The Staedtler T-Rex TRX. Are Staedtler getting in to the dinosaur game? I wish. But they are getting in to the fountain pen game. I say this, I don’t know many Staedtler fountain pens that are out there, though they did have some history with the Elysee Series 60 pens when they took over some factories. This is the first Staedtler branded pen that has graced my collection, and was gifted to me by a good friend at a London pen club meet back in January. The pen sports a triangular profile, bar the section, which I think is for ergonomic purposes. Unfortunately there is very little out there on the pen; Staedtler’s own website doesn’t even have it. However, you can find this at your local Ryman’s, though be sure to shop around because there is some inconsistency between pricing – some stores will do %off deals, while some will sell at full price. It retails for £60, though you can find it for half of this.

Design

The pen comes in (as far as I can tell) four different colours: brown, blue, green & black all with silver coloured furniture, which has a slight matte feel to it to mimic the rest of the pen. The blue and green colours are rather ostentatious in their vibrancy, while the brown and black seem to be far more conservative and muted. However, it would appear that the pen is prone to scratching.

The profile, as mentioned, is triangular. Not many pens seem to take this design, of course the OMAS 360 is a clear exception, and if any facets are on the pen it is usually from an Italian brand and would favour 6-8 sides, rather than three. The main reason that I would attribute to this design is for comfort or ‘feel’, a là the Lamy Safari, TWSBI Go etc. style pens. I would have done well with one of these pens as a kid; my grip is very odd now and can lead to hand cramps as a result. But here we are.

The cap is also triangular, on the finial is the Staedtler logo and the clip has a design with three rectangles on it. The back end of the pen has a chrome ring with “Staedtler” on it, which doesn’t actually fit on one side of the facet (this is something that annoys me) and “Germany”.

This isn’t really anything to do with the design – and I don’t normally mention packaging so I think this is more an indication of how pleased I was with it. This pen comes with its own case all enclosed in a generic plastic box. The case is also triangular and I think it is a wonderful addition – I would welcome this from other brands – especially those that are in a higher price bracket. The pen in the case can be seen in the first picture above.

Nib

Nothing too flashy, as to be expected. It’s a standard steel nib but does have some ornamentation on it with the Staedtler logo (a Roman theme to represent Mars, the god of war to which the company gave its first name in its early inception). I’m not sure who makes the nibs – a large proportion of Staedtler’s production is in house, though they do have a number of subsidiaries that also help with manufacturing.

In terms of writing experience, the nib performs really well. It’s not the wettest, but certainly not too dry. It provides a consistent line and there is also some give to the nib in terms of line variation (for a steel nib, that is. Don’t go using this as a vintage flex). Reverse writing would actually work really well, if it wasn’t for the fact that the nib cuts the paper.

Feel

The triangular design doesn’t really affect me too much. Sure, it looks nice, but in terms of writing experience and feel I don’t really see much of a difference from a circular pen. So the shape is definitely something I prefer as an aesthetic feature over a pragmatic.

The pen is long, doesn’t need to be posted though it can be if you really want – but it becomes extremely large.

Filling

The pen takes standard international cartridges. It seems to be a bit hit or miss with converters, which is really weird, but there we are.

Would I Buy It?

Absolutely. I adore this pen. It is a cheap, reliable and unique instrument, and such criteria are difficult to find in a single pen. I do think the retail is a bit steep (again, £60) and I think a good price would be closer to £40-45. Regardless, obviously I would be taking advantage of any in-store discounts you can find, scoring it for £30 (again – check out Ryman if you’re in the UK. I can’t find it on their website, so you will have to look in a store. Thankfully you can find a Ryman almost anywhere).

If Not This, Then What?

There are many pens in this bracket, so you won’t find it difficult to find an alternative. If ink capacity is important to you, then I’d get a TWSBI which would run at the same price with discount, or cheaper (depending on what model you get of course). Though, you might want to try a Pelikan cartridge (the pioneers of the standard international converter) which has a large capacity itself.