Faber Castell Basic

[titrisol]

I had been looking for a good carbon fiber pen for a while, and at the same time I have always adored Faber Castell pencils, pens and colored pencils. I saw this pen in a local shop and loved it, and finally found one I could afford.

First impressions:
The pen comes in a nice little green box that folds flat, very understated.
The pen inside is in a small plastic pouch so that there are no scratches
There was no converter included ... sigh but it should accept any international converter (so I thought)


Appearance and Design:
The carbon fiber shimmers and shines through a nice clear coat. I loved the way light danced on the pen.
The cap is kinda awkward, a lot thicker than the pen itself, and made of rubber/plastic that is matte.
The grip section is also plastic, straight edged sylinder with ribs and has a nice hold to it.
The nib is stainless, has no breather hole and it has a nice pattern to it. I believe is the same as the higher end Faber pens, like the Ondoro or the Ambition.




Construction and Quality:
This pen is heavy, the barrel is metal covered in carbon fiber, and then a clear coat (lacquer); however the art than joins both sections is a clear plastic resin, and I have read is prone to crack.
The cap clicks in/out of place nicely, and posts very well and tight (We'll see in a year or so) The clip seems solid, but it may deform if overextended.
I bought this pen to use every day, and it feels like it will remain solid and good looking.


Weight and dimensions:
This pen is hefty! Never had a pen this heavy!
I grew up writing with parker 45s and Lamy 2,000 and this one is a real heavy weight.
It is also a thick pen, I have to modify my grip for it, however it feels comfortable.
I was pleasantly surprised that once in my hand it had a very good balance; I expected it to be top heavy but it handles well, even when posted. I tend to be heavy handed and the balance helps the pen glide.
The pen itself is not too long, however with the cap it looks weirdly long.

Nib and Performance:
This nib is nice. I loaded a cartridge of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Green that I wanted to try and within a few minutes I was in business.
The F nib is a bit wider than I expected, but it feels good, has barely no feedback and glides over the paper, it leaves a nicely wet line behind it.
Upside down it writes well as well, more like and EF.



Ink System:
Even though it uses international cartridges, there is no converter included with the pen.
The pen unscrews in the middle like most C/C pens, and the cartridge goes in easily.
I had a few generic chinese converters laying around and they fit great on the nib side, however the barrel has a spring or something at the end and only converters shorter than 65mm fit in the barrel.
Luckily one of the many converters I had fits. Otherwise get a monteverde mini or a kaweco.

Cost and Value:
From Faber-Castell directly, this pen is $40+shipping; I found it for $35. Great value for the money considering that the nib is the same as the high-end pens from FC.

Conclusion:
This pen is great! I was surprised that it had the same nib as the more expensive ones.
There are a few minor cons, like the length when posted, the cap feels bleh being the weakest part of this design and the lack of included converter. Other than that is a great pen and a fantastic bang for the buck!

[datainadequate]

The nib is stainless, has no breather hole and it has a nice pattern to it. I believe is the same as the higher end Faber pens, like the Ondoro or the Ambition.

I have seen this stated before. However I have a Loom and an Ondoro, both with F nibs, and while they look identical, they do not feel the same (the Ondoro is nicer). Maybe that's just manufacturing variation to be expected, but I'd be interested if you could compare your pen against a higher-end model too.

I had a few generic chinese converters laying around and they fit great on the nib side, however the barrel has a spring or something at the end and only converters shorter than 65mm fit in the barrel. Luckily one of the many converters I had fits. Otherwise get a monteverde mini or a kaweco.

It almost sounds like Faber-Castell are trying to prevent the use of a convertor with this pen. I guess it differentiates it from the slightly more expensive Loom, but it is a real shame that a full-size convertor won't work

John

[Lady Onogaro]

It's a very nice-looking pen. I wish the Loom's section was in plastic (like this pen) rather than metal. I find metal sections very slippery. Do you find the section of this pen comfortable?

[titrisol]

SO far it is comfortable, I have been carrying the pen every day for a couple of weeks and no complains from my part.

