Pelikan party favors included a bottle of the 2016 Edelstein Ink of the Year, Aquamarine!

Pelikan Hub Nashville 2016 Was a Blast!

September 16, 2016

Thanks to Judy Jacobs (the 2016 Nashville Hubmaster) for putting together a great event! We had a turnout of around 10 people and enjoyed a couple hours of swapping pens, inks, and stories. If nothing else, these Pelikan "hubs" have jumpstarted the process of getting pen groups together around the world, and there are already plans for the Nashville group to get together again. But first, some pictures of pens people brought to the Hub!

Judy brought her collection of unique and interesting Chinese pens, including a Jinhao pen featuring a cobra, a Lanbitou pen featuring a dragon, and a "Chinese Army" pen with a compass built into the top. I've never seen any of these before.

Jim Holzemer also brought a ton of Pelikan pens to show, including his collection of 1930s vintage celluloids. The latter included two vintage red tortoises, a vintage lizard (which was gorgeous), and a vintage Toledo. Jim also had a really cool retractable ballpoint and a crazy broad 1.5mm italic nib that he had set in a pink and gray "Telecom" M600.

Jim's wife made him this embroidered pen wrap! I found this insanely cool.

Pelikan Hubs Swag, from left: a quiver-style pen holder that attaches to a notebook, a pad of paper, and an Edelstein ink postcard,  Everyone who registered also received a bottle of Edelstein Aquamarine Ink. — Pelikan Hubs Swag, from left: a quiver-style pen holder that attaches to a notebook, a pad of paper, and an Edelstein ink postcard, Everyone who registered also received a bottle of Edelstein Aquamarine Ink.

Overall, this was a great event, and I hope Pelikan continues to host the Hubs in the future and they continue to grow. Meanwhile, if you're in the Nashville area, I'm going to start assembling an e-mail list to help organize our next local meet-up. If you're interested in participating, please e-mail me through the "Contact Me" link on the blog and I'll add you to the group. Hope to see you there!

The iconic P.W. Akkerman ink bottle is only one of many reasons you should consider picking up a bottle of this ink.

Ink Review: Akkerman #28 (Hofkwartier Groen)

September 14, 2016

Here's a quick review of what's become my most-used purchase from this year's D.C. Pen Show. Akkerman #28, "Hofkwartier Groen," is a bright grass-green ink and a color that I thought I would hate - until I actually used it. I'll recommend this ink as a just-plain-fun writing experience, as well as one of the best annotation inks I've used.

Akkerman 28 is an extremely bright ink, but it's not pale at all. It will stand out on most papers. You can see here that it stands up to the bright red dots of the Hobonichi Techo paper. (This writing sample is from the blank sheets at the back of … — Akkerman 28 is an extremely bright ink, but it's not pale at all. It will stand out on most papers. You can see here that it stands up to the bright red dots of the Hobonichi Techo paper. (This writing sample is from the blank sheets at the back of the journal.)

I find most light green inks too pale and/or dry. Also in D.C., I picked up a small 15ml bottle of Iroshizuku Chiku-Rin. While I plan on giving that ink another try in a broader nib, I could barely see the ink coming out of my Sailor Pro Gear with a fine nib. I had no such problems with the Akkerman.

A broader shot of the Akkerman #28 writing sample on Tomoe River Paper.

On the wetness/dryness scale, Akkerman #28 is perfectly balanced. I've not had it hard-start in a pen (even in extra-fine or needlepoint nibs), it dries quickly on the page, and it doesn't smear. Currently, this ink sits in my Franklin-Christoph Model 45 orange demonstrator (Masuyama Needlepoint) and my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black. I've not experienced any negatives with this ink, but if you use "busier paper" (such as Doane Paper's Grid + Lines design), you may have legibility issues in a very fine nib. On plain, lined, or graph paper, I've had no problems. Akkerman #28 looks especially gorgeous on Tomoe River.

Akkerman #28 looks awesome eyedroppered into my clear orange Franklin-Christoph Model 45 demonstrator.

I suspect that if I tried to use this ink in a broader nib for longhand writing, drafting, etc., I wouldn't like it as much because it might be too loud and scream off the page at the reader. So what have I used it for? Marking up legal documents, quick notes to myself that I want to stand out on the page, reminder lists in my pocket notebooks, etc. It makes for a nice break from the bright red and orange inks that I otherwise use for annotating and editing.

Where to Buy

Akkerman #28 is available from Vanness Pens. For $28, you get 60ml of ink, and a unique reusable glass bottle. As you can see from the photo above, the neck of the bottle contains a reservoir that you fill by tipping the bottle forward, making it easier to fill your pen and allowing you to get all the ink from the dregs of a near-empty bottle. (The neck of the bottle seals with glass marble!) Vanness carries the entire line of Akkerman Ink, which includes 30 colors named after various locations in the Netherlands, where the P.W. Akkerman pen shop is located.

