--- title: "Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen: Dotted Soft Grip" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-grip-2010-fountain-pen/" description: "Faber-Castell Grip 2010 fountain pen explained: soft grip dots, a steel F, M or B nib, standard cartridges, about 140 mm capped, either hand, vs the Grip 2011." category: "Pens" type: "Fountain pen" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 10 products: - name: "Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen, F, black (140818)" brand: "Faber-Castell" brand_origin: "Germany" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Plastic body with soft grip dots; stainless steel nib and steel clip" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany" model: "Grip 2010 Füller, F, schwarz (140818)" mpn: "140818" gtin: "4005401408185" url: "https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/F%C3%BCllerGrip2010Fschwarz/140818" --- # Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen: Dotted Soft Grip > The Faber-Castell Grip 2010 is a plastic cartridge fountain pen with Faber-Castell's raised soft grip dots, a stainless steel nib in F, M or B, and a steel clip. Faber-Castell says it suits right- and left-handers and takes standard cartridges. Goldspot measured a Grip fountain pen at 139.7 mm (5.5 in) capped and 173 mm posted. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-grip-2010-fountain-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Black Faber-Castell Grip 2010 fountain pen capped, drawn to scale at 139.7 mm, with an inset of its soft grip dots](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/faber-castell-grip-2010-fountain-pen-16x9.png) *The Grip 2010 capped, at Goldspot's measured 139.7 mm (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen, F, black (140818) | Faber-Castell (by Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany) | Germany | Not stated | Plastic body with soft grip dots; stainless steel nib and steel clip | – | $$$: $20–75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen, F, black (140818)): Not stated. Faber-Castell's German product page for the 140818 lists features but no country of manufacture, and the Amazon and Swiss Post listings we read don't give one either. Source: https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/F%C3%BCllerGrip2010Fschwarz/140818 ### Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen, F, black (140818) colors - Body colors (8 standard, 0 special edition): schwarz (Black in the US); coconut milk; rose shadows; dapple gray (Dapple Grey in the US); sky blue; pink-orange; blau-hellblau; türkis. - Per Faber-Castell Germany (https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/F%C3%BCllerGrip2010Fschwarz/140818), checked 2026-10-24. Color names as Faber-Castell's German shop writes them, each with its own article page (schwarz 140818, coconut milk 140822, rose shadows 140826, dapple gray 140830, sky blue 140849, pink-orange 140924, blau-hellblau 140925, türkis 140926). Faber-Castell's US store sells the first five as the Grip 2010 Harmony (Black, Coconut Milk, Rose Shadows, Dapple Grey, Sky Blue). Tints were sampled from Faber-Castell's product photos, with a hand-picked value for schwarz; the pink-orange, blau-hellblau and türkis pages show no product photo, so those tints were sampled from Pen Boutique's photos of the same pens (its listings carry article numbers 140914/140924, 140915/140925 and 140916/140926), with the barrel as the main tint and the grip dots as the second. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Goldspot measured a Faber-Castell Grip fountain pen at 139.7 mm (5.5 in) capped, 128.5 mm uncapped and 173 mm (6.8 in) posted. - Amazon lists the black F (140818) at 5.51 in (140 mm) and 22 g. - There are 3 steel nib widths, F, M and B, for right- and left-handers, per Faber-Castell. - It takes standard (international) cartridges and common converters, per Faber-Castell's Swiss retail text. - Swiss Post's shop lists the black F at CHF 19.40 (about US$23), in our $$$ band ($20–75) in the US. ## What is the Faber-Castell Grip 2010 fountain pen? **It is Faber-Castell's everyday cartridge fountain pen with the raised soft dots of its Grip range, aimed at students and heavy writers.** Faber-Castell's German page says the concept wins over all "Vielschreiber" (people who write a lot) who like fresh colors. The dots are the same idea as on the [Faber-Castell Grip 2001](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-grip-2001/) pencil. On Amazon US, the Grip 2010 listings shared about 680 ratings on October 22, 2026. ## Faber-Castell Grip 2010 specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Faber-Castell AG, Stein (Germany) | | Type | Cartridge/converter fountain pen, snap cap | | Body | Plastic with raised soft grip dots | | Nib | Stainless steel: F, M or B | | Clip | Steel | | Hand | Right or left (Faber-Castell) | | Length capped | 139.7 mm (5.5 in) (Goldspot); 5.51 in (Amazon) | | Length uncapped | 128.5 mm (5.1 in) (Goldspot) | | Length posted | 173 mm (6.8 in) (Goldspot) | | Diameter | 11.17 mm barrel and grip (Goldspot) | | Weight | 22 g (Amazon listing) | | Ink | Standard cartridges, common converters | | Article / EAN | 140818 / 4005401408185 (F, black) | | Price band | $$$ ($20–75 per pen) | Faber-Castell's own page gives no size. Goldspot's table names the pen only as "Faber-Castell Grip", so treat its lengths as close rather than exact for the 2010. ![Faber-Castell Grip fountain pen capped, uncapped and posted lengths drawn to scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/faber-castell-grip-2010-fountain-pen-lengths.svg) *Posted, the Grip is long; most people write with it unposted.* ## What do the grip dots do? **They give your fingers a soft, non-slip surface, so you don't need to squeeze.