Proprietary Ink Cartridges: Endearing or Annoying?

June 21, 2023

It doesn't take long for new fountain pen users to recognize that all fountain pen ink cartridges aren't created equal. While there is such a thing as a "standard international" ink cartridge and converter, it’s neither “standard” nor particularly “international”, as that term has essentially come to mean that the standard version "fits pens with JoWo, Bock, or Schmidt nib/feed assemblies." Nearly all of the Japanese brands, as well as some European brands like Lamy, use their own proprietary cartridge/converter format. Today I'll talk a bit about why I tend to prefer the Japanese-style cartridges to the standard international format.

Note: Whenever you buy a new pen from a brand you haven't previously used, ALWAYS check whether you also need a specific converter and/or cartridge to go with that brand.

Pilot Pens and Pilot Cartridges — Pilot pens such as the Custom Heritage 912, the Custom 74, and the Vanishing Point all take the proprietary Pilot Cartridge.

Pilot Makes My Favorite Ink Cartridge, Followed By Platinum

Why these two, you might ask? Capacity. While each format is unique to each brand, these cartridges hold a LOT of ink. Moreover, the "wide mouth" format of the cartridge both ensures better ink flow than the typical international cartridge (which has a narrower opening) and makes the cartridge easier to refill with ink of your choice using a pipette or small eyedropper rather than a syringe. Of course, part of the reason why these cartridges tend to work so well may be due to the proprietary nature itself, with the cartridge engineered to fit the brand's specific nib and feed.

Pilot Cartridge Stoppers — Pilot cartridges are among the easiest to refill, so there’s even an “aftermarket” for things like these small rubber stoppers if you want to refill a full set. (Search eBay or your online marketplace of choice.)

As an aside, there has been a lot of speculation as to why Pilot recently released the Iroshizuku Inks in cartridge form, and why they believe they can price these cartridges at the relatively high price point of $14 for six. Personally, I think it's because a large portion of users write with fine or extra-fine nibs (if not finer). Given that Pilot cartridges hold a decent volume of ink, six of these cartridges could last someone up to a year, especially if they don't write extensively by hand and, for example, use their pen to make occasional notes in a planner. (Standard Pilot cartridges are much less expensive, as are Platinum cartridges, and are sold in boxes of one dozen.)

While Sailor cartridges also feature a proprietary format with a wider opening similar to Pilot and Platinum, and work just fine, they don't hold as much ink. On the other hand, I find that Lamy cartridges have narrower openings similar to the Western-style Standard International cartridge. As a result, the ink doesn't flow quite as well, and Lamy cartridges can be difficult to puncture to the point where I sometimes worry I'm about to break the pen.

TGS Refill/Cartridge Drawer — Don’t be like me. Use your cartridges.

Takeaways and Lessons Learned Over the Years

At the end of the day, the proprietary systems of cartridges and ink converters can be both a pain to navigate and part of the charm of using fountain pens. Sure, it would be much more convenient to have a single universal format for all brands, and to not have to worry about stocking refills from multiple brands, but over time I've just come to accept that "the cartridge singularity" is not going to happen and learned to love the different shapes and peculiarities of each cartridge. My own opinion is that the Japanese pen companies make better cartridges than Western manufacturers. Not only do I get better performance - mainly ink flow - when I use these cartridges, but the cartridges seem to last longer on the shelf. My insanely busy week/weekend of work saw me cycling through several cartridges on the fly, and the number of half-evaporated cartridges I discovered in my office desk drawer stash (mostly standard short international) reminded me that these things don't last forever. Use 'em if you got em'!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Tones Within Tones: Blue-Black Inks of Choice

June 17, 2023

We’re running a sale this weekend in the shop for Father’s Day - through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 18, take 10% off paper and desk accessories using the coupon code “DAD10” at checkout!

