Conklin Victory Fountain Pen
Roy Conklin founded the Conklin Pen Company in 1898 in Toledo, Ohio. The company produced innovative writing tools with iconic filling systems such as the crescent filler. The company gained notoriety with the help of Mark Twain and his vocal support of their pens. In 2009, the Conklin name and brand were purchased by YAFA, which has been in business since 1978. The founder, Yair (Jerry) Greenberg, has been bringing out modern pens with vintage looks. The review today is of the Conklin Victory fountain pen in red. The Victory is a “re-imagined” version of the Victory that was out during WW2 and was popular with soldiers.
8/10 Packaging: Conklin always does a nice job with their packaging. The pen comes in a deep blue faux leather box with yellow stitching around the border with gold embossing in the middle that has the Conklin logo, “Est 1898” and “The legendary name for fine writing instruments.” The box has a blue outer sleeve with a window cut in it to see the Conklin logo on the box, and has a sticker on the end and the bottom that gives the model name, color, writing mode, and nib size. Inside the box are the same embossed logo and motto that are on the lid, as well as a card with information about the pen and refill instructions, two ink cartridges, and a converter.
8/10 First Thoughts: Vintage is a perfect description for the look of this pen. The deep red color with hints of black swirled in rests on top of a faux beige leather bed with a strap holding it in place.
9/10 Design: The color on the body is a stunning combination of deep red with black swirls. The finials are glossy black and there are steel accent bands, clip, and cap band. The cap band is engraved “Conklin” and has a series of crescent moons surrounding the model name “Victory”. The cap snaps on tightly, but there are two small bands on the back of the smooth grip section, which are not noticeable when you are holding the pen. The clip is awesome! It has a spring and pivots back into the cap, and is tight enough to clip easily onto clothes, but not so tight as to not be usable. The grip section has plastic threads, but the body is metal so you cannot convert it to an eyedropper.
7/10 Nib Performance: The nib has a bit of feedback, but it is a wonderful, smooth, and wet writer. It has a small amount of engraving on it and is unbranded with “Iridium Point Germany” engraved on it. It would have been nice to see Conklin engraved on it, but that is a minor detail.
7/10 Filling System: C/C, push-in converter, rather than threaded like other Conklin converters.
9/10 Value: The Conklin Victory fountain pen has a retail price of $50, which I feel is an amazing price for this pen. It is a great “next step” pen from the entry-level plastic pens.
48/60 Overall: I was impressed with this pen. It has a nice vintage design, great weight, and writes beautifully out of the box. The color really catches your eye and while I am not normally a snap-cap fan, this one was great. It snapped securely and I had no concerns about the pen coming uncapped in my pocket. Conklin gives you everything you need to get started writing in every package, so you can choose to use the converter or the ink cartridges. This would be a great business gift or a great pen to “hook” a friend into the fountain pen world.
Specs:
Name: Conklin Victory fountain pen
Design: Red and black swirls over a solid metal body
Length: 5.5 inches (140mm)
Posted: 5.87 inches (149.22mm)
Diameter: .4 inches (10.16mm)
Weight: 28.34 grams
Nib: Steel
Filling System: C/C
Pros: Secure snap-cap, solid metal body, smooth wet writer
Cons: Does not post securely
In the same price range:
Twsbi Mini
Faber-Castell Loom
Platinum Balance
“Make your Mark”
Eric Aycock (Pengeek13)
Handwritten review by Jessy Aycock