Magna Carta Oxford
Magna Carta Pen company based in Mumbai, India, was founded in 2013, but the manufacturing company behind it has been in operation since 1981. The company’s motto is “…for the modern-day king,” which is fitting for their various designs and materials used. There are currently five models in their pen lineup. The Oxford (24K PVD gold plate finish with an engraved honeycomb pattern), Durham (black resin body with an engraved chrome cap), Cambridge (24K PVD gold plate finish with engraved diagonal lines), Falmouth (black PVD finish with engraved pattern), and York (black herringbone PVD finish with chrome stainless steel accents). All the models are available as either rollerball or fountain pen and the fountain pens come equipped with Bock nibs. Hiren Kanakhara, the company owner, agreed to send me an Oxford fountain pen for review. I brought it with me to the D.C. Supershow, and I had numerous people stopping me to ask what brand it was and if they could try it out. If you are interested in getting a Magna Carta Pen for yourself, check out the whole lineup at www.magnacartapen.com.
Design: The pen is made from brass and then coated in 24K gold PVD coating. PVD is a process in which the material (gold) goes from a condensed phase to a vapor phase and then back to a thin film condensed phase over the brass. The Oxford I received had a crosshatch pattern, which creates repeating diamond shapes over the barrel and cap. The cap finial is flat with the “MC” logo engraved in it. The clip is tight but effective and has a gradual taper down to a diamond shape at the end. The cap band has “Magna Carta” and the “MC” logo engraved around it. The bottom finial tapers to a conical point. The gold is accented with three grey metal rings located under the top and bottom finials as well as the cap band. There is a slight step-down from the body to the grip section and the threads are remarkably smooth; I feel the PVD coating helps with this. The same crosshatched pattern is continued onto the grip section, which is also gold PVD coated, bringing the whole pen together. This crosshatching also helps with keeping your fingers from slipping during long writing sessions since there is no finger stop and the grip section has a slight taper towards the nib.
Nib Performance: Now for the important question, how does it write? This model comes with a gold-plated medium Bock nib. It wrote beautifully right out of the box, laying down a nice, smooth wet line with Pilot Blue/Black ink. The nib is not marked with the size which is normal for Bock nibs, and it has the Bock logo and scrollwork engraved on it.
Filling System: The pens come with a converter but can use standard international cartridges as well.Value: This model retails around $200 USD, not including shipping.
Overall: This pen is truly awesome. The whole package including design, materials, finish, and how it writes, makes this pen hard to put down. The $210 price point may seem a bit high for a gold-plated nib and C/C pen, but it outperformed many of my gold nib pens. It wrote every time I uncapped it, with no hard starts even after sitting for over a week without use. This model is flashy and will grab people’s attention when you pull it out to write with it. I really love seeing my friends’ and co-workers’ reactions when I use this in meetings at work. I can’t wait to explore the other models from Magna Carta Pens.Specs:Name: Magna Carta OxfordDesign: Brass body with 24K gold PVD coated finishLength: 133.35 mm (5 ¼ in)Posted: Does not postDiameter: 19 mm at the cap band (.748 in)Weight: 50 g (1.76 oz)Nib: Gold-plated BockFilling System: Standard international cartridge/converterPros: Great nib performance, durable build and finish, attention grabberCons: Slightly high price point for a gold-plated nib pen, heavy for longer writing sessionsIn the same price range:Pelikan M205Pilot Custom 912Stipula Etruria
Nib Performance: Now for the important question, how does it write? This model comes with a gold-plated medium Bock nib. It wrote beautifully right out of the box, laying down a nice, smooth wet line with Pilot Blue/Black ink. The nib is not marked with the size which is normal for Bock nibs, and it has the Bock logo and scrollwork engraved on it.Filling System: The pens come with a converter but can use standard international cartridges as well.Value: This model retails around $200 USD, not including shipping.Overall: This pen is truly awesome. The whole package including design, materials, finish, and how it writes, makes this pen hard to put down. The $210 price point may seem a bit high for a gold-plated nib and C/C pen, but it outperformed many of my gold nib pens. It wrote every time I uncapped it, with no hard starts even after sitting for over a week without use. This model is flashy and will grab people’s attention when you pull it out to write with it. I really love seeing my friends’ and co-workers’ reactions when I use this in meetings at work. I can’t wait to explore the other models from Magna Carta Pens.Specs:Name: Magna Carta OxfordDesign: Brass body with 24K gold PVD coated finishLength: 133.35 mm (5 ¼ in)Posted: Does not postDiameter: 19 mm at the cap band (.748 in)Weight: 50 g (1.76 oz)Nib: Gold-plated BockFilling System: Standard international cartridge/converterPros: Great nib performance, durable build and finish, attention grabberCons: Slightly high price point for a gold-plated nib pen, heavy for longer writing sessionsIn the same price range:Pelikan M205Pilot Custom 912Stipula Etruria
