Workhorse Pens: Faber-Castell E-Motion Pure Black Review

The Faber-Castell E-Motion is a pen that I initially reviewed on loan, but always wanted to revisit after an extended period of usage. So, I purchased the model that appealed to me - the E-Motion "Pure Black" edition - and the pen has spent the better part of a year in heavy rotation. Everything from my initial review still applies to this pen: the fit and finish are high-quality and top notch, the nib is sublime, and I like the unique chunky design. But what tips the E-Motion Pure Black over the top into "daily workhorse" territory, when I don't think the standard E-Motion would have caught on nearly as well? 

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Three "pure black" workhorses, from the top: Lamy 2000, Faber-Castell E-Motion Pure Black, and Montblanc 146 Ultra Black.

The texture of the barrel. The Pure Black model may have a metal barrel, but it doesn't feel like it. Faber-Castell has coated the barrel with some sort of PVD material, engraved with a subtle guilloche pattern, which gives the pen a soft feel and makes it extremely comfortable to hold. Frankly, I'm surprised at how easy it is to write with this pen for long periods of time. It's somewhat counterintuitive since the Pure Black is a very heavy pen, but the E-Motion has good balance, even posted, and is a perfect example of how metal pens don't need to be unwieldy. Sure, the design looks a bit "unique," and people tend to have strong opinions about the aesthetics, but I count myself a fan, and you can't argue with results as a daily writer. 

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The engraved PVD-coated barrel

The only drawback to this pen from a "workhorse" perspective is ink capacity. Like nearly all Faber-Castell and Graf von Faber-Castell pens, the E-Motion is a cartridge-converter pen that will hold far less ink than, say, a piston-filler. That said, this nib writes a true medium line, and it's not overly wet, so I've never had a situation where I've run out of ink during the day, even during periods of heavy writing. The Faber-Castell converter has decent ink capacity, similar to a standard Schmidt. 

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Faber-Castell's understated nib design. There's no breather hole, which is a hallmark of Faber-Castell's nib design, and doesn't affect ink flow at all.

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Despite it's weight, I prefer to use the E-Motion posted. Another selling point on this pen is the clip. The lever-action is tight and easy to use, and the pen will clip on to basically anything.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Faber-Castell makes some of the best true "workhorse" pens out there, mainly because their nibs are so good. I've never had a Faber-Castell nib that required work or adjustment, and the ink flow always seems to be moderately wet - perfect for the type of writing I like to do. Though the pens tend to be more expensive than your typical steel-nib pens, you get what you pay for, and in the year I've had this pen I've never once regretted shelling out for the E-Motion Pure Black.

You can purchase the Faber-Castell E-Motion Pure Black fountain pen from our sponsor Appelboom Pens. Appelboom carries a wide range of Faber-Castell and Graf von Faber-Castell pens, at very reasonable prices. They also have quick international shipping. 

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use.

Further Reading

This post is part of my new series on "Workhorse Pens," which I define as solid everyday writers that I use for most of my daily work. If you enjoyed this post, check out my other pieces on the Montblanc 146 and the Lamy 2000.  

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Another size comparison of the Faber-Castell E-Motion Pure Black against two other "workhorse" pens.

Perfect Pairing: Faber-Castell Loom Fountain Pen and Colorverse Quasar Ink

Sometimes you run across a pen and ink combination that works especially well, and you just have to review them together. Such is the case with the Faber-Castell Loom and one of the new inks I received last week, "Quasar" by South Korean company Colorverse. 

The Faber-Castell Loom: Budget Workhorse?

First off, I've written about Faber-Castell pens before, and in my opinion, the German company sells some of the best steel-nibbed fountain pens on the market. I've never had a Faber-Castell pen with issues, and I've owned several. The nibs always write smoothly and have especially good ink flow. The Loom is no exception. 

Since you can purchase the Loom for as little as $40, you might ask why it's taken me so long to review this pen. Well, in pictures, I was always a little put off by the cap. I thought it looked chunky and heavy, and suspected it would throw off the balance of the pen when posted. I was wrong. The cap on the gunmetal versions pictured here is a lightweight plastic, which posts fairly deeply on the aluminum body. I've been writing with the Loom nonstop for the past week and it's extremely comfortable to use for long periods of time. 

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The Shiny Gunmetal version, which I demoed in-store at Vanness. The pen sits nicely in the hand, and is a great length. 

The only real critique I would have is with the grip. The section has raised ridges to give it some texture, but it's still pretty slick, even on the matte pen. It wasn't that big of a deal for me, but I know some readers are sensitive to this issue. I believe the "Piano" versions of the Loom add even more texture to the section in the grip area, which may help. 

