The "Cool" factor on this one is very high, especially with the vivid red ink. The polishing is a big plus and I wouldn't mind owning one. The next challenge would be a 3-D printed Fountain Pen - Klein Bottle Design. Of course, getting one to actually contain the ink might be difficult, but the cool factor would be exceptionally high!
Thanks for addressing the issue of Hex and Additive Pens. It clears up the confusion. I'd like to try both, and see how they suit my writing style. I'm also curious about how their customer service compares to each other.
Yes, it is nice evolution of the design, and here it is at the stage where I can see myself buying such pen; removable end of the pen suggest adaptation of a rubber syringe for fast and effective cleaning.
One thing that I have ALWAYS liked about our videos is that you never waste any paper! Even if a page has some writings on the top, you just use it upside down and use the rest of the page, which is, IMHO, very nice and helps to save paper. Thanks for the review.
Oh!! I am acutally from Hong Kong! As a fountain pen lover, I am so glad and appreciate that you reviewed a fountain pen from my homeland. Thank you for the great review!
The design is so much better than Additive. I appreciate innovation and tend to shun knockoffs (with carefully curated exceptions), BUT... I think I will get one of these--love the concept, execution, and looks. BTW, Visconti stole the concept too and, of course, denies any influence and charges megabux. I also want to tell you that I appreciate your reviews, which strike me as consistently fair. You don't cloak the information behind a veil of glitzy production, the values of which are fine. These are reviews of what are at the end of the day tools, and your reviews hit--for me--all the right notes.
The RUclipsr Peter Draws did this on his review and, yes, it leaked. If you're interested in a rear filled pen, look up the Pelikan Level. It has its flaws, cleaning being a major one, and has been discontinued, but you can still find some on ebay. The cheaper models were the L65 and the more expensive the L5. Also there is a Chinese pen by a company called Oaso the has a bottom filled cartridge.
@@failedgrace2891 Thanks for the info. The problem with the Pelikan's is that they tried to get to fancy. I would like to see a pen that can be eye droppered from the end finial. Simply unscrew the end finial, eye dropper the ink and screw the end finial back in place. Nothing overly complicated. An O ring and some silicone grease and you're good to go. No different than unscrewing the barrel and eye droppering other pens. Just a thought.
@@therealjenso Unfortunately, to eyedropper from the rear of the pen you need something slightly complicated to keep the ink from just dripping out of the nib. Which makes unscrewing the section to refill the simpler solution. The Oaso has an interesting method in that a needle pierces the bottom of the cartridge and uses pressure to force the ink up from the bottle. Only downfall is that the rubber part on the cartridge bottom needs replacing ever so often. Overall though, it would be neat to see a pen filled from the bottom without too many steps.
@@failedgrace2891 I found the Level pens on sale in an office supplies shop about 15 years ago for £2 each. As that included a bottle of ink I grabbed about 15 of them and they were excellent gifts for my younger relatives who found them great fun. They have a small chamber that allows ink through the nib and feed that remains sealed off when you fill the pen from the rear (barrel) via a syringe type device on the ink bottle. This way there is no leakage from the nib while filling the barrel. The small chamber can then be primed by twisting a knob at the rear of the pen, Volume wise I guess a Namiki Emperor would hold more ink but that is about it for competition. When I used to go abroad for a week or few at a time on business I would fill a couple of them but not prime the small chamber to avoid air pressure related ink issues on the plane. You can also drain the ink from the smaller chamber back into the barrel, They are prone to leaking but instructions as to how to remedy this are on the web. I still have three of them knocking about and will one day get around to refurbishing the one that leaks.
It's almost as if they said "Great idea, Additive. Here's the improvements you shoukd have made by now." Not so much stealing their idea as showing them how. I have the Additive in the double helix and my biggest gripe about it has been the way the section and the barrel unscrew in the same direction. I'm used to it now, and I tighten the barrel harder than the cap and section, but what a bugger that was the first time! The end cap release is welcome, too. I might get one of these Helix, except I forked out for a lovely gold nib on the additive and I use it all the time.
I would have loved to see it side by side with the Additive pen. I have the Additive ribbon model and was considering Additive's DNA model. Now that I see Hex's version, I do like Hex's better. But, am worried about the comment that it might leave in the rear of the pen. I have the Jovo 1.1 stub nib and agree with that is super smooth and fun to use
I would say that the Hex DNA was certainly inspired by the Additive one, but, as you said, there's enough difference to make it it's own pen. A lot of people call certain pens "copies" without considering the fact that most of the pen manufacturers of the past blatantly copied from each other. Sheaffer took the "self filling" system Conklin invented and changed to a lever to avoid a lawsuit. Many took the basic shape of the Sheaffer Balance for their models. And how many have been inspired by the Parker Duofold, over the years, when it itself is basically a design many used in the 1920s and 30s? There's only so many ways to make a pen... At $5 more than the Additive one, with a clip, I think it is one I'd definitely consider. I tend to carry pens in my pocket, so a clip can be important to me.
