Has The Market for "Limited Editions" Finally Jumped the Shark?

It’s a question I’ve been thinking about for a while, but a combination of things finally prompted me to write this post:

1. A question posed a few days ago on Reddit r/fountainpens about whether limited edition fountain pens appreciate in value, and looking for recommendations on which pens can be viewed as an “investment”;

2. The announcement of Lamy’s “Anniversary Edition” Lamy 2000 in Brown Makrolon, made available for pre-order at Canadian retailer Wonder Pens yesterday at a price point nearly 3x the standard version; and

3. The realization that I am experiencing extreme buyers fatigue, to the point where I can count the number of pens I’ve acquired this year on one hand.

It used to be that companies released “limited” or “special” editions once or twice a year, with “limited” denoting a small, fixed number of pens that are put on sale and then discontinued. “Special edition,” on the other hand, typically refers to a special release made in non-finite quantities for a fixed period of time or until sales drop off. These days, there’s not much that’s either “limited” or “special” about it. Seemingly every major pen company has embraced what amounts to a limited and special edition business model, releasing as many as a dozen of these pens every year supported by aggressive cycles of social media marketing. The point of this post isn’t to blame them for doing so: As long as people are buying the pens, it makes sense for them to do it, since presumably reissuing existing pens in different finishes and materials generates a higher margin that having to invest in entirely new product designs. My question is whether it’s sustainable, and drawing on my own personal experience, how long before the larger customer base starts to lose interest?

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I’m not against limited and special releases, but can we do it with a bit more intentionality? To me, there’s a distinct difference between a well thought-out Anniversary release like the Kanilea Honokalani Mali Lei (top left) or a good homage pen such as the Virginia Woolf Writer’s Edition (bottom left), and most of what we are seeing today. While I could get behind the “Bauhaus Blue” Lamy 2000 as a one-off, I have issues with making this an annual thing, in which instead of expanding the standard range to include additional colors, Lamy will be releasing “limited edition” Lamy 2000s annually or near-annually, in effect selling a $200 fountain pen for $700 plus.

Personally, I’m Over It.

You may have noticed that I’m doing fewer reviews of special and limited edition stationery items on the blog. The main reason for this is that I can’t keep up, and I don’t have the personal bandwidth to follow all the different releases that are announced every week. Another reason, however, is a growing lack of excitement on my part. It used to be that the announcement of a new Montblanc Ink or Sailor Pro Gear was considered an event. Now, for example, five months into 2021, we’ve already seen at least three Sailor releases (that I know of) in the North American market alone, and the announcement of so many new inks that I can only throw up my hands. Years ago, you could be a collector of “limited editions” from a specific brand. Nowadays, most companies have released so many that unless you’re extremely well-heeled, that may be impossible.

Don’t worry - I’m not going anywhere and I’m not giving up the blog, but I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that the past year gave rise to an existential crisis of sorts. When I first got into pens, and fountain pens in particular, the search for a superior writing experience is what drove my experimentation and exploration. Somewhere along the way, I found myself caught up in this FOMO-driven “catch-’em-all” mentality, and perhaps even contributing to it by spotlighting every special and limited edition release on The Gentleman Stationer. Maybe it was the experience of being forced to spend my days working from home amid piles of hoarded stationery that will never get used, but about halfway through 2020, I realized that both I and T.G.S. needed a hard reset.

Going forward, I won’t be reviewing “all the things” but rather only those things that legitimately interest me or that I feel might be of significant interest to members of the community. That’s also why you are seeing a new revenue model featuring less retailer and affiliate advertising in favor of direct reader support via Patreon and my own Curated Shop. Yes, there may be some overlap between what I write about and what I sell myself, but it will be intentional. If I choose to carry something, it’s because I think it’s a quality product that is (1) a worth purchasing for actual, practical use, and/or (2) something interesting that the hype train has left at the station and that I think warrants further attention. So far, I’ve found this new approach far more fulfilling, and I’ve had more fun with T.G.S. in 2021 than I’ve had in years, mainly because I finally feel that I’m charting my own direction as opposed to constantly having to worry about responding to the FOMO and other market pressures.