A while back I did an "inks of choice" post in which, for the first time, I discussed my favorite inks by broad color category. This wasn't easy, as many of the colors I love and use on a regular basis aren't easy to categorize. Is it a blue? A blue-black? A dusky purple? Is this a yellow or an orange? A red or a brown? Is burgundy it's own color family? (You get the idea.)

Lately I've been involved in a project at my job that has required me to do more writing than I've done in a long time, given my mostly supervisory responsibilities at this point in my career. This has resulted in (1) a lot of different pens getting written dry; and (2) lots of different pens getting inked up, mainly with unassuming blue-black inks chosen for both performance and the fact that they're less distracting than other brighter options. Whenever I get caught up in a project like this one, and find myself looking at multiple inks in the same color family, I end up struck by how much variation there is among supposedly "identical" inks and ultimately realize that it's a key part of why I have so much fun with this hobby. Here, you have six inks that vary pretty wildly, even within brands. At the same time, it’s fun to see the commonalities that certain brands have, like that Pilot red sheen!

Five Inks of Choice (Blue-Black)

Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. Tsuki-Yo won the "Blue-Black" slot in the "Favorite Inks" post, and as I mentioned in that post, the main reason I love Tsuki-Yo so much is because it's not your traditional blue-black ink. Typically translated as "Moonlight", this ink features a navy undertone with reddish sheen - an office-friendly ink with just enough subtlety to make it interesting for fountain pen aficionados.

Iroshizuku Shin-Kai. Shin-Kai is what I would call the "true" blue-black in the Iroshizuku lineup. Typically translated as "Deep Sea," Shin-Kai somewhat resembles standard Pilot Blue-Black, but dries to an almost steel grey with blue undertones and, again, red sheen.

Pilot Blue-Black. Whenever I get a new Vanishing Point or other Pilot cartridge-converter pen, often the first ink to run through that pen is a standard Pilot Blue-Black ink cartridge. This particular ink has a degree of water-resistance, which is one reason why so many people enjoy it. What surprises me the most with this ink is the degree of red sheen this ink exhibits, which is even more pronounced than its Iroshizuku counterparts.

Red Sheen on Pilot Inks — I forget how much red sheen Pilot inks exhibit, until I swatch them next to other brands. The standard Pilot Blue-Black is kind of crazy, though the sheen only really comes out

Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue. The "Grey-Blue-Black" of this group, albeit with purple (?) undertones when wet, Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue is the most "traditional" blue-black ink of this group. It exhibits some shading but no sheen.

Platinum Blue-Black. Another standard Japanese blue-black ink that I use primarily in cartridge form, Platinum Blue-Black is more blue than other options, and also shows a good degree of water resistance.

Sailor Nano Souboku. Sailor makes a line of "nano" pigmented inks that are permanent, yet still "safe" for use in fountain pens. I've reviewed Kiwa-Guro (the "Nano-Black") in the past, but I've had this pack of the blue-black Souboku cartridges for more than a year and figured that I needed to put them through the rotation. Souboku looks almost teal when wet, and dries to a lighter blue-black shade than the other inks shown here. I like the Sailor "Nano" pigmented inks because they are permanent and tend to perform well on even the cheapest of office papers.

Blue Black Inks of Choice Part II — These three are the more “standard” blue-black inks that I’ve used.

Note: Why so many cartridges, you may ask? During my office reorganization/clean-out project from earlier this year, I came across more than a dozen boxes of cartridges, some of which had to be tossed because the ink had evaporated. Cartridges don't last forever, so if you have them, use them!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and Pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

No Bleed Through Midori MD Cotton — Look Ma! No Bleed-through!

The Gentleman Stationer Ink Cabinet. Part of it.

