The Platinum 3776 Century demonstrators in Chartres blue (below) and Bourgogne (top).

Pen Review: The Platinum 3776 Century: Chartres and Bourgogne

March 24, 2016

I've really gotten into Japanese pens over the past year. Sailor and Pilot are quite possibly my two favorite brands at the moment, and now Platinum has caught my eye. I have very little experience with Platinum's offerings--I owned a preppy or two when I was first starting out, but only recently tested their higher-end pens. Overall, I'm very impressed.

First Impressions

The packaging on Platinum pens is unremarkable. The pens arrive in a blue clamshell box with white satin interior. It's functional, but that's about it. What's inside the box is a different story. Platinum's flagship pen is the 3776 Century (apparently the number is a reference to the height of Mt. Fuji), and I opted for the colored demonstrators. Over the span of a month, I picked up both the "Chartres" blue demonstrator pen, as well as the "Bourgogne" red demonstrator. These are gorgeous pens: they are translucent, but only slightly so, and the color is incredibly deep and not cheap-looking at all. You can tell the pen is solidly built. For those of you not familiar with French history/geography, Bourgogne is a reference to a wine varietal/region, and Chartres blue is a reference to the unique color of the stained glass in the Chartres Cathedral.

Bourgogne Fountain Pen Unposted.  These pens are large enough to use without posting.  Here, you can also get a sense of the material.  It's a demonstrator, but the translucence is only slight.  This gives the pens a higher-quali… — Bourgogne Fountain Pen Unposted. These pens are large enough to use without posting. Here, you can also get a sense of the material. It's a demonstrator, but the translucence is only slight. This gives the pens a higher-quality feel than your ordinary plastic demonstrator.

In a perfect world, I would have purchased the blue pen with rhodium trim, but I wanted Platinum's "Ultra Extra Fine" specialty nib, which only comes in the gold. The Bourgogne pen also only comes in gold trim, which looks very nice. Again, the clip strongly resembles the hardware on Nakaya pens.

Bourgogne pen posted.  The cap posts pretty deeply, — Bourgogne pen posted. The cap posts pretty deeply,

One pet peeve, however, is that these pens don't come with a converter. It irritates me to no end when pen companies do this: anytime you are spending over $50 on a pen (much less the $200+ these pens command on the U.S. market), the converter should get thrown in free of charge.

Nibs

The nibs on my pens turned out to be a mixed bag. The UEF nib had some flow issues, and while I've been able to increase inkflow on my own enough to make the pen usable, it will need to be tuned at the Atlanta Pen Show. The UEF point is tiny, however, and you can write as small as you could ever possibly desire with this nib. Once it's tuned properly, I imagine that I will like it quite a bit.

On the other hand, the medium nib in my Bourgogne demonstrator was exceptional out of the box. I might say that it writes even better than the medium nib on the Nakaya I once owned. (That's not a coincidence--Nakaya uses Platinum nibs.) I have not experienced a single skip or hard start with this pen. Platinum uses a patented "slip-and-seal" internal cap that keeps the pen from drying out for up to a year of non-use. I don't plan on testing this feature anytime soon, but it's nice to know about, I guess.

Value Proposition

This is where things get tricky. Platinum pens apparently are much cheaper in Japan than they are here in the U.S. For example, the Chartres blue demonstrator retails for approximately $228 at U.S.-based retailers, while those based in Japan (or who import directly from Japan) sell this pen at a much lower price point. While I typically try to support U.S-based retailers where I can, it's too much to expect customers to pay $150 extra on the basis of loyalty alone. I would note, however, that if you purchase from Amazon or eBay, you might get stuck addressing nib issues, etc. on your own, or experience long wait times returning the pen. For this good of a deal I'm willing to take that risk, but others may not want to deal with it.

