Paperhaters Need Not Apply: The Papermate Inkjoy Gel

March 7, 2018

Papermate's had it rough the past couple of decades. Among stationery enthusiasts and office supply aficionados, it's seen rival Bic achieve near mythic status while Papermate's offerings mostly remained the stuff of the bargain shelf. While the classic Flair felt-tip pens and the Write Bros. stick ballpoints have their fans, it wasn't until the release of the Inkjoy gel pen a couple of years ago that Papermate started to work its way back into the conversation.

Unfortunately the .5mm "fine" tip inkjoy comes in fewer colors than the .7mm version. (Not all available colors are pictured here.)

The Inkjoy's claimed selling points are bright colors and quick dry time. Both deliver, for the most part. These gel pens are among the most vibrant I've used, and you can purchase multi-packs with over a dozen different colors. Since I primarily use my gel pens on cheaper, more absorbent copy paper at work, dry time has never been a big issue for me, but I can verify that the Inkjoy dries quickly, within seconds. I've not found it "instantaneous," as some marketing seems to claim, but it's very good.

The pink, purple, and green Inkjoy gel pens really pop.

The gel Inkjoy is available in two tip sizes: .7mm and .5mm. The .5mm works just fine, but I'd love to see Papermate introduce a .38mm version. They recently introduced the Flair felt tip pen in an "ultra fine" tip size, so I'm hopeful.

I'd prefer a metal clip. The plastic clip reminds me of those disposable Bic mechanical pencils that I used to use in school where it was a given that the clip would break off within a week.

To me, the most surprising aspects of this pen were the comfort and generally strong build quality. The knock has some nice action to it, extending and retracting with a firm click, and the soft barrel is extremely comfortable. Though I've not really put this theory to the test, it seems like the inkjoy should be more durable than some of the clear plastic gel pens that seem to crack/break long before you actually finish the refill. The plastic clip, however, is a bit of a disappointment.

The Inkjoy has good length and is nicely balanced. It's a comfortable pen to use for longer writing/notetaking sessions, and there's a lot of grip area.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The inkjoy represents another good gel pen option, especially if you like colors other than black, blue, and red. Papermate pens are widely stocked in office supply stores, big box stores, grocery stores, drug stores, you name it. I almost always purchase mass-market gel pens like these via Amazon. The .5mm "fine" tip pens come in an 8-pack, while you can get a 13-pack of the .7mm "medium" tip pens.

Note: Papermate also sells a ballpoint version of the Inkjoy. It's a completely different pen that has not garnered great reviews, but I recently went ahead and bought a pack "for science," so stay tuned. If you're out shopping the local office supply store looking for the gel version, be aware!

Also, check out this cool timeline over on the Papermate website, showing some of their flagship product lines dating back to the 1940s. I'd forgotten that many of these pens and pencils even existed!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Notebook Review: Mindstone Notebooks

March 3, 2018

Mindstone is a new notebook company based in Vienna, Austria, which currently sells a line consisting of a handful of hardbound journals. The Company reached out a couple months ago and offered to send me one for review. Since I liked the look of the notebook, and saw that it used Swedish paper, which typically works well with fountain pens, I happily accepted.

There is little to no branding on the outside of the Mindstone Notebook, save for an imprint on the back cover. Very understated.

Like many new stationery companies, Mindstone has embraced the "minimalistic and modern" aesthetic. The notebooks themselves are relatively understated, with either navy blue canvas or textured vinyl covers. The inside covers feature a pop of modern design, which I personally could do without but that's a matter of preference.

I chose the navy/royal blue notebook with the red elastic ribbon closure. The color combination looks outstanding, and if Mindstone introduced a lined or dot grid version I could definitely see myself using this. Mindstone also makes a sketchbook version, which Jenny over at the Finer Point reviewed. My one critique on the build quality is that I wish the elastic was a bit tighter. I suspect this one will stretch out over time and lose its effectiveness. As expected, the Swedish paper handled fountain pen ink well, with only the slightest hint of show through on the flip side.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Mindstone makes a good notebook, but you have to like plain paper and it would be nice to see some variety. Overall, the build and paper quality remind me a lot of the Slice Planner. While the Mindstone notebook may have a bit of a hard time standing out from the crowd in terms of uniqueness of design, this is a good option and I look forward to seeing what they do in the future as the company grows.

