Faber Castell E-Motion Fountain Pen Review

Faber-Castell E-Motion Pure Black Fountain Pen

The e-motion has long been one of the most popular Faber-Castell lines available.  It has mainly been built with a wood or precious resin body and metal front section, cap and rear section.  Faber-Castell’s latest iteration is a whole metal affair – the Pure Black edition.  This is a modern looking, minimalist designed writing instrument. The body is made of an anodized aluminum with a guilloche pattern engraved on it, which offers a tactile feel and grip without being too rough.  The front section, cap and end piece are chrome plated and then finished in matte black.  The fountain pen’s nib is stainless steel coated in PVD, and is available in Fine, Medium or Broad. Faber-Castell also offers this line in Rollerball, Ballpoint or Mechanical Pencil.  The fountain pen uses international size cartridges and a converter is included.

 While a bit shorter than most other pens, the tapered cylindrical shape allows the e-motion to fill the hand.  The all metal construction leads to a weighty pen – 1.9 oz as measured on our postal scale.  The cap is .7 oz and the body is 1.2 oz.  While somewhat shorter in stature than most pens, the Pure Black does not feel inconsequential. Posted, the length is just right and I found the shorter body and heavy cap to create an overall well balanced writing experience – the combination of the smoothness of the nib and the weight of the pen made writing with the e-motion very enjoyable.  I like the feel of the guilloche pattern on the body, and the front section is of a good diameter as well.  The nib is removable, making cleaning a breeze.  If I had to choose one issue, it would be that the guilloche pattern traps dust and lint very easily, and the black color makes this easy to see.  However, a quick wipe with a cloth and it goes back to looking brand new.  Something that I really like about the finish on this piece is that it will not readily show fingerprints, unlike chrome plated pens.

 The Faber-Castell e-motion Pure Black fountain pen is by far one of my favorites – It is understated, yet catches your eye; it is shorter, yet has a surprisingly nice weight; it is easy to clean, easy to write with, and should be on everyone’s must-try list.

- Joe (Pen Boutique Limited, 5560 Sterrett Place, Columbia, MD 21044)