It was awesome, then it was special, now it’s just pretty good. But it might get awesome again.

I’ve mentioned my Namisu Nexus pens before. After I got them, the black anodized aluminum version, and its steel nib, quickly became my favorite.

The Bock steel M nib had been tuned well (or I won the Bock nib lottery) and I found it to be a smooth writer out of the box. It didn’t have the squeak of the titanium version and was fun to write with. I also found that it paired perfectly with Pilot Blue Black ink. It is lighter than the titanium version. With the cap and a full converter it weighs 29 grams/1 ounce. Without the cap it’s 26 grams/.91 ounces. The cap doesn’t post and, because it’s black, it’s easy for me to lose it on my black desk.

Because of the good nib, I started carrying the pen almost everyday. I’ve taken notes with it and written rough drafts of these posts with it. I don’t like the small cap, but I like the shape of the pen. The grooves on the section usually don’t bother me, but if I’ve been writing a long time, I shift my grip around enough that it become uncomfortable some times.

The Namisu Nexus Aluminum version with the cap.

The Namisu Nexus Aluminum uncapped.

The black anodizing has held up well despite being carried almost every day and the bead-blasted finish hides fingerprints well.

Unfortunately for this pen, I’ve started liking the Titanium version more and more lately. The titanium M nib leaves a much thicker, wetter line than the steel version which makes it hard to use in small notebooks (it bleeds through a lot) but it feels great on paper.

Because of this, the aluminum version has been sitting at home a lot. (In defense of the pen, it’s not playing well with the ink I’ve filled it with which hasn’t helped.)

Also, the pens more interesting replacement has already arrived. I’m now trying to decide if I want to sell one or both. The Nexus aluminum has been a great pen, but I’m not sure I want it anymore. On the other hand, it’s the only of the two that I’ll be sad to have to sell.

The Bock nib and the grooved section on the Namisu Nexus Aluminum version.