Baron-Fig-Brass-Squire-Leather-Mastermind

Catching up with Baron Fig: New Squires, a Confidant Partnership, and Leather Goods

January 17, 2019

In terms of companies that make some of my favorite products for everyday use, both at home and at work, you need not look much further than Baron Fig. From its origins as a Kickstarter notebook project, the company has evolved from being simply the makers of the Confidant notebook to a full-blown lifestyle brand, though the focus remains on stationery. Today I’ll take a look at a few of the Baron Fig products I’ve added to my daily kit over the past year or so.

Pictured from left: Squire Rollerball in “Sheath” Pen single pen sleeve; “Lock” Brass limited edition Squire (check out that patina!) and my getting-worn-in slim bifold wallet. All of these products are sitting on top of a Mastermind desk pad.

Squire Rollerball Pen. Baron Fig’s Squire is my preferred iteration of the retractable rollerball - I like the teardrop shape, they’ve kept the design clean, and now there’s even a compatible Uniball Jetstream Refill that you can use to turn your rollerball into a fine-tip hybrid gel/ballpoint. Over the past year, Baron Fig also has backed away from a quarterly “limited edition” release schedule in favor of a wider range of standard colors and materials. The most recent release has been a Squire in brass, which is one of my favorites and which I’ve had the pleasure of using as part of the “Lock and Key” limited edition set that was released about a year ago. Today, my brass pen sports a gorgeous patina. I’m glad to see brass join stainless steel and copper as part of the regular Squire lineup.

Confidant Notebooks. The Confidant lineup also has expanded over the past couple of years, with both new sizes and new colors now available as part of the regular line. The limited or special edition Confidants that were being released on a quarterly basis have apparently been replaced by special-purpose notebooks designed in partnership with various writers and designers. These include the new Clear Habit Journal (designed to accompany the book Atomic Habits by James Clear), the Wander Dream Journal, and the Show & Tell Notebook (designed in conjunction with Dribbble design showcase). Of these three, the Clear Habit Journal is probably the only one that might find its way into my regular rotation - and I have one on the way to review - but I love that Baron Fig has branched out and released these other products. I know several people who have enjoyed using the Wander Dream journal, and the Show & Tell will appeal to those who like to combine lined pages for writing with blank pages for sketching, doodling, or diagramming.

Workspace Accessories. In 2018 the Mastermind Desk Pad remained my most used stationery item. I probably churned through a dozen of these things, far outpacing my use of anything else in my kit. Though the Mastermind is not intended for writing on both sides of the page, the paper quality holds up with fountain pens, especially with respect to feathering and dry time. One of the things I love about Baron Fig paper is that it’s slightly absorbent, so it dries relatively quickly and doesn’t get all over your hands and wrists if, like me, you keep a Mastermind notepad underneath your keyboard. It also comes available in an “Mini” size, and Baron Fig subsequently released a narrow “Weeks” version to help you plan.

Bags and Leather Goods. Last but not least, I’ve found Baron Fig’s leather goods surprisingly impressive in both their looks and durability, especially at the price point. I’ve periodically posted that I’m carrying one of their slim bifold wallets in Charcoal, which is actually a very light gray that ages into an almost khaki color. I’m very hard on wallets, and this one has held up well. Other Baron Fig leather goods in my regular repertoire include the leather “Sheath” pen case for the Squire, as well as the “Guardian” notebook covers.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Baron Fig is one of those brands that I’ve enjoyed getting to watch grow over the past few years. One thing I appreciate is that despite their rapid growth and introduction of new product lines, I’ve not had significant quality control issues, even as they’ve managed to keep their pricing reasonable. The stuff just “works,” and allows you to get down to doing your work, whatever that may be, with a minimum of fuss.

You can purchase any of the products featured in this post through the Baron Fig website, and they’re even starting to expand into retail streams. Our sponsor Vanness Pens currently carries a range of Baron Fig products, including the Confidant and Vanguard notebooks.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Baron Fig provided me with certain of the products pictured in this review free of charge for review purposes, though others (like the gray squire pen and the Mastermind desk pads) were purchased with my own funds for my own personal use.

