Great Pen Stores: Papier Plume in New Orleans, Louisiana

As you may have seen on my Instagram, I've spent the past few days at a conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, and my regular posting schedule been a bit "off track" (as should be expected).  But that doesn't mean that I didn't take at least some time to visit one of my favorite pen stores around, Papier Plume on Royal Street in the French Quarter.  If you ever make it to New Orleans, this carefully curated stationery store is a must-visit. Papier Plume has their own house brand of ink, and they also carry some smaller brands of fountain pens and stationery goods that aren't easily found elsewhere.  

I passed on the black and yellow dip pen last time I was in the store.  Not so much this time.   

On this trip, I picked up a pair of Cleo-Skribent fountain pens, a Murano glass-nib dip pen, a couple bottles of Papier Plume ink (Midnight Blue and the limited edition Streetcar Green), and a leather portfolio by Orna 916, which I plan on using to replace my current worn out U.S. Senate Portfolio that was a farewell gift from an internship long ago.  

So far I've been impressed by the steel nibs on these pens from Cleo-Skribent, a smaller German brand that you don't see much in the States.  

I'll definitely be writing more about all of these things in the future, so stay tuned!

From the Vault: Favorite Pilot Pens

I'm facing a hellish week of work travel, so I decided to dig some older reviews out of "the vault" and highlight them for newer readers and those who may have missed them the first time around. I selected some reviews of Pilot pens for this retrospective - these pens are some of my favorites, and I've been getting a lot of questions about my preferences among the various Pilot models. If you haven't already, check out the following reviews: 

• Pilot Custom Heritage 92. Probably my favorite pen in Pilot's current line. This piston-fill demonstrator is not only easy on the eyes, but it's the perfect size for me. Pilot, please bring the color demonstrators to the U.S.!  
• Pilot Metropolitan. I've been deep into this hobby for years, and I still use the Metropolitan regularly. I have two inked up as we speak. Don't forget to check out the new version with the stub nib. 
• Pilot Custom 823. A true workhorse, this large ink tank holds enough to last for weeks. Though vacuum fillers are becoming more common nowadays, this is still the best, and one of the highest-capacity.    
• Pilot Custom 74. The "in-between" size between the Custom Heritage 92 and the Custom 823. I've owned two of these over the years, and I still regret selling one. 

Happy reading! Things should settle down and get back to normal this weekend. 

Pen Review: The Fisher Space Pen

A staple of the everyday carry community, Fisher Space Pens tend to get overlooked by pen addicts who tend to instinctively avoid ballpoints, and that's unfortunate. Fisher Space Pens are great "write anywhere" additions to your arsenal, and despite a few small nits, their widespread availability and versatility make Fisher Space Pens an easy recommendation.

History

If you grew up in the 1980s or earlier (at least in the U.S.), you recognized the Fisher Space Pen by the ubiquitous magazine ads touting the brand's association with NASA. The original Fisher Space Pen was privately developed by Paul C. Fisher as a pressurized ballpoint pen that would write in a zero-gravity, extreme-temperature environment, with the intent of marketing the pen to the U.S. space program. Sorry pencil fans, but Snopes has busted the long-touted myth of the Fisher Space Pen as a solution in search of a problem, and a symbol of overpriced and over-engineered 1960s Space Race excess. As it turns out, "the Russians just used a pencil" story isn't exactly true: while all space programs used pencils in the early days, broken pencil leads pose a hazard when floating around in zero gravity, and woodcase pencils are, well, flammable, especially in a pure oxygen environment. Paul Fisher apparently spent a ton of his own money developing the pens and eventually succeeded in selling them to NASA and other space programs. 

Writing Experience

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Fisher Space Pen refills come in two tip sizes: fine and medium. Here, the Titanium Nitride pen (far left) has a blue "fine" refill, while the other two have black "mediums." 

The Fisher Space Pen refill is highly engineered to perform pretty much anywhere. According to the company's website, the "sealed pressurized ink cartridge performs in temperatures from -30F to +250F, underwater, in zero gravity, at any angle - even upside down!" While I've not had the opportunity to test these more extreme claims (and probably/hopefully never will), the pen does an excellent job of writing on multiple surfaces - including the Field Notes Expedition notebooks - and, yes, it does write upside down, making it a convenient choice for situations when you don't necessarily have a flat writing surface available. The refill writes like a traditional oil-based ballpoint, and the only drawback I've found is that the tip can develop a bit of crust if you let the pen sit unused for too long. (A simple wipe or scribble normally solves the problem.) 

