Workhorse Inks and Refills: When You Just Need to Get S*&T Done

I've been going through a particularly busy time in my "other" life and job, with several days that stretched into the wee hours of the morning. While that's unfortunately taken away from the time I've been able to spend with my more "fun" pens, it's also given me a chance to reflect on what I turn to when I don't have the time or the desire to think about what it is that I'm using. Sometimes you just want to reach for something easy, that you know will work, and most of all, that isn't distracting to you or the people that you're working with. Here's what I've been favoring over the past month, ranked in order of preference:  

1. Schmidt Easyflow 9000 Ballpoint. I find rollerballs too temperamental, including the Schmidt P8126 and P8127 that ships with the Retro 51 Tornado and the Baron Fig Squire. I prefer ballpoints and hybrid ballpoint pens, and typically will carry multiple pens loaded with Schmidt's ballpoint refill in my work briefcase. Currently, I have a blue Easyflow 9000 in my Squire, and a black version in my Steel & Flint pen. These smooth writing refills are great for writing longhand, and don't require much pressure to use at all (which can be a drawback for some ballpoint pens). 

2. Sailor "Chalana" D1 Refill. I've been using a LOT of multipens lately, and the one that's received the most use has been the Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, mainly because it has a mechanical pencil function. And at under $40, it's a relatively sturdy and inexpensive pen to travel with. Sailor's Chalana ballpoint refill is also excellent - it's a traditional ballpoint but writes smoothly and leaves a dark line, even with a very fine point. One of my purchases from the past few months that has served me well.

3. Uniball Jetstream D1 Refill. It hasn't received as much love as the Sailor Imperial Black, but my Lamy 2000 Multipen is loaded with these Uniball Jetstream D1 refills and they're great. I prefer the .5mm. 

4. Blue Fountain Pen Ink. I've gone with a generic category here because when I get really, really busy, I don't put much though into what fountain pen ink I'm using other than "will it write on most papers" and "will it be distracting for other people to look at?" Currently, I have pens loaded with various blue or blue-black inks, including Bung Box Sapphire, Blackstone Barrister's Blue, and Iroshizuku Asa-Gao. (For an in-depth look at some other "workhorse inks" that I rely on, check out this list I did a while back.)  

5. Orange Ink. Lately, I've been editing in orange ink, as opposed to red, because I've been working on a project with five or six other people and I wanted them to be able to distinguish my comments and annotations from everyone else's. On the fountain pen side, I've favored Sailor Jentle Apricot, though I've also been using the Orange .38mm Uni Style Fit refill and the Orange Uniball Vision Elite (Micro Tip).  

But what about the pens? Honestly, when I'm this busy, I pay more attention to inks and refills than I do to the pens themselves. If I'm rushing out of the house in the morning, whichever pen is convenient and/or full will probably end up going with me to work. (On a really busy day, I can empty two standard converters.) As I mentioned, my Baron Fig Squire and my Lamy and Sailor Multipens have been busy, and on the fountain pen side I've stuck to workhorses like the Lamy 2000 and my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black (fountain pen). I still have a ton of pens inked at the moment, so I'll have to mix things up next week. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Ink Brand Profile: Blackstone Inks

This week I take a look at yet another Australian ink brand and come away impressed. While Robert Oster has received a lot of attention for its seemingly endless array of colors, and Bookbinders for its quirky branding and packaging, Blackstone takes a more understated approach. Of the eight inks in the Blackstone line, I've had the opportunity to try six, and can say that they definitely merit further consideration as everyday writers.

While at first glance the colors may appear to be your standard black, blue, blue-black, green, red, brown, etc., there are aspects to these inks that make them interesting. For example, "Black Stump" is a black ink with deep undertones of brown and purple, (somewhat similar to Rohrer & Klingner's Leipziger Schwartz). "Uluru Red" can alternately appear to be a bright, fire-engine red color, but in the right light (and with a wet nib) can show off some depth of color. Blackstone even has two permanent inks: Barrister's Blue and Barrister's Black. The Barrister's Blue saw a lot of use at work in my Lamy 2000 over the past couple of weeks. 

Note: Many people rave over Sydney Harbour Blue and Barrier Reef Blue, which I've not had an opportunity to try since they were sold out. As of the time of publication of this post, both colors were back in stock at Anderson Pens. 

