Scrikss 35 Titanium fountain pen review

The Scrikss pen arrived on my doorstep from United Inkdom. It was not a manufacturer I was aware of before, and I have not uncovered much information beyond the basics about them subsequently. This may be because the company is Turkish and there is limited info in English. However, they are well-established (making pens since the 1960s), and the model 35 which I have tried out here is a decent pen. I was only able to find one UK stockist for the brand, but Andy’s Pens don’t carry this model at present. It’s therefore difficult to give an idea of what this pen costs. Similar models retail below £40 and my best guess would be that this model would set you back in the region of £35, if you can find it.

It’s a nice looking pen, elegant and understated. The titanium finish is a deep grey. The high shine makes it a little difficult to photograph. It can look almost black if it’s not in good bright light. The chrome trim and clip make a pleasant contrast to the dark grey body. It could easily be used in a work setting- it’s an unobtrusive pen, unlikely to offend even the most staid and unreasonable office colleague. It definitely looks like a more grown-up pen than a Lamy Safari or Al-Star. It’s slim and smooth, altogether more elegant. The pen also comes in a chrome finish, which I am sure would be equally sophisticated. While it does look good, it may be a little uninteresting for those of us who like a bright coloured pen or something a bit fancier. If you like to match an ink to the pen, Diamine Graphite might be a good bet here.

It’s a smooth writer for what I assume to be a steel nib (it’s certainly not gold) and pleasant to use. The nib does not indicate the width, but I’d put it at medium. I’ve had it inked with Organics Studio Walden Pond Blue and found it to be pretty reliable. It writes fairly wet, which works with a strong sheening ink like WPB. Although the cap can be posted, I didn’t like the feel of the pen when I did this. It felt slightly off balance, and like the cap was insecure posted. Objectively, it was perfectly securely placed, but it wasn’t comfortable for me this way. I almost always post my pens so this was a little unusual for me. Your mileage may vary.

My conclusions on this pen are that it is a nice, smooth writer with elegant looks at a reasonable price. However, it’s a little uninteresting to me and I think I’d neglect to use it if it were part of my collection. It’s just a little too business-like for my tastes. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the bright colours of Lamy Al-Stars and Faber-Castell Looms? That, however, may be a great recommendation for others! I’d be interested to see different models from this manufacturer though, and I hope that more UK stockists have a look at them.