The Joule — the largest pen in Ferris Wheel Press range

Today I’m going to tell you about The Joule — the largest fountain pen currently available from Ferris Wheel Press. I’ve been waiting a long time to add it to my collection, but it’s finally here. How does it differ from other FWP pens? What are its advantages? And most importantly, is it worth the price? Let’s find out.

You won’t find many classic fountain pens in my collection. I tend to go for things that are relatively affordable and… a bit unusual. So I have a stack of Lamy Safari and Al-Star pens, a bunch of Kaweco Sports, a few TWSBI Ecos, and a Caran d’Ache 849 in neon yellow. Ferris Wheel Press pens definitely stand out among my everyday writers — and it all started back in the summer of 2021.

Since then, Ferris Wheel Press has significantly expanded its lineup, adding the affordable Carousel, its more durable aluminum version, then The Marquise via Kickstarter, and more recently The Bijou (which replaced The Brush) and its slightly larger sibling — The Joule.

Today we’re focusing on the latter. Reviews of The Bijou and The Marquise are coming soon.

The Joule in Slytherin

The Joule in my collection isn’t from the standard lineup, but from a special edition created in collaboration with Warner Bros., inspired by the world of Harry Potter. Despite my ongoing internal struggle between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, I went with Slytherin. (Even Pottermore can’t seem to make up its mind about my House.)

The pen comes in a sliding box decorated with the colors and motifs of the chosen house. Inside, there’s a leather sleeve holding the fountain pen, placed in a pull-out “drawer” lined with gold-colored cardboard.

The Joule has a lacquered body in a deep bottle-green shade. It’s glossy, but not sparkly like some of Ferris Wheel Press’s other designs.

The Hogwarts motto and coat of arms are engraved on the ring of the screw-on cap. (On the standard Joule, this ring is simply ribbed.)

The section features the house name and its mascot — in this case, a snake — and the nib is once again decorated with the Hogwarts crest.

Overall, this dark green pen with silver accents looks fantastic — and you probably don’t even need to ask what ink I paired it with: Slytherin, of course.

The Joule pen in practice

Despite its size and weight, the Joule is surprisingly comfortable to use. I’ll admit, I was a bit concerned at first — but the weight actually works in its favor. After longer writing sessions, it’s clear that the pen is well-balanced and doesn’t tire the hand any more than lighter models.

The F nib used in the Harry Potter edition writes a fairly broad line — especially when paired with the Slytherin ink from the same collection.

The nib itself isn’t an issue, though, as the pen uses a standard JoWo #6 size. That means you can easily swap it out for something from the Adventurer’s Nib Collection or from other brands like Opus 88 or Retro 51.

Is it worth it? If you like large, rounded pens that are minimalistic but still visually striking, The Joule is definitely a great choice. Whether you go for the Harry Potter edition or a standard version, it’s an eye-catching piece.

The difference in price between a “standard” and Harry Potter branded one is minimal. If you are a Potterhead, you shouldn’t think twice and just get the one with your designated Hogwarts House.

Also, just because of the Harry Potter collab, it makes for a great gift!

It’s noticeably heavier than most pens, so that’s something to keep in mind before buying.

The ability to swap nibs (even if it means losing the Hogwarts crest) makes it a very versatile pen. And honestly, what more could you want?

While The Joule itself has only been with me for about a month, I’ve owned The Brush for nearly five years. Based on that experience, these pens are extremely durable and still look great even after years of use.

Differences between the Harry Potter version and the regular version

	The Joule	Harry Potter edition
section material	brass	brass with brushed gold or silver finish
carving on the section	the same	different for each house
ring on the cap	ribbed	Hogwarts motto and coat of arms
available nibs	F, M two-tone	F single color
replaceable nibs	Yes	Yes
leather case	Yes	Yes

What’s worth knowing?

As you may know, I bought my first more expensive Ferris Wheel Press pen over four years ago. That was The Brush — a much smaller model, but more on that another time.

My main issue with it was the brass section getting dirty over time. The engraved details would darken, and cleaning them wasn’t exactly easy. So I’m happy to report that things have improved. Ferris Wheel Press clearly learned from that first design. Cleaning The Joule’s section is much simpler — a damp paper towel is usually enough. The engravings are shallower, which makes a big difference.

As you can see on the pictures above, the difference in size is noticeable. Especially when we compare the size of the nib itself.

The Joule nibs are also compatible with The Marquise. (And again, have the JoWo #6 housing, so they are interchangeable with a lot of third-party nib makers.)

Unlike some other special editions, the Harry Potter Joule does not come with ink. (For comparison, the Carousel pens from the same collection do, as do The Marquise in the Superman edition and The Bijou in the Lord of the Rings version.)

Color variants of the Harry Potter collection:

• Gryffindor – red with gold,
• Slytherin – dark green with silver,
• Ravenclaw – navy blue with silver,
• Hufflepuff – yellow with gold.

Technicalities

Case material: lacquered brass, brushed silver section
Nib material: chrome-plated stainless steel

Available nibs:  F (0.45 mm)

Additional information: standard converter included, premium leather sleeve

Important: The Joule cap isn’t designed to be posted. The pen is balanced to be used without it, and posting it may cause the metal edge of the cap to scratch the lacquer.

Who is this pen for?

If you like heavier, statement pens and don’t mind the price, The Joule is a great addition. If you prefer lightweight daily writers, it might not be the best fit.

Where to buy

The Joule pens, both the “regular” and Harry Potter versions, are available on the official Ferris Wheel Press website. They cost around 250 EUR / 180 USD. So yes, way cheaper on the US website! Even with tax.

Remember that PaperLovers has been a Ferris Wheel Press brand ambassador for several months now. This means we have a discount code for you – JA-PAPERLOVER – that will reduce your cart’s total by a whopping 15%! It works on both the European and global websites.