Mid-Year Review: Popular Content from the First Half of 2021

Every year around this time (which is typically when I go on vacation, in normal times), I take a week to reflect on both (1) the most popular post from the first several months of the year; and (2) my favorite posts from the first several months. These recaps serve a couple of different purposes: They let new readers and those who’ve fallen behind catch up on posts they may have missed, and give me an overview of where I’ve spent most of my time and whether I want to change direction at all. There’s a nice mix of content here, including updated Top Five lists, personal reflections, and pen and ink reviews, and it’s generally reflective of the site’s new direction. Happy reading!

1. My Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing, Five Years Later. With T.G.S. having celebrated it’s seventh anniversary in April, one of my major goals was to revisit popular “Best of” or “Top Five” lists from the early days of the site, many of which had grown woefully out-of-date. First up was this “Best Pencils” post - a solid reader favorite. You can still read the original here, to see what changed and what stayed the same.

2. A Closer Look: Best Notebooks for a Commonplace Book. All that time spent at home during 2020 really allowed me to restart my reading habit, if not in number of books consumed, then in the depth at which I read. I’ve regularly kept a commonplace book (a collection of quotes, notes, and “to read” recommendations) for the past year and a half and found it to be a fulfilling hobby.

3. First Impressions: Hands-on with the New Parker 51 Fountain Pen. Of course this one got the page views. (And the comments. Oh yes, the comments. They still keep coming.)

4. Mini-Collections and Under-Appreciated Pens: The Parker Sonnet. I guess I’ve spent the first part of the year on a bit of a modern Parker kick. I keep coming back to the Sonnet as an all-time favorite, as there’s something about the pen’s classic design that makes it a potential “desert island” writer for me, along with the Lamy 2000. As I discuss in that post, I’ve unconsciously accumulated a small “mini-collection” of Sonnets over the years.

5. Exploring Iroshizuku, Part I and Part II. I tend to shy away from doing a lot of ink reviews, since I find today’s ink market (1) intimidating due to its sheer size, and (2) a bit of a hype machine designed to encourage people to constantly acquire more ink than any person could ever use in a reasonable lifetime. I do, however, enjoy well-made, beautiful ink that’s suitable for everyday writing, such as Pilot’s Iroshizuku line. In these two posts, which form part of a larger work-in-progress, I look at six different inks, many of which are long-time favorites.

A Late Addition to the Commonplace Book Post….

I don’t recall exactly where I picked this tip up, but sometime during 2020 I started sticking “library pockets” in the back of my books, that I would use to hold index cards for notetaking while I was traveling or reading. I’d later transcribe my notes from the notecards into my commonplace book. The habit has stuck (especially for books I can’t or don’t want to annotate or mark up), but I WAY over-purchased library pockets, and accidentally ordered more than a hundred of them. I don’t want to just throw them out, so I’m giving them away. If you order a notebook from the Curated Shop (hopefully for commonplacing but it’s not necessary), I’ll throw in a couple of these pockets, free of charge. The promotion will last until I’ve exhausted my excess supply. (Just to be clear, you’ll receive two pockets per person, per order, not two pockets per notebook.)

What Makes a Great Anniversary Edition: Kanilea Pen Company Honokalani Maile Lei

I’ve spent the past week or so writing about my frustration with the constant stream of “special” and “limited” edition pens flooding the market, seemingly without a lot of thought or meaning behind each release. But I can gripe all day, and it doesn’t make any difference unless I (1) offer some sort of alternative myself; or (2) offer my thoughts on what makes a good special edition product. Today I’ll open door number two, using the recent release from Kanilea Pen Company, their Fifth Anniversary Honokalani Maile Lei fountain pen, as an example of how a company can do things the “right” way. After thinking on these issues, I’ve come up with four key points that, to me, make a legitimately “special” limited or special edition pen:

1. It’s made to commemorate an actual event, or otherwise represents something with special meaning.

2. The design ties to the “theme” of the special edition in a meaningful way.

3. If the price point of the special or limited edition product is significantly higher than the company’s standard product line, there is something to justify the markup.

4. If the product is heavily marketed as “limited” or “special”, the actual availability reflects that, especially if the company relies heavily on “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) to promote the release.

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So How Does Kanilea’s Fifth Anniversary Pen Get It Right?

