather hole, and is engraved with Lindauer, the Lindauer logo, and Iridium Point. The nib is probably a fine, although it is not indicated. These are also available with medium nibs at Akkerman, and the Lindauer site indicates they have a huge nib range available.

The pen was flushed before inking, but nothing was done to the nib. It performs quite well and without issue. It's not finicky or temperamental. It is smooth enough, but not "buttery" smooth, especially as it's quite fine. It feels pretty pleasant to write with, and although it's not outstanding in any way, my writing looks decent.

I like the nib size for every day writing, as a daily carry, and as a knock about pen. It isn't a very wet writer - medium on the random, subjective scale of ink wetness. Drying times are pretty quick. The nib/feed keeps up well with normal writing, fast writing (without pressure), and longer writing sessions. With pressure, and if you slow down, some line variation is possible, however, writing with pressure can dry out the feed. Obviously. It's not meant to be a flexy writer. Ignoring pressure, the pen performs perfectly well - no skips, no hard starts, and it keeps up.

The piston operates well and feels smooth.

IN HAND

The clip is pretty springy, and it is easy to operate one-handed. There is a ball on the bottom that holds the pen in place on papers and in pockets. It slides off easily, because it's not too tight.

Although the section is small, I find it quite comfortable to hold. The ridge at the front and the threads at the back are very smooth - so no sharp edges that will cut into your fingers. If you have large fingers, it might be uncomfortable because your grip will move off the section, but at least it won't bite your fingers!

Unposted, the pen is relatively light, and small, but it passed the free weight test without issue, so the size and weight is more than sufficient. The cap posts securely by friction, and it makes the pen very comfortable for long writing sessions. It's just a little heavier, but well balanced, and it feels pretty good in hand.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

This is a very decent pen! Cute, nice size, very decent nib, piston-filler, huge ink window, comfortable in hand, pretty affordable. There are other piston-fillers on the market, like the TWSBI Eco, around the same price, but that is more modern. If you are looking for something more vintage-styled, this one is preferable. The nib range was found on the Lindauer site, so that's pretty awesome.

I suspect many people will not like the sticker, but you don't feel it. It's just like writing with a colorful plastic pen. It's a decent pen to explore your fountain pen tastes more, and to keep as a regular user.

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.