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Blackstone Ink Samples, from the top: Barrister's Blue, Black Stump, Barrister's Black, Daintree Green, Uluru Red, and Yellow Wattle. In case you didn't notice, all of the inks have an Australian theme. ;)

Blackstone sells their inks in convenient 30ml Nalgene bottles, which many people use to repackage ink into smaller containers for travel. While some people dislike storing ink in plastic bottles due to the threat of evaporation, I've never had problems with Nalgene, and its an interesting packaging choice by Blackstone. (I imagine it significantly cuts down on the cost of shipping overseas, as opposed to shipping heavy glass.)  

Takeaways and Where to Buy

These Blackstone inks were very well-behaved and I didn't have any serious issues with any of them. Of these six, the ones that impressed me the most were Barrister's Blue, Uluru Red, and Black Stump. Daintree Green and Barrister's Black were nice colors but didn't really distinguish themselves for me one way or another, and I found Yellow Wattle to be too light to be useful for everyday writing (though it might make a very nice highlighting ink). I liked Barrister's Blue so much that I am considering purchasing an entire bottle once the sample runs out - it's a great permanent blue-black that I've had loaded into my Lamy 2000 for the past two weeks, but be aware that like many permanent inks, it tends to feather on very cheap paper.  

Many thanks to the folks at Anderson Pens for sending me these ink samples for review. Blackstone Ink comes in 30 oz. bottles and is priced at $12 for the "Barrister's" inks and $8.50 for standard colors.

Disclaimer: I was provided samples of the inks reviewed here free of charge, for review purposes.  

Pen Review: The Pilot Custom 74

I've reviewed a lot of Pilot pens on this blog, but for some strange reason I've never taken the opportunity to review what I consider one of their best, and certainly one of their more accessible, fountain pens. The Custom 74 is one of the first higher-end Pilots that I purchased, and I recently added another to my collection. I'm glad I did!

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This blue demonstrator might be one of the prettiest pens in my collection. 

Pilot makes several versions of the Custom 74, but only the demonstrators are available on the North American market, to my knowledge. The Japanese market offers some lower-cost pens in solid acrylics, including Dark Blue, Black, Deep Red, and Dark Green. (You can sometimes find these Japanese pens with in-between nib sizes, like SF (soft fine) or FM (fine medium).) Along with the Vanishing Point, you'll often see the Custom 74 marketed as the "entry level luxury" Pilot fountain pen, and it's a great option for those looking to buy their first $150+ fountain pen, or upgrading from a steel nib to 14k gold. 

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An older photo of the Custom 74 violet demonstrator (far left) that I no longer have. This picture offers a good size comparison of the Custom 74 to the (from left) Pilot Vanishing Point, Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, Sailor 1911 Large, Nakaya Portable Writer, and the Pilot Metropolitan.

The Custom 74 is a good size pen, but at the same time there's no excess length or girth, and the transparent acrylic weighs very little. I can use this pen comfortably posted and unposted, though some might find it a touch too long posted. As I mentioned, I've owned two of these colored demonstrators over the years - the blue and the violet - and both pens were stunning to look at. The sapphire-blue acrylic featured here is a personal favorite, and pairs perfectly with Sailor Bungubox Sapphire ink.

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I've always found Pilot nibs very tastefully engraved. I especially like the rhodium-plated version. 

The Custom 74 color demonstrators feature a relatively stiff, rhodium-plated 14k Pilot nib that offers a super smooth writing experience. I would say these nibs (which come in fine, medium, and broad) correspond more to western sizing, as opposed to traditional Japanese nib sizes that tend to run narrower. The pen shown here has a wet medium nib that writes a fairly broad line for a Japanese pen, but on a brightly colored pen like this one, I prefer a nib that lays down some ink. Fortunately, the Custom 74 comes paired with Pilot's high capacity CON-70 push-button converter, which only works with Pilot's larger pens. (Make sure you check compatibility before purchasing a CON-70 for another pen.)   

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The Pilot Con-70 converter on the Custom 74, showing the length. Be sure to check compatibility.

A final note on the Custom 74 nibs: these nibs tend to have a lot of tipping material, which make them excellent - and relatively inexpensive - options for nib customization. Before my next pen show, I may try to pick up a couple of Custom 74s with broad nibs to take with me, just to make sure I have a good option to give to Mike Masuyama or Mark Bacas....

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The nib on this Pilot Custom 74 writes a nice fat medium line.  

