Don’t worry, you’ll get a full review of both the pen and the notebook soon. Today, however, is more of a rant.

Flooding the Market? A Recap of Lamy's 2019 Special and Limited Releases

September 21, 2019

I don’t think I realized until this week just how many special and limited edition pens Lamy released in 2019 (and the year is not even over yet). While the annual release of the special edition Safaris and AL-Star pens is a much-anticipated tradition for many, this year saw Lamy issue two more Studios, a special edition “LX”, a Scala, and the heavily hyped blue Lamy 2000 limited edition celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Bauhaus. While some portions of today’s post will strike readers as a bit of a rant, please know that I love Lamy. It’s one of my favorite brands, and makes one of my favorite pens of all time, the Lamy 2000. Also, it’s not that I don’t love the fact that Lamy is taking the time to develop all of these different pens and bring them to market, I just don’t understand the strategy behind doing it all at once, in what seems like a sudden flood of releases, with some of them receiving next to no promotion or build-up. With that said, let’s take a look at this year’s pens in more detail.

Lamy Studio Aquamarine and LX All Black Special Editions

I’d call the Lamy Studio one of the “unsung heroes” of the fountain pen world. It’s a well-made, reasonably priced mid-range fountain pen (or rollerball) that not only costs well under $100, but you can easily switch the nib (or even upgrade the nib from steel to gold) because it uses the same interchangeable nib format as the Safari and the AL-Star. Lamy has previously released special edition Studios - I’ve reviewed the Ruby Red and the Racing Green - but the emergig trend has been to release not one but two special editions. The 2018 pens included Terra Cotta and Olive, while this year’s releases are Aquamarine and the “LX All Black.” While I’m certainly glad to see Lamy pay more attention to the Studio, I’m not sure that I understand the strategy behind making two special editions in colors that don’t seem to relate to one another. And what about Lamy’s decision to port the “LX” moniker to the Studio? What does “LX” even mean now?

If you like dark green pens, the Lamy Studio has you covered. Shown here are the Olive Green (left) and Racing Green (right). Not pictured is my LX All Black, which is en route from the Netherlands as we speak.

Both of the current special edition Studios are still available at retail. Our U.S.-based sponsor Pen Chalet has all of the 2018 AND 2019 Studios in stock, and if you are based outside of the U.S., shipping may be more economical to purchase from our Netherlands-based sponsor Appelboom. (Where possible, throughout this post, I will highlight more than one purchasing option, since many of these pens are not expensive enough to trigger free international shipping.)

Lamy LX “Marron” Special Edition

Lamy created some confusion a couple of years ago when they released the “LX,” which was essentially an AL-Star in “iPhone colors” with a nicer looking nib. (Read my review here.) The LX received a bit of attention, then quickly fell off the radar because not much was done to distinguish the pen in any way from the less expensive AL-Star. You can say I was surprised to see the LX “Marron” Special Edition appear at retailers over the past month. The pen is a nice chestnut-brown, with a bronze-colored clip to match, and it’s a gorgeous pen. (Confession: I bought one immediately.) What confused me was the decision to release a special edition LX, especially since I like this pen much more than this year’s “Bronze” AL-Star. Given the “bronze” clip on this pen, they should’ve passed on the LX special edition and just gone with the Marron.

You can purchase the Lamy LX Marron special edition from both Pen Chalet and Appelboom.

Lamy Safari “Independence Day” U.S. Edition

I waited for a bit, but finally caved and ordered the “Independence Day” Safari for the white cap + red clip combination alone. A U.S. exclusive, Lamy released this pen just before the 4th of July, and despite being a bit puzzled by Lamy’s overall decision to release so many special editions this year, I can get behind the occasional regional special edition. Even the packaging has been upgraded for this pen, signaling that Lamy put a lot of thought into this one. You can purchase this pen from any U.S. Lamy retailer, including Pen Chalet (where the pen is currently on sale).

The clip game is strong for these two releases.

