The Baux Pen 2 - a Bic Cristal related Kickstarter project that I backed, arrive this week. Shown here with the Spoke Pencil. Look for my thoughts on the blog at some point.

Sunday Reading for December 9, 2018

December 9, 2018

Why Is Japan Still So Attached to Paper? (via NYTimes). Many thanks to Yagan at Macchiato Man for linking to this article. An interesting read, though of course the NYTimes has to refer to Japan’s print culture as “a bit anachronistic.”
Behind the Scenes: Storage, Travel, and Writing Desks (via UK Fountain Pens). I love good “behind the curtain” posts.
KWZ Ink Honey (via Ink Sharks). Here’s one of the “It” inks from a few years ago that I haven’t heard anything about in a while (or used, for that matter). Maybe I should pull out my bottle and see if it’s as nice as I remember.
Taccia Ink Reviews (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli reviews Taccia’s recently released line of inks, including Midori Green, Ao Blue, Uguisu Olive Green, and more. If these new inks have interested you at all, check out the extensive writing samples of 10 different colors.
Cleo Skribent Red Brown Fountain Pen (via Write To Me Often). I just came across this post from a few weeks ago, and I didn’t realize that Cleo Skribent made ebonite pens. The craftsmanship, I imagine, is excellent.
Pineider Snorkel Filler (via Pen Addict). I picked up one of these this week, and so far it’s worked fairly well, but I’ve not used it with a particularly wide variety of converters. It may be a bit fidgety for some people, and I’m not sure it adds that much utility if you’re already syringe-filling converters.
Yenderings London PM03 Opera Night in Covent Garden (via Gourmet Pens). Azizah shows off a new pen wrap from Yenderings, which I saw in person at the DC Pen Show. These wraps are very high quality, and they sell out quickly.
Mastering the Piece (via Pencil Revolution). This here’s some highly skilled pencil sharpening. And here’s to hoping Henry gets better soon!
Satchel & Page Aviator Brief (via Tools & Toys). I have a thing for briefcases as well - way too much of a thing, actually, and they’re harder to store than pens so I have to exercise much self-control. If I didn’t already have a Filson, this would be on my radar.
Constellations88 Plasma Clear Fountain Pen (via SBRE Brown). Constellations88 is a brand that I’ve not had the opportunity to use, but I do like the look of their pens.
Making a PelEstie? (via Inkdependence). Mike answers the eternal question of whether you can fit a Pelikan nib into one of the new Esterbrook. Apparently not.

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.

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.
Pen Chalet. Pen Chalet has a wide variety of available pens and offers unbeatable value on pens, inks, pen cases, etc. Through Sunday, grab an extra 10% off with the coupon code “HOLIDAY”.
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.
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.
Goldspot Pens. Goldspot regularly offers excellent promotions and specials! Check out their "Weekly Dip" section for details.
Paul's Paper & Pens. Paul features a well-curated selection of fountain pens, multi pens, notebooks, and more, including some very uncommon Pilot Vanishing Points and Decimos that we don't see here in the States.
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!
Ensso. Ensso makes what might be my favorite machined pen to date, the PIUMA fountain pen. You can check out my review here, and use the code “FALL18” for 30% off your order!
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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I reviewed a few stationery items that are a bit different from what usually crosses my desk: the Pokka/Rite-in-the-Rain All-Weather Pen, and the Kikkerland Retro Pens, modeled after the classic Bic Clic. This week’s Deals & Drops featured yet more holiday sales and new releases that keep coming.

Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!

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

Pen Review: Kikkerland Retro Pens as a Bic Clic Replacement

December 8, 2018

Last year I declared the Bic Cristal “(Arguably) the Greatest Pen Ever Made.” Clickbait? Maybe, but I also didn’t get much disagreement. The Cristal has been around forever, beloved by everyone from students to accountants to artists. This past year, the Cristal refill even spawned its own Kickstarter project - a machined aluminum barrel called the “Baux Pen”. (It’s awesome, by the way, and any Bic devotee should consider picking up a couple once they hit the open market.)

No I didn't get shortchanged. These Kikkerland “Retro” pens are sold in packs of five, but one of the pens is living in my travel backpack.