You can purchase Mindstone notebooks directly from the Company's website. Pricing starts at around 18 Euros, which places these notebooks squarely in the $22 range, a fair price point. Shipping to the United States, however, showed as being another 17 Euros - equivalent to the cost of a single notebook - which is prohibitive unless you are placing a large order. Again, that cost may come down as Mindstone grows, but for now this may be a product that's better suited to those located in Europe.

Disclaimer: Mindstone sent me this notebook for review purposes, free of charge. Many thanks to the team at Mindstone for making this review possible.

This Kanilea Mauna Kea was my main purchase at last year's BWI Pen Show.

Pen Show Season 2018: Entering the Prime Pen Show Months

February 28, 2018

Though the Philadelphia and Los Angeles Pen Shows are already in the books, the coming months - March, April, and May - are a busy time for pen enthusiasts. Upcoming shows include:

Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show (March 2-March 4, 2018). This weekend I will be attending the BWI show at its new location on the inner harbor. Hit me up if you'll be there, and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. This will be my third trip to Baltimore, and you can check out last year's recap here.
Arkansas Pen Show (March 16-18, 2018). Sponsored by Vanness Pens, Shawn Newton, and Pen World Magazine, this smaller show offers the chance to visit the Vanness Pens store in person.
Atlanta Pen Show (April 13-15, 2018). My "local show," since it's only a 3.5 hour drive from my house. I typically attend every year, even if only for a day. It's also the site of the live Pen Addict Podcast, which you can support here.
Long Island Pen Show (April 21-22, 2018). Held on-campus at Hofstra University, the Long Island Pen Show tends to be a smaller, local event. This year, I've heard rumors that Japanese retailer Bung Box may be attending?
Chicago Pen Show (May 3-May 6, 2018). The Chicago Pen Show has been around for a while, but has grown rapidly over the past few years. What a great excuse to visit Chicago and the new branch of Anderson Pens that will be open by that time!
Triangle Pen Show (May 31-June 3, 2018). Now in its 15th year, the Triangle Pen Show is sponsored by Franklin-Christoph, Bexley Pens, and Anderson Pens, among others.

Review content may be a bit thin since I'm traveling for the remainder of the week, but be on the lookout for pen show pics from Baltimore. There's so much good stuff coming out right now that I can't wait to hit the shows and see it in person. If you're on the fence, and within driving distance of a pen show, you should strongly consider attending. Though it may sound counterintuitive, attending shows and being able to see pens in person (especially vintage) as opposed to buying blind over the internet has probably saved me a lot of money over the years, even taking into account impulse purchases at shows.

Those interested in attending a pen show might find my "Pen Show Primer" series helpful:

Hopefully I'll see many of you at one of the shows this Spring!

Ink Review: Sailor Rikyu-Cha

February 24, 2018

One of the things that I love about Sailor inks, aside from their excellent quality and overall versatility, is the range of offbeat colors that Sailor offers. An ink that I picked up last year but only just now got around to reviewing is Rikyu-Cha, a unique green-brown that definitely appears more olive green in the bottle/pen but dries to a brownish shade on the page.

You can see how green this ink looks when wet. Check out the gallery below, as I've tried to document the color shift from green to brown as the ink dries.

Like all Sailor inks, I've experienced no issues with bleedthrough or feathering. This ink also dries incredibly fast, which combined with it's darker color makes it a good choice for me to use at work. I've had this loaded into a Wing-Sung 618 demonstrator for most of the past two weeks, and have enjoyed the pen/ink combination.

Robert Oster Signature Melon Tea dries quite a bit darker. You can see the green (and even a bit bluish) undertones to the Rikyu-Cha from where I dripped coffee on the swab.  Intentionally, I promise. — Robert Oster Signature Melon Tea dries quite a bit darker. You can see the green (and even a bit bluish) undertones to the Rikyu-Cha from where I dripped coffee on the swab. Intentionally, I promise.

For comparison purposes, the closest ink in my own collection color-wise is probably Robert Oster Melon Tea, though the Rikyu-Cha definitely falls more on the reddish-brown end of the spectrum, and even has a bit of sheen to it.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I like this ink, which will definitely stay in the rotation for the foreseeable future. If Rikyu-Cha interests you, our sponsor Pen Chalet stocks the full range of Sailor Inks, and periodically has them on sale. Now that Sailor has reissued certain previously discontinued colors (such as personal favorites Apricot and Epinard), there are 25+ different colors available in the regular line. While the prices have increased in the past few years, Sailor inks still represent excellent value at $18 MSRP.

