Blake: This has to be one of your best walk through videos on a pen. You touched on fine watchmaking, old skills toolmaking, company history, metallurgy, and art design. Were you an art design or art historian in a previous life? Good job!
Blake, at the end of your interesting review you asked for comments from owners of an Otto Hutt design 08, so here goes. I’ve been a sucker for fountain pens for over 50 years and in that time I’ve bought many different brands at many different price points, I’ve gotten on with some and discarded many along the way. I bought my first Otto Hutt just over a year ago (the, to my eyes, Faber-looking design 04), but found it a little too slim for my hand. I graduated to the design 08 after a couple months, the Bauhaus aesthetic of the design, its physical heft and girth being key factors in my decision to purchase it. Ever since I opened the box, the design 08 is the only pen (of the near 200 I own) that I have used. It’s medium nib is simply wonderful, although I do hanker after trying a broad. I can understand reservations about the grip but after using the pen once or twice my hand became adjusted to it and I can now commit to long writing sessions without any fatigue to my hand or grip impressions on the skin of my fingers. The only con from my perspective was filling the pen to capacity from an inkwell or bottle but I resolved that issue by always filling it from a travelling inkwell from Visconti or Pineider. Is it too expensive? Maybe. That’s up to the individual. In my case, I think it’s worth the money, both for the pleasure of using it and the money saved from not buying another pen for the past 9 months!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. Great to hear from a Design 08 owner. It sounds like a great fit for you and worthy of the price. I don't want to think of how much I've spent on pens in the last 9 months haha. The Design 08 made me an instant Otto Hutt fan and I have since bought the Design 07 which is a perfect pen for me. Doesn't look as cool, nor does it have the piston system but I fits my hand and with a medium nib it is perfect. I have recently ordered a Design 04. The CEO of OH said it was his favorite pen so I had to give it a try.
An absolutely ace review, Blake. I remember briefly seeing this pen before, online somewhere. But your detailed, illuminating review just helped me a lot to properly look at and learn more about this pen. Truth be told, I actually really like the design and all-round appearance of the pen. It looks very cool, no kidding. I’m glad it is a piston filler. Alas, my heart sank hearing the official, outrageous price tag - and frankly, the Jowo nib ruined it for me. I cannot remotely consider paying this price for a pen with this nib. Not in a hundred years. If OH made (and they should) their own nib, I’d at least start thinking over and hoping to get the pen. Edit: I can at least get that fork you showed. It looks a top-tier item.
Thanks Sajjad! Every time I stumbled across the Design 08 I wanted it until I saw the price. At 50% off it still felt expensive but I went for it. I really like OH pens and I think if they could do their own nibs they would be setting themselves up for greatness as they are innovative with designs and filling mechanisms. Mono makes great stuff I recommend their flatware.
Love your take on this pen. Please continue to give such candid thoughts about good pens. Your comment on guilloche design is what I specially loved. You make me want to go for a matte-finish metal bodied pen now, something I never knew I wanted. Thanks :)
Thank you! I appreciate it. Lamy does some really nice more affordable matte metal finish pens though the Design 08's finish is a step above (and about 5 steps above in price haha).
The Design 08 is postable. The tolerances are tight, but it does post. I picked up my first Otto Hutt Design 04 (RB) and was impressed with the build qualiy. I've since acquired, at big discounts, a D02 (BP), D03 (FP), D06 (FP) and the D08. You can tell the company manufacturing is next level. Hopefully Faber-Castell does not ruin it.
Interesting, I've just tried on mine and I think you are right about posting but it's so tight I don't want to push it all the way down. When you post yours do you notice any issues with damaging the finish?
@@BlakesBroadcast I do not see any marks from the few times I've posted it. There seems to be a plastic insert because of the vacuum it creates while removing the cap. The CEO for Otto Hutt commented on Appelboom Bites 9 YT video about the only country that demands a postable pen is the USA.
Thanks for the great review. Clear and honest, you really captured the essence of the pen. I purchased the same model (in black, with a fine nib) 10 months ago. Like you, I didn't pay the full retail price. What impressed me the most was the fact that the pen wrote beautifully right out of the box. Unfortunately, I have seen other nibs (even from more expensive pens!) that required nib tuning before they will write properly. The only downside to this pen, in my opinion, is the filling mechanism, as you have illustrated. It is unnecessarily complicated (and yes: every time I "forgot" how to operate the damn thing 😂 #metoo) without any comparative advantage for the user. A classic piston filler would have been fine. Otherwise, a fantastic pen: 9 out of 10!
