Sunday Reading for March 24, 2019

1. Old but New to Me: The Waterman Edson Sapphire (via Pen Addict). The Edson is one of those pens that’s sat on “the list” for quite some time, and despite only being discontinued within the past decade they are somewhat hard to find, and very expensive when you do. This sapphire model is gorgeous.

2. Saying Goodbye: Waterman Edson (via FPQuest). AND perhaps a review from the seller of an Edson (maybe the same one?) on why he let the pen go.

3. The 22Pen: A Multipen for your Notebook (via Inkdependence). OK, I was intrigued and bit on the e-mail offering me a review sample, and also went ahead and backed the project. This is one of those things that looks so strange it has to be good, right?

4. Kokuyo Century Edition Notebook (via Fountain Pen Love). Kokuyo is one of those brands I’ve not used extensively, but this is an absolutely gorgeous notebook and Japanese paper is typically excellent for fountain pens.

5. 12 Inks for 2019: Progress Report and Substitutions (via UK Fountain Pens). I’ve been somewhat less successful with my own attempt to finish off some bottles of ink, but I am making some progress….

6. New Pen Day: Lamy AL-Star Bronze (via Fountain Pen Follies). I’m not a bronze guy, but I hear these are selling well, and the ink in particular is flying off the shelves.

7. Wing Sung 618 (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). It’s been too long since I’ve broken out my own Wing Sungs, including the 618 and the 698, and I do have some high-maintenance inks to test….

8. Baron Fig Limited Edition Pencil Oracle (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). I’m glad to see the Baron Fig Archer Pencils back in the limited edition rotation. As someone who likes a little grit in their pencil, it’s never bothered me, but be warned that the graphite can be inconsistent.

9. Rohrer & Klingner Aubergine (via Alt.Haven). Roher & Klingner released this 2018 limited edition ink that’s been very popular, especially among those looking for a nice dark purple.

10. Blackwing Volume 811 (via Pencil Revolution). Library lovers, rejoice! I haven’t sharpened mine up yet, but I’m enjoying reading about this quarter’s theme.

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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. The Nibsmith. Many thanks to our newest sponsor, The Nibsmith! Dan offers a vast selection of pens from Aurora, Montegrappa, TWSBI, Sailor, Pilot, and more, along with nib customization services!

7. 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!

8. 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 a recap of last week’s trip to the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock, complete with multiple visits to the Vanness Pens Store. I also reviewed one of my pen show purchases from this year: a Desiderata Pens Soubriquet in Briar Ebonite, and highlighted some quality inexpensive pens I had the opportunity to try out at the Arkansas show. Finally, don’t miss this week’s Deals & Drops, where I rounded up some of the new releases and other great items I’ve seen at the three shows attended so far in 2019.

Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!

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Pen Review: Desiderata Soubriquet in Briar Ebonite

One of the things I’ve enjoyed about following the pen community and writing this blog over the past five years is watching smaller makers evolve and fine-tune their craft, especially where the products they offer are entirely unique from anything else out there. Pierre Miller, the man behind the Desiderata Pen Company, is one such penmaker. Pierre’s pens first came on my radar four or five years ago at the D.C. Pen Show, back when it was at the old (read: better) location in Tyson’s Corner and he showed up with early versions of his Daedalus pen fitted with Zebra G dip nibs, which was one of the first modern pens I had seen that allowed a user to combine the true vintage-style flex of a dip nib with the portability and larger ink reservoir of an eyedropper fountain pen.

Flex, of course, isn’t really my thing, as readers here are aware. I’m not a calligrapher, and most of my pen usage is daily user, office-style stuff. Flex nibs are fun to dabble with, but I always hesitate to shell out hundreds of dollars for a pen that I can’t use on a daily basis. Desiderata Pens didn’t really reappear on my radar until Pierre started offering the JoWo No. 6 nib option and different filling mechanisms in the “Soubriquet” model. After talking with Pierre at several different pen shows over the last couple of years, I finally picked up a Soubriquet in Los Angeles, and it’s seen steady use in the month since that show.

Sure, I could swap in a Zebra G, but when I can use this pen as an everyday writer with one of my favorite stock stub nibs, it may take me a while to get around to it…

What I Like About the Desiderata Soubriquet

Pierre has extensive notes on his website in which he discusses the story behind the pen and explains the various design choices, which makes for an interesting read and provides a lot of insight into how he designs and makes pens. Here are a few of the highlights, which are also the features that I appreciate the most.

The Soubriquet is the first Desiderata pen to feature a clip, and I like the “wire” design.

