Pen Review: Conway Stewart Model 100

December 19, 2018

I couldn’t make it to the end of the year without reviewing one of my favorite pens, my Conway Stewart Model 100 in Honey Noire acrylic. Conway Stewart is a traditional, well-established British manufacturer whose pens were used by luminaries such as Winston Churchill and various members of the royal family (though I hear the Queen is partial to Parker Duofolds). Unfortunately, the original Conway Stewart company filed for bankruptcy back around 2014, but Bespoke British Pens, makers of brands such as Onoto, Jack Row, and others, acquired certain remaining assets and components from the Conway Stewart factory and resurrected the brand with a series of small-batch releases. Currently, I believe that Vanness Pens is the only authorized U.S. retailer for Conway Stewart pens, and that’s where I acquired the pen pictured here during my visit to Vanness in late 2017.

Conway-Stewart-Model-100-Honey-Noire-Full-Length

The depth of color in the “Honey Noire” acrylic immediately sold me on this pen. Conway Stewart was always known for its materials, many of which managed to reproduce the depth of color typically found only in vintage celluloid. The flecks of dark golden brown and black mix with streaks of iridescence to give this pen a look that I’ve not seen duplicated elsewhere. It’s a similar effect to the much-acclaimed “Dartmoor” acrylic, which I previously featured in my review of the Scriptorium Balladeer.

Size-wise, the Model 100 compares favorably to the Pelikan M600.

The Model 100 itself is what I consider a perfect-sized pen. It’s also one of the smaller and lighter Conway Stewart models. Unposted, the pen is approximately 5 inches in length; posted, it jumps to 6.5 inches, which sits right on the threshold of what I consider to be manageable. If I had one criticism, it’s that I wished the pen posted a little deeper, but the light weight of the acrylic and the cartridge-converter filling system prevent the pen from becoming unbalanced. Along with flexibility and ease of cleaning, this is a key benefit to a cartridge-converter system, as all of us pen-posters know well, and I have gradually come around to viewing this filling system as an advantage rather than looking at it as a way for manufacturers to cut costs.

The nib on my Model 100 looks like a No. 6 Bock nib, though it’s been custom-engraved with the Bespoke British Pens Union Jack “flag” logo and nicely tuned. I typically don’t enjoy Bock nibs out of the box, but the nib on this pen and my Faggionato Petrarque show how well Bock nibs can write with proper tuning and adjustment. The medium 18k nib writes a moderately wet line, with a traditional western-medium width and just a touch of bounce. I’d still characterize this as a “stiff” nib.

I like the Union Jack motif. Apparently the one asset Bespoke British Pens was unable to procure was the right to the traditional Conway Stewart nib design/engraving.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

My Conway Stewart Model 100 ranks up there as one of my best pen purchases from the past few years. It features the vintage-inspired design I love, with a well-tuned nib and a reasonable price point for the craftsmanship and materials. As I mentioned, Vanness Pens is your U.S. retailer for Conway Stewart Pens, though you can also order directly from Bespoke British Pens online. I consider Conway-Stewart pens to be well-priced at $460, which is around what you would pay a pen maker to turn a custom pen from legacy Conway Stewart acrylic and fit it with a gold nib, and maybe even a bit less. Currently, Vanness has several models of Conway Stewarts in stock, including the Model 100, Wellington, and Raleigh, with new pens regularly rotating in as they receive new inventory. I believe Vanness can order other models and materials that are not currently in stock.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review from site sponsor Vanness Pens at a discount. Many thanks to Lisa, Mike, and the team at Vanness for making this review possible.

Pen Review: Pelikan M120

December 12, 2018

Pelikan reintroduced its “iconic” M120 fountain pen a couple of years ago, in a green and black color scheme reminiscent of the original M120 school pens that the company manufactured in the 1950s and 1960s. The original pens are still fairly common finds at pen shows, so when Pelikan re-released the M120 I immediately recognized the design. At the time, I took a pass. Only when Pelikan released the “Iconic Blue” special edition, and I had the opportunity to write with one of the excellent EF nibs during my visit with the Big Apple Pen Club last month, did the M120 recapture my attention.

The Pelikan M120 isn’t a flashy pen - it’s designed to be a workhorse. The body features a classic cigar or torpedo shape, unlike Pelikan’s typical flat-ended pens like the M2XX series or the higher-end Souveran pens in the M4XX-M1XXX series. The M120 does sport the same classic “bill” clip as Pelikan’s other pens, along with - in my favorite touch - a tinted ink window that matches the overall color scheme of the pen: blue for the “Iconic Blue” M120; green for the green-black version. Posted or capped, the pen is just a touch longer than the M205 and the M400. Unposted, all three pens are the same size.