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A Fisher Space Pen writing sample. While there's not a huge difference, I prefer the fine. 

Bullet or Click Pen? 

The Fisher Space Pen Company sells multiple models of the Space Pen, but the most popular is the ubiquitous "bullet pen," available in a variety of finishes. I own three: the classic matte black, the black titanium nitride, and the brass. When closed, these pens are tiny, and slide easily into a pocket. When posted, they expand to a reasonable length, which allows them to be used for most types of writing. One thing I will note - the bullet pens aren't particularly scratch or dent-resistant. Given how small they are, I've dropped mine on hard surfaces several times, and they are prone to developing small dents in the tips. (The dents aren't severe, and don't show up very well in the photographs.) 

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My three Fisher Space Pen Bullets, from left: Titanium Nitride, Brass, and Matte Black (with clip). Check out the gallery below for additional images of the pens extended, in hand, etc. 

My favorite Fisher Space Pen, however, is the original Astronaut Space Pen, which according to the company is essentially the same pen as the one taken to the moon in 1969. I own the "Shuttle" version with the black grid design. I love the click mechanism on this pen, which has a button on the side that you use to retract the tip. It's a slim pen, similar to a classic Cross Century II, but it has added length that makes it a better pen for extended notetaking in meetings, etc.   

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The Fisher Space Pen Astronaut "Shuttle" pen with the black grid design. Aesthetically, this is one of my favorite models of the Space Pen. 

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Like I said, Fisher Space Pens are an easy recommendation if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive, write-anywhere option. Personally, I use the Astronaut pen more than the Bullets on a day-to-day basis, but the latter are a fixture in my travel bag when I'm on the road due to their compact size. As long as you can tolerate ballpoints, the refill is reliable and readily available in fine or medium widths either online or in most brick-and-mortar office supply stores. (Most Fisher Space Pen refills also come with a small plastic adapter that allows you to use them as Parker-style refills in other pens, if you enjoy the refill but find the Fisher Space Pen bodies too small.) The pressurized Fisher refills can be somewhat expensive, but they seem to last longer than a typical ballpoint refill. 

UPDATE: As of 2024, we now carry a selection of Fisher Space Pens in our own shop, including the Bullet Pens, the original AG7 Astronaut Pens, and the Shuttle Pens, along with a wide array of Fisher Space Pen refills.   

Further Reading: If you like the Fisher Space Pen "bullet" form factor, but find yourself losing a lot of Space Pens, check out my review of the Pokka Pen, which was designed as a solution to this specific problem. 

Disclaimer: I purchased the pens featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection.

Baron Fig Continues Their Rollout of New Products: Big and Small Confidants and Archer Pencils

Last week, Baron Fig continued the recent expansion of their product line by announcing that the Confidant hardcover notebook would be available in two new sizes: a "Plus" size and a "Pocket" size, similar to what they offer with the Vanguard softcover notebooks. They sent me a couple to test out, and I'm most excited about the larger Confidant. I've used the very large A4 Leuchtturm 1917 Master in the past, and enjoyed it, but the Confidant Plus (7" x 10") isn't quite as big, making it more portable and probably easier to use, overall. 

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Vermillion/Red pencils with a matte finish? Sold. The Archer "Snakes and Ladders" pencils are beautiful.  

I also recently received a pack of the "Snakes & Ladders" Limited Edition Archer Pencils. The theme is based on an ancient board game of the same name. According to Baron Fig, "the symbols help to encourage you through obstacles you may slither into as you climb to find success." 

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I enjoy the understated details on Baron Fig products, like the small snake and ladder etched on each pencil. 

Like the original Archers, these are high quality cedar pencils. They feature a matte vermillion finish that give the pencils a nice grip, and I personally appreciate the slightly hard, toothy graphite most reminiscent of a European HB (maybe a touch darker). Archer pencils lack an eraser, which may be a deal-breaker for some but I do enjoy the clean lines of a capped pencil, and not being tempted to correct "mistakes" when I'm in the middle of a brainstorming session.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As I've discussed before, Baron Fig has embarked upon a rapid expansion of their product line, centered around an ambitious, four-product limited edition subscription service. It remains to be seen whether this will all be too much, too fast. While I like what I see from the company - all of these recent releases have been high quality and, at least to me, well-executed - I do wonder whether the market has had time to process all of it. The pace of one limited edition per product line, per quarter, could make it hard for Baron Fig fans to keep track of them all, much less find the extra money to be able to enjoy everything the company is releasing. Right now, there are two limited edition Confidants and two Vanguards available, presumably with a new Confidant on the way soon. To expand the standard Confidant line on top of that could risk over-saturating the market with options and/or diluting their brand, not to mention being very expensive for the Company. That said, I have no inside information on Baron Fig's sales, the size of their releases, and any future marketing and/or expansion plans they may have, so I'll be watching alongside the rest of you to see how things develop.    

