Dryden Designs Fountain Pen Medium Nib Gift Pouch - with 24 Ink Cartridges - MCM (Blue)

Nice looking pen, writes beautifully. I gave as a gift and he loved it.

Great value when you factor in refill cartritdges. Perfect size/weight. Feels elegant. High quality.

Recently I decided to make a foray into the world of fountain pens, and decided to try a few less expensive ones to see whether I like them or not. Having read through the review of various fountain pens on here, I decided to give this one a try based off of the review. So far I've had it for about a month and here are my impressions: Pro: 1. Stands out - I've had fancier pens gifted to me before, but I've never had anyone comment on me using them. However, unexpectedly, a fountain pen seems to draw comment from everyone seeing me use them. 2. Writes Beautifully - The smoothness that people rave about when writing with fountain pens is true. The pen literally glides across the paper with little effort and minimal skipping or other issues. 3. Good weight and size - Having larger hands I've always preferred pens of a decent size, so no compliants here. Cons 1. Pen Cap and Barrel - Probably my primary complaint about this pen. The barrel has a slight curve to it, whereas the cap has a straight opening if that makes sense. As a result, you sort of have to wedge the cap onto the end of the pen while using it and it frequently falls off. That or you leave the cap on the table while using it and risk loosing it. 2. Cartridge Size - This could be a negative or it could not. The cartridges that are sold by the manufacturer are surprisingly small and run out of ink after a short period of use. Definitely annoying. In the long run however, I plan on using a converter (and refilling directly from an ink bottle) so it really may not matter assuming refills of the converter last longer. I'll update the post when I find out. Overall in my opinion (I can only speak for myself after all) a good introductory pen if you are new to fountain pens. Allows you to try out something new for a minimal price, but if you are looking for something for more serious use I might shop around a bit more. Seems to be a decent manufacturer, so some of their other pens might fit the bill.

I have loved fountain pens (“ink pens” as opposed to “ball-points”, 60 years ago) my entire life, since my first Parker. So I have, well, several. I bought a Dryden a few weeks ago because old men cannot decide if they have too many or too few of anything, and I bought one for a cherished family member. For me, it is a wonderful pen. Here is what I look for in a fountain pen, and why I appreciate my Dryden: 1) is it physically a beautiful instrument (its ‘aesthetics’) - and, yes, the Dryden looks slim and effective (you know, the way some people do); 2) does the ink flow without fits and stops and curses and buyer’s remorse - and, yes, my Dryden leaves a uniform line, whether straight or curved; 3) does the point, the nib, kind of translate the feel of the paper, so you have a sense of actually having accomplished something through your own intention when writing (I guess you could call this the pen’s “agency”; OK, I will) - and my Dryden gives me the feel of the several kinds of paper I write on, mostly WalMart notebooks at 10 for a dollar; 4) does the pen have a weight and circumference at crucial points of contact and a balance that complements my hand’s length and strength, sort of like a good kitchen knife or a familiar pickleball paddle - and, yes, my Dryden feels almost like an extension of my index finger so I kind of feel like I’m not just writing but interacting with the pen and ink to leave a record of myself (remember when you were a kid, and you watched your finger leaving your mark in mud or dust, and you wondererd if this is what cave men thought when they drew on walls, and did they think one day a kid would see their drawings and wonder about them? you don’t? well, you will, or I hope you will); 5) does the pen hold a reasonable amount of ink so you can complete more than one run-on sentence just like this one - and, yes, my Dryden has the same cartridge that most every fountain pen uses - easily enough for a letter of decent length, not enough for your autobiography; and, 6) is it affordable so I will want to get to know the people I might meet who use one, or can it be bought only by the dingleberries and poofheads who claim to run the planet - and, yes, even on a fixed income, I had enough to buy 2, like I said, and hopefully you can afford one, too, along with some decent ink (I like Noodler). So, yes, a darned fine investment for an old person. A young person, too.

I bought this for my husband, as he's been nostalgic for things of the past. Boy is he happy! This pen writes so beautifully, feels really good in the hand and makes even my sloppy printing look good! It came with 12 ea, black and blue cartridges and all-in-all is a great value.

New to using fountain pens. There’s enough to learn about the differences and how to use them. Then add the complication that the pen I received had no nib. So I ordered again. The second one has no nib either. So clearly I must be doing something wrong. It must be inside the pen or something! Or maybe it was something I was supposed to buy separately. But no, it describes the included nib. It’s just not in either of the pens that I bought. I’ll return it and buy something else. Good riddance! (I really wanted to write that last line in a fancy fountain pen script!)

This is my first fountain pen purchase and I have fallen in love with the way fountain pens write and feel. So if you are exploring this can make a good beginner pen. Be aware though this pen does not come with ink. You will either need to buy a bottle of fountain pen ink to fill the included cartridge converter (my personal preference) or fountain pen cartridges. Pros- My favorite part of this pen is the looks. The blue and gold coloring looks really spiffy and nice pen from the cap to the nib I would give this pen 5 stars in this category. Writing with this pen is also really smooth and does not require you to press the pen into the paper at all. Most importantly writing is fun with this pen. Cons- My least favorite part of the pen is how quickly the ink will dry out. If the pen is not used at least every 24 hours the ink will dry and it will not write. A quick rinse of the nib in water will fix this, but it is still annoying to deal with. I also do not like the balance of the pen when the cap is on the back of the pen. The cap is top heavy and when on the back of the pen it pulls the tip up away from the paper so I have to press the pen down to compensate. Lastly this pen is slightly higher priced than some of the other entry fountain pens available, but I think it is one of the best looking entry pens. While I am happy with this pen, after some reading and youtube research on fountain pens I'm not sure if I would buy this pen again.

Pretty color pink. Well balanced pen. My first from this vender. Price was good. I recommend this pen if you are looking for something medium priced with good value. Fast shipping.