Ben Walsh loves designing new models and also seems to have a thing for pocket pens as he has just released his fourth, the Dinkey, following on from the Pocket Pen, the Pocket Dropper, and the Quark. Over the last few months a few have already become available in limited numbers and I have managed to get my hands on one to test.

Caveat time. I was supplied with this pen by Ben Walsh at Gravitas for review (cheers Ben). Originally it was meant to be before the Dinkey went on sale (for a pre-release review), however Ben is quite open about his issues with handling orders and communications, which has lead to his partnership with Pen Venture and this pen now being in the hands of a few customers. Net result it took longer for it to arrive than expected and the Dinkey has been available through pen shows and limited release for a few months now.

The first thing you notice about the Dinkey is it is very much in keeping with the main family look of Gravitas pens, sharing the general shape of the Entry, Sentry, and Pocket Pens (note I could not track down an Entry in time for the above photo. It is a similar length to the Sentry, but narrower). Ben talks about it being his ‘most refined pocket pen to date’. Certainly it is smaller than the Pocket Pen (while retaining a size 6 nib) and in my mind better looking than the Quark, but the question is does it live up to the claim.

Now I have been using this pen for several weeks now, alongside a Quark (as an alternate ink colour), even using it to take notes and minutes during a meeting so feel I have a reasonable grasp of what I like about the pen and anything I might not.

First off this is small, but not the smallest pen Gravitas makes. That would be the Quark, which is both slightly shorter and narrower, but this does not have the visible threads on the back for posting. As mentioned above it very much follows the family traits of conical finials, a cap that overlaps the barrel, and similar shaped sections.

The cap removes in just over half a turn and is designed to post, with the Delrin inner cap grasping the barrel. Note this is secure however I can waggle the cap slightly. Ben warned me it might not go on straight but it would stay in place. Certainly a couple of other Dinkey owners I have spoken to say their pens post solidly and straight. In reality this does not affect use or comfort levels, nor any feeling the cap may come off, and if I had not noticed I would have been none the wiser. Net result I do not think this is something to be concerned about.

Unposted and the pen is too short for any more than quick note taking, but that is to be expected with most pocket pens. Compared to many other pens of this type the cap does not post that deeply, but it is still secure even with the ability to waggle it slightly (and to be honest, it does take a little pressure). This, of course, makes the Dinkey a very usable pen with a decent length. Now at first I actually found the pen uncomfortable as the edge of the cap dug in to the inner joint of my thumb, but either I was holding the pen further up than normal else I quickly adapted to holding the pen a little lower down, but now this is now no problem for me. Still something to be aware of.

Once I had found a comfortable position I found the Dinkey a comfortable pen to use. The capping threads on the barrel sit below my thumb, but this is common for me with Gravitas Pens, you barely notice them, in fact I feel the textured surface of the section more. Now the latter is common across most, if not all Gravitas fountain pens. I know my ‘Flagship’ torpedo shaped model has a smooth section, but looking at the website, this model now also has a textured section. Now I have a sensitive touch and this does take me a while to ignore texture, but I know I am unusual in that sense and there are other pens I find worse, particularly those with a brushed metal finishes.

Is the Dinkey the most comfortable Gravitas pocket pen to use? Hard to say. Compared to my Pocket Pen, I think so due to it being lighter and better balanced (as the cap does back weight all pens of this type). Compared to the Quark, at first I was not sure finding the latter better balanced and lighter, but then it is the Ultem version, so more a case of apples and pairs. Certainly the Quark is thinner and so as the last fortnight has progressed my preference has moved to the Dinkey.

The nib, as with most Gravitas Pens and all their pocket pens, is a Gravitas branded JoWo #6 screw in unit. The pen I was sent has a medium steel nib, and while I know Ben tries to check each nib, this one was a little on the dry side and also exhibits a hint of baby’s bottom, though this only causes a brief hard start on poorer quality paper types. Good quality, particularly the smoother brands, and it starts first time, though I did floss the nib at first (and I always run water through any new pen to flush manufacturing detritus). Also I find that the initial flow with a new cartridge can be a little light. Best way I’ve found of improving this is by ‘flicking’ the nib over the sink until ink comes out. At some point I might pull the nib and check the feed channel.

