Slim

Jumbo pens were made, we are told, to ease the pen grip, especially for older people with problems in their joints. And those are certainly comfortable pens—provided their weights were not excessive, which can easily be the case when their ink capacity might be in the tens of milliliters. Any pen user knows that thin pens are uncomfortable to use for long writing periods. And this fact probably explains the very limited numbers of very thin pens in the market.

A posted Chalana, from 2009. The diameter in the barrel is just 6.5 mm. The total length, posted, is 137 mm.

The Sailor Chalana, in the market since 1980, is nowadays the obvious reference in this niche. It is a very attractive pen with a feeling of luxury and sophistication. Its 18 K gold nib certainly contributes to it. However, inside it is a cartridge/converter pen with a very limited ink capacity (about 0.2 ml fit in the converter).

The Chalana, disassembled. The feed is very long compared to the nib.

This Flaminaire pen sold, at least, in Spain —and possibly made by Waterman— is certainly thin. It is a cartridge/converter pen with a very smooth steel nib. A well constructed pen.

An ad of Flaminaire pens and lighters from 1981 in Spain. My thanks to Grafopasión member Claudio.

The diameter of this Flaminaire pen is 6.5 mm on the barrel.

I found these pens in Japan, but I cannot say anything about their origin.

A lot more unusual is this non-marked eyedropper pen. Little can be said about it since the only sign on the pen is that on the nib revealing nothing. But this is an interesting pen—well made, with a smooth semi-flex steel nib, and eyedropper. Its main problem is to fill such a narrow and dark barrel. The ink capacity is quite generous —about 1.0 ml— given its size.

The sign on the nib is partially hidden. The first line reads "SPECIA(L)". The second starts with "MAGN".

This pen is a simple eyedropper. It is a good writer whose only problem being too thin for a comfortable grip.

These are its dimensions:
Diameter: 8 mm (cap).
Length capped: 113 mm.
Length uncapped: 99 mm.
Length posted: 128 mm.
Total weight: 4.2 g (empty).
Weight uncapped: 2.2 g (empty).
Ink deposit: 1.0 ml.

My thanks to Mr. Alberto Linares and Kinno-san.

Navy Gold 200 – Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue

Bruno Taut
July 12, 2011
[labels: Sailor, Flaminaire, marca desconocida]