Limited Edition Pens Have Always Been a Bad Investment. Now They’re Even Worse.

Look, I’m not going to quit buying (or even selling) special and limited editions altogether. Some of them are legitimately interesting, well-thought-out, and fun - especially collaborations with artists, brands from other industries, and community members. There will always be a place for that sort of product. But when the industry itself seems to be headed in the direction of one giant special edition subscription model, something feels off, and certainly a departure from what drew me to this community in the first place. I want to try something different, and if people follow me, great. If not, at least I’ll be having fun again!

And to get back to what originally prompted this post: If I could convey one piece of “wisdom” from my decade-plus in the pen community, please do not buy any fountain pen (or other stationery item, or consumer items in general, for that matter) as an investment. Yes, at one point you could flip that Montblanc Writer’s edition (Hemingway or Agatha Christie perhaps?) for a nice return, but these days there are so many of these pens, and the starting retail price for limited and special editions is so high, that there’s little room for any appreciation in value. Moreover, I’ve begun to see retailers having difficulty moving stock. You can often find these pens on deep discount months, or even years, after they were officially discontinued. Honestly, you’re probably better off buying Dogecoin (and no, that’s not an endorsement).

Editor’s Note: For those who are interested, here is some background on the English-language idiom “Jumping the Shark”.

What Do I Look For in a Ballpoint Refill?

OK, so I admit it’s a bit incongruous to follow up a post on the intricacies of fountain pen filling mechanisms with a discussion of ballpoint pen refills, but that’s the reality of my working life these days. I’ve never been one of those people who’s 100%-all-fountain-pens-all-the-time; rather, it’s 50/50 on most days, and as of late 30/70, in favor of ballpoints, gel pens, and even pencils.

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Personally, I find Caran d’Ache pens comfortable to use due to their hexagonal shape. If you find the 849 model (shown at right) too narrow, the 888 “Infinite” (shown left) is larger and has a more rounded hex shape.

But I’m still picky. As far as writing experiences go, there’s nothing worse than a dry, skippy ballpoint pen that won’t write a solid line, especially if the pen itself is uncomfortable to hold. Fortunately, the ballpoint remains the default writing instrument for many, and it’s not difficult to find good ones. But what makes a “good one”? For me, it’s a combination of three factors:

1. The Pen Writes a Consistently Solid Line. If you’ve ever spent much time taking notes with a poorly made ballpoint, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Bad ballpoint ink has a tendency to lay down an inconsistent line, meaning that your writing will have “skips” or “gaps” in it where the tip fails to apply a layer of ink. Because it’s oil-based, and doesn't flow as easily as gel or water-based inks found in gel pens and rollerballs, ballpoint ink is more susceptible to this sort of skipping, especially in older refills that have partially dried out. In my experience, the ballpoint pens and refills that lay down the most consistent line are the Lamy Pico, the Caran d’Ache Infinite (featuring the “Swissride” refill, which I find smoother than the still respectable “Goliath” in the 849), the medium Bic Cristal, and the Schmidt Easyflow 9000.

2. The Pen Has a Comfortable Grip, Preferably Hexagonal. I find that ballpoint pens offer a tactile writing experience more akin to a woodcase pencil; therefore, it seems logical that my favorite ballpoints for longer writing sessions duplicate the feel of a pencil in hand. The two most famous are iconic stationery items: the Bic Cristal and the Caran d’Ache 849. I’ve also recently discovered a line of pens from Marks, Inc. that takes this a step further, using actual hexagonal wooden barrels to house a retractable ballpoint refill.

