Top 5 Wooden Fountain Pens: Reviews and a Comprehensive Buying Guide
wooden fountain pen

Fountain pens are elegant writing tools, and if taken care of properly, can be passed on to generations. Their comfort and uniqueness offer a very different and unmatched writing experience. But wooden fountain pen, on the other hand gives more unique impression than the others.

The texture of wooden fountain pen in particular gives a unique feel to your hands while bringing an unmatched elegance to your office desk. Most wooden pens have a resin or lacquer finishing to prevent stains and protect their life and shine.

Choosing the perfect wooden fountain pen can be a tedious task if you don’t know what to look for. Through this buying guide, we will discuss in detail the various aspects of a wooden fountain pen. We will also review some of the top-rated pens, so you can choose which one’s best for you.

Unique Features of a Wooden Fountain Pen

Various factors determine the quality and price of a wooden pen:

  • Craftsmanship
  • The wood type
  • Quality of fitting

These aspects also differentiate them from all other pens. Every wood is different so your pen will always be unique. It takes the skills and diligence of an experienced craftsman to convert a simple piece of wood into a beautiful pen.

Besides the craftsmanship, the type of wood used in making the pen can bring a huge difference in their price. Pens made of bamboo, teak, maple, or cedar are relatively inexpensive.

If you want to go higher, you can go for Mahogany, Olive, Rosewood, Ebony, or Bog Oak wood pens. Prices of these can get very high but it’s also a different level of luxury. 

Check out the video to see how wood is turned into beautiful pens.

Pens made of exotic wood like burls, a rounded outgrowth on a tree, can get significantly expensive. They have a very unique grain pattern texture that hypes up their cost.

Wood mixed with acrylic resin pens is the latest trend because of the limitless color and blend option.

The quality of fitting is another important factor to consider. Simple customization on pens can be an engraving of a name or a message, but you can also customize them with handcrafted fittings or personal designs.

Now that we understand what goes into the making of wood pens, let’s now understand how to choose the best fountain pen for yourself or a loved one.

Refer to the following article to know more about wood pens.

How to Choose the Perfect Wooden Fountain Pen 

There are tons of considerations to make when buying a fountain pen, from the shape and thickness of the nib to the ink replacement mechanism. 

Read this guide on fountain pens to know more.

Nib Thickness and Flexibility

NIb flexibility in wood fountain pens directly affects your writing. As you put pressure on the nib while writing, the tiles of the nib separate allowing increased ink flow and producing wider lines.

If you have a flexible nib, you can vary your writing with thicker and thinner lines. This enhances the overall writing experience and is one of the main things that makes a fountain pen special.

As far as thickness is concerned, you can get pens with nibs of different thicknesses. Nib thickness denotes the width of the lines written by the pen.

You can easily find nibs with very fine to broad nibs. The extra-fine nibs (EF/XF/X) write very thin and they are used specifically for drawing or writing in Chinese and Japanese. 

The fine nibs (F) are finer than your regular pens but they can be practically used for writing. Medium (M) nibs are the most common and they write approximately as thick as your regular ballpoint or roller-ball pens.

If you write big, you should get a broad (B) nib pen. Some brands also provide nibs with a broader thickness as well. They have limited use in calligraphy. 

Nib Material

Nibs are usually made of steel or brass irrespective of the material used for the pen. Another common material used to make nibs is 18K gold. 

Both materials offer a comfortable writing experience but there are some advantages of gold nibs. Besides the luxury and style, gold nibs feel softer than steel nibs. They also mold over time according to your writing style.

Some pens also have Iridium or Osmium alloy nibs. They are sturdy materials and do not wear over time. They provide the same feel and comfort of writing for many years.

Steel nib pens are sturdy and hard to break. If they get damaged, they are much cheaper to replace than gold nibs. 

Read on to find out more about the nibs of fountain pens.

Type of Ink Refilling System

Wooden fountain pens are meant to last long, even decades, so their ink refilling is different from ordinary pens. Let’s learn more about Ink cartridges and ink converters used in these pens.

Ink Cartridges

Ink Cartridges are the easiest way to refill ink in your fountain pens. You can just pop a cartridge in when the old one is finished.

Press the ink cartridge firmly so that the stopper gets punctured and ink flows into the pen. Leave the pen vertically for a while so the nib gets saturated with ink.

Ink Refill Converter

Ink Refill Converter is a device that helps you use bottled ink in a fountain pen. This gives you more color options that you can use with your wood pens.

An ink refill converter is inserted into the pen the same way as an ink cartridge but you can reuse it over and over again.

Two types of ink converters that are most commonly used are Piston and Squeeze converters. 

Piston converters have a knob that you can twist and fully extend and then unscrew after dipping into the ink. This sucks the ink inside the converter.

Squeeze converters are squeezed after dipping in the ink bottle. When you release the squeezer, the created vacuum sucks in the ink. You can start using pens with ink converters immediately after refilling.

Refer to the video to learn how to refill fountain pens.

Now that we understand the various aspects of wooden fountain pens, let’s review some top-rated wooden models.

Top 5 Best Wooden Fountain Pen

1. BEILUNER Luxury Walnut Ballpoint Pen

The Beiluner ballpoint pen is made of walnut wood. Plated with a metallic finish, it gives an elegant and professional look. The body is made of brown wood with gold trim.