Glad to hear from another D08 owner! Ohto Hutt seems to do a nice job with their nibs. I have sampled three of them so far and all have been excellent writers.
Great coverage o the designers. I’ll have to see if you’ve produced videos o those other designers, as you clearly are knowledgeable and passionate on the subject and also take it on a philosophical level, which is refreshing. The ribbed body reminds me of some minor Lamy pens of past and the Pilot Myurex.
Thank you Andrew! Much appreciated. I do think that it is very similar to the Lamy Imporium and Persona pens, though they have a more bulbous cap. I've always wanted Myurex but the prices became inflated after some pen bloggers hyped them up years ago.
Thanks @@BlakesBroadcast I just sent you a message about the Myurex/ Myu. This Otto Hut is my kind of pen too, but beyond my price range. Thanks again for all of the information. I learn much about the engineering from Doodlebud and from you on designers. Best kinds of reviews beyond just the latest in new colors that some reviewers and manufacturers seem to focus on.
Hi Donald, some great pens come across Atlas' Last Chance page. I have to think they make no money on those pens at those prices. I also got a Caran d'Ache Leman at 50% off from them.
Good review. Thank you. The pen looks well-made, very German. It doesn’t appeal to me, though - not at $1,200, not at $500. At the $1,500 retail price, I want chased silver, urushi lacquer, celluloid, hand-engraved brass, enameled guilloche. Not something made by a robot. Above $1,000, I’m looking for a wow factor that Otto Hutt doesn’t give me. Not in this pen. German minimalism to me is cold, mechanical. I hate Bauhaus design. I prefer Japanese minimalism - graceful, giving a nod to nature, gentle colors, warmth. But to each his own.
Thanks for the comment James. I totally hear you. I have a love hate relationship with the Bauhaus. I love the typography and some of their designs but I also think the Bauhaus killed architecture. My city, San Francisco, is filled so many ugly (and cheap) block shaped buildings (an evolution of the Bauhaus/International style). The Bauhaus has an inhuman quality to it and it destroyed a lot of craftsmanship and eliminated ornamentation from architecture. Regarding the Design 08. I wish I knew how much it cost to make. It is something made by many people vs a single person. I could work my whole life and I would never be able to produce a Design 08. I could probably make a hand-crafted Urushi lacquer pen up to Nayaka's standard though with training and time.
Yes it looks like a pen designed by *designer* on paper who never use fountain pens himself. If it was from lighter material and with simple yet oversized cartridge converter like on a jinhao9019 it would make more sense, also to be 2-3x less expensive
The designer explicitly says he likes cheaper fountain pens like his no-name Chinese fountain pen and the Ohto Hutt Design 01. I haven't experienced the Design 01 yet but it also seems pretty expensive for what it is.
Oh , you must have watched the samuel naldi channel and the interviews. I havent much. Well liking chinese no name fountain pens and entry level Design01 kinda signals that he is maybe not super invested into fountain pens xD. There are price increases everywhere. Off topic I kinda liked Pilot silvern, in a sense that its a metal pen, but its rounded and thus saves lots of weight unlike german bulky metal pens. European pens are so unpractical xD. @@BlakesBroadcast
I have watched the Samuel Naldi videos on Otto Hutt, but I got that info from UK Fountain Pens' interview with Mark Braun (link in the description). I too like those Pilot Silvern pens. I've wanted to try one for some time. Pilot/Namiki do great inlaid nibs.
Samuel Naldi is a fun guy, he always has conversations in his chat. Somebody bashes his pens or say sth like who would pay such amount for montegrappa, and Samuel answers sth like *U poor u dont understand* .😂 Otto hutt are nice, yeah everything in their videos seems so clean and high tech. Nice people too. Just wished they offered some more options in 6* jowo nib. Well Pilot overall never disappoint. I got some weird nos silvern version with a695 code and con20 inside, which means that its from 1995 , it has 14k and nib is not chrome plated. Nice , I guess its softer than the modern 18k chrome plated nib versions. Just really good balance and weight and nib thats what design should be, totally gonna go eventually for koushi . @@BlakesBroadcast
I've actually never had an M800 or M805 but I suspect that the M800 size pen will be more comfortable for more people than the M1000. The M1000 based on what I've read has a softer nib than the M800.
