First Impressions: The TWSBI Swipe is a Steal

August 3, 2021

Last week, TWSBI released their new “Swipe” fountain pen, which is the first TWSBI pen to utilize a cartridge/converter filling system. But this isn’t your typical C/C fountain pen - the Swipe ships with not one, but two different style converters, plus a cartridge. Not only does this represent great value, since most companies make you pay $5 for the privilege of purchasing a single converter separately, but TWSBI has adopted a larger, high-capacity design that’s 2-3 times as large as your typical standard international converter. (Just take a look at the pics!)

All this is included with your purchase. The spring can be used for extra security if you want to ensure that your cartridge stays seated in the pen barrel, though it’s not essential. You simply drop the spring into the barrel behind your cartridge.

My favorite of the two TWSBI Swipe Converters is the plunger-style converter, like the filling system in the TWSBI Go fountain pen. It’s easy to both fill and flush.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Gentleman Stationer (@gentlemanstationer)

The TWSBI Swipe Converter, bottom, compared against a standard international converter, top. I’ve not taken an official measurement, but I’ve read elsewhere that the Swipe converter holds well over 1ml of ink.

I’ve been writing with the Swipe for three days straight, and so far I love it. It’s lighter than the ECO due to the absence of the piston, while offering a similar writing experience since they use the same nib. While I initially had concerns about the clip, it fits just fine over a shirt pocket and holds the fabric securely.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Frankly, the TWSBI Swipe could be a game-changer in the sense that many oft-recommended pens at the sub-$30 price point are now arguably a less attractive proposition because you have to pay to purchase a converter separately. The TWSBI Swipe is priced at $26.99, and it’s hard to find something competitive in terms of value or versatility, given everything that is included in that purchase. A 10-pack of cartridges can also be purchased for $6 in three different colors, and they ship in this great business card style clamshell case. Both the pens and cartridges are now available in the shop!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of TWSBI and all other 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!

Sunderland-MK1-Traveler's Notebook-In-Hand.jpeg

Considerations in Choosing a Store-Exclusive Pen

July 10, 2021

This was an exciting week, representing a big milestone for T.G.S.: My first collaboration with a penmaker on a shop-exclusive pen! I realize that this isn’t anything particularly unique - pen bloggers, podcasters, Youtubers, Instagrammers, you-name-it, have been collaborating with makers and manufacturers for years on exclusive designs and colors. But I’ve held out until now. Today I want to talk a little bit about why I ultimately decided to take the plunge, the process I went through, and factors I considered before I partnered with Sunderland Machine Works on the new T.G.S.-exclusive Sunderland mk1.

Going with a Store Exclusive Pen over a Limited Edition

The first decision I made, long before I chose a specific pen, was that I wanted a store-exclusive pen to sell for the long-haul, as opposed to a limited edition. It’s not just that I don’t like the “limited edition” marketing strategy, it’s also because taking that approach is inconsistent with what I want my site and my store to be about. If I put the effort and consideration into choosing a product to carry - especially if it’s something that I helped conceptualize - it’s important to me for that product to be available to anyone who wants to get one (at least for as long as it’s economically feasible for me to continue to have the pens made).

It was extremely important for me to choose a pen design that fits into most notebook pen loops, since the Sunderland mk1 fits into my personal rotation as a note-taking and “on the go” writing pen.

Choosing a Truly EDC-Friendly Design

In line with this goal, for my first collaboration I wanted to choose a design and model that would appeal to the widest possible range of pen users under the broadest array of circumstances. To that end, a fountain pen was out. Despite a large community of enthusiasts, most people - even fountain pen lovers - still use a gel pen, rollerball, or ballpoint for much of their everyday writing. These days, the gel pen has overtaken both rollerballs and ballpoints as the standard “office pen” of choice. So a pen built around one of my favorite gel refills - the Pilot G2/Juice - was a natural choice.

Similarly, when I refer to a pen being “EDC-friendly,” I’m referring to “everyday carry” in the literal sense that it’s a pen that can be used every day as a pen. While durability is a key consideration, I’m not really concerned with the pen being able to double as a glass-breaker, withstand explosions, being run over by a truck, etc. The Sunderland mk1’s streamlined shape was designed for maximum writing comfort, especially the hourglass-shaped section and internal threads. It’s slim and light enough to carry in a shirt pocket, and will fit in most notebook/planner loops, including the loop on my Traveler’s Notebook.

Choosing a Price Point

Finally, I wanted something at a price point accessible to most people. While it’s not inexpensive to produce a pen durable enough for everyday use - especially once you get into special finishes like the bead-blasting and DLC-coating used here, all of which require extra steps in the manufacturing process - $110 is appropriate for something intended not as a collector’s piece, but an everyday “workhorse” that should last for years, if not decades.

I hope you all enjoy the new T.G.S. collaboration pen with Pennsylvania-based Sunderland Machine Works. I certainly enjoyed working on this project, and my plan is for it to stick around in the shop for as long as readers and customers remain interested. A huge shout-out to my Patreon supporters, many of whom were instrumental in providing early feedback on the design and whose donations allowed me to fund this project on the front end. You can check out the pen for yourself here, and if for whatever reason this T.G.S.-exclusive color scheme doesn’t do it for you, visit Sunderland Machine Works for the full range of their offerings.

T.G.S.-Sunderland-Machine-Works-Collaboration.jpeg

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.