You get some extra scrolling/decor on the M120 gold-plated stainless nib. Check out the blue-tinted ink window.

The M120 comes equipped with a gold-plated stainless steel nib, an excellent writer that I might prefer to Pelikan’s gold nibs, at least in the finer tip sizes. I ordered both pens with EF nibs, and was pleasantly surprised with (1) how well both of them wrote out of the box with no modification and (2) how Pelikan’s stainless EF wrote what I consider to be a “true Western EF” line. Don’t go expecting Sailor or Pilot extra-fine, but it’s not like Pelikan’s gold EF nib, which writes like what I’d consider a medium.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the M120 (as well as the M200 and M400 series): The ability to swap in vintage nibs like this OM (oblique medium) that I picked up at the DC Pen Show a few years back.

Pelikan has taken some flack for the price point of the M120. Currently, the standard M120 in green and black is priced at $265 MSRP with a street price of around $212, reflecting exactly a 20% discount from the MSRP. Storewide coupon codes can get that price below the $200 mark, but it’s still an expensive purchase and certainly at the higher end of the spectrum for a pen with a steel nib. Curiously, the special edition “Iconic Blue” version of the M120 has an MSRP of $235, with a street price of around $188. To me, that $30 makes a big difference in affordability (or the perception of affordability), as many people hesitate to go above the $200 price point (or even the $165 price point) for a pen with a steel nib.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I love the M120, and while I’m a fan of Pelikan Pens in general, I think I appreciate this pen even more as a well-executed, faithful reproduction of a classic. At the end of the day, the price doesn’t even bother me all that much. While I’d like to see this pen consistently priced in the $150-165 range, I can’t say that the M120 isn’t worth the current asking price. It’s a Pelikan - the piston filling mechanism is reliable and the nibs are excellent. Moreover, if you’re a collector of vintage Pelikan pens or have a pen from the M400 series in your collection, those nibs are interchangeable with the modern M120, so this is a great way to use vintage nibs (like the oblique medium featured here) in a modern pen body that may better withstand daily use.

I acquired both of the Pelikan M120 pens pictured in this review from site sponsor Pen Chalet. Both the Iconic Blue and Green-Black models are still in stock, and have been for a while, though the Iconic Blue is classified as a “special edition,” which typically indicates that Pelikan sells the pen for about a year or so before retiring it. What remains to be seen is whether the M120 becomes a standard model in the Pelikan lineup, with new special editions coming out each year like the M200, or maybe somewhat less frequently like the M101N.

Disclaimer: I acquired both pens featured in this review from Pen Chalet using store credit earned through their affiliate program. This post contains affiliate links.

A comparison shot of (from left) the Pelikan M120 Green-Black; the M120 Iconic Blue; the M205 Olivine; and the M400 Brown Tortoise.

Pen Review: Kikkerland Retro Pens as a Bic Clic Replacement

December 8, 2018

Last year I declared the Bic Cristal “(Arguably) the Greatest Pen Ever Made.” Clickbait? Maybe, but I also didn’t get much disagreement. The Cristal has been around forever, beloved by everyone from students to accountants to artists. This past year, the Cristal refill even spawned its own Kickstarter project - a machined aluminum barrel called the “Baux Pen”. (It’s awesome, by the way, and any Bic devotee should consider picking up a couple once they hit the open market.)

No I didn't get shortchanged. These Kikkerland “Retro” pens are sold in packs of five, but one of the pens is living in my travel backpack.

But while millions of Bic Cristals are still produced every year, is it really the most beloved and/or iconic Bic pen? That’s questionable, considering how much people love the Bic Clic, the retractable ballpoint pen that you’ll recognize instantly if the name itself doesn’t ring a bell. The Bic Clic was the original quick-deployment pen used by reporters, doctors, attorneys, clerks, cops - well, you get the point, pretty much anyone who needed a reliable pen that was easy to use “in the field.” Bic ballpoint refills pretty much last forever, and you’ll run across boxes of vintage promotional Clic pens at yard sales and flea markets, many of which still have working refills 20 years later.

Look familiar? It’s a slightly nicer version of the pressed metal Bic Clic clip and nock. The Kikkerland version has a brushed texture.

