Penlux Masterpiece Grande Aurora Australis Fountain Pen
Founded in 1999, Penlux began manufacturing and designing pens for third party companies. In 2015, they began producing their own line of pens exclusively in Taiwan. Production runs are kept low and they have designed their own piston mechanisms as well to work with a variety of designs. I first saw this brand at the D.C. show back in 2018 and was blown away by the feel and writing performance of the Penlux pens and they came in at a great price point. I reached out to Penlux and they graciously sent me a Penlux Masterpiece Grande Aurora Australis which was just released in October as the newest pen in their Masterpiece Grande line. Thanks again for sending this out to me, please check out your favorite Penlux dealer if you are interested in purchasing one for yourself.
Packaging: The pen arrives in a black box with a black outer sleeve. The bottom right side of the sleeve has a cutout which shows “Penlux” in gold lettering that is on the box inside. The lid comes off and reveals a black foam covering which protects the pen underneath. Beneath the foam covering is a maintenance guide/instruction sheet, the pen in a plastic sleeve, and a maintenance card, all this rests on a yellow pen bed.
First Thoughts: The shape is a very classic design, and the purple material is gorgeous.
Design: The pen has a classic cigar shape like a Montblanc 149 or a Sailor 1911. The cap finial is a dome and sits atop a steel clip and clip ring. The top of the clip is squared, and it tapers down to a clip wheel. I appreciate the clip wheel as it makes clipping and unclipping the pen very easy. The cap gradually widens until reaching a steel cigar band style cap band at the end of the cap which has “Penlux” engraved in the middle with a coin edge pattern on the sides. The bottom finial/piston knob is a rounded dome to match the cap finial and sits atop a steel barrel band. The barrel slightly tapers from the barrel band towards the barrel threads where there is a slight step down. The threads are slightly sharp but sit far enough back that they are not noticeable when holding the pen on the grip section. The grip section tapers slightly before reaching a flared finger stop.
Nib Performance: Penlux uses JOWO #6 stainless steel nibs which are my favorite steel nibs. The medium nib I received was tuned beautifully and it laid down a medium wet line and was a perfect medium. I have used this pen almost daily and have had no hard starts or skips including the weeklong rest test I normally perform to test for drying out.
Filling System: Penlux manufactures their own piston mechanism which is one of the smoothest operating pistons I have used. Filled it holds approximately 1ml of ink
Value: Retail is $220 USD, but normally found for $176 USD
Overall: This is my first experience using a Penlux pen for more than a few minutes at a pen show and I was blown away! The nib was perfectly tuned right out of the box, the piston operates flawlessly, and the translucent material and design are captivating. Each aspect of the pen has clearly been well thought out and their attention to detail shows through. I cannot wait to see the next model they bring out.
Specs:
Name: Penlux Masterpiece Grande Aurora Australis
Design: Cigar shape, resin
Length: 149mm (5.87 in)
Posted: 170.7mm (6.72 in)
Diameter: 15mm (0.59 in)
Weight: 33g (1.16 oz)
Nib: JOWO #6 stainless steel
Filling System: Piston
Pros: Beautiful material, amazing nib, smooth piston
Cons: Slightly expensive for a steel nib
In the same price range:
Montegrappa Elmo
Pineider Full Metal Jacket
Nettuno 1911
