Deals & Drops: Another Special Edition Safari, A New Blacked Out Aurora, and More

A bunch of new releases hit the stores over the past couple weeks, including Lamy’s new US-exclusive “Independence Day” Safari. I’ve been looking for a Safari with a red wire clip, so I’ll likely pick one of these up. Don’t miss Aurora’s new “Cento” pens that they are releasing to celebrate their 100th anniversary, and it looks like the last opportunity to grab one of the Leonardo / Pen Chalet collaborations, since stock is getting low. (Though I would fully support Leonardo making the Dolcevita-inspired orange/black color combination part of the regular lineup….) Happy Shopping!

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

1. Lamy Independence Day Safari (via Pen Chalet). The Fourth of July is only two weeks away, and what better way to celebrate than to pick up one of these new multi-color Safaris, which is a US-market exclusive. Team Safari all the way!

2. Aurora Ipsilon Quadra Cento Italia (via Pen Chalet). Aurora has really been going all out with its ongoing 100th Anniversary celebration, and I really want this pen. The combination of black and red is a stunner. My first Aurora was an Ipsilon Quadra, which I reviewed back in 2014.

3. Aurora 88 Cento 100th Anniversary Limited Edition (via Nibsmith). Aurora went all-out for their 100th Anniversary, including this rose gold pen. If you’re a fan of rose gold, you can’t get much more rose gold than this!

4. PenBBS Model 352 (via PenBBS/Etsy). PenBBS has released a new cartridge/converter model that looks similar to the syringe-filling 355, but without the (overly?) complex filling system. This one comes in a wide range of unique acrylics.

5. Leonardo Officina Italiana Orange/Black Exclusive Edition (via Pen Chalet). Last chance at grabbing one of these orange and black store exclusives, unless they decide to make more. There aren’t many left in stock.

6. Platinum 3776 Century Rokka Limited Edition (via Nibsmith). Get your latest limited edition Platinum 3776, because only 2500 were apparently made. These will go quickly.

7. Loclen Pens (via Vanness Pens). Loclen is a new Italian brand that makes some very interesting machined pens that lends a unique look to the piston/captured converter filling system. This pen almost has a steampunk vibe to me?

8. Pelikan M101N Back Editions (via Amazon). Occasionally you can find back stock of Pelikan limited and special editions on Amazon. If you missed versions of the M101n, there’s currently a Lizard version for sale (check the link), as well as the Bright Red.

9. Pelikan M101N Blue-Grey (via Appelboom). Still on my list…. Maybe a D.C. Pen Show purchase? I didn’t expect to like this one nearly as much as a I do, and I still feel that way months after it was first announced….

10. Opus 88 Omar (via Vanness). If you like the Japanese-style eyedropper convenience of the Opus 88 but want something with a more classic look than the standard Koloro or Fantasia lineup, check out the Omar, which adds a cracked ice-style pattern to the cap.

11. Laminated Ebonite Sailor King of Pen (via Anderson Pens). I think I’ve finally found the King of Pen that would work for me. Not inexpensive (at all), but so far this is the only top-tier Sailor that has spoken to me. That yellow-black pattern is stunning….

12. Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” Limited Edition Ballpoint Pen (via Pen Chalet). CdA has some great colors in their classic 849 range. My daughter just wandered into my office while I was working on this post and informed me that she wants the pink one. These pens have great refills and are a good choice for a portable ballpoint workhorse - check out my review of the 849 here.

13. Moonman C1 Fountain Pen (via eBay). I’ve heard that you can get up to 5ml of ink into this pen if you eyedropper it, though there’s also a converter included. Moonman pens are of exceptional quality for their price point. Check out my reviews of the Moonman M2 and the Moonman N3.

14. Conklin Nozac Weekly Dip Special (via Goldspot). This week Goldspot has a steep price reduction on the modern Conklin Nozac, a riff on the classic vintage pen famous for it’s “word gauge”.

15. Fox Spirit and Deuce of Gears Fountain Pen (via 18111com/Etsy). Yoshi Nakama continues to come up with increasingly unique designs. The bronze “gears” roll-stopper on this pen looks amazing, though I’m not familiar with the sci-fi reference.

