Maker: Ohto.
The Dude is a relatively conventional design for Ohto, who seem to really like the idea of the long-short. It steers clear of real conventionality, though– the pen’s body is hexagonal in cross-section, most of the finishes are flashy and metallic, the details of hardware give the pen a definite waist when capped, and the section is oddly bulged. None of this is wrong, of course, and the whole makes for a reasonably attractive package.
Like the other Ohto fountain pens I’ve examined, the writing is satisfactory. I somewhat question the combination of shape and material for the section; apart from being shaped like a small onion, it is made of a slightly slippery plastic. The combination makes keeping good point/paper alignment a bit tricky, particularly if the weather is warm and hands are damp. I also have some misgivings about the durability of the finish, which prevent me from posting the pen when writing; it may be that the finish of the inside of the cap is sufficiently smooth to prevent marking up the tail of the pen, but I would not count upon it.
There are a couple of other minor oddities with this pen I want to mention. Unlike some other Japanese pens at a similar place in the market, one can not unscrew the section with the cap still on, even though it looks like the sort which will be rigged like that. Also concerning cartridges is a little bit of a rattle that comes about from having a spare short cartridge riding in the barrel; there’s a several millimeters of free space in the barrel, so the spare can run back and forth. Not a big deal unless you’re the sort of person that a pointless occasional rattle drives up a tree.
Production Run: Unknown start, in current production.
Cost When New: ¥1500 in 2016.
Size: 13.6 cm long capped, 16.4 cm posted, 12.7 cm uncapped.
Point: Steel.
Body: Aluminum.
Filler: Cartridge, capacity approx. 0.6 or 1.4 ml (international pattern).
Ohto Dude in blue. If you don’t like that print on the cap, just rub it briskly for a while– it’s not firmly attached. If you do like it… well, the Buddha has much to say on the folly of attachment.
You have to work a bit to get the cap and barrel facets to line up. A little harder than I did in this shot.
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