Jean-Pierre Lepine Winston Fountain Pen Review: A Cigar-Shaped Charmer from France

Introduction

The Jean-Pierre Lepine Winston is a fountain pen from a French designer known for pushing design well beyond the ordinary. Lepine’s catalogue includes some genuinely extreme creations, including pens made from materials salvaged from the Titanic, so the Winston counts as the tame end of his range. Even so, it carries plenty of artistic flair, and it is sold in the United States through the retailer Papier Plume.

This particular example is the Duende version, a golden amber brown cotton-based resin whose name references the feeling of passion and inspiration associated with Flamenco. The pen itself is shaped like a small cigar, a nod to its namesake, former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It is priced at $245 at Papier Plume, which feels reasonable for what it offers: a unique design, an interesting resin, and a brand that remains under the radar for many US collectors.

Design and Materials

Lepine designs are rarely subtle, and the Winston is no exception even at its most restrained. The pen arrives in a flip-top box with the company name and “atelier”, the French word for workshop, on the front. It is manufactured in the Jura region of France, near the Swiss border close to Geneva.

The Duende resin is the star of the show. It shows an enormous amount of variation, with different areas of the pen looking like completely different materials, yet the contrasting elements never clash and form a cohesive colorway. Some areas are slightly translucent, offering a glimpse inside the barrel. The trim on this model is gold, and the pen is also available with palladium trim; the gold plays especially nicely with the brown and amber tones. Beyond Duende, the Winston is offered in red, blue, black with a unique resin treatment, and even juniper wood.

Other design touches include a small gold finial on top of the cap that sits like a button rather than sitting flush, a long clip that extends across most of the cap and functions well without being overly stiff, and a distinctively bulbous gold cap band that protrudes slightly more than a standard band. The band is engraved with the Jean-Pierre Lepine signature on the front and “handmade in France” wording on the back.

Handling and Balance

The Winston is not overly long and is fairly well balanced in the hand. The cap posts securely, and although the cap contains a fair amount of metal, most of it sits in the ring that rests against the hand when posted, so it does not back-weight the pen or throw off the balance. The barrel tapers down at an even rate and ends in a rounded finial, and the overall grip position is pushed forward by the shape of the section.

One quirk worth flagging: about one in five times when capping, the threads catch and cross-thread slightly. It is not ideal, and it is the kind of thing that would ideally be zero. It does not ruin the experience, but it is worth knowing before buying.

Nib, Section, and Filling System

Under the twist-off cap, which removes with just over one and a half rotations, sits a number six stainless steel two-toned nib available in fine, medium, or broad. It is an attractive nib, with stylized flowers on top and the Jean-Pierre Lepine signature with Paris underneath. The feed is plastic, and the section begins with a band before angling upward, steeply at the rear.

Metal threads sit behind the section with a step up to the barrel. These threads feel rather sharp, but the steep section angles effectively force a forward grip, so contact with them is minimal in practice. The Winston is a cartridge-converter pen accepting standard international cartridges, and a converter is included in the metal section housing. Eye-dropper conversion is not recommended for this pen.

Writing Performance

The writing sample was done with Papier Plume’s golden shimmering yellow ink, a shimmering goldish yellow from a recent Mardi Gras set, compared alongside Diamine Gold Star and Ferris Wheel Press Sparkling Champagne. The nib itself is not overly smooth; it has a slight drag, reminiscent of an unsharpened pencil, though it is never sharp or scratchy.

Ink flow sits on the lower side, possibly related to the shimmer in the ink used. On the plus side, reverse writing works fairly well, and the feed keeps up just fine with fast writing. If you favor glassy-smooth nibs, this one may not be for you, but it delivers consistent, reliable lines.

Who Should Buy the Winston

At $245, the Winston occupies a space where you are paying primarily for design and material rather than a premium nib. If you want a pen that looks like nothing else in your case, with a resin that rewards a long look, this is an easy recommendation. Size-wise it sits comfortably alongside mid-size classics, comparing closely with pens like a Diplomat Arrow or Aurora 88, and slightly smaller than a Pelikan M805 or Montblanc 146.

The cross-threading issue and the slightly dry, textured nib are the main caveats. Neither is a dealbreaker, but both are worth weighing against the pen’s visual appeal. For collectors rounding out a case with something a little different from a French atelier, the Winston is well worth checking out at Papier Plume.

Conclusion

The Jean-Pierre Lepine Winston is a charming, distinctive fountain pen that brings genuine artistic personality to a mid-price range. The Duende resin, cigar silhouette, and bulbous gold band make it instantly recognizable, while the steel nib writes reliably with a touch of character. If unique design matters more to you than a mirror-smooth writing experience, this pen earns its place in a collection.