Product Spotlight: KACO Fountain Pens and After-Hours Discoveries

One of the most enjoyable parts of pen shows - like the Arkansas Pen Show I attended this past weekend - is the ability to get together with other enthusiasts around a table and write with various pens different people have discovered. Personally, my guilty pleasure over the past couple of years has been some of the newer inexpensive brands out of China, many of which are extremely high quality. (The Moonman M2 eyedropper has become a personal favorite and has earned a permanent space in my home office Penwell.) At the Saturday Night #penshowsafterdark event, someone passed me a couple of pens from KACO, which I plan to order soon. All are easily available on Amazon and, like the Moonman, won’t break the bank. If you’re interest in something different, give these a try!

• KACO Edge. Featuring Makrolon construction, a Schmidt nib, and a “blade-like” clip, the Edge was definitely one of the more interesting pens I saw.

• KACO Retro. I’ve linked to this pen before, but Ana had one and I actually got to write with it. The hooded nib writes remarkably well for the price point.

• KACO Sky II. I’ve actually seen these appear randomly at pen shows, when KACO apparently did a joint promotion with Pen World. The Sky II comes in Aluminum and Makrolon versions.

Look for a full write-up of my latest Pen Show adventures this week, and now that I have some time to spend at home, I can finish up some in-progress reviews!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to allow participating sites to earn from qualifying purchases made by visitors.

Sunday Reading for March 17, 2019 (AND a few Deals & Drops)

I’ve been in Little Rock for the past few days at the Arkansas Pen Show, so as you might expect I’m running a bit behind. I’m combining Deals & Drops with Sunday Reading for this week, since I couldn’t get my act together to get separate posts out. Look for a recap of this weekend’s show, plus a return to (relative) normalcy, later this week!

1. Bungubox 4B (via InkSharks). Bungubox inks (made by Sailor) are among some of my favorites, and the 4B is a deep, rich blue-black ink that I was lucky enough to purchase in the deeper “vase”-style bottle before Sailor moved everything into their usual flat bottle.

2. And Then a Shop Appeared (via Fountain Pen Love). John is launching a shop selling sampler packs of fountain pen friendly paper! If you’ve been looking to increase paper quality to play better with your fountain pens, be sure to give John’s new store a look.

3. Bored of the Mainstream? Four Ways to Reboot Your Love of Pens (via UK Fountain Pens). I’m likewise getting a bit bored with the constant stream of new releases and limited editions that aren’t really “new” or even that “limited.” The solution? Maybe consider a purchase from an independent or “small-batch” maker.

4. An Undeniable Classic: the Onoto Magna (via UK Fountain Pens). Onoto is another brand that recently appeared on my radar, and I had a chance to handle one of the blue acrylic pens featured in Anthony’s review during a visit to Vanness Pens this weekend. (They carry Onoto, if this pen interests you!)

5. Saying Goodbye: A Couple Pelikan M620 Cities Series (via FPQuest). The Pelikan “Cities” Series was one of Pelikan’s larger adventures in the M600-size, and they’re gorgeous pens. In recent years, Pelikan has been reusing some of these materials in special editions.

6. My Momento: The Leonardo Momento Zero Blue Hawaii (via From the Pen Cup). Mary reviews one of my favorite new brands, the Leonardo Momento Zero! I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one of their stainless steel nibs.

7. Esterbrook Phaeton (via Well-Appointed Desk). Unbeknownst to either of us, Ana and I picked out the exact same Phaeton to review! I echo her sentiments - this is a nice little pen, and those who bemoan the relative lack of modern pens with hooded nibs should check it out.

8. Release Dates & Debunked Rumors (via Pelikan’s Perch). Joshua provides some updates for those of us who have been anxiously awaiting news of Pelikan’s 2019 releases. (It looks like we may be waiting for some time).

Deals & Drops: Little Rock Pen Show Weekend Edition, St. Patrick’s Day Sales & More!

Many thanks to all of you who show your support for the blog by shopping through my links and visiting my sponsors, which is what keeps the lights on around here. This weekend I had the chance to visit with many of my sponsors in person, and picked up a new one! (More on that later!)

