Ensso have made a brave decision in taking their own route on how to make a retractable fountain pen. Instead of the more usual knock they have gone for a side bolt design (hence the name). This is minor however compared with how the nib is sealed. Instead of a trap door there is a silicone membrane which the nib pushes through.

Initial reactions from the big reviewers was mainly strong and this did peak my interest, however like with many of Ensso pens, once I contemplated buying a BOLT the Kick Starter project was over and the excess/extra stock was sold out. Note there is obviously another batch coming along as the website has a pre-order page. Note this review was written almost 2 months after receiving and inking this pen and that may be the result of some real differences with other reviews you may have seen/read.

Visually it is a simple pen, but in no bad way, and does look like many a bolt action ballpoint, however there is one thing that stands out to me and not that uncommon. The bolt mechanism is for a left handed person. I did some research and even the likes of Tactile Turn have the mechanism working the same way. Don’t believe me and have a BOLT, a Tactile Turn, or another pen with the bolt in the same alignment. Try holding it in your left hand and using the bolt with your thumb. I rest my case. I assume Ensso have just replicated the more common layout and they can not be faulted for that, it just leaves me slightly perplexed.

At the back of the pen you have the removable clip. The rear finial simply unscrews allowing you to add or remove it. While the clip does work well I would keep it off unless required as it does come loose quite quickly and will move around. One annoying thing with the clip removed is the finial does not screw on far enough to remove the gap. I know the Kick Starter release came without a clip so all I can assume is either the thread can be wound further in to the barrel (I was not able to remove it for the disassembled parts photo) else there is a different thread component or larger finial cap for use without the clip. [Edit 12/4/25 – Having cleaned the pen, on putting it back in to its box I found that contained an alternate barrel finial for use without the cap].

With just a straight barrel there is no section per se to hold the pen by but with the BOLT being thin this was never going to be an issue and as a result it is very easy to find a comfortable grip unless you need a chunkier pen.

The writing end of the BOLT has a small cone that is unscrewed to remove the nib unit and converter. It also hosts the screw in bracket that secures the silicone membrane in place. When retracted there is not enough pressure on the spring to cause it to fly out so disassembly of this pen is relatively simple and Ensso have published a video on how to do so.

The use of the silicone membrane, which is cross slit allowing the nib to pass through, is certainly an interesting alternative to the traditional trap door and I have noticed very little ink evaporation in the converter since it arrived. All is not perfect though as the drag of the nib through the membrane does mean the process of opening and closing the pen is not the crisp smooth action you expect but rather a sluggish mushy affair. Sure you will get used to it but there is none of that fidget gadget type enjoyment you get from the likes of Tactile Turn. This is not the worst of it though as there have been more than a few times where the nib has stuck in the membrane, more normally on closing rather than opening.

If you think I am finished with the issues caused by using a membrane to seal the pen then prepare to be disappointed. A weakness with many retractable fountain pens is the tipping pushing against the trap and leaving some ink. Here it is worse as not only does the tipping have to push through the membrane but the slit also slides along, allowing more ink to be collect. Now I have not suffered any ink splatter, however when I first went to fill this pen on unscrewing the cone I ended up with collected ink dripping on to my fingers and work surface. This has not happened since but what is very noticeable when I take this pen apart is the nib hosting unit is covered in ink, almost as if this is being used to keep the membrane clean.

The steel nib on this BOLT is medium though due to a relatively dry ink flow it does produce a line some where between a Western medium and fine. The experience is smooth but firm though do must not rush as the ink flow can not cope with quick writing, which is unfortunate as retractables are really aimed at quick note taking. Note this is once the ink starts flowing properly and that can take 10-20 seconds, before that you can expect skipping and even hard starts. Fine for a long stretch of writing but not if you want to quickly jot something down. Additionally, being thin, there is quite a narrow sweet spot to write with. Outside of it and there is no scratchiness however there is little to no ink.

The filling system is a converter and while it looks like a generic unbranded Standard International fit one it is not. I tried a Schmidt converter to see if that would work with the mechanism and it would not fit over the metal nipple. This did surprise me as with their other fountain pens Ensso state they use Bock nibs and ‘Standard’ converters, but not for this one, so all I can think is the nib unit used in the BOLT is third party from outside the US and Europe. Worryingly while Ensso will sell replacement nib units they do not appear to be prepared to sell replacement converters so lets hope it is reliable.

And now to the real elephant in the room. With a retractable pen you should be able to bring the nib out and start writing without any checks. Not here. A combination of the bolt mechanism and the membrane seal means that you will have no clue what plain the nib sits in when extracted. Sure open and close repeatedly over a short period and the nib will normally stay in one position, but leave it a while and on closing you can occasionally see the nib being twisted round. When you combine this with the narrow sweet spot of the nib it means every time you extend the nib you have to look to see how it is positioned and then adjust your hold. A pain when in daylight, a real PITA when in the shadows or taking a note at night. Sure you can manually rotate the nib but why should I get inky fingers when I want to use the pen, especially with a fountain pen aimed at allowing quick usage and note taking.

So my thoughts. Ensso have made a great name for themselves in the fountain pen world with their solid though traditional offerings. We really should take our hats off to them for not only tackling a niche model many makers avoid, but also with an original design. However to me this is a flawed design. One where many of the issues, particularly the nib being moved around, should have been picked up at the testing phase. I know they have a new release coming out and I would hope there will have been some changes to the design but alas I suspect not.

The lack of spares is also a little worrying. I do not mean the nib for Ensso are going to be selling additional units, but the converter which appears to be proprietary. As mentioned above I did try to fit a Schmidt converter, about as common and generic as it gets but it would not fit. The neck was too tight for the feed pin. Far too tight. Note on the Ensso website for their other pens they do state those use ‘Standard’ ink converters. Not on the BOLT page. What has also crossed my mind is the lack of replacement silicone disks. Having written the main chapters I went to check other reviews to try and see if others had the same issues and if so why there was so much good press for this pen. A number did point out the silicone gasket will wear away over time and while Ensso had tested it (well in at least 1 pen) for over a year that infers even they know replacements will be needed in time. It is now almost a year since the Kick Starter project finished, 9 months since they started shipping, and the new batch can be pre-ordered through their website, yet there are still no replacement gaskets for sale.

Would I recommend this pen to others. No. I might seem to disagree with other reviewers but with a pen designed for quick action, having to check where the nib lies, often resulting in the need to change where you hold the pen, sort of defeats the prime purpose behind it. If you are happy to take your time before writing then keep with a pen that has a cap.

There may be some of you who suggest that spraying a little WD40 in to the bolt area might improve the clicking action. This pen actually smells like this has already been done so my experiences with the vague action is with the bolt apparently lubricated.

Pros:

• Unique design for a fountain pen.
• Silicone seal does prevent ink evaporation.
• Clip can be removed if not required.
• Pen can be fully disassembled for cleaning.

Neutral:

• Bolt design is for a left handed person.

Cons:

• Nib dries out quickly.
• Hard starting.
• Nib skips.
• Never know which plane the nib is in until you extract it.
• Wooly/washy bolt action.
• Nothing to say what the converter is but it is not a standard international fit one.
• Lack of spare seals, considering they are consumables.
• Nib can stick in the seal.
• Remove the clip and you can not replace the finial far enough to remove the gap.
• Fundamentally a flawed design.

Writing Sample:

Comparison Photos:

First with the ubiquitous Lamy Al-Star/Safari

Next with a Pilot Vanishing Point and a Platinum Curidas