Hi Darryl, I think most of the pens I review are beyond practicality. Really a Platinum Preppy or Pilot Metropolitan does everything a $1,200 pen does from a functional perspective. I think if you appreciate and get enjoyment out of a pen or a piece of jewelry, there is value. It isn't logical but it adds personal value nonetheless. Pens are a passion of mine and the latin root word "patior" means to suffer. My wallet and my brain definitely experienced suffering with this pen haha.
@BlakesBroadcast I feel the same way about fps: I have quite a collection, and I have more affection for them than practical use! I suppose fp enthusiasts are like that, really. Their fondness for their pens is beyond explanation.
Thanks for the comment! I wasn't aware I was copying him in particular. I've watched many pen review channels with a similar opener, I like that it is concise.
Blake: This has to be one of your best walk through videos on a pen. You touched on fine watchmaking, old skills toolmaking, company history, metallurgy, and art design. Were you an art design or art historian in a previous life? Good job!
Thank you so much! I am trained as an accountant (CPA). I just love design and learning about how things are made.
Yeah you are really a man of culture, your watch collection is equally as impressive. @@BlakesBroadcast
Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.
Blake, at the end of your interesting review you asked for comments from owners of an Otto Hutt design 08, so here goes. I’ve been a sucker for fountain pens for over 50 years and in that time I’ve bought many different brands at many different price points, I’ve gotten on with some and discarded many along the way. I bought my first Otto Hutt just over a year ago (the, to my eyes, Faber-looking design 04), but found it a little too slim for my hand. I graduated to the design 08 after a couple months, the Bauhaus aesthetic of the design, its physical heft and girth being key factors in my decision to purchase it. Ever since I opened the box, the design 08 is the only pen (of the near 200 I own) that I have used. It’s medium nib is simply wonderful, although I do hanker after trying a broad. I can understand reservations about the grip but after using the pen once or twice my hand became adjusted to it and I can now commit to long writing sessions without any fatigue to my hand or grip impressions on the skin of my fingers. The only con from my perspective was filling the pen to capacity from an inkwell or bottle but I resolved that issue by always filling it from a travelling inkwell from Visconti or Pineider. Is it too expensive? Maybe. That’s up to the individual. In my case, I think it’s worth the money, both for the pleasure of using it and the money saved from not buying another pen for the past 9 months!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. Great to hear from a Design 08 owner. It sounds like a great fit for you and worthy of the price. I don't want to think of how much I've spent on pens in the last 9 months haha. The Design 08 made me an instant Otto Hutt fan and I have since bought the Design 07 which is a perfect pen for me. Doesn't look as cool, nor does it have the piston system but I fits my hand and with a medium nib it is perfect.
I have recently ordered a Design 04. The CEO of OH said it was his favorite pen so I had to give it a try.
Priced way out of my league, but I do love that German minimalist design.
Guess I’ll have to settle for the forks !!
Great review as always Blake.
Haha, you can't go wrong with the Carl Pott flatware.
Wonderful review! The stick shift metaphor is terrific!
Thanks David! Glad you liked it.
Great review, and all of the background commentary I found very interesting!
Glad you enjoyed it! I tried to limit the big preamble but I couldn't help myself.
An absolutely ace review, Blake. I remember briefly seeing this pen before, online somewhere. But your detailed, illuminating review just helped me a lot to properly look at and learn more about this pen.
Truth be told, I actually really like the design and all-round appearance of the pen. It looks very cool, no kidding. I’m glad it is a piston filler. Alas, my heart sank hearing the official, outrageous price tag - and frankly, the Jowo nib ruined it for me. I cannot remotely consider paying this price for a pen with this nib. Not in a hundred years. If OH made (and they should) their own nib, I’d at least start thinking over and hoping to get the pen.
Edit: I can at least get that fork you showed. It looks a top-tier item.
Thanks Sajjad! Every time I stumbled across the Design 08 I wanted it until I saw the price. At 50% off it still felt expensive but I went for it. I really like OH pens and I think if they could do their own nibs they would be setting themselves up for greatness as they are innovative with designs and filling mechanisms.