1. 40% Off Pineider Pens (via Vanness Pens). Vanness is running a huge sale on Pineider pens. I borrowed one of their “Quill” nibs that has some bounce/flex to it, and was really pleased!

2. Lamy Bronze AL-Star and Ink (via Vanness Pens). Vanness has the new Lamy pens and ink in stock, and I saw lots of them picked up this weekend during my visit to the store.

3. Clearance Sales (via The Nibsmith). Dan has a bunch of pens on clearance, including certain limited edition Auroras. Many pens come with a complementary nib grind!

4. Lamy Aion (via The Nibsmith). Ok, so I’ll eat my words on the Lamy Aion in red and blue.

5. St. Patrick’s Day Sale at Pen Chalet (via Pen Chalet). Grab an additional 10% off your order at Pen Chalet using the coupon code “GREEN10”.

6. Sailor 1911 Mozaique Red (via Anderson Pens). Check out Sailor’s reintroduction of the “Mozaique” line of pens, now available from the Andersons. This material is absolutely gorgeous.

7. Platinum 3776 Celluloid Collection (via Anderson Pens). I recently acquired a Platinum 3776 in blue celluloid with Karakusa inlay, and I really wish that this line of pens gets more attention. These materials are beautiful.

8. Aurora Ipsilon “Weekly Dip” Special (via Goldspot Pens). Goldspot has the Aurora Ipsilon on sale. If you’re looking for a slimmer Aurora, the Ipsilon deserves your attention.

9. Pokka Pens. Use the code GENTSTA to get 10% off your purchase!

10. TGS Amazon Page. I run across many more items (pens, pencils, books, accessories, etc.) in my online "travels." I can't feature them all on TGS, but Amazon has an option where I can set up an affiliate page to host product recommendations and earn fees on referrals. Amazon does not sponsor or endorse this blog in any way.

This Week on the Blog….

Last but not least, this week I offered my “first impressions” of the Spoke Pen, the new Kickstarter collaboration between Brad Dowdy (of Pen Addict fame) and Spoke Design. I love Spoke products, and if you’re a fan of the Signo DX gel refill, this pen deserves consideration.

Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!

First Impressions: Spoke Pen with Uni Signo UM-151 (DX) Refill

One of my pickups from this month’s Baltimore Pen Show was a Spoke Pen prototype that Brad was kind enough to give me for review. I opted for red (of course), and all of the prototypes Brad brought to the show had titanium grips, which was just fine with me because it makes this pen a perfect match for my red/titanium Spoke Pencil Model 4. While my personal interests focus on fountain pens, I regularly use a handful of others, including two Montblanc rollerballs, my Lamy 2000 multi pen, a Ti Arto Universal Refill Pen, and a few Baux Pens loaded with Bic Cristal refills. The Spoke Pen is a unique addition because it’s the first machined pen designed specifically for the Uni UM-151 (DX) refill, an excellent fine-tip gel pen that until now has been restricted to my Ti Arto. Since this pen is a prototype, and since I’ve only had it in my hands for a couple weeks, this post will take the form of a shorter “first impressions” piece.

On the left, the Spoke Pen. On the right, the Spoke Pencil Model 4.

By far my favorite feature of any Spoke Design product is the grip section.

Things I Like

• Design. I’ve owned a Spoke Pencil Model 4 for the past year or so, and also backed the Baux Pen 2 (which comes from the same “family”), so I’m a fan of Spoke Design. The Spoke Pen definitely shares the same DNA in terms of durable feel, great balance, and a modern, industrial look that appeals to me. I like the look of what I refer to as the “mixed metal” pens, combining an aluminum barrel with a titanium grip section. It makes for a durable, yet lightweight writing instrument.

• Magnetic Closure. Brian also runs the “Strong Like Bull” magnet company, so of course the Spoke Pen was going to feature a magnetic cap closure. The cap closes firmly with very little play. Due to its strength, the magnet will attract little metal items on your desk like paper clips, etc., just be warned!