The Pilot G2 Gel Pen Review: Personal Favorite

September 10, 2016

I've experimented with different brands of gel pens over the years, but I keep coming back to the Pilot G2. The G2 is one of those pens that people either love or hate - I think a lot of the hate comes from the fact that Pilot advertises it as the "world's most popular pen" or something like that, and people (especially on the Internet) love a good takedown of whatever's popular. But there are many reasons this pen deserves that title: it's widely available (including in drug and grocery stores), it's comes in various tip sizes and ink colors, and it's a dependable writer that doesn't dry up or skip.

One thing I appreciate about the G2 .38mm is that it's still a fairly wet writer despite how fine the line is.

My personal favorite G2 tip size is the .38mm "Ultra Micro." Sure, the Pilot Juice .38mm (Japan only) comes in a broader range of colors, but I've not had the greatest experience with the Juice refill, finding anything smaller than .5mm skippy and scratchy. The G2 .38mm may not be the smoothest writer on the market, but it's rare that I've had a G2 skip or dry out on me. It's generally a very reliable pen. Even the "fine" .7mm G2 works better for me than the Uniball, Pentel Energel, or (gag) the Zebra Sarasa equivalents.

I've moved to the .38mm Pilot G2 as my gel pen workhorse.

As part of my recent effort to thin out my accumulation/hoard of stationery and "just go with the tools that work for me," a couple areas where I've cut back on my purchasing are pencils and gel pens. While I'll of course always keep a variety of pencils on hand, I tend to use either a Palomino Blackwing 602 or a Palomino HB on a daily basis. With gel pens, it's a G2 or a Hi-Tec-C, and when a ballpoint is necessary, it's Pilot's Acroball hybrid.

As I mentioned earlier, you can find the Pilot G2 in pretty much any brick and mortar store with a stationery aisle (including big box stores), but you can get some sick deals online, especially if you buy in bulk. A dozen G2 .38mm pens will run you a little more than a buck apiece. (The .5mm or .7mm are even less expensive.) Colors in the .38mm tip size are limited to blue, black, red, and green, though you can find some crazy colors in .7mm, like this fistful of G2s that I picked up this week at Bob Slate Stationer in Boston (Cambridge).

Yesterday's haul from Bob Slate Stationer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That reporters notebook is almost identical to the Field Notes Byline in terms of dimensions, and it cost less than $2! (The paper is surprisingly good for an inexpensive noteboo… — Yesterday's haul from Bob Slate Stationer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That reporters notebook is almost identical to the Field Notes Byline in terms of dimensions, and it cost less than $2! (The paper is surprisingly good for an inexpensive notebook.)

Pilot also offers G2 refills that you can use in a refillable pen body. I previously reviewed the Pilot G2 Limited, which is Pilot's "high-end" G2 pen body. I'll double down on that recommendation. I ended up gifting my previous G2 Limited to a friend and picked up another one for myself last week, and it's just as good as I remember it. The G2 refill also works in the Tactile Turn Mover, and if you enjoy pocket pens, the Machine Era pen.

For all these reasons, the Pilot G2 sits at the top of my list of recommended gel pens. If you haven't already checked out this recently refreshed page, please do so! I spent some time with it last weekend and had a lot of fun revisiting the various "best pen" lists I've published and getting them into an easier-to-use format.

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.

Tom Barrington sent over this gorgeous dark brown ostrich leather pen sleeve for review.

Tom Barrington Leather Goods Two-Pen Sleeve

September 7, 2016

Tom Barrington Leather, based in California, makes a wide variety of leather goods and accessories, including pen cases, pen sleeves, wallets, and glasses cases. They were kind enough to send over one of their two-pen sleeves in brown ostrich, and it's one of the nicer leather pen sleeves that I've had the opportunity to review.

I've tested a lot of leather goods, and this pen sleeve is extremely high quality.

This two-pen sleeve looks, feels, and smells like good leather. It's supple, the stitching is tight, and I can't find a visible flaw anywhere on the product. The exterior of the case is made from "fully quilled" ostrich leather - the highest quality. The interior lining is cowhide. The two layers of leather give the case a substantial feel, but at the same time it's still soft and not at all stiff. (On a lot of cheaper leather pen cases, the leather can feel thin and flimsy, or rough and not pliable.)

The pen sleeve arrived packaged in a white canvas bag with an embossed leather label and drawstring. I always enjoy seeing packaging like this - which reflects some thought - as opposed to generic boxes.

The Tom Barrington two-pen sleeve easily fits two large pens. Pictured in this review are my Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen (a large pen my most standards) and my Sailor 1911 Black Luster. The sleeve is snug enough to hold your pens securely - they won't be falling out - yet it's not so tight that you can't deploy them easily.

