Teranishi Guitar Fountain Pen Review: A Brass Body and Distinctive Ink Heritage Under 3,000 Yen

Introduction

Teranishi Chemical is best known for its Guitar-branded inks, and the company has now brought its first fountain pen to market under the same name. The Guitar fountain pen pairs a lacquered brass body with a steel fine nib and a price that sits comfortably in entry-level territory, making it a genuinely interesting option for anyone looking for a dependable everyday writer with a bit of character.

This review covers what the pen offers, how it writes, and a couple of points worth checking before you buy.

About Teranishi Chemical: A Century of Japanese Stationery

Teranishi Chemical was founded in 1916 in Osaka, originally manufacturing ink-erasing machines and other equipment. The company rebuilt after the Second World War and, in 1953, developed and launched one of the first magic marker ink products in Japan. In 2008, its Magic Ink marker received the Good Design Long Life Design Award, a recognition of how enduring the product has become in Japanese offices and homes.

The Guitar brand name dates back to 1931, reportedly inspired by the popularity of guitars in the Philippines, a key export market at the time, combined with an image of art and music. The guitar logo itself has evolved over the decades, and today it serves as the company’s signature trademark across its ink lineup.

The Guitar ink line is well regarded among fountain pen users, with good ink flow and attractive shading behaviour. That heritage makes the arrival of a matching fountain pen an event worth paying attention to.

Unboxing and What’s Included

The pen arrives in a rigid, well-built presentation box with a guitar logo at the centre, and the packaging itself feels suitably premium. The included accessories are minimal: an instruction sheet that doubles as a warranty document.

Notably, no ink cartridges are included, but a converter comes installed in the barrel. It reads as a deliberate cost-saving choice that keeps the price of the pen itself down, and given how many Guitar-brand inks are available, pairing it with one of those seems like the natural move.

Design and Build Quality

The colour lineup covers four options: black, red, blue, and purple. Every colour in the range looks modern and well-judged, which makes choosing genuinely difficult. The black reviewed here is not a flat, true black; it has a slightly faded, weathered tone that reads as stylishly retro without looking dated.

The body is made of brass, finished with a lacquer coating that gives a smooth, matte texture and a distinctive feel in the hand. Plated metal accents are used throughout, adding to the premium impression, and the guitar logo is engraved on the section. The clip is on the stiff side, so it grips pockets and pen cases firmly.

The cap is a friction-fit (snap-cap) design, and the opening and closing action has a pleasant, satisfying feel that becomes oddly addictive. One quirk: the cap posts onto the back of the barrel with very little sense of it locking in place, which matters for anyone who writes with the cap posted.

Specs at a Glance

The key measurements and materials break down as follows:

• Overall length: approximately 130mm
• Weight: 30g
• Material: brass body with lacquer coating, steel nib
• Grip: manganese steel alloy
• Nib width: F only

The centre of gravity sits near the grip section when unposted, giving a balanced feel, while posting the cap shifts the balance noticeably rearward. Combined with the brass construction, the pen has a certain heft despite its slim profile, which many writers will interpret as solidity rather than bulk.

Nib and Writing Experience

The nib is steel, offered in F width only, and it is on the firm side while still carrying a hint of springiness. Line width runs slightly broader than a typical Japanese F, which makes it a little more forgiving for everyday note-taking.

Expectations going in were of the ultra-smooth, almost glassy writing that many recent entry-level fountain pens deliver. The Guitar pen turns out to be different, in a good way: there is a genuine sense of nib feedback and a fountain-pen-like character to the stroke, without any scratchiness. The feel is smooth and pleasant rather than dry or toothy.

Choosing to offer a single, well-tuned F nib instead of spreading resources across multiple widths feels like a confident decision. The F here combines smoothness with stable line quality and a width that is not too broad, which suits everyday writing well.

Things to Consider Before Buying

One issue stands out: when the cap is posted on the back of the barrel, it can come loose easily. There is little resistance or click when posting, so writers who habitually write with the cap posted may find it frustrating. Beyond that single point, nothing else raised concerns during use.

Price is another factor worth highlighting, in this case as a strength: at under 3,000 yen including tax, the look and build quality on offer are genuinely hard to argue with.

Buying Advice

This is a pen for people who want an attractive, well-built everyday writer without spending much. The lacquered brass body and plated details give it a look that would not be out of place among pricier pens, and the firm, characterful F nib rewards regular use. It suits a broad range of ages and experience levels, from first-time fountain pen users to experienced writers looking for a low-stress daily pen.

Pairing it with a Guitar-brand ink completes the picture, and the included converter makes that easy from day one.

If you spot one in a shop, it is worth picking up and feeling the weight and cap action for yourself; those are the details that sell this pen.

Conclusion

The Teranishi Guitar fountain pen delivers high quality at a low price, with a likeable design and a writing feel that has genuine personality. The posted-cap looseness is the only real drawback, and it is easy to work around by simply writing with the cap unposted. For everyday use, it is an easy recommendation.