I have an additive pen and I really like the shape and it write quite well but the barrel stained the first time I used and nothing I tried eliminated the staining.. You've got the Hex filled with red ink which is the most staining color. How did the Hex do?
It is lovely to see manufacturing options that "cottage industries" can utilize. So far as who was first to use the method . . . they did not invent the method. It is rather like the entire issue, if one is going to manufacture a fountain pen, cylinders, hexagons, cones, nibs, and ink delivery systems have to conform to the laws of physics. What else would a fountain pen look like? Kudos to all the innovators! Thank you, Professor, for calling this to our attention.
Can’t explain that, but when I questioned their decision to discontinue Corn Poppy Red, Montblanc customer service responded about being unable to continue to get the source material to make it. I don’t know if Stephen is now running low on Corn Poppy Red himself,, but I will say my experience with Schaefer’s Skrip red is excellent. Not only is it a bright vibrant red, but its ease of clean up is stellar!
I wonder if 3-D printed pens, by virtue of the required material lend themselves to being more “sticky”. Lots of comments on the Additive pen’s section unscrewing as the barrel is being unscrewed. To go through the trouble of designing this one to have barrel/section threads that run counter to one another is not an everyday thing for sure, and clearly a well thought-out design. Also the unscrewing end cap to facilitate better flushing is great. The helix is obviously super cool-write next to someone while you use this pen and I dare them to stay silent. The only thing I don’t like is that this pen could become tiresome gripped by a normal sized hand after a bit of writing. Just curious Stephen. Is it possible that you enjoy thicker pens because they fit well with your hand but that even YOU go with something with less girth if you’ve got a long writing session ahead? I’m always thinking that even though I’ve seen lots of your reviews with thick pens and your demos seem comfortable enough.
There is an issue of how both of them market this concept. Yes both are exceptional; now there’s an issue concepts in polar opposites of these altered concepts
1. Do you think the 3D printing process is by its nature more expensive than traditional approaches? 2. I am indifferent to questions of intellectual property, so long as no brand counterfeiting is involved.
I feel as though they did copy additive pens.. however they made needed improvements that additive should have done. IT would have been nice if hex let it be known that this design was inspired by additive, and maybe compensated him somehow but this isn't a perfect world. Good pen. Great review. Thanks Dr. Brown (still waiting for you to watch and give your opinion on bad batch)
I think the pen looks cool, with the DNA structure. It adds some depth that I feel the Additive pen didn't have. Furthermore this looks like a pen. The Additive pen looked like a wand, so "evolution" would be the exact word to use for this pen. Pun intended - evolution, DNA, oh that was lame. I think it would look awesome to have a shimmer or glitter ink in there.
I have mixed feelings about 3-d printed pens, and it may be irrational. On the one hand, based on your reviews, they seem to write well and have good utility, not to mention that some of them seem to look good and have a good feel to them. Then, on the other hand, I look at it and get this uneasy feeling about plastic, 3-d technology, and an "Ikea feel" to a fine writing instrument. I'm kind of in that limbo area of....do I like it, not like it, or just blase ........
But for using another company's logo there is only so much one can do with a pen. People have the power of their purchase. One company making an eyedropper or piston filler would deprive us of innovation or cost competition that comes with someone else trying to produce it better or cheaper. Buy what you like and relax.
We can clearly see it uses the same technique (3D printing) and inspiration for the design, but I would not call it a copy. Thanks for the review, regardless.
I do like this. There is immense potential for 3D printing in small scale pen manufacture.
"Cool factor" won me over on this one. Mine arrives this week!
I got the Additive because it was easier to buy than the Hex pen. Plus I think someone presented on one of Appelboom's Top 3.
The "Cool" factor on this one is very high, especially with the vivid red ink. The polishing is a big plus and I wouldn't mind owning one. The next challenge would be a 3-D printed Fountain Pen - Klein Bottle Design. Of course, getting one to actually contain the ink might be difficult, but the cool factor would be exceptionally high!
I was planning on 3d printing a feed but I've been too lazy....
I wanna make everything minus the nib by myself
Thanks for addressing the issue of Hex and Additive Pens. It clears up the confusion.
I'd like to try both, and see how they suit my writing style. I'm also curious about how their customer service compares to each other.
Beautiful looking pen
Yes, it is nice evolution of the design, and here it is at the stage where I can see myself buying such pen; removable end of the pen suggest adaptation of a rubber syringe for fast and effective cleaning.