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The Faber-Castell Loom that I actually took home with me was this matte version. I like both Gunmetal versions (matte and shiny), but this one spoke to me more. 

Colorverse Quasar: A Sheeny Ink You Can Actually Use

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That reddish-purple sheen is insane. And it dries relatively quickly. No smearing three days later like some other sheeny inks. 

So what's been my favorite ink to use in the Loom? So far, I've had great luck with one of the new Colorverse inks that I received in the mail last week. Colorverse Quasar is a rich, dark blue that features a reddish sheen, reminiscent of other inks I've tried such as Akkerman Shocking Blue and Diamine Majestic Blue. 

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I love the fact that Colorverse includes two bottles with every purchase. You can use the smaller bottle for travel, or - even better - you can trade the smaller bottles among friends, making it easier to collect all the colors!

The Faber-Castell Loom ended up being a perfect pen for this ink because the medium nib was wet enough to show off some of the sheen, but not such a gusher that I ended up with bleedthrough or smearing issues. One thing I've loved about the Colorverse inks is the fact that for such saturated, sheeny inks, they seem to be relatively low maintenance, especially with respect to dry time. 

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No issues with bleedthrough, feathering, or smearing on Baron Fig Mastermind paper. Even on office paper, this ink performed decently. 

Take that last comment with a grain of salt, because it's more of an initial impression than a final verdict. I plan to do a more thorough write-up of the Colorverse inks in the future after I test more of the line. I have additional colors on the way. That said, I'm impressed so far, and others whose opinions I trust have had equally positive experiences. 

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You also get some fun extras in the box, including stickers, a pen rest, and a bookmark. (They also throw in a Colorverse cocktail napkin, which I've heard some people describe as "blotter paper." It's not. It's a cocktail napkin.) 

A note on Colorverse pricing: At first glance, the Colorverse inks might appear expensive at $36 apiece, but once you break that down a bit it's not that bad. For each color, you get not one, but TWO bottles (65ml and 15ml) for a total of 80ml of ink. That comes out to roughly $0.45 per ml, which on a per-ml basis is similar to the new Sailor Jentle inks ($0.44) and Iroshizuku ($0.40). All calculations were done using Pen Chalet's best pricing.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Faber-Castell Loom took me by surprise. This pen represents excellent value and has one of the best nibs that I've used in the $40-55 price range.  Vanness currently has a large stock of these pens in various colors, but unfortunately the "Gunmetal Matte" version is sold out. During my visit to Vanness Pens back in December, I was torn between the matte pen and the "Gunmetal Shiny" version (which I photographed in the store), as well as the "Piano White", both of which Vanness still has in stock.  

While I expected to like the Colorverse inks, simply because the "space/astrophysics" concept behind the brand was so well thought-out and intriguing, I didn't expect these inks to work as well as they do for everyday use. As I mentioned, I've ordered more, and look forward to testing the other colors.  You can purchase all three "seasons" of Colorverse inks from Pen Chalet, who (along with Vanness) carries the entire line.  

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens provided the Faber-Castell Loom for review purposes, free of charge. Pen Chalet supplied me with the Colorverse Ink. This post contains affiliate links. 

Ink Review: Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue and Electric Pink

While we're on the subject of inks that have slipped under my radar, I need to mention Graf von Faber-Castell. The Pen Company recently sent a couple bottles of the GvFC ink over for testing, and I ended up running multiple fills through my pens without changing inks - something I've not done in a long time. Why these inks don't receive more attention is beyond me. They behave comparably to Pilot Iroshizuku and I like the colors better than the Pelikan Edelstein line. 

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The GvFC Cobalt Blue was tested in my Platinum 3776 Shungyo, with the GvFC Electric Pink tested in my Faber-Castell e-Motion Pure Black edition.  Both pens have medium nibs. 

Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue

Cobalt Blue serves as the "richer" blue ink in the Graf von Faber-Castell range. (There's another "Royal Blue" that looks lighter and a touch more muted, but I've not used it so I can't provide an exact comparison.) I enjoyed using the Cobalt Blue ink at work - it maintains most of its vibrancy as it dries, without looking washed-out like a lot of other blue inks. Absolutely no feathering or bleed-through on decent paper, with the sole exception being on cheap office copy stock that can barely handle a gel pen. 

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Graf von Faber-Castell Electric Pink

If you're one of those people who will use pink ink (and I'm proud to count myself among them), try the GvFC Electric Pink. I found it a touch more vibrant/saturated than Callifolio Adrinople, and this ink behaved surprisingly well on all papers. I sometimes have trouble with brighter colors such as pinks, oranges, and reds feathering and bleeding, but not this one. The Electric Pink actually handled the cheap copy paper better than the Cobalt Blue. 

