Pininfarina PF2 Fountain Pen Review: Italian Design With a Few Quirks

Introduction

The PF2 comes from Pininfarina, the Italian design house best known for its automotive work with brands such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Fiat, and Maserati. The company takes its name from founder Battista Farina, whose nickname Pinin, meaning smallest or youngest in Italian, gave the brand its identity. Applied to a fountain pen, that automotive design pedigree produces something genuinely striking: a full-metal, anodized body with clean, sculptural lines.

This review covers the parts and features, sizing, a writing sample, and the handful of design decisions worth knowing about before you spend around $225 on one.

Design and Build Quality

The PF2 is made entirely from metal with an exterior that appears anodized. The version covered here is blue, with black also available. Packaging is unusually premium for a pen: a QR code linking to more about the company, a use and care guide, and a distinctive metal box shaped like a glasses case. You pop off one end and the pen drops out.

The cap top is chiseled and slightly inset, the barrel runs straight for about two inches before tapering to another chiseled end, and the transition from cap to barrel is smooth and seamless. Weight is reasonable and the pen is well balanced in the hand.

The Clip: Form Over Function

This is the most polarizing part of the pen. The thin metal clip lies flat inside a wide groove on the cap and hinges upward when you press down on its end. It looks fantastic, but in practice it is awkward to the point of frustration.

Operating it one-handed is nearly impossible, since the chiseled inset forces the pen to lift as you press. The spring tension is weak, there is no protrusion at the clip’s bottom edge to grip fabric, and it contacts material at only a single point, leaving it angled up and prone to slipping out. The clip is a clear case of form winning over function.

Writing Performance

Remove the cap and you find a number six stainless steel nib stamped with the brand’s “F” logo, available in extra fine, fine, medium, or broad. The unit reviewed here carries a broad nib, and it is the highlight of the pen: extremely smooth, with a very generous, wet ink flow that feels excellent from the very first stroke. There is little line variation, but the writing experience is memorable in the best way.

Reverse writing is a touch scratchy, though it lays down a solid medium line. In fast writing the feed keeps up without issue.

Filling System and Everyday Use

The PF2 is a cartridge-converter pen. Twisting off the section reveals a wedge that spins as it unscrews, a small visual detail worth mentioning. It accepts standard international cartridges (one included) and comes with a converter. Given the metal body, eyedropper conversion is not recommended.

The section begins with a chrome-plated band, and the anodized metal offers a secure, non-slip grip. The pen is long enough to use unposted comfortably. The cap does post, but not securely, and when posted clip-down the extended wedge digs into the palm and can dislodge the cap. Unposted is the way to use this pen.

Buying Advice

At around $225, with prices varying slightly between retailers, the PF2 is reasonably priced for what you get: striking Italian design, a full-metal build, and an outstanding broad nib. If the clip is unimportant to you, or you carry the pen in a case or pocket rather than clipped, the quirks are easy to live with.

Conclusion

The Pininfarina PF2 is a sharp-looking, well-built metal fountain pen whose broad stainless nib performs outstandingly well, even if the clip design leaves something to be desired. For anyone who values sculptural design and a smooth, wet writing experience, it is a pen worth a close look.