Thanks to a dear friend, I recently came into possession of a Muji Fountain Pen. For those who are unfamiliar, Muji is a home goods and clothing company from Japan that focuses on simple, utilitarian items that are beautiful and totally functional. The fountain pen is brushed aluminum with a diamond grid texture embossed in the grip area. The brushed exterior is the exact same color and texture as the casing of my MacBook Pro, just so you know.
The cap snaps on rather than a threaded screw cap and can be posted on the end of the pen. Capped, the pen measures 5.5″ and 5″ unposted. If the cap is posted on the end, the pen is a lengthy 6.5″ long making it long enough for even the largest hands. The overall width of the pen is about 3/8″ which is just a tiny bit thinner than a standard Sharpie marker.
The pen weighs just 20 gms which is comparable to the Pilot Prera at 17 gms and the Kaweco Sport which weigh just 15 gms. The only other metal casing pen in my arsenal is the Lamy Studio which weighs in at 27 gms.
The nib is iridium point and seems to be about a medium nib though it is not marked. I find that it behaves like a very fine stub adding a lot of character to my handwriting. Its has a little bit of friction when writing so its not quite as smooth and buttery on paper as the Kaweco pens but I don’t mind it. It will probably wear down over time.
The Muji FP takes standard European cartridges but there appears to be enough room in the body for a standard converter though I have not tried it yet. I used a Kaweco stock blue cartridge which worked well with the pen.
For the price of $15.50, there really isn’t any reason not to invest in one of the Muji fountain pens if you like the looks of it. I think it would make a great starter fountain pen for designers, architects and engineers. Its currently sold out on the Muji website but if you live in an area with a Muji shop, it would be worth the trip to pick one up or find a kind friend to pick one up for you! (Thanks to Cecelia for picking this one up for me!)
UPDATE: Stationery Art also stocks the Muji Fountain Pen. They are currently listing their price at $16.99.
it is always sold out on the website… you have to catch it when it s in for the brief 3 days its in stock 🙂
Thanks for the review! For less than a dollar difference between Muji MSRP + S/H, the item can be found on the big E. No need to wait for the impatient 🙂
Whoa! $15.50! That’s awesome. Nice looking fountain pen too. Looks like it would make a nice gift too (for introducing someone to fountain pens!)
I have been wanting to try this one and it always seems to be out of stock when I remember I want it. Looks like an IPG nib so it should be able to take the same nib from my Parson’s Italix!
I really like the simplistic design of this, so I had a look and found a seller on Ebay. Very likely I am going to give it a try sometime soon, then. Thank you for the review, and keep up the great work, your blog is informative and great fun to great!!
I meant great fun to read, obviously… 😀
These pens are also available on amazon for 14.50 i think, at least it was that price when i brought it! I completely agree that this fountain pen is an essential to my collection, and certainly is my favourite pen for those on a budget!