Takeaways

At $75, the Platinum 3776 is an excellent value proposition and moves itself into competition for the "best first gold-nibbed pen" list (subject to the potential-lack-of-actual-customer-support qualification I mentioned). For a little more than a TWSBI Vac Mini or a 580 AL, you get a 14K nib that's pretty much the same as you would find on a Nakaya. I am withholding judgment on the UEF nib for the time being, until I get the issues sorted out, but I can strongly recommend the stock (F,M,B) Platinum nibs. The medium I have is one of the best mediums I've ever written with.

If You're Interested in Further Reading...

Check out Azizah's review of the Bourgogne demonstrator at GourmetPens, as well as Junee from Alt. Haven's review of the Chartres pen.

Pelikan advertises its Stola III fountain pen as a "starter" pen for the business world.

Pelikan Stola III: A New Entry Level Contender?

March 16, 2016

The Pelikan Stola III has a very professional, understated look. With this pen, Pelikan clearly is trying to step away from the playful look of the lower-cost Pelikano, Future, and Twist and offer a pen with the same inexpensive quality that won't look out of place on the desk of an office professional in more "traditional" settings. Pelikan markets this pen as "a modern writing device for a successful start into the business world." If that's their goal, Pelikan has largely succeeded, though the relatively short barrel, inability to post, and the lack of any variety in nib size will probably limit the size of the audience who can use this pen for a true daily writer.

Presentation and Build

Starting with the packaging: very nice and appropriate for the pen's price point. It won't win any design awards, but the cardboard clamshell box holds the pen nicely and offers better protection than the simple cardboard sleeve used by Lamy for the Safari and the AL-Star.

The packaging on the Stola is appropriate for the pen's price point:  simple and understated, yet still sophisticated. — The packaging on the Stola is appropriate for the pen's price point: simple and understated, yet still sophisticated.

Inside the box, the Stola looks solid and well-made. The body of the pen is entirely crafted from metal: according to Pelikan, the cap is crafted from aluminum and the barrel from brass, topped with silver lacquer and a black coated metal clip. For a metal pen, it's not unduly heavy and is fairly well balanced. The section is plastic.

If you like to use your pens unposted, the Stola should work fine for you.  Unfortunately, it's a touch short for me to use comfortably for longer writing sessions. — If you like to use your pens unposted, the Stola should work fine for you. Unfortunately, it's a touch short for me to use comfortably for longer writing sessions.

The one concern I have about build quality on this pen is the "inner cap", which is an insert (typically plastic) fit inside the cap of a fountain pen to create an airtight seal and help keep the pen from drying out. The internal cap on the Stola appears to be a piece of clear molded plastic friction-fit into the cap, which creates a decent seal when the pen is closed, but won't permit the pen to post easily. You can jam the cap down onto the barrel, but it will work itself free after a few seconds of writing. My concern is that posting the pen repeatedly will crack the inner cap and/or cause it to come free--it just doesn't look all that sturdy. For that reason I would recommend not trying to post this pen.

Capped in the hand, the Stola is a medium-sized pen.

Filling system

Again, for the entry-level market, Pelikan bills the Stola as a cartridge pen, but I had no problem inking it up and using it with a Schmidt converter. Curious Side Note: like other people who received this pen for review, the Pelikan cartridge that came with the pen exploded inside the pen barrel. This is probably due to the fact that these pens passed through an area still experiencing below-freezing temperatures in transit rather than any underlying quality issue with the Pelikan cartridges, but I do find it curious that this happened to multiple people.

Nib

Pelikan makes very nice stainless steel nibs, and the Stola III is no exception. I don't know whether the nib is made in-house at Pelikan or not, but it's quality, and I haven't experienced any hard starts or skips. A big drawback for me personally is that the pen is only available in a medium nib. Due to sturdy build on this pen, it would be a perfect candidate for a "bag" or "car" pen, that I leave inked up for daily writing here and there. For those kinds of pens, though, I typically prefer a fine or extra-fine point to minimize bleed-through on the cheap paper you inevitably have to write on during the day. The Stola, at least in its current incarnation, is too broad for me to use consistently.

The Pelikan Stola only comes in a medium stainless steel nib.