You can also out some of my previous reviews of other Sailor inks, including: Apricot (a bright orange); Souten (a sky blue); Yama-Dori (a dark teal); Doyou (a dark brown); Epinard (a dark green); Shigure (a dark purple); Miruai (Sea Green); and Nioi-Sumire (a violet blue). Of course, this doesn't include the seemingly endless array of store-brand inks that Sailor makes for Japanese retailers Bungubox and Kobe Nagasawa. I have reviews of these elsewhere on the site, but there are too many to list them all here!

Disclaimer: I purchased the ink featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use, though I did receive a slight discount. This post contains affiliate links.

Pen Review: Conklin Duragraph

February 21, 2018

I've previously only reviewed one Conklin pen - the Mark Twain Crescent Filler - and came away from that review impressed with both the looks and the build quality. While I felt that the sale pricing on that pen was reasonable, especially given the unique design, I wasn't sure that the feature set on the pen (steel nib, so-so trim) justified the standard MSRP of $175. I did enjoy Conklin's steel stub nib option, however, and spent some time looking for that same writing experience in a less pricey package.

Honestly, I probably could have gone without this engraved cap finial on the Duragraph, especially since the pen already has "Conklin" engraved on the cap band. But at the $50 price point, you can't always expect absolute elegance.

I found it, and, more, in the Duragraph. Out of all the modern Conklin designs, the Duragraph is my favorite. Like the Crescent Filler, it features vintage-inspired style (think 1920's "flat-tops" from Parker and Sheaffer), some unique acrylics that you don't typically see on a pen priced this low, and a good nib. The filling system is cartridge/converter, which isn't really a surprise given the pen's $50 price point.

The stainless steel stub nib on the Duragraph is the same nib that was on the Crescent Filler that I tested. It writes well, with no significant skips or hard starts. Like many lower-cost steel stubs, this one doesn't have much tipping material, so some might find it a bit crisp or sharp. The nib writes wet enough that I can still describe it as a smooth writer, it's just that this pen won't be considered a gusher like some gold stubs. That's perfectly fine for me, since this is a nib that I can normally use at work on cheaper paper, especially if I choose the right ink.

This nib provides good line variation. Without much tipping material, the nib will give you a very narrow cross-stroke.

The Duragraph is a moderately sized pen, and I can easily use it unposted. The hourglass-shaped acrylic section provides a comfortable grip. While the pen does technically post, this makes the pen comically long, like a nightstick. Maybe if you have huge hands this would work, but not for me.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you like the vintage-inspired designs, Conklin should be a brand on your radar in the $40-75 price bracket. Conklin still has a bit of a bad rap in some circles of the pen community, due to the fact that the quality was "spotty" at best when the brand was first relaunched several years ago. It's now owned and distributed by Yafa, and I understand that respected Italian pen company Stipula manufactures the pens for Conklin, or at least many of the components. The quality and consistency are both much better today.

A close-up shot of the "Cracked Ice" acrylic, which is gorgeous. The Duragraph comes in at least six other variations, including Amber, Forest Green, Ice Blue, Orange Nights (which appears "inspired" by the Delta Dolcevita, R.I.P.), Purple Nights, a… — A close-up shot of the "Cracked Ice" acrylic, which is gorgeous. The Duragraph comes in at least six other variations, including Amber, Forest Green, Ice Blue, Orange Nights (which appears "inspired" by the Delta Dolcevita, R.I.P.), Purple Nights, and an apparently unnamed red and black model.

While the Conklin Duragraph is widely available from most major pen retailers, I purchased this one from our sponsor Pen Chalet, which currently has the Duragraph available for $52 (and sub-$50 with a coupon code). In my opinion, this represents very good value. As I observed with the Crescent Filler, if you're a fan of vintage pen design, but don't want to mess with expensive restoration and/or the finicky nature of vintage filling systems, modern Conklins represent a good compromise without significant financial investment.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review from Pen Chalet with my own funds. I did receive a discount on the purchase. This post contains affiliate links.