Lamy Pastel Safaris and Bronze AL-Star

Much has been written about Lamy’s decision to release three special edition Safaris, but viewed in the overall context of just how many special editions Lamy released in 2019, the decision seems even more puzzling to me. Look, the Pastel Safaris (offered in Light Blue, Mint, and Rose) are quite attractive, present a welcome departure from what was seeming like an endless flood of neon and “dark” themed pens, and they have sold well, but the decision to offer three of them has me thinking that someone over at Lamy can’t make hard decisions. The Bronze AL-Star looks fine but is just boring, and let’s be honest - the “matching” ink is orange, not “bronze.” As I noted above, I would have rather seen them release the excellent LX Marron as this year’s AL-Star release.

You can still purchase the Pastel Safaris, and likely will be able to do so for some time. Pen Chalet and Appelboom both have them in stock. Likewise, both Pen Chalet and Appelboom still carry the Bronze AL-Star.

Lamy Scala

Most of you will probably join me in asking: “What the heck is the Lamy Scala?” I saw this pen offered for sale a few years ago through EU-based retailers, but assumed it had been discontinued. It’s a metal pen that sort of looks like a chunkier, non-streamlined Studio. Apparently it comes in range of finishes, ranging from matte black to brushed steel to “piano black” to “titanium,” but the Scala is not widely sold in the U.S., with most retailers carrying only the “Dark Violet” and “Rose” special editions. These aren’t necessarily unattractive pens, but like most mid to high-end Lamy pens, the Scala is priced nearly twice as high in the U.S. as overseas. I’m not at all sure I see any value here, especially compared to the Studio. You can purchase a Studio with a gold nib for just slightly more than a steel nib Scala. This makes no sense, and Lamy either needs to fix the pricing discrepancy or discontinue this line.

Pen Chalet carries the Lamy Scala special editions, and Appelboom carries the entire line.

I will say that Lamy absolutely killed it on the presentation. The packaging, in addition to looking classy, also appears to be recyclable like their other boxes.

Lamy 2000 Bauhaus 100th Anniversary

And, finally, the commentary most people are probably waiting for: my thoughts on the Bauhaus 100th Anniversary edition Lamy 2000. I did get one of the pens, and I love it. I was, however, extremely frustrated and even a bit angry at how hard it was to track one down. While I probably could have “pulled some strings” and asked a sponsor to set one aside for me, I didn’t do that, mainly because I wanted to write this article from the perspective of someone who loves the Lamy 2000, wanted to participate in this particular anniversary release, and was attempting to find one of the pens at retail without having to pay what I expect will be extortionate prices on the secondary market. It was a difficult, frustrating experience that was completely unnecessary.

The Lamy 2000 is Lamy’s flagship pen. It’s marketed as an example of simple, form-follows-function Bauhaus-inspired design. The Lamy 2000 is also reasonably priced - a piston-filling pen with a gold nib that you can often find for well under $200. The pen is widely loved, and I’m not the only one who has a soft spot for the 2000 because it was the first “nice” pen they ever purchased. So I will say this: It makes absolutely zero sense for Lamy (or their distributor) to price this pen at $500 in the U.S. market, with a release so limited that I’ve heard only 80 - yes, less than 100 - pens made it to the United States. Retailers are holding raffles for the “opportunity” to purchase this pen. In light of Lamy’s decision to flood the market with special editions in the Studio, LX, and Scala lines, it’s absurd that the Lamy 2000 received such a limited release. Sure, I understand the business strategy of selling a smaller number of higher-priced luxury items, but I’d venture that Lamy could have sold thousands of these pens at $300, or even $350. Hype and artificial scarcity during an initial release can drive demand, but with Lamy, if there are not going to be any more of these pens made, what are customers going to come back to buy? Another standard black Lamy 2000? I’m no design historian, but to me, their strategy also seems inconsistent with Bauhaus principles - make well-designed, functional objects made to be used, not sit on a shelf as overpriced collectors’ items.

