Pen Review: Nahvalur Triad

I never thought I’d get my hands on any sort of Nahvalur fountain pen, but the unlikely has happened! I got a Triad.

Overall, I happen to love the aesthetic of Nahvalur pens. In fact, if I were to judge pens by looks alone, I’d have to say that Nahvalur makes some of the best looking pens on the market. I’ve drooled over the Nautilus for years (before their recent “upgrade” of modernizing it and making it more minimalistic, eww). It’s the ultimate nautical pen, fit for a sailor. And the Horizon is gorgeous—another drool-inducing pen. I just love the overall design and swirling colors. But I’ve come to regard Nahvalur pens as being essentially untouchable eye candy due to several reasons. 

First is the size and weight of most Nahvalur pens. Their massiveness and heaviness would not agree with my repetitive strain injuries at all. Writing with one of those behemoths would bring on the pain quite rapidly for me, so that renders them impractical for my needs. Plus, I’m shrimpy. Large pens and dinky hands just aren’t a good mix. 

Second, the price. Considering how expensive fountain pens can be in general, Nahvalur seems tame by comparison. But the Nahvalur pens I’m most drawn to are still out of my personal price range. 

And, this is not a deciding factor in pen ownership but just a dumb annoyance while I’m on a roll with listing negatives: I’m not a fan of the company’s name change and I honestly don’t know WHY that happened. For anyone not in the loop, Nahvalur used to be called Narwhal, which I thought was a fun and welcoming name. Then they decided to change it to Nahvalur. I struggle spelling it correctly. I also am only able to say it in a mock-sultry voice because it sounds more like a high-end cologne than a pen (if I can’t spell it OR say it like a sane, mature person, I’d call that a problem). Their offerings seem to reflect a high-end luxury mentality more and more, which made the Triad a complete surprise to me.

An affordable, light-weight pen suitable for beginners? FINALLY. I mean, yes, please—I’ll try it!

I was apprehensive about the triangular grip. That sort of thing is usually very uncomfortable for me and I typically avoid them. But I was preparing a hands-on pen talk at the time of ordering it and thought the Triad would be a nice addition for my audience to try. Turns out I ended up really liking the Triad a lot, which was totally unexpected!

Do I love the aesthetic of the Triad? Heck no. It seems atypical for Nahvalur in that respect—looks like something from an office supply store. But it’s certainly practical, sturdy, and dependable—all wins that are more important to me than looks. And the nib is addictively smooth. It writes like a dream straight out of the box, no micromesh required. 

The Triad comes in 4 color options:

Clear demonstrator. Personally, I don’t get the wide appeal of demonstrators. I think that’s the most boring option ever.

Black. Can’t go wrong with black. But sometimes I want to deviate from my gothic inclinations. 

Blue. But it’s not a pretty blue. To me it screams orthopedic device, which is not good for my morale at all.

Chocolate. Now, that’s different! And tastefully mellow. I went with the chocolate without hesitation. 

It’s pretty much cartridge-only (standard international, thank goodness), unless you like to use those puny Kaweco converter torture devices. I refill cartridges with bottled ink all the time, so no biggie.

Again, I’m amazed at how much I love the nib. I went with the fine.

The triangular grip is subtle and doesn’t seem to bother me. Bear in mind that I cannot tolerate the LAMY Safari or Pilot Kaküno. I don’t know why this pen doesn’t hurt me. Has my grip/muscle tension eased up? Am I actually becoming somewhat CALM? Who knows. But I’ve used this one for some multi-page writing sessions and came out not feeling too shabby at all. 

The weird thing I really love about the Triad is how the section threads onto the body of the pen. When you’re done twisting it together, you know it. There’s a satisfying clunk of finality so that there’s no need to worry about screwing it back together too tight or too loose. It’s great for the fidgety-inclined (which I am). I find myself twisting and untwisting it constantly, just a partial turn, just to experience that firm, decisive, solid CLUNK. I understand it’s constructed that way so the brown stripes always line up perfectly and to help smoothly maintain its triangular physique, but it’s a nice way to engineer it. I’m sure it’s healthier for the threads. 

In short, I’m glad Nahvalur finally decided to offer a basic, low-cost pen for beginners, and I think it’s a fantastic option for newbies. At $20, it costs less than the Pilot Metropolitan and LAMY Safari, plus it feels far sturdier than the Platinum Preppy—so it’s definitely competition for all the pens that are typically recommended for people starting out. It fits my personal needs and seems ideal for folks who deal with pain issues. It’s easy to use, I’ve experienced no flow issues, and it’s light-weight, but also built like a tough little tank. It gets the job done, is comfortable to use, and I say it’s a solid winner, not to mention one of the best pen purchases I made in 2025.

Now, if only Nahvalur would design an affordable pocket pen, a mini Nautilus, perhaps, for those of us who have puny hands… But I won’t hold my breath for that one.

DISCLAIMER: I happened to get my Triad for $15 thanks to a Fountain Pen Day Sale at Pen Chalet. I purchased it with my own funds.