Porsche Design Shakepen – expensive novelty?

The Porsche Design Shakepen is a compact ballpoint with a unique flick-action.  Nib extension and retraction is affected by a simple, gentle flick of the wrist.  The mechanism is surprisingly reliable (although, perhaps not, considering the Porsche’s reputation!).  The mechanism operates by inertia with a bob weight that creates a surprisingly heavy pen for such a small physical size but equally gives a presence for such a diminutive pen.

The flick-pen is currently available in 2 finishes from PenFountain.com, the popular rubberised, striated finished Caoutchouc and the all-metal Twist.  Both are very practical pens offering small stature without  the clutter of a small operating mechanism often found to be difficult to operate for users with larger fingers. With typical Porsche Design attention to detail, the Shakepen features a raised branding badge on the upper section that doubles as roll-stop to prevent your pride and joy rolling off the table when not in use.

The Porsche Design Shakepen operates by a gentle flick of the wrist

The Porsche Design uses the industry standard D1 sized refills available from a number of manufacturers including Monteverde that offers to D1 in 2 line widths.

The Shakerpen is a fun pen offering a certain style and presence.  Does it represent value for money?  Porsche Design pens are a premium priced pen with style and quality to match.  The Shakerpen is effectively Porsche Design’s  entry level pen in the current line-up and, in that context, the pricing is probably about right and is certainly on par with compact pens from other luxury pen brands.