New Arrivals: Anterique Mini Ballpoint Pens, Including Brass Editions!

Anterique’s low-viscosity ballpoint pens are one of my favorite go-anywhere options for those situations where I need a durable everyday writer, and now they’ve released a pocket-sized version of their Standard and Brass Edition pens! The Anterique “Mini” will fit just about anywhere, and is perfect for clipping to your pocket notebook, Plotter Mini-5, or Traveler’s Passport-sized Notebook for writing on the go.

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My clear red mini with one of my takeaway rarities from last week’s D.C. Pen Show!

Currently, the “Brass Edition” Mini is available in five different “clear” colors (crystal, yellow, blue, red, and green), and the standard Mini in nine colors. Note that these parts are all interchangeable with the components of all other Anterique Pens: for example, if you’d like to make a “Danube Blue” brass pen, you can combine the upper part of a standard “Danube Blue” ballpoint with the brass barrel of the mini or standard-sized brass edition pen. The mini pens do take a shorter refill than the standard Anterique “Mach Ball”, though it uses the same low-viscosity ballpoint ink and .5mm tip.

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Comparison photo of the four different styles of Anterique pens, from left: Standard ballpoint, mini ballpoint, Mini Brass Edition Ballpoint, and full-sized Brass Edition Ballpoint.

In addition to the new mini-sized Anterique pens, we have new colors of the standard-sized pens, as well as new full-size brass options! Be sure to check these out as Anterique is constantly adding new variations to their existing product line.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks for all your support!

Highlighter Review: Kokuyo Mark+ Dual-Tone Highlighter Marker

T.G.S. readers don’t just accumulate their stationery, they use it, so it doesn’t surprise me that one of the more in-demand product categories for reviews is quite practical: The highlighter marker. It’s somewhat difficult to find quality highlighters in the U.S. market. Those available at big-box stores tend to have oversized chisel-tip points, with ink that can pool on the page and bleed through most paper.

I’ve experimented with many different highlighting and annotation techniques over the years, ranging from avoiding highlighters entirely by underlining with colored pencils or gel pens, to using refillable Platinum Preppy markers with specialty “highlighter inks”, to highlighter pencils designed to work on even the thinnest onionskin or Bible paper. I’ve also discovered a subset of specialized stationery: Dual-tone highlighter markers that allow for color-coding and precise annotation.

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Five different colors over ballpoint ink, which does not smear at all. I appreciate that these are dry-ish liquid highlighters.

The specific highlighter markers pictured here are the Kokuyo Mark+ Dual Tone Highlighters, which are notable for their distinctive double tip. While each marker has a specific color (purple, yellow, pink, green, blue, or grey), there are technically two different options in each highlighter: a darker shade and lighter shade of the same color. The dual-tone tip allows for a lot of versatility, as you can easily delineate between important ideas and very important ideas, or you can use the darker color to highlight headers, main concepts, etc., while using the lighter colors to call out quotes and longer passages. The ink is very easy on the eyes, as the muted colors are less eye-searing than other ultra-bright fluorescent highlighters.

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The five colors included in the standard 5-pack. All of these are available for purchase individually, along with a grey color that’s not included in the assortment.

Some have commented on one potential drawback to the Mark+ Highlighters: the relatively narrow chisel tip is set at a precise angle and you have to be somewhat careful to ensure a clean line. For me personally, that’s more a feature than a bug: not only do I enjoy the narrower tip (perfect for highlighting small-print legal documents), but without some friction in the process, I tend to go “highlighter happy” when I’m reading. If I’m not mindful of what I’m highlighting, I can end up with large portions of highlighted text that defeat the purpose of a highlighter, which for me is to allow you to easily jump to the most important takeaways and ideas. This added friction is also why I love highlighter pencils and leadholders - the fact that I have to sharpen them periodically forces me to focus by using the highlighter more sparingly on only big-picture concepts.