Kanilea-Pen-Company-Comparison-Mauna-Kea-Nui-Nalu-Hanauma-Bay

Catching Up with Kanilea: Nui Nalu and Hanauma Bay Fountain Pens

January 12, 2019

It’s been too long since I’ve devoted a full post to the Kanilea Pen Company. I purchased my first Kanilea pen, a Mauna Kea, back in March 2017 at the Baltimore Pen Show. In the meantime, I’ve added two more to my collection: a Nui Nalu and a Hanauma Bay (from their “Elements” and “Locations” collections, respectively). In my earlier post, I went over the history of the brand, and particularly how Hugh and Karol Scher launched Kanilea based on their family’s travels to and love of Hawaii. I’ve regularly remarked on how I consider Kanilea to be one of the most unique well-conceptualized, and well-implemented “small batch” pen brands. (By “small batch,” I mean pens that aren’t made-to-order custom pens in a material/design chosen by the customer, but rather come from a standard product line, made in extremely small quantities and, in the case of Kanilea, entirely by hand.) Regardless of whether or not you find the aesthetic of the pens appealing, you have to appreciate what Hugh and Karol have done with the brand in such a short period of time.

So let’s catch up and talk about what’s special about my two latest Kanilea additions:

The Nui Nalu (“Big Waves”) fountain pen was inspired by the waves on the North Shore of O’ahu. I chose this particular pen due to how the white swirls were both evenly distributed through the material AND formed a continuous “wave” pattern. It’s not as obvious in my pen, since the darker swirls and “whitecaps” are more prominent, but sections of the acrylic are slightly translucent, allowing you to see the converter or, alternatively, the ink should you choose to eyedropper the pen. I also selected a different shape from my Mauna Kea, opting for the Classic rather than the Classic Flush, so the cap on this pen is slightly oversized.
The Hanauma Bay fountain pen, from the “Locations” collection, was inspired by a photograph of a sunset over Haunauma Bay, O’ahu. The pen is definitely one of the wilder pieces in my collection, with the acrylic featuring swirls of green, gold, white, turquoise, blue and orange, and the orange and blue showing a good degree of translucency. Most notably, my Hanauma Bay is a “Classic V” shape with a sterling silver clip, and this design posts, which distinguishes it from most of the other Kanilea models. The pen is a bit long posted, but it’s also quite light due to the acrylic construction and cartridge-converter system, so I can easily post it when I don’t have a convenient place to set the cap down.

Premium design and construction warrants a premium price. Kanilea Fountain pens start at $395 for a pen with a steel nib, with gold nibs $125 extra, and rose gold nibs $135. The acrylics are custom made for Kanilea, and the pens are all hand-turned. Trim (clips and medallions) are sterling silver, and nibs are all tuned by Hugh prior to shipping. Finally, most people ignore (or throw out) the packaging from their pens after purchasing, but you’ll want to hang onto your wooden Kanilea box, which makes a great keepsake or pencil box for your desk. I’ve found ways to use all three of them!

Kanilea Clips and Medallions are made with Sterling Silver, lending the pens a very classy, high-quality look.

All Kanilea pens come with a postcard featuring the photograph that inspired your pen’s design.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

In my 2018 recap, I wrote that I would be limiting the number of pens I bring into my collection going forward. One of those slots will almost certainly be held open for a Kanilea Pen, as they always seem to be releasing something new and interesting around the time of the D.C. Pen Show, where I’ve purchased both my Nui Nalu and my Hanauma Bay fountain pens. These are among my favorite fountain pens in my collection, due to both the overall aesthetic as well as the care and craftsmanship that go into the pens themselves, and I look forward to adding more in the future.

Kanilea doesn’t sell through retailers, only directly, so you are limited to purchasing one of their pens through the Kanilea Pen Company website or at a pen show. This year, Kanilea will be attending the Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco Pen Shows. If you can get to one of these shows, I personally recommend visiting the Kanilea table and seeing the pens in person before you make a decision. Don’t get me wrong, all of their pens are beautiful, but there is so much variation in the materials they use that one pen might speak to you more than others.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pens featured in this review with my own funds, for my own personal collection. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Catching up with Kaweco: Art Sport, AL Sport, and Skyline Sport

January 9, 2019

I believe someone wrote into the Pen Addict Podcast a couple of months ago asking whether there was one brand you couldn’t quit, even though you may have had some issues over the years. For me, that brand is Kaweco, and the Sport models in particular. While Kaweco has frustrated me in the past with their inconsistent quality control on nibs, I love the form factor of the Sport lineup, making it one of the pocket pens I reach for most often. Nib quality has improved recently, though I still have the most luck with mediums and fines. This post will take a look at a few new additions to the Kaweco lineup over the past year that have managed to make their way into my collection.