For starters, it’s a fifth anniversary pen, and it’s more than appropriate to issue a special release to commemorate something like the fifth anniversary of your company! The Kanilea Pen Company officially launched in August 2016 at the Washington, D.C. Pen Show. While I was in attendance, I didn’t have the opportunity to actually buy a pen because they sold out so fast. Since then, Kanilea has grown its lineup deliberately, typically releasing one or two new pens per year, all in keeping with their original company “theme” - places and locations in Hawaii. The Honokalani Maile Lei is no exception, named after the black sand beach on the island of Maui, with the custom-blended, proprietary acrylic designed to reflect the blue water swirling over the black sand.

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Between the custom acrylic and the handcrafted design, no two Kanilea pens are identical. Each pen will have a different pattern of swirls and colors, and for that reason I often enjoy purchasing my Kanilea pens in person at pen shows. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to do that again soon!

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Per Kanilea, Honokalani translates to “Harbor of the Chief,” and “Maile” refers to a sacred Hawaiian plant with fragrant, dark green leaves. The workmanship on the silver “Maile Lei” band is gorgeous.

Yes, the “Maile Lei” pen is a bit more expensive than a standard Kanilea, reflecting a markup of approximately $160. But you’re not just paying for a “special” or “limited” moniker - the Maile Lei features an Argentium Silver cap band with a three dimensional design depicting a lei of maile leaves. According to the materials provided by Kanilea with my pen, “[a] maile lei expresses many meanings and is used to celebrate important life events or even given as a sign of friendship. Traditionally, a maile lei is worn draped around the neck, open ended, but closed maile leis are also made.” The Konokalani Maile Lei fountain pen is only available in a single design profile, the Classic, which, in my opinion, perfectly showcases both the acrylic and the custom silver band.

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Finally, while the Honokalani Maile Lei is an “Anniversary edition” pen, and presumably won’t be available forever (though I could be wrong about that), you don’t see any desperate “buy-it-now-or-you’ll-miss-it” style marketing that’s become so characteristic of modern pen releases. Each Kanilea launch is accompanied by carefully assembled marketing materials explaining the story behind the pen, how the design choices relate to the theme, and how the pen fits into the overall Kanilea narrative.

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Your Kanilea pen arrives packaged in a black walnut keepsake box. I have several of these boxes, and each has found new life as a dresser valet, pencil box, or catch-all for office supplies.

Granted, I do want to point out that Kanilea isn’t exactly an apples-to-apples comparison with other brands, because Kanilea isn’t a typical pen company. Their standard lineup of pens isn’t mass-produced. Each model is carefully tied to the company’s core theme, with each aspect of every pen, from shape to material, carefully selected to reflect its namesake. The pens themselves are designed and handcrafted by the small family team behind Kanilea. But I do think the comparison is still instructive, as one could even argue that what Kanilea does with their “regular line” is what more mainstream companies should be considering for their special and limited releases (at least if their goal is to foster the sort of loyal customer base that has allowed companies like Kanilea to flourish).

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Kanilea fountain pens feature an extremely comfortable grip section and reliable No. 6 JoWo nibs, each tuned and smoothed prior to shipment to ensure a good writing experience.

Why I Enjoy Kanilea Pens

Apart from the aesthetics, Kanilea pens are extraordinarily well-designed, ergonomic, and comfortable. The section, in my opinion, is one of the best out there, the pens are perfectly balanced, and Hugh’s skill at nib tuning continues to impress me. While a Kanilea fountain pen makes for an expensive purchase, the entire experience - down to the packaging - delivers a level of value that’s hard to find from any other maker.

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Where to Buy the Kanilea Honokalani Maile Lei

If you’re interested in learning more about Kanilea’s Fifth Anniversary Release, visit the Kanilea Pen Company website. As I noted above, the Honokalani Maile Lei retails at a higher price point than a typical Kanilea fountain pen ($555 for a steel nib, and $695 for 18k gold), though there is also a Honokalani model (no Maile Lei band) at the standard $395 pricing. Other Kanilea models currently available for purchase include the Mauna Kea, Aolani, and Nui Nalu, which I’ve previously written about as well as the newer Kona Snow and Kona Cherry designs.

Disclaimer: Kanilea Pen Company was kind enough to provide me with the pen featured in this review on a tryout basis. It’s not going to make it’s way back to them. While I did not receive the pen for free, I did receive a discount on the purchase of a gold nib version. Many thanks to Hugh, Karol, and the rest of the team at Kanilea for making this review possible!

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.