Closing the Circle: The Lamy 2000 Rollerball Joins the Family

There are fewer pen designs that I love more than the Lamy 2000. I promised myself that I wouldn’t write yet another piece harping on the Bauhaus-inspired, truly minimalist brushed Makrolon construction (but if you want that, go ahead and read my other reviews of the pens from this line, links at the bottom). Notwithstanding my love for the fountain, ballpoint, and multi pens, it’s taken me quite some time to add the Lamy 2000 rollerball to my arsenal. I finally did so earlier this year, as I was in the midst of rediscovering my love for the smooth writing experience that quality rollerballs have to offer.

The rollerball version of the Lamy 2K features the same brushed stainless steel on the section, and even the same little metal “wings” on the pen that secure the cap.

Fans of the Lamy 2000 fountain pen won’t notice much difference between the fountain pen and the rollerball pen bodies. The first thing you will notice is that it appears to be the exact same body, including the piston knob, which on the rollerball unscrews to allow you to change the refill. Sure, the section is different, but given that the fountain pen features a hooded nib, the overall appearance of the pen doesn’t vary that much between the fountain pen and rollerball versions. The cap and clip remain the same, as does the brushed stainless steel grip section. The balance of the two pens is also quite similar, though the rollerball weighs a bit more, curiously, despite the absence of the fountain pen piston mechanism.

Swapping out the rollerball cartridge is pretty simple: just unscrew the back end of the pen and drop in the refill.

Which brings me to the refill. The standard Lamy rollerball refill is a Schmidt-sourced standard .7mm rollerball cartridge, dubbed the M63, which is certainly smooth but a touch broad for my personal taste. to get a finer tip size, you can either purchase a Schmidt fine-tip rollerball refill, or “upgrade” to my personal favorite, the Montblanc rollerball refill, which writes one of the finer rollerball lines out there and can be made to fit the Lamy 2000 by adding a small spacer - I used a folded up piece of Post-it Note - to the inside of the end cap. Otherwise the refill is too short.

I noticed no discernible difference between the Lamy 2000 rollerball and fountain pen in-hand. It feels like the same pen to me, which is a good thing.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Lamy 2000 Rollerball doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but rather builds on an already great design platform to offer what many people will consider a much more accessible and practical writing instrument. The ability to use high-quality Schmidt or Montblanc rollerball refills is an added bonus. To me, the Lamy 2000 in all its various forms represents the pinnacle of understated, functional design and durability. You simply can’t go wrong with any of them no matter what type of pen you are looking for, be it a fountain pen, ballpoint, multi pen, or rollerball. Now all I need to do is try out the mechanical pencil….

For those in the United States, Amazon remains the easiest way to purchase the non-fountain pen versions of the Lamy 2000. For whatever reason - presumably low demand and distribution expense issues - availability remains relatively scarce and prices noncompetitive at the brick-and-mortar retail level. If you’re located in Europe or elsewhere, the Lamy 2000 rollerball might be easier to find at retail at a price point that makes sense (around 50-60 Euros). For example, this particular pen came from Appelboom in the Netherlands, which stocks the entire Lamy 2000 range, but if you’re purchasing from overseas make sure you include it as part of a larger order to save on shipping.

A Lamy 2000 Family Portrait: From left, the fountain pen, rollerball, 4 Color Ballpoint/multi pen, and standard ballpoint. The ultimate daily carry?

If you’re interested in reading further on my other reviews of pens in the Lamy 2000 family, check out my reviews of the Lamy 2000 fountain pen, the 4 Color Ballpoint (multi pen), and the standard ballpoint. I highly recommend all of them.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection.

Monday Morning Links for the Week of June 17, 2019

1. Quantifying Greatness: Going Deep Down the Rabbit Hole (via UK Fountain Pens). Deep down the rabbit hole, indeed! I could never work with a system like this, just because I would never be able to keep all the factors straight, but it’s impressive!

2. Fumisome Chlorophyll (via Macchiato Man). Stationery TAG - makers of Kyo-no-oto and Kyo-iro inks - apparently have a new ink line, Fumisome. This particular ink looks a bit pale for me but I’m curious as to what the rest of the range look like.

3. The Simple Joy of Mucking About with Pens (via UK Fountain Pens). Local pen meetups are great for this exact reason - sometimes it’s fun to grab a beer and test pens in a bar. And deal with all the strange looks people give you.

4. Disassembly LIne: Leonardo Momento Zero (via SBRE Brown). Stephen breaks down how to take apart and maintain one of my favorite new pens on the market - the Leonardo Momento Zero.

