Endless Stationery were know for their range of respected notebooks and in mid 2023 they added to this by the introduction of the Creator retractable fountain pen. This did create a fair bit of interest across the community. I missed out on getting one at the time but was changed by the arrival of this loaner.

I was leant this pen as part of a batch of retractables by Scribbles from the United Inkdom review group. It potentially will be covered further down the line by a group meta-review. Note also Stationery is the correct spelling for the company.

From memory I remember the initial reviews being strong, especially for the cost as this was going for £48-£58 at the time (£48 for EF, F, M, and B nibs, £58 for the fude nib). Looking through YouTube all bar one of the reviewers I thought had covered it in fact had not. The old Mandela Effect.

First impressions are mixed and you need to remember the cost point. The resin used for the section and body reminds me of cheap ball point pens, however it does feel solid and there are no creaks, The knock and the back of the barrel look like they are not metal but actually painted plastic, and their feel makes me think this is the case. Once more I have to remind of the low cost of this pen and for the price I think the materials are decent. It also means the pen is not too heavy. The only markings are a dash and three dots towards the knock, the branding of Endless Stationary. Nice and subtle.

At first the hexagonal cross section feels odd and I know some people will never get on with it, however I found I got used to the shape quite quickly and the pen feels fine in the hand for me. Must be remembered though that I do use the traditional 3 point tripod grip (four point should also work).

The clip is in a similar position to most other retractables and is not removable so may annoy some people. If the clip prevents you from using a Pilot VP then forget about this pen. It appears to be friction fitted into a slot at the front of the section and does feel secure. It is light and has a lot of spring to it, meaning it is easy to get over a pocket seam but potentially could be bent if abused. While the clip does work, it offers little resistance if there is any force on the pen from below, so put in a jacket inner pocket, drop that on a seat, and the pen could easily pop out. Having said this, there are far more expensive pens out there with the same issue (Visconti {cough} {cough}).

One of the key selling points about this type of pen is the ballpoint type knock at the back of the barrel. For many the clicking action can be addictive, a bit like a fidget spinner, but not here. This is a soft squishy action that offers no satisfaction and also occasionally does not work. More so when trying to close the pen than open. I think part of the problem is the nib can get caught on the trap mechanism, but also the button sticks in its hosting, the latter being an issue when replacing the barrel after filling the pen. You can see in the photo above the nib actually pushes the trap open and slides along the lip.

The part of the section where the nib emerges looks a little odd and with the nib out there is little of it visible, however in reality the end of it is actually parallel to the page when you write at the traditional 45 degree angle we are taught in Europe. Almost certainly a design choice that is interesting, works, but visually is challenging.

The nib is long and thin, again in line with many of its rivals. With very little being beyond the feed there is no give and you get a very firm and pencil like writing experience. This is a medium nib though writes more like a fine or extra-fine. Also there is a hint of roughness though looking through a loupe I can see no issues aside from the potential for baby’s bottom.

The writing experience is a mixed bag. The nib is not unpleasant and once the ink is flowing it is relatively wet, however leave the pen open for about 30 seconds and it dries up. Leave the pen closed for a day and it dries up. Re-priming is hard to do and I found the best way was just to leave the pen standing nib down for a while, though this also highlighted another issue. Every so often on doing this I would find a pool of ink where the pen had been standing.

This leads to another issue, which could be down to ink weeping from the nib and feed, could be a weakness in the sealing mechanism, or a combination of both. Not only does the nib dry out when closed but also the pen suffers badly from ink evaporation. We are talking just 2 weeks to dry out. Also left more than a few days and I could not get the ink to flow again. I could push in the converter but as soon as the fresh ink in the feed had been used up then the pen would stop writing. The only fix I could find for this was a complete clean including multiple sessions in my sonic cleaner (about 30-40 minutes worth).

Back to the ink dropping out of the nib when closed. This happens also when the pen is on its side and each time I have gone to refill this pen I have found ink has leaked or dripped out with the result the inner unit has been coated. There is certainly something not right about the way the nib, feed, and converter work together.

The filling system is cartridge/converter with a push/pull piston converter supplied. Capacity wise this is about the same as a short international cartridge while being about three quarters the size of a regular converter. Fitting is international standard and on testing the pen does work with a short international cartridge inserted. The supplied converter has the Endless Stationary dash and three dots on it, alas I only spotted the markings when cleaning the pen.

The nib unit is flat on the top, meaning you can only inset this one way in to the section and on that side there is also a long cut to allow you to see the whole length of the converter, thus letting you see the ink level. I found that this system would fully fill each time on a single pull, so that part works well. There is a metal cap/cover to go over the back of the converter and this is pushed by the knock on to a ridge on the nib/converter hosting. Net result is you can use a shorter converter or an international standard short cartridge without any issues.

While it could be argued this pen has been made to a price, those parts are fine and up to the job. The other areas however are a source of concern. The nib either dried up else leaked. The pen does not seal. The knock action is squidgy. The retraction mechanism does not always work.

For me the worry is not over the user experience of the Creator, but the fact Endless Stationary are releasing a new retractable through a finished Kickstarter project, the Phantom, and I have backed that and it is now too late to cancel.

Can I recommend this pen? No. I am hoping that the various issues I have encountered will be fixed in the Phantom. The estimated posting of those has been put back from mid-February to mid-April so expect a review in May or June. Second hand? Even at half the original price I would struggle to recommend and suspect that many buyers of the Creator are stuck with something either left in a drawer else binned. If you do really want one of these I found when checking the price that a few sellers still have a pen or two in stock though not in all nib sizes and these almost certainly are the last to be available.

Pros:

• Fills first time every time.

Neutral:

• Shape and feel will not be for everyone.
• Clip works but not particularly securely.

Cons:

• Weak, insipid, opening/closing mechanism.
• Nib dries out very quickly once open.
• Nib dries out within a day when closed.
• Priming issues if the nib has dried out.
• Terrible ink evaporation.
• Unreliable open/closing mechanism.
• Poor trap design, nib pushes it open and slides over the lip.

Writing Sample:

Comparison Photos:

First off alongside the ubiquitous Lamy Al-Star/Safari.

Next with a Platinum Curidas and a Pilot VP