2021 Year-End Review, Part I: Favorite Products Reviewed

Every year I do a series of recaps in which I discuss my favorite posts from the past twelve months, broken down into various categories. Well, since we’re about two weeks out from 2022 (!?!?!) I figure it’s time to get things rolling. First up is my list of five favorite products reviewed from 2021, in no particular order. I’ve looked at a lot of great pens this year, but these five stand out in my mind as particularly memorable. Enjoy!

1. The Ultem-ate EDC? Reviewing the Schon DSGN Ultem Pens in Black and Amber. My Schon DSGN Ultem pens have been inked up ever since the San Francisco Pen show (eyedroppered, with custom nibs, of course), and stand out as my favorite acquisitions of 2021. The Black and Amber Ultem pens have now been joined by the “Peek” version.

2. Workhorse Pens: Opus 88 Fountain Pens Offer Maximum Versatility. Similar to the Schon DSGN Ultem pens, I’ve rarely not had an Opus 88 pen inked this year. Once I got over my fear of modifying nib units, they’ve become a pen case staple.

3. First Impressions: The TWSBI Swipe Is a Steal. TWSBI’s latest fountain pen model might be my favorite. From the design to the price point, the TWSBI Swipe is an all-around great buy for a low-cost workhorse. (Not to mention that the U.S. market receives two converters in the box, where many manufacturers don’t even include one.)

4. What Makes a Great Anniversary Edition: Kanilea Pen Company Honokalani Maile Lei. Kanilea Pen Company celebrated their fifth anniversary this year - a huge milestone even if they didn’t get to celebrate it at a pen show, as we all hoped! I love the addition of the “Maile Lei” sterling silver band, which is now being offered as an option on other pens.

5. First Impressions: Hands on with the New Parker 51 Fountain Pen. I couldn’t resist putting this one on the list, not necessarily because I think the new Parker 51 is one of the best fountain pens released this year (it’s not), but simply because this post offered me endless hours of entertainment from reading the comments. The level of vitriol this pen inspired is legendary, and serves as a reminder that regardless of how much we have emotionally invested in this hobby, “IT’S JUST A PEN, PEOPLE!”

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Opus 88 fountain pens get really interesting, really fast once you figure out how to do things like swap in specialty nibs (including non-Jowo nibs from other brands).

Stay tuned for more recaps as I wind down the year! While the pen show season remains “in flux,” given the state of the world, I’m always hopeful of a return to relative normalcy, whatever that may look like. Regardless, I plan to be here reviewing pens, pencils, paper, and other fun stuff for the foreseeable future!

This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases made through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and reader contributions. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

More Mini-Collections: The Most Underappreciated Color in Stationery?

It’s funny - over the years I’ve managed to pick up many pens, notebooks, and pencils on clearance, only to have these surplus (and often heavily discounted) items turn into coveted “grails” years later. Over the past couple of weeks, as I’ve been pruning back my collection, I realized two things: (1) I have a ton of pens in an “anise green” shade that people always comment on (if not try to purchase off me), especially when they see them in person; and (2) this same shade of yellow-green tends to sell very slowly at retail, and often makes up the last of a lot whenever I stock it, even though it’s arguably the best-looking color in products like the Quo Vadis Habana Notebook or the Clairefontaine 1951 Classic Series. On the pen side, Nakaya discontinued their “Nanohana-Iro” urushi finish, and Pilot stopped selling the “Harvest Yellow” Decimo that I’ve been clinging to for dear life over the past few years, as people have tried to pry it from my hands. It’s even become difficult to find pens in a solid shade of yellow-green ebonite, unless you order the rods yourself and have a custom pen made.

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From left, my Wakakusa-Iro Nakaya Long Piccolo, Pilot Decimo in Harvest Gold, and the Platinum Plaisir in Bali Citrus.

So I’ll pose kind of a silly question: Is yellow-green/anise green/pea green the most underappreciated color in stationery? Or to frame it for broader discussion: Why do people only seem to appreciate some things after they start to disappear from the market? I suspect that part of the issue with this particular color is that it’s very difficult to accurately photograph, and even if you get a good picture, vast discrepancies in calibration across computer monitors can make it look much too pale, robbing it of its depth, or on the flip side, too dark, making it look flat and boring. I’ve also heard it’s a hard color for manufacturers to consistently reproduce, so you will get a lot of batch variations across a single product line. That said, this isn’t the only “cult color” that disappears only to become insanely popular on the secondary market.

