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T.G.S. x Sunderland mk1 Pens Are Now Available For Purchase!

July 8, 2021

As of early this morning, the pens are live in the shop! I’m quite excited to hear what people think of this collaboration with Pennsylvania-based Sunderland Machine Works. The Sunderland mk1 might be my favorite machined pen of all time, and for this special store exclusive we chose a bead-blasted, matte black finish with a bead-blasted DLC-coated clip. The section is a matte red/burgundy, with the overall color scheme designed to evoke the T.G.S. burgundy & black. Note that this will not be a “limited” edition - we commissioned an initial run of 50 pens, and I received the first half or so this week with more on the way. So if it sells out, don’t worry, I can and will get more! Visit the Curated Shop to purchase. All pens ship with a black Pilot .7mm G2 refill, and will also accept MB rollerball and fineliner refills. To read more about why I love the Sunderland mk1, check out my review of their standard model.

A key selling point of the Sunderland mk1 is the lack of any external threads that might interfere with your grip. The threads are actually inside the tip of the pen! — A key selling point of the Sunderland mk1 is the lack of any external threads that might interfere with your grip. The threads are actually *inside* the tip of the pen!

All orders automatically qualify for free domestic U.S. shipping, so be sure to combine your order with any other items you have your eye on in the shop! We carry a wide range of pens, paper, and desk and reading accessories. Recently, we also added the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR in “Prussian Blue,” as well as the new TWSBI ECO Lilac, to our offerings!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, 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!

Ultra Luxury Options: The Pilot Custom Urushi Fountain Pen

July 3, 2021

When it comes to understated (and consistent) quality, it’s hard to top Pilot. Regardless of whether you think their designs are “boring”, or that they don’t do enough to cater to the “cult of the limited edition,” one thing is inarguable: for your money, you nearly always get a well-built pen that’s an exceptional writer. That holds true across Pilot’s lineup, from the sub-$15 Pilot Kakuno, all the way into their $1000+ high-end fountain pens.

I’ve gradually worked my way through most of Pilot’s mid-range and high-end offerings, reviewing the Pilot Custom Heritage 92, the Custom 74, the Custom Heritage 912, and the Custom 823. What I’ve never done is go above the $300 mark, and delve into Pilot fountain pens on the ultra high-end, either in the standard Pilot lineup or the more custom urushi and maki-e pens from sibling brand Namiki. After I found myself with a bit of store credit plus savings from not having purchased any pens in a while, I treated myself to the Pilot Custom Urushi, in vermillion red lacquer.

An oversized ebonite pen coated in urushi lacquer and fitted with a huge No. 30 18k gold nib, the Custom Urushi, to me, represents everything great about Pilot as a brand. It’s the largest pen in the Pilot lineup (I’m categorizing the Namiki Emperor/Yukari Royale separately), and an absolute joy to write with. Pilot didn’t attempt to reinvent their overall design aesthetic here. From the cap band, to the clip, to the black finials, Pilot really just went all-in on the hallmarks of the “Custom” lineup and amped it up with the urushi lacquer and nib. If it ain’t broke….

The oversized Pilot No. 30 nib is roughly the same size as a No. 8 nib from brands such as JoWo or Bock.

The Custom Urushi comes in two colors: black and vermillion red. You can choose from three nib sizes: fine, medium, and broad. There’s no paralysis of choice here. I opted for the medium, since I find Pilot medium nibs to write what I consider the perfect line width for me. Don’t get me wrong - the craftsmanship on this pen, and especially the urushi work, are beautifully executed, but the nib steals the show. I only have a couple of oversized nibs in my collection, a Montegrappa Extra 1930 and a Montblanc 149, and neither wrote as well untouched and out-of-the-box as the nib on the Custom Urushi. It has just the right amount of tooth, and a slight bounce that gives you some line variation without sacrificing the “everyday writer” characteristics for which Pilot is known.

The Pilot Custom Urushi (left) shown compared agains the Montegrappa Extra 1930, center, and the Montblanc 149, right.

