Eagle Pen Company Shipwreck Review: A Solid Copper Fountain Pen With a Story

Introduction

One of the pleasures of the pen show circuit is stumbling across makers you had somehow never encountered, and the Eagle Pen Company falls squarely into that category for many collectors. Based in Gilbert, Arizona, the company is run by Chad Schimmel and his wife Amy, who have been making pens since 2012. Their original namesake business, Schimmel Woodworks, did high-end work for Eagle Pens, a father-and-son company known for pens made from unique and historical materials. When that brand went dormant, Chad purchased it back in 2025 with the goal of carrying on the original vision while pursuing new creative projects of his own. The Shipwreck is one of those projects.

First Impressions and Unboxing

The Shipwreck arrives in a branded box that goes beyond the usual pen-and-cartridge routine. Inside you get a small leather coin purse, a sticker, a metal card describing the Shipwreck Collection and the company, a leather pen rest that looks genuinely handsome sitting on a desk, a converter, a standard international cartridge, a bottle of fountain pen ink made by Diamine, and a bottle of pen flush. That is a generous package for a small-batch maker.

The company’s newer direction focuses on smaller batches and single pens in unique materials, with lots of repurposed and vintage stock. Other models in the lineup incorporate materials such as an actual stock certificate from the Pennsylvania Gold Mining Company, which gives a sense of how far the creative streak runs.

Design and Materials

The Shipwreck is a solid copper pen, and every pen in the series looks different. This particular example carries a rough patina with just a touch of the blue-green oxidized look, while others shown at the California Pen Show wore a significantly heavier patina that looked genuinely dredged up from the ocean floor. The company lists each available pen individually on its website with photos of the exact patina, which is a genuinely useful touch: you can see precisely what you are buying. Solid brass versions are available as well.

The shape is straightforward and honest: flat ends, even girth along the barrel, a smooth transition to the band, and a straight barrel. Metal threads are not sharp at all, and the medium step up to the barrel is comfortable. Oxidation settles into the nooks and crannies of the threads, which adds character. One thing worth knowing: the section on a copper pen patinas faster than the barrel or cap because trapped moisture inside the cap accelerates the process. You can always polish it back to shine if you prefer.

The cap twists off with about one rotation, revealing a stainless steel number six JoWo nib in a black coating, available in extra fine, fine, medium, broad, 1.1 stub, and 1.5 stub. The section has a small flare at the front, a straight grip area, and a slight flare at the rear, and the grip length is generous. Even with a grip resting slightly further back, the transition does not dig in. The pen is a cartridge-converter filler and accepts standard international cartridges, but it is not a candidate for eyedropper conversion given the metal material, and it does not post.

Writing Performance

The fine stainless steel JoWo nib on this example performs very nicely. Even for a writer who does not usually favor fine nibs, this one is pleasant: not scratchy, with a decent amount of good feedback rather than scratchiness. Ink flow sits on the lower side, so it reads as a slightly dry nib, and reverse writing is not its strength. For fast writing, the feed keeps up very well, and there is little line variation, which is normal for a fine steel nib.

Paired with a reddish-brown ink like Diamine Ancient Copper, the pen looks exactly as thematic as its name promises. The included bottle of Diamine black ink skews slightly grey and less saturated rather than a dense black, which suits everyday writing fine.

Overall weight is a bit on the heavier side given the solid copper construction, but not unwieldy. It feels substantial in the hand without becoming fatiguing over a writing session.

Price and Value Considerations

The Shipwreck is priced at $699. For unique, individually crafted pens from smaller makers, higher pricing is expected, and the individually photographed patinas justify some of that premium on their own. The open question is the nib: at this price, many buyers will expect a gold nib, and a stainless steel JoWo can create hesitation even when it performs well. That said, the steel nib here performs perfectly fine, and it is easy not to miss a gold nib in daily use. A gold nib might push the price toward $899 or $999, which could feel like too much for this specific pen.

If you value the material, the individual finishing, and the generous accessory package, the price is easier to accept. If a gold nib is a dealbreaker for you at this level, it is worth weighing carefully before buying.

Conclusion

The Eagle Pen Company Shipwreck succeeds at exactly what it sets out to be: a distinctive, hand-finished solid copper fountain pen with genuine character and a well-tuned steel nib. The patina means no two pens are alike, the website’s per-pen photography removes the guesswork from buying, and the included converter, ink, and pen flush make the unboxing feel considered. It is a niche purchase at $699, and the steel nib will give some buyers pause at that price, but for collectors who want a small-batch pen with real material personality, it is a compelling piece worth checking out alongside the company’s other models.