Nahvalur/Narwahl Nautilus Review

[dneal]

I was introduced to Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea like many boys - through Disney. I watched the movie whenever it was on TV, and even went on the ride as a kid at the Magic Kingdom / Disneyworld. I read the book twice.

I don't keep up with new pens and whatnot anymore, but when the TWSBI/Narwhal fight was in pen forum news; I checked out their pens. Wow, they have a Nautilus, with portholes for an ink window? Just the name conjured images of James Mason and Kirk Douglas on Captain Nemo's submarine, and a little boy peering out of a porthole at Disneyworld, bubbles rising to create the illusion of descending into the depths, looking at divers with brass helmets and hoping to see a giant squid. It was enticing, but *sigh* I didn't need another pen, and figured it was probably going to be a box of Chinese disappointment my fond memories shouldn't endure.

I forgot all about it until 12 days ago, when stevekolt started a thread about it

I found myself back on their site, looking at it again. The Bronze Corydoras and its Victorian/Steampunk/Captain Nemo's organ vibe was too much. stevekolt mentioned that version specifically too. TSherbs said he was jonesin for one. If they only knew...

I ordered it on a Thursday, and got it the following Monday. Here's the review. I'd be interested in stevekolt's take as well.

The Pen

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It's substantial, in both size and heft; but not overly large or heavy. The cap is where most of the weight seems to reside, and there's a bronzed bit of metal for a finial. The clip is sturdy and springy, and not cheap feeling. In hand, you can feel the weight bias slightly toward the piston mechanism, which is metal. It sits comfortably. It feels right. The lightweight of ebonite and added weight of the metal works to create a nice balance. The ebonite is warm, smooth, and nicely polished. Did I mention it has portholes! The only complaint is that I thought the clip was hammered, which in the pics looked cool. It isn't, and has a faux patina, which still looks nice. The execution of the porthole rings isn't perfect, but you really have to look closely and it's not so obvious that I can't live with it. The piston is very smooth, and it holds a lot of ink.

The company's name changed, but the cap ring still says "Narwhal". I like the wave and bubble design, and it fits with the theme.

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Here it is compared to a Lamy Safari and Montblanc 146. It's not a small pen.

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The Nib

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Made in house, blah, blah, blah. I ain't buyin' it. It's a massed produced nib that looks curiously similar to other Chinese pens. Those O-rings in particular look familiar. Bock and Jowo don't do that, as far as I know. I'd guess Moonman, or whoever makes their nibs. If China can assemble millions of i-devices every year, nibs shouldn't be too difficult. I like the imprints, although they're a little shallow compared to other makers.

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But it's a really good nib. The first thing I did is check alignment and the gap. It was perfect. Maybe I got lucky, but it is exactly how I would have adjusted it. I got a fine, and it's somewhere between a German and Japanese "F". I like it. Smooth, but a hint of feedback depending on the paper. No real springiness or line variation, but that's ok with me. It's very precise in the ink delivery, and very usable.

I disassembled and cleaned it, 'cause that's what I do...; but I suspect a quick flush should be fine or even inking straightaway.

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