The Custom Urushi is a cartridge/converter pen, which I feel is the right call here for a couple of reasons. First, this pen ships with the Pilot Con-70 pump converter, perhaps my favorite converter of all time. it’s reliable and holds a decent amount of ink. Second, such a large pen would likely be extremely heavy with a piston, and a Japanese-style eyedropper would take this pen out of the mainstream “Custom” fan base. Pilot occasionally gets some snark for including a cartridge-converter system on a pen at this price point, but it’s no different than Nakaya, Platinum, and most other makers of urushi pens.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While I was initially hesitant to purchase this pen, due to both the combination of size and price, I have no regrets. You would be hard-pressed to find a better writing experience from Pilot: the urushi lacquer and lightweight ebonite barrel, combined with the comfortable shape and grip section, make this a pen I could use for hours regardless of the oversized barrel. As long as they’re relatively lightweight, larger pens can even be easier to use for longer writing sessions. And I can’t emphasize how superbly the nib writes. Even if you don’t end up buying one, make it a point during your next pen show trip to test out a Pilot No. 30 nib.

The Pilot Custom Urushi fountain pen is available for purchase at most Pilot retailers, and overall availability has surprised me. For a pen with a $1400 MSRP and a street price starting at $1100, I expected them to be hard to come by. While I acquired this particular pen from Appelboom, both The Nibsmith and Dromgoole’s also stock this model (along with nearly all other Pilot and Namiki models).

I think the question becomes, is the Custom Urushi worth it? If you’re looking for a quality urushi pen that will serve you well as an everyday workhorse, the answer is an unqualified “absolutely.” In fact, for an urushi pen of this size, especially with a large nib, you could argue that the price is even on the lower side. Nakaya starts at around $700 retail (if you can find one in stock), with prices on some designs easily escalating north of $2000. Danitrio and the higher-end Namiki pens can easily run into the multi-thousands. I don’t think I’m going there, however. At the end of the day, the Custom Urushi probably represents the most I’m willing to spend on a pen that I would use regularly, and this one has earned as spot in the permanent rotation.

Disclaimer: This post does NOT contain affiliate links, though I did pay for a portion of this pen using funds generated from Appelboom’s affiliate program when I was still a member. Currently, T.G.S. is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks!

Narwhal Pens: Continuing the Entry-Level Piston Filler Wars

June 30, 2021

Narwhal Pens appeared on the scene at the 2019 D.C. Pen Show and the 2020 Philadelphia Pen Show (two of the last ones before the pandemic hit), and since then have increased in popularity to the point where they are often discussed/recommended in the same breath as the TWSBI 580 and TWSBI ECO, which along with PenBBS make up the primary piston-filler recommendations below $75. My friend Bob over at My Pen Needs Ink was kind enough to loan me his Narwhal Original in “Hippocampus Purple” so that I could do my own review. While the design and color of this pen don’t appeal to me as much as the TWSBIs, the Narwhal writes well, holds a good bit of ink, and has a lot to recommend it, especially at the price point. Let’s dig in a bit more.

The Narwhal Original, far left, shown here with two comparable pens: the TWSBI 580 (right) and the PenBBS 456 (center).

Visual Appeal and Design Aesthetic

Narwhal released its “Original” Fountain Pen in four swirled acrylics with nautical/oceanic themes: Poseidon Blue, Hippocampus Purple, Merman Green, and Yellow Tang. Frankly, the colors were the main reason I did not acquire a Narwal pen until now. I tend to enjoy more understated designs, and the bright swirled acrylics - which remind me of some of the materials used on production line Edison Pens - didn’t appeal to me. They still don’t, but while I won’t be buying one of the four Originals, I did recently place an order for a Narwhal “Schuylkill”, their newer model with a more muted look.

