Endless Creator Fountain Pen Review

Well, I asked for this. Lets take a look at the Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen.

The Endless Creator

The Endless Creator is a retractable fountain pen which features a plastic barrel, a compact nib unit, and a clip that sits on the grip section and encourages a proper triangular writing position. The barrel is faceted with six flat sides and a small nose section that houses the nib and sealing mechanism. The rear end of the barrel shows Endless’ simple line dot dot dot brand mark before terminating in a silver-colored plastic click mechanism. The pen is thicker at the grip and slimmer near the clicker, with a smooth, straight narrowing taper from front to back. The metal clip is fixed in place, and strong enough to hold the pen nib-up in a pocket or pen sleeve.

Inside the pen we find a slim, lightweight nib and feed unit inside of the metal carriage that moves with the retraction mechanism. The pen takes short international cartridges, and also ships with a Kaweco-style mini plunger converter. The nib unit is unlike any standard nib I have used before. I was not able to verify who manufactures the nib for these pens, but it looks a lot like the Meister by Point Slim Liner Fountain Pen nib as seen on Jetpens.com. The nib writes a smooth fine line that appears consistent with western nib sizing standards. The nib has a small breather hold that is separate from the narrow slit in the tines. The ink flow is slow and steady.

On Form…

The shape of the pen is fairly unique. I do enjoy faceted barrels aesthetically, but have only added a couple to my collection. The Creator’s grip feels a bit too wide for my personal preference. I don’t mind the wider-end being up front, but this is just outside of comfortable. There is also a large nose section ahead of the grip that houses the nib sealing mechanism, and sits in stark contrast to the smooth flat lines present everywhere else on the piece.. The small nib sticks out just enough from this nose section to write, and has a visual appearance closer to a Parker-style hooded nib. This nose section looks like it could have been designed to hold a small cap in place to seal off the nib, but instead it just functions as an extra bit of length around the tip.

One of the challenges (I assume) in making a faceted pen is getting the cap and barrel sections to line up properly. When assembled correctly, the Endless Creator does a good job of lining up those seams. However, in the case of my particular pen, fully tightening the barrel together results in those lines being about one-tenth of a turn too far. So essentially I have to take a careful moment to line the sections up properly. Despite the threads not being as tight as possible when lined up, the barrel does not feel loose, nor does it twist or move during regular use. Another thing that is hard not to notice on the ABS plastic finish are the seam lines from the molding process. There was also a bit of plastic burring present on the flat edges of the pen. Nothing that would cause discomfort during writing, but enough to notice if you run your finger over it

The cartridge housing has a small arrow etched into the surface that lines up with an arrow on the front barrel section to ensure proper insertion of the nib into the mechanism. It also includes a small cap to cover the cartridge or converter while in use. This cartridge enclosure is (I assume) supposed to be friction fit so parts don’t move around any more than intended. My pen’s unit did have a bit of a bend in the housing that assisted this friction fit and, when I corrected the bend (assuming it was unintentional,) the cap did not actually stay in place through friction alone. I ended up bending it back to its original misshapen state so the cap could be removed and replaced with relative ease and confidence. This was another concern that didn’t impact the overall function, but the QC issues are starting to stack up.

The feed is friction-fit into the housing and easily removable for cleaning or maintenance. The nib itself is engraved with what I initially though was the Endless (dash dot dot dot) logo. Upon closer inspection, it’s actually a little sword containing the logo within. The pen marketing and branding scene is no stranger to Sword imagery, what with the pen being mightier and all that, but it is odd that this design feature doesn’t appear in the marketing or product imagery.

…And Function

Okay, where to begin. There are some finish issues with the pen that I touched on briefly already: the molding lines, the bent metal on the nib carriage. These things may have raised an eyebrow but they don’t impede function in a major way. Same goes for the barrel taking an extra moment’s consideration to line up correctly. I can overlook light QC issues for a pen I really enjoy using, So let’s talk deal-breakers.

The writing feel of this pen is very “stylus like.” The barrel shape and light-weight material feel like a pen tool from a WACOM-style tablet, but not in a good way. I think that it would feel better to write with if it didn’t terminate in such a small nib up front, and the bulky nose section doesn’t do it any favors. Users with hand mobility concerns may find the shape and weight easier to manage, but it really isn’t for me.

The clicker is not ideal. It feels a bit gritty in motion, and there isn’t a satisfactory actuation point where the nib catches so you basically have to bottom out every time you press it. I may have high standards when it comes to click mechanisms, but still. This one isn’t topping anyone’s list.

The actual writing experience is fine: when it writes, it writes fairly well as a firm fine nib. Unfortunately the pen is prone to drying out when sitting and closed, causing difficult dry starts. I typically have to wipe the nib and clear the bit of dried ink to get the Creator to start writing. Once it does get going, the pen writes a consistently fine line and puts out enough ink to keep up with average use. It just doesn’t inspire confidence that it will be reliably ready to write at a moment’s notice. I recently acquired some Infinity Ink by Private Reserve that is designed to allow for extended cap-off time. Using this ink seems to help the situation a bit, but further testing and observation is required.

At the end of the day, even for a $50 piece, the pen just feels a bit unfinished. Like it’s one or two design iterations short of market ready. I tend to have very high hopes for any new pen that strays from the typical elements of style, and the Endless Creator took a big swing in that regard. Unfortunately they didn’t quite hit the mark this time. I really hope Endless continues to iterate and refine their product. I’m a big fan of their notebooks and I really want to check out their new ink line, so I will certainly approach the next one with an open mind. For now, the Creator Retractable Fountain Pen is going back on the shelf.

If you’re curious about the Endless Creator, or maybe you just think I’m wrong, check it out for yourself at Endless Stationery, or check your personal favorite stationery store. (At the time of publication, the Endless Creator is not in stock.)

Disclaimer: This product was purchased at retail price for the purpose of review. All opinions stated are my own,