From left, the Kaweco Art Sport in Dark Blue, the Kaweco Skyline Sport in “Fox,” and the Kaweco AL Sport in Red.

Skyline/Classic Sport: Two New Colors for Late 2018

In late 2018, Kaweco announced two new colors for their basic lineup, the Classic/Skyline Sport: Navy Blue and “Fox”. Since I had recently purchased a Dark Blue Art Sport (see below), I passed on the Navy Blue, plus it had gold trim and I preferred the Art Sport’s chrome. The Fox, however, spoke to me immediately, with its muted, almost terra-cotta tone coupled with the Skyline series’ chrome trim. Other than the new color, there’s not much new to say about this pen. The medium nib is a good enough writer, and the standard Kaweco Sport continues to be one of those pens that is easy to recommend at the lower end of the pricing spectrum, especially for beginners.

AL Sport: Finally, a Red One!

This pen caught me completely by surprise at the 2018 Atlanta Pen Show, where Lisa Vanness had quite a stock at her table. I believe this ruby red color was a North American exclusive for a limited period of time, and for a while Vanness was the only retailer who stocked this particular version. I initially reviewed the AL Sport back in the early days of this blog, and everything I said about that pen still holds true: it’s a pocket-sized workhorse that’s quite durable, and will look even better over time as the anodized finish wears off and takes on that “stonewashed” look.

I first had a chance to take a look at the current Art Sport lineup when I was working the Vanness Pens table at the 2018 D.C. Pen Show.

Art Sport: The Best Version of What The Sport Can Be?

A word of warning: the higher-end Art Sport can spoil you forever on Kaweco pens, and make you never want to touch a Classic/Skyline again. Though Kaweco’s “premier” non-metal Sport model is expensive, the pen kicks the quality up a notch - it’s made from turned acrylic, not injected molded plastic, which gives the pen a warm feel in the hand. Once you’ve written with an Art Sport for an extended period of time, you start to REALLY notice the sharp facets and injection-molding lines of the standard version. Whether this justifies paying the upcharge is a personal decision. (More on that below). Along with the better QC and tighter manufacturing tolerances, the key selling point of the “Art Sport” line is definitely these unique acrylics. While this particular dark blue color, of course, isn’t especially unique, it does have a vintage vibe that I enjoy. The current series also has a lighter blue, as well as “Perlmutt Orange,” and “Metallic Green”. If you’re willing to shop around, you can also find the gorgeous “Tiger Eye.”

When it comes to Kaweco, I accept that I’m going to have to trade reliability for a general lack of nib variety. For the best writing experience, the simple medium works best for me, and it’s what I purchase in all of my Kaweco pens.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Kaweco Sports are the one pen that I allow myself to pick up on a whim, if I like the color. Because they’re so handy to “grab ‘n go,” I keep a handful inked up at any given time on my desk at home and at work. I don’t anticipate giving up this habit anytime soon. Now if only Kaweco would resurrect the piston-filling Sport that’s sitting in their vintage archives…

As I mentioned, I purchased the red AL Sport from Vanness Pens, who still has it in stock for $90. I acquired the Art Sport in Dark Blue from Pen Chalet, priced at $130. When this series was first released, Kaweco priced the Art Sport models at $175, which I consider way too steep. The turned acrylic and limited edition colors are nice, but this is still a small pen with a steel nib, and a standard $125-135 price point seems appropriate given the “small batch” nature of the production. If Kaweco kept the current pricing standard, they’d gain a lot more traction with the Art Sport, in my opinion. As of 2023, The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Kaweco, and stocks the Skyline Sport in colors including the “Fox” pictured here.