• Size and Shape. The knock on a lot of modern custom pens is that they tend to be very large, especially when compared to vintage or vintage-inspired designs. The Soubriquet is the product of Pierre’s attempt to design a larger pen without “going overboard,” and he threads that needle quite well. The Soubriquet is about the same size as a Montblanc 146 (though much lighter), which is a great size for me in terms of ergonomics. I can comfortably use this pen posted and unposted, with the cap posting deeply on the tapered barrel. The section also tapers towards the nib, with the threads placed higher up on the barrel just below the ink window. I can’t emphasize enough how comfortable this pen is to write with for long periods of time.

• Filling System and Ink Capacity. Since I opted for a JoWo 1.1mm stub nib, ink capacity and ink flow can become an issue. The Soubriquet features a “piston vacumatic” filling system, which uses an o-ring instead of a sac and operates like the filling mechanism on the TWSBI Go. Pierre designed the pen to allow one-handed filling, and it works as intended. You simply submerge the pen in ink and depress the plunger until the pen is full. This type of filler is also much easier to flush clean than a sac-based vacumatic pen. I was able to clean ink out of the pen and refill it with a different color in just a couple of minutes. The pen holds approximately 1.5ml, which will keep me writing for quite a while, even with a stub.

• Clip. Earlier models of Desiderata pens were clipless, but the Soubriquet introduced a thin, wire-style clip made from 304 stainless steel. Despite the slim profile, this clip is VERY sturdy, and I’ve come to appreciate the distinct design element that the clip lends to the pen.

• Ebonite Material. Pierre works extensively with ebonite, which many readers will recognize as a form of vulcanized rubber that’s been used to make pens (and bowling balls) for well over a hundred years. I’ve been looking to add a mottled/swirled ebonite pen to my collection for a while now, and when I spied the last briar ebonite pen on Pierre’s table, I knew this one was coming home with me. Ebonite has an unparalleled feel in the hand - it emits a warmth and has a softer feel to it than acrylic or other plastics, even though it’s still extremely durable.

The Soubriquet disassembled to show the filling system.

Pierre urged me to make sure that everyone knows up front that Desiderata Pens are “small batch” manufacture, meaning that the pens are made in very small numbers in a one man shop. I guess that’s his way of saying that it’s not unusual to find small variances or imperfections on the pens, but other than a few barely perceptible tooling marks, the fit and finish on my Soubriquet is excellent. No issues or complaints whatsoever from me.

A comparison photo, from left: Aurora Optima, Desiderata Soubriquet, Montblanc 146, and Leonardo Momento Zero.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’m extremely happy with my Desiderata Soubriquet. I originally approached the purchase as a “tinkering pen” that I might use occasionally to practice handwriting and flex calligraphy, but the JoWo nib unit has worked so well that the pen has not left my daily carry for the past month. I do feel that I need to offer a note of caution: I have used the Zebra G nib in an earlier version of the Desiderata Daedalus that I borrowed, and while it does work well and can be quite enjoyable to use, fountain pens fitted with calligraphy dip nibs require much more frequent maintenance, as the nibs will deteriorate and need to be replaced on a monthly basis, if not sooner depending on how frequently you use the pen. If you are purchasing a Desiderata Pen specifically to take advantage of the Zebra G’s flex capabilities, I’d encourage you to read the resources available on the Desiderata website, and also watch some of Pierre’s YouTube videos in which he shows you how to set up the pen for this sort of writing. Be prepared to tinker with it!

As I mentioned above, I purchased this particular pen directly from Pierre at this year’s L.A. Pen Show, where he had just one of the Briar Ebonite models. The Soubriquet in this particular material is currently sold out, but on the website Pierre has indicated that he will consider requests to make more, so if you’re interested let him know! The Soubriquet runs anywhere from $225-250, which I find reasonable for a custom/small-batch pen with a non-cartridge/converter filling system. Pens ship with the Zebra G calligraphy nib, but JoWo No. 6 nibs are also available upon request, and it’s what I’ve been using since L.A. I likely will swap in the Zebra G in the near future to play around, but I’ve been enjoying this JoWo No. 6 stub so much I’ve not been motivated to change it out.

At the moment, Pierre has several other Soubriquet models available in his Etsy store, with additional Desiderata models for sale on his website. Pierre regularly attends pen shows, and during the last couple of shows he had a variety of Soubriquets in some unique acrylics not yet listed online. (Also, you definitely won’t want to miss the pre-order for the BAMF pen, which should ship within the next few months.)

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which help support the blog by paying me a small percentage of any purchases made through the link. I paid for the pen featured in this review with my own money, though Pierre did give me a slight discount on the purchase of a second nib unit.

