Faber Castell e-Motion Stained Pear Wood Fountain Pen Review | Artist Line Work Using Fountain Pens
Faber Castell e-Motion Stained Pear Wood Fountain Pen Review | Artist Line Work Using Fountain Pens
This is a new product for me to be reviewing here on The Art Gear Guide, I have always loved fountain pens but never actually owned, what I would consider, a luxuriously sophisticated fountain pen. Some people love watches and are more than happy to pay thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands for a beautiful time piece; others love pens and again are quite happy to pay hundreds or thousands on a fountain pen that feels as though it was made for them.
There is no doubt that a fountain pen costing £80 and up in my opinion is classified as a luxury item. Why would anyone spend such an amount of money on a fountain pen when a £1 Bic Biro would do the same job? Well the same question could be asked of a $40,000 watch which can only tell the time as well as the $10 watch on the wrist of the person beside them. It is all a matter of personal satisfaction, treating one to a little bit of luxury. In this review we will be looking at the fountain pen, not only as a writing instrument, but also as an artists drawing instrument.
Faber Castell E-Motion Stained Pear Wood Fountain Pen Characteristics.
The Faber Castell E-Motion Stained Pear Wood Fountain Pen, as with so many Faber Castell products, is delivered in a classically simplistic, yet delectably eloquent packaging. The materials are made from a smooth yet rugged cardboard, ensuring complete safe passage of product, from vendor to writer or artist.
The outer sleeve sports a freshly sophisticated white aesthetic with an illustration of a suspension bridge, an image not out of place from the Industrial Revolution. The image whilst simplistic, illustrates the strength of craftsmanship a company like Faber Castell delivers. On the end of the internal packaging, there is a small tan leather tag, ensuring easy access to the product, ensuring that one is not wrestling with any cheap plastic, requiring a John J Rambo knife to hack it open.
The removal of the internal package is a smooth and effortless action, presenting to you the final resting place of your new fountain pen. This perch is quintessentially Faber Castell, a polar white external box all over with a subtle silver leaf print, depicting the Faber Castell logo, name and date of establishment. One final draw of the tan leather tag presents to you, on this occasion, the Faber Castell E-Motion, Stained Pear Wood, Fountain Pen, neatly wrapped in a clear plastic bag to prevent finger marks should the item have been resting in a display case prior to your delivery. There is also a small booklet with information pertaining to the product, but this is information you can also obtain from the Faber Castell website.
You are immediately in awe of the gorgeous wood grain from the stained pear wood barrel, accompanied with the gorgeous contrast between the dark wood grain and polished chrome finish on either end of the pen barrel. The pen lid is coated in a gorgeous polished chrome finish with the Faber Castell name and logo eloquently engraved into the metal.
There is a polished chrome label clasp on the pen lid which is easy to open, however the action is very strong, ensuring that once attached to the inside pocket of a blazer or lanyard, the pen is going know where. There is no chance that you are accidentally going to lose this beautiful pen as a result of the lapel clasp weakening. To remove the lid you must unscrew it, I personally really like this as it not only ensures a nice tight fit ensuring non of your ink will dry up and cause issues, but over time I fear clip on lids become lose and have a rabbit of falling off, no chance with this.
The threads are cut into the same polished chrome metal the lid and nib housing is made from, again, ensuring longevity above and over a plastic thread system for the pen lid to screw onto. Once the lid is screwed tight to the beautiful wood barrel, the aesthetic is seamless.
On removing the lid you are presented with the jewel of the fountain pen and that is of course the pen nib. There are so many fountain pen nibs and it is the nib from the fountain pen with its flexibility that you get a varying line width. In all honesty, you are more inclined to find a beautifully flexible fountain pen nib in a more vintage second hand pen. Unless you purchased a specific nib, the newer fountain pen nibs don’t tend to deliver as flexible a line width.
With the Faber Castell E-Motion range of fountain pens, when purchasing your pen, you are given the option of nib width. As you can perhaps see in the image, my nib has engraved on it EF for, Extra Fine; I personally prefer a thin and detailed line and my writing tends to be quite small also. However you can chose Broad, Medium, Fine and Extra Fine, on the Faber Castell website you can see a small example of the writing ability each nib size will deliver.
On the base of the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen, there is also a polished chrome base adding protection to the pear wood barrel. I know this is going to sound a bit of a silly thing to say, but if you really think about how we use pens, especially if you are a writer or just someone who uses a pen for the majority of your day, even in this digital age, pens take quite a bit of abuse. Even think back to when you were at High School or University, I personally dropped my pen constantly, I would tap with it when frustrated, become the AC DC Drummer using my pen and so having a little bit of protection at both ends of any pen is normally a good idea.
