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To most in the UK, Faber Castell produce art supplies, the fact they also produce pens (and are possibly the oldest surviving pen manufacturer) passes the average person by as few high street stores stock their fountain pens. Even then they are often over looked as the Ambitions and eMotions tend to be the only options and price wise start in the mid £60s, where as those few shops selling them will also have Parkers, Cross and Lamy pens starting around the £15-20 mark and many of their models for less than the cheapest Ambition.
The Loom sits somewhere between the WRITink and Basic/Essentio models and the Ambition, coming in between £30 to £50 depending on version and retailer, and so could be considered a more entry level pen and the first in their range with a metal body. The two gunmetal versions cost around £8-10 more than the other models.
As with most of their pens, the Loom comes in a simple box along with an international standard short cartridge in the barrel of the pen and an empty spacer in the nib section. The converter costs extra, but the Loom will take any international converter such as a Schmidt K5.
Appearance wise, there is a straight unmarked barrel and a curvy cap which adds a distinctive character. There is a large clip along one side, and Faber Castell branding and name on another, a quarter turn below the clip. Uncapping, the section tapers down towards the nib. Additionally the appearance of the material changes from the smooth appearance of the barrel to a slightly textured section with 5 raised bands, presumably both to aid grip. The nib is the classic Faber Castell dimpled affair with no breather hole found on all their pens bar the WRITInk and Grip. The cap pulls off and snaps on, both with a positive action and a satisfying click. It is secure and will only rotate when forced, which if done anti-clockwise will actually unscrew the nib section from the barrel. The clip is sprung hinged and is the same piece of steel as the engraved disk on the end of the cap. Being metal it is not the lightest of pens, but at the same time it’s comparatively light in the hand, especially compared to the more expensive models in the Faber Castell line up.
I first came across the Loom when I picked up a black capped one second hand for a friend who found my spare eMotion a bit too heavy and uncomfortable due to its shape. I tried it and decided that I’d keep it if he did not want the pen. Alas he did. Shortly after the two gunmetal models came out (one shiny, one matt) and I got to try one of those. I’m sure at the time the gunmetal ones felt heavier due to the metal cap. Checking the Faber Castell website for measurements they mention no differences.
I picked up this matt gunmetal version with a medium nib on International Fountain Pen Day 2018, using a discount code. It came in the Faber Castell gift box, for which some vendors do charge extra. This comprised of an open ended patterned box, and inner plain white box with a slide out tray. Functional and does the job.
The pen itself felt lighter than I remembered, it could be my memory playing tricks or it could be that the model has been revised. Certainly the cap colours on the standard version were changed earlier this year. The second thing that surprised me was the grip. When I first tried a loom, and not long after when I compared it with a gunmetal version, the grip felt comfortable and secure. On this pen it does not. It feels slippery to touch and unless my thumb and forefinger sit between two rings (in a tripod grip) it does move about. Get my hold right and it is a positive experience, but it is annoying that I have it shuffle a pen around to get a secure writing hold. Balance wise the pen is slightly nib heavy, but it feels comfortable in the hand. Posting the cap and the weight becomes more neutral though I found I was unconsciously holding the pen slightly further back on the grip. In the position is was actually less of a slippery hold.
The writing experience, once a decent grip has been obtained, is superb. I still stick to my views that Faber Castell nibs are not only possibly the best steel fountain pen nibs out there from a mass manufacturer, but also better than many a gold nib. This is all based on personal preferences of course, but it is buttery smooth, has a little flex (only slight) and is on the wet side. The ink I have been using is Graf von Faber Castell Hazelnut Brown, which is known to be on the dry. The only reason it was chosen was the need to finish a sample and it was a suitable colour to match the pen. It was nothing to do with keeping to the same brand.
The pen feels tough, though not quite in the same solid way of the Ambition or eMotion, however this is an illusion as I actually managed to dent the barrel in my trouser pocket. I’m not sure quite how as I did not have keys or loose change in there, it may well have just been a tough seem.
The clip is very effective, holding the pen securely in a pocket and is at just the right level of tightness/resistance to make clipping and removing the pen easy to do. There is no fear of the pen falling out.