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The yellow highlighter over a few different writing samples, from top: (1) Ballpoint pen ink with zero smearing; (2) Caran d’Ache HB pencil lead with zero smearing; (3) Ohto Gel ink with moderate smearing (to be expected); (4) Uni HB Mechanical Pencil lead with zero smearing; (5) Schmidt .7mm Rollerball Refill with fairly significant smearing (also to be expected - hardly anything highlights rollerball ink with out smearing); and (6) Platinum black fountain pen ink without any smearing at all, which surprised me the most. I’ve not had any issue with these highlighters smearing inkjet or laser printer ink.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Kokuyo Mark+ is an excellent highlighter for those who require additional versatility in how they annotate, and who regularly work with smaller text that requires a more precise tip. It’s still a liquid ink highlighter marker, and your mileage will vary in terms of how these function on specific types of paper, but overall I’ve had a very good experience using these markers on cheap copy paper and even thinner book papers. As you can see above, they work well for highlighting handwriting in most ink formats, and even where there is some smearing with smudgy inks, the writing remains legible.

In addition to our range of highlighter pencils, I’ve decided to offer these specific highlighter markers for purchase in our own shop. You can buy specific colors individually, or purchase a pack of five.

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The 5-Pack of the Mark+ Highlighters come with a convenient resealable pouch that has held up well over the nearly two years I’ve owned these.

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

Pen Review: Platinum Prefounte Fountain Pen

Platinum rules the sub-$20 fountain pen space, at least among the larger, more mainstream pen brands. While Pilot and TWSBI have their own inexpensive “entry level” releases in the Kakuno and the Go, respectively, no company has as many different options at this price point as Platinum. Most fountain pen users are familiar with the Platinum Preppy and the Platinum Plaisir, but there’s yet another option that’s gaining some steam since its release a couple years ago: The Platinum Prefounte.

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Priced to sit in-between the all-plastic Preppy fountain pen and the more upscale Plaisir, the Prefounte features a transparent plastic barrel in a new set of colors and with a more durable metal clip. While the Prefounte uses the same nib/feed/section as the Preppy (they are interchangeable), the barrel itself feels slightly more substantial than on the Preppy, and I enjoy not having to worry about the clip snapping off if I overextend it. All of Platinum’s pens are capable of taking both a cartridge and a converter (though they are proprietary and can only be used on Platinum pens), and I see nothing that would prevent you from eyedroppering the Prefounte by adding silicone grease and/or an o-ring to eyedropper the pen the same way you would modify a Preppy.

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Who is this pen targeting? I would say those looking for an inexpensive everyday pen for the office or travel, as well as those experimenting with fountain pens for the first time but who don’t want something that looks as “disposable” as the standard $4 Preppy. At $11, the Prefounte also falls into what I think of as the zero-risk gift zone: a pen that you can easily gift to friends and family who you think might like fountain pens, without worrying about spending a lot of money on something they may or may not end up using.

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For the last minute trip I had to take this weekend (yes, two days before a shop move), I grabbed some travel-ready pens, including one of the new Platinum Preppy Wa limited editions, this Vermillion Orange Prefounte, and my yellow/green Plaisir with the desk pen nib installed. All of Platinum’s lower-priced pens use a version of the slip-and-seal cap system, which prevents the pen from drying out. Though I’ve never tested the “one-year” claim, it works very well.

I’ve personally been thinking a lot about entry-level fountain pens lately. As I build out inventory in advance of a physical shop opening, I want to have as broad a range of options to offer as possible, especially for those people curious about fountain pens who inevitably will want to come in and see them in person before committing. Being able to show someone a nice looking pen with a reliable nib, functional clip, multiple color options, and the ability to use cartridges or bottled ink, all for $11, makes the hobby much less intimidating for new users.

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We currently have the Platinum Prefounte available in all five colors: Night Sea, Dark Emerald, Crimson Red, Graphite Blue, and Vermillion Orange. The colors are all on the darker side and look quite nice, especially the blues and the orange, which I picked out for my tester. Nib options are fine (03) and medium (05), and each pen ships with a Platinum Blue-Black Cartridge. Converters and other cartridge options are sold separately.

