F3 Pens x Gourmet Pens Shop Ink Rocket: A Fountain Pen Built for Ink Slinging

Introduction

Most fountain pens are designed around one job: putting ink on paper through a nib. The F3 Pens x Gourmet Pens Shop Ink Rocket takes a different view. It is a custom pen made by Carl at F3 Pens for the Gourmet Pens Shop, built around a simple but unusual idea: a fountain pen whose tail is shaped like a spatula, so you can smear, swatch, and sling ink whenever the mood strikes.

It is a niche concept, and it is refreshingly honest about that. If you enjoy playing with ink, this is a tool designed exactly for that moment. If you only write pages of text every day, it may not change your life. Read on to see who it suits.

Design and Materials

The body uses two contrasting acrylics: Turn T Pen Co’s Nothing to Hide in one section, and MacKenzie Diamond Works’ MacKenzie Dioptase in the other. The darker material carries a subtle, toned-down sparkle, while the dioptase has a glowing quality that gives the pen a genuinely distinctive look without being loud.

At roughly six inches long, it is not a large pen, and it is light and easy to manipulate. The section is comfortable, the step is smoothed out, and the fit and finish are careful throughout. It is fitted with a Jowo steel nib, which is a dependable, well-regarded choice for a pen like this.

What the Spatula Tail Actually Does

The tail of the pen is shaped like a spatula, and that is the whole point. Instead of reaching for a letter opener, a folded nib, or a separate spatula to test how an ink behaves, you simply use the back of the pen. Dip the tail, smear, and you have an instant ink swatch.

There is a short learning curve. The tail works differently from a folded nib because it does not hold ink away from the writing surface the same way, so you need to learn where ink collects and how to release it. Once you get a feel for it, you can write with it, not just with the nib side but with the tail side as well, and the results improve with practice.

Filling Options and Interchangeable Tails

The pen is designed to fit a small plunger mini converter, which comes included. You can also use short standard international cartridges, convert it to an eyedropper if you like, or simply dip it without inking it at all. One note on the eyedropper route: because the material is lighter, the ink you see through the barrel may not match its color on paper, and inks can stain the interior.

The tail unscrews, and that is deliberate. Acrylic darkens over time as ink is smeared across it, which is partly why a darker material was chosen. The plan is to offer interchangeable tails so you can swap them to match your ink, your mood, or simply to start fresh. The included tail is the first iteration, with more possible later.

Everyday Ink Handling and Creative Uses

In practice, the Ink Rocket encourages you to actually use your inks rather than hoard them. Inks can go off over time, so a tool that makes swatching fun is a genuinely useful nudge. You can make controlled swatches, tap out ink to see its sheen and shading, add a drop from a sample vial and blend colors on the page almost like working with acrylic paint on a palette.

It is equally at home in letter writing and art. You can write a greeting with the nib, flip the pen, smear a little decoration with the tail, flip back, and keep writing. For anyone who wants to feel a bit more playful with ink, it is exactly that kind of tool. It is meant to be a toy as much as a pen, in the best possible sense.

Cleaning and Long-Term Care

Maintenance is straightforward. The tail can be wiped clean, or dipped in water and wiped, which keeps it ready for the next color. With repeated use, some staining is likely eventually, and the design accepts that rather than fighting it: darker materials, a smear-friendly shape, and replaceable tails all acknowledge that this pen is meant to be used hard.

If you plan to eyedropper it, keep in mind that staining the interior is possible, so the converter or cartridges may be the safer daily route. For a tool built around deliberately getting ink everywhere, cleaning this easily is a real advantage.

Buying Advice

The Ink Rocket is sold through the Gourmet Pens Shop at 350 Canadian dollars, and orders are shipped securely by the shop itself. Buying it also means supporting a small pen maker and a small business, which matters here given how personal the design is.

If you are an ink slinger, a swatcher, an artist, or someone who loves odd and original pen designs, this is easy to recommend. If you want a conventional daily writer and nothing more, a standard fountain pen will serve you better for less money. The value here is entirely in the idea, and the idea is a lot of fun.

Conclusion

The F3 Pens x Gourmet Pens Shop Ink Rocket is a genuinely original pen: a comfortable, light, well-made fountain pen with a spatula tail for slinging ink, interchangeable tails for long-term flexibility, and a playful spirit most pens never attempt. It will not be for everyone, but for the people it is for, it is exactly right.