Pen Review: Visconti Van Gogh "Vincent's Chair"

October 21, 2017

Visconti’s “Van Gogh” Impressionist Collection receives scant attention, at least as compared to the Italian company’s other flagship pens such as the Homo Sapiens and Divina. That’s a shame, because of all the Visconti pens I’ve had the opportunity to test out, this might be my favorite. (Sorry, Homo Sapiens Dark Ages.)

Each pen in the Van Gogh series is cast from an acrylic resin specially mixed to match the palette of colors found in a Vincent Van Gogh painting, in this case, Vincent’s Chair. (Pens based on the works Starry Night, Shoes, Irises, and one of his self-portraits are also available, among others). Each piece is unique, and even those pens based on the same painting will still feature different swirls and patterns in the acrylic.

The Van Gogh packaging includes a reproduction of the original artwork on the inside flap of the leather box, so you can compare the colors in your pen to the painting that inspired it.

This particular Van Gogh features a very nice steel nib - actually, one of the best Visconti nibs out of the box that I’ve used. As I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, Visconti nibs can be supremely frustrating because the company’s quality control is all over the place. These pens sit at a very high price point, and of the three Visconti Pens that I’ve reviewed (Homo Sapiens Dark Ages, Rembrandt Back-to-Black, and this Van Gogh), all three required some sort of nib adjustment out of the box. Not exactly what you would expect when you are shelling out anywhere from $150-700 for a fountain pen.

The stainless steel nib on the Van Gogh is quite attractive, with the crescent-shaped breather hole and scrollwork.

In the case of this Van Gogh, the “nib work” required to get the pen in writing order was fairly minor: the tines were misaligned but I was able to easily push them back into place with my thumbnail after straightening out the feed. After this ten-second adjustment, the pen wrote exceptionally well: a wet medium line with no hard starts or skipping.

Note: I’m experienced with fountain pens, and consider a tine adjustment to be “minor” and something I can handle myself. I recognize that someone spending $200 on their first expensive fountain pen might not be so brave. For that reason, I generally do not recommend Visconti as a brand for beginners. Regardless, if you are considering purchasing a Visconti, purchase from a reputable retailer (like Goldspot) and specifically ask them to inspect the nib for you prior to shipment to avoid any problems on the front end.

The Van Gogh pens feature the patented Visconti clip, and have the name of the painting that inspired the pen engraved around the cap band.

So what keeps bringing people back to Visconti, despite the temperamental nibs? The design, which always has a lot of personality to it and inspires strong opinions (positive and negative), particularly surrounding Visconti's larger clips. Those who enjoy Visconti design, however, demonstrate exceptional loyalty to the brand, and Visconti collectors/enthusiasts are well-represented in the pen community. Personally, I like the Visconti “Bridge Clip,” and the polished version here works especially well on the smaller, faceted Van Gogh pen. Yellow pens also tend to be hard to find, and I found this color combination on the “Vincent’s Chair” pen, with its swirls of blues and greens, especially attractive on the faceted barrel. The silver trim also sets off the acrylic nicely.

The Van Gogh also features a secure magnetic closure on the cap, and is compatible with Visconti’s “My Pen” personalization system, if that’s something that interests you.

The Van Gogh might end up as one of my preferred Visconti models. The compact size, light weight, and excellent nib (once adjusted) combine to form an extremely comfortable daily writer. The pen also posts well. While the pen has a metal section, I didn’t end up with a slippage problem, and this is something that bothers me less and less as I learn to not grip my pens so tightly.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

You can purchase this Visconti Van Gogh Vincent’s Chair fountain pen, as well as the other pens in the Visconti Van Gogh Impressionist Collection, from Goldspot Pens. The Van Gogh sits around the midpoint of Visconti’s pricing scale at $289, which admittedly is on the high side for a steel-nibbed acrylic pen. That said, the effort required to mix and pair each resin with a particular Van Gogh painting likely took work and drove up the cost, so when viewing these pens from a cost/value perspective, it’s probably more appropriate to compare them to a custom pen like an Edison or a Newton, which sits around that same $300 price point.

