In this episode of Pens Around the World (India), I’m taking a look at something I honestly didn’t expect to be talking about on the channel: the Pierre Cardin Pen-O-Matic (a.k.a. “Pneumatic”) fountain pen that costs less than a dollar. Huge thanks to Arindham for sending it in—because this is exactly the kind of weird, ultra-budget pen that can either be a total dud… or shockingly decent. And yeah, the whole point of this video is answering the question: how good can a sub-$1 fountain pen really be? I put it through the stuff I care about: basic usability, how it writes, and whether it’s something you’d actually want to keep around versus just trying once for the novelty. I inked it up with Private Reserve Ebony Purple and tested it on Rhodia Dot Grid so the paper isn’t “helping” the pen too much. Along the way I compare it to other cheap pens you might already know—like the Platinum Preppy, the Zebra fountain pen, and a Jinhao 51a—so you’ve got some real reference points. If you like honest budget-pen reality checks (and I’m not afraid to call out the junk), this one’s for you.