• Grip. Though it’s part of the overall design of the pen, the grip on the Spoke Pen warrants separate mention. In my opinion, Spoke Design has perfected the grip of a machined metal pen. Rather than traditional knurling, the Spoke Pen, Spoke Pencil, and Baux Pen all use tightly spaced rings around the section. This sort of grip is quite comfortable to use over long periods of time, and doesn’t leave pressure marks on your fingers. The Ti Arto features a similar grip, but Spoke spaces the rings closer together, which I prefer.

• Refill. The Signo UM-151 (“DX”) refill is one of the more popular fine-tip gel refills on the market, mainly because of the wide range of available colors and tip sizes. While my prototype came loaded with a black .5mm refill, I swapped that out for a .38mm red-black refill that I picked up at Kinokuniya in New York. I can’t say that the Signo DX is my all-time favorite gel refill, but it’s up there and does an excellent job. As I mentioned, the selection of colors is unparalleled.

The magnetic cap snaps shut firmly, and the clip is tight. Apart from the finish, which will wear on any metal pen, the Spoke Pen should be a highly durable writing instrument that will give you years of long-term use.

Potential Issues

I only spotted a couple of issues with the Spoke Pen, and it’s too early to say whether these are points that actually will end up bothering me over the long run, since this particular pen (1) is a prototype and (2) has only been in my hands for less than two weeks.

• Posting. The Spoke Pen doesn’t post. Two years ago this would have been a deal-breaker for me, and I wouldn’t have backed the project, but I’ve recently expanded my horizons into some larger, non-posting fountain pens so it may end up not being an issue. Since this is a gel pen, I’ve been able to leave the pen uncapped on my desk while I’m using it without experiencing any skipping or drying out.

• Anodized Finish. I’m withholding final comment on the finish, since this is a prototype, but I’ll note that there are a few spots of wear on the black clip, and places on the edges of the cap and around the “jewels” where the anodizing is already starting to wear away. With respect to the cap edges, that’s entirely predictable because you have a metal cap sliding onto a knurled metal section and there’s no real way to prevent it. Plus, it’s not noticeable when the cap is closed. Wear to the finish will eventually give the pen a “stonewashed” look, which you may or may not like depending on your personal preferences.

From left, the Ti Arto Universal Refill pen, which is the only other pen in my arsenal to accept the Signo DX; the Spoke Pen, and the Spoke Pencil 4.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Like all Spoke Design products, the Spoke Pen is well designed and well made. If you’re looking for a machined pen specifically designed to house your Signo DX refill, you may not have many choices out there, but you’ll be hard-pressed to do better than this one. I’ve personally gravitated to Spoke products over the past couple of years (Spoke Pencil/Baux Pens) due to the grip, which I find much more comfortable than other options on the market. I ended up backing the Kickstarter project for the “two pens” reward level, and will likely end up using these similar to how I use my Baux Pens: to house various colors and tip sizes of specific refills that I like to use for certain purposes.

Unfortunately, the Spoke Pen Kickstarter has now closed, so if you didn’t back you’ll have to wait until Brad and Brian finish project fulfillment and officially launch the project before getting your hands on one of these. In the meantime, if the design appeals to you and you’re a fan of mechanical pencils, you can purchase an excellent Spoke Pencil, which now comes available in Model 4 and Model 5.

Disclaimer: Spoke Design and Brad Dowdy provided me with this prototype pen for review purposes, free of charge. I was not otherwise compensated for this review, and have separately backed the Kickstarter project.

Sunday Reading for March 10, 2019

1. Baltimore Pen Show Recap (via The Looped Square). I spent most of this week on a high from Baltimore, and Joseph provides a breakdown of everything that was great about this exceptionally well-run show.

2. There’s Nothing Regular About the Conid Bulkfiller (via UK Fountain Pens). A Bulkfiller of some sort (Regular or Kingsize?) is next on my “big pen” acquisition list.

3. They’re Back! (via UK Fountain Pens). Reviews of Montblanc’s nib exchange service are few and far between, so I’m happy to hear that Anthony had a good experience. Given his consistent out-of-the-box experience with modern Montblancs, perhaps they are starting to resolve the over-smoothing issues that have plagued them over the years, where many pens had “baby’s-bottom” nibs.