Pelikan Stola III writing sample.  The medium nib leaves a moderately wet line.  I had no skips or hard starts. — Pelikan Stola III writing sample. The medium nib leaves a moderately wet line. I had no skips or hard starts.

Takeaways

There is probably a market for this pen, and judging from consumer reviews on Pen Chalet, buyers are generally satisfied. The $36 retail price places this pen at a slightly higher price point than the Lamy Safari and at about the same level as the AL-Star. That the Stola only comes in a medium nib, however, docks it a notch in my book. Also, the inability to post the pen makes it unusable as a true daily writer for me. That said, I found the section on the Stola very comfortable to use, so if Lamy's triangular grip doesn't work for you, or if you find the Pilot Metropolitan uncomfortable to hold due to the "step-down" from the barrel to section, you may want to give the Pelikan Stola III a try. On the whole, there wasn't anything about the Stola that nudged this into "great" or "excellent" pen territory, but it's certainly a good writing instrument, and if you're looking for a basic daily knockaround that you don't have to worry about excessively, you could do far worse.

If you are interested in the Pelikan Stola, it's available from our sponsor Pen Chalet for $36 in both fountain pen and rollerball versions. Pen Chalet offers a wide variety of pens and accessories, and it's where I do a large portion of my pen and ink shopping. Ron's prices are excellent, he runs regular promotions, and any orders over $50 receive free shipping. Importantly, Pen Chalet is an authorized retailer of all the brands they stock, and will stand by their products if you have any problems.

DISCLAIMER: I was provided this pen by PenChalet at no cost for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links, through which I may be compensated a small amount if you purchase a pen from any of the sites linked to in this article. While I'd greatly appreciate it if you use these links to purchase a pen you are interested in, you are, of course, under no obligation to do so. Many thanks!

Sprout Pencils: a mix of vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

New Product Alert: Sprout Pencils

March 12, 2016

I don't typically review things that could be considered novelty products, but when Sprout reached out to me and asked if I would like to review their "plantable pencils," the idea intrigued me. The Sprout pencil is unique because on the end of the pencil, instead of an eraser, sits a capsule containing either vegetable, herb, or flower seeds. The idea is when the unfinished, FSC-certified cedar pencil is too short to use comfortably, you can stick the capsule end of the pencil into the ground and add water. The capsule will dissolve, the seeds will sprout, and the pencil stub works as a garden marker.

Sprout plantable pencils come in packages of three and eight.  You can also buy themed sets containing flowers, herbs, etc. — Sprout plantable pencils come in packages of three and eight. You can also buy themed sets containing flowers, herbs, etc.

Sprout sent me two three-packs of what appear to be standard #2/HB writing pencils, though the graphite isn't graded. One three pack contained organic thyme, organic basil, and organic cherry tomato, while the other contained green pepper, coriander, and marigold. For the record, I sharpened up organic cherry tomato and organic basil, since those are the two I'm most eager to use up and plant, though my goal is to get all of them in the ground by May.

The Sprout pencil reminds me a lot of the Field Notes pencil.  I prefer a darker core for regular writing, but I have my Sprout pencils tucked away in various books I'm reading.  They get used! — The Sprout pencil reminds me a lot of the Field Notes pencil. I prefer a darker core for regular writing, but I have my Sprout pencils tucked away in various books I'm reading. They get used!

I'd characterize the writing experience as decent. The unfinished pencil is comfortable to hold (think a less splintery version of the "Field Notes pencil"), and Sprout actually etches the name of the plants onto the pencils using what looks to be a woodburning kit. (Remember those? Just sniff the writing, it smells great, like a fire pit.) The graphite, however, is a touch scratchy (again, like the Field Notes pencil) and a tad too light for my taste, but far from unusable.

These make a cool gift for the stationery nerd you know who's also a gardener. You can buy Sprout pencils directly via their website (link here), along with a variety of other garden-themed stationery products.

DISCLAIMER: Sprout provided me with these products free of charge for review purposes.