Disclaimer: I purchased the AL Sport pictured in this review with my own funds from Vanness Pens, and acquired the Fox Skyline Sport and the Art Sport from Pen Chalet using store credit generated through their affiliate program, of which T.G.S. was a member at the time of original publication. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

A comparison shot with another pocket pen that I recently reviewed: the Sailor Sapporo Mini.

Pen Review: Pilot Capless Decimo

January 3, 2019

Happy New Year everyone, and what better way to kick off 2019 than with a classic pen that I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed: the Pilot Capless Decimo. Most people are familiar with the standard Pilot Vanishing Point, which along with the Lamy 2000, is a staple of various “Top Pen” recommendation lists, especially at the sub-$150 price point. The truth is, I’ve never been completely sold on the standard Vanishing Point. I’ve owned several, and they’ve passed in and out of my collection multiple times over the past 10 years. They’ve never stuck.

Why? I think it’s because I find the standard Vanishing Point to be an awkward size. The barrel has a fairly wide diameter, which, in my opinion, can exacerbate grip issues due to the placement of the clip and the lack of a nontraditional grip section. The slimmer Decimo doesn’t cause these same sort of issues for me, and for that reason it’s become a key pen that I grab to take to work on a day when I have a bunch of meetings or another scenario (such as a court hearing or a deposition) when I need a pen for quick deployment. It doesn’t hurt that, like the Lamy 2000, most people won’t look twice at the Decimo and will consider it just another retractable click pen. It’s not very distracting.

I wish pen companies made more pens in this yellow-green shade. Pictured here is the Pilot Decimo in now-discontinued Harvest Yellow next to a Nakaya Long Piccolo in Wakakusa-Iro finish and ruthenium trim.

With respect to the “grip” issue that many people experience with the Vanishing Point and the Decimo: while it can be irritating if you try to use a VP/Decimo as your primary writer, my personal opinion is that people worry/think about it too much. Now, for lefties or those with extremely unorthodox grips, the placement of the clip on the Vanishing Point could indeed be a dealbreaker. But for myself (and I’d venture for many people) the Vanishing Point and the Decimo aren't intended to be the pens you use to write a novel. As I mentioned, I tend to use them for work-related notetaking and annotation, where writing comes in short bursts and I can adjust my grip if necessary without it becoming annoying, especially on the Decimo.

One note on Pilot VP/Decimo “extra fine” nib units: Pilot isn’t kidding around when they describe these as “extra fine,” and they’re definitely NOT for everyone. The EF nib is almost, but not quite as fine as the Platinum Ultra Extra-Fine (UEF) nib, and like that pen, has a bit of tooth to it. The tip isn’t scratchy, but even when perfectly tuned and aligned the point is so fine that it will catch on highly textured paper, which can make your writing look a bit spidery. Like the Platinum UEF, I prefer this nib for writing in my planner and annotating documents at work. For general everyday writing, I’ll reach for the standard fine or medium nib, or even the stub.

A full-length shot next to the Long Piccolo - I can’t get over how nice this color looks. The color on the Decimo is slightly more yellow than the Wakakusa-Iro Urushi.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you’re looking for a retractable fountain pen with a slightly slimmer profile than the Pilot Vanishing Point, consider the Decimo. Despite the portability implied by the “retractable” and “capless” nib mechanism, I don’t find the standard Vanishing Point to be a particularly pocketable or “portable” pen - it’s fairly chunky and the primary advantage of the capless system is that it’s easy to deploy with one hand. To me, the Decimo fits better in a shirt pocket, making this a great pen to carry at work. Paired with a high-capacity Pilot ink cartridge, the Decimo also makes an excellent travel companion.

I acquired the pen featured in this review from our former sponsor Paul’s Paper & Pens in the UK (no longer in business as of 2025). The unique yellow-green color, which I’ve seen referred to as “Harvest Yellow,” is no longer available, and I strangely can’t even find this pen on eBay. The standard Pilot Decimo currently comes in six colors (black, burgundy, light blue, navy blue, purple, and champagne/pink) and is priced at $176, same as the standard Vanishing Point.

We currently carry select models of the Pilot Vanishing Point (Matte-Black Trim and Carbonesque) and Decimo, with most nib sizes available in pens and as separate nib units. If you enjoy our content, we are entirely self-supported through our online shop and physical store, as well as the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

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.