I guess this is yet one more example of me subconsciously building a “mini-collection” that in this case extends across different product categories. In addition to my Nakaya Long Piccolo in “Wakakusa-Iro” (which was a store exclusive from Aesthetic Bay in Singapore), the Harvest Gold Decimo, and other pens such as my Visconti Van Gogh “Vincent’s Chair” and a green-gold Platinum Plaisir in “Bali Citrus”, I ended up purchasing a gross of the Camel 2B pencils from the CW Pencil Enterprise closeout sale because I couldn’t bear to be without a stash of the green ones.

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What colors do you think remain underappreciated in the stationery industry? For a while, it seems as though everyone was moving towards matte-black everything, then the clear demonstrators became popular, and now the trend is towards sparkling acrylic/DiamondCast. When manufacturers focus on outdoing one another on the latest trend, we seem to miss out on these more offbeat colors that don’t get a lot of attention, and might attract more fans if companies were willing to take a bit more risk and give these products a chance to distinguish themselves. That said, as participants in this community we also have a responsibility: If you like a particular product, and find yourself wishing that “more companies made something like that,” then buy it if you can. Manufacturers and retailers can’t pay their bills on admiration alone, and we shouldn’t wait for these “cult hits” to go out of stock before everyone starts scrambling to find them.

If you’d like to read more on the subject of “Mini-Collections,” and how I’ve focused my own pen and ink collecting, check out these posts on the Parker Sonnet (one of my favorite under-appreciated pens), and my obsession with red inks, among other things.

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, and all likes are to the T.G.S. Curated Shop or other third-parties who have not compensated T.G.S. for links. Shopping with T.G.S. directly supports original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Five Knockaround Fountain Pens for the Office and Beyond

While Black Friday weekend continues, and everyone is doing their shopping with all the different promotions available, I had the idea to do a short post containing some ideas beyond those in this year’s T.G.S. Gift Guide. I’ve become mildly obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect “knockaround” fountain pen for the office: a functional fountain pen that you can leave in your bag, on your desk at work, or stuck in the loop in your planner and not worry excessively about whether it’s going to “walk away” or get damaged. This category isn’t the same for everyone, since we all operate at different price points, but for reliable fountain pens this category typically starts around $20 (excluding the Platinum Preppy, which is much less expensive).

1. Platinum Preppy. I know several people who keep a fistful of these pens inked up at all times, either to give away to the fountain pen curious or eyedropped with inks they’re “experimenting” with. Preppies are also extremely inexpensive everyday writers, starting at around $4.50 for the standard version, with even the limited edition “Preppy Wa” pens priced at just over $7.

2. Platinum Plaisir. Though they feature the same nib, the Platinum Plaisir is a slight upgrade over the Preppy in terms of both looks and durability, since the pen sports an aluminum barrel that comes in a wide array of colors and will take more of a beating than the Preppy. Honestly, the Plaisir will often be my choice over the Preppy (unless I’m eyedroppering to test inks), since I appreciate the added splash of color. Available starting at $22.

3. TWSBI Swipe. Honestly, TWSBI’s latest low-cost fountain pen has blown me away with its value proposition. Not only do you get a reliable nib from a reputable brand, but unlike any other pen on this list, it ships with a converter (actually, two converters) to allow you to fill with bottled ink, in addition to using a cartridge. Available priced at $26.99.

4. Caran d’Ache 849 Fountain Pen. Looking for a fountain pen to match your classic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen or rollerball? The Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen features a springy stainless steel nib that’s pleasant to write with, and is also somewhat slimmer, allowing it to fit in planner pen loops that might otherwise be too small to fit bulkier fountain pens. Available at $52.

5. Midori MD Fountain Pen. Sure, the plastic barrel isn’t much to write home about (even if it is tastefully color-matched to the Midori MD aesthetic), but the nib on this pen is exceptional. Midori has taken the same nib used in the Traveler’s Company brass bullet pens and tweaked it so the nib turns slightly downward, supposedly to better hold up to the harder writing pressure of modern users (and probably those inexperienced with fountain pens). The firm writing experience reminds me of a wider (M) posting nib. Available priced at $38.