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

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Platinum’s stainless steel nibs aren’t fancy, but they are consistently decent writers that lay down a standard fine or medium line.

The Pilot Myu Fountain Pen: What Does It Take for Me to Seek Out a Rare, Somewhat Overhyped Vintage Pen?

I tend to not chase scarcity. My personal collection mainly consists of pens that I’ve purchased with the intent of using them for everyday writing. To the extent something remains in the collection, but doesn’t get used, it’s likely because the pen has become too fragile through age or overuse to withstand the normal wear of my workday. I seldom purchase something simply to say that I own an example, so if it’s in my pen case, I plan to write with it.

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The Pilot Myu Black Stripe, which adds a bit more texture to the pen in the form of the engraved vertical stripes.

I also rarely review so-called “unobtanium” (i.e. pens that get a lot of attention but you can’t actually find in the wild at a reasonable price). My goal for The Gentleman Stationer has always been to create a practical resource to help people learn about stationery and fine writing instruments. There’s not much practical value to writing about those vintage pens that are increasingly difficult to find, and when you do, they cost upwards of 10x the original price.

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The vintage Myu typically comes with some version of the Pilot CON-20 squeeze converter, making it relatable to most modern Pilot users. The pens also accept modern Pilot cartridges (including the new Iroshizuku cartridges).

You might already have guessed that I’m going to make something of an exception today and talk about one of my favorite vintage pens, the Pilot Myu, which I love to write with but if I’m honest, may like them a bit too much to carry around everyday since I’m not sure I’d be able to replace these pens if something happened. I own two, which date to the early to mid 1970s, and are known for their integrated nibs. By “integrated nib,” I mean that the nib is not a separate unit: the entire pen - body, section, and nib - are machined from a single piece of metal (stainless steel). I can best describe the end result as something of a futuristic cross between a Pilot Vanishing Point and a Parker 51. The lack of any seams between the nib and the rest of the pen body give this pen gorgeous lines. Despite the stainless steel construction, the Myu is fabulously well-balanced, and the cap posts and closes securely.

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What Makes the Pilot Myu Special, and Why Write About It?

First, there’s really nothing quite like the Myu currently on the market, and it’s so unique that I don’t begrudge anyone for shelling out the somewhat inflated secondary market prices for these pens. Integrated nib pens were a trend that emerged in the early 1970s, but due to manufacturing difficulties and the declining fountain pen market at the time, never completely took off. Despite the scarcity, I still feel that it’s fair to call the current price point “inflated” because even though they are somewhat rare, Pilot originally intended for them to serve as everyday workhorses at a lower-to-mid tier price point. Several years ago, the Myu received a lot of podcast/blogosphere hype as the “best pocket pen ever made” or something to that effect, and the prices seemingly shot up overnight into the $300-$500 range. I did a recent survey of eBay pricing and saw a few in the $250 range, which feels more realistic but still expensive.

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The Myu (right) next to the Pentel Sharp Kerry mechanical pencil.

Second, the Myu is an interesting piece of stationery history because you can still see certain similar design elements in other products that remain available. This week I wrote about the Pentel Sharp Kerry (which is visually similar but may actually predate the Myu), and you can also see bits of the Myu legacy in the monobody Schon Monoc nib, as well as the current Pilot Elite/E95S fountain pen. If you’re a fan of this style of stationery (as I am), it can be quite cool to own the original.

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Finally, building a bit off of No. 1 above, the Myu offers a very distinct writing experience that’s much more tactile and “direct” than a typical fountain pen - it almost feels as though you are writing with a metal stylus or etching tool. The nib has zero give (very stiff), though at the same time the medium-fine shown here is a wet writer. Those who love a bit of tooth and a tactile feel to their nib often appreciate the Myu.

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Pilot Myu Medium-Fine Nib, Caran d’Ache Hypnotic Turquoise ink; Write Notepads Paper.

Takeaways and Should You Buy One?