Tom Barrington sells directly through their website, and they also operate an Amazon store with most of their products eligible for Prime delivery. While the ostrich leather case featured in this review is not inexpensive, Tom Barrington offers a range of products at multiple price points. Cow leather sleeves start at $34, Stingray leather starts at $80, and Ostrich at $119. I have a thing for brown crocodile grain leather, so I'm eyeing one of these glasses sleeves next.

Thanks very much to Tom Barrington for sending this over for review, and for sponsoring The Gentleman Stationer!

Disclaimer: Tom Barrington provided me with this product free of charge for review purposes. This post also contains affiliate links.

What came home with me from this year's 2016 DC Pen Show? Clockwise from left: Inky Fingers "Currently Inked" Notebook, Akkerman #28 Ink, Kobe Inks #6 and #9, Montblanc Ultra Black Ink, Diplomat Aero fountain pen, Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Ages fou… — What came home with me from this year's 2016 DC Pen Show? Clockwise from left: Inky Fingers "Currently Inked" Notebook, Akkerman #28 Ink, Kobe Inks #6 and #9, Montblanc Ultra Black Ink, Diplomat Aero fountain pen, Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Ages fountain pen, Franklin-Christoph Pocket 20, Franklin-Christoph Model 45, and a vintage Pelikan M400 (which I bought for the OM nib).

My 2016 D.C. Pen Show Haul

September 3, 2016

I'm just now unpacking and cleaning pens from the 2016 D.C. Pen Show (yes, nearly a month later), so I figured it's finally time to show off this year's pen show swag and share my initial impressions of what I picked up. Look for extended reviews of most of these products in the coming months. I don't know about you all, but this August has been absolutely crazy and I'm looking forward to the long Labor Day weekend to sit down and play with this stuff.

Pens

Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Ages. My "big purchase" of the show, which I picked up from Bryant Greer at Chatterly Luxuries. I'm still getting the hang of Visconti's Power Filler, but the EF nib on this pen is excellent (especially after it was tuned by Mike Masuyama).
Diplomat Aero. Probably the "steal" of the show. Diplomat is a pen brand that flies under the radar, but the quality control on their nibs is outstanding. I've not written with a smoother stainless steel nib.
Franklin-Christoph Model 45. The Model 45 has become my pocket fountain pen of choice. I eyedroppered this pen with Akkerman #28 and have been using it regularly to take notes at work. I chose a stainless steel Masuyama needlepoint nib. Both of the Franklin-Christoph pens I purchased this year are show-only prototypes in acrylics that may or may not make their way into the regular product line.
Franklin-Christoph Pocket 20. Another Franklin-Christoph Pocket Pen that's seen a lot of use since the show. The nib on this pen is a 14k Masuyama needlepoint. I also eyedroppered it with a sample of Franklin-Christoph's Urushi Red Ink, a new color released just before the show.

Inks

You can tell this Akkerman 28 has gotten a bit of use already!

Akkerman Hofkwartier Groen (#28). From Vanness Pens. A color that I've been wanting to add to my collection for a very long time, and I now have it inked in two different pens. I love this bright green ink for note-taking and annotation, and I've been using it more than anything else I bought at the show.
Montblanc Ultra Black. From Anderson Pens. A very interesting black ink that contains undertones of blue and green, though I found the ink itself to be very wet. I have this ink in two pens right now, and I'm still trying to figure out whether it will become a staple.
Sailor Kobe No. 6 (Bordeaux). A true burgundy Sailor ink, which I've currently got loaded into my Sailor 1911 Black Luster. I really like what I've seen so far.
Sailor Kobe No. 9 (Suma Purple). A nice dark-purple ink. I've not had a chance to use it much yet, but it's a Sailor ink so I'm sure I'm going to like it. Initial impressions is that it's a touch better behaved than Bung Box Ink of Witch, and isn't as dark.

Miscellaneous Nibs and Notebooks

Inky Fingers "Currently Inked" Notebook. I love to make lists, especially lists about pens and ink. I went with the pocket-sized notebook.
Franklin-Christoph #6 14k nib, Masuyama Cursive Italic. I've been wanting to upgrade my Scriptorium Pens Balladeer to a 14k gold nib for a while now. As a bonus, I can also swap this nib into my Franklin-Christoph Pocket 20.
Vintage Pelikan 14k Oblique Medium Nib. Many people don't know that vintage Pelikan M400 nibs are interchangeable with modern Pelikan Pens. I've never had an oblique medium nib, so I'm looking forward to testing this one out.

As usual, I also ended up with a giant bag full of ink samples that I won't even try to list or categorize here, but you may be seeing some more ink reviews. I also had some nibs tuned and ground (you can read about one of those here). I can't wait for next year!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased all of the products featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection. This post contains affiliate links.

Where to Buy

Further Reading

Pens

Inks

Miscellaneous Nibs and Notebooks

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