Asvine Duke Charlie Chaplin Fountain Pen Fine Nib, Unique Design Collection Black Heavy Pen with Pouch

Review: Duke “Charlie Chaplain” Fountain PenFor those of you who are unfamiliar with Duke, they are a fountain pen company who make inexpensive pens which write and feel like typically more expensive pens. In that respect, this “Charlie Chaplain” edition is no different.First, this is a heavy, all brass-bodied pen. From the moment you pick it up, there’s a feeling of having something of real quality in your hands. There’s just something about “heft” and the inherent connotation of substance. Being of medium length, this places more of the weight into a smaller area as well, adding to the effect. The glossy black lacquer finish is a real thing of beauty.The body creates four distinct curves in profile, resembling the quirky suits worn by “The Little Tramp” himself. The upper finial, cap and barrel each striking a concave pose, while the cap band stands out in a concave appearance. Likewise, the finial ends are each deeply concave, giving this pen a very unique appearance.The cap band is silver with a brushed finish, again setting it apart from the body. It includes a “Duke” script emblazoned on the front and designs commemorating its namesake, including bow ties bordering the top and bottom and two shoes bookending a bowler hat and cane. Overall the Champlain is of medium length.Removing the pull-cap reveals a small iridium nib and iridium trim at both ends of a slightly concave, shiny, medium-sized grip section. The nib itself has the “Duke” lettering under the Duke crown and rays running out to a filigree border, giving the business end of the pen a very attractive look.Unscrewing the barrel from the section reveals the nicest universal converter I’ve seen yet. Shiny silver iridium metal parts and an internal spring agitator really add to the overall experience of working with a fine writing instrument here. It’s attention to detail like this in places where casual viewers will never see that makes the ownership experience so special for Duke owners.The nib is extremely smooth on paper, provides little line variation and decent reverse writing capability. Line width is more Medium than the advertised Fine, but I prefer that. Flow was good and reliable. As mentioned, the body is of medium length, and that makes it just a touch short for my hands to write with. Likewise, the small nib and short-medium grip section make the section-paper dimension just a touch short for me, forcing me to hold the pen at the trim dividing the section from the barrel. This is going to vary for each writer and most other reviewers haven’t mentioned any issues. The pen can be safely and securely posted, but the cap is quite heavy and could cause the pen to be unbalanced for some. Myself, I prefer to write unposted anyway.Final thoughts on this pen, and I come away with a real appreciation for the quality and attention to detail put forth here by Duke. Other than my personal inconvenience with the length, there’s nothing bad to say about this pen. For the money, it will make a deserving addition to any collection.

I love this pen! It suits my hand well for drawing. I purchased the option with the fude nib that enables me to get a variety of line width with a single nib. The great thing about a fude nib is its reliability in producing the line you want regardless of pressure. For urban sketching it’s great because on unstable work surfaces, like your propped up knee, the need to control nib pressure is less than a flex nib or brush tip. The feed is wet which is great for reverse writing. When doing that the nib is an extra ef which is great when searching for guide lines. I love the shape of the pen. Even though it’s a nod to Charlie Chaplin, the shape is very functional. The barrel is the perfect width for my medium-large men’s hand and tapers to a point that feels like a natural extension of the pen. The step downs on the barrel is rounded and is well placed. The metal pen body is well built with a nice smooth hard paint finish and has a solid click when capping.I can’t recommend this pen more for fun drawing.Cons: SUPER HEAVY CAP. I don’t post the pen. With it posted it is back weighted but surprisingly balanced. It would still be too heavy for me to use, but unposted it’s a dream. Carrying it in a pocket is comical. It’s in my backpack and with its unique shape easy to find.

I ordered this mainly because of its shape and weight. I recently have been using a heavy steel promotional ball point pen I found in a drawer, and liked it. All my other fountain pens have come to seem to way too small and lightweight in hand.This pen certainly solves those problems! In fact, its weight is taking some getting used to, but I like it. The beefy but ergonomic shape is also very pleasant to hold. I am using some lovely (expensive) Shin-Ryoku ink in it, and it writes like a dream, smooth, even, deft, without any issues. I find the nib's line just a tad too thick, but I can live with it.The only cons: for what should be a possible gift item (not in my case), it arrives in a plastic bag with a crappy, too tight faux-velvet nylon sleeve you can put it in. Design wise, it oddly has a mixture of chrome-like polished silver bits, and brushed silver bits - the shiny parts look kind of cheap. It's a Chaplin pen, but only says "Duke." I get that's the brand, but it's also another major movie star, and anyone would be hard pressed to get the Chaplin connection from the tiny embossed shoes and hat on the cap - but I only bought it for the size and shape. Lastly, the ink adapter rattles in the barrel. The knob simply isn't fitted, so it its shakes around. Drew ink fine, but even the tape I applied hasn't stopped the rattling.

I have always liked fountain pens, but had only used the less expensive ones with the cartridge. These had a tendency to dry out fast and skip from time to time while writing. This Charlie Chaplin Fountain Pen though has changed all of that for me. This pen, even though inexpensive, feels like an expensive pen. It has an excellent weight, beautiful finish, a great shape to fit your hand and a refillable tank. The nib feels very smooth and does not skip at all. I am using a quality Waterman ink as a reference. The cap and base fit together with a reassuring click on both the nib and the base end. I have recommended this pen to several friends already and use mine everyday for work. A real pleasure to write with.