Today’s post is a bit different for me, but I’ve been planning it since my first Intwana pens arrived in mid-March. Since the size of the Intwana surprised me, I wanted to share a comparison between Stanford Pen Studio‘s (SPS) original painted pen model, the Jabulani, and their new painted pen offering, the Intwana. But, life got in the way, like it does. Better late than never, though, right?
The models
For those completely unfamiliar with SPS’s pen models the two I’m comparing today are the Jabulani and the Intwana. They are the two models SPS offers with hand-painted and/or hand-drawn art on them. Allow me to share SPS’ own words on each model.
Jabulani
Jabulani means rejoice in the Zulu language, which is exactly what we feel about this model. This is a gently curvaceous model, with a girth of 16 mm (0,6”), narrowing to a 10,7 mm (0,4”) grip section. The relatively large size of the model is to allow the artist sufficient space for their artwork, and the artwork is encased in a layer of clear resin to protect it from getting damaged during day-to-day use. Our logo medallion is embedded in the cap finial which is ever-so-slightly rounded, and the barrel finial is ever-so-slightly conical. The cap is a flush-fit and does not post. The Jabulani model usually comes with a hand-made, cap band and section ring in either Argentium silver or bronze, though this may differ depending on what best suits the artwork. Custom hand-crafted roll stops can be added.
Intwana
The new model, the Intwana (meaning Smaller One in Xhosa), is shorter and slimmer, better suited to people who prefer smaller pens or who have smaller hands. The Intwana model’s cap has a 2-start thread, which means that it opens and closes with a single turn. It has bronze cap and section rings, and the clip is gold-plated.
My Thoughts
Between Jim and I, we have 4 Intwana models and 10 Jabulani models — soon to be 13 with 3 more reserved or in production. I want to state, right off the bat, that both are fabulous pen models. If you read my SPS series, you know how much I love the art on these pens. While I adore the Jabulani and how it serves as a canvas for the art, I also appreciate how the Intwana serves almost as a frame for the art. The body, of course, features art, but you are also able to appreciate the craftsmanship of the pen itself. It’s perfectly smooth with a wonderful polish that complements the artwork.
Shaping and sizes
As you can see from the photos, the two models have significantly different shapes. The Jabulani is basically a cylinder, with slight widening at the center of each the cap and barrel. It also has a minor taper at the finial end of the barrel, but not much. The Intwana is similar in shape to a Sailor Pro Gear Slim, with a tapered cap and barrel.
The original crowdfunding campaign didn’t have other pen models shown for visual comparison — and I’m not great at visualizing sizes from measurements. So, my brain took the superficial similarity of the Intwana to the Pro Gear Slim and had me expecting a pen roughly that size. As you’ll see in the comparison photos later in this post, the Intwana is significantly bigger than a Pro Gear Slim. While it is smaller than the Jabulani, to me it’s more noticeable in its circumference than its length.
Details
The devil is in the details, and SPS must have signed a deal with him to produce such gorgeous pens.
Finial Coins
A quick note about the Jabulani shown here: it’s the second painted pen I purchased from SPS, and has the older version of the logo finial coin. You can see what I’m fairly certain is the current version with a breather hole on the finial of my Delft Cats pen.
With that out of the way, I’m impressed that SPS was able to get their standard-size logo on the cap of the Intwana. Granted, the coin doesn’t have its own ring, but the cap finial ring fills in that role nicely.
Two minor criticisms
The final coins are the only place I have any criticisms about the Intwana model, and they are truly nitpicky.
First, “speaking” as one who has never “installed” a cap finial coin — and therefore has no idea how difficult it may be — I wish the logo were aligned so that the nib points to the clip. As you can see above, mine definitely does not.
Second, I feel the logo on the coin should be gold colored, given that all the rest of the trim is bronze or gold.
Given how minor these criticisms are, neither will affect my enjoyment of my Intwana model pens in the least.
Trim
The Jabulani pens only have a single, thin cap band as trim. The material varies, based on what color will best suit the coloring of the pen. I believe all Jabulani models have a cap band now, although my very first — my Bumbledore pen — didn’t.
The Intwana, on the other hand, is “blinged up” in comparison with a wider cap band, a clip, and a cap finial ring. The notched cap band is a nice touch and leans into the “framing the art” feel I mentioned earlier.
Material
You don’t see the material on the Jabulani. It’s completely painted, and is, truly, just the canvas.
I love the alternating material colors on the Intwana. The cap finial and barrel are one color, and the cap, section, and barrel finial are another. This doesn’t just add interest to the unpainted parts of the pen, but also helps “frame” the painted section.
Well-known pens comparisons
Because SPS is an indie brand, I realize many people don’t have one of their pens to compare to. So, I compared both models to some of the better-known pens on the market:
- Lamy Safari (Dark Lilac)
- Pilot Custom 74 (2024 shareholder gift)
- Platinum Preppy (Hello Kitty)
- Sailor Pro Gear (Tequila Sunrise)
I took the measurements listed below using a fairly inexpensive, plastic caliper. I specifically measured the pens shown in the photos under the data table, and am aware that there could be minor variations when compared to other editions of the same model due to redesigns, equipment wear, etc. But, you should still get a good idea of how the pens compare to each other.
I don’t know if Stanford Pen Studio turns their pens by hand or via CNC, so it’s possible that there are minor variations in measurements from pen to pen.
| Pen | Jabulani | Intwana | Safari | Custom 74 | Preppy | Pro Gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length capped | ~155 mm* | 148.7 mm | 139.7 mm | 143 mm | 137.8 mm | 128.3 mm |
| Length | 140.1 mm | 134.5 mm | 128.2 mm | 125.4 mm | 122 mm | 115.2 mm |
| Length, minus nib | 116.4 mm | 110.6 mm | 112 mm | 106.4 mm | 107.6 mm | 93.8 mm |
| Barrel length | 86.6 mm | 80.7 mm | 74.5 mm | 87.6 mm | 77.1 mm | 76.6 mm |
| Section length | 24.5 mm | 24.7 mm | 37.5 mm | 18.8 mm | 30.44 mm | 17.9 mm |
| Section diameter | 10.5-11.4 mm | 9.8-11.2 mm | 9.7-12.2 mm | 9.9-10.9 mm | 10-10.7 mm | 10.6-11.5 mm |
| Weight | 30 g | 26 g | 16 g | 18 g | 11 g | 24 g |
| Weight, no cap | 20 g | 15 g | 9 g | 10 g | 7 g | 16 g |
Which of the two models do you prefer? Do you own any Stanford Pen Studio pens? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. Make sure to subscribe to my blog or follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss any posts. I generally post at least once a week.
Great writeup! I have an Intwana Dragon, and to be honest, I couldn’t imagine having a nicer pen. The work that goes into these pens, quite frankly the artistry, is something that makes it a joy to pick up and write with every time.
The Jabulani looks interesting, as I’m always game for a slightly larger pen, but my Intwana Dragon is just so well balanced that it doesn’t feel like a small(er) pen — it just feels like a great writing pen.
I agree, it’s not what I typically think of as a small pen. The Jabulani is also a great pen, really well balanced and perfectly usable for long writing sessions even for adults with smaller hands (like me).