A Chubby Starter Fountain Pen
When I first saw the TUZU in the maroon color, I knew I wanted to try them. I’m not a big fan of Sailor (even though I was a sailor long ago), but that’s mostly due to the fact that I have little experience with them. The King of Pen is certainly a statement and I would like to try one out someday, but I’ve been a Pilot fan for a long time and never saw the need to invest any time into other Japanese pens when my eyes were mostly focused on modern European pens and vintage US pens.
But this Sailor has a decidedly European look to it, but also has an Urushi vibe. And yet, it is an entry-level pen with a gimmicky adjustable grip section. Certainly worth a look. I saw a reel in my Instagram feed from Goulet Pen Company, and jumped over to read more about the TUZU and see what was available. They had the full compliment in stock, so I grabbed the lovely red one with a broad nib, and snagged the very attractive light gray one with a medium nib.
Gimmicky Grip-Section Adjuster
Even after reading the literature and seeing reviews of the pen, I wasn’t warming up to the idea of the adjustable grip section. It seemed like an answer looking for a question. I don’t feel like a round grip is hard to hold steady. There are some shapes that seem slippery, but even a small, tapered section like on the old Parker 45, which I use daily, is comfortable for long writing session. The classic spool shape of most sections, or the funny, narrow section on a TWSBI Eco seem to work fine. I was doubtful is was more than a gimmick to attract newbies, but I had to try it to be sure.
The instructions with the pen go into detail on how and even why you will feel the need to adjust the grip on the TUZU, and most reviews I’ve seen show how it works, but I’m not going there. What I did was notice how I hold fountain pens: index finger at 12 o’clock, thumb at 8 o’clock, and then put the flats of the TUZU grip section in that arrangement. I tried the pen and my fingers fell naturally onto the flats. Okay. Then I readjusted the flats to be out of those positions, and tried again. My fingers fell into the almost same positions. I had to adjust my grip a little once I started writing, and then all was well.
The upshot is, for a regular fountain pen user, setting the flats on the Adjust makes settling your grip a little faster, sometimes. However, I can see where a novice would find it quite helpful to zero in their grip and then have their fingers fall immediately into position the next time (and every time) they pick up the pen. Fine, one point for Sailor TUZU Adjust! This reminds me of the little rubber things you could slip over your pencil to assist with gripping your little No. 2 exam marker. Bravo.
But then I picked up (one of) my EDC pen, a Pelikan M205, and noticed again that I had no trouble gripping it comfortably. I recall that it took me a little practice to get to the place where it felt natural on most fountain pens I own, and I began to wonder — what if I had a TUZU earlier on in my journey? Would I have learned my technique and gotten to the point where my fingers feel at home on most any Pilot or Pelikan or Peneider? It seems to me a bit like training wheels on a bicycle. They are helpful at first, but they may keep a child from learning to ride a two-wheeler for a while longer than going without. But then again, without them the experience may be uncomfortable enough that the child gives up.
My Verdict
Since I don’t need the training wheels, I don’t think the feature is a game-changer. In fact, I wish they’d offer a replacement part so I could remove the training wheels, both for myself and for a new fountain pen user, after some point.
However, I really like the look and feel of the pen and enjoy using them. As entry-level pens they are a little expensive, which may tend to dissuade the intended audience, but I really enjoy the clean lines, the shape, and the awesome colors. In fact, I like the other three colors (classic Black, Mint Green, and Translucent Navy), so I will likely add those to my stable at some point. Perhaps when the newness wears off the price will come down a bit? Or it may catch on and we’ll see competing adjusting grip pens? Hey, the more the merrier.
