Bexley Submariner May 2005 Stylophiles

By Phillip Tucker

Something new from Bexley! The Submariner is a great little pen. I say "little", it's not that it's a miniature or anything. Just compared to their last pen, the Prometheus... Let's just say that the Submariner is back to the everyday world of mid-sized pens.

The Submariner is being made in three colors, orange, brown, and blue, and each one is a variation of marbled acrylic with chunks of the predominating color mixed with lighter and darker shades to create a nice blend. A thin trim ring of matching solid color acrylic sits above the clip on the cap.

The Shape of the Submariner is very simple, a clean torpedo shape similar to the early Wahls Equipoise pens. It's more tapered than the Sheaffer Balance pens, and if you like a slim pen, this one should leave you very happy. The more pronounced taper means that even with the cap posted for writing, the pen balances well in the hand, and is light enough in weight to remain comfortable for long periods of writing.

As much as the market seems to like a great big oversize pen, it's nice to see something that's a bit more reasonably sized come along. If you want something to actually tuck into your pocket and use everyday, a pen like the Submariner is a bit easier than the Montblanc 149 and Pelikan M1000 sized behemoths that seem to be so popular today.

I found the Submariner to be quite comfortable, and just about perfect for my hand. I might have preferred it to be just a touch heavier, actually, but that's about the only criticism I could find in terms of feel. Maybe a thin brass barrel liner or something to add just a touch of weight. I would consider this a minor criticism however, as the Submariner really did feel quite good, and weight is a very personal preference when it comes to writing instruments.

The nib and feed look identical to those I've seen on recent Bexley pens, and I consider this to be good news, as I've had great luck with both my Americana and my Tenth Anniversary Bexley. It's a nicely engraved nib, available in fine, medium, broad, and stub.

I have the stub on my Americana, and a medium on the Anniversary, both of which work quite well. The Submariner I tried out had a fine nib and it was actually quite nice.

Although I'm not usually a fan of fine nibs, this one was very smooth. I could maybe get used to something like this! The line was very thin, with even ink flow and no skipping. Given my experience with two other Bexleys using the same nib in wider tips, I'm not surprised that the fine nib wasn't skipping!

Of course, for those of you who want one, the Submariner is also being offered as a rollerball. The rollerball is identical to the fountain pen version in size and weight. It just happens to be nibless!

The most notable and outstanding feature of the Submariner is probably the clip. With it's outsized rollerball fitting at the end, this is a clip that's going to fit comfortable into your pocket.

It's fitted tightly to the barrel, so it grips well, but that roller ball makes getting it in and out of the pocket easy. Hey, it's also pretty good looking at the same time. I've always found rollerball clips to be a neat design element. Some are more practical in terms of offering an advantage in real use, while others are more decorative, but whatever the case, I've always liked them. The clip was the deciding feature that sold me on the Submariner.

I was very impressed with the Submariner. As I mentioned, I have a couple of other Bexley pens, and have been pleased with them, so I'm not shocked at the way the Submariner has managed to find it's way into my heart.

I can appreciate a beautiful limited edition pen as much as the next guy, but I use my pens, and something well designed, with writing in mind above all else just speaks to me. The level of quality and craftsmanship I've found in Bexley pens also speaks to me.

I'm now just patiently (more or less) waiting to see what's coming next from this little pen company in Ohio!

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