Please note that of the fountain pens on this list, the Caran d’Ache 849 and the Midori MD Fountain pen take standard international cartridges, while the Platinum Pens and the TWSBI Swipe accept proprietary cartridges sold by those specific brands. If you’re looking for refills for these particular pens, either for yourself or to include with a gift for someone else, we carry standard international cartridges by Caran d’Ache and Traveler’s Company, as well as both TWSBI Cartridges and bottled ink. Platinum Preppy pens ship with one Platinum ink cartridge included.

As always, you can check out other pen recommendations here, as well as posts discussing my thoughts on fountain pen inks and fountain pen friendly paper. Links here are to the T.G.S. Curated Shop or our friends at Vanness Pens, which are not paid affiliate links but merely friendly recommendations. Many thanks for your support!

What's Inside My Bag? Daily Carry Breakdown 2021

I’ve not done a full “Bag Dump” post in a few years, mainly because what I carry day-to-day doesn’t change all that much and it would be a rather boring exercise to repeat it over and over again. But as I was sorting through my bag yesterday, I realized how much I’m enjoying my current setup. Here it goes:

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My briefcase has taken a lot of abuse over the years. And still looks basically new.

The Bag Itself

I’m not a bag person. Far from it. I essentially have two: a Filson Original Twill Briefcase in Otter Green that’s about 8 years old, and a five-year-old North Face Surge backpack that some of you may have seen me carrying at pen shows. Both of these bags do what I need them to do: They have three separate compartments/dividers for separating notebooks, files, and a laptop, while also providing plenty of pockets and loops for pens and other tools. The Filson gets carried daily; the North Face is for travel since it has more padding for a computer. I don’t see myself making any changes to this setup until something falls apart.

Planners and Journals

Lately I’ve been carrying two Traveler’s-style notebooks. My Standard Traveler’s Notebook in blue contains a trimmed down Stálogy Half-Year Notebook, an undated monthly calendar (for work), a sticky notes insert, and a zippered pouch. Lately, I’ve also been carrying a Traveler’s-sized Roterfaden from Baum-kuchen (“BK_19”) with four different inserts: a day-to-a-page diary refill, a standard blank MD notebook, a dot grid notebook, and a Letter Pad featuring MD Cotton Paper (in the back slot). This particular notebook serves as my personal journal, and it has absolutely no structure whatsoever. I simply write whatever I feel like writing.

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A4 (black) and Letter (green) Filofax Refillable notebooks shown with my Traveler’s Notebook (left) and Roterfaden (right).

Work Notebooks

I go through a LOT of notebooks and pads of paper at my day job, used for a combination of notetaking, brainstorming, and writing. (I do the first draft of pretty much everything by hand - at a bare minimum I’ll hand-write a very detailed outline.) Many of you have written in asking me to do a more detailed post on my specific notetaking and workflow “systems”, and I’m considering it, but honestly nothing is very exciting and doesn’t go much beyond writing everything down and keeping a minimal index of each notebook in the event I need to go back and find things later. If something is important and absolutely needs to be remembered, it gets incorporated into an outline, database, or final work product that is easier for other people to read and navigate.

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The wire binding on the Filofax refillable notebook. No more rings that fall out randomly!

Lately I’ve been relying heavily upon Filofax refillable notebooks in both Letter and A4 sizes. The Filofax paper is pretty good for most pens, but if you buy the hole punch you can use whatever paper you want, and also print out documents and articles to stick in these notebooks. I find these bindings more reliable than ring-bound systems, and the pages turn easier. I typically don’t carry pads of paper around with me, since I’ll have a few sheets in these notebooks, but if I do it’s usually a Rhodia Pad or a Write Notepads Dot-Grid Writing Pad.

Pens

My pen selection sees the most change, as I’ll typically rotate 2-3 new pens in every couple of days depending on what type of work I’m doing and whether I have something new in for review. These pens always travel in my Nock Co. wax canvas Sinclair or another 2-3 pen roll or sleeve. Lately, I’ve been carrying my Schon DSGN Ultem Pens nearly exclusively, since the nibs I have in those pens are perfect for the type of work I’ve been doing lately.

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EDC Pens from left: Schon DSGN Ultem fountain pen, Schon DSGN Black Ultem fountain pen, Baron Fig Squire in brass, Montblanc Starwalker rollerball, Montblanc Le Petit Prince Classique Rollerball.

