When Tombow first revealed the new line up of designs for the revamp of its Zoom brand back in 2023, the model that got the most attention was the C1 with its floating effect ‘empty knock’.
The L1 rollerball was kinda meh, like a design exercise on contrast of materials and finishing, while L2 was sandwiched in between: a somewhat sleek and modern take that was strangely reminiscent of… something Tombow fans had seen before.
Tombow fans soon had an answer: the L2 seemed to combine the distinctive traits of two highly sought after vintage Zoom models from the mid 1990s – the fishlike ‘tail’ of the Oceanic and the graceful swoop of the Espana — both members of the quartet created by Spanish design collective ‘La Nave’.
I count myself amongst a lucky group who managed to obtain examples of the Zoom La Nave series without having to hock a kidney. Up close the similarities are fascinating.
The hard conical button on the L2 is perhaps a more prudent riff on the Oceanic’s rubberized form. None of the squishy fun but also none of the pain of inevitable disintegration.
Interestingly, the L2 also has a ‘soft touch’ coating, but Tombow assures us that this modern formulation is highly resistant to hydrolysis - the sticky muck that plagued so many trendy electronics goods in the early 2000s. My fingers are crossed: this coating is also applied on the well-received MONO Graph Fine.
The resemblance of the L2’s clip to that of the Espana is more subtle, but I think it shares the same feel of elegance with its gentle flaring from thick to thin. Perhaps we can think of this as the ‘executive’ version of the clip on the MONO Graph Fine?
Lastly, as is my habit to pick out a good pen to match a pencil’s design, the obvious candidate would be the Espana. But due to its delicate nature, I actually picked out another design…
The LAMY Spirit in matte black is a slightly more serious counterpart to the quiet flare of the L2. I had been thinking: “Why didn’t Tombow make an all-black 707?”… but you know what? The more playful nature of the 707 with its ball clip and mini bellows knock would feel stifled under an all-black scheme.
So, what do you think? Have you gotten an L2 for your collection?