4. Saying Goodbye: Visconti Brunelleschi (via FPQuest). I always find it interesting to hear why people sell pens. Sometimes it’s as simple as nothing really being “wrong,” but the pen just doesn’t click with you.

5. Long Term Review: Sailor Pro Gear King of Pen (via FPQuest). I’m glad to see Ray writing regular reviews again! The King of Pen has me intrigued - the price point has always put me off, but everyone who owns one seems to love it….

6. Pen (Pre)Review: Spoke Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana gives her thoughts on the Spoke Pen. I have a prototype, and will publish a full review at some point, but I generally agree with Ana’s overall thoughts.

7. Montblanc The Beatles Psychedelic Purple Review (via Writing at Large). Over the past couple of years I’ve also stopped chasing all the limited edition fountain pen inks, for many of the same reasons. There may be some batch variability with this ink, however. I haven’t had bleeding/feathering issues with my bottle of this particular color.

8. Organics Studios Masters of Writing Henry David Thoreau Walden Pond Blue (via Inksharks). I’ve never gotten into these “super sheener” inks; as the review remarks, they tend to smudge days/months/years later.

9. Franklin-Christoph Penvelope Six Pen Case (via Pencilcase Blog). I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t have a Penvelope, which I need to remedy.

10. Review and Giveaway! Pebble Stationery Co. Tomoe River Pocket Notebooks (via Clicky Post). Understated dot grid fountain pen-friendly pocket notebooks? Looks like a hit.

11. The Pelikan 400 and Its Many Forms (via Pelikan’s Perch). Joshua gives us another history lesson in vintage Pelikans, a genre that I’m becoming increasingly interested in. I’ve spent some time at shows looking at various models, and if I get back into collecting vintage, Pelikan is one potential area of focus.

Please Visit and Support My Sponsors and Affiliates!

Please take a moment to visit these fine folks who help keep this blog going! It's next to impossible to keep up a steady stream of fresh review content without some form of sponsorship or affiliate relationship. I'm grateful to everyone who's helped me out along the way.   

1. Vanness Pens. Vanness Pens carries rare and hard-to-find inks from all over the world, including Colorverse, Callifolio, Akkerman, and the full line of DeAtramentis. You can check out my recap of a visit to Vanness here. Also, use the coupon code “TGS20” for 20% off all Monteverde Inks!

2. Pen Chalet. Pen Chalet has a wide variety of available pens and offers unbeatable value on pens, inks, pen cases, etc.

3. Anderson Pens. In addition to having one of the largest offerings of bottled ink in the world, Anderson Pens is an authorized retailer of a wide range of brands, including Sailor, Aurora and Faber-Castell. Check out the sponsor profile I published here, and don't miss out on their new special edition bright red Diplomat Aero.

4. Appelboom. Please check out Appelboom's extensive selection and excellent pricing on a wide range of brands, including Montblanc pens such as this Classique 145 I reviewed.

5. Goldspot Pens. Goldspot regularly offers excellent promotions and specials! Check out their "Weekly Dip" section for details.

6. Pokka Pens. Pokka Pens makes high quality, portable ballpoints that make for a great EDC option, including a new pressurized “All-Weather” pen developed in partnership with Fisher and Rite-in-the-Rain. Check out my review here, and don't forget to use the code GENTSTA to get 10% off your purchase!

7. TGS Amazon Page. I run across many more items (pens, pencils, books, accessories, etc.) in my online "travels." I can't feature them all on TGS, but Amazon has an option where I can set up an affiliate page to host product recommendations and earn fees on referrals. Amazon does not sponsor or endorse this blog in any way.

In Case You Missed It ….

This week on the blog I posted my recap of the 2019 Baltimore Pen Show, which was a huge success! I also published a piece titled “Overlooked and Underloved,” in which I revisited three pens that I don’t think get enough attention and which may be getting drowned out in the sea of new releases/next-big-things. Finally, there was an avalanche of new releases over the past couple of weeks, after much waiting, and I’ve highlighted a few in Deals & Drops.

Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Overlooked and Underloved: Three Fountain Pens That Don't Get the Attention They Deserve

The current fountain pen market can be driven to a large degree by hype, with new or “limited edition” pens selling quickly, only to have sales peter out as the novelty wears off and users figure out that maybe those “next big thing” pens aren’t the best for actual daily use. I’ve been as guilty of this as anyone, as some of what I consider to be the best fountain pens in my collection have unfortunately fallen by the wayside. Today I’ll take a look at three pens that have been around for a while, but don’t necessarily get a lot of attention on pen blogs and websites and social media. That’s unfortunate because all three are exceptional, well-balanced writing instruments that are generally reliable “out of the box” and available at most pen retailers. I’m talking about the Pilot Custom 74, the Pilot Custom Heritage 92, and, yes, the Lamy 2000.

You can read my full write-up on the Pilot Custom 74 here.

Pilot Custom 74. At the top of my list of pens that deserve more attention is the Pilot Custom 74. We did end up selling a handful of these pens in Baltimore, and these colorful demonstrators are what I consider to be one of the better bargains on the market. For $160, which is rapidly becoming the price point for many steel-nib pens, you get a sweet 14k Pilot rhodium-plated nib, paired with Pilot’s high-capacity pump converter, the CON-70. You can also use Pilot’s cartridges if you prefer the convenience, and they hold a ton of ink and last forever. The rhodium trim on this pen nicely complements the jewel-like acrylics. I own the blue version, and Violet, Orange, Smoke, and Clear versions are also available, along with two limited editions arriving in the coming months. Stay tuned!

I’ve previously written a full review of the Custom Heritage, but the orange acrylic version has become somewhat more difficult to find, even online.

Pilot Custom Heritage 92. Sitting at a slightly higher price point than the Custom 74 is the Custom Heritage 92, which runs $220 and pairs the same 14k nib from the Custom 74 with an integrated piston filler. One of the main reasons that I love Pilot pens is the mix of quality and price - with the exception of the Lamy 2000 (discussed below), it’s rare that you will find a quality piston-filling fountain pen with a gold nib for under $300. The main drawback to the Custom Heritage is the fact that it’s only available in a single color. At one point Pilot made this pen for the Japanese market in orange, blue, and smoke as well, with the different colors being readily available online, but those appear to be phased out and are not as readily available as they once were. I recently saw someone trying to sell the orange version for close to $1,000, which is silly.

Most people won’t notice that the Lamy 2000 fountain pen isn’t a ballpoint or a rollerball.

Lamy 2000. And finally, we get to an old standby that rarely sits uninked and out of my rotation for long. Talk about a pen that’s not “sexy” in the traditional sense: the minimalist, somewhat brutal, fiberglass design of this pen hasn’t changed at all since the 1960s, and it certainly isn’t going to win you any “likes” (or generate much blog traffic, for that matter), but if I were to open a pen store, you can bet that I’d stock these in all available nib sizes and try to push them on everyone who walked through the door looking for a durable, bottle-filling daily writer. Especially for an office professional, the Lamy 2000 gives you an understated, reliable pen with a large ink capacity that can get you through long meetings, hearings, depositions, or whatever your need may be. It’s first on my list of “workhorse pens.”

So what prompted this post? At last week’s Baltimore Pen Show, a handful of people came by the Vanness Pens table and described to me what they were looking for. In a few instances, the Pilots would have made a perfect match but didn’t get any consideration at all. I sensed a real hesitation to give these pens a chance, whether because they were slightly more expensive than steel-nib options that customers ended up purchasing, or simply because some people hadn’t heard of these pens before or hadn’t seen them online. Don’t get me wrong - if a pen doesn’t speak to you, then don’t spend your money on it. But one of my resolutions for this year was to shift the focus of the blog from merely following market trends back to highlighting those products that I love and believe will serve readers well over the long term. Sometimes the best option isn’t the newer, shinier release - it’s the old standard that’s been around for many years, for good reason, and you owe it to yourself as a user and enthusiast to give these pens a chance.

Six “Workhorse Pens”, from left: Pilot Custom 74, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Lamy 2000, Montblanc 146 Ultra Black, Lamy Safari, and Faber-Castell e-Motion Pure Black.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I purchased the pens featured in this review with my own funds, for review purposes.