Wancher Olympus Titan Fountain Pen and 18k Shogun Nib Review

Wancher Pen  has become well known in the pen industry since becoming a standalone pen brand in 2011. The founder of the company, Mr. Okagaki Taizo, started Wancher initially as a stationery company, THT Inc, selling other maker’s fountain pens in 2000. Since becoming its own brand, Wancher has pushed the boundaries of fountain pens with materials, designs, and even their own nib grinds. In addition to fountain pens, they also have their own line of watches (more coming on that later). Recently Wancher offered to send me one of their newest models, the Olympus Titan fountain pen with their signature 18kt Shogun nib to review. This model is made with stabilized wood, which is resin is infused into the wood in a vacuum chamber creating a stronger wood which is more durable and resistant to water. It looks similar to wood so each pen will be unique as the grain varies, so your pen will be a one of a kind. Thanks go out to Wancher for sending this for review, and if you would like to get one for your collection, you can find the link here.

 Packaging: The pen arrives in a simple black flip lid box with “Wancher”, “From the land of the Rising Sun”, and the Wancher logo embossed in gold foil on the lid. Inside the pen rests in a foam insert along with a warranty card, instruction guide, and a two pack of black Sailor style cartridges. The warranty and instruction cards have QR codes which provide the information about the pen. The packaging is simple and effective, which is how I prefer it. I want the pen to do the talking not the packaging.

First Thoughts: The materials match the name of the pen perfectly! The matte grey stabilized wood and titanium capture the Titans strength and theme.

 Design: The cap finial is a rounded triangle shape that transitions down to the cap. As the cap progresses down to the cap opening, it becomes round entirely. The clip is a rectangle shape and made from titanium, complementing the grip section, and contrasts the rounded cap shape. The bottom finial is round, and the pen gradually widens before reaching the cap threads and grip section. The cap threads are wife and slightly sharp, but they sit far enough back from the grip, so they are not in the way when holding the pen. The grip section has a subtle taper towards the nib before reaching a flared finger stop and the nib. One little surprise is the Wancher logo engraved inside the pen where the converter goes, a very cool detail.

 Nib Performance: Wow, so this is where the rubber meets the road, or I guess the pen meets the paper. The Shogun 18kt nib is one of the newest nibs for Wancher offered in either plain 18kt gold or 18kt with Rhodium plating. The tip of the nib is ground to a slight angle, similar to the tip of a tanto blade. The flat surface gives a wonderful writing experience, smooth but with a slight bit of feedback. This also allows for a tiny amount of line variation depending on how you hold your pen. With the included cartridges, the nib laid down a perfectly balanced wet/dry line and kept up with fast writing and periods of non-use. The Shogun nib is available on the Titan, True Urushi collection, the Macha fountain pen, and Frozen Sake pen currently. Wancher is expanding the nib to other lines as well. From Wancher’s website, the nib was inspiration came from “the first shogun of the last shogunate, - Tokugawa Ieyasu - became the shogun after proving victorious through dozens of battles against invaders, political rivals, and traitors alike, and the result of his triumph was the establishment of Edo (now known as Tokyo) as the preeminent seat of power in all of Asia”

Filling System: Sailor cartridge/converter

Value: $250 USD with a #6 Stainless Steel Jowo nib, $430 USD for the 18kt Shogun nib

Overall: There is truly nothing I don’t love about this pen. The overall design, from the rounded triangle top of the cap transition to completely round, the complementing and contrasting materials and shape, the balance of the pen, the texture, the nib, it all just works beautifully. The star of the show though is the Shogun nib which is an absolute pleasure to write with, and it feels like the pen is dancing across the page. I found every excuse to write with this since I received it, and while I am sad that I only had it for a short time for this review, it is on my list for future pens to acquire.

Specs:

Name: Wancher Olympus Titan

Design: Stabilized resin and titanium

Length: 138.8 mm (5.46 in)

Posted: N/A

Diameter: 12.9 mm (0.51 in)

Weight:  24 g (0.84 oz)

Nib: 18kt shogun

Filling System: Cartridge/Converter

Pros: Stunning materials, nicely balanced, amazing nib

Cons: Only one I could imagine would be the proprietary cartridge, but it comes with a converter so not really a con.

In the same price range:

Sailor Pro Gear

Visconti Mirage

Pilot Custom 823