3. The Availability of a Narrower Tip Size Without Sacrificing Legibility. Last but not least, we come to the most important attribute for those of us who write small: finding a ballpoint pen with a narrow tip size that also satisfies the previous two criteria (but mostly the first one). Lately, I’ve gravitated towards needle-tip ballpoint pens, whether it be the Bic Cristal “Xtra Precision” (which now seems to have been discontinued though I have a stash), the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, and the Marks, Inc. “Tous Les Jours” woodcase ballpoint that I mentioned above. While I love needle tips because of the precision they offer, the Uniball Jetstream SXR Parker-style refill, the Lamy M22 (Pico Refill), and the Caran d’Ache Goliath in the 849 offer reliable non-needle tip “fine” options that can get you a narrow line without sacrificing too much smoothness or legibility.

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If the pen has a quality, legible refill, needle-tip ballpoints are excellent choices for those of us who like to write small and favor precise lines.

So What Ballpoint Pens Have I Been Writing With Recently?

You may have noticed that there’s not much overlap between the pens I mention in each of the three categories above. Nobody has “perfected” the ballpoint pen, so you end up with necessary trade-offs depending on what is most important to you at any particular moment (i.e., sacrificing some comfort for legibility and/or a narrow tip size, and vice-versa). For an overall combination of portability, durability, and performance, both the Lamy Pico and the Caran d’Ache 849 are excellent choices, and both come with “fine” refill options which, if not perfect, are still very good. Comfort-wise, I’ve been exceptionally impressed with the Caran d’Ache Infinite 888, though the refill is a bit on the wider side without a finer option. For annotating books or writing on the go, I’ve relied heavily on the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, since it has both a needle-tip AND a clip that can secure the pen to the front cover of a book or pocket notebook. All that aside, for its combination of value, performance, and I-just-don’t-want-to-have-to-think-about-it practicality, I still reach for the classic Bic Cristal, and these days Cristal fans can even dress the refill up in a fancy housing from Baux Pens. (I have three in rotation.)

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A selection of writing samples from my current favorite ballpoints. Note that the Marks and Traveler’s Company refills easily offer the finest line.

If there’s one thing to be said for the humble ballpoint pen, you have a plethora of quality choices at very low price points, and as I explore the “higher-end offerings,” I’m increasingly convinced that ballpoints offer superior performance and versatility compared to rollerballs and even gel pens. Ballpoints tend to write more consistently at different angles, and are water-resistant. Of course, such advantages depend entirely on the context in which you use your pens - lately I’ve been focused on everyday use, and your own mileage may vary.

Do you have a favorite ballpoint? Drop me a line and let me know! For more pen recommendations and discussions of some of my personal favorites, check out my “Best Pen” Recommendations page, recently updated for 2021.

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Two pocket ballpoint options: The Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint (left) and the Lamy Pico (right).

This post does not contain third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported via pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program and sales through the T.G.S. Curated Shop, an authorized retailer of some, but not all, of the brands featured in this post.

Filling Systems: Pros and Cons of Piston Fillers, Vacuum Fillers, and Cartridge/Converter Fountain Pens

Vintage vs. modern, steel nib vs. gold nib, extra-fine vs. triple-broad, Safari vs. Al-Star: the fountain pen community has always had - and always will have - various “debates” over what’s better. Of course there’s no right answer, but endlessly discussing the minutiae is part of what makes this hobby interesting, and the community so much fun. (Well, 99% of the community, setting aside the 1% that tends to take everything far too seriously.)

When it comes to my own personal collecting, my interests focus on two areas: materials (mainly celluloid) and filling systems. Acquiring pens made from rare and/or vintage celluloids, which have a depth and warmth that modern acrylics and resins lack, caters to the aesthetic/artistic interest I have in pens. On the other hand, exploring different filling systems brings out the true pen nerd in me, and is probably the reason I have an ever-expanding, wildly diverse accumulation of fountain pens. When manufacturers keep experimenting with new methods to fill fountain pens, you can’t help but try them all!

The Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen, featuring Pilot’s proprietary Con-70 Converter. While I love this particular converter, Japanese companies such as Pilot and Platinum (shown at the top) all use their own converter design, so you will need to buy separate converters fore each brand of pen.