I love FC and fountain pens, but my price tolerance is quite low, the next FC pen I like is in the $500 range which is way out of my budget.

[titrisol]

Thanks, I have updated the review with your clarifications. I think these are Chinese made pens

Now, the converter its interesting, I had a few chinese generics (Schmidt clones) and there are some variations. The length seems to be the critical one, and I found a 64mm converter that fit well in the pen; while a 67mm didn't (too long). So I guess any mini converter will do
FC has a converter for this pen, which they sell for less than $10 I was surprised they didn't include it with the pen, but this (I think) is to keep the cost down.

I have seen this stated before. However I have a Loom and an Ondoro, both with F nibs, and while they look identical, they do not feel the same (the Ondoro is nicer). Maybe that's just manufacturing variation to be expected, but I'd be interested if you could compare your pen against a higher-end model too.

I had a few generic chinese converters laying around and they fit great on the nib side, however the barrel has a spring or something at the end and only converters shorter than 65mm fit in the barrel. Luckily one of the many converters I had fits. Otherwise get a monteverde mini or a kaweco.

It almost sounds like Faber-Castell are trying to prevent the use of a convertor with this pen. I guess it differentiates it from the slightly more expensive Loom, but it is a real shame that a full-size convertor won't work

John

[jacksterp]

Nicely done review!

Looks like this pen would be an excellent choice as an EDC pen.

[dam]

Thanks for the review. I have this model in grey with a black cap, as well as the Loom. I find I don't use the Basic as often because of its weight. It is very back heavy and I find it awkward.

I did end up putting a converter in, but have since taken it out and have resorted to refilling carts. The grooves in the rubberized section will retain some ink and you will get some on your fingers. It's a bit of a hassle.

I agree, the nib is smooth and it is a well constucted pen. However, I prefer the Loom: lighter, shorter, converter friendly section, same nib.

[titrisol]

Nicely done review!

Looks like this pen would be an excellent choice as an EDC pen.

I think so, you can test drive them at Askew Taylor in Glenwood Ave, they have a couple in there

[Armstrong]

Neither a long international cartridge or two shorts will fit in the pen then. Correct?

[titrisol]

I havent tried the long one, but 2 short ones works fine (butt-to-butt if it makes sense)

[Armstrong]

Ok thanks. I like the look and the section on this pen.

[Bogon07]

I havent tried the long one, but 2 short ones works fine (butt-to-butt if it makes sense)

Mine came in a grey fold down box with the short ink cartridge and the dummy spacer one inside. I was somewhat disappointed it did not come with a converter.
Yes the weight of the barrel is surprisingly heavy and you definitely don't want to post the cap.
The B nib is nice to write with.

The carbon fiber shimmers and shines through a nice clear coat. I loved the way light danced on the pen.

Looks great.

[frmamede]

Great review! I have one too, and really like the nib! My one came with an original FC converter! Don't know if it came like this from the factory, or the seller added it for convenience. I'm noticing, though, that the spring in the back of the body of the pen is scratching the FC logo off of the converter...

I did end up putting a converter in, but have since taken it out and have resorted to refilling carts. The grooves in the rubberized section will retain some ink and you will get some on your fingers. It's a bit of a hassle.

dam, I had this problem too. Solved it by not diping the pen in the ink bottle. Just fill the converter directly from the bottle, and then stick it in the pen!

[mhphoto]

Great review.

I've had two of the carbon fiber models, and they were great until they both broke because the weak plastic in the section couldn't take the stress of repeatedly pulling the cap on and off.

[titrisol]

This pen is mostly seeing the inside of a drawer now, I had it in my pen rotation for a while
but I get a lot more bang from the other pens I'm using.

[titrisol]

PS 6 years later
After 6 years, I got the pen back in rotation, i got a bunch of international cartridges and wanted to try a few colors
The nib is nice, and works fine.
The rubber cap has degraded, it has become sticky and seems scratched

[carlos.q]

Thank you for the update