Deals & Drops: The Pen Show Collection

I’ve spent a LOT of time on the road over the past two months, attending three pen shows in three months, with one more coming up. I thought I’d collect a few of my favorite things I’ve seen for this week’s set of Deals & Drops, including a few items that I picked up for myself. If you’d like to read further on a few of these, and hear more about what I’ve seen and done in my travels, check out my recaps of the LA Pen Show, Baltimore Pen Show, and last week’s Arkansas Pen Show.

Happy Shopping!

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1. Retro 51 Fountain Pens (via Vanness Pens). I haven’t written about these yet, but one of the more surprising discoveries has been the redesigned Retro 51 fountain pens, which now feature JoWo No. 6 nibs.

2. Pineider “Quill” Nibs (via Vanness Pens). Lisa let me borrow one of Pineider’s new “Arco Collection” pens to review, which will be forthcoming. I really ended up liking the Pineider nibs - the semi-flexible broad nib is quite stubbish. And, Vanness is running a 40% off sale on Pineider now, no coupon necessary.

3. Star Wars-themed Notepads (via Skylab Letterpress/Etsy). Imperial Orders or Rebel Plans? Your choice, but I bought both from Ana at the Arkansas Pen Show.

4. Pilot Custom 912 Specialty Nibs (via The Nibsmith). Pilot uses its “Custom 912” Model to showcase its specialty nibs, including the flexible FA, the stub SU, the ultra-fine PO, and the Waverly nib that can vary line width depending on writing angle. Dan gave me a pen with a PO nib to review, so look for that in the future.

5. Lamy 2000 Specialty Nibs (via The Nibsmith). Dan has the Lamy 2000 in stock in all available nib sizes, including the rarely seen double broad and oblique nibs. I had the opportunity to write with a few of these in Little Rock, and they’re a fun way to make an old favorite interesting again.

6. Desiderata Soubriquet (via Desiderata Pens/Etsy). Look for a review VERY soon. Pierre is releasing new versions of the Soubriquet all the time, and I think this is easily his best pen yet.

7. Platinum 3776 Celluloid Collection (via Anderson Pens). I picked up a blue celluloid pen with the “Karakusa” design, and I love it. Platinum pens are always a good deal, and these are some of the best-priced celluloid fountain pens on the market.

8. Esterbrook Phaeton 300R Fountain Pen (via Pen Chalet). I had the opportunity to handle one of these at the Kenro table and bring one home for review. It’s a nice inexpensive hooded-nib fountain pen, and seems like a reliable writer.

9. Weekly Dip Special (via Goldspot Pens). This week’s “weekly dip” special is a full set of the Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens in the “Classic” design.

10. Leonardo Momento Zero Sea Stone ST Fountain Pen (via Appelboom). I finally have my “Sea Stone” Leonardo Momento Zero in hand and its everything I thought it would be! Leonardo makes amazing pens, and it’s one of my favorite discoveries from this year.

11. Additive Pens Double Helix (via Additive Pens). I love my Double Helix eyedropper that I purchased in Baltimore. It’s also available in a short-barrel version!

12. Tactile Turn Gist 2.0 (via Tactile Turn). The Gist fountain pen has been redesigned, with new materials for increased durability and a slightly longer body to accept a standard Schmidt converter. I have a titanium model for review, so stay tuned.

13. KACO Edge Fountain Pen (via Amazon). Modern Makrolon design at an incredible price? Sign me up. KACO makes some very reliable fountain pens. A #penshowsafterdark discovery.

14. Moonman N3 Fountain Pen (via Amazon). So Moonman has a new “celluloid” line that I’m planning to check out. I’m leaning towards the green pen.

15. KACO Retro Fountain Pen (via Amazon). Another great low-cost hooded-nib pen from KACO, yet another benefits of after-hours pen talk at the Arkansas show.

Arkansas Pen Show Recap: What's New at Vanness Pens and The Nibsmith

My whirlwind U.S. Pen Show spring tour is almost at a close, with the Atlanta Pen Show up next for the first weekend of April, and then a long break until D.C. in August. This past weekend I was on the road again, to Little Rock for the Arkansas Pen Show held at the Crowne Plaza Friday through Sunday. Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Little Rock without a visit (or two) to the Vanness Pens store!

Vanness Pens Open House

Since I arrived Friday night, I didn’t get to visit the show for the first day, but from what everyone told me, traffic was fairly slow. The Arkansas Pen Show is unique because it is truly a local/regional show, put on by the Arkansas Pen Club in Little Rock, and doesn’t attract as many people from out-of-town. Friday night, however, was what might be one of the best “after-hours” pen show events I’ve attended - an open house at Vanness. The food went quickly - as in it was gone in 20 minutes - but guests lingered until nearly midnight and I ended up working behind the counter helping attendees with their purchases and answering pen-related questions. I can’t emphasize how big and how unique the store is - I’ve never seen this much ink in one place anywhere else!

