A few months ago, I started looking for a nice pen to sign important documents with. Needless to say I fell down a very deep rabbit hole. I honestly thought my tastes would gravitate more towards the eye catching designs, but I’ve mostly just been interested in the plainer ones. Fine by me and better for my wallet! With my most recent grab, I think I’ve finally reached my endgame lineup. Most of these have plenty of reviews on here and elsewhere, but I’ll share some of my thoughts too, just as a record for myself. Disclaimer, I’m using my iPad to type this up, so the formatting might be wonky.

  


(Left to right)

  


Billetspin Campen Energel - Zirconium with titanium accents. Love how utilitarian this one is. It’s built like a tank and the mech is great, very smooth and fidgety. This probably has the smoothest feeling mech out of all of these. Only thing I would change is that I would probably pick the Parker variant over the Energel, as this one is just slightly too long for my liking. That being said, I still really enjoy writing with it since it has a very nice heft to it and just overall feels very solid.

  


Magnus Clickshift - Stonewashed finish with the “snake” pattern. Wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one when I was looking at it on the listing, but I’m glad I decided to grab it. The stonewashing is very smooth, so it feels great in hand and the design adds some grip. I also really like how the design catches the light when you rotate it. This one and the next one both have the V4 mech and I find myself fidgeting with it all the time, so it’s safe to say I very much enjoy it. 

  


Magnus Clickshift - Double helix design with blue anodization. This is the newest addition to the collection. I love the skeletonized design and the blue ano looks really cool, especially since it has a bit of a disappearing effect when you rotate the pen. I included a few more pics to try to show off the difference in color that depends on the view angle. After having used it for about a week, I can see how some people find the milling a bit abrasive. I personally don‘t find it uncomfortable given the way I hold my pen, so this one has quickly become my favorite and is currently my daily driver whenever I’m at my desk. Even though it feels sturdy enough, I wouldn’t want to risk damaging the body by making it a pocket carry given how much material was machined out. I’ve also seen others make theirs do some crazy bending, but mine doesn’t seem to flex all that much. Granted, I’m not brave enough to put more than a moderate amount of pressure on it, so take my experience with a grain of salt.

  


Spoke Design Roady XL - Sandblasted body with slotted cap and groove grip. This was my very first pick up. Given how this is the most affordable pen in my collection, I thought that the machining might be lacking in places when compared to the others. Having said that, to my untrained eye, I really don’t see much of a difference. I think that speaks to what makers are able to create even at the more affordable end. The cap is surprisingly fidgety since the magnets are fairly strong. I find myself pushing it off via the clip using my thumb and it will snap right back into place once I let go. I also enjoy the look of the groove grip through the slots in the cap. All in all, I think this was a great place to start my collection.

  


Herman Epika- Plain Jane variant. This is the one that I will use to sign important documents. Many others have said it before, but there’s something about this pen that makes it seem very luxurious. I think it might have to do with the combination of the orange peel finishing, the tapering unibody, and the nice heft that it has. Either way, I very much enjoy writing with this pen, and its small size makes it a great option for carrying it around. Like I said, I daily drive the Magnus, but this is most likely the one I’ll choose if I‘m going out for some errands and need to pocket a pen quick. And I haven’t even mentioned the mechanism. To put it bluntly, it’s great. Took a little getting used to, but now it’s second nature and I can absentmindedly fidget with it. Moving the clip back into position is VERY satisfying. Plus, I really like how at first glance it looks like this will be just a normal mech, because then it’s a nice surprise when you find out it isn’t.

  
TL;DR

Great pens, daily drive the Magnus Double Helix at a desk, EDC the Herman Epika PJ.

NP week and mini reviews of each