To the dismay of many, Bic no longer makes the classic “Clic” pen for the regular market. If you want the classic, vintage-style retractable Bic pen (and have it actually be branded “Bic”), you’ll apparently need to spring for a large volume order of customized pens, or purchase someone else’s private-labeled version, like the ubiquitous Field Notes click pens or, as pictured here, the generic Kikkerland version.

Another shot of the clips and a close-up of a couple retro colors

Personally, I like the 1960s-esque retro styling of the Kikkerland pens. It looks as though they’ve tried to make an “upgraded” version of the BiC Clic, with a more finished clip, and nock mechanism that feels solid. There’s no rattling and the pen extends and retracts with a solid “thunk” and an audible - pretty loud, actually - click. Students and fellow office monkeys will be glad to know that they can annoy the heck out of someone with this pen in a boring class or meeting. In terms of the refill, the Kikkerland version appears identical to the Bic refill in one of my Field Notes pens.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I like these pens (and Bic Clics in general). The Kikkerland pens are slightly pricey for what they are (a disposable ballpoint click pen) but the price wasn’t particularly egregious and the nostalgia factor sold me. No regrets here for this Bic fan.

I’ve stopped trying to predict where I’ll see Kikkerland stationery products “in the wild.” I occasionally run across them in bookstores, which is where I picked up this pack of Retro Pens. If these interest you, Amazon is probably the easiest way to grab a 5-pack and they currently qualify for Prime shipping. Kikkerland also sells metallic versions. Other old-school retractable ballpoints include the Bic-Clic branded Field Notes Pen I mentioned above, and the “government-issue” Skilcraft ballpoints that everyone seems to love but that I’ve never used. I really should do another guide/list sometime!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Pen Review: Pokka Pen / Rite-in-the-Rain All-Weather Pen

December 6, 2018

If you recall the story behind the original Pokka Pen, Terry developed the concept because he was tired of losing his expensive Fisher Space Pens, and wanted something relatively replaceable that offered a similar writing experience. While the original Pokka Pen was, and remains, a high-quality, cost-effective replacement, it lacked certain features that made the pressurized Fisher cartridge so great - namely exceptional waterproofing and the ability to write upside down. Enter the “All-Weather” Pokka Pen a couple years later.

This Pokka All-Weather Terry sent me for review came equipped with the new clip, available for purchase separately and shown here on a “Blaze Orange” All-Weather Pokka Pen.

Designed in partnership with both Fisher and Rite-in-the-Rain, the two leading companies in the “all-weather” EDC writing space, the All-Weather Pokka Pen features a pressurized Fisher cartridge and the “Rite-in-the-Rain” logo emblazoned on the side. Otherwise, the All-Weather Pokka Pen is identical to the standard Pokka, which isn’t a negative in my book because the original Pokka Pen has a nearly perfect design and build for a product in its intended niche.

The pen works as expected. One pleasant surprise was a very fine tip size on the cartridge - finer than either the standard Pokka Pen or the Fisher Space Pen. For someone who writes relatively small, I always enjoy discovering new options for fine-tip ballpoint pens, and this one has been a steady companion in the car and in my coat pocket.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I actually ended up preferring the All-Weather Pokka Pen to the standard Pokka (and even the standard Fisher Space Pen) due to the finer tip size and the slightly drier ink. Pokka and Fisher nailed the cartridge, which is a joy to write with and works flawlessly.

Rite-in-the-Rain, or in the sun! The Pokka All-Weather in Blaze Orange compared against my Fisher Space Pen Brass Bullet.

The only thing that gives me some pause is the current price point and lack of refill availability. A standard Pokka Pen costs roughly $2-3 per unit, depending on how many of them you purchase, with refills available if you don’t want to just recycle the pen body after it runs dry. The All-Weather pens currently costs just under $13 for a two-pack, which makes sense given the relatively expensive pressurized cartridge, but no refills are currently available. Rather than lay out $13 for two disposable pens, some people may choose to go ahead and purchase a Fisher Space Pen that they can refill if they aren’t scared to lose it. (Note: Regular Pokka refills weren’t available when the product first launched, and pressurized refills may be introduced at a later date.)

You can purchase the All-Weather Pokka Pen directly from the Pokka website, along with the standard Pokka Pens in all of their great patters and colors, and using the coupon code “GENTSTA” you can get 10% off your purchase. Pokka Pens make great stocking stuffers, btw, and my family has enjoyed receiving them for the past couple of years! For that reason I’ve included them in the past couple of TGS Holiday Gift Guides.