Cary Yeager of Kenro brought a wide variety of Montegrappa and Aurora to the Vanness open house, in addition to the selection Lisa and Mike already had in the store.

There’s ALL SORTS of stuff at Vanness, including a case full of these pen holders and assorted desk accessories!

Saturday at the Arkansas Pen Show

The Arkansas Show occupied two small ballrooms at the hotel. The major retailers in attendance were Vanness (who didn’t bring a full selection to the show given that most people visited for the open houses), Dan Smith of the Nibsmith, Jimmy and Suzanne Dolive of Total Office Products, and Papier Plume. The rest of the show was a mix of vintage dealers and smaller makers, including Shawn Newton, Tactile Turn, Michael Sull, and Ana and Laura from the Well-Appointed Desk (where I picked up an awesome vintage Rolodex and some Col-o-dex cards to fill it up, long with some other stuff I’ll post soon. Cary Yeager of Kenro also made an appearance, with Esterbrooks and the current Aurora and Montegrappa models. Traffic picked up around lunch, and I helped Dan and Kisha Smith at their table for the afternoon. While foot traffic never approached what you would see in Baltimore or Atlanta, from what I could tell most vendors had a decent show, especially considering that the Arkansas Pen Show is one of the less expensive shows to attend.

Ana and Laura of the Well-Appointed Desk came with a full setup of Col-o-ring and Col-o-dex gear, plus stationery from Skylab Letterpress. (I bought a Rolodex with Col-o-dex refills, plus a bunch of Star Wars stationery from Skylab. More to come!)

AND Back to Vanness!

Everyone was exhausted Saturday night, so Lisa proposed that we order in bbq from Whole Hog Cafe in Little Rock - highly recommended - and take it back to the store for some #penshowsafterdark. Vanness has two long tables in the middle of the store where people can gather and test pens, inks, and paper, and I used this opportunity to do some shopping. I didn’t go too wild this trip, limiting myself to a pad of Life paper, some Baron Fig Mastermind desk pads, a handful of ink samples, and a pack of the new Blackwing Natural pencils with the extra-firm core. I had the chance to play with a couple of show acquisitions: a Townsend in Pinstripe Acrylic by Shawn Newton and a Tactile Turn Gist 2.0 in Titanium. Shawn had the pinstripe material custom-made for him, and it turned out beautifully. Will Hodges of Tactile Turn has refined the design of the Gist fountain pen, and after talking with Will and handling the various models, I decided to take the plunge. I’ll post a more fulsome review after I’ve had a chance to write with it long term, but Will has made the Gist slightly longer (allowing it to take a standard Schmidt converter), and has replaced the Makrolon model with Delrin, which is a much more durable plastic that should solve the cracking issues that some people had with the first (Kickstarter) version. Delrin pens hold up well - both Conid and Karas Kustoms, among others, have used the material.

Two of the pens that I picked up at the Arkansas Pen Show: a Townsend in Pinstripe Acrylic by Shawn Newton, and a Tactile Turn Titanium Gist by Will Hodges. I brought home a couple other pens as well, but am saving those for a future announcement!

Just a small sample of what Shawn Newton brought with him to the Arkansas Pen Show. The opportunity to shop with Shawn in person is reason enough to make the trip to Little Rock! I’ve never seen him with so much inventory.

Introducing “White Lightning” from Vanness Pens! Do you have an ink that you like that’s too dry? Add a drop of this and transform your writing experience. It really does work, and I’ll post my full thoughts soon.

Dan Smith of The Nibsmith showed up with a massive selection of Sailors, Auroras, Pelikans, and more! I helped out behind his table on Saturday afternoon and Dan had steady traffic (in addition to grinding away)!

I had to restrain myself from bringing this one home and into work this Monday, but I don’t need any more notebooks (at least for the moment). This notebook is made by Nuuna, and has excellent fountain pen-friendly paper. Vanness only had a couple of them, and they’re not yet on the website.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

I drove back to Nashville on Sunday, and while I always enjoy attending pen shows, I’ve done a LOT of travel over the past three months and am glad to be home for the few weeks leading up to Atlanta. Though it was a small show, the Arkansas Pen Show has a LOT of potential to expand. Its central location can draw attendees from several different cities, including Little Rock, Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, and Nashville, and with a little publicity work, this one should be able to grow. It helps that in addition to the show, Little Rock is home to one of the largest and best pen and stationery stores in the U.S.!

Many thanks to all the retailers and attendees whom I met this weekend that made this such a great trip!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I received a discount on my purchase of some of the products featured in this post.

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!

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