Wancher Olympus Titan Review: Stabilized Wood Meets a New In-House Nib

Introduction

Wancher has two new things to look at here: a stabilized wood fountain pen called the Olympus Titan, and the brand’s first in-house stainless steel nib, now offered on its pens and sold separately. The combination makes for an interesting package, especially at the $250 asking price, so it is worth going over the details carefully before deciding whether it belongs in your collection.

The Olympus Titan in Nocturn Gray arrives in a flip-open box, and the name draws on Greek mythology, where the Titans were the powerful generation of deities who ruled before the Olympian gods. It is a fitting choice of namesake for a pen built around a material with real presence.

Design and Materials

The body is made from stabilized maple, and the stabilizing process is what makes the material practical for daily use. The wood is dried in a vacuum chamber to remove moisture and air, which creates pores in the material. Liquid resin is then infused into those pores, and a second vacuum treatment followed by heat curing turns the wood and resin into one solid piece. The result is wood that is more durable and more water resistant, essentially combining the look of natural wood with the strength of resin.

Beyond durability, stabilized wood brings a lot of visual personality. Color variations run through the Nocturn Gray finish, and the material retains a subtle warmth against the hand that pure resin pens do not offer.

The design details are worth noting. The finial is flat with a rounded triangular shape that angles down at an even rate, and the clip is chunky, recalling a thicker Lami 2000 clip. It is not hinged and has a little play, but it fits a variety of materials and thicknesses well. A medium step down from the cap to the barrel runs straight for about an inch to an inch and a half before tapering to a flat end. The cap twists off with about a rotation and a half.

The New In-House Stainless Steel Nib

The headline feature is Wancher’s own number six stainless steel nib. It is compatible with Jowo number six nibs and international converters, and it can be used in other pens that accept Jowo-compatible units, which makes it genuinely useful beyond this pen. There is no additional cost for it, and it can be chosen as the free nib on a Wancher fountain pen order.

The nib has a screw housing and is described as two-tone, with gold coloration in the stamping. The stamping itself is a nice touch, giving a cleaner look compared with laser-engraved Jowo nibs, though the two-tone coloring does not extend all the way to the ends of the nib petals, a minor nitpick. Currently the nib is only available in medium, but more sizes are anticipated in the near future. Three specialty grinds are also offered at additional cost: the Kotachi, Beak, and Needle Point.

This pen is fitted with a black ebonite feed, which is an optional upgrade over the standard plastic feed, available at additional cost. There is also a red-and-black speckled feed option. The ebonite feed looks sharp on this pen and performs well.

Writing Performance

For a stainless steel nib, the medium unit here is fairly smooth. It offers a little line variation, though not a lot, and pushing hard enough to exaggerate it will cause railroading. Ink flow sits on the medium side, and a drier ink does not help in that regard. Reverse writing is hit and miss, so it is not a strength of this nib.

Where it earns its keep is in everyday writing. There is no scratchy or draggy feedback, and while it is on the smoother side, it stops short of glassy. During fast writing, the ebonite feed keeps up without issue. Overall, it is a very good stainless steel offering, and a reasonable choice as a free alternative to a standard Jowo nib.

Size, Comfort, and Filling

In the hand, the pen is comfortable, and the titanium section is not slick even though it is metal. A small flare near the edge helps with a closer grip, and the wood body keeps a bit of warmth against the fingers. The cap threads are not especially sharp, which adds to the comfort.

One caution: posting is not recommended. The pen does post, but on a wood pen there is real concern that repeated posting could mark the material over time, even stabilized. Keep the cap off the back end.

The pen is a cartridge-converter design that accepts standard international cartridges, and a converter is included in the box.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The $250 price positions this as a mid-tier purchase, and availability appears limited to the Wancher website, though some retailers carry Wancher products generally. Check current availability before ordering. The medium-only nib is another constraint, though more sizes are expected soon, and the specialty grinds add flexibility if you want something different.

Buying Advice

If you enjoy stabilized wood pens and want to try Wancher’s first in-house nib, the Olympus Titan is an easy recommendation. It is a good first showing for the nib program, and there is reason to expect good things from future releases. If you already own plenty of Jowo nibs, swapping this one into another compatible pen stretches its value further.

Conclusion

The Wancher Olympus Titan combines a distinctive stabilized maple body, a comfortable titanium section, and a promising first in-house stainless steel nib into one cohesive package. The design is unique, the material has real character, and the nib performs well for its class. For fountain pen enthusiasts looking for something with personality, this pen deserves a close look.