The question comes, would I recommend this pen. Get a comfortable hold and it is a great pen to use, but the slippery nature of the grip section is a real negative for me. I’d like to try an Essentio to see what that’s like as it has the same nib, and is also about £10 cheaper, but as the Basic it had a bad reputation for the both the body and cap cracking. Certainly if you’re happy with a thinner pen and the tube nature of the design, then I’d recommend adding another £10-20 to your budget and getting an Ambition. Over all I think if I had tried this pen in a shop I probably would have skipped the purchase.
Positives:
- Superb nib.
- Looks good and is distinctive.
- Capping and uncapping.
Negatives:
- Slippery grip (a big negative).
Please note this pen was bought with my own money using a discount advertised and available to all.
Some size comparison pictures (with a F-C Ambition, F-C eMotion, F-C WRITink, and LAMY Safari)
(The Faber Castell eMotion does not securely post).
—-Edit Saturday 1st December 2018———
Today I got to compare the pen with a Shiny Gunmetal Loom purchased about a year ago. The latter (left in the picture below) is heavier and also has a different feeling grip which is not slippery. Looks like the entire range was updated, but for the worse.
—-End of Edit—————————–
And lastly so a suitable thumbnail is picked up
dapprman 
This has been my EDC since January when I discovered it in Selfridges. However mine is the shiny gunmetal version, not the matte. Ironically I think the shiny one is easier to grip since the section has a plastic film covering the metal. The downside is that this may eventually blister and wear away. But the nib, as you said, is superb. I use GvFC Cobalt blue cartridges in mine, which are about £10 for a box of 20 but the box is a treat in itself.
Can you bring yours to the London Club on Saturday – I’d like to compare the two as yours it the other gunmetal one I mentioned having tried earlier.
Will do.
Edit above post comparing the pen with an older shiny gunmetal loom.
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IMO, the model to get is the Metallic. It is heavier than the new Piano version and the grip is not slippery. The Loom is one of the few pens that posts well, and at 6.0″ posted it is the perfect length. When capped the Cap does not mar the barrel finish, it does not become top heavy when posted, unlike the newer versions that have the same weight cap on a lighter body. The heavier weight combined with the wet NIB makes for effortless writing. The barrel finish is very robust, it does not easily wear and the thicker metal is not affected by temperature or air pressure changes. The F-C Converter does not tend to get stuck in the barrel, like on the Basic, and accepts both Short and Long International Standard cartridges. The pen is completely air tight so the NIB does not dry out overnight after being stored NIB up. The inked pen can be left unused for days, weeks and months and it writes perfectly the first time, every time, with no hard starting, false starting, skipping or ink blobbing. I find the EF to be even smoother than the F, but find the M to be a little too wide and wish it were a 0.6 instead of a 0.7mm, and of course the B is super smooth. I see no need for a BB, though. I own the Metallic Loom in EF, F, M and B. The only thing missing from the line up is an Italic Cursive NIB. I bought each Metallic Loom for the same price as the TWSBI Eco. In my collection the only pen smoother than the smoothest Faber-Castell Loom is the Kaco Edge.
P.S., The Metallic Loom can be left uncapped for over 5 minutes and it does not dry out. I tried it on my Fine and Broad Nib’d Metallic Looms, at the same time, and they wrote perfectly past the 5 minute mark. (I have a dozen other Fountain Pens that start drying out after less than 60 seconds. That tends to become habit after awhile. With the Loom I can concentrate without fear of the pen drying out as I reminisce and ruminate.)
Since the Loom has a tapered Section it may present problems to some who are used to the traditional fountain pen hold where the finger tips are opposed and in-line with each other. If you find your fingers starting to cramp up you may be grasping the pen too tightly. If your finger tips have turned white you are definitely holding the pen too tightly. Try holding the the pen more like a pencil – with the thumb slightly higher than the Index Finger, but still resting the barrel in the web of the hand like a pen. You should now find it more comfortable, less tiring, and it will probably feel natural after only few pages are written. I usually only choke up on the Section when using the EF, to do very precise drawing or lettering, and have a far-away hold when using the B in my Journal, as I’m more relaxed.
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