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Note: I experienced no trouble cleaning either of these inks out of pens, and consider both of them "safe", under the general rule of thumb that most inks manufactured by pen companies can be safely used in all pens made by that company. Since GvFC makes some very expensive pens, I would further assume that you probably wouldn't run into trouble using GvFC inks in pens from other manufacturers, but I'd still express some caution before putting a bright pink or orange ink in a pen that could stain, such as one made from celluloid.   

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I do have to conclude by saying that I love the Graf von Faber-Castell ink bottle. It's reminiscent of Iroshizuku, plus a chrome cap. 

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I will certainly be acquiring more of these Graf von Faber-Castell inks in the future (and possibly the very near future). The Cobalt Blue is a solid everyday ink, and the Electric Pink might even become one of my preferred inks for annotation. Graf von Faber-Castell recently expanded their range of colors, introducing not only the Electric Pink pictured here, but "Burned Orange", Turquoise, and Stone Grey. The Burned Orange has made its way onto my list, as well as some of the older GvFC colors such as Moss Green and Garnet Red. At around $28 per bottle for a whopping 75ml (compared to 50ml for most inks), these inks offer pretty good value.

Many thanks to The Pen Company for sending these two bottles over for review! The Pen Company is a UK-based retailer that stocks the entire line of Graf von Faber-Castell ink, as well as many other brands such as Caran d'Ache, Diplomat, Lamy, Sailor, and Pelikan. Check out their website for more details. 

Disclaimer: The Pen Company provided these two inks to me free of charge for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links. 

Pen Review: Faber-Castell E-Motion

I've developed a thing for German pens, especially those with steel nibs that write as well as gold. It's a sign that the design and manufacturing teams value attention to detail and quality control. Over the past six months, the Otto Hutt Design 06 and the Pelikan M205 Transparent Blue have both made their way into my regular rotation. Now I need to pick up a fountain pen from Faber-Castell. 

Faber-Castell's international headquarters is located in Stein, Germany, while Faber-Castell USA is based in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of us in the States know the company for their pencils. Those of us who went to school in the 1980s-1990s might recall the ubiquitous Faber-Castell American pencils (of which I have a massive nostalgia stash). But Faber-Castell also manufactures a line of high-quality fountain pens, as well as a line of more expensive pens (read, $500+) marketed under the name Graf von Faber-Castell. The pen I'm going to review today is the e-motion, from the standard Faber-Castell line, which also includes pens such as the Ambition, the Basic, the Ondoro, and the Loom.   

Build/Construction

The Faber-Castell e-motion is not a small pen, but the tapered design makes it feel relatively compact and comfortable to use.

The e-motion has a unique chunky design that some people may resist at first, but it grows on you. Why? Because this pen is extremely comfortable to hold. The wide body and tapered ends allow the pen to sit in your hand quite comfortably. To me, the pen is a touch short to use unposted, though if you have smaller hands I could see how posting this pen might make it feel top-heavy.  

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The e-motion sports one of the best spring-loaded clips that I've used. 

This particular model of the e-motion features chrome trim and a white resin barrel with a guilloche/herringbone pattern etched into it. Other models of the e-motion combine the chrome trim with various woods, and there's even a blacked-out version for all you stealth pen fanatics.   

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Chrome cap with Faber-Castell branding

The Nib and Writing Experience

The broad nib on this pen is exceptional - there's really no other way to describe it. However, Faber-Castell's broads (or "bolds" as some people like to call them) are too wide for me. At one point I owned a Faber-Castell Ambition with a broad nib, but ended up passing that pen along to my friend Bob over at My Pen Needs Ink. These nibs are indeed quite broad and very wet, which aren't the best for my handwriting style. When I eventually add a Faber-Castell to my collection, I will need to go with a medium or a fine.

Faber-Castell steel nibs are made by either Bock or JoWo - I've heard conflicting reports. Either way, they are excellent writers. 

In terms of smoothness, though, this pen is unmatched, straight out of the box and unmodified. Ink flow, while heavy, has been consistent without any skips or hard starts. I'm often asked why people should be willing to spend the extra money and pay north of $100 for a pen with a steel nib. This is your answer. Every Faber-Castell pen I have tried has been tuned to near-perfection. This pen writes every bit as well as any gold nib I have used, and better than most. While you may spend more up front, you won't have to shell out for nib tuning later (unless, of course, you want to turn the pen into a stub, italic, etc.).   

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As you might expect, the Faber-Castell broad nib is, well, broad! 

A quick note on the ink I used for this review: Anderson pens sent me a bag of samples from the Bookbinders line. Bookbinders is yet another excellent Australian ink brand that has made its way into global retail. The ink featured in this review is the aptly named Eastern Brown Snake. I plan on using these inks more before I write a comprehensive review, but let's say I enjoyed this one!  