One thing that I have ALWAYS liked about our videos is that you never waste any paper! Even if a page has some writings on the top, you just use it upside down and use the rest of the page, which is, IMHO, very nice and helps to save paper. Thanks for the review.
Oh!! I am acutally from Hong Kong!
As a fountain pen lover, I am so glad and appreciate that you reviewed a fountain pen from my homeland.
Thank you for the great review!
The design is so much better than Additive. I appreciate innovation and tend to shun knockoffs (with carefully curated exceptions), BUT...
I think I will get one of these--love the concept, execution, and looks.
BTW, Visconti stole the concept too and, of course, denies any influence and charges megabux.
I also want to tell you that I appreciate your reviews, which strike me as consistently fair. You don't cloak the information behind a veil of glitzy production, the values of which are fine. These are reviews of what are at the end of the day tools, and your reviews hit--for me--all the right notes.
I guess you can fill it from the rear finial. I guess this could be considered the first rear-filler. I wish more companies did this.
The problem is, unless you had someway to airtight seal the nib end, all the ink would just slowly run out.
The RUclipsr Peter Draws did this on his review and, yes, it leaked. If you're interested in a rear filled pen, look up the Pelikan Level. It has its flaws, cleaning being a major one, and has been discontinued, but you can still find some on ebay. The cheaper models were the L65 and the more expensive the L5. Also there is a Chinese pen by a company called Oaso the has a bottom filled cartridge.
@@failedgrace2891 Thanks for the info. The problem with the Pelikan's is that they tried to get to fancy. I would like to see a pen that can be eye droppered from the end finial. Simply unscrew the end finial, eye dropper the ink and screw the end finial back in place. Nothing overly complicated. An O ring and some silicone grease and you're good to go. No different than unscrewing the barrel and eye droppering other pens. Just a thought.
@@therealjenso Unfortunately, to eyedropper from the rear of the pen you need something slightly complicated to keep the ink from just dripping out of the nib. Which makes unscrewing the section to refill the simpler solution. The Oaso has an interesting method in that a needle pierces the bottom of the cartridge and uses pressure to force the ink up from the bottle. Only downfall is that the rubber part on the cartridge bottom needs replacing ever so often. Overall though, it would be neat to see a pen filled from the bottom without too many steps.
@@failedgrace2891 I found the Level pens on sale in an office supplies shop about 15 years ago for £2 each. As that included a bottle of ink I grabbed about 15 of them and they were excellent gifts for my younger relatives who found them great fun. They have a small chamber that allows ink through the nib and feed that remains sealed off when you fill the pen from the rear (barrel) via a syringe type device on the ink bottle. This way there is no leakage from the nib while filling the barrel. The small chamber can then be primed by twisting a knob at the rear of the pen, Volume wise I guess a Namiki Emperor would hold more ink but that is about it for competition. When I used to go abroad for a week or few at a time on business I would fill a couple of them but not prime the small chamber to avoid air pressure related ink issues on the plane. You can also drain the ink from the smaller chamber back into the barrel, They are prone to leaking but instructions as to how to remedy this are on the web. I still have three of them knocking about and will one day get around to refurbishing the one that leaks.
I like this one better because of the size
It's almost as if they said "Great idea, Additive. Here's the improvements you shoukd have made by now." Not so much stealing their idea as showing them how. I have the Additive in the double helix and my biggest gripe about it has been the way the section and the barrel unscrew in the same direction. I'm used to it now, and I tighten the barrel harder than the cap and section, but what a bugger that was the first time! The end cap release is welcome, too. I might get one of these Helix, except I forked out for a lovely gold nib on the additive and I use it all the time.
I would have loved to see it side by side with the Additive pen. I have the Additive ribbon model and was considering Additive's DNA model. Now that I see Hex's version, I do like Hex's better. But, am worried about the comment that it might leave in the rear of the pen. I have the Jovo 1.1 stub nib and agree with that is super smooth and fun to use
Hi Stephen. Do stub/italic nibs take a little bit of getting used to?
Stephen, interesting pen, just wonder how much ink it holds?
I would say that the Hex DNA was certainly inspired by the Additive one, but, as you said, there's enough difference to make it it's own pen.
A lot of people call certain pens "copies" without considering the fact that most of the pen manufacturers of the past blatantly copied from each other. Sheaffer took the "self filling" system Conklin invented and changed to a lever to avoid a lawsuit. Many took the basic shape of the Sheaffer Balance for their models. And how many have been inspired by the Parker Duofold, over the years, when it itself is basically a design many used in the 1920s and 30s? There's only so many ways to make a pen...
