Pen Review: Pilot Custom 912 with FA Nib

March 8, 2017

The Pilot Custom 912 is one of those pens that's attractive in that distinguished "black pen with rhodium trim" kind of way, but it's main purpose is to act as the showpiece for Pilot's specialty nibs, including the stub (SU), the Waverly (WA), Posting (PO), Music, Soft Fine (SF), and the Falcon (FA) nibs. The pen featured in this review sports Pilot's semi-flex Falcon (FA) nib, which is the first that I've had the opportunity to try for an extended period of time. While I can see why many people really like this nib, it doesn't work so much for my personal handwriting style.

Note the "wings" cut out of the sides of the nib, which adds to the springiness of the nib. As with the Pilot Custom 74 and the Pilot Custom 823, Pilot adds a nice engraving to the Rhodium cap band.

Build

The Pilot Custom 912 is a sturdy, well-built pen that could easily serve as your daily driver (provided, of course, you find a nib that works for your writing style). It's on the larger side (5.5 inches unposted and 6.25 inches posted), but still fits very comfortably in the hand. The Custom 912 uses Pilot's Con-70 high capacity pump-style converter, which is the same one that comes with the Custom 74 and which I always enjoy. The barrel is made of black resin, and since the pen is a cartridge-converter filler, it's a light pen, making it suitable for longer writing sessions (again, assuming you have the appropriate nib). Rhodium plated trim and a 14k gold nib lend a classic look, if a somewhat unexciting one.

The Pilot Falcon (FA) Semi-Flex Nib

The nib is plainly intended to be the star of the show on the Custom 912. I wrote with a Pilot Metal Falcon many years ago, and wasn't blown away. For whatever reason, my print-cursive hybrid style of handwriting doesn't lend itself to the Falcon/FA nib's flex. (To be more accurate, I should say semi-flex - the FA nib is not a "flex nib" in the vintage sense, but it's more than just "springy"). As you can see below, you can coax some very nice line variation out of this nib, but I didn't find it to be the smoothest writing experience when printing, as opposed to writing cursive. This past weekend I had the opportunity to test drive Aurora's new vintage-style flex nib, which, in my opinion, seems more versatile in terms of easily switching between cursive and script. I should have a review of that nib up on the blog in the near future.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I will definitely purchase a Custom 912 at some point, but it probably won't be a model with the Pilot FA nib. This past weekend I also had the chance to write the Pilot's PO nib, a super-stiff, extra-fine Japan-only specialty nib that would probably be my first choice. (NOTE: being able to test rare and hard-to-find nibs is one of the many benefits of visiting pen shows!) That said, I know many people who enjoy writing with flex and semi-flex pens who love the Pilot FA nib and can make it do wonderful things with their handwriting.

Many thanks to Ron at Pen Chalet for loaning me this pen for review purposes. Pricing on the Pilot Custom 912 is currently $224, minus whatever coupon code or discount Ron is running. As of the time of this review, Ron currently has the Custom 912 in stock with Extra Fine, Soft Fine, Stub, Music, Falcon (FA), and Waverly nib options. The PO nib still seems to be unavailable stateside, so if you're interested in that option you'll have to take your chances buying internationally.

Disclaimer: This pen was loaned to me by Pen Chalet for review purposes and returned to Pen Chalet after completion of my review. This post contains affiliate links.

The Kanilea Pen Company was in Baltimore with their full range of pens. I may have picked one up...

2017 Baltimore Washington International Pen Show Special Report

March 6, 2017

I spent my Friday and Saturday afternoons at the Baltimore Washington International Pen Show. The last Baltimore Pen Show I attended was in 2013, back when the show was still held in downtown Baltimore. It's since moved to the Westin near BWI Airport, giving the show more room to grow and also making it more convenient for people in the area to attend. I was told that this year's BWI Pen Show featured over 100 tables - around the same size as the Philadelphia show. It easily justifies a weekend trip.

Vendors in Attendance

All "the usual suspects" were there in force: Brian and Lisa Anderson of Anderson Pens, Lisa and Mike Vanness of Vanness Pens, Susan Wirth, the Franklin-Christoph team with their nib testing stations and trays of color prototypes, and many more. I had the opportunity to test out the new Aurora Flex Pen and their new blue-black ink, though sadly I missed the after-hours event sponsored by Kenro Industries, Aurora's distributor.

Diplomat Pens - Check out the Orange Aero!

A Few New Things...

If you've been following me on Instagram, you may have seen photos that I posted of several newly acquired pens, inks, and notebooks. Most of my shopping was done on Friday, since I didn't know how crowded the show would get and didn't want to miss out on some of the more limited offerings like I did in D.C. There were a few things that tempted me on Saturday (see orange Diplomat Aero below), but my "budget" hit a brick wall.