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The color demonstrators are by far the most popular options in the Custom 74 line, and are available in transparent blue, orange, smoke, and violet. This pen, in my opinion, is one of the better buys in the fountain pen world at $176 (as of 2023, available directly from us in the T.G.S. Curated Shop). You get an incredibly attractive pen with an amazing nib and a high-capacity converter. For these reasons it's made my list of Best First Fountain Pens over $100. Personally, I think the color models are attractive enough to justify the extra money, especially with the rhodium trim, but it's a matter of personal preference.    

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"Shelterwood" on Steroids: Pacific & West Discbound Notebooks

Field Notes wowed us a couple years back when they introduced their "Shelterwood" line of limited edition notebooks, which featured a think veneer of cherry wood bonded to a Kraft paper cover. The edition proved so popular that a variation was later reissued as the "Cherry Wood," which remains in their lineup to this day. So, it was only natural that another company would come along and take this idea to the next level. 

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Pacific & West Large Refillable Discbound Notebook

Pacific & West is a company based in Portland, Oregon that creates notebooks from premium walnut covers and brass discs, similar to the popular Levenger "Circa" Series or the Staples "Arc" brand. Pacific & West first garnered attention with their 2016 Kickstarter project that combined walnut and brass to make a premium spiral-bound notebook, which funded and from what I can tell, received very good reviews. In response to user comments, Pacific & West redirected their resources from making spiral bound notebooks to developing a refillable, discbound version.

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The brass discs that form the spine of the Pacific & West notebooks are absolutely gorgeous. They'll also form a nice patina over time.  

The Pacific & West Discbound Notebook comes in three sizes: Pocket, Large, and Extra-Large. The notebook featured here is the "Large" - slightly smaller than a traditional A5 notebook. Both the "Pocket" size and "Extra Large" size are also non-standard dimensions, meaning that you will likely either need to use Pacific & West branded refills or cut your own paper to size to fit these notebooks. (You can check out Pacific & West's "Size Guide" here.)

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The blank paper in my notebook worked well with fountain pens. I've not tried the lined or dot grid version. All paper is advertised as 70#, and refills come in packs of 120 sheets.

While I would have appreciated a standard paper size that would allow me to punch holes in Rhodia, Clairefontaine or other papers that I use to take notes throughout the day, I found the blank Pacific & West paper to be very high quality. In addition to the unlined paper shown here, you can choose lined or dot grid. The ruling and dot grid is a "low contrast light grey" designed to remain in the background. 

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As you can see, the paper on the Rhodia No. 16 pad is slightly smaller than the "Large" Pacific & West Notebook. 

Takeaways / Where to Buy

I regularly use discbound notebook systems at work to organize project notes and loose papers. The Pacific & West notebook is nice looking and well-made, though if you work a lot with standard-size 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper, as I do, you may not be able to use this notebook as your primary option. If Pacific & West made a standard A5 or letter-sized version, I'd buy multiple notebooks. 

You can purchase Pacific & West notebooks directly from the company's website. The notebooks themselves are $59 for the Extra Large, $39 for the Large, and $25 for the Pocket. That may seem expensive, but when you consider the craftsmanship that goes into the cover, and the fact that these use solid brass discs as opposed to the plastic discs used by similar disc-based systems, the price seems reasonable. You're paying for good quality. Paper refills are also reasonable, priced between $7-11 for 120 sheet, which is less than what you would pay for Levenger Circa paper. (I haven't used Levenger paper in a while, but I recall it being relatively non-fountain-pen friendly. I've had a much better experience with the Pacific & West paper.) 

Disclaimer: Pacific & West sent me this notebook free of charge for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Pen Review: Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Ages

Some of my favorite pens in my collection are what many people refer to as “blacked out” or “stealth” pens. I’m not sure where the trend originated, but I suspect it started with Pilot’s Matte Black Vanishing Point. That’s the earliest “stealth pen” I can recall receiving a lot of attention. Next, I purchased the Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black fountain pen, which remains a personal favorite to this day. I like this pen not just because of the ion-plated trim, but because of its compact size. The Pro Gear is the perfect pen to stick in a shirt pocket and take to work: it’s portable, but when posted expands to a comfortable length for longer periods of writing. 

But I still found myself looking to add a larger pen that would spend most of its time at my desk at home, for journaling and the occasional letter writing. I’d been eyeing Visconti’s Homo Sapiens line of pens for a while, and had come close to pulling the trigger on the “Steel Age” model but never loved the overall look enough to do it. Then, last year, Visconti introduced the Homo Sapiens “Dark Ages,” and I finally jumped. 