Cartridge-Converter: The Best Filling System for Most People

People often ask me, what’s the best filling system for the everyday user? For the casual enthusiast, this answer is clear: Cartridge/converter offers a user-friendly, versatile mechanism that’s straightforward and especially appropriate for first-timers and those who travel a lot or otherwise need to be able to refill on the go. I enjoy many cartridge/converter fountain pens myself, and I certainly won’t pass on a pen that I otherwise find interesting or attractive simply because it’s not exclusively bottle-fill. Pros and cons of cartridge-converter filling systems include:

Pros:

• Versatility. Cartridge/converter filling systems allow you to use ink cartridges and fill from an ink bottle. It’s not just about whether you’re a beginner - I’ve been in this hobby a decade or more, and still keep cartridge/converter fountain pens in rotation because they’re great for travel. (You can read more on why I like ink cartridges here.)

• Ease of use. If you’re new to fountain pens and simply want to get to writing without worrying about making a mess learning to fill from a bottle, just pop in a cartridge and you’re on your way.

• Easy to Clean. Cartridge/converter pens are also exceptionally easy to clean by flushing them out with an inexpensive bulb syringe, or soaking the nib unit in water or running it through an ultrasonic cleaner. If you enjoy using highly saturated or shimmer inks that might stain or otherwise be hard to clean out of a pen, cartridge/converter pens are typically the way to go.

Cons:

• Small Ink Capacity. Both cartridges and converters generally hold less than 1ml of ink. On a busy day, I can easily write one or more cartridge/converter pens dry. If you enjoy changing inks frequently, you might view this as a “pro,” but high-volume writers looking to go a full day or more on a single fill might prefer something with a bigger ink capacity.

• Proprietary Cartridges and Converters. While some pen companies have moved towards a universal, standard international converter that is freely interchangeable between different pens, many major brands (including Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Lamy, and Parker, just to name a few) use proprietary cartridges and converters that only work in their pens. To add insult to injury, many pens don’t actually ship with a converter, so it creates an added expense when you can’t use one of the dozens of converters already in your desk drawer.

• Limited Ink Selection. If you stick to cartridges, you won’t have as many ink options. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still have plenty, as brands like Diamine, Herbin, Sailor, and Caran d’Ache release more of their ink lines in cartridge form, but you’ll likely be excluded from most of the boutique and specialty inks unless you buy the converter and fill from a bottle.

Many piston filling fountain pens are larger, to maximize ink capacity. The smaller pens, second from left and second from right, are cartridge converter, and the rest are piston-fill.

Piston Fillers and Vacuum Fillers Are More Fun

Even though I’m not a true filling-system snob, and frankly the majority of the pens I use on a daily basis are still cartridge-converter, I get the most enjoyment out of my piston and vacuum fillers. For those who may be new to fountain pens and unfamiliar with the terminology, a piston filler uses, well, a piston mechanism to draw ink into the pen when you dip the nib into an ink bottle and rotate the piston knob. A vacuum filler, such as the Pilot Custom 823 or TWSBI Vac 700R, takes in ink when you submerge the nib-end of the pen in an ink bottle and depress a plunger to create negative pressure. Both types of pens hold more ink than your typical cartridge/converter pen because the entire pen body becomes an ink reservoir, as opposed to a smaller plastic tube (i.e., a cartridge or converter) inside the barrel. In my opinion, this increased ink capacity is the primary benefit.

But piston fillers don’t need to be expensive. TWSBI makes a wide range of piston filling fountain pens for as little as $32.

That said, another huge part of why I love writing with a fountain pen is a sense of not just nostalgia but continuity - there’s something inspiring and even motivating about filling a pen and writing the same way that people did nearly a hundred years ago. For this reason, after cartridge/converter, piston fillers are probably the second most-represented category of fountain pens in my own collection, and what I recommend to most people as a first “upgrade,” followed by the vacuum filler.