At $5 more than the Additive one, with a clip, I think it is one I'd definitely consider. I tend to carry pens in my pocket, so a clip can be important to me.
I have an additive pen and I really like the shape and it write quite well but the barrel stained the first time I used and nothing I tried eliminated the staining.. You've got the Hex filled with red ink which is the most staining color. How did the Hex do?
Are you related to Buck Chuman?
How does this one compare with Opus 88 Omar ? ( though Opus 88 is not a 3D printed pen, it has similar design )
It is lovely to see manufacturing options that "cottage industries" can utilize. So far as who was first to use the method . . . they did not invent the method. It is rather like the entire issue, if one is going to manufacture a fountain pen, cylinders, hexagons, cones, nibs, and ink delivery systems have to conform to the laws of physics. What else would a fountain pen look like? Kudos to all the innovators! Thank you, Professor, for calling this to our attention.
I prefer this pen to that of Additives. The concept is so novel that any inspired version will seem like a copy. Did you measure the ink capacity?
I would definitely pay for a design that somehow has a spiral design reservoir and still had a shutoff valve for the ink
Can someone explain the “ink shortage” Montblanc claims they are having? Is diamine having shortages?
Can’t explain that, but when I questioned their decision to discontinue Corn Poppy Red, Montblanc customer service responded about being unable to continue to get the source material to make it.
I don’t know if Stephen is now running low on Corn Poppy Red himself,, but I will say my experience with Schaefer’s Skrip red is excellent. Not only is it a bright vibrant red, but its ease of clean up is stellar!
I wonder if 3-D printed pens, by virtue of the required material lend themselves to being more “sticky”. Lots of comments on the Additive pen’s section unscrewing as the barrel is being unscrewed. To go through the trouble of designing this one to have barrel/section threads that run counter to one another is not an everyday thing for sure, and clearly a well thought-out design. Also the unscrewing end cap to facilitate better flushing is great. The helix is obviously super cool-write next to someone while you use this pen and I dare them to stay silent.
The only thing I don’t like is that this pen could become tiresome gripped by a normal sized hand after a bit of writing. Just curious Stephen. Is it possible that you enjoy thicker pens because they fit well with your hand but that even YOU go with something with less girth if you’ve got a long writing session ahead? I’m always thinking that even though I’ve seen lots of your reviews with thick pens and your demos seem comfortable enough.
I don't mind using thinner pens: I do find there is a sweet spot in pen girth, however
There is an issue of how both of them market this concept. Yes both are exceptional; now there’s an issue concepts in polar opposites of these altered concepts
1. Do you think the 3D printing process is by its nature more expensive than traditional approaches?
2. I am indifferent to questions of intellectual property, so long as no brand counterfeiting is involved.
It's not a copy. It's an improvement (standing on the shoulders of geniuses). Worth checking out.
'...but you don't really care for fountain pens, do you?'
It has 'evolved' quite a bit. Beautiful pen.
I thought another Opus pen before seeing inside.
I feel as though they did copy additive pens.. however they made needed improvements that additive should have done.
IT would have been nice if hex let it be known that this design was inspired by additive, and maybe compensated him somehow but this isn't a perfect world.
Good pen. Great review. Thanks Dr. Brown (still waiting for you to watch and give your opinion on bad batch)
I dont care at all that there is a similar pen in the market from before. If its an improvement its welcomed.
I think the pen looks cool, with the DNA structure. It adds some depth that I feel the Additive pen didn't have. Furthermore this looks like a pen. The Additive pen looked like a wand, so "evolution" would be the exact word to use for this pen. Pun intended - evolution, DNA, oh that was lame. I think it would look awesome to have a shimmer or glitter ink in there.
I have mixed feelings about 3-d printed pens, and it may be irrational. On the one hand, based on your reviews, they seem to write well and have good utility, not to mention that some of them seem to look good and have a good feel to them. Then, on the other hand, I look at it and get this uneasy feeling about plastic, 3-d technology, and an "Ikea feel" to a fine writing instrument. I'm kind of in that limbo area of....do I like it, not like it, or just blase ........
Kind of a shame that the major and minor grooves aren't displayed like on a real dna model ( slight offset of each helix)
Who cares who did it first. Fountain pens have been around for a long time now. What I care about is who does it best.
But for using another company's logo there is only so much one can do with a pen. People have the power of their purchase. One company making an eyedropper or piston filler would deprive us of innovation or cost competition that comes with someone else trying to produce it better or cheaper. Buy what you like and relax.
I personally think the material in this pen looks better than the Additive pens.
We can clearly see it uses the same technique (3D printing) and inspiration for the design, but I would not call it a copy.
Thanks for the review, regardless.