Mono makes great stuff I recommend their flatware.
Love your take on this pen. Please continue to give such candid thoughts about good pens. Your comment on guilloche design is what I specially loved. You make me want to go for a matte-finish metal bodied pen now, something I never knew I wanted. Thanks :)
Thank you! I appreciate it. Lamy does some really nice more affordable matte metal finish pens though the Design 08's finish is a step above (and about 5 steps above in price haha).
The Design 08 is postable. The tolerances are tight, but it does post. I picked up my first Otto Hutt Design 04 (RB) and was impressed with the build qualiy. I've since acquired, at big discounts, a D02 (BP), D03 (FP), D06 (FP) and the D08. You can tell the company manufacturing is next level. Hopefully Faber-Castell does not ruin it.
Interesting, I've just tried on mine and I think you are right about posting but it's so tight I don't want to push it all the way down.
When you post yours do you notice any issues with damaging the finish?
@@BlakesBroadcast I do not see any marks from the few times I've posted it. There seems to be a plastic insert because of the vacuum it creates while removing the cap. The CEO for Otto Hutt commented on Appelboom Bites 9 YT video about the only country that demands a postable pen is the USA.
Outstanding overview of this remarkable pen. The cons you highlighted put me off buying it. I'll stick with my tried and trusted ST Duponts.
I am glad it was helpful. It's a really cool pen but not the easiest to recommend.
Thanks for the show.
You are welcome!
Excellent review. Nice pen but too expensive...I prefer the LAMY Imporium - Titanium/Platinum for 370,00 € . Greetings from Belgium.
I agree that price is too high, though I do think it is better looking than the Imporium which is an excellent pen for a much fairer price.
Thanks for the great review. Clear and honest, you really captured the essence of the pen. I purchased the same model (in black, with a fine nib) 10 months ago. Like you, I didn't pay the full retail price. What impressed me the most was the fact that the pen wrote beautifully right out of the box. Unfortunately, I have seen other nibs (even from more expensive pens!) that required nib tuning before they will write properly. The only downside to this pen, in my opinion, is the filling mechanism, as you have illustrated. It is unnecessarily complicated (and yes: every time I "forgot" how to operate the damn thing 😂 #metoo) without any comparative advantage for the user. A classic piston filler would have been fine. Otherwise, a fantastic pen: 9 out of 10!
Glad to hear from another D08 owner! Ohto Hutt seems to do a nice job with their nibs. I have sampled three of them so far and all have been excellent writers.
Great review, keep up the good work!
Thank you!
Great coverage o the designers. I’ll have to see if you’ve produced videos o those other designers, as you clearly are knowledgeable and passionate on the subject and also take it on a philosophical level, which is refreshing. The ribbed body reminds me of some minor Lamy pens of past and the Pilot Myurex.
Thank you Andrew! Much appreciated. I do think that it is very similar to the Lamy Imporium and Persona pens, though they have a more bulbous cap. I've always wanted Myurex but the prices became inflated after some pen bloggers hyped them up years ago.
Thanks @@BlakesBroadcast I just sent you a message about the Myurex/ Myu. This Otto Hut is my kind of pen too, but beyond my price range. Thanks again for all of the information. I learn much about the engineering from Doodlebud and from you on designers. Best kinds of reviews beyond just the latest in new colors that some reviewers and manufacturers seem to focus on.
Excellent video, Blake.
Thanks Dash!
Love the pen and cannot believe you got it for $500! Wish I would have found that :)
Hi Donald, some great pens come across Atlas' Last Chance page. I have to think they make no money on those pens at those prices. I also got a Caran d'Ache Leman at 50% off from them.
Nice!@@BlakesBroadcast
Resembles the Graf von Faber Castell Tamititio - somewhat that the GvFC costs much less
There are some similarities for sure but the caps have a different design and the Design 08 is a bigger pen with a piston filling system.
Hey Blake. Did you get a chance to go to the San Francisco pen show?
I didn't make it this year. I hope to go next year though.
Good review. Thank you. The pen looks well-made, very German. It doesn’t appeal to me, though - not at $1,200, not at $500. At the $1,500 retail price, I want chased silver, urushi lacquer, celluloid, hand-engraved brass, enameled guilloche. Not something made by a robot. Above $1,000, I’m looking for a wow factor that Otto Hutt doesn’t give me. Not in this pen. German minimalism to me is cold, mechanical. I hate Bauhaus design. I prefer Japanese minimalism - graceful, giving a nod to nature, gentle colors, warmth. But to each his own.