Pens and Ink I purchased on Friday in Baltimore: Ryan Krusac Legend in Cocobolo with Turquoise Inlay, Kanilea Pen Company Mauna Kea, Pilot Metropolitan/MR in Gray with Stub Nib, Clear TWSBI Eco with Stub Nib, some Robert Oster Ink Samples from Vanne… — Pens and Ink I purchased on Friday in Baltimore: Ryan Krusac Legend in Cocobolo with Turquoise Inlay, Kanilea Pen Company Mauna Kea, Pilot Metropolitan/MR in Gray with Stub Nib, Clear TWSBI Eco with Stub Nib, some Robert Oster Ink Samples from Vanness Pens, and some Sailor Inks (Chu Shu, Rikyu Cha, and Waka Uguisu) from Anderson Pens.

My Ryan Krusac Legend Pen in Cocobolo with a Turquoise Inlay and Ebonite Section. I've been eyeing one of these pens for a long time - look for a review up on the blog in the future.

My new Mauna Kea from the Kanilea Pen Company, in front of the photo on which the material is based.

I enjoyed meeting the team from Story Supply Co., and I picked up a pack of their Edition 407 and "Pencil Pusher" notebooks, which they did in partnership with CW Pencil Enterprise.

And this beauty was making the rounds. I got a chance to play with this Diplomat Aero prototype at the Vanness Pens table - hopefully we see this pen at retailers in the near future!

See you in Baltimore Next Year?

Bert Oser of Bertram's Inkwell runs a great show, and a trip to the BWI Pen Show is well worth your time if you live in the area or get the chance to travel. I'm not sure it will turn into an "every year" trip for me, since my travel budget is limited, but I always have a good time in Baltimore.

Next up on the pen show circuit: Atlanta in April!

Conklin-Mark-Twain-Crescent-Filler-Fountain-Pen

Pen Review: Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler

March 4, 2017

The "new Conklin" has been one of those pen brands that's flown under my radar, because the pens typically sit in that odd $50-150 price range. While I had heard good things about Conklin's nibs, the designs at the lower end of that price range didn't really appeal to me enough to get me to pull the trigger on a blind purchase, and I was similarly hesitant to spend $150 (or more) on a pen with a steel nib from an unfamiliar brand. A few weeks back, Ron at Pen Chalet asked whether I'd be interested in reviewing the Mark Twain Crescent Filler, and I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised with both the aesthetics and overall quality.

American Heritage, Italian Design

Those familiar with vintage pens know Conklin as one of the original American fountain pen companies, which was based in Toledo, Ohio and rose to prominence with its patented "crescent-filler" mechanism around the turn of the century. The filling mechanism is an early take on the button or lever-filling fountain pen, and consists of a crescent-shaped piece of metal that you depress in order to collapse the sac. When you release the "crescent," the pen fills with ink. The crescent does double duty as a roll-stopper, and there's a plastic guard that you can rotate to lock the filling mechanism in place and prevent you from accidentally squeezing the sac and squirting ink all over the place.

Red demonstrator pens appeal to me, especially when they have a unique filling system that makes for interesting viewing.

The original Conklin Pen Company went out of business in the late 1940s, but the brand was resurrected in the 1990s and eventually sold to Yafa Pens, which owns brands like Monteverde and is the U.S. distributor for the Italian pen companies Delta and Stipula. I understand that Stipula currently manufactures the Conklin pens for Yafa. (Some new limited edition Mark Twains are being released in materials such as Ambrosia celluloid and red and black striped ebonite - materials previously used to make limited runs of the Stipula Etruria.)

My Experience with the Mark Twain

Let's be honest, the Mark Twain Crescent Filler isn't the most streamlined of pen designs, but I found it attractive and fun to use nonetheless. There's definitely a sort of steampunk aesthetic going on here, combining the antiquated crescent-filling mechanism and vintage-style Conklin clip with the modern colored acrylic used to make the demonstrator pens. The construction is solid, and I had no problem whatsoever with the filling system. Do note, however, that eventually you may have to replace the sac, though I believe these modern pens use silicone sacs which are much less prone to failure than the latex sacs used in vintage pens.

Conklin's steel stub on the Mark Twain Crescent Filler. Conklin's non-stub nibs are two-toned steel and gold plate, but the stubs are all stainless.

Where this pen really impressed me was with the nib. This pen features Conklin's steel 1.1mm stub nib, which is excellent. I experienced zero hard starts or skips, and the nib was super smooth. While I haven't tried multiple pens and can't personally vouch for consistency across the various Conklin lines, I don't think this is a one-off experience. Many people have raved to me in the past about Conklin's stubs, especially on their lower-priced pens such as the Duragraph.

Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler writing sample with what else? Waterman vintage-style blue black ink (or, "Mysterious Blue") as it's now called.