At the end of the day, I still bought a blue Lamy 2000 at the more reasonable European pricing, and fully intend to ink this pen up and use it just like the old standby that I used to draft this post. I will write in the notebook and throw the box away. The Lamy 2000 remains my favorite pen ever, and I couldn’t bring myself to pass up the opportunity to get the blue one if I found a pen available. Fortunately, Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery in Belgium came through, but I don’t know whether anyone else still has the pens in stock. You’ll have to look hard.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Taken individually, I can say that I like most of the pens Lamy has released in 2019. Taken collectively, they don’t offer much insight into where Lamy is going as a brand or the company’s overall strategy due to the marked lack of consistency or any common theme. The decision to flood the market with inexpensive special editions in the Safari, AL-Star, and Studio models, and to release special edition Scalas while severely restricting their Bauhaus 100th Anniversary Lamy 2000, is incomprehensible to me and already has alienated Lamy’s customer base.

As I alluded to above, it’s great to see bursts of creativity from what, traditionally, has been a somewhat staid German company, but someone needs to start making difficult decisions on their lower-end and mid-range releases, while at the same time catering to and engaging more with the enthusiasts who are basically lining up to give Lamy money for higher-end goods. If customers can’t actually get these pens, they will spend that money elsewhere, and eventually give up and stop coming back.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I purchased the Lamy 2000 “blue Bauhaus” with my own funds, for my own collection, but acquired the other pens pictured here from Pen Chalet and Appelboom using store credit generated through their affiliate programs.

Three-Burgundy-Inks-Montblanc-Monteverde

Quest for Perfection: My Search for the Best Burgundy Ink

August 28, 2019

Out of all the colors available to me, burgundy is my favorite, and finding the “best” burgundy has become something of a personal quest. I’ve always been a fan of red ink, going all the way back to grade school when your supply list included a pack of those Papermate/Flair felt-tipped correcting pens, but sometimes bright red inks are a bit harsh on the eyes when you’re staring at a full page of writing. That’s where burgundies really shine.

Burgundy ink lends your writing a touch of sophistication, and if your job involves lots of annotation and marking up documents, burgundy ink is a - how shall we put it - “gentler” way to correct the ways of others, as opposed to a sea of bright fire-engine red. The color is much more muted while still remaining interesting. I’ve always thought that burgundy looks especially good in a stub or cursive italic nib, two grinds that I favor.

Burgundy-Inks-Montblanc-Monteverde-Diamine

So What Burgundy Inks Have I Been Writing with Lately?

A current favorite Monteverde Passion Burgundy. Many people write off Monteverde as a brand that makes pens of middling quality, but don’t overlook their inks, which are reasonably priced and come in a wide array of colors. Passion Burgundy has more red to it than other burgundies which can have purple or brownish tinges, especially those inks that try to pull off a “wine” theme. Passion Burgundy also behaves fairly well on most papers, even in wet stub nibs, and Monteverde inks in general behave quite similarly to much more expensive inks produced by a certain German brand that also makes their inks in Austria. Hmmm…..

Out of these inks, I would rank my favorites as follows: (1) Montblanc Bordeaux; (2) Monteverde Passion Burgundy; (3) Montblanc Encre du Desert Le Petit Prince (4) Diamine Burgundy Royale; (5) Montblanc Burgundy Red; and (6) Private Reserve Burgundy… — Out of these inks, I would rank my favorites as follows: (1) Montblanc Bordeaux; (2) Monteverde Passion Burgundy; (3) Montblanc Encre du Desert Le Petit Prince (4) Diamine Burgundy Royale; (5) Montblanc Burgundy Red; and (6) Private Reserve Burgundy Mist. All of these inks are excellent, and lean towards the red end of the spectrum rather than

I also recently re-reviewed Private Reserve Burgundy Mist, which was an old favorite before Private Reserve started having quality-control issues, which have since been resolved by a change in ownership and reformulations of certain colors. Burgundy Mist is a bit more “wine-y” than Passion Burgundy, meaning that you will see more purplish hues, but I’d still call it a “red.” Another relatively inexpensive choice that is closer to Passion Burgundy in color is Diamine Burgundy Royale, from the 150th Anniversary lineup.