The TWSBI Eco, featured here in white, has a hexagonal cap with the red TWSBI dot.

Pen Review: TWSBI Eco

March 9, 2016

The TWSBI Eco may come closest to dethroning the Lamy Safari as the most popular pen you can buy under $30. With it's super smooth nib, modern design, and excellent piston-filling system, I can recommend the Eco to anyone, not just beginners. While not all pen people may appreciate its looks, this is a solid writer, and may even supplant the TWSBI 580 in my rotation.

Build. The Eco has two things to offer that distinguish it (in a good way) from other pens in its price range: a comfortable grip section, and a barrel length suitable for both posted and unposted use. First, the grip section (and the rest of the barrel) is round, and very comfortable to hold. The Lamy Safari (what I would deem the Eco's main competitor) features a triangular grip, supposedly to help students hold their pen correctly, but at the end of the day this mostly serves to limit the pen's appeal because many people simply can't use this grip comfortably. Also, by eliminating the faceted barrel, many people have speculated that the Eco will last longer and be less prone to cracking due to reduced stress on the plastic.

I regularly use the Eco both posted and unposted. Some people find that posting the cap on the Eco makes the pen unwieldy. The cap may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but it weighs next to nothing and I don't think that posting it renders the pen unreasonably long or uncomfortable to write with. Regardless, unlike the Safari, the body of the Eco is long enough to allow me to write comfortably with the pen unposted.

It's a bit longer than my personal preference, but I can still use the TWSBI Eco posted.

Aesthetics/Design. People either love or hate the Eco's design. I like it because it's different. True, there's a bit of a mismatch between the round barrel and the chunky, faceted cap and piston knob, but somehow the design works. The Eco is a modern, minimalist fountain pen, and looks exactly like what one would expect a modern, minimalist fountain pen to look like. To deliver a pen at the $30 price point, you pretty much have to use plastic, so criticism that the pen "looks cheap" is misplaced--the Eco is intended to be an inexpensive pen, and to knock it because it looks "plasticky" or because it has a less expensive clip than the TWSBI 580 strikes me as unfair.

The cap and the clip on the TWSBI Eco have generated

The Nib. If there's one area where TWSBI has improved by leaps and bounds over the years, it's with their nibs, which I believe are made by JoWo. Both the Eco and the Vac Mini (which I recently reviewed) feature a #5 stainless steel nib, and both of my pens are excellent writers. Like my Vac Mini, I picked up an Eco with a medium nib, I'd characterize it as a "true medium," slightly on the wet side. While the Vac Mini can occasionally hard-start or skip, due to the nature of a vacuum filling system and how ink is delivered to the feed, I have had zero flow issues with the Eco.

A shot of the TWSBI Eco nib and round, transparent section.  For some reason, I love the clear section on the Eco.  You can really see how the ink saturates the feed and works its way down to the nib. — A shot of the TWSBI Eco nib and round, transparent section. For some reason, I love the clear section on the Eco. You can really see how the ink saturates the feed and works its way down to the nib.

Takeaways. I can recommend the TWSBI Eco for anyone looking for a good daily writer that won't break the bank. It's certainly not limited to beginners or people looking to buy their "first fountain pen". That said, there are a couple reasons why the Eco won't dethrone the Pilot Metropolitan and others anytime soon as my recommended first-choice for an entry-level fountain pen. First of all is price. The Metropolitan is less expensive, and with the new Retro-Pop collection, the colors aren't necessarily limited to black, silver, and gold. The Eco sits at a slightly higher "next step" price point. As I've said before, I'm also hesitant to recommend a piston filler as a "first pen," since many fountain pen newbies are uncomfortable starting out filling from a bottle.

The TWSBI Eco does, however, sit appropriately near the top of my "Top Pens Under $75" list, and I'm considering moving it to the #1 slot. So far, it's that good, but I want to give myself a few months with it to be sure.

As of April 2020, you can purchase TWSBI Pens, including the ECO series, directly from The T.G.S. Curated Shop. The ECO starts at $30.99 for standard versions, and a pen with Rose Gold trim will run you $49.99.