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The Homo Sapiens Dark Ages features a blacked-out version of Visconti's trademark "arc" clip, plus "Homo Sapiens" engraved around the barrel. If you look closely, you can see that the lava-resin composite material is porous. 

First, a bit about the Homo Sapiens line in general. Visconti markets these pens as being made from hardened volcanic lava from Mount Etna in Sicily, which is mixed with a proprietary resin to create what most vendors describe as a “virtually unbreakable” pen. Much like celluloid and ebonite, the pen warms to the touch as you write with it, and absorbs moisture from your hands. Originally, the Homo Sapiens only came with bronze trim (the “Bronze Age” pen), but Visconti has since released the HS with steel (“Steel Age”) and the all-black (“Dark Age”) furniture. 

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The Homo Sapiens pens are sold in two sizes: Maxi and Midi. The Maxi size - what I have here - is a large pen that realistically can only be used unposted. It features Visconti’s 23ct Palladium “Dreamtouch” nib with Visconti’s “Power Filler” filling system. I love the nib, but I’ve found the “Power Filler” to be a bit overrated. I understand that the slightly smaller Midi pen also features a Palladium nib and a piston-fill mechanism. 

The Nib and Writing Experience

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The "Dark Ages" Dreamtouch 23ct Ruthenium-plated Palladium nib, with classic Visconti engraving. You can also see Visconti's "locking" threat system, which allows the cap to attach securely, 

If you like soft, wet nibs, then you’ll love Visconti’s Palladium nibs. Once these nibs are set up properly (more on this in a minute), they write with almost no pressure. “No pressure” is key: apply too much and you could end up springing the nib or gushing ink onto the page. I purchased this pen at the 2016 DC Pen Show, and immediately had Mike Masuyama grind this nib down to an EEF and attempt to reduce the ink flow as much as possible, yet this pen will bleed through even very thick paper if I bear down too hard. That said, once you get the hang of writing with little to no pressure, this is a very pleasant and comfortable pen to use. 

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The ink in this writing sample is Montblanc Leo Tolstoy Sky Blue. You can tell how wet this nib is from how dark the ink appears. 

The Puzzling “Power Filler”

The filling system on this pen merits extended discussion. I’m not sure what the purpose of Visconti's “Power Filler” is, because it doesn’t seem to hold a lot of ink, which, to me, is what the name would imply. It's a vacuum-fill system, similar to the Pilot Custom 823, where to fill the pen, you place the nib and section in the ink bottle and depress the plunger. From a normal ink bottle, I’ve found the usual fill holds just over 1ml of ink. (Supposedly, you can get a bit more into the barrel using Visconti’s “Traveling Inkwell,” but I don’t have one and don’t particularly fancy spending more $$$ just to get a couple ml more into the pen.) For a pen of this size, that’s not a huge ink capacity, and certainly seems to fall well below what my other similarly sized pens (i.e., the Pilot Custom 823, Pelikan M800 or Montblanc 146) can hold. Given that most Visconti pens are very wet writers, you'll probably find yourself refilling your Power-Filler pen more than you’d expect. 

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Of all the Visconti’s I’ve had the opportunity to try at pen shows, etc., none of them spoke to me more than the Homo Sapiens Dark Age. It’s a great-looking pen, and as modified, the nib is a very nice writer. That said, my experience with this pen doesn’t have me jonesing to go out and buy another Visconti without careful consideration. This pen was a temperamental and inconsistent writer out of the box, and if I hadn’t had Mike Masuyama there to work on the nib immediately, this experiment definitely would’ve ended in frustration. If you’d like to add a Visconti to your collection, I’d recommend purchasing at a pen show or from an online vendor who is willing to check the nib prior to sending it to you. 

I purchased this pen from Bryant Greer of Chatterly Luxuries at the 2016 D.C. Pen Show. I’ve made several purchases from Bryant in the past, and have nothing but good things to say about him and his company. (I've heard that Bryant will also ship new pens directly to Mike Masuyama for nib customization/tweaking.) If you have a relationship with another major pen retailer, most of those who carry Visconti keep the various Homo Sapiens models in stock. For example, both Pen Chalet and Anderson Pens have the Dark Ages available on their website. I’ve not seen anything to suggest that this pen is a limited or special edition, and will likely be available as part of the regular Homo Sapiens lineup for the foreseeable future. 

Disclaimer: I purchased this pen with my own funds for my own collection. While certain links in this post are affiliate links, I have not otherwise been compensated in any way for this review.