Finally, the “classic” burgundies that periodically make their way into my rotation include Montblanc Burgundy Red and the classic Montblanc Bordeaux (now discontinued but still a great color). The standard Montblanc Burgundy works well in a finer nib but can appear a bit washed out in a stub. Montblanc Bordeaux was the perfect shade for me, and a relatively close approximation, though maybe slightly darker, is Montblanc’s Encre du Desert, one of the special edition inks released as part of its Le Petit Prince lineup. Unfortunately both the Bordeaux and Encre du Desert are not readily available.

All of the inks pictured here are “good” inks. Given that I have so many burgundies, including some that are very close approximations of each other and behave similarly, I likely will be thinning out this accumulation at some point in the future. On the whole, Monteverde and Diamine offer the best value by far, along with a steady track record of producing quality inks that won’t harm your pens.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I can’t remember exactly how I acquired all of the ink featured here in this review, since I’ve owned much of it for years, but you can assume that I received some bottles for review purposes, free of charge, while I purchased others with my own money.

My Personal Hall of Fame: Favorite Stationery Products in Every Category

August 17, 2019

Since I’m having some remodeling work done in my home office next week, I’ve found myself in the unenviable position of having to move all of my belongings from one end of the house to the other. (This sounds like not such a big deal, except that my office is over the garage and separate from the rest of the house, so it is like actual moving.) The upside is that this gave me the “opportunity” to sort through years of accumulated stationery, donating some, setting others aside for blog giveaways, but also taking the time to do something I’ve never done before: making a “personal hall of fame” or “personal favorites” list. Hopefully, making a list like this will help me focus and weed out stuff that I will never use. Last year I did a huge year-end “clear out” sale in December, and I hope to do the same this year.

So, without further ado, here are my picks. Again, these shouldn’t be confused with my “best pen” recommendations. Rather, these selections are my own personal favorites, organized by category, so there’s a ton of subjectivity here. Most of these are also products I have reviewed, so where possible, links are to my own prior posts. Otherwise the link will be to a sponsor or affiliate who sells the product.

Pens

Paper

Favorite Large Format (A4-ish) Notebook: Baron Fig Confidant Plus (shown in review in leather cover, which is sold separately by Baron Fig)
Favorite Standard Format (A5-ish) Notebook: Baron Fig Confidant Flagship
Favorite Planner: Jibun Techo
Favorite Pocket Notebook: Write Notepads Perfect Bound

Inks and Refills

Pencils and Pencil Accessories

Accessories/Miscellaneous

Any categories you think I missed? Shoot me an e-mail and I’ll consider adding it, though I don’t want to get too down in the weeds with subcategories of different types of pens, etc. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: This post contains my own subjective opinions. I was not compensated in any way for including any products in the lists featured here.

Pencils that have gone the way of the dodo.

Does It Ever Make Sense to Stockpile Stationery? Maybe Sometimes.

July 20, 2019

I’ve been thinking about this question a LOT lately. And not necessarily because I want to justify my own collection, which actually has diminished significantly in recent years. I’ve not purchased any new pens for months, and have made an honest effort to sell off unused items, work my way through my backlog of paper, and simply be more conscious about acquiring additional stuff. Of course I still tend to accumulate pens, pencils, ink, and paper over time - it’s the nature of product reviewing that you sometimes need to acquire items to review - but it’s become more gradual, I don’t feel as though I’m drowning in clutter, and I’m not losing money. A semi-annual stationery purge helps to keep things in check.

