Laban Gloria Fountain Pen Review: Brass, Guilloche, and a Surprisingly Smooth Nib

Introduction

The Gloria is a fairly new release from Laban, a Taiwanese pen maker founded in 1981. The company has built its reputation on elaborate metal designs and hand-painted art, and has even produced a private label brand for the Vatican Museum. The Gloria departs from what the brand is typically known for, and that willingness to change things up is part of what makes this release interesting. It is a brass-bodied cartridge converter pen available in two finishes: Blue Sapphire and Ruby Red. This review covers the parts and features, what works and what does not, size impressions, and a look at how it writes.

Who This Product Is For

The Gloria suits writers who want a substantial metal pen with real visual character but no fuss in daily use. If you appreciate textured materials, gold-plated trim, and a nib that prioritizes smoothness, this pen has a lot to offer. It is also a practical choice for anyone who prefers cartridge or converter filling, since it accepts standard international cartridges and ships with a converter included.

Design and Build Quality

The pen is made from brass, with gold-plated trim throughout. Both the cap and barrel carry a diamond guilloche pattern that is genuinely eye-catching, and the way the light plays across the varying facets of the patterning is one of the pen’s strongest visual traits. A thin layer of clear lacquer protects the finish without smoothing it over, so you can still feel the patterning in the metal, which is a nice touch.

The cap tip comes to a rounded point in gold-plated metal, and the clip, while a bit nondescript, fits the overall look well. It is on the stiff side, so clipping it over thicker materials takes a little more effort. The cap band is engraved with the Laban name, and a medium rounded step down leads to the barrel, which runs straight for roughly two inches before tapering to a matching gold-plated rounded finial at the end. The pen arrives in a new slide-open box along with a use and care guide, a cardboard bookmark, and a Laban-branded nib sticker.

The Nib and Writing Experience

The cap twists off in three full rotations to reveal a two-tone stainless steel nib. It is on the small side, roughly the size of a number 5 nib, slightly larger than what you find on a Kaweco Skyline Sport. The nib is available in extra fine, fine, medium, and broad, and the broad unit on this pen is extremely smooth. That smoothness is balanced rather than uncontrolled: there is just enough feedback to keep the pen grounded on the page, so it does not feel like it is skating on glass.

The section is gold-plated metal and angles up slightly before the cap threads. While it is metal, it is not slippery, and the grip remains secure even for someone who usually avoids slick metal sections. The threads are not sharp or uncomfortable if your grip rests on them.

Writing Performance

Paired with Laban Artemis, a deep navy blue from the brand’s Greek mythology series, the broad nib lays down a generous, wet line with decent flow. Reverse writing is also very smooth and produces a nice medium line. During faster writing the feed keeps up without any issue, which is not always a given on a broad nib.

For those who prefer to post, the cap posts deeply and securely. Because it is metal and fairly hefty, the depth of posting means the cap rests back toward the hand rather than hanging over the edge, which distributes the weight more evenly and keeps the pen from feeling back-weighted. It is comfortable both posted and unposted, and for most hands it is long enough to use without posting at all.

Things to Consider Before Buying

A few practical notes matter here. The pen uses standard international cartridges and includes a converter, but the barrel interior is metal, so eye-dropper conversion is not recommended. The clip is stiff enough to be a minor annoyance with thicker fabrics or pockets. At around $190 from several retailers, the price sits on the high end of what you get in the box, even if it is not entirely out of line. The nib is also small relative to the pen’s overall size, which may bother writers who prefer a larger nib presence.

Buying Advice

If the guilloche patterning and the exceptionally smooth broad nib appeal to you, the Gloria is well worth checking out. Those two qualities together are what make the pen memorable, and they justify a look despite the pricing being on the upper end of what the package delivers.

If you prefer a restrained, smooth-writing metal pen and like the choice of Blue Sapphire or Ruby Red finishes, this one makes a confident case for itself. If price sensitivity or a preference for larger nibs dominates your buying decisions, it may be worth comparing alternatives first.

Conclusion

The Laban Gloria combines brass construction, striking diamond guilloche work, comfortable posting, and a broad nib that is extraordinarily smooth and enjoyable. There is a lot to like here, and the combination of texture and writing feel makes it a pen that stands out in its range.