Tombow Zoom 101 Fountain Pen Review

I was very pleased to have a chance to try the Tombow Zoom 101 fountain pen from The Pen Company. Tombow make some of my favourite art supplies and are famous, in particular, for their pencils, but they are not the first company you tend to think of when considering fountain pens. Having spent some time with this pen, I think this is a shame. This is an excellent pen and it deserves some attention.

The carbon fibre construction makes this a very strong but light pen. It feels absolutely solid when you pick it up whilst being as light as a feather. The section, finial and clip are made from duralumin, which according to my dictionary is “a hard, light alloy of aluminium with copper and other elements”. It looks like aluminium but I assume it’s a lot more scratch-resistant. More importantly, it sounds very cool and adds to the whole modern vibe that oozes from the Zoom 101. Carbon fibre and duralumin, it doesn’t get any more futuristic than that.

The clip is spring loaded and very strong. The cap posts, being kept in place with an o-ring. It needs a bit of a push to get on there, but once on it’s not going anywhere. It’s all very functional and well engineered.

The broad nib (it’s also available in medium and fine) is exceptionally wet and very smooth. It’s so wet it might put some people off, but if I’m using a broad nib it’s precisely because I want a lot of ink on the page, and this pen, quite literally, delivers. It’s plainly decorated, just the word Tombow and a B for broad, but that fits in with the overall aesthetic of the pen: straightforward functionality.

There’s no converter included but one is available, and the pen takes standard sized cartridges. It’s a shame that, at this price point, a converter isn’t included as standard.

I’ve tried a lot of pens from a lot of manufacturers and yet the Tombow Zoom 101 has been a complete surprise. It looks beautiful: ultra-modern, simple yet sophisticated. In use, the pen is a good length and so light you hardly notice you’re holding it, posted or not. The nib glides across the page. It’s a delight to write with. This is one of the best pens no-one has heard of and has firmly, and unexpectedly, become of my favourites. As Tombow themselves say on the English translation of their corporate site, “Exquisite lightness is born; worn with massive grace.”