Shibui North Titanium Pocket Fox Kraken Review: A Compact Fountain Pen With Real Character

Introduction

The Shibui North Titanium Pocket Fox Kraken is one of the brand’s newer titanium pocket fountain pens, arriving in a simple cork sleeve that suits the handmade feel of the whole package. Shibui North is run by Ruth Bolton, an artisan based in Newcastle in the north of England who spent about a decade living in Japan studying ceramics and urushi, and that background shows in the brand’s steady stream of original designs.

This is a pen aimed squarely at people who like compact pocket pens and want something with personality. After spending time with it, here is how it performs, what to watch out for, and who it makes sense for.

Design and Engraving

The Pocket Fox Kraken is made from titanium, with portions of the pen flame treated to create attractive coloration. The standard titanium version looks sharp on its own, but the anodization adds an extra element that genuinely elevates the look. The name comes from the Kraken engraved around the exterior of the barrel and again on the nib.

The engraving wraps horizontally around the pen rather than vertically, so you never see the entire graphic at once. Instead you catch glimpses of twisting arms and patterning as you rotate the pen, which turns out to be a surprisingly effective effect for a creature with wandering limbs.

The cap is clipless with a flat top and rounded edge, and the two transitions on the barrel are very smooth. One thoughtful detail: the cap and the back finial, which covers the cartridge access, are interchangeable. The threads are even different lengths, yet the back fits on the front and the front fits on the back. There is little practical reason to swap them, but it suggests real attention to detail in the design. Another nice touch is the single cap thread, which means the engraving always lines up correctly between segments when capping.

Build and Grip

The cap twists off with a little over four rotations. That sounds like a lot, but on a pen this thin it does not feel excessive in practice. There is no dedicated section; you grip directly on the barrel. Even though titanium is a metal, the barrel does not feel slick, and the engraving helps maintain a solid grip. The inconsistency of the pattern across the barrel does not impede grip at all.

The capping and posting threads are both a little sharp. In practice the capping threads rarely come into play, since the grip does not drift that far back. The posting threads are a different story, and they matter for how the pen is used, which we cover below.

Nib and Writing Performance

Under the cap sits a number six Bock stainless steel nib, engraved with the same Kraken artwork. It is available in fine, medium, or broad.

In use, the stainless steel nib delivers a fairly consistent line without much variation, though you can coax some out with pressure. Ink flow is very good, especially for a cartridge-fed pen, where flow often tends to be restricted. Reverse writing lays down an extra-fine line, though it feels a little sharp in that direction. The feed keeps up very well during fast writing.

The pen takes standard international short cartridges, and the included black cartridge performed well during testing.

Size, Posting, and Everyday Use

The Pocket Fox Kraken is genuinely compact unposted, and unposted length is simply not comfortable enough for extended writing. The sharp posting threads rub against the hand, which effectively forces you to post the cap. Fortunately, posted it turns into a standard, comfortable length, comparable in size to other well-known compact pocket pens when posted.

If you already enjoy small pens and do not mind posting, this is not a drawback. If you refuse to post caps, this design may not suit you.

Price and Value

The titanium Pocket Fox models are priced slightly above the standard aluminum versions, which is expected given the material. Anodization adds a bit more to the price. That puts the pen toward the higher end of what its size class might suggest on paper, but what you receive is a handmade pen from an individual artisan, with a unique look and a maker who continues to produce quality, original designs. The pens are available through the Shibui North website.

Buying Advice

If you like compact pocket pens, appreciate creative engraving, and want to support an independent artisan, the Kraken is an easy recommendation. Personalization is also possible; the brand can incorporate custom ideas into the engraving, which opens up some genuinely unique options.

Before buying, make sure you are comfortable with two things: posting the cap for comfortable use, and paying a handmade-pen premium for a pocket-sized instrument. If both are fine, the titanium version with anodization is the configuration that best shows off what this design can do.

Conclusion

The Shibui North Titanium Pocket Fox Kraken combines a distinctive wrapping engraving, careful construction details like interchangeable cap and finial, and solid writing performance from a Bock stainless steel nib. Its main compromises, sharp posting threads and a mandatory posting habit, are minor for anyone who already favors pocket pens. For fans of compact, characterful fountain pens, this is a design worth a close look.