Disclaimer: Pokka Pens sent me the samples featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.

From Left: Sailor Sapporo Mini; Sailor Pro Gear Color; Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black.

Pen Review: Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini

December 1, 2018

Sailor discontinued the "pocket” version of its popular Pro Gear fountain pen, the Sapporo Mini, a few years ago, prompting a run on retailers’ remaining stock and, from what I recall, somewhat of a frenzy at a recent Atlanta Pen Show when a former Sailor distributor showed up with a handful of pens she was looking to unload. What many people don’t realize, however, is that Sailor continues to make these pens for the Japanese market, including for Nagasawa department store’s private label, “PenStyle." Fans of Sailor will know that Nagasawa has a close relationship with the pen company, and that Sailor private labels dozens of “Kobe Inks” for the store in addition to special edition pens.

The Nagasawa cap finial (left) compared against the standard Sailor design (right). Note that the yellow used in the Sapporo Mini is a deeper, mustard yellow, which I prefer to the brighter yellow acrylic used on the Pro Gear Color.

The differences between a standard Sailor Sapporo Mini and the Pen Style version are mostly cosmetic. The cap band is engraved “PenStyle Memo,” and instead of the Sailor anchor logo, the finial features a plain yellow dot bordered in black. While the nib is stamped “Sailor” at the bottom, leaving no doubt who made it, the primary artwork is an engraved dragon with “Kobe” and “1882” inscribed over it - a reference to the founding date of Nagasawa, from what I understand.

A different style of nib engraving, but you still know it’s a 14k Sailor nib, meaning that it’s stiff as a nail but quite smooth.

You all know that I love the standard Pro Gear, and if you’re also a fan of that pen, or a fan of the Pro Gear Slim, you’ll appreciate the Sapporo Mini as a true “pocket carry” iteration of those pens. Capped, the Sapporo Mini is tiny, fitting almost entirely inside my closed hand. Unposted, the pen feels very small and too short to be usable by almost anyone - it’s meant to be posted. The short barrel has threads at the back, allowing you to post securely, and this pen extends to almost the same length as a standard Pro Gear Slim. While it’s definitely on the smaller side, I can use it comfortably for longish periods of time.

Once this pen is posted and fully extended, it’s actually not that small (shown here compared against a standard Pro Gear).

Note that the Sapporo Mini is cartridge-only, as the barrel is too short to accept a converter. (Sailor apparently made a “mini converter” for this pen years ago, but discontinued it.) Typically, the lack of a converter option wouldn’t bother me much, since I have a bunch of cartridges lying around at any given time, but Sailor cartridges are proprietary so this ended up being a bit of a pain. I chose to stock up on cartridges of Sailor’s pigmented inks. I’m partial to the Souboku Blue-Black, but the Kiwa-Guro Nano-Black is also excellent.

Sailor’s pigmented “nano” blue-black, Souboku, has a great color that’s fairly unique. It’s water-resistant and dries quickly.

The Sailor Nano-ink cartridges have an extra little touch that I find kind of charming.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I purchased my Sapporo Mini in yellow because, well, I have a thing for yellow pens and if yellow is an option, I’m probably going with that. The pen also comes available in red or black, with a choice of extra fine, fine, and fine-medium nibs. If you’re in the States, you can order through eBay Seller Cool Japan, where you can pick one of these up for a bit less than the price of a standard Pro Gear Slim. Cool Japan also carries a range of other Sailor/Nagasawa collaborations and other special editions, including Pro Gear Slims in custom colors like Tarumi Apricot, the Sailor 1911 Standard Clear Demonstrator with black-plated trim (referred to as the “Proske”), and the “Tequila Sunrise” Pro Gear from Sailor’s “Cocktail” series.

I keep this pen in my collection for two reasons. First, it’s a unique iteration of one of my favorite pens, the Sailor Pro Gear, and I suspect it eventually will have some value as a collectible because I don’t see Sailor/Nagasawa making this pen forever. Second, I only have one Sailor “Fine-Medium” nib in my collection, and I love this line width.

One final thought on “pocketability” - I don’t use this pen as a true “pocket pen” because it’s plastic and far from indestructible. That said, I do enjoy having a more portable version of the Pro Gear that’s very light in the shirt or jacket pocket, especially when I travel. While this isn’t a pen I ink up all the time, it’s also not one I can see myself parting with anytime soon.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Takeaways and Where to Buy

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