Thanks for the comment James. I totally hear you. I have a love hate relationship with the Bauhaus. I love the typography and some of their designs but I also think the Bauhaus killed architecture. My city, San Francisco, is filled so many ugly (and cheap) block shaped buildings (an evolution of the Bauhaus/International style). The Bauhaus has an inhuman quality to it and it destroyed a lot of craftsmanship and eliminated ornamentation from architecture.
Regarding the Design 08. I wish I knew how much it cost to make. It is something made by many people vs a single person. I could work my whole life and I would never be able to produce a Design 08. I could probably make a hand-crafted Urushi lacquer pen up to Nayaka's standard though with training and time.
Great review. Where'd you hear about this pen? This is the first I've seen of it. Thanks for giving a bit of brand history.
I don't recall where I saw it first. Otto Hutt has been becoming more popular in recent years.
What a beauty ❤
It is a great looking pen for sure.
Ouch the pricing though. Not for me but someone will love it 😊 great review!
Thank you! I really like this pen and Otto Hutt but the price and the weight are pretty brutal.
Yes it looks like a pen designed by *designer* on paper who never use fountain pens himself.
If it was from lighter material and with simple yet oversized cartridge converter like on a jinhao9019 it would make more sense, also to be 2-3x less expensive
The designer explicitly says he likes cheaper fountain pens like his no-name Chinese fountain pen and the Ohto Hutt Design 01. I haven't experienced the Design 01 yet but it also seems pretty expensive for what it is.
Oh , you must have watched the samuel naldi channel and the interviews.
I havent much. Well liking chinese no name fountain pens and entry level Design01 kinda signals that he is maybe not super invested into fountain pens xD.
There are price increases everywhere.
Off topic I kinda liked Pilot silvern, in a sense that its a metal pen, but its rounded and thus saves lots of weight unlike german bulky metal pens.
European pens are so unpractical xD.
@@BlakesBroadcast
I have watched the Samuel Naldi videos on Otto Hutt, but I got that info from UK Fountain Pens' interview with Mark Braun (link in the description).
I too like those Pilot Silvern pens. I've wanted to try one for some time. Pilot/Namiki do great inlaid nibs.
Samuel Naldi is a fun guy, he always has conversations in his chat. Somebody bashes his pens or say sth like who would pay such amount for montegrappa, and Samuel answers sth like *U poor u dont understand* .😂
Otto hutt are nice, yeah everything in their videos seems so clean and high tech. Nice people too. Just wished they offered some more options in 6* jowo nib.
Well Pilot overall never disappoint. I got some weird nos silvern version with a695 code and con20 inside, which means that its from 1995 , it has 14k and nib is not chrome plated. Nice , I guess its softer than the modern 18k chrome plated nib versions. Just really good balance and weight and nib thats what design should be, totally gonna go eventually for koushi .
@@BlakesBroadcast
Which is the best pen, Pelikan M805 or Pelikan M1000, depending on your point of view?
I've actually never had an M800 or M805 but I suspect that the M800 size pen will be more comfortable for more people than the M1000. The M1000 based on what I've read has a softer nib than the M800.
Faber Castell now owns Otto Hutt. He was right.
Good to know! Thank you.
I believe some fps are beyond practicality: they are jewellery.
or fetish objects
Hi Darryl, I think most of the pens I review are beyond practicality. Really a Platinum Preppy or Pilot Metropolitan does everything a $1,200 pen does from a functional perspective. I think if you appreciate and get enjoyment out of a pen or a piece of jewelry, there is value. It isn't logical but it adds personal value nonetheless.
Pens are a passion of mine and the latin root word "patior" means to suffer. My wallet and my brain definitely experienced suffering with this pen haha.
@BlakesBroadcast I feel the same way about fps: I have quite a collection, and I have more affection for them than practical use! I suppose fp enthusiasts are like that, really. Their fondness for their pens is beyond explanation.
Please don’t copy SRE Brown and his opening. Otherwise good review
Thanks for the comment! I wasn't aware I was copying him in particular. I've watched many pen review channels with a similar opener, I like that it is concise.