All of Baron Fig's products are available directly from the company through their website. The Archer pencils are a standard $15 per dozen. The new Confidants are $22 for the Plus and $12 for the Pocket, coming in right around the Flagship Confidant at $18.

Disclaimer: Baron Fig sent me the products featured here at no charge for review purposes.  

Muji: Quality Inexpensive Stationery from Japan

I visit New York City fairly regularly, and I've always maintained a short list of stationery stores that I visit when I'm in town: Fountain Pen Hospital, Kinokuniya, C.W. Pencil Enterprise, and McNally Jackson. Due to rising real estate prices, the stationery (and especially the fountain pen) scene isn't nearly as vibrant as it was five years ago, after Art Brown International Pen Shop and others were forced to close. This past fall I decided to mix things up a bit and visit a store that I'd never been to before but had heard a lot about: Muji. 

I'd describe Muji as a Japanese Ikea/Crate & Barrel-type store that sells their own brand of household goods, including kitchenwares, candles, and of course, stationery. In their larger stores and online, Muji sells larger items like rugs and furniture. I had heard good things about Muji notebooks and gel pens, and spent a half-hour or so rifling through the pen display in the SoHo store on a Saturday afternoon. Here's what I came away with:   

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From left: Muji .38mm needle-tip polycarbonate click pens in blue and orange; Muji needle-tip .25mm stick pen in blue-black; Muji .38mm round conical tip stick pens in black and orange. 

Muji sells inexpensive gel pens that are available in a range of tip sizes, from the standard .7mm to the ultra-fine .25mm (in some models). I was mainly interested in how Muji could execute on the finer end of that range, in the .25mm and .38mm tip sizes, which is difficult to do well. I grabbed a small handful of pens in black, blue, blue-black and orange, and overall, was pleased with how they performed, especially given the price point. Other ultra-fine tip Japanese gel pens like the Hi-Tec-C and the Uni Signo DX can run as much as $3.50 per pen, depending on where you buy. With the exception of the .25mm needle-tip pen ($3), Muji's offerings generally are priced at $1.50-1.75 per pen. 

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From left: Muji conical-tip stick pen; Muji needle-tip stick pen; Muji needle-tip click pen.

Of all of the pens I tested, my favorite is probably the standard round .38mm conical-tip stick pen. Both the black and the orange write consistently, don't skip, and the round bodies are comfortable to hold. My second favorite is the .25mm needle-tip stick pen, which is a nice shade of blue black but writes an extremely fine line and is uncomfortable to grip for long periods of time. I would not purchase the polycarbonate click pens again. The orange pen barely writes at all, and the blue pen writes inconsistently, alternating between skipping and blobbing. The hexagonal plastic bodies dig into my fingers, making for an awkward and uncomfortable writing experience.

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Maybe I just got a couple duds with the click pens, but it's enough to make me not try them again. (Note that the orange is dried out and skippy. The blue looks fine in the picture, but it tends to blob ink.)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Two out of three ain't bad, right? Next time I find myself in a Muji store, I'd have no hesitation about picking up a fistful of the round stick pens. I don't really have a use case for the .25mm needle-tip, but it's a good writer for something with that fine of a point. Based on my experience, I'd recommend that people take a pass on the click pens. There are better options out there. Eventually, I plan on testing out Muji's notebooks, mechanical pencils, multipens, highlighters, and even - maybe - their aluminum fountain pen. 

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If you don't have a Muji Store anywhere near you, most of their goods are available online, either via Muji directly or through Amazon. Currently, Amazon has several deals where you can order an assortment of Muji conical gel pens or the needle-tip stick pens in various colors, and there's even a stationery sample pack that allows you to test Muji's pens AND notebooks. If, like me, you prefer very fine gel pens and ballpoints, but tend to lose "disposable" pens and don't like to invest what can be a ton of money in Hi-Tec-C's and Signo DX's, give Muji a shot.       

Disclaimer: I purchased the pens featured in this review with my own funds for my own use. This post contains affiliate links.