But while millions of Bic Cristals are still produced every year, is it really the most beloved and/or iconic Bic pen? That’s questionable, considering how much people love the Bic Clic, the retractable ballpoint pen that you’ll recognize instantly if the name itself doesn’t ring a bell. The Bic Clic was the original quick-deployment pen used by reporters, doctors, attorneys, clerks, cops - well, you get the point, pretty much anyone who needed a reliable pen that was easy to use “in the field.” Bic ballpoint refills pretty much last forever, and you’ll run across boxes of vintage promotional Clic pens at yard sales and flea markets, many of which still have working refills 20 years later.

Look familiar? It’s a slightly nicer version of the pressed metal Bic Clic clip and nock. The Kikkerland version has a brushed texture.

To the dismay of many, Bic no longer makes the classic “Clic” pen for the regular market. If you want the classic, vintage-style retractable Bic pen (and have it actually be branded “Bic”), you’ll apparently need to spring for a large volume order of customized pens, or purchase someone else’s private-labeled version, like the ubiquitous Field Notes click pens or, as pictured here, the generic Kikkerland version.

Another shot of the clips and a close-up of a couple retro colors

Personally, I like the 1960s-esque retro styling of the Kikkerland pens. It looks as though they’ve tried to make an “upgraded” version of the BiC Clic, with a more finished clip, and nock mechanism that feels solid. There’s no rattling and the pen extends and retracts with a solid “thunk” and an audible - pretty loud, actually - click. Students and fellow office monkeys will be glad to know that they can annoy the heck out of someone with this pen in a boring class or meeting. In terms of the refill, the Kikkerland version appears identical to the Bic refill in one of my Field Notes pens.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I like these pens (and Bic Clics in general). The Kikkerland pens are slightly pricey for what they are (a disposable ballpoint click pen) but the price wasn’t particularly egregious and the nostalgia factor sold me. No regrets here for this Bic fan.

I’ve stopped trying to predict where I’ll see Kikkerland stationery products “in the wild.” I occasionally run across them in bookstores, which is where I picked up this pack of Retro Pens. If these interest you, Amazon is probably the easiest way to grab a 5-pack and they currently qualify for Prime shipping. Kikkerland also sells metallic versions. Other old-school retractable ballpoints include the Bic-Clic branded Field Notes Pen I mentioned above, and the “government-issue” Skilcraft ballpoints that everyone seems to love but that I’ve never used. I really should do another guide/list sometime!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Deals & Drops: Expanded Kaweco Lineups, Wancher Pens, and More Pre-Christmas Clearance

December 7, 2018

As we inch ever closer to Christmas, the delivery cutoff is approaching, so get your orders in within the next two weeks to ensure you make the deadline! There are plenty of sales and deals still out there, despite Cyber Monday and Black Friday being behind us. Pen Chalet is even running another promotion where you can grab 10% off using the coupon code “HOLIDAY” through Sunday. Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Please see our Privacy and Cookie Policies for additional information.

