What happens when a Taiwanese pen challenges the italians? | Laban Cambridge 325 Ivory Black Review
When it comes to fountain pens from Asia, especially from Taiwan’s brands, there are so many big names out there: TWSBI, Opus 88, Penlux, YStudio and the list go on. However, my eyes are set on a certain brand that’s not as well known - Laban. I reached out to Laban and they have kindly sent me their Cambridge 325 model with 2 ink bottles - and on that note: disclaimer time: I do not have any affiliate links with Laban, so all opinions in this video are my own and I only use the link to their homepage laban.com to let you know where to find them and take a look around.
Without further ado, let’s start with a bit of history: Laban is a Taiwanese fountain pen manufacture that started their business in 1981, and the company has been growing into the world’s market ever since. They made a lot of decorative pieces and most noticeably one of their limited edition dragon pen was used by Pope Benedict XVI during one of his trips to Israel in 2009. In 2016 they launched their arguably most popular model the 325 and also their first ink collection 4 years later in 2020.
The pen comes in this paper box with a blue fabric texture on the outside, and they also gave you an orange branded bookmark and a sticker of the very same pen. The box slides open revealing the pen in plastic wrapper. It also comes with a converter and an international cartridge so you could start filling it up for use immediately.
From the first glance, they do have traits of the italian school of fountain pen making with striking colors and eye-catching adornments all over the pens. The finial has the Laban L in copperplate with 2 olive branches, very much play into their “Greek” theme. The clip is not spring-loaded but firm enough to securely hold the pen in place. It’s not the fanciest clip in the world but it gets the job done. The plastic and construction of the pen are what really surprised me: the plastic is thick and solid enough that you could feel the pen, and to my eyes and lenses I couldn’t really find any moulding seams on the barrel and cap.
The 325 is closest in size to a Montblanc 146 and it does have the same weight even though it does not have the same filling mechanism. From a user perspective and with the price you’re paying for this model, it’s reasonable to ask for a piston filler inside this pen, but this is really personal preference. The converter that comes with this pen also has the same issue that I got with a lot of cartridge converter pens is that: when inside the pen, it makes a lot of clicky noise when you tap the barrel. It does not affect the performance of the pen but it’s a minor pet peeve of mine, the clicky noise does make you wonder if anything is loose inside.
Back to the barrel: the ivory section of the pen is still plastic but casted in a way that gives you those darker streaks of colors similar to real ivory. In fact, these do age better than real ivory as the discoloration is not as severe and it’s not too “in your face”. There are black areas on the section and the end finial to further emphasize the ivory barrel and it works really well with the design. The threading of the barrel was done smoothly without being intrusive. I barely felt the edges during long writing session and that's a plus for me. The overall proportion of the barrel is done so that the Cambridge can be used without being capped and the weight distribution is balance for the everyday user.
Let's now move on to the heart of the pen - the no.6 Jowo nib writes right out of the box without any adjustment required. It has the usual Jowo scrollwork but added the name Laban and the usual 4-digit number indicating the height of a mountain - in this case 3952 stands for Mt. Yushan - the highest mountain in Taiwan. It offers little to no flex but for an everyday writer it would be ideal for many who are looking for a no thrill no flexy nib to write their daily notes.
The fine nib puts out a decent amount of ink and on Tomoe River it shows the sheening clearly on edges and it writes nicely without skipping during long writing sessions.
This pen is a solid choice for people who are looking for a firm writer, but it is not without its issues. The converter works well as intended, yet the clicky sound might bother some of us picky users out there. The section might be a bit too long for those with smaller hands and it could be slippery at times. If you are looking for an instrument to write for longer session, you might find that it gets finger prints quite easily as the glossy finish was done so incredibly well. However, the price might be a pause for those looking at this pen, since it is in the sub-$200 range, and there are a lot of other choices out there that offers a bit more than a steel nib and a converter.
In conclusion, the 325 Cambridge is a weighty solid writer from Laban and I've been enjoying this pen ever since I received it from Laban team! Despite the drawbacks I've mentioned before, it is a gorgeous writer for those wanting a writer that performs well, while not being too distracting with all the fancy materials.