Figure out a way to put those stacks of unused journals and notebooks to good use!

10 Resources to Help You Improve the Digital-Analog Balance in Your Life

March 5, 2016

A while back - maybe in the comments to my New Year's Giveaway post - someone asked the question, "What do you use your pens and ink for other than reviews on this blog?" Well, as I recently discussed at some length, I use my pens quite a lot in my daily workflow, and this blog is actually a small fraction of my total weekly "pen time." The topic's come up again in various other forums, including a recent episode of the Pen Addict Podcast when Myke was discussing how he feels like he doesn't have the opportunity to use his pens much anymore and asked for suggestions on how to fix this. If you're also facing a similar dilemma, I can point you to ten of my favorite websites that I look to regularly for refreshing ideas on how to add to some variety to the "analog side" of your life.

The Cramped. Patrick Rhone's site always has some great links to articles and quotes about writing in general, and especially writing by hand. There's also advice on how to get started with many "analog" habits, including journaling and keeping a commonplace book. (The piece "Why Analog" also hits the nail on the head, for me.)
Scription. The home of Patrick Ng, creator of the Chronodex method of time tracking and day logging. If you're interested in Chronodex, start here. Patrick also links to lots of articles on using analog tools in your daily life, and offers good book recommendations.
Kaizen Journaling. I enjoy reading through the journaling prompts here. They mainly relate to personal exploration and self-improvement. Updates can be sporadic, but there's a wealth of good content on the site and the blog.
Bullet Journal. A flexible planning/journaling/organizational system created by Brooklyn-based designer Ryder Carroll. He ran a successful Kickstarter a while back to launch the Bullet Journal site and create a customized notebook. If you're looking for a way to use your stash of notebooks to keep yourself organized and collect your ideas, this is a good place to start because you can adopt many of the principles without committing yourself to a rigid "system."
InCoWriMo Website. International Correspondence Month (February) is officially over, but there's no good reason to give up on letter writing during the rest of the year. The site hasn't been updated for 2016, but there's some videos and blog posts, as well as a list of people who have volunteered their addresses to be correspondents. (And if you get really desperate, you can always write to me at Joe @ Gentleman Stationer, P.O. Box 681294, Franklin, TN 37068 USA.)
NaNoWriMo Website. National Novel Writing Month is technically in November, but there's a real push to sponsor related events throughout the year. Many people (like me) do NaNoWriMo by hand, in whole or in part, and trying your hand at writing fiction is a great way to give your pens a workout and burn through paper and ink. The NaNoWriMo website has some excellent writing resources.
Leigh Reyes: My Life As a Verb. If drawing, painting, and calligraphy is more your thing, you need to check out Leigh's site for inspiration. Whenever I've seen Leigh in person, she always has at least one notebook and sketchbook with her (and her art is amazing).
Pens!Paper!Pencils! Another great site that I link to from time to time. Ian is another artist who inspires me to actually pick up a pencil and a sketchbook and try to draw. He also posts in-depth product reviews and commentary on the stationery world.
Rhodia Drive. The official blog of the U.S. Distributor of Clairefontaine-Rhodia paper and related products. Content includes interviews with fans/retailers of the product who discuss what they use and how they use it. Check out this recent interview with Mike Dudek of the Clicky Post.
Circumspect Reverie. A newer blog that I've only recently started reading. Daniel LeMay may already be familiar to those of you who frequent the PenAddict slack channel, but if you haven't read his posts on journaling and making time in your life to read, they are well worth your time.

Stay Tuned...

I'll be posting the winners of the InCoWriMo Giveaways tomorrow. I have to make one last run to the post office box to pick up mail. Stay tuned!

None of the sites linked to in this post have compensated me in any way, or sponsor the blog. These are sites that I visit and enjoy on a regular basis, and that I believe you might find helpful in creating/restoring some digital/analog balance in your life. As always, thanks for reading!