Pros:

• Huge Ink Capacity. Piston fillers and vacuum filler fountain pens can easily hold up to 2ml of ink per fill, and sometimes more. For me, that means I’m good to go for at least two full days of writing. Vacuum filler pens can hold a bit more ink, but as I discuss below, sometimes these are a bit more difficult to fill to capacity.

• Sustainability/Less Waste. Using a fountain pen that exclusively fills from an ink bottle creates less plastic waste than using a cartridge/converter system. Even if you use the converter, those don’t last forever, as I note above, requiring replacement. If you’re focused on using fountain pens because you like the idea of not contributing to the endless morass of disposable ballpoints, rollerballs, and gel pens clogging landfills, then you may want to take things a step further and forego cartridges and converters.

• Typically Higher Quality. Because piston and vacuum filling systems take more work to build, as a general matter these filling systems are found in higher-quality pens that may or may not be a pen company’s “flagship” pen. A piston or vacuum filling system is typically built to withstand the test of time, whereas I’ve had converters wear out or break in less than a year. Again, this is a generalization - there are very high quality cartridge-converter pens out there, and some very badly made complex filling systems, but overall I find this accurate.

Cons:

• Generally More Expensive. With greater complexity and quality often comes greater expense. TWSBI and PenBBS are the two main exceptions to this rule, with TWSBI making both high-quality piston and vacuum fillers for well under $100. While PenBBS makes an exceptional vacuum-filling fountain pen (the No. 456), their pistons leave something to be desired.

• Only Uses Bottled Ink. If you want to be able to refill one of these pens while you’re traveling, you’ll either have to bring a bottle of ink or a traveling inkwell. That can be an inconvenience for some, myself included, and I often opt for cartridges when I travel, or I make sure to fill one of my larger vacuum filler pens to capacity before I leave.

• Messier to Fill and More Difficult to Clean. Cartridge/converter pens are easier to clean because you can simply unscrew the nib section and flush water directly through the feed. In a piston or vacuum filler, you basically have to work the piston or plunger mechanism multiple times until the water runs clear, which can take a while. This can be a real pain, especially if you’re changing colors. Moreover, any time you fill the pen from an ink bottle, you have the risk of a spill, which doesn’t exist with a cartridge.

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The Pilot Custom 823 is probably my favorite vacuum-filler.

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You can see the plunger rod through the transparent barrel. For a demonstration of how to fill a vacuum-filler pen, Matt’s video over at The Pen Habit has a useful demonstration.

Yes, I Know There Are Other Options Out There

Including eyedroppers, pump/vacumatic fillers, aerometric, bulk/syringe fillers, magnet fillers, etc. But other than maybe the Opus 88 Japanese-style eyedropper system (which I very much like), the three filling systems I’ve discussed here are the ones most pen users are likely to encounter on a regular basis, especially those new to the hobby. I may even publish a follow-up post on some of the less common variants, and video demonstrations of how exactly to fill and clean each type of pen.

What are your favorite filling systems, and why? Does anyone stick to just one? I want to hear from you!

This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported exclusively by subscribers to the T.G.S. Patreon and via purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop.

It's That Time Again! Updated 2021 "Best Pen" Recommendations Are Live

Every year, around this same time, I update the “Best Pen” recommendations to account for new releases, discontinuations, price increases, industry developments, and changes in my own use preferences. For the 2021 update (which coincides with the recent 8th “Bloggiversary” of T.G.S.), I’ve made some fairly significant overhauls to the page, particularly the “Best Fountain Pens Under $100,” “Personal Favorites,” “Pocket Pens,” and “Refillable Rollerballs and Ballpoints.” Here are some highlights:

• Opus 88 and PenBBS have made appearances as core recommendations in a couple of places. I’ve spent enough time with both brands to feel comfortable recommending them, though with PenBBS I generally shy away from anything other than the cartridge converter, eyedropper, or vacuum fillers, due to reliability issues with the more “experimental” filling systems.