The weight of the pen for me is perfect, however this is very much a personal dilemma, some writers prefer their pens to be incredibly lightweight, almost as if the pen was no longer in the hand, others such as myself prefer a slightly more weighty pen. I hope this next statement does not come across as offensive as this is never my intention to offend anyone at all, but I think the weight of the pen may be more suited to males, perhaps a little bit more masculine. And please believe me when I apologise to anyone I may have offended with this description, it is very difficult for a man of my age and previous occupation, to navigate what may be considered offensive to anyone; the very last thing on earth I would every want to do. All of that being said, when I showed the pen to my eldest daughter, who is so incredibly petite, she loved the weight and feel of the pen in her tiny wee hands.
The Faber Castell e-motion fountain pens widest point is where the lid of the pen meets the barrel, sporting a girth of 14.6mm. This section of the pen whilst the widest point is decorated all the way round the polished chrome with small engraved marks, almost appearing crystal like when light glints of the markings.
The overall length of the pen, with the lid firmly on, is 140mm; with the lid completely removed and so therefore from tip of the nib to the bottom of the barrel the overall length is 116.7mm. The lid can be posted on the rear of the pen neatly and sits perfectly, the overall dimensions of the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen in this state is 160mm. I know pen dimensions may not be important to some people, but to others, the dimensions are incredibly important and one thing running The Art Gear Guide has taught me, listening to you guys has taught me to cater for all peoples needs. I have learnt quite a few valuable lessons from you guys over the years running the website and YouTube channel, being more understanding, developing inclusivity and foresight has been so important to my everyday life just as much as reviewing art products.
When the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen arrives, inside the box there is a disposable ink cartridge as well as a converter. With the disposable cartridge, they are a lot less messy in most cases, you apply the already ink filled cartridge to the pen neck and replace the barrel. The converter however provides you with a lot more choice when it comes to selecting ink.
I demonstrate the converter in my YouTube video in case you have never used one, but essentially, it is a clear plastic tube with a twist plunger. Ensuring the twist plunger is fully closed, you dip the converter into your preferred ink and slowly twist the plunger which will draw the ink into the converter. Once the converter is full you place it into the neck of the fountain pen, replace the barrel and almost immediately the ink flows. There is another, arguably less messy way to fill the converter which I demonstrate on my YouTube video review if you would like to know.
Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen Performance
From the very beginning of my art journey, approximately six to seven years ago, I’ve watched and studied many forms of art and the products used. I first started drawing Manga and Anime characters which normally required the artist to accomplish good line work, which at the time was ordinarily performed using fine liners. Many artists used fine liners such as COPIC Multiliners, Pigma Micron etc as they offered a range of varying line widths but perhaps most importantly the ink used was archival and waterproof. The ink needs to be waterproof so that when wet markers are brushed over the line work, the ink doesn’t smudge and muddy the vibrant colors.
Artist - Alex Hillkurtz
However, after watching a lot of urban watercolor sketch artists or watercolor artists, especially Alex Hillkurtz, a wonderful watercolor artist, who delivers the romantic cafe scenes from the busy streets of Paris, France. It was via this artists work that I discovered the variation a beautiful fountain pen could deliver and with the use of professional artists waterproof ink, there was no issues of ink smudging and moving once paint was applied on top of line work.
So in the interest of diversity, I am reviewing this Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen as both a writing and artists instrument. To best see how the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen performs, you should check out my YouTube video review, where the pen is demonstrated in both capacity.
Over the years I have been fortunate in that my wife and kids have purchased for me genuine Italian Leather journals, with the most gorgeous acid free archival paper and it is in these beautiful journals that I will be demonstrating the flow and coverage the Faber Castell Fountain Pen provides. I have also provided some images of not very neat handwriting using the pen. If you would like to know more about the Italian journals and where I get them from, please let me know in the comment section.
The nib of any fountain pen is where the magic really happens, especially in an artists sense. When a little bit of pressure is applied to the pen during writing or drawing, the nib parts in the middle slightly and this allows more ink to flow in a really interesting way. As I mentioned earlier, the nib I chose was the extra fine nib, primarily because I love the detailed work I can achieve with it and my hand writing is normally quite small. Due to this nib being extra fine, there is very little flexibility on the nib when pressure is applied, you tend to find the broader nibs are slightly more flexible. A lot of the newer fountain pens being produced are lacking this flexibility, so if this is something you really require, secondhand vintage fountain pens offer a huge range of flexibility; for me personally, I love the scrawly haphazard lines I can achieve with the extra fine nib.
The nib in the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen is made from stainless steal, but as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, when you look at the more expensive fountain pens, their nibs are made from, Gold or platinum, both these materials are going to provide a much richer writing experience. Obviously as well as a much richer writing experience, there is going to come a much richer price, this is when you need to ask yourself how important is it to you that a fountain pen nib is made from steel or gold?
In the case of using the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen for line work in my watercolor painting, as well as the nib flexibility delivering more or less ink, if you are using an excellent quality rough watercolor paper like St Cuthberts Mill Saunders Waterford, the fountain pen nib bounces across the rough cotton texture leaving a gorgeously unique series of line work, allowing the artist to achieve real character.