For general all-purpose writing, I carry a handful of ballpoints and rollerballs, including at least one Caran d’Ache 849 (my go-to “click pen”); my Montblanc Starwalker and Montblanc Le Petit Prince Classique rollerball; my Sunderland mk1 (of course), my Baron Fig Brass Squire, and a Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint (typically kept clipped to my notebook).

Computer

I don’t always carry a laptop, but I nearly always have an iPad on me (iPad Pro 12.9” with the Magic Keyboard and Pencil 2, to be specific). I mainly use my iPad for document management and annotation where writing on a paper copy would be unwieldy, since many of the documents I deal with can run into the hundreds of pages. As fellow attorneys know, the ability to leave “the binders” at the office is a huge advantage!

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Noise Cancelling Headphones

I’ve had a pair of Bose Quietcomfort QC35 headphones for the past few years, and they get the job done. They’re more than serviceable on the sound side, and the noise cancellation (the main reason I use them) is superb. At some point I will likely substitute a set of noise cancelling earbuds so I won’t have to carry the larger headphones every day, and can reserve them for airplane travel.

And that’s it! You may find a couple of other small items tucked in my bag here and there, such as chargers, cables, and these days, spare masks, but all of this stuff discussed above forms the backbone of my day. As I mentioned, I may work up some additional posts regarding workflows, note-taking, and everyday use/carry topics, if this is something that would interest readers. Let me know!

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by reader contributions and purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

The Allure of the Stealth Pen: What Makes the All-Black Pen So Popular?

For the first several years I participated seriously in this hobby (through the early-to-mid 2010s, it seemed as though pen companies were racing to introduce a “stealth” version of their various models, typically a black or matte black version of a pen featuring black-plated trim. (I’ve actually been around long enough to recall Pilot’s release of the current matte-black Vanishing Point, as well as a series of other VPs with matte-black trim and accents.) I’ve always wondered what makes these particular pens so popular. Black-on-black pens, and especially matte black pens, show no sign of going away anytime soon, so this week I spent some time noodling on it and felt compelled to put together an “all-black” carry for yesterday’s remote work outing.

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From left, the Sailor 1911 “Black Luster” edition, my own T.G.S. x Sunderland mk1 rollerball, and the Montblanc “Midnight Black” Starwalker Rollerball. Case is a special edition Nock Co. Sinclair (since discontinued).

Originally, “stealth pen” marketing borrowed heavily from the “tactical pen” crowd, evoking military imagery, extreme durability, and touting the ability to bring your fountain pen along on those top-secret night missions. For example, I recall Monteverde marketing a pen with Goulet called the “Nighthawk” that featured black trim and a carbon fiber motif. Over the years, however, blacked-out pens and black trim in general became mainstream, not just a sub-category targeted to EDC (“everyday carry”) enthusiasts.

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Contrary to popular belief, black pens don’t have to be boring. Not only can you add a splash of color to really set off the finish, but manufacturers can vary the design on things like the grip section to add a lot of character. Check out the knurling on the Montblanc Starwalker!

I’m not sure the popularity of black-on-black pens should come as a surprise. Black accessories of any sort are universally appreciated because they match easily, and while some might be hesitant to claim “black” as their favorite color, I’d venture that it has much wider appeal than the stereotypical “stealth pen” customer would suggest. Here are a few key reasons why I enjoy them myself:

• Sleek, Understated Look. In my “real” life as a working attorney, there are contexts in which I need a pen to blend in to the surroundings and not become a distraction. Court hearings, depositions, and crowded meetings are NOT the time to break out the bright red Pilot Custom Urushi, or the Krusac Scrimshaw Navigator. On the other hand, a black makrolon Lamy 2000, Lamy Studio LX All-Black, or Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black doesn’t obviously turn heads at first glance (and most people won’t notice the Lamy 2000 isn’t a rollerball). In a culture where, unfortunately, many consider using any sort of decent pen or pencil to be a pretentious affectation, black pens can be a good choice where you feel as though you need to fly under the radar.

• Better Grip and Texture. My favorite pens are what I call my “workhorses,” or pens that I can write with all day. Matte-finish pens offer a pleasant grip and texture for all-day writing sessions or when you’re in a hot room with sweaty hands. The pen won’t get slick.