The Gentleman Stationer's Favorite Fountain Pen Inks, Inaugural Edition (2023)

May 27, 2023

While I publish an annual list of "Best Pen" recommendations, inks are far trickier, made especially difficult by the dozens of brands and thousands of different colors now available, which wasn't the case when I first started TGS. Over the years, I've done a few lists of my favorite inks for specific purposes, such as office use and annotation, but have shied away from anything more categorical. Then I had the idea: What if I made a list of my current preferred ink for each color category, which I could easily update over time? Here are the rules I came up with:

The ink has to be available. No limited editions that are impossible for people to find because that's no fun to read. (Those can have their own list, if people are interested.)
Broad color categories only with no sub-categories. Keep it simple. Here, I've organized this initial list with 12 slots that loosely tracks the major colors that pen companies typically include in their lineup.
I have to have used the ink in multiple pens over the past year. Some of these inks have been used more than others (brown and yellows don't actually get much time in my rotation), but generally, frequency of use + simple joy determines whether an ink makes the cut.

Here we Go! Fountain Pen Inks of Choice by Color (2023)

Blue: Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao. I sometimes go far too long without using this particular ink, but whenever I use it to fill a pen I wonder why I don't just keep a bottle of it on my desk. A bright royal blue that borders on "electric," but is still professional enough to use at the office. It reminds me of Waterman blue that doesn't fade to a duller color after drying.

Black: Lamy Black. When choosing a black ink, some go for the darkest line possible, but not me. I prefer some shading and undertones, especially the purple cast that Lamy Black has when it dries, which gives the ink added depth.

Blue-Black: Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. The name translates as "Moonlight", and though I can't exactly explain why, it fits this shade of ink perfectly. Tsuki-Yo leans more blue on the blue-black scale, and exhibits a slight red sheen on some papers. As one of the longest-running inks in my collection, which at the moment I have loaded into three pens, Tsuki-Yo might be my favorite of the Iroshizuku Inks and one of my favorite inks of all time.

Turquoise: Kaweco Paradise Blue. Some of you may be surprised to see two Kaweco inks on this list, but I absolutely love Kaweco's ink offerings and find them extremely underrated. The inks are vibrant, low-maintenance, and inexpensive, and the fact that they come in both cartridges and bottles ensures that you can use them in your Kaweco Sports as well as your piston fillers.

Green: Kaweco Palm Green. I consider Kaweco Palm Green to be of the most underrated inks of all time, not just in the Kaweco lineup. It’s a beautiful rich color that I use regularly even if it can take a bit of time to dry.

Dominant Industry Romania Red Fountain Pen Ink

Red: Dominant Industry Romania Red. If you were going to have a blood-red vampire-themed ink, it would be this one. This bold, rich color flows well, dries quickly, and doesn't create nib crud. Vampire-themed inks cannot be “pink”, which seems to be a hot topic of conversation these days. Fight me ;)

Burgundy: Montblanc Burgundy Red. The hardest color for me to choose (since most of my favorite burgundy inks are limited editions). I finally went with standard Montblanc Burgundy Red. Though perhaps not as vibrant as some of Montblanc's special edition burgundies, it's a consistently good performer that's a favorite standby.

Orange: Laban Apollo Orange. This orange has been making its way through my orange and yellow TWSBI demonstrators for the past six months. Inspired by the Greek God Apollo, whose symbol traditionally is the sun, this is a “pure orange” ink with a slight tinge of red to help with the legibility.

Anderillium Ink American Goldfinch Yellow

Yellow: Anderillium American Goldfinch Yellow. The first yellow ink I've found that's truly legible, due to its gold/goldenrod hue, American Goldfinch Yellow can be used for actual writing in addition to highlighting and annotation.

Brown: Laban Demeter Brown. A dark brown, but not quite a brown-black. For my brown inks, I tend to enjoy the darker browns and sepias, because they take on a vintage look as they dry.

Purple: Waterman Violet. Not "Tender Purple" or whatever they're calling it these days. Violet. Be warned that of all the Waterman inks, this one has a tendency to stain, so be sure you don't mind your converter (or clear demonstrator) having a slight purple tint long-term. (Definitely do not use in light-colored celluloid pens.) That said, it’s one of the most vibrant purple inks out there, and when I want my writing to stand out, this is my choice.