The filling system is the short international cartridge. There is only just enough space for one of these in the barrel so forget about converters unless you want to risk a Kaweco squeeze bulb, and I am not sure if one of those will fit (as they are designed for the Sport range). There is a sealing ring at the rear of the barrel threads, so while metal on metal you could in theory eye dropper fill the Dinkey.

How the pen is packaged I could not say as I received a padded envelope containing a couple of pens, a pad, a cleaning cloth, the gravitas branded emergency cartridge case (containing two carts) and replacement rings for my Ultimate Vac (the piston ring had come off) (and and a case for the Quark, which is too narrow for the Dinkey). The pen did arrive inside a neoprene sleeve, similar to one I have for USB pen drives. This can just about hold both the Dinkey and the Quark at the same time, and so I’ve been using it when travelling around. It is unbranded, so maybe something Ben has been testing. It has a wrist strap, though if I were to be honest I would suggest a neck lanyard would be far more useful. Still a nice touch that works for me. If someone with a Dinkey could let me know how theirs arrived and what else was with it, it would be much appreciated and I will update this paragraph.

So what are my thoughts on the pen. After my initial concerns over the cap edge (and I do in hindsight think I was holding the pen too high) I’ve generally enjoyed using it. Ink flow at first was an issue, but easy to rectify and not something that would be picked up with a quick check (as the tines are aligned) or even a dip test. The occasional hard start on poorer paper due to a slight baby’s bottom, again is a very hard thing to spot, even when I was looking through a loupe (you only see it with the nib tilted away from you). Once I have the ink properly flowing it is a good pen to use.

There is one limitation for me is something that will not affect many of you. The cap of the Dinkey is just a couple of mm too narrow to securely fit in a Midori Traveller’s Company pen loop (016). It will fit but the slightest of pressure and it slides out. No good when bouncing around in my pocket. I could use a Kaweco Clip from a Sport, but then that would risk scratching the PVD finish and also look out of place. For me the supplied neoprene sleeve has been great as I can just throw the pen in to a pocket without worry about things but that makes it slightly less practical for quick notes such as crossing items off on my shopping list. I suspect not many others will face the same limitation. I have, as writing this, just tried wrapping the wrist strap of the case around my journal cover and that works. Perhaps this is about to became the latest pen to undergo being the attached pen to my daily carry.

Do I have any concerns. Putting aside deliveries, which we now know are covered with the partnership between Gravitas Pens and Pen Venture, no I don’t. This is the typical metal pen from Ben, as in well designed, well finished, and works well.

Would I prefer this pen over the Pocket Pen or Quark. Depends on usage and requirement. If the way I have worked out to carry this pen with my pocket journal proves practical and reliable, then I do think I would choose this pen over the Pocket Pen, but that is personal preference. Against the Quark, hard to say as mine is the Ultem version, but when it comes to comfort and size, yes I think the Dinkey wins. In fact it would be tempting to see what a Dinkey would be like to use if made from Ultem or white Delrin.

Would I recommend a Dinkey to others. Well if you are after a pocket pen and your budget is beyond that of a Kaweko Sport, then yes. At present, including postage, this particularly pen is around £95 (plus import duties – in the UK it is below the limit), which is actually cheaper than buying direct from Gravitas in Ireland (while you still can). I suspect there may be deals at pen shows (as it saves postage).

Pros:

• Nicely proportioned.
• Keeps with the main Gravitas style book.
• Comfortable to hold and use.

Neutral:

• My nib has the slightest of baby’s bottom, but hard to spot so not making this a con.
• My nib unit possible has slight initial ink flow issues with the feed.

Cons:

• None that I can think of.

Once more thanks to Ben Walsh for sending me this pen, knowing if it was bad I would say, alas despite trying I failed.

Writing Sample:

Size Comparison Pictures:

First with the ubiquitous Lamy Safari/Al-Star.

And now with a number of other common/popular pocket pens. L-R: Gravitas Quark, Gravitas Dinkey, Gravitas Pocket Pen, Kaweco Sport AL, & Shibui North Pocket Pen.