Takeaways/Where to Buy

Conklin now has my attention. I'm probably going to pick up one of these crescent fillers at some point in the future, because after I sent the pen back to Ron I found myself missing having it around. It may not be the most practical everyday writer for pocket carry, etc., but if you want a vintage-style pen without having to worry about tinkering with fragile materials and vintage parts, this is a good option. Pen Chalet currently has the Mark Twain Crescent Filler on sale in red, blue, and clear demonstrator models, marked down to $125 and subject to further discount with one of Ron's various coupon codes. (Last I checked, there were only a couple of these pens left at his sale price, but other models of the Crescent Filler are available).

NOTE: It's unclear whether Conklin will continue to manufacture this particular demonstrator fountain pen, as its currently on clearance at multiple retailers. Since stock may run out fast, here are a few different options if you have trouble finding the particular pen/nib combination you are looking for: Pen Boutique; Fountain Pen Hospital; Fahrney's Pens.

Disclaimer: Pen Chalet loaned me this pen for review purposes at no cost. The pen was returned to Pen Chalet following the review. This post contains affiliate links. Pricing and availability are current as of the time of publication of this review.

Sailor Kobe Inks: Completionists Need Not Apply

March 1, 2017

My obsession with Sailor ink knows no bounds. If I had to choose a favorite brand of fountain pen ink, it wouldn’t even be close: Sailor would win easily. I probably have nearly two dozen bottles of current and discontinued Sailor inks, including doubles stashed away "for posterity" as well as some exclusive inks manufactured for Japanese retailers. (For more on why I like Sailor ink in general, check out this post that I did last year.)

What I wanted to write about today are the “Kobe Inks” - the line of ink that Sailor manufactures and bottles for the Kobe-Nagasawa Department Store in Kobe, Japan. While the inks that Sailor makes for Bungubox (or “Bung Box”) - another Japanese retailer located in Hamamatsu - have received most of the attention and acclaim in the pen community (probably due to the tulip-shaped ink bottle that they unfortunately no longer use), Kobe inks tended to get overlooked. Last I checked, there were nearly 60 different colors of ink in the Kobe line, a few of which are similar to colors Sailor has issued elsewhere, but many of which are unique.

I have four Kobe Inks in my collection: No. 4 (Foreigners’ Residence Red); No. 6 (Kobe Bordeaux); No. 9 (Suma Purple); and No. 37 (Harbour Island Blue). The inks are numbered for ease of reference, though they’ve also been given names that correspond to various places in Kobe and other themes of the city. I ordered No. 4 and No. 37 from Vanness Pens, who stocks most of the ink, and I picked up bottles of No. 6 and No. 9 from Kobe-Nagasawa directly at the 2016 D.C. Pen Show, where they had a table. It was something else to see that many bottles of Sailor ink - and so many different colors - stacked up in one place.

I like all four of the Kobe Inks that I currently have, but I need to add some of the greens, golds and oranges that can be found in unique shades that many ink manufacturers don't attempt.

It amazes me that Sailor can manufacture such a wide range of ink colors without running into manufacturing problems with certain batches and/or specific colors. Other ink brands like Diamine generally have a good reputation in terms of ink quality and behavior but occasionally people will experience issues with super-saturated colors (especially reds and oranges) clogging nibs, staining, or feathering on cheaper paper. Not so with Sailor. Out of all the colors of Sailor ink that I’ve tried, I have yet to find one that doesn’t function reasonably well on cheap recycled office paper. I’d also add that some of the shades of green, gold, and orange they offer can’t be found elsewhere, with the possible exception of KWZ.

Part of the Kobe-Nagasawa table display at the 2016 D.C. Pen Show. Vanness Pens picked up whatever stock they had left at the end of the weekend (which wasn't much!).

Where to Buy

There’s no longer any need to navigate the world of overseas eBay sellers or third-party shipping agents if you want to get your hands on some Kobe inks. Vanness Pens carries most of the line (54 colors, last I checked), and currently have most colors in stock. The ink is priced at $30 for a bottle or $4 for a 4ml sample, which is a premium over standard Sailor inks but hey, you won’t find these colors anywhere else. Just be warned - hunting for that "perfect" color can get addictive. (Not to mention expensive!)

Disclaimer: I purchased the ink featured in this review with my own funds for my own collection, and was not compensated for this post.

Another Baron Fig L.E. Release: the Vanguard "Infinity"

February 28, 2017

As I alluded to in my last Baron Fig subscription update, a new Vanguard release was right around the corner. This quarter’s Vanguard update is the “Infinity” edition, featuring three unique designs which “perpetually weave, twist, and spiral into infinity,” and “serve as a visual reminder of your vast potential to think and create.” There’s nothing “askew” about these notebooks - other than the cover and color scheme, they’re standard dot-grid Vanguards (Flagship model, 5.4” x 7.7”) that come three to a pack. Order yours now on Baron Fig’s website for $14, with discounts for multiple packs and subscribers.

The three "infinity" shapes, out of the shrink wrap.

All three notebooks feature Baron Fig's dot-grid paper.

Disclaimer: Baron Fig sent me the product featured in this post free of charge.