I’m not a collector, in the traditional sense, and I try to buy only those things that I could conceivably use one day. On principle, I discourage FOMO-driven “fear hoarding.” You know the forum threads - “They might discontinue X limited-edition product or run out quickly, and I know I haven’t tried it yet but it’s going to be great because X blogger says so and I went ahead and bought seven bottles/boxes/packs of notebooks because I might never be able to get it or anything like it ever again.” This type of stockpiling isn’t healthy, for your sanity, your wallet, or the stationery industry in general. These purchasing frenzies incentivize brands to churn out dozens of ill-conceived “limited edition” versions of the same product rather than innovate and bring something new to the market. Many “limited editions” aren’t even unique - with respect to something like fountain pen ink, is there any good reason to stock up on a dozen bottles of a single color when the overwhelming majority of people go through a bottle (maybe two) a year at most, and where the size and scope of today’s ink market renders it extremely unlikely that you won’t be able to find a similar, if not identical, color? Stockpiling like this rarely makes sense to me.

Lately, however, I’ve been wondering whether a good case does exist for stockpiling certain products you use regularly and form a core part of your workflow. Two items in particular prompted this internal debate: (1) the Baron Fig Mastermind desk pad, and (2) the cedar No. 2 pencil. The first, I’ll freely admit, is more fear-driven than the other. To my knowledge, Baron Fig is in no danger of going away anytime soon, but I’ve not found anything similar to the Mastermind that matches its combination of size, paperweight, and format. (The Studio Neat Panobook and the Write Notepads Landscape Notebook are similar, but I love that the Mastermind is a tear-away desk pad, especially since I have to shred most of my notes from work.) There’s no need for me to invest in a lifetime supply of writing pads, but does it make sense to have extra stock on hand to hold me over if it’s ever discontinued and I need to find something else? Since I’ve used the Mastermind every day consistently for the past two years, probably.

The Faber-Castell Mongols from the 1990s often have usable erasers, unlike older Eberhard-Faber branded pencils where the erasers have calcified.

The cedar No. 2 pencil presents a better case for buying up what you can while you can still get it. Much ink has been spilled (or graphite smeared) lamenting the fact that modern pencil production is plagued by inconsistent quality, even within brands, and unannounced design and manufacturing changes. Take the Dixon Ticonderoga, for example. While the original, USA-manufactured cedar Ticonderoga has been a bit over-romanticized, there’s no disputing the fact that since Dixon began outsourcing production to multiple factories around the world, consistent quality has been elusive. I’ve purchased a box of Black Ticonderogas made in Mexico that were some of the worst pencils I’ve ever used - hard, scratchy, and way too light for their No. 2 designation. Another pack of Chinese-made Ticonderogas that I purchased from Target are still among the best pencils in my stash, with a smooth, dark core, while yet another identical-looking box purchased from Office Depot were just “meh.”

My pencil cup runneth over. Most of these will end up like the Blackwing stub below.

Woodcase pencil-making is, by its very nature, resource-intensive and susceptible to economic pressures that force manufacturers to outsource and cut costs, especially in market segments like school supplies where they can’t raise prices enough to compensate. All of the favorite inexpensive “school” pencils I used growing up (the Dixon Ticonderoga, the Faber-Castell American, the Blackfeet Indian Pencil) have either seen production move overseas or have disappeared entirely from the U.S. market. What’s to say that more brands won’t follow? Sure, it’s a safe bet that Blackwing probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon - as long as people are willing to pay close to $30 for a dozen pencils - but can you really say the same about Generals, which operates a factory in the uber-expensive New York City metropolitan area and focuses on pencils that sell for around $6 per dozen? Even CalCedar (maker of Blackwing) discontinued the eraser-tipped Palomino No. 2, which I consider one of the best pencils ever made. They used to sell them in bulk for $100 per gross, and failing to pull the trigger on that purchase is one of my great regrets. I won’t make the same mistake with the Forest Choice No. 2.

