Bexley Poseidon Magnum II in Bronze Sands.

Bexley’s line-up certainly does not lack for variety. This is important. Tastes change, even if fountain pen trends don’t flit by as fast as meggings or ombré. Just witness the stealth finish. It took two years, but eventually Montegrappa, Faber Castell, Sailor, Pilot, all gave it a shot. Before stealth, carbon fiber pens were everywhere. You couldn’t bump into a pen shelf without upsetting quite a few of the darned things. (Not a fan of carbon fiber, obviously.) Now every pen maker has a rose gold something in its line, which is great for those of us who like rose gold. Those who don’t must be wearing patient smiles, waiting for the trend to pass with the calm of Zen masters and eBay snipers.

Bexley has something for most everyone, regardless of what’s trendy. My favorite is the Imperial shape, because it is reminiscent of Japanese pens.

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The II is a piston-packing iteration of the Poseidon Magnum, in different materials. I have found myself with two (don’t ask), in Bronze Sands with gold trim and plain black with silver trim.

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A two-tone stub nib picks up the warm and cool tones in the material. Stubs go well with piston fillers because you expect not to run out of ink so fast. This piston filler only holds 1 ml though, so fortunately the flow isn’t too wet.

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This pen is chunky. If you normally strangle your pens then this can help you relax your grip a little. Stare into the resin swirls and feel the tension flow out of your hand. 😉

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Ocean view recommended for optimal stress release, but not necessary.

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Whenever I travel, I have a very hard time doing pen triage. Usually the pens that go with me are great for writing and drawing, and are also as unfussy as possible, unless I decide I can’t live without this nib on a lever filler, or that nib, but it’s a safety pen, or that delicious stub but… well, you see what I mean. Inevitably, a Bexley makes the cut, usually for forms. This one, thanks to the stub and classic styling, will sneak into the next trip’s pen wrap. (Who knows, I’ll probably jump on the stealth version too, if they ever get to it!)

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