Narwhal Schuylkill Fountain pen
Narwhal pens exploded onto the market at the D.C. Pen show in 2019. The company is based in China and made a name by offering a range of piston fillers, with beautiful materials for $45! Last year, I won two of Narwhal’s new pens, the Schuylkill, from Atlas Stationers in Chicago and for this review I have the Asfur Bronze and the Rockfish Red. The Schuylkill line is the second line of pens from Narwhal. The new model introduces new materials and ink windows as well! For those unfamiliar with the name Schuylkill, it is a river in Pennsylvania and this model was introduced at the Philadelphia pen show in 2020. Thank you Atlas Stationers for these pens, they are awesome.
Packaging: The packaging for the new Schuylkill model is like the original line. The pens arrive in a white box with a rainbow-colored narwhal on the lid. “Narwhal” is printed on the sides in rainbow font as well and there is an info label on one end. Inside the box, there is a user guide and warranty booklet, under those is a white foam insert that holds the pen and a small wrench for maintenance.
First Thoughts: The new materials look amazing, and the addition of the ink window was a great design change.
Design: The pens are like the original design with a few changes. The cap finial is a silver dome inset into the cap which also has a dome shape. The cap gradually widens to the cap opening. The clip is inset into the cap, and it has a sword/teardrop shape. The bottom finial/piston knob is rounded to match the cap. The barrel gradually widens to the ink window, which is perfectly sized and blends beautifully with the design. The cap threads are in front of the ink window, and there is almost no stepdown to the grip section. The grip section tapers slightly before reaching a flared finger stop.
Nib Performance: The nibs are made in house, and I received a fine and medium nib. Oddly enough, the fine nib wrote slightly wider than the medium nib. It may have been the paper or ink, but there was a small difference. Regardless, the nibs wrote well out of the box. There is decorative scrollwork engraved on the tines and breather hole. There is also a narwhal, my favorite part, engraved on the nib as well.
Filling System: Piston filler
Value: $60 USD
Overall: The new materials are stunning, and the addition of the ink window was a great move in my opinion. I appreciate the addition of the wrench to service the pen if you choose to. The materials they used feel great and have a beautiful color variation. I think this is a great addition to the piston filler options especially at this price point.
Specs:
Name: Narwhal Schuylkill
Design: Acrylic
Length: 145mm (5.71in)
Posted: 177mm (6.97in)
Diameter: 13mm (0.51in)
Weight: 19.8g (0.7oz)
Nib: Stainless Steel
Filling System: Piston
Pros: Beautiful material, easy to service, smooth writer
Cons: Nibs may not run true to width based on the samples
In the same price range:
Opus88 Mini Pocket fountain pen
Lamy Aion
Conklin All-American
