Pam Alison Knits

You know how it is when you spend a little more money than you’re comfortable with on a once-in-a-lifetime pen, and then you find yourself stalking the brand’s releases “just to admire them” because nothing can top the perfect pen you already own? And then there’s a mid-decade birthday, and it’s probably the last time you’ll be free to splurge, and there’s this pre-order for a pen with an intriguing ceramic coating, and the colours are lovely, and, let’s face it, your one pen from that brand is feeling a little bit lonely. Well, the upshot is that another Onoto has come to live chez PamAlisonKnits. It’s a little beauty!

This pen is a collaboration with the group of enthusiasts known as Fountain Pens UK. The model is Onoto’s entry-level “Scholar” which primarily comes as a resin-bodied pen in plain or pearl finishes. If you happen to be building a collection around a coffee or chocolate theme, you probably need the Chestnut Pearl Scholar and you may thank me at your leisure for penabling you.

I won’t deny that I’ve been tempted by the resin Scholars, but as soon as they released this version for pre-order I was drawn in by the ceramic-coated aluminium body (coating courtesy of Ruth Bolton of Shibui North) and I didn’t hesitate. The ceramic gives the pen a matte finish, but maintains a lovely smooth texture – I think even people who dislike metal sections would enjoy it. There are three versions of this pen – I chose Dark Cherry, a colour which sits exactly on the cusp between purple and burgundy, but it was a hard decision as the blue Northern Light shade was equally compelling. The third colour is Racing Green which makes it a great line-up with something for everyone.

Unlike the standard Scholar pens, there is no choice of metal colour for the fittings. This line are all fitted with palladium-plated finial, clip and cap band, though I think this shade of purply-wine would have looked very lush with gold-toned metalwork. The steel nib is two-tone and the medium which I chose is smooth, wet without being a gusher, and simply lovely to write with. Do I prefer it over the oblique medium steel nib in my Custom pen? No. That oblique nib is a source of constant joy to me and I would be surprised if anything ever topped it. It does something magical to my handwriting. However, the basic medium nib on the Scholar makes writing effortless, laying down a strong, confident line, and it certainly earns its place in my collection, and my affection.

It should come as no surprise that I immediately inked this up with Scribo Notturno Viola which proves to be a combination that works wonderfully on some paper but is a challenge to more absorbent pages where it can be inclined to bleed a little. Where I can’t imagine ever wanting to ink the Custom with anything other than the gorgeous Scribo, I think I’ll be inclined to experiment with inks in the Scholar. I’ve already thought about Montblanc Shakespeare Red, Diamine Writers Blood, or Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun, though I think the Iroshizuku Yama-Budo might be an even stronger contender.

My early impressions of this pen are that it looks good, it writes well, and it is a very worthy addition to Clan Bluepen (plus friends). As my second Onoto, it has cemented my attachment to this brand. The workmanship is high quality; the pens have classic lines which, even when they get very, very ornate, still retain a high degree of elegance; and they just work. What more could I possibly ask for?

As I write this, the FPUK collaboration is out of stock on Onoto’s website. I know back January when I placed my order they were quoting up to October to get all the pre-ordered pens out to customers, so it will be interesting to see if they get any stock on their site once the pre-orders are filled. It’s not a limited edition in the truest sense of the phrase since these aren’t numbered pieces, but it wasn’t clear if they were only going to make as many pens as were pre-ordered. But then, there’s always that Chestnut Pearl resin one….