When I first became interested in fountain pens, I didn’t really ‘get’ retractable fountain pens. I felt that if I wanted a pen that I could easily click and use, surely I would just use a ballpoint pen? It’s only as my love of fountain pens has grown that they’ve started to pique my interest, and that’s because I now understand the true appeal of fountain pens. I now know that with fountain pens it’s all about having the best experience of writing possible, and with retractable fountain pens, you get that enhanced writing experience with the convenience of a ballpoint pen. 

So in short, the idea of retractable fountain pens has really grown on me, and I wanted to try it out. Of course, the most famous retractable fountain pen is the Pilot Vanishing Point, but since I didn’t know if I would like it or not yet, I decided to go with a lower price point, and that’s where the Majohn A2 comes in! 

I bought it for £13 on AliExpress, and was pleasantly surprised by the sheer range of colours available, and that you got a choice of a silver or matte black finish. I chose the sunny yellow colour with the silver finish, as I realized I don’t actually have any yellow pens. And when it arrived, I was very happy with it, as this is an extremely nice looking pen! I adored the vibrant colour, and the faceted effect on the yellow barrel, and the smooth clicking action is extremely satisfying.

Upon opening it up I was a little baffled at the more complicated inner workings of a retractable fountain pen, though, as it wasn’t like anything I’d seen yet. The pen came with a pipette, converter and two empty cartridges, but had no instructions, so I had to turn to Google to figure out how to ink up the pen. 

When I finally filled it with ink, I then hit another snag. I’d opted to fill the empty cartridge instead of using the converter, and getting the ink to flow proved to be quite a task. It took so long, I’d started to think I’d received a defective pen, but thankfully, it finally kicked in. 

And when it did, I was blown away! For such a cheap pen it writes incredibly smoothly, and I love just how fine the extra fine nib is! After using it for a couple of weeks I’ve had no issues with skipping, hard starts, or even with it drying out if left for a few days, which was a concern of mine with a retractable fountain pen. 

I know the design of these pens isn’t to everyone’s taste with the clip positioned right where you grip the pen, but personally I find it to be quite comfortable. It reminds me of the triangular grip some pens have that forces you to hold the pen a particular way, but I know that’s also divisive.

I’ve written with the Majohn A2 for long periods of time and found it comfortable, but I think where this pen really excels is for having on your desk to take quick notes with. As much as I love fountain pens, they’re often a little more trouble to use than a regular pen, and so I can’t deny how convenient it is having a retractable fountain pen I can just click and use whenever I need to quickly scribble down a note. In fact, I haven’t been keeping this pen in my regular fountain pen case, but in my regular pencil case that I carry around, as this is a great pen for on the go, and cheap enough that I don’t have to worry too much about losing it. 

I’ve already been incredibly tempted to buy another one, since there are so many fun colour options, but instead ended up buying the Majohn A1 (the bigger, heavier version of the Majohn A2) to try out, now that I’m officially a fan of retractable fountain pens! So expect a review of that one soon!

So what do you think of the Majohn A2? What are your thoughts on retractable fountain pens in general?