Otherwise, the Narwal Original offers a good combination of quality and value for the price point. The pen features a rounded cap and barrel, with an engraved metal band around the body of the pen itself as opposed to around the cap. This touch gives the pen a higher-end look, almost reminiscent of the Visconti Homo Sapiens. I couldn’t find any manufacturing flaws in the acrylic, and the piston filler functioned as well as any TWSBI I have used.

Narwhal Original shown here compared against the TWSBI ECO.

Nib and Writing Experience

I understand that Narwhal makes their nibs in-house, and I had no issues with the medium stainless steel nib on this pen. The nib wrote a moderately wet line that I would call a full “Western Medium,” and maybe a little on the wide side of what I enjoy. (On the Narwhal I purchased, I opted for a fine nib.) Like the TWSBI ECO, Narwhal nibs are not interchangeable, so if you want the ability to easily swab out different nib units on the same pen, you will need to spring for the TWSBI 580.

I particularly enjoy the “leaping Narwhal” engraving on the nib, though the scrollwork makes the design look a bit busy. I would have opted for a cleaner look with only the logo, along with a nib size indicator.

Uncapped, the Narwhal sits in the hand at roughly the same length as a TWSBI 580, though the rounded barrel feels more like a slightly heavier ECO. This pen technically posts, but for me the cap doesn’t sit deeply enough on the piston knob to render it practical. The section is comfortable and I did not find the threads sharp at all. Provided you enjoy the look of the pen, the Narwal Original could become a satisfactory workhorse pen.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I enjoyed the feel of the Narwhal Original piston filler, but I couldn’t get past the look of the acrylic on this particular model, which just isn’t my style. That said, the experience did prompt me to pick up a Narwhal Schuylkill. I plan to review that pen separately, since in addition to different acrylics, that model has a few different design touches. It’s crazy that we now have so many choices in the sub-$75 piston filler segment, but I love it!

Priced at only $45, the Narwhal Original sits between the TWSBI ECO and the TWSBI 580 price points, and is comparable to the higher-end PenBBS models. I would say that the Narwhal Original represents excellent value, especially if Narwhal can maintain a consistent level of quality control.

[Update: As of August 2022, Narwhal has rebranded the company as “Nahvalur”, and has released a new iteration of the “Original” piston filler in vacuum-filler form, dubbed the “Original Plus”. You can now purchase the Original Plus series, plus other select Nahvalur offerings, from the T.G.S. Curated Shop.]

As I mentioned above, the pen featured in this review was graciously loaned to me for review purposes by my friend Bob at My Pen Needs Ink. Bob reviewed this pen himself, and you can check out his review here. This post does not contain affiliate links.

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

May 29, 2021

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

It’s made to commemorate an actual event, or otherwise represents something with special meaning.
The design ties to the “theme” of the special edition in a meaningful way.
If the price point of the special or limited edition product is significantly higher than the company’s standard product line, there is something to justify the markup.
If the product is heavily marketed as “limited” or “special”, the actual availability reflects that, especially if the company relies heavily on “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) to promote the release.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why I Enjoy Kanilea Pens

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

Where to Buy the Kanilea Honokalani Maile Lei

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

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

Pen Review: Tibaldi N.60 in Samarkand Blue

May 20, 2021

Italian brand Tibaldi has a long and storied history in the pen industry dating back to 1916, when it was founded in Florence. Over the years, Tibaldi pens have alternated between prominence and obscurity, most recently achieving a degree of fame/infamy for their absolutely gorgeous - and now scarce and absurdly expensive - “impero” celluloid. After several changes in ownership and management over the years, I understand that Tibaldi is now owned by the Aquila family, which per the Tibaldi website also has an ownership stake in Montegrappa. Given that Tibaldi has been headquartered in Bassano del Grappa (home of Montegrappa) since 2004 (as well as the line of pens released at some point dubbed “Tibaldi by Montegrappa), it’s clear to me that there is common ownership and that Tibaldi is a Montegrappa “sub-brand,” though I can’t find anything online where the companies expressly confirm that relationship.

