Pelikan Twist - Pen Review

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Cute. Colours are bright when the cap is on – and even brighter off!  Ooooooo.
8/10

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN
There is a little of the Visconti Divine Proportions in this pen (in a twisted way – pun intended!)

Closed, the twist of the Twist gives the pen a lovely, well, twist! Cap off, the twist (or lets call it swirl to avoid repetition) seamlessly continues on to the somewhat bizarre and brazen colour of the area just beneath the nib (the section). The bright silver (steel) of the nib, matches the playful brashness of the main barrel colour. I’m not sure that the contrast colours are always the best choices; but then, the Twist’s theme allows a certain twist from the expected. For a full view of colours go here.

The Twist does not come with a clip. This works for the flow of the pen; and with its swirl this is not a pen that will roll off the desk; but given that the Twist is apparently aimed at the student market, not being able to clip it into a pocket may be a negative.
7/10

WEIGHT AND DIMENSION
The Twist is pleasantly light and the plastic of the pen doesn’t seem as cheap as the price would suggest. Closed, it measures just under 14cm long. The body is quite thick; measuring at 2cm on the barrel and just over 1.5cm on the section.

While you can post the cap, it doesn’t really want to stay there; and the balance of the pen doesn’t really work that way, so I would say this is a non-poster. 
7/10

NIB AND PERFORMANCE
The Twist has a steel nib. Both of mine are medium. The performance is excellent. No problems with flow straight out of the box; and there is almost a cursive feel to the nib with lovely feedback.

There is no flex to speak of; but the Twist is not a needle either. 

The writing position however, was more of an issue for me. I hold my pens towards the top of the barrel (just under the section). This pen is uncomfortable from that angle. I found the swirls were getting in my way, and digging into my finger after a while. If I held the pen on the section (which is marginally smaller in width than the body) the pen was easier to write with. So this should be good for those who like to hold their pen closer to the nib (which is most of you); just not in my comfort zone.
6/10

FILLING SYSTEM
It’s a bit of a tight screw; but unscrew the section and insert your Pelikan cartridge and away you go! Not my preferred system, but this is a pen designed for simplicity – and it’s simple.
7/10

COST AND VALUE
At around $15 there is not a big argument about the value here. The Twist is different to look at, has great colours, throws in design surprises, has a great nib and writes well.
9/10

CONCLUSION
The Twist is a lovely starting fountain pen for the price. It’s not a Lamy Safari (but then it’s not the price of a Safari either). The design is fun and different; the colours vibrant and challenging and the nib fantastic for this level pen. Definitely worth a play.

Final Rating: 73/100

0-50 = to be avoided at all costs
51-60 = if it’s cheap and you don’t really care….
61-70 = a nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)
71-80 = A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good
81-90 = A good pen, a keeper only a few minor places off being great
91-95 = Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep it away from the dog
96-100 = Grail