Grey: Scribo Grigio. I've been on a massive grey ink kick over the past year, and I keep returning to Scribo Grigio. While some might argue with me on this point and call the ink more of a blue-black, I'm going with grey here and the blue tint is what makes it interesting.

Pink: Laban Aphrodite Pink. This final color is extremely difficult, but at the end of the day I have to go with Aphrodite. Some would say this isn't a pink ink at all, but the criteria here dictate that I have to stick with an ink that I've actually used over the past year. In the pink category, this is the clear winner.

Some of the aforementioned inks we sell directly in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, where we are running a Memorial Day Weekend Promotion (10% Off) with the code “SUMMER23” at checkout. Otherwise I have linked to retailers who are friends of mine. This post does not contain paid advertising or affiliate links.

Reviews Revisited (2023): Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo (Moonlight) and Yama-Budo (Crimson Glory Vine)

April 19, 2023

I’ve been feeling a touch overwhelmed lately, whether it’s the pressure of juggling my work schedule and family responsibilities, or just the sheer volume of stuff I have sitting around my office waiting to be listed and shipped or taken over to the warehouse. Sometimes when this happens, it’s comforting to go back to the basics and ignore the latest-and-greatest, a quick flashback a time when my collection/accumulation included just a handful of pens and five or so bottles of ink. (Hard to believe this was only ten years ago, right?!?) For my first couple of years in this hobby, the two “nicest” inks I owned were Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo and Yama-Budo, both of which are still mainstays of my collection.

While I wouldn’t necessarily think of blue-black as having a direct correlation to “Moonlight”, for some reason the name works. The night sky just after dusk, perhaps?

Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo

Why do these particular inks have such staying power? Part of it is nostalgia, for sure, but honestly they’re just good. Tsuki-Yo, to me, is a more interesting version of classic Waterman Blue-Black. The name of the ink translates as “Moonlight,” and while it can certainly pass as a standard blue-black ink - making it an excellent choice for the office - there’s just something about this color that causes it to stand out. Maybe it’s the slight red sheen, the hints of teal, or the vintage-style shading? The ink has never given me any problems in any pen or on any paper, and I’ve come close to using up an entire 50ml bottle. (Well, I’ve used about 2/3 of the bottle, and I expect I’ll finish it this year.)

I angled the swatch to get a shot of the slight red sheen.

While Iroshizuku Inks aren’t known as “super-sheeners,” you get the interesting visual effect without any smearing that’s so prevalent with other sheening inks.

Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo

While Yama-Budo isn’t my favorite overall color (it’s an offbeat burgundy-purple-magenta hue with some gold sheen on certain papers), I have a soft spot for it because it was my first “adventurous” ink color. For such a bright ink, it’s also incredibly well-behaved, and while you always have to be cautious in using reds and purples in stain-prone pens such as clear demonstrators, this particular ink cleans out easier than most. Yama-Budo doesn’t get used nearly as much as Tsuki-Yo, but when I do ink it up, well, I kick myself for leaving it out of the regular rotation.

Gold? Green-Gold? Whatever it is, it only appears on certain types of paper. I see it most on Tomoe River and the Col-o-ring paper here.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Fountain pen ink colors and ink brands can be driven by trends, and fall in and out of favor, but the colors in the Iroshizuku range stand up over time and regularly make their way through my own rotation. Pilot has done an excellent job of selecting a range of interesting, unique colors that can still serve as everyday writers, and they add to the lineup every year or so.

Tsuki-Yo takes on a different look in different nib styles. The top sample is a wet medium stub; the bottom is a medium architect from Mark Bacas. The Yama Budo writing sample is with the Lamy cursive calligraphy nib.

I’ve written a fair bit about Iroshizuku Inks over the years. If you’re curious about reading more, check out my prior reviews of Tsuki-Yo and Yama-Budo, as well as my series on exploring the Iroshizuku line: Part I (Kon-Peki, Shin-Ryoku, and Yama-Budo), and Part II (Asa-Gao, Murasaki Shikibu, and Aji-Sai). I’ve not yet made it through the entire line of Iroshizuku as intended, but now that I have access to all of the inks, well, let’s go!