I've posted this pic before I know, but to give you a sense of the size, here's the Visconti (far right) compared against (from right) a Pilot Vanishing Point, a Ryan Krusac Legend L-14, and a 3952 X800.

Many thanks to Goldspot for loaning me this pen for review. Overall, I’m sad to have to send this one back, but a Vincent’s Chair and/or Starry Night pen might be making its way into my collection in the future.

Disclaimer: Goldspot loaned me this pen free of charge for review purposes.

Pencil Review: The Original (Palomino) Blackwing

October 18, 2017

Few stationery items have drawn more attention - and fueled more late-night internet bickering - than the Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602. In recent years, the Blackwing “legend” has taken on a life of its own in popular culture, due to a combination of (1) the scarcity of the original vintage pencil; (2) the mythology surrounding the pencil and those who used it, fueled by internet stationery obsessives - seriously, who are these people!?; and (3) the 2010 release, to much success and acclaim, of a highly regarded series of pencils in the style of the original Blackwing by CalCedar, a California-based pencil manufacturer that purchased the Blackwing trademark once it expired.

The original Eberhard Faber Blackwing dates to the 1930s, and became a favorite pencil of various writers and artists such as Stephen Sondheim, Chuck Jones, John Steinbeck, and others. From the time of its discontinuation in the late 1990s to the re-release, enthusiasts were known to hoard boxes/grosses of the original pencil, paying hundreds of dollars for a dozen. Vintage Blackwings continue to sell for ridiculous premiums. Personally, I’ve never owned a vintage Blackwing 602, and regardless of how cool it would be to have one, even I can’t bring myself to shell out $50 for a single pencil. I’m primarily a user, not a collector, and that $50 will buy more than two dozen “modern Blackwings” that perform (for my purposes) just as well. You can read further on the history of the Blackwing pencil here. The 2010 relaunch was covered by media outlets such as the New Yorker and BoingBoing, and wasn’t without controversy.

Three Blackwings, Three Different Pencils

This review takes a look at one of the three “new” Blackwings, namely the original pencil that was released in 2010. Blackwing currently makes three versions as part of its standard lineup, each featuring a different graphite core. The original features extremely dark “soft” graphite, and is marketed towards artists. The Blackwing 602 - designed to more closely resemble the original vintage pencil, including the "Half The Pressure, Twice the Speed" slogan - features a firmer core supposedly geared towards writers, and the Blackwing Pearl is a white pencil with “balanced” graphite that sits between the other two on the hardness scale. (Note: Blackwing does not assign a “grade” to its pencils, such as “No. 2,” “No. 1”, “HB”, etc. I have found all Blackwing pencils, with the exception of the “extra firm” core released in certain special editions, to be softer than a standard HB/No.2.)

Palomino-Blackwing-Original-Pencil-Writing-Sample

As someone who’s primarily a writer - not an artist - why is the original my favorite of the three standard Blackwing cores? Because for whatever reason, despite the soft graphite, this pencil writes well and maintains a writeable point longer than the “harder” Blackwing 602 or the Pearl, which get pushed as the pencils “for writers.” Here’s what I mean by maintaining a “writeable point”: while the Blackwing won’t keep a super-sharp, KUM-Masterpiece-style point forever, you’re able to write with it longer both because of the darkness of the core and because with such soft graphite, you can fairly easily “sharpen” the point yourself by rotating the pencil as you write. Your personal mileage may vary, but I also experience very little smearing with this pencil - rare for graphite this dark.

Note the improvements to the imprint from the 2010 original (top) to the present-day imprints from two Blackwing Volumes editions (bottom).