** Faber-Castell lists a "Soft-Griffzone für ein angenehmes Schreibgefühl", a soft grip zone for a pleasant writing feel. Because the dots run all the way round a round barrel, the pen doesn't force a tripod grip, unlike triangular school pens such as the [Kaweco Perkeo](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kaweco-perkeo/). That's one reason Faber-Castell can sell one version for both hands. ## Grip 2010 or Grip 2011? **The 2010 is the cheaper, more colorful one; the 2011 is the dressier version in classic colors.** | | Grip 2010 | Grip 2011 | |---|---|---| | Faber-Castell's pitch | Trendy color pairings, younger writers | Classic colors | | Dots | Contrast color (2010 range) | Match the barrel (Goldspot) | | Nibs | F, M, B steel | F, M, B steel (Goldspot) | | Price band | $$$ | $$$ | Goldspot's 2011 description comes from its product page. Prices for both sit in our $20–75 band in the US. The Grip 2011 also comes as a push-button ballpoint; see our [Grip 2011 ballpoint guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-grip-2011-ballpoint/). ## Which nib and color should you choose? **F for everyday notes, M for a smoother, wetter line, B for large handwriting or signatures.** Faber-Castell's German shop lists all three widths, with the same steel nib across the range. German nib widths run a little wider than Japanese ones, so a Grip F writes closer to a Japanese M; our [fountain pen nib sizes explained](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/fountain-pen-nib-sizes-explained/) guide compares them. Colors change by season. Faber-Castell's German shop lists black, türkis (turquoise), pink-orange, rose shadows, sky blue, coconut milk and dapple gray, and it sells matching sets of a fountain pen and a Grip 2010 ballpoint in rose shadows, sky blue, coconut milk and dapple gray. Black is the safe pick for school or work. Faber-Castell's metal alternative is the six-sided aluminum [HEXO](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-hexo/). ## What ink does it take? **Standard (international) cartridges, or a common converter.** That text appears with the Swiss Post listing of the pen; Faber-Castell's German page says "Für Standardpatronen". Standard cartridges are the most widely sold kind, so you can use cartridges from many brands. To fill from a bottle, add a standard international converter; see [how to fill a fountain pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-fill-a-fountain-pen/). ## Is the Grip 2010 a good first fountain pen? **Yes, if you want a comfortable, cushioned grip and a nib choice up to B.** It costs a little more than a [Pilot Metropolitan](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-metropolitan/), which has a metal body and a finer Japanese nib. Swiss Post lists the black F at CHF 19.40 (about US$23) on October 22, 2026. ## Where is the Faber-Castell Grip 2010 made? **Faber-Castell doesn't say.** The company is based in Stein, near Nuremberg, Germany, but its Grip 2010 pages don't state a country of manufacture, and neither do the retailer listings we read. ## Frequently asked questions ### What's the difference between the Faber-Castell Grip 2010 and Grip 2011? Faber-Castell pitches the Grip 2010 at a younger audience with trendy color pairings and dots in a contrast color; Goldspot describes the Grip 2011 as classic colors with dots that match the barrel. The 2011 costs more. ### What cartridges does the Faber-Castell Grip fountain pen take? Standard cartridges and common converters, according to Faber-Castell's product text. Those are standard international cartridges, which many brands make. ### Is the Faber-Castell Grip fountain pen good for left-handed writers? Faber-Castell says it suits right- and left-handers. It has a round barrel and dots all around, so there are no flats that favor one hand. ### How long is the Faber-Castell Grip 2010 fountain pen? About 140 mm (5.5 in) capped: Goldspot measured 139.7 mm, and Amazon lists 5.51 in. Goldspot gives 173 mm posted. ### What nib sizes does the Grip 2010 come in? Stainless steel F (fine), M (medium) and B (broad), per Faber-Castell's German listings. ### Is the Faber-Castell Grip fountain pen made in the USA? No. Faber-Castell is a German company based in Stein, but its pages for the Grip 2010 don't say where the pen is made. ## Sources - [Faber-Castell (Germany): Grip 2010 Füller, F, schwarz (no. 140818; Soft-Griffzone, Edelstahlfeder, Stahlclip, Rechts- und Linkshänder, Standardpatronen)](https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/F%C3%BCllerGrip2010Fschwarz/140818) - [Faber-Castell (Germany): Grip 2010 Füller, B, türkis (no. 140919)](https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/F%C3%BCllerGrip2010t%C3%BCrkisbreit/140919) - [Swiss Post shop: Faber-Castell Füller Grip 2010 F 140818 schwarz (CHF 19.40; EAN 4005401408185; standard cartridges and converters)](https://shop.post.ch/en/stationery/writing-utensils/fountain-pens-inks-eraser-pens/faber-castell-fuller-grip-2010-f-140818-schwarz/p/827313) - [Goldspot: Kaweco Perkeo pen review (comparison table with Faber-Castell Grip measurements)](https://www.goldspot.com/blogs/magazine/kaweco-perkeo-pen-review) - [Goldspot: Faber-Castell Grip Fountain Pen in Sky Blue (Grip 2010 collection) and Grip 2011 Fountain Pen in Pale Rose](https://www.goldspot.com/products/faber-castell-grip-fountain-pen-in-sky-blue) - [Amazon: Faber-Castell Fountain pen Grip 2010 F black (140818; 5.51 in, 22 g; 683 ratings, rank 406 in Fountain Pens, October 22, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LL6F55Z) - [Faber-Castell (US): Grip 2010 Harmony Fountain Pen, Sky Blue (US color names: Black, Coconut Milk, Rose Shadows, Dapple Grey, Sky Blue)](https://www.fabercastell.com/products/fountain-pen-sky-blue-grip-2010) - [Pen Boutique: Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen, Pink (140914, 140924)](https://penboutique.com/products/faber-castell-grip-2010-fountain-pen-pink) - [Pen Boutique: Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen, Blue (140915, 140925)](https://penboutique.com/products/faber-castell-grip-2010-fountain-pen-blue) - [Pen Boutique: Faber-Castell Grip 2010 Fountain Pen, Turquoise (140916, 140926)](https://penboutique.com/products/faber-castell-grip-2010-fountain-pen-turquoise)