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StylusCentral: Initial Data Fountain Pen with Stylus by Rotring

September 14, 2005

I’ve reviewed quite a few styli on this site, including several full size stylus/pen combinations, but this is the first one I’ve seen that features a fountain pen. The Initial Data Fountain Pen 5 5/8 inches long, and at the widest point is just about half an inch in diameter. At first glance, it looks just like a regular executive pen, with a brushed silver barrel and bright silver pocket clip and accents. The top of the pen features the famous red Rotring “O” inlaid around the top.

Take off the top of the pen, and you’ll find a fine point fountain pen nib. There are several small indentations on the grip area, but they seem to be more for show than for comfort. I’ve owned several different Rotring pens over the years, so I knew that I would likely enjoy using this fountain pen, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. The ink flow was smooth and even, and I didn’t have any trouble with leakage. According to the manufacturer, a new ink delivery system guarantees that it will even work well during flight, where pressurized cabins usually cause problems with fountain pens. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to test that claim.The pen ships with one cartridge to start, as well as a converter if you prefer to use bottled ink. In all respects, this pen functions just as you would expect.

Put the cap back on the pen, and turn it over—this is where it earns the “Data” part of its name. The bottom of the pen has a small stylus that you can access by twisting the end of the pen in order to extend or retract the stylus. The effect is quite subtle; I would argue that if you handed this pen to someone else, they might not even notice that the stylus was there, making this a very nice option for those folks who prefer to keep their handheld habit more discrete than those who tend to wear multiple devices on their belt. My only complaint here is that the stylus is a milky white, so it doesn’t contrast all that much with the screen of most devices. While I didn’t have any trouble actually using the pen as a stylus, I did find myself wishing for the electric pink point on my usual stylus. One other important note is that most of the weight of this pen, especially when using it as a stylus, is on the other end. You might find your taps just a bit “off’ at the beginning, as the point of the stylus may tend to go up a bit until you get used to it.

Like many other products offered by StylusCentral, the Initial Data Fountain Pen by Rotring comes very nicely gift boxed. In this case, the pen came inside a cardboard box that overwrapped the plastic pen case. Oddly enough, the pen case opens two ways, either by splitting into a top and a bottom half, like normal cases, or by opening just half of the top of the case, much like a casket. The interior of the case’s top is even plushly lined. which does a good job of protecting the pen during shipping, so maybe I just have an overactive imagination. In any case, this item would make a lovely gift for the executive handheld user, or anyone you want to treat with a very nice item. You can get it for $44.99 at the StylusCentral online store.