5. Yoseka Notebook (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli reviews a notebook from Yoseka Stationery, a new shop in Queens, NYC. I have one of these that Yoseka sent me for review, but haven’t been able to crack it open yet. I’m glad to see Kelli enjoyed it.

6. Thinning the Accumulation (via FPQuest). I will also likely do some “thinning” in the coming months, so watch the blog for some sales. In this post Ray discussed how he decided which pens to sell and where he sold them, as well as all the considerations that went into each decision.

7. MiGoals Get Shit Done A6 Notebook and Giveaway (via Well-Appointed Desk). Finally, a notebook for when you want to, well, you know. Don’t miss the chance to win.

8. Passing the Torch: 70 Years of Service (via Pelikan’s Perch). Pelikan has been around for 181 years - the amount of history stored in the Company’s archives must be incredible!

9. Why the World’s Best Mathematicians are Hoarding Chalk (via The Cramped). Believe me, we understand.

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.

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.

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 from Aurora, Montegrappa, TWSBI, Sailor, Pilot, along with nib customization services!

7. Pokka Pens. Pokka Pens makes high quality, portable ballpoints that make for a great EDC option. 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." 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 this blog.

9. Favorite Etsy Stores. I frequent a handful of Etsy stores that sell pens, leather goods, paper, and miscellaneous stationery and office goods. (Affiliate)

10. Huckberry. Huckberry is one of my favorite places to shop online. In addition to clothing and outdoor gear, Huckberry stocks a vast selection of everyday carry (EDC) items. (Affiliate)

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I continued my exploration of the brand PenBBS, reviewing the model 355 Bulkfiller, and the double-nibbed 469. For last week’s Deals & Drops, I included some recently released notebooks from Studio Neat, as well as some last-chance Pen Chalet / Leonardo Pens exclusives and new releases from Platinum.

Have a great week, and as always, thanks for reading!

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

Pen Review: PenBBS 469 Double-Nibbed Fountain Pen

Alright, here’s the last PenBBS review for a while, or at least until I place another order for more of these excellent, reasonably priced workhorses. Up today is the PenBBS 469 “double-sided” or “double-ended” (i.e., two-nibbed) fountain pen. Pens with two nibs have gotten a lot of attention from time to time over the years. The first time I recall seeing one was when my friend Thomas commissioned a custom double-ended Edison Pearl from Brian Gray of Edison Pen Company. Other custom pen makers have produced their own versions, but custom pens are expensive and run in the hundreds of dollars. Until now, I have not seen a double-ended pen at the sub $50 price point, which is where this one sits.

Two nibs, two reservoirs. It’s almost as though two pocket eyedroppers are fused together.

The key selling point of a double-ended pen is to allow you to have two nibs: one with a broad tip for general writing or highlighting, and another fine tip for annotations and notetaking. The two nibs on the PenBBS 469 don’t really deviate from the norm, but the fine nib on this pen does have the same slightly upturned tipping that you find on other PenBBS pens, while the broad nib has a more traditional round shape. In my recent reviews of the PenBBS 456 (vacuum-filler) and the PenBBS 355 (syringe-filler “bulkfiller”), I remarked on how much I enjoy the upturned nib, which makes for a smooth writing experience with some line variation.

When you uncap one end for writing, the PenBBS 456 is a very well-balanced pen.

So how the heck do you fill a double reservoir pen? Obviously, it would be extremely difficult (but maybe not impossible?) to use two converters without making the pen unwieldy and huge. Therefore, most are eyedroppers, like this one, which actually comes supplied with a glass dropper in the box. No silicone grease is necessary, because the sections are fitted with o-rings I’ve had zero leakage, despite the pens jostling around in my work bag all week, and have experienced only a minimal amount of ink burping into the cap, even with one of the nibs needing to be inverted at all times.

The broad tip is rounder than your typical PenBBS nib.

Each of the two reservoirs holds a fair bit of ink. I’ve been using this pen for the better part of two weeks, and there’s still plenty of ink left. If you’re someone who needs (or simply likes) to switch colors for annotation or notetaking purposes, the PenBBS 469 could easily be your one-pen workhorse.