My Blackwing pencils shipped as part of the original manufacturing run, and are seven years old! Therefore, they look a lot different than the pencils Blackwing sells today. For one thing, as Blackwing has consolidated as it’s own brand under the CalCedar umbrella, the "Palomino" branding has changed, the pencil no longer has a gold stripe below the ferrule, and now sports a black eraser. The finish on the modern pencils has also improved. The standard Blackwing still features the matte black coating with gold imprint, but the original run had an issue with gold flecks spilling outside the lines a bit. While the core hasn’t changed, once I kill this box (less one pencil for posterity) it will be exciting to pick up a new batch and compare.

Blackwing's distinctive ferrule and square eraser.

A note on manufacturing and sourcing: While the modern Blackwing pencils are manufactured by CalCedar, an American Company, they aren’t entirely a “made-in-the-USA” pencil. CalCedar (sustainably) sources its pencil slats from California and Oregon, and the graphite in the Blackwing pencils comes from Japan. This isn’t a knock against Blackwing - the graphite cores used in Japanese pencils are among the best in the world. CalCedar is one of the largest suppliers of pencil slats to the global pencil industry, so what you have is a quality pencil, made using the best available components, by people who know what they are doing. If you’re interested in learning more about the background of CalCedar and the development of the modern Blackwing pencils, I highly recommend that you listen to Episode 79 of the Erasable Podcast, The Pencil Man Cometh, featuring Charles Berolzheimer of CalCedar.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The original Blackwing is currently is my “go-to” woodcase pencil. I keep three or four of them sharpened at all times on my desk at work. They aren’t inexpensive (roughly $20 per dozen, and they hardly ever go on sale), but unless you’re one of those people who churn through a dozen pencils in a week, you should get a lot of mileage out of that $20.

Blackwing original (center) with the Blackwing Volume 1138 (top) and Volume 73 (bottom).

If the matte-black finish or gold trim doesn’t do it for you, Blackwing periodically features the “soft” core in its limited-edition “Blackwing Volumes” pencils. The recent Volume 73, with a blue “Lake Tahoe” theme, is still available as of the time of publication from both Blackwing and retailers who still have the pencil in stock. In the coming weeks I’ll be offering my thoughts on the other Blackwing pencils. In the meantime, you can check out my previous review of the Blackwing line of notebooks.

As of 2024, The Gentleman Stationer is now an authorized retailer of Blackwing, so you can purchase directly from us and show your support!

Ink Review: Five More New Colors From Monteverde

October 14, 2017

I recently reviewed four inks from Monteverde’s updated ink lineup: Moonstone, Chaorite, Mandarin Orange, and Napa Burgundy. Without exception, all four performed well, and all have seen a lot of use in my pen and ink rotation since then. I immediately put in a request to Pen Chalet to try a few more: Olivine, Topaz, Red Velvet, Fireopal, and Caribbean Blue.

From the top: Monteverde Caribbean Blue, Fireopal, Red Velvet, Olivine, and Topaz.

So what’s the verdict on these? With one exception, I found these to be good inks, but of this batch, Fireopal and Topaz are probably the only colors that will make a regular appearance in the future. A few specific thoughts on each:

Olivine. I don’t usually like to start with the bad, but let’s get this out of the way because of these five inks, Olivine was the one that disappointed. I love dark green inks, and normally greens are relatively low-maintenance inks that perform well in any pen. While Olivine is a great color, this ink crusted on the nib and clogged pens to a degree that I’ve never experienced before. I found it essentially unusable, and would recommend Callifolio Olivastre or Sailor Epinard or Tokiwa Matsu as alternatives.
Topaz. Another ink from the “Gemstone” collection. Monteverde Topaz is a bright yellow-orange similar to Sailor Apricot. This ink wrote well, though I probably prefer Monteverde Mandarin Orange as the darker, and therefore more legible, orange ink. Topaz does shade some and would look great in a broader nib.
Red Velvet. No performance issues with this ink, but I’m just not a Red-Brown type of guy. I found the color to be a bit “muddy,” and with so many ink options available Red Velvet isn’t something I feel that I'll use going forward.
Fireopal. A nice bright orange-red that grows on you. No performance issues. As I mentioned above, it's a pretty color, and I'll probably hang onto this bottle.
Caribbean Blue. Like Red Velvet, this one didn’t have any performance issues, but I found this ink to be too washed-out for my taste. It won’t replace Montblanc UNICEF Blue or Lamy Turquoise / Pacific Blue anytime soon.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