The Myu remains one of the more unique fountain pens in my collection, and possibly one of the top five most iconic pieces of stationery, vintage or modern, that I own. While I have two of them, I bought them a year or two before the surge in popularity, and the current price point might be more than what many people find reasonable for a vintage pen that can be difficult to repair. Case in point: certain Myus (including the silver one shown here) have a tendency to leak around the clutch mechanism (“teeth”) at the bottom of the section. This issue can be fixed, but not many know how to do it. Years ago I was referred to someone via Fountain Pen Network who fixed my pen, and it writes well now, but if this problem were to arise again I’d likely have to hunt down a new repair person. Though an element of risk exists with any vintage pen purchase, less common pens like this one can feel riskier unless you know someone who can work on them.

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Though longer and slimmer than a Kaweco Sport, I would still call the Myu a pocket pen, though given the age and relative value of this pen I have never used either of my Myu’s for actual pocket carry.

So should you buy one? It’s a hard question for me to answer, and I don’t feel comfortable “recommending” the Myu because it’s not as easily accessible in terms of both pricing and repair as something like a Parker 51 or even a vintage Kaweco Sport. But, if you’re a die-hard pocket pen fan and want to own an example of what many consider to be the best-ever iteration of the format, you will be very happy with this pen. Personally, I won’t be selling my two specimens anytime soon. :)

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content and articles such as this one, please consider supporting us directly.

Uni-Ball One or Zebra Sarasa Grand: A High-End Gel Pen Showdown?

If there's a category of stationery that I've somewhat neglected in my writing over the years, it's the gel pen. Why? Not because I dislike them as a writing instrument; rather, it's because I haven't noticed much innovation from major manufacturers since the late 2010s, with most of the attention in the community paid to third-party machined pen bodies designed to work with the standard refills from the "big pen" companies. Nothing released by Pilot, Uni, Zebra, etc. themselves has caught my eye, until recently.

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The best of both worlds? Gel pens sit somewhere between a ballpoint and rollerball in terms of smoothness, but what sets them apart as a category are the nearly unlimited color possibilities. Shown here are few of Zebra’s “Vintage” ink colors. Three different options for sepia/brown-toned ink?

What Makes a Good Gel Pen?

Gel ink's core selling points are (1) smoothness; (2) paper versatility; and (3) vibrancy. In other words, you get the cleaner lines and feather-resistance of a ballpoint without the messy bleedthrough and smearing common with rollerballs, with the added ability to source refills in pretty much any color you can think of. Personally, I rarely use rollerballs anymore, and while the low-viscosity ballpoint remains my non-fountain pen workhorse of choice, I'll never turn down a good gel pen provided that it flows well and dries quickly.

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The Uni-ball One is a perfect length and diameter. It’s hard to find a gel pen I can comfortably use for longer writing sessions but this one checks most of my boxes.

Uni-ball One "F" Series: My Favorite of Uni's Current Gel Options

Despite the amount of attention Uni receives in the pen and stationery blogosphere, I've mainly used Pilot gel pens over the years, probably more out of habit than anything else because I've never had a Uni pen body that clicked with me. (Pun intended.) That's changed with the Uni-ball One Series F. I actually first tried these pens when my wife and daughter picked up a couple of them at Kinokuniya because they liked the look of the "Earth Texture" series. As it turns out, these are really good pens!

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A close up of the material from the “Earth Texture” pens. I love the mottled look.

The Uni-ball One serves as the vehicle for a "new" gel ink formulation that Uni released a few years ago, which they say contains a proprietary pigmented ink that uses larger particles of pigment to increase the darkness and/or vibrancy of the ink. The initial release had a few hiccups, with reports of skipping and other refill issues. Apparently Uni tweaked the ink formulation and recent manufacturing runs (including all the pens I personally have used) write much better. Personally, I can't tell much of a difference between the Uni-ball One and most other Uni gel ink pens, other than, yes, possibly darker blacks and brighter colors to some degree. What I really like about these pens is the pen body itself.

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A close-up of the clip on the Uni-ball One Series F. I’ve found this clip design to be functional, though I don’t personally use clips all that much anymore.