• The Schon DSGN Pocket Six fountain pen and the Traveler’s Company Brass Pens make appearances on the “Pocket Pens” list. I love both designs and it’s rare that I don’t have one or the other inked up and in rotation at any given time.

• I’ve completely reworked my “Personal Favorites” list, which swaps out the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande for the standard Momento Zero, adds the Kanilea Pen Co. “Classic Flush” design, and brings back the Pilot Custom 823.

You can read the rest of this year’s “Best Pens” lists here, and as always, I’ve left the lists from the past several years live so that you can see how my tastes and recommendations have evolved over time. Enjoy!

Organizing A Pen Collection: Pulling It All Together

Many thanks to all of you who wrote in or commented in response to Wednesday’s post, in which I talked about the “struggles” in managing a larger pen collection and ensuring that all pens get used. The comments were varied, ranging from “I don’t worry about it at all and keep as many pens inked as I like” to descriptions of sophisticated spreadsheets or database systems programmed to track which pens and inks haven’t been used lately and recommend a fresh pairing. I thought I’d share some of the top recommendations:

1. Fountain Pen Companion. By far the most popular recommendation I received for managing a pen collection was Fountain Pen Companion, which is not only a sophisticated online database for tracking your pens, inks, and usage, but a community with 800+ registered users. FPC features an ink “leaderboard” with collection rankings by bottles, colors, samples, and brands, and can serve as a platform to trade ink samples. I registered for Fountain Pen Companion last year, but never got around to entering my pen and ink collection into the system. That will change soon. (I’m registered under “GentlemanStationer".)

2. Figboot on Pens Spreadsheet. Second to Fountain Pen Companion was David’s “EDC Log” spreadsheet that he developed and generously released to the community several years ago. The “EDC Log” functions similarly to Fountain Pen Companion, only offline in an excel file that will automatically track your most-used pens and inks.

3. Filemaker Pro and Other Database Software. Several readers described how they built their own custom pen and ink databases that include pictures, purchase details, and usage history, using Filemaker or other database software. I don’t have the knowledge or technical skill to build one of these myself, and my experience with database tools is limited, so I can’t offer much guidance here but if you’re looking for your own customized collection management solution, building a database or your own custom excel template is likely the way to go.

4. “Currently Inked” Lists and Notebooks. Most of us started here, and many of us never abandon the tried and true “Currently Inked” list, kept on an index card, in a notebook, or logged in a dedicated, special-purpose notebook like Ink Journal. Personally, I keep a Reporter’s Style Notebook that (theoretically) shows all of the pens and inks I currently have in rotation, though I often forget to log them. These lists sit on my desk and are intended to serve as a quick reference in case I forget which shade of blue is in which pen, and they don’t get saved long-term. I may also start keeping a running list of pen-and-ink pairings in my Traveler’s Notebook to retain for posterity.

5. No System at All. Many of you were adamant that forcing an organizational system on pens and inks would drain the fun from the hobby, and I totally get that. For me personally (since I’m a nerd), part of the fun of collecting, whether it be pens, books, coins, stamps, music, etc., lies in the selection and curation process, but it’s not for everyone.

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It’s not just my pen collection that I’m sorting through. I recently received my custom “Ex Libris” stamp in the mail and have begun the process of marking all the “keeper” books in my home library.

So why am I so hung up on this? I think it stems from the fact that I’ve been spending so much time at home and noticing how much unused stuff I have lying around, including different “collections” I’ve accumulated over the years. But for things to truly be considered a “collection,” I’ve always subscribed to the view that there needs to be some basic level of curation or organization. Otherwise it just becomes clutter. As I mentioned, that curation process is part of what I’ve traditionally enjoyed about my hobbies, and I think some of the “hobby burnout” I’ve been experiencing is due to the fact that I’ve let that aspect get away from me. I get even less enjoyment when the disorganization gets to a point where it prevents me from actually using what I have. This year, a major goal of mine is to sort through my various accumulations, organize and keep what I love into actual collections, and pass along anything that needs a new home.