In my opinion, Monteverde inks tend to be one of the best price/value propositions on the market. Monteverde offers a wide range of colors - I just checked and it’s now up to 43 (!!!) - and the ink comes in both 30ml ($8) and 90ml ($13.50) bottles. If you really like a color, that 90ml bottle is an exceptional deal.

Many thanks to Pen Chalet for sending these bottles over for review. Pen Chalet carries the full range of Monteverde inks, as well as a wide selection of Monteverde pens.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Paper Review: Engraved Notebooks by Crane & Co.

October 11, 2017

One of the United States’ premiere stationery manufacturers, Crane & Co., has decided to get in on the notebook game, and graciously sent me some samples for review.

The large A5-ish notebook compared to the smaller, pocket notebook.

As you would expect from Crane, the presentation is outstanding. Crane & Co. makes luxury stationery, and if you decide to pull the trigger and shell out the money, they make every effort to give you what you pay for. I have several sets of engraved Crane correspondence cards that I use on occasion, and it’s excellent stationery that is pleasant to write on, has held up over the years, and will take any fountain pen or ink you can throw at it.

Crane sent me one sample of each of their notebook designs.

My notebooks arrived in Crane's signature navy blue box, carefully wrapped in tissue paper, just as my correspondence cards did. The notebooks themselves feature several attractive engraved cover designs, and I received one of each of the following: “Engraved Starfish on Beach Glass,” “Engraved Queen Bee on Pink Blush,” “Engraved Vintage Airplane on Espresso,” and standard “Notebooks” in both a medium A5 and smaller pocket. Apart from the engraved covers and the fact that they contain Crane paper, the design of these notebooks should appear familiar: Both the A5-ish version and the pocket-sized notebooks contain 48 pages, feature rounded corners, and are “saddle stitched,” which is just another way of saying that the pages are folded over and stapled through the cover (like Field Notes, Word, etc.). All Crane Stationery is made in the U.S.A.

Let me start by saying that the 24 lb., 100% cotton-rag “Crane’s Crest” paper used in these notebooks is extremely tactile, with a hint of tooth, and offers a very pleasant writing experience. The cotton-rag paper also does a fantastic job of containing feathering, even with the wettest fountain pen nibs. When I first saw the rag paper with all those fibers, I expected fountain pen ink to feather like crazy - I shouldn’t have worried, as the paper performed fantastically in this regard. I was a bit surprised, however, to see pinpoint spots of bleed-through and show-through on the back of the page.

Certain low-maintenance inks, such as Waterman blue in my Edison Glenmont with a gushing broad 14kt nib, had no issues. However, as I tested out different pens, including a Montblanc 146 with a medium stub (Robert Oster Fire & Ice), a Visconti Homo Sapiens with a Masuyama needlepoint (Montblanc Burgundy), a Pelikan M800 with a Masuyama Cursive Italic (Franklin-Christoph Spanish Blue), the same didn’t hold true. I even had a hint of bleed and show through with a rollerball refill, though you have to look pretty hard to see it.

