Pen Review: BENU Pixie

It’s certainly a dinky fountain pen.

That’s what made the BENU Pixie catch my eye in the first place—dinky pens are hard to come by. Most pens are designed with people of Brobdingnagian proportions in mind—bring on the heft and paddle sized pen nibs!—whereas diminutive shrimps such as myself tend to fall through the cracks in fountain pen land. Yes, there are options for us, but not very many. Word needs to get out that not all fountain pen users are built like Sylvester Stallone. Anyway, when a new tiny pen surfaces, I cannot help but pounce.

I’ve been told it doesn’t look like my sort of pen. That’s true. The glitzy and besparkled BENU isn’t typically my thing. I go for subdued, subfusc, attention-deflecting. My pen collection is primarily grayscale and earth-toned. And then there’s this little Pixie pen that looks like a New Year’s Eve party. Of all my pens, this is the most extroverted of the lot. So yes, it’s definitely out of character for me.

Not that there are no mild-mannered options in the BENU Pixie line—there are three—black, blue, and brown. But I went for the “Aqua Glow” because I really do think it’s pretty. Besides—it sort of has oceanic vibes, and I have a weakness for that sort of thing. If only I had waited a few months for the black Pixie festooned with Jolly Rogers to be released instead, as that’s even more me, but—how was I to know they’d release something better in so few months? The pen market really annoys me sometimes. Anywho. 

Do I think the Pixie was really worth the hype/wait/splurge? Meh. It is fun to try something different, and there are not many options out there that are lightweight enough for me to use safely. But existing small/lightweight pens are more comfortable and satisfying for me than the Pixie. I highly prefer the feel and price tag of the Kaweco Sport. I even like the feel of the Jinhao 82 Mini better than that of the Pixie because the Jinhao has a more traditional shape. The Pixie is… well… weird. 

For size comparison, here are some capped fountain pens from left to right: Pilot Prera, Kaweco Sport, Jinhao 82 Mini, and the BENU Pixie. These are all relatively small, “pocket-sized” fountain pens.

…and here are those same four pens in the same order uncapped and unposted. Again, from left to right they are: Pilot Prera, Kaweco Sport, Jinhao 82 Mini, and the BENU Pixie. Clearly, the Pixie is aptly named.

There is no choice but to write with the Pixie posted because the actual pen is ludicrously short. Note: I almost never use my pens with a cap posted on them, except for the Kaweco Sport and the Jinhao 82 Mini, and even that is only sometimes.

And when I say ludicrously short, I really mean it. Seriously. Look at that thing next to my finger, and I have puny hands to begin with! I don’t know which is longer, this or a golf pencil.

The Pixie, with its girthy, oddly heavy cap, just feels awkward to me. I got the pen back when it was first released in, what was it… March? April? Anyway, my thumb was troubling me a lot at that time, and this pen only made me feel worse. So, even though the product description boasts that it went through extensive ergonomic testing, take that with a grain of salt. What is ergonomic for one may not be ergonomic for someone else. My hands have improved a great deal since my Covid-induced period of inertia, so I can use it for longer sessions without hurting now, but I can tell it will never be a go-to pen for long writing sessions. In other words, not worth the price as far as comfort goes.

I don’t know why so many people seem to swoon over the smoothness of these nibs. I had to use micromesh on mine because it was so scratchy. It’s acceptable now, but still unworthy of swoonage. It’s a wet writer, though, especially since I flossed mine with brass, so that’s nice.

I don’t mind that it’s a cartridge-only pen. I often syringe-fill cartridges anyhow, as this method makes me feel more like a mad scientist. I’ve heard the foldable Kaweco converter works if you absolutely must have a converter for your pen. Color me indifferent.

Here are those same pens again, this time uncapped and posted. From left to right: Pilot Prera, Kaweco Sport, Jinhao 82 Mini, and the BENU Pixie.

The longhand draft for this review was the longest I have used the Pixie for a writing session. On the bright side, it is growing on me and it’s not as uncomfortable as it was in the beginning, but it’s definitely not a favorite. I currently have it inked with a sample of Endless Alchemy Wizard’s Pencil, just keeping up with the mythical theme.

End verdict: If you like something nontraditional, amusingly small, or extremely eye catching, you’ll love it. If you have RSIs, it may not be the most comfortable pen out there as it is surprisingly heavy for its size and the weight is oddly distributed. It’s a curiosity. It’s different. But it is fun, and it writes well. To me, it’s more a “special occasion” pen than workhorse material. And I like my workhorses! Considering it’s the second most expensive pen I own, I admit I’m disappointed—but it mainly doesn’t work for me for comfort/personal health reasons. It’s not my first choice, but it’s not the worst out there, either. If you like this sort of thing, it writes well and dependably.

(On a side note, I can’t believe I’ve had this blog for close to a year and I think this is my first pen review. Isn’t that crazy.)

Also—this review was written for the sheer fun of it and in hopes that someone may find it useful. I am not paid to do this. The pen was purchased with my own money.