The grip section is sleek black with a golden tip and it comes in a black gift box. You can use the pen easily on any paper.

The pen is corrosion-resistant and very lightweight. Its weight helps you have a good grip and smooth writing. The extra-fine nib writes with 0.5mm width, giving effortless precision without any mess. It comes with one extra refill.

The quality of this pen and its box makes it a perfect gift for friends and loved ones.

Pros
  • Beautifully designed body
  • Can be used on any paper
  • The pen is a perfect gift material
  • Free refill
Cons
  • The nib is not as flexible as in fountain pens

2. Wordsworth & Black’s Fountain Pen Set

Wordsworth & Black’s fountain pen is made of bamboo wood and comes with a medium nib. You can use them on any type of paper, but they work best on 120gsm/160gsm journals or planners. These handcrafted pens have a brass nib that gives high precision writing. 

They come in a beautiful rosewood case and can be a perfect gift for a writing enthusiast. You get 3 blue and 3 black ink cartridges for free. They also provide an ink converter which makes refilling super easy. 

This pen fits well with left-handed writers. 

To fill the pen with ink, open the barrel of the pen. Screw the piston converter to fully extend it. Dip it in the ink bottle and unscrew it to suck the ink in.

It has a pop-up cap so you can mount it on the back while writing. It writes very smoothly even with fresh ink refills. Overall, it’s a great value for money. 

Pros
  • It is a beautiful tool
  • Suitable for both right-handers and left-handers
  • Incredible ink flow
  • Free cartridges
  • Ink converter included 
Cons
  • Engraving names can damage the pen
  • Short version ink cartridge
  • Replacement nibs are not available

3. MONAGGIO Bamboo Fountain Pens

Next on our list is MONAGGIO bamboo fountain pens. You get a converter with the pen as well as standard cartridges.

It comes in classic colors packed in a wooden case. It has a nib between medium and fine which makes it ideal for both writing and calligraphy. You can also sketch or draw with precision.

It is easy to use and gives you a unique and intimate writing feel. You can also use them as a dipping pen, although it may take a while to master the art.

Pros
  • Left and right-handers both can easily use the pen without any discomfort
  • Can be used as a dipping pen
  • You can get the pen engraved by an expert
  • You can use standard disposable cartridges with this pen
  • Classic black color
Cons
  • No free ink cartridges
  • Nib replacements are not available
  • The hinge of the wooden case is a little loose

4. GC Antique Wooden Stem Pen

The next model is the GC antique wooden stem pen, with a sleek design and natural wood colors. It is a bit pricier than the previous pens that we reviewed but you get a lot in the box.

The pen comes in beautiful packaging that contains 4 nibs of different sizes, an ink bottle, an ink bottle holder, and the pen itself. They provide everything you need to start writing.

Since it’s a dip pen, you have to dip it in the ink bottle and write. You get nibs of different sizes so you can write in different shapes or use them for calligraphy.

The pen is a little heavy but with a well-balanced weight distribution that allows smooth writing. Its stainless steel nibs run smooth with precise ink flow. 

The pen set is handmade and is crafted out of luxurious rosewood. The pen gives you an elegant modern feel with a traditional design. You get black ink in the box and the ink holder also doubles up as a pen stand.

Anyone from beginners to advanced calligraphers can use this pen and that makes it a perfect gift. Overall, the feel and the precision of the pen justify its cost.

Pros
  • Sleek design
  • Natural wood color
  • In-hand feel and comfort
  • Different size nibs
  • Can be engraved
  • Ink bottle stand which also doubles up as the pen stand
Cons
  • The nib may drag initially, rub the tip with sandpaper to smoothen it.

5. RENAWE Wooden Fine Fountain Pen

The pen comes in a beautiful case that doubles up as a display pen stand. Both the pen and the box are made with a combination of rosewood and maple wood. It has a beautiful mixed pattern and is a prime example of craftsmanship.

The pen has a German iridium nib with gold accenting and is crafted to perfection. The nib writes fine so you can use it for both writing and drawing. Four cartridges and an ink converter are included for convenient ink refilling.

This can be a perfect gift for both professionals and creatives. You can also give it to a loved one or a writing enthusiast with their name engraved. 

Pros
  • Quality-wise, the pen feels more expensive than its actual price
  • You get a full refund if you receive a faulty product
Cons
  • The pen cap doesn’t fit on the back so you cannot mount it while writing. This also affects its weight balance.
  • Without a cap, it becomes smaller and may not be ideal for you if you have bigger hands
  • The ink may dry up, making the pen drag. You can fix this with a wet or lubricated ink
  • The nib may need some brushing up

Conclusion

Now that we have discussed and reviewed the pens, you must have chosen your favorite already. Both the Wordsworth and Black’s pen and the Monaggio pen are in solid colors and are made of bamboo. The former is a bit pricier than the latter but you also get 6 free ink cartridges. 

It’s not suggested to engrave the Wordsworth pen but it can be done easily on the Monaggio. You cannot replace the nib if you damage it or break it.

The GC is a dip pen that comes with black ink. The price is a bit high but you also get 4 nibs, an ink bottle, and a bottle holder which doubles as a pen holder. You can consider this pen for calligraphers of any level.

The Renawe is different as it is made of mixed wood. Its case doubles up as the pen stand, so it’s the perfect gift for professionals.

We hope this guide helps you decide which pen to buy.  

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