Granted, as you can see in the photos, this is far from terrible bleed-through that certainly wouldn’t prevent me from using both sides of the page, and it doesn’t impact the functionality of the notebook. Some might file this away as a minor annoyance and not care or think twice about such things. But, as I’ll discuss further below, at the price point Crane is asking for these notebooks, I personally don’t believe it’s unreasonable to expect absolute perfection, especially when those of us who don’t mind paying a lot for stationery tend to use fountain pens, and the pens and inks I used to test the paper weren't anything crazy in terms of width or wetness. While the paper performs relatively well for 24 lb. stock, and Crane was probably limited to using 24 lb. paper in order to constrain the thickness of the notebook etc., I can’t help but wonder how Baron Fig has figured out a way to make it work using similarly textured paper in the Vanguard and Confidant, while at the same time keeping to a lower price point. A luxury stationery company like Crane shouldn’t necessarily compete on price, but when you’re pricing the product this high, it raises expectations in terms of versatility and performance.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As with most Crane products, these notebooks are high-quality and beautiful, but expensive. The “Notebook” engraved 5.5" x 8" (A5-ish) book, which is my favorite of the bunch, costs $12 for a single 48-page book. The smaller, 4” x 6” notebook runs $9 for a single 48-page pocket notebook. That’s steep, and if I’m going to pay this much money for high-end stationery, I personally expect to see no bleeding or even show-through. I’m sure Crane will find a market for these notebooks in Crane enthusiasts and the gift market - probably the intended targets - but the price point likely prevents them from becoming a “daily driver” for most people.

You can purchase these notebooks directly from Crane & Co’s online store. Since I do love the look and feel of Crane’s paper, I’d be interested in seeing whether they release a larger notebook or journal with the 32 lb. stock and more pages. Based on my past experience with Crane stationery, I’d gladly pay a premium for that.

Disclaimer: Crane & Co. sent me these notebooks free of charge for review purposes.

Pen Review: Retro 51 Retro Collection Desk Set

October 7, 2017

Regular readers of this blog likely already know Retro 51, the maker of the “Tornado” line of rollerballs, fountain pens, and pencils. Their special editions - including the most recent “Zodiac” pen - sell out quickly, and fuel a lively sub-group of Retro 51 enthusiasts and collectors within the larger pen community. For today’s post, I’m going to take a look at a pen from Retro 51 that doesn’t receive the attention it necessarily deserves: the vintage-style desk set.

Retro 51 has clearly modeled the vintage-style desk set after the classic Esterbrook version that became a fixture at banks and post offices in the mid-20th century. While this modern desk set features a rollerball and not a fountain pen, it maintains the “vintage” look and truly does class up your workspace. Plus, it’s a Retro 51 product, so the build quality is solid.

The dark black cherry lacquer is gorgeous. I'm a sucker for anything red-black, so when I saw that this color was available... you know the rest. The only branding on this set is a small imprint around the pen holder on the base.

My desk set has been beautifully finished and looks great on my desk. Per the manufacturer’s specs, the base is made of poly resin and coated with polished lacquer, which on this particular desk set is "Black Cherry," a dark red-black color. The bottom of the desk set sports a felt pad, so it won’t slide around or scratch your desk. The pen itself is made of metal and coated with the same lacquer as the base - I would guess it’s aluminum, given the extremely light weight. Despite the metal barrel, the pen is not noticeably heavy, and in any event the length and tapered design lends it exceptional balance. Since I received this pen in the mail, I’ve alternated between it and the Inventery Machined Pen as my tool of choice for working things out on my Baron Fig Mastermind desk pad. Both sport the same excellent Schmidt liquid-ink rollerball refill, and also accept the Schmidt Easyflow 9000 ballpoint refill.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

I’ve dabbled with collecting vintage-style desk pens over the years, and this has piqued my interest once again. You can purchase the Retro 51 Desk Pen from our sponsor Goldspot Pens. As with all Retro 51 Pens, the pricing is well below what I would expect for an item of this quality. Typically priced at $60 for the desk set, Goldspot has them on sale for $48, available in Turquoise, White, “Chalkboard Black” (matte), Stainless Steel, and the Black Cherry version reviewed here.

retro_51_-_retro_collection_desk_set_-_rollerball_pen__base_-_turquoise_1_1024x1024.jpg

Disclaimer: Goldspot provided me with this item free of charge, for review purposes. Many thanks to Goldspot for sponsoring the blog.