I used the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen to aid my Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit watercolor painting and I personally think the erratic nature the fountain pen nib lends to the painting makes it all the more interesting. There are of course many other forms of art that a fountain pen such as the Faber Castell e-Motion can be used for, however I am only using this genre of art for demonstration purpose.
It is important to note that if buying a fountain pen in order to add character to your art is on the menu, ensuring you are using the right ink is vital. There are so many inks out there and you need to make sure you select the right ink for the job at hand. In the case of watercolor sketching or painting, using a waterproof ink is essential.
I purchased an American brand ink which has an absolutely wonderful reputation among other artists. Noodlers sell so many different types of ink and colors, the ink I use is Noodlers Black Ink, although waterproof on paper and unmovable when water is applied on top, the ink can be removed from plastic with just warm water. This is important because fountain pens do require a little bit of maintenance from time to time. If you would like me to create a review of fountain pen anatomy, the correct names for each section, how to maintain them etc, leave in the comment section and I will upload one.
Faber Castell e-Motion Stained Pear Wood Fountain Pen
I always try my very best in my reviews to never give my opinion on how much a product costs. I try to deliver the information I have gathered about the product along with artwork to help you as a viewer make an informed decision on said product, whether or not it is right for you. With regards to price, this is such a personal matter, everyones financial situation is different, what is affordable to me may not be affordable to another. What may take me a few months to save up for, may be the equivalent to a lunch date.
Talking about fountain pens, as I mentioned earlier in the review, is quite a similar experience to those who relish beautiful time pieces, a beautiful fountain pen can be as much an accessory of fashion as it is a precision tool to a writer or artist. The fact that I own this pen also explains how art can grip hold of you and pull you into the deepest darkest hole, only for us artists, the hole is incredibly colourful.
When my eldest daughter started GCSE Art at school, well before I became involved in art, the thought of spending £5 on a tin of 24 colored pencils, almost made my head spin. Now that I have fully immersed myself in the world of art, spending £400 on a set of 100 Caran d’Ache Luminance or Derwent Lightfast colored pencils, still makes me come out in a cold sweat, but doesn’t bother me the way a £5 tin of pencils did before I became involved in art.
I have heard from those in fountain pen societies, that once you purchase your first semi-luxurious fountain pen, a pen in the £50 to £120 range, you can become addicted and travel dodgy path, so should you like my review and wish to try your hand at buying a fountain pen for yourself, please be aware. Whilst I am not yet fully addicted, I am always looking at fountain pens online, if I had the money I am sure I would have already purchased one or two more fountain pens, for the grace of the Art Gods, I don’t have that money and so must sit on the sidelines drooling over the Faber Castell online pen list, even to the extent I look at new inks.
The Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen comes in a few different colors or should I say wood effects, the model I own is the Stained Pear Wood Brown, there is a gorgeous red brown color, a black and a darker brown than my model. There are also resin models sporting different colors and effects, to see the range it easier to search the term online.
The Faber Castell e-Motion Stained Pearwood Fountain Pen that is on display in this review will cost you the following. Here in the UK, you could expect to pay approximately £73.95 and for artists in the US, you can expect to pay approximately $112 for the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen.
Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen Conclusion.
Given this is the first fountain pen I have reviewed here on The Art Gear Guide, if there is anything I have missed that you would like me to include in any future reviews, please leave your suggestions in the comment section below.
I know that not everyone likes fountain pens, regardless if they are writing with them or using them for their artistic endeavours, but there is a large swath of the population that just loves their uniqueness. I think for some people, myself included, there is a romantic connection to fountain pens, when we think of the literary greats such as Shakespeare, James Joyce, F Scott Fitzgerald, Tolstoy etc, writing with fountain pens or quills.
This was my first luxury fountain pen and whilst I have had and used fountain pens, I have never owned such an expensive pen. I therefore don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to comparing fountain pens, but I hope over time my fountain pen reviews will become a lot more comprehensive. That being said, I love using the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen, the overall dimensions and weight feel perfect in the hand when both writing and drawing. You can purchase replacement nibs, which is something I might consider, testing the broad nib to see if it’s flexibility between the slit is better.
For me and the style of art I use the Faber Castell e-Motion Fountain Pen for, it is perfect, if however you would prefer a fountain pen with a bit more flexibility in the nib, I wouldn’t suggest the extra fine nib. Of Course the plan is to bring a lot more reviews to you an display the difference between a slightly more ridged fountain pen nib over a more flexible nib. Don’t forget to check out my YouTube video review of the pen and if you are interested in knowing how to paint the Peter Rabbit painting I added, I will be adding a real time tutorial to my Patreon account. For as little as $2 a month. You can follow along with my drawings, marker and colored pencil art, pastel art, watercolor art, colored pencil art and graphite art; signing up for the Peter Rabbit tutorial will also provide you access to many other tutorials.
