Leuchtturm1917 is a brand I’ve liked for a long time for their array of brightly coloured notebooks, but until recently I wasn’t even aware that they did more than that. I certainly wasn’t aware that they also made pens until I spotted the Drehgriffel on sale at The Journal Shop, and I loved the style of it so much I instantly snapped one up!

The Drehgriffel is available as a ballpoint pen, gel pen and mechanical pencil, but because my preference after fountain pens is gel pens, I went for that option. They’re also available in most of the colours the Leuchtturm notebooks are, which means I was a bit stuck for choice. In the end I chose the lilac one, because if in doubt, I always choose my favourite colour, purple!

This arrived before Christmas, so I’ve been using it for a while now, and I’ve been really enjoying it. I love the look of this pen, as it has a classic pencil look to it, despite being made of aluminum, and it’s nice and lightweight in the hand. 

The twist mechanism at the top retracts the gel nib, which I like, as it keeps the pencil aesthetic of the pen without having to ruin it with a clicker at the top. It does mean it isn’t quite as quick and easy to use as a classic clicker pen though, as you do need two hands to use the twist mechanism. 

The black gel refill is nice and bold, and the writing experience is smooth, although perhaps not quite as smooth as the Uniball One, which is one of my favourite gel pens. 

My only real criticism of the Drehgriffel gel pen is that the white sections of the pen are actually more of an off-white than pure white. I’m not sure if this is just my individual pen, or if this is just how they look, but the white section has an almost greenish tinge that makes it look slightly grubby for a brand new pen. I don’t think it’s too noticeable, and could just be a design feature, but I don’t love it. 

Overall though, I really like the Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel gel pen. It works nicely and has a fun aesthetic, and is the main pen I’ve been using in my Hobonichi A6 since New Year. I think the Uniball One may still be my favourite gel pen thanks to its combination of good aesthetics and smooth writing experience, but the Drehgriffel is up there. Although it should be noted it’s significantly more expensive than the Uniball One, likely thanks to it being made of metal instead of plastic. But if you like the look of it, I think it’s definitely worth the price, especially if you find it on sale!

So have you tried the Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel? What do you think? How does it compare to other gel pens you’ve used?