• Black Pens Age Well. As I’ll further discuss below, most black pens, and especially matte black pens, will eventually show some wear and tear. Personally, I find that it adds to the aesthetic and I will never replace a pen for this reason. Look no further than my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, which not only has worn smooth and shiny on the barrel from years of regular use, but now has a partially chrome (as opposed to black-plated) cap finial. I have experienced zero wear, however, on the black ion plating to the nib, clip, or cap band.

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Some flaking on the cap finial is actually the only real wear and tear on my eight-year-old Sailor Imperial Black Fountain pen, which I re-reviewed years after I first purchased the pen.

Eight years and one dropped nib repair later, the nib on my Sailor Imperial Black looks just as good as it did when I first purchased this pen! Thanks Mark!

Of course, there are also some considerations that anyone considering a matte black pen - especially one with black trim - should keep in mind. First, if you’re particular about scratches, chipping, and visible wear on your pens, this finish may not be for you. Most matte texture is created using some form of powder-coating or anodization, and no matter how careful you are with your pens, the finish will eventually wear smooth, and you will likely accumulate some dings and scratches. As I noted above, I love how this looks over time, and merely serves as a reminder that my pens are tools meant to be used, but hey, personal preference. Second, if you are considering a pen with a plated or coated nib, talk to an experienced nib grinder before performing any sort of modification on the pen. Different manufacturers use different techniques to plate their nibs, and depending on the quality of the work and materials used, the coating can start to peel or flake off if the nib is ground. That’s not to say you can’t do it, but I’ve experienced it on a few pens across multiple brands and price points. (You can’t blame the manufacturers for this. When you choose to grind a nib, you are, after all, modifying their pen in a way that they did not originally intend. You are responsible for educating yourself on all the different things that might occur as a result.)

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You know that you’ve really gone off the deep end when you find yourself purchasing things like these matte black Allex scissors, not necessarily because you have a burning use case for them, but because C.W. Pencil Enterprise is closing and, well, you just need these for your desk. (Great scissors, btw.)

While there have been murmurs in the pen blogosphere about blacked-out pens being “tired” or “played out,” I expect them to continue to sell well, and for manufacturers to continue to make these pens for as long as demand holds up. Personally, I consider this a classic design, and would love to see black trim in particular become a default option alongside the black/gold and black/rhodium that you see everywhere. I can’t help but think it might even outperform the current “standards.” Consider some other possibilities. I mean, Lamy recently released a brown Lamy 2000 with a brown plated clip. If they released a version of the 2000 with a ruthenium-plated clip, section, and nib, can you imagine how well that would sell?

(Maybe terribly, but I don’t care. I still want it.)

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You can’t accuse me of inconsistency. I’ve always loved a matte-black pen with a dark red section. Here, the visibility isn’t the best because the alumilite has darkened over the years, but my Newton Shinobi is black ebonite with a dark, blood red alumilite section.

Ending with a Shameless Plug for the T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works MK1

Since I love black pens, it’s not a coincidence that I chose to incorporate a matte black finish into the first exclusive pen collaboration that I’ve done: the T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works mk1 matte-black and burgundy release. While you can read more on the specs for this pen in the shop listing, this release pairs the comfortable and functional Sunderland mk1 design with a durable bead-blasted matte-black and burgundy finish, along with a DLC (Diamond-Like-Coating) black stainless steel clip. I need to give Sunderland mad props for the durability of the finish on this pen - as I noted above, most matte pens will show wear over time, especially if you toss it into bags, pen cases, and pockets. After more than seven months of hard use, however, my current demo shows no wear, which can only be a testament to the quality of the processes used. (Note: I’ve intentionally NOT been gentle with this pen, since I wanted to see how it would hold up in the real world.)

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Yes - the section threads are internal, so they don’t interfere with your grip.

I’d love to do more pen collaborations in the future, and given how well this one has sold, you can expect more from me in the coming year. The T.G.S. x Sunderland pen is not a limited edition, but it is a store exclusive, so you can only get it directly from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Priced at $110, it’s a slight premium over the standard Sunderland mk1, mainly due to the cost of the bead-blasted finish and DLC coating. All proceeds go to support and grow T.G.S., both the blog and the fledgling shop operation!

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This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts (including a slight price break on the Sunderland) pre-orders, and more!