I guess the point of this musing is to say that if I find a reasonably priced product that I use daily and enjoy, why wouldn’t I purchase it while I can, especially if there’s a real (as opposed to perceived) danger of it going away forever? Building up a nice stock of quality woodcase pencils doesn’t cost very much, and pencils don’t take up much space or deteriorate quickly. A dozen USA-made Ticonderogas from the 1990s or 2000s can be had on eBay for as little as $7, and they’re as usable as ever. Sure, that’s pricier than what you’ll see in stores today, but it’s still much less expensive than a dozen modern Blackwings. That Faber-Castell “American” pencil I mentioned? You can buy a sealed half gross of those for $20 - still less than a dozen limited edition Blackwings. The other good thing about pencils is that if you have school-age kids in the house, those pencils are going to get “stolen”, and you can always donate unused pencils or those that don’t match your personal preferences to school-supply drives, which my office runs every fall. In short, be conscious of what you use, and don’t buy multiples of stuff simply because of FOMO-pressure or because someone like me told you to, but at the same time, don’t let today’s trendy obsession with “minimalism” keep you from ensuring that you have a ready supply of quality writing tools that you need to do the work you love.

Now excuse me while I go finish work on my pencil bunker.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. All pencils pictured in this review were purchased with my own funds for my own use.

Also, please do not flood me with emails about selling pencils or pens. I’ve recently been receiving scores of unsolicited e-mails asking if I will sell “XYZ” pen, pencil, or notebook (typically a limited edition). If I am looking to sell or trade something, I will typically ask for trade offers or post things for sale on a separate page. Thanks for understanding - I can only respond to so much email!

Pens and Stationery for Traveling: My Travel Kit in 2019

July 10, 2019

Way back when I first started this blog, I published a short post titled “The Gentleman Hits the Road” where I walked through my travel kit that I used for work. Since I’ve spent so much time on the road this year, I thought it might be a good time to revisit that post and offer some insight into what I’ve been using when I’m away from my desk. There may be some recency bias here, as you’ll recognize several things that I’ve reviewed in the past month or so, but this selection is fairly representative of my work “road carry”, with the exception of pen shows where I’ll obviously take more. Here goes:

Nock Co. Sinclair. The Sinclair remains my preferred travel pen case and general carry-all, mainly because it zips closed and holds all of the pens that I would want to carry with me on a work trip, along with room for a pocket notebook and a few other things. I’ve thinned out my pen cases over the years to where I only have one Sinclair, with black waxed canvas with red interior.
Rotring 800. I like having a pencil on me, but sharpening a woodcase pencil on an airplane or in a hotel or conference room isn’t exactly convenient. My choice of mechanical pencil typically alternates between one of my Rotrings (this time it was the 800) or the Uni Kuru Toga.
PenBBS 355. Even though I don’t carry it with me everywhere and it often never leaves the hotel room, I travel with at least one fountain pen, and preferably one that either has a large ink capacity or uses cartridges so I don’t have to refill from a bottle when I’m away from home. I’ve been extremely satisfied with PenBBS’s take on the syringe filler (or “bulkfiller”), and it likely will be at least another month of steady use before I have to refill this thing.
Baux Pen or Pokka Pen. I’m sometimes torn on whether to actually bother to pack a ballpoint when I’m traveling for work, since most hotels and conference centers will supply a functional ballpoint pen (and sometimes pretty good ones). If I do take a ballpoint, it’s one of the sturdy and portable Baux Pens or the pocketable Pokka.
Nanami Paper Cafe Note. This compact-yet-voluminous B6 notebook has been my constant daily writing companion over the past two years. Since much of my notebook writing takes the form of long lists of bullet points, the longer, narrower format of something like the Cafe Note, the hardback Kunisawa Find pocket notebook, or even the Field Notes End Papers or Front Page works best for me. I still use standard A4 or A5 notebooks, but for specific purposes such as long-form journaling or drafting things longhand.

I was pleased to see that the general format of my travel carry hasn’t changed much over the years, and that my use is fairly consistent. If I ever needed to take a truly extended trip, I might add another fountain pen and consolidate my ballpoint/rollerball/mechanical pencil carry into a multi pen like the Lamy 2000 or the Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, but I still try to limit it to no more than three pens/pencils. Packing for trips and making these decisions is all part of the fun!