Until I started researching this review, I was actually unaware of the relationship between these two Italian pen companies, but now that I think about it the business strategy kind of makes sense. I enjoy Montegrappa fountain pens, especially the materials they use, but they do get knocked for their high (some would even say astronomic) price points, even on their introductory or “lower-end” offerings. Since Tibaldi pens seem to top out at less than $250 (and even under $200 depending on where you buy), I would surmise that the strategy is to protect the “premium” image of the Montegrappa brand by releasing a more accessible line of pens under the Tibaldi moniker. It’s not a bad strategy, though I do think Tibaldi might have an easier time catching on if more people readily understood the connection to Montegrappa, an established modern brand.

Design and Build Quality

Any time a pen company releases a fountain pen featuring blue-flecked tortoiseshell material, either celluloid or acrylic, I’m going to buy it. (Don’t ask me - it’s one of those things.) This material reminds me of the blue tortoise celluloid used in my Faggionato Petrarque, though of course this Tibaldi uses acrylic and not celluloid. Regardless, the material is beautiful. The pen itself features a classic vintage-inspired design, reminiscent of various vintage fountain pens from Tibaldi and other brands. The triple cap band is a nod to some of my favorite vintage pens (though this Tibaldi is of course much larger - more on that below). The Tibaldi N.60 shows very little in the way of branding, with only a subtle “Tibaldi” engraved right above the cap band.

Build quality seems solid. The metal clip feels secure and tight, and the cap threads are smooth, opening with less than two turns. Inside the barrel, the acrylic is thick, with just enough room for the converter to fit without rattling.

Tibaldi N.60 Posted

Tibaldi N.60 Unposted

Nib and Overall Writing Experience

The N. 60 is, to me, a larger pen, though in terms of modern sizing it’s best characterized as a mid-size pen. It posts securely, though feels a touch top-heavy when you do post. Most people will probably write with this one unposted. The section is on the shorter side, causing me to tend to grip the threads when writing, though because the threads aren’t sharp I never experienced any serious discomfort.

The nib is where Tibaldi has attempted to distinguish itself from other brands targeting the $150-200 price bracket. While there is nothing necessarily special about the stainless steel nib itself, Tibaldi has paired it with an ebonite feed, typically the hallmark of much more expensive Montegrappa pens. The presumptive benefit of more consistent ink flow, however, doesn’t really appear here. While my N.60 isn’t a dry writer, I’m not sure I can discern that much of a difference between this nib and any other stock Bock or JoWo nib paired with a standard plastic feed. I did experience a couple of hard starts when the pen was new, but those have largely disappeared following a short break-in period of me writing with the pen consistently.

Writing sample with a stainless steel medium nib, Sailor Ink Studio 140, on Write Notepads Dot Grid Paper.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If I had to point to one thing that would make the Tibaldi N.60 worth buying, it’s the materials Tibaldi has chosen, particularly the “Samarkand Blue” and the “Amber Yellow”, as well as certain design touches such as the triple cap band which give the N.60 a higher-end feel than its price point would suggest. Otherwise, I feel like the N.60 struggles to distinguish itself from its competitors in terms of writing experience, and I guess I expected a bit more ink flow from my ebonite feed. Don’t get me wrong - this isn’t a bad pen, and if you love the look of it, you will get a nice writer that feels built to last. If I had to pick a pen for a close comparison, I would say that the N.60 strikes me as a more upscale Levenger True Writer, which many people love, and which shares some of the same design language.

Similar materials: I like the Samarkand Blue acrylic almost as much as the “Honey Noire” on my Conway Stewart Model 100.

I purchased the pen featured in this review from Appelboom, which carries the full line of Tibaldi pens. The Tibaldi No. 60 is currently priced at around $175, depending on the exchange rate, and in addition to the “Samarkand Blue” model shown here, comes in black and three other marbled colors: Ruby Red, Emerald Green, Amber Yellow, and Emerald Green.

Disclaimer: This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported via pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program and sales through the T.G.S. Curated Shop.