Benu Euphoria La Petite Prince Review: A Hand-Painted Limited Edition Fountain Pen

Introduction

Benu has built its reputation on fountain pens with a strong sense of personality, and the Euphoria La Petite Prince is one of its more disciplined efforts. This is a limited edition of just 100 pens, sold directly through the Benu website, and it pays tribute to The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, one of the best-selling and most translated books of all time.

Benu and its team have relocated their operations from Russia to Armenia, publicly stating their opposition to Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine. After a period where the website could not take orders, the store is back up and running, and this limited edition is one of the new releases marking that fresh start.

Who This Pen Is For

The Euphoria La Petite Prince suits writers who want a pen with genuine emotional character rather than another understated black resin body. If you have read and loved The Little Prince, the design choices here will land immediately. It also appeals to collectors who enjoy handmade touches, since every unit’s art and resin can look slightly different.

Be aware that this is a limited run of 100 pens at $280, which sits at the high end of Benu’s range. The higher price reflects the handmade artistic elements, and once the edition sells out it will not return.

Unboxing and First Impressions

The pen arrives in Benu’s traditional packaging: a cardstock sleeve decorated with the company’s art deco logo, along with a use and care guide and a standard international long cartridge. Nothing flashy, but everything you need to get writing right away.

Design and Artwork

The pen is based on Benu’s Euphoria model and is made from resin infused with sparkle elements, accented by hand-painted symbolic artwork. The centerpiece is the silhouette of the book’s young protagonist alongside the fox he meets on one of his planetary stops. Above them, a light blue resin transitions into a deeper azure that continues up through the cap.

What works here is restraint. Some Benu pens can feel overloaded with shimmer, but the sparkle on this one is held back and reads as a star-filled night sky. Four or five hand-painted stars are scattered across that sky, a subtle touch that matters because stars carry real meaning in the story. The transition from horizon to night sky is handled well, and the flair feels intentional rather than haphazard. Call it pizzazz with a purpose.

Other details are thoughtfully executed. The cap is faceted into ten sides, forming a decagon, with a slightly raised end that acts as a pseudo cap band carrying the company name. The clip is a low-profile sword-shaped rocker clip: press the back and the front lifts for thicker materials, while thinner ones need no assistance. The limited edition number is hand-painted on the barrel, and the barrel tapers evenly to a gently rounded end. Benu appears to have applied an outer coating to protect the art, though long-term capping and uncapping over it may be worth watching.

Nib, Section, and Writing Experience

The cap twists off with two and a quarter rotations to reveal a number six stainless steel Schmidt nib, available in fine, medium, or broad. The medium nib on this unit is very generous with ink flow, and Schmidt nibs continue to be underrated performers. Line variation is limited unless you push the nib a little, and reverse writing is slightly scratchy but workable. The feed keeps up fine with fast writing.

The section begins with a slight flare and is on the narrower side, though the facets give the fingers a pleasant grip. Threads are not sharp or uncomfortable if your grip rests on them. It is a lengthy section, which helps the pen feel comfortable unposted.

Practical Considerations

This is a cartridge and converter pen accepting standard international cartridges in both long and short sizes, and a converter is included. Because there is no metal in the section and the barrel is a single piece of resin, the pen can be eyedroppered with a bit of silicone grease on the threads.

The pen is plenty long enough to use unposted. The cap does post, but not very securely, and it adds considerable length. Since it covers the artwork, which is arguably the most important element of this pen, unposted use is the better choice.

Writing Sample and Ink Pairing

For the sample, Colorverse Andromeda felt like a fitting choice for a story about planets and stars. It is a purplish maroon with a nice golden sheen, and Colorverse’s teardrop-shaped bottles are a nice bonus for anyone who picks up the ink.

Buying Advice

At $280, this is an enthusiast purchase, and the value is in the handmade art rather than exotic materials. If the story resonates with you and the design speaks to you, acting sooner rather than later makes sense given the edition of 100 and how quickly Benu’s hand-painted models tend to sell out.

Conclusion

The Benu Euphoria La Petite Prince is an interesting addition to the Benu lineup. Its subdued shimmer, careful resin transitions, and hand-painted details give it an emotional impact that matches the story it honors. For fans of The Little Prince or anyone who wants a limited edition pen with real artistic intent, it is easy to recommend.