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A close-up of Bookbinder's Eastern Brown Snake 

Where to Buy

Thanks to the team at Anderson Pens for loaning me this pen to review. While this particular barrel pattern and color scheme doesn't really do it for me, fortunately Faber-Castell offers a wide variety of different looks, including the E-Motion "Pure Black" edition and Black Pearwood. Pricing on this pen ranges anywhere from $130 for the standard editions to $175 for the Pure Black. That Pure Black is calling my name! 

If you'd like to read further on this pen, check out Ian's review over at Pens! Paper! Pencils!, as well as Mary's review at From the Pen Cup.

Disclaimer: The pen featured in this review was provided to me free of charge by Anderson Pens (on loan) for review purposes.  

Pencils! Pick Five.

First of all, thank you to everyone who has participated so far in my giveaway here.  I'd like to remind all readers that a winner will not be chosen until Tuesday, so you have until 11:59 p.m. on Monday to enter. 

Second, for some reason pencils have been calling my name this past week or so.  I've still been using my fountain pens for certain things, but the giant cup of pencils that sits crammed-full on my desk has been bothering me for a while, urging me to sharpen them up and use them.  So I have.  I'm not a pencil purist, meaning that I don't use them exclusively by any means, but I do love me some graphite. 

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My pen and pencil cup runneth over.

Here are five of my current favorites:

1. Palomino "Classic" Eraser-tipped HB.  If I was stranded on a desert island and could have one writing implement, I would choose this pencil.  To me, it has the perfect combination of smoothness, darkness, and point retention.  If I had one criticism, it's that the ferrule and eraser tend to loosen up, and eventually fall off, as the pencil is used, but that could just be a bad batch.  Oh, and the cedar smells great when you sharpen this pencil.  Theoretically, I know there's not much difference between this and Palomino's Blackwing 602, but I just like this pencil.  A lot.  (As of October 1, 2016, It looks like the Palomino HB is out of stock. I've been unable to find a source of them anywhere. Hopefully they aren't being discontinued.)

2. Palomino Blackwing 602.  A close second.  The point retention in this pencil is second to none, but I sometimes wish it was just a hair darker (but not as dark/soft as the original Palomino Blackwing or the Blackwing Pearl).  The gunmetal finish on this pencil is gorgeous. 

3. Dixon Ticonderoga #2 HB (Chinese Version).  (Formerly) an American classic.  This is still a decent quality pencil, the lead is smooth and very dark, and you can't beat the price.  I docked this pencil some points because the QC is not what it used to be.  Several of the pencils in the 30 pack I purchased were warped.  Not to the point of being unusable, but still...when I spend $4.00 on a pack of 30, I want my money's worth.  Oh, wait.  In terms of smoothness and darkness, you can't really beat the combination of price and easy availability. (Don't order these online - Go to your nearest big-box store and pick up a pack that says "Made in China." The "Made in Mexico" versions aren't as good.)

4. Faber Castell American.  There are better pencils, but I love these because they were, to me, the classic yellow #2 that I used growing up.  I bought a half gross on Ebay for next to nothing, so I can use them freely.  These pencils aren't as dark as any of those listed above, which doesn't put them at the top of my list, but they are dark enough and the point retention is excellent.  They write more like a modern German HB pencil.  They are also made of real cedar and the lacquer and ferrule have a quality you don't see much anymore in a budget pencil, other than Musgrave.

5. Field Notes Pencil.  A great pencil in concept, but I've had some performance issues with the graphite core breaking as the pencil get's shorter.  If you don't use a long-point sharpener, the problem isn't as pronounced, but what's the fun in that?  Otherwise, the unfinished raw cedar smells amazing, the graphite is acceptably smooth and dark, and the green eraser is offbeat enough to be interesting and works well.  I really want to like this pencil, but I'm going to use a few more before I make a bigger purchase.

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From left:  Field Notes Pencil, Palomino Blackwing 602 (with replacement pink eraser), Classic Palomino HB, Dixon Ticonderoga, vintage Faber Castell American.

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This is a pretty accurate depiction of the darkness of the lead.  In terms of darkness alone, I would rank them:  (1) Chinese Ticonderoga; (2) Palomino Blackwing 602; (3) Palomino HB; (4) Field Notes; (5) Faber Castell American.  In terms of smoothness, the rankings would be similar, thought the Palomino pencils would both trump the Chinese Ticonderoga, with the Blackwing 602 taking the prize.

By far, these are not the only pencils I use, simply those that I have been using recently.  I'll be trying to get more woodcase pencil reviews up, since I know there's demand out there for more pencil-related content.