Kaweco Sports in New Colors (via Pen Chalet). Kaweco has released two new versions of the Sport: the Skyline “Fox” (an orange) and Classic Navy Blue.
Expanded Kaweco Student Lineup (via Pen Chalet). Kaweco has expanded their “Student” lineup to include a new color scheme: “70’s Soul”, a combination of orange and creme. This isn’t just a “student” pen; it was also very popular with adults at the D.C. Pen Show.
Kaweco AL Sport Explorer (via Appelboom). Exclusive to the Netherlands, Appelboom has this new khaki version of the AL Sport with black trim. A great looking pen!
Esterbrook Phaeton (via Anderson Pens). Esterbrook has released its next model, the Phaeton, featuring a hooded nib and a much lower price point. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.
Leigh Reyes Journal Guides and Sticker Packs (via Vanness Pens). I didn’t realize that these were still available, and they would make great gifts for a pen or stationery lover, and especially someone who journals!
Discounts on Bung Box Ink (via Vanness Pens). Vanness is offering $4-11 off certain colors of Bung Box Ink. These inks don’t go on sale very often so act fast!
Discounts on Colorverse Ink (via Vanness Pens). Also, don’t miss this chance to get $6 off bottles of Colorverse!
Aurora Fountain Pen Sale (via Vanness Pens). Last but not least, Vanness is offering some pretty significant discounts on back stock of Aurora limited edition pens, including the Minerali demonstrators and the Optima Flex.
Montegrappa Nero Uno Fountain Pen (via Pen Chalet). This unique looking Montegrappa pen is on sale and selling quickly! Get one now before they’re gone!
Aston Leather Pen Cases (via Pen Chalet). Don’t miss a chance to pick up one of the featured items on the TGS Holiday Gift Guide - some very nice pen cases from Aston Leather.
Exclusive Diplomat Aero in Red (via Anderson Pens). Diplomat and Anderson Pens have collaborated on this exclusive color of the Aero! Available in fountain pen, rollerball, and ballpoint.
Retro 51 London Skyline Limited Edition (via Goldspot). Retro 51 and Goldspot have released their latest pen in the “Skyline” series, this time featuring London.
New Additions to the PenBBS Store (via PenBBS/Etsy). Check out those “Crab” pen stands! (Plus the endless array of new acrylics.)
Oversize Fountain Pen Sakura Green (via 18111com/Etsy). It looks like Yoshi Nakama has added a new oversized model to his lineup, featuring a different design technique.
Custom Leather Goods (via One-Star Leather). Though it’s too late to get custom orders by Christmas, you have until December 17th to order pre-built products for Christmas delivery.

Pen Review: Pokka Pen / Rite-in-the-Rain All-Weather Pen

December 6, 2018

If you recall the story behind the original Pokka Pen, Terry developed the concept because he was tired of losing his expensive Fisher Space Pens, and wanted something relatively replaceable that offered a similar writing experience. While the original Pokka Pen was, and remains, a high-quality, cost-effective replacement, it lacked certain features that made the pressurized Fisher cartridge so great - namely exceptional waterproofing and the ability to write upside down. Enter the “All-Weather” Pokka Pen a couple years later.

This Pokka All-Weather Terry sent me for review came equipped with the new clip, available for purchase separately and shown here on a “Blaze Orange” All-Weather Pokka Pen.

Designed in partnership with both Fisher and Rite-in-the-Rain, the two leading companies in the “all-weather” EDC writing space, the All-Weather Pokka Pen features a pressurized Fisher cartridge and the “Rite-in-the-Rain” logo emblazoned on the side. Otherwise, the All-Weather Pokka Pen is identical to the standard Pokka, which isn’t a negative in my book because the original Pokka Pen has a nearly perfect design and build for a product in its intended niche.

The pen works as expected. One pleasant surprise was a very fine tip size on the cartridge - finer than either the standard Pokka Pen or the Fisher Space Pen. For someone who writes relatively small, I always enjoy discovering new options for fine-tip ballpoint pens, and this one has been a steady companion in the car and in my coat pocket.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I actually ended up preferring the All-Weather Pokka Pen to the standard Pokka (and even the standard Fisher Space Pen) due to the finer tip size and the slightly drier ink. Pokka and Fisher nailed the cartridge, which is a joy to write with and works flawlessly.

Rite-in-the-Rain, or in the sun! The Pokka All-Weather in Blaze Orange compared against my Fisher Space Pen Brass Bullet.

The only thing that gives me some pause is the current price point and lack of refill availability. A standard Pokka Pen costs roughly $2-3 per unit, depending on how many of them you purchase, with refills available if you don’t want to just recycle the pen body after it runs dry. The All-Weather pens currently costs just under $13 for a two-pack, which makes sense given the relatively expensive pressurized cartridge, but no refills are currently available. Rather than lay out $13 for two disposable pens, some people may choose to go ahead and purchase a Fisher Space Pen that they can refill if they aren’t scared to lose it. (Note: Regular Pokka refills weren’t available when the product first launched, and pressurized refills may be introduced at a later date.)

You can purchase the All-Weather Pokka Pen directly from the Pokka website, along with the standard Pokka Pens in all of their great patters and colors, and using the coupon code “GENTSTA” you can get 10% off your purchase. Pokka Pens make great stocking stuffers, btw, and my family has enjoyed receiving them for the past couple of years! For that reason I’ve included them in the past couple of TGS Holiday Gift Guides.

Disclaimer: Pokka Pens sent me the samples featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.