As I recently announced, we are now able to offer you Pilot pens and inks directly, including the entire Iroshizuku lineup. We currently carry the 50ml bottles of ink, priced at $24. Over the past couple of years I’ve been performing some updates on the site, which includes pruning and updating older content that’s out of date, so you will likely see more “Reviews Revisited” posts in the coming months. It’s been a fun experience to see how my thoughts have changed over the years, and often how my thoughts and opinions haven’t changed much at all!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Pilot, and is currently supported solely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks for your support and patronage!

Ink Review: Laban Greek Mythology Poseidon Green and Hera Dark Green

March 29, 2023

The Laban Greek Mythology Inks continue to impress me with their range of colors, and today I’ll look at the two excellent greens from the lineup (though one I would characterize as a bit more blue/teal). Either way, as someone who loves ink in both of these particular shades, both the Poseidon Green (Blue?) and Hera Dark Green have become standbys in my work pens.

Laban Poseidon Green (or Blue? or Teal?)

First up is “Poseidon Green,” which I view as more of a teal/turquoise blue, but whatever you might call this color, I love it. It’s actually the first ink from this series that I tried, and it has some wonderful shading properties in a nib that provides line variation, especially in those places where the ink pools on the paper. Laban nailed the color matching here. Poseidon (Roman equivalent: Neptune) is the ancient Greek god of the sea, and while this particular color may not necessarily evoke the ocean where I personally go to the beach, they’ve attempted to capture the blue of the Mediterranean islands.

Laban Hera Dark Green

Hera Dark Green is more of your traditional dark green “workhorse ink”. Hera (Roman equivalent: Juno) is the ancient Greek goddess of marriage and “the home,” so I’m not sure I see the connection between the dark green color of this ink and Hera’s traditional affiliations, but it’s a lovely ink nonetheless. As with Poseidon, you’ll experience some shading, with dark teal and grey undertones. Both Poseidon and Hera are drier inks than some of the other Laban colors like Athena Grey, Artemis Navy Blue, and Demeter Brown. That’s not to say they hard-start or dry up in the pen, and I’ve never had that issue with either. It’s more that I’ve noticed they take very little time to dry, making them quite good for work. These are two of the better Laban inks for working on cheaper papers at the office.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Laban continues to impress me with the Greek Mythology series. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s one of the few ink lines where I purchased a bottle of every color as quickly as I could, but again that says just as much about my personal fascination with mythology as it does about their excellent quality.

You can purchase the Laban Greek Mythology Inks directly from us in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, priced at $25 for a 50ml bottle. At this point, I’ve almost made my way through the entire lineup of the Laban Greek Mythology inks, and have reviewed Athena Grey and Artemis Navy Blue, Apollo Orange and Aphrodite Pink, and Ares Red. Some really interesting options remain, including Demeter Brown, Hermes Sky Blue, and Zeus Purple. Stay tuned as I round out this series of ten!

My Leonardo Momento Zero Maestro in Burkina Celluloid, alongside my Montblanc 146 UNICEF (with the small sapphire on top).

Bonus! The Return of Two Favorite Pens with New Nib Grinds

Back in September at the San Francisco Pen Show, I left a handful of pens with Gena at Custom Nib Studio for modification. Just before the Arkansas Pen Show, I received my pens in the mail, including two to which Gena had added their “Perspective” grind that I love so much. Both of these grinds are just as good as the original I had added to my Pelikan M800 Stone Garden and reviewed last year. You’ll notice that both pens I’ve used for today’s ink reviews feature Perspective nibs, which I highly recommend to those who are looking for some of the line variation of an Architect without the sharp edges. Plus, you get the ability to change line width from EF to Medium by adjusting your writing angle!

Custom Nib Studio Perspective Writing Sample

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program, and is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Laban.