Review by Laura Cameron
Goldspot is a lovely sponsor of the Well-Appointed Desk and recently they asked if there were any pens we would like to review on loan. YES! I asked to try the Laban 300 Skeleton Fountain Pen in Rose Gold ($207.95).
When the Skeleton first came out I was smitten with the look. There’s something about the modern metalwork over the acrylic resin demonstrator body. It was like the best of all the body types I love!
For all the rose gold detailing, the Laban Skeleton weighs in at only 31g when empty, and I was surprised how light it was compared to what I was expecting. It felt very comfortable in my hand, weighty enough to feel substantial, but light enough that my hand wasn’t fatigued holding it. Lengthwise, the Laban comes in at 5.4″ (136mm) when capped, and 5″ (128mm) when uncapped. The cap does post, but I found that made the pen top heavy, and I preferred to write without posting.
In comparison to some of my other favorite pens, the Laban is slightly smaller than what I consider my “larger” pens:
(L to R: TWSBI ECO Rose Gold, Laban 300 Skeleton in Rose Gold, Platinum 3776 Chartres Blue, Carolina Pen Company Charleston)
You may have noticed I haven’t discussed the nib yet. That is because I feel like the nib is the only weak point of the pen. The Laban Skeleton uses two-toned Bock steel nibs (available F, M, and B), imprinted with the Laban logo. The nib was perfectly serviceable; it wrote smoothly right out of the gate and was of a quality of I expect of Bock nibs. I admit I normally don’t fuss about steel nibs, but in this case, with so much rose gold on the pen, I really think the Skeleton would benefit from a matching nib, even if it made the pen a bit more expensive. What do you think?
Overall, I really like the look and feel of this pen, nib notwithstanding. Other finishes are available (Chrome, Gun Metal) but the Rose Gold has a warm look that I really love and the pen was a smooth writer. Add a Rose Gold nib and this would probably be a buy-it-now for me!
- Paper: Ghost Paper Notebook ($25)
- Pen: Laban 300 Skeleton Fountain Pen in Rose Gold ($207.95)
- Inks: J. Herbin Poussière de Lune($12.95, 30mL)
DISCLAIMER: The Laban 300 Rose Gold included in this review was provided to us on loan by Goldspot for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I totally agree; this pen NEEDS a rose gold plated nib. It probably wouldn’t add too much to the cost, but I’d be willing to pay a little extra for it, too. I love demonstrators and I love rose gold. To get them both in one pen is completely unexpected and pretty! Thanks for a great review. I’ll be looking at this pen.
BTW – is this a #5 or a #6 nib? That nib could totally be replaced with a rose gold plated one! Tempting.
It’s a number 6 nib.
Hi,
Can anyone confirm if the nib units on these can definately be swapped for an off the shelf Bock rose gold one?
Thanks
I find that Diamine Ancient Copper goes really well with rose gold pens.
The Skeleton design is awesome though and eases my need to be matchy matchy, so maybe just go with my old favorite of Sailor Yonaga
I would put in the Domanant industry Garnet ink I just got, it is my birthstone
I was given a Laban pen by my father who has passed away. I was wondering how much it cost.
If you have the box the pen came in, the model information should be on the exterior of the box somewhere.
If not, I recommend doing an internet search and look through photos until you find a similar pen to yours to try to establish the model so you can search for the specific model.
Once you have the specific model information, you can search and see if the pen is still available or find a review that lists the original MSRP. Laban pens have not increased in value recently so the pen, depending on condition, would probably resell for less than the original MSRP price but I can’t say for sure.