Ferris Wheel Press Brush Fountain Pen Review: A Slim Pen with Real Character

Introduction

Ferris Wheel Press is a Canadian company based just outside Toronto. It started as a print shop over ten years ago, launched its ink line in late 2018, and has since expanded into several fountain pens. The Brush is one of them, and it arrives with strong branding, thoughtful packaging, and a handful of design details you will not find anywhere else. This review covers the gold-plated nib version in the Lord Evergreen finish.

Design and Build

The Brush is inspired by the contoured silhouette of an artist’s paintbrush, which explains its very slim profile. The cap and barrel are lacquered copper, so the pen carries a decent amount of weight for something this thin. The standard version is available in six colors: Lord Evergreen, Red Carpet Persimmon, Creme Glace White, Printmaker’s Teal, and Sane Castle Clay, with the green model shown here.

At the top of the cap you will find a rounded crown and a brass nut that acts as the cap band. The brass nut shows up across several Ferris Wheel Press products, provides a unique look, and serves as a roll stop on this clip-less design. There is a medium step-down to the thin barrel, which tapers to a rounded point, and the cap unscrews with two and a quarter rotations.

One quirk to note: unscrewing the cap can sometimes loosen the section, so you may find yourself tightening it after uncapping. The company also recommends not posting the cap, since the brass threads could damage the exterior lacquer.

The Nib and Section

Uncapping the pen reveals its two biggest highlights: the nib and the section. The 14k gold-plated nib is available in fine and medium, and the branding is printed upside down compared to most other pens. It carries the company name, a maple leaf as a nod to the Canadian brand, and the Roman numerals 5 and 6, referencing the 905 and 416 area codes where the company is located. There is no breather hole on the nib.

The section is made from brass and engraved with designs inspired by mechanical components of vintage print equipment, such as the flywheel of a 1912 Pearl letterpress and an Underwood typewriter. The engraving looks great and helps you keep a grip on the thin metal section. The nib size is marked on the section rather than the nib itself, which is a detail rarely seen elsewhere.

I typically prefer much thicker sections, but this one is comfortable even for longer writing sessions.

Writing Performance

The gold-plated medium nib is decently smooth and performs very nicely. It is fairly stiff, since it is not a true gold nib, so it does not offer the softness or flexibility of one. Ink flow is slightly on the light side, the feed keeps up with fast writing, and reverse writing works quite well.

It is a cartridge converter pen that accepts standard international cartridges, and a converter is included. The converter’s rear is engraved with “rat tat tat,” a nod to the sound of a working print shop.

Ink and Accessories

Paired here with Ferris Wheel Press’s Peter Moss ink, a nice mossy green recently released as part of a four-ink book-themed lineup alongside Stroke of Midnight, Storied Blue, and Wonderland in Coral. The 38 milliliter bottle is the smaller of two sizes and looks lovely, though the narrow body makes it feel like it could tip over, and the narrow neck will not fit some wider pens.

Pricing and Value

The standard Brush retails for $138, while this gold-plated version sells for $160. That places it on the higher end of the value proposition, but the pen brings genuinely interesting features to the table, particularly the engraved brass section and the unique nib stampings. If you love thin pens, those details may well justify the price.

Buying Advice

Thin pens are not for everyone, but if you already know you enjoy slim writing instruments, the Brush deserves a close look. You get a comfortable grip despite the thin metal section, a pleasant writer out of the box, and a design that pays off the company’s print shop heritage in small, charming ways. If you prefer thicker pens or softer gold-nib feel, you may find the $160 price harder to justify.

Conclusion

The Ferris Wheel Press Brush is an interesting pen that stands out through design rather than raw nib performance. Its lacquered copper body, brass hardware, and print-inspired engravings make it one of the more distinctive slim pens available, and the writing experience holds up well. For fans of thin pens with character, it is an easy recommendation.