Uni has foregone a rubberized "cushion" grip in favor of a larger-diameter plastic barrel that I find very comfortable to hold. While there is some texture to the barrel, it's not over-pronounced but enough to keep the pen from slipping in your hand. The "F" series also adds a metal tip which gives the pen better balance than your typical plastic gel pen body, and all versions of the One feature a springy industrial-style clip. Best of all? Because there's no sticky rubber grip, the pen doesn't collect dust and gunk in your desk/bag/pen case like many inexpensive gel pens.

Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage: A "Professional" Option

Even though the Uni-ball One is a "nice" looking pen, it still has that "inexpensive plastic gel pen look" because, well, it's a relatively inexpensive plastic gel pen and you can't pretend it's something that it's not. As I alluded to above, a source of frustration over the years has been the seeming lack of "professional" first-party gel pen options that feature the same broad range of color options as the less expensive pens. Enter something like the Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage.

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When you start releasing pens in colors like “Brown-Grey”, you have my attention.

The Zebra Sarasa is a somewhat odd product line, spanning everything from extremely inexpensive office-supply gel pens to the higher-quality "Sarasa Clip" series to even higher-end pens like the Sarasa Grand and Sarasa Grand "Vintage" lines. The Sarasa Grand has a much different feel than something like the Uni-ball One or even the standard Zebra Sarasa - it's a slimmer pen with a metal (aluminum) barrel and a much more substantial feel in the hand. I've seen it described as "sleek," "slender," and "streamlined" - all of these hold true. Zebra recently redesiged this particular model, substituting aluminum for brass and reducing the length of the metal barrel component to make the pen lighter and better balanced. (You can see a comparison photo in yesterday's announcement post.) The barrel has a slightly matte/brushed texture to it, for added grip.

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The full line of colors that we carry. .3mm options in the group on the left, .5mm options on the right. No I can’t name them all.

I've long admired the Sarasa Grand Vintage series from afar, but one thing that I couldn't tell from online advertisements (until I saw them in person and confirmed), was whether the color designation referred to the pen barrel or the ink or both. Turns out it's both! Not only do you have some wild vintage-style barrel colors - mostly muted shades of grey and black-infused tones - but the inks match, and you can purchase all of them in stand-alone refills in either .3mm or .5mm tip sizes. Currently, my favorites have been "Sepia Black," "Red Black" (of course), Blue-Black, and "Camel Yellow." The Sarasa JF refill dries quickly without smearing or smudging and I understand, anecdotally, that it may fit other Japanese gel pen barrels including the Uni-ball One, though I've also heard that they randomly won't fit perfectly from time-to-time and may require modification. YMMV and attempt any mods at your own risk.

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“Camel Yellow”: a gorgeous orange-gold with a matching ink tone.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

So which of these two "high-end" gel pens do I prefer? Honestly, for the complete overall writing experience, probably the Sarasa Grand Vintage. It's a more premium pen, and feels like it. I've been using one of the older models in my personal testing, and while I'm not sure that the redesign would justify replacing a pen you're already happy with, I can absolutely feel a difference with respect to the balance in the 2024 model. Plus, these colors just speak to me. For a lighter weight plastic pen, the Uni-ball One is a solid option that will likely replace the various Signo DX and Signo RT pens that I have in rotation simply because the barrel is that much more comfortable for me to use.

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Both pens have very precise tips, with a .38mm/.3mm size available.

We've carried certain select versions of the Uni-ball One F in our shop for a while, and as I mentioned yesterday, we now stock the Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage (new 2024 versions). Both of these are relatively inexpensive upgrades for those who want something a bit more “professional” than your standard clear plastic office supply closet gel pen. The Uni-ball One F series pens are priced at just under $5, while the Sarasa Grand Vintage is at $20. Refills for both pens are also available in our shop.

Update: Many of you have asked about our exclusive Sunderland mk1 collaboration, and whether it will be making a return. The answer is yes! I've spoken with Brad at Sunderland and things are underway. Look for an update on a third run later this summer! I'm glad this pen resonated with so many of you and I look forward to its return.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We greatly appreciate your support.