The slightly upturned fine tip on the PenBBS 469.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I have yet to be disappointed by a PenBBS pen, and I’ve frankly been stunned at the level of quality they manage to produce at their current price point. The PenBBS 469 is no exception, offering a unique writing experience for less than $50, where you otherwise would have to pay $200+ for a custom pen. I just want them to make more of their pens available in this red material.

PLEASE make a Model 456 in this material!

The two primary ways to purchase PenBBS pens are via the PenBBS Etsy Store, which usually snags you the best price, or via eBay, where certain sellers may have more variety. (As I’ve noted before, for some reason PenBBS carries less diverse stock in their own store, probably to focus on limited or special edition materials while pushing most of their standard stock to their retailers.) Here, the PenBBS 469 costs $29.99 in the Etsy store, while the transparent/red-webbed pen featured in this review runs just under $40 from most eBay Sellers, and can include an optional rollerball attachment if you don’t want to use two fountain pen nibs. I’ve not tested out the rollerball, but Susan over at the Pen Addict has had a positive experience. Check out her review here.

Deals & Drops: Last Chance at Pen Chalet Leonardo Exclusives, New Notebooks from Studio Neat and More

This week we’re featuring some new softcover notebooks from Studio Neat, a new 3776 special edition launched by Platinum, and some Pen Chalet exclusive collaborations with Leonardo and Colorverse that seem to be going fast. Happy shopping!

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

1. Exclusive Leonardo Momento Zero (via Pen Chalet). The ruthenium trim Blue Hawaii has already sold out, but you can still pick up one of the Dolcevita-inspired orange and black models.

2. Platinum 3776 “Rokka” Limited Edition (via Nibsmith). Platinum recently announced their latest 3776 limited edition, and these will likely sell fast so get your pre-orders in now. The pens will be available in early July.

3. Monsoon Storm / Monument Valley Limited Edition Colorverse Ink (via Pen Chalet). Don’t miss this Arizona-inspired ink from Colorverse and Pen Chalet, which is a dark teal and an orange-gold.

4. Studio Neat Totebook (via Studio Neat). Looking for a smaller, soft-cover companion to your Panobook? Studio Neat has released the Totebook, sold in packs of two. Look for my thoughts soon!

5. Rohrer & Klingner Inks (via Vanness Pens). R&K is one of those well-made ink brands that flies under the radar on a lot of people. I have a lot of these inks but haven’t reviewed them, with the exception of the Scabiosa iron gall ink.

6. Loclen Fountain Pens (via Vanness Pens). Loclen is a new brand out of Italy that makes machined pens with an interesting, almost steampunk design, including an integrated converter that functions like a piston.

7. Father’s Day Recommendations (via Anderson Pens). Anderson Pens has pulled together a page of Father’s Day recommendations, which includes some great promotions on pens like the Lamy 2000 and offerings from Faber-Castell.

8. Markdown on Inks from Montegrappa and 3 Oysters (via Goldspot). For this week’s “Weekly Dip” special, Goldspot is marking down prices on bottled ink from Montegrappa and 3 Oysters. A great opportunity to stock up on the unique 3 Oysters colors, which I recently reviewed!

9. New Montblanc Inks! (via Appelboom). With apparently little fanfare, Montblanc has revised their ink lineup to include new labels and a few new colors, including “Pop Pink” and “Manganese Orange.” The standard grey and red inks have received new names. Appelboom also carries the full range of other Montblanc inks, including many of the special and limited editions.

10. Moonman C1 Eyedropper Fountain Pen (via eBay). Moonman has released a much larger transparent eyedropper fountain pen than the much acclaimed M2.

11. Limited Edition Pens from PenBBS (via Etsy/PenBBS). PenBBS makes high-quality, reasonably priced pens, and sells limited/special edition pens made from unique materials out of their Etsy store.

12. PenBBS 456 Vacuum-Filler (via eBay). Of all the PenBBS pens I have tried so far, the 456 vacuum filler has been may favorite, combining good ink capacity with excellent balance and a sweet nib.

13. Pokka Pens Blaze Orange 8-pack (via Amazon). Stock up on your Pokkas, one of the most economical pocket pens around, which are now Prime-eligible!

14. Pen Chalet Endless Recorder Notebook (via Pen Chalet). Looking for an inexpensive, fountain-pen friendly notebook? The Tomoe River “Endless Recorder” is worth a look.

15. Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport (via Amazon). I don’t do book recommendations very often, but any readers of this blog would likely be interested in Newport’s latest.