2019 New Year's Resolutions

I’ve never been a really bit “resolutions” guy in my personal life, but professionally I’ve found it helpful to take some time at the end of the year, reorient, and make sure your business is on target with where you want it to go for the next twelve months. I do that with my day job (a legal practice), and I try to do it here, though last year I fell off the wagon a bit and by the end of the year felt like I was drifting. After taking some time off during the week between Christmas and New Years, I came up with a few thoughts on where I want the site to go this year:

1. Work Through the Backlog. As you might have guessed from the massive pen sale and giveaway I held a few months ago, I accumulated far too much stuff throughout the year, both my own purchases and review samples. I overcommitted and found myself scrambling during the last few months to meet my review commitments, with little time left to explore the things that interest me, which is why I started my blog in the first place. My top priority for the year is to work my way through my personal collection and make sure that I’ve written about all of the pens, inks, and stationery that form my personal collection and shape my own preferences. (You’ve seen the results of this already, with my recent reviews of the Conway Stewart 100 and the Pilot Decimo.)

2. Buy Nicer Pens. Or maybe it’s better to say “Buy the pens that I want, rather than what I think I’m expected to review.” There are so many pen blogs and websites out there right now, that I shouldn’t feel like I have an obligation to chase and cover every major release. If it doesn’t interest me, someone else will pick it up. (Example: I suspected that I might dislike the Lamy Aion, but felt like I was “duty bound” to give it a shot. I should have passed.) The time and money saved already has funded some absolutely awesome acquisitions that I’m truly excited about, and I can’t wait to get reviews up on the site.

3. Take a Step Back. I’ve pushed myself pretty hard over the past two years, and I ended 2018 really, really tired. I need to take more time off if I feel that I need it, and while I plan to stick with a regular posting schedule, I won’t let it kill me if I need to skip a week or push a post by a couple days. I actually think the content will be the better for it. Relatedly…

4. Attend Different Pen Shows. The past couple of years, I feel like I’ve been in a bit of a Pen Show rut. I used to get really excited about attending the same group of shows, but in terms of pens (not people) it’s begun to feel like more of the same. The truly exciting releases are becoming a bit sparse, the price of decent vintage (not to mention near-vintage, past limited editions, and discontinued brands like Omas) is starting to approach what I consider absurdly overpriced, and my interests are shifting a bit towards pens and brands that aren’t very well-represented at most pen shows. I still plan to attend a few, but I’m going to target shows I haven’t visited before, maybe something on the West Coast, or even internationally.

5. Acquire WAY Less. As I mentioned above, I’m moving towards less stuff, not more, and even though I’ve gone a bit wild with my pen purchases over the last month or so, new pens coming in are vastly outnumbered (and funded) by pens that I’ve gotten rid of. It feels great to be able to see the surface of my desk again, and once I finish shipping the last load of giveaway items (today, hopefully), my office floor will even be clean. I plan to continue holding more sales and giveaways throughout the year, as I fine tune my personal collection and try to avoid holding on to anything that passes through for review purposes.

So goodbye 2018, and I’m looking forward to what the new year has to offer! If you have any suggestions about content you’d like to see on the blog (particularly something you may have enjoyed in the past but haven’t seen in a while) drop me a line through the “Contact Me” link at the top, or e-mail me at Joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com.

Pen Review: Pilot Capless Decimo

Happy New Year everyone, and what better way to kick off 2019 than with a classic pen that I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed: the Pilot Capless Decimo. Most people are familiar with the standard Pilot Vanishing Point, which along with the Lamy 2000, is a staple of various “Top Pen” recommendation lists, especially at the sub-$150 price point. The truth is, I’ve never been completely sold on the standard Vanishing Point. I’ve owned several, and they’ve passed in and out of my collection multiple times over the past 10 years. They’ve never stuck.

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Why? I think it’s because I find the standard Vanishing Point to be an awkward size. The barrel has a fairly wide diameter, which, in my opinion, can exacerbate grip issues due to the placement of the clip and the lack of a nontraditional grip section. The slimmer Decimo doesn’t cause these same sort of issues for me, and for that reason it’s become a key pen that I grab to take to work on a day when I have a bunch of meetings or another scenario (such as a court hearing or a deposition) when I need a pen for quick deployment. It doesn’t hurt that, like the Lamy 2000, most people won’t look twice at the Decimo and will consider it just another retractable click pen. It’s not very distracting.

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I wish pen companies made more pens in this yellow-green shade. Pictured here is the Pilot Decimo in now-discontinued Harvest Yellow next to a Nakaya Long Piccolo in Wakakusa-Iro finish and ruthenium trim.

With respect to the “grip” issue that many people experience with the Vanishing Point and the Decimo: while it can be irritating if you try to use a VP/Decimo as your primary writer, my personal opinion is that people worry/think about it too much. Now, for lefties or those with extremely unorthodox grips, the placement of the clip on the Vanishing Point could indeed be a dealbreaker. But for myself (and I’d venture for many people) the Vanishing Point and the Decimo aren't intended to be the pens you use to write a novel. As I mentioned, I tend to use them for work-related notetaking and annotation, where writing comes in short bursts and I can adjust my grip if necessary without it becoming annoying, especially on the Decimo.

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One note on Pilot VP/Decimo “extra fine” nib units: Pilot isn’t kidding around when they describe these as “extra fine,” and they’re definitely NOT for everyone. The EF nib is almost, but not quite as fine as the Platinum Ultra Extra-Fine (UEF) nib, and like that pen, has a bit of tooth to it. The tip isn’t scratchy, but even when perfectly tuned and aligned the point is so fine that it will catch on highly textured paper, which can make your writing look a bit spidery. Like the Platinum UEF, I prefer this nib for writing in my planner and annotating documents at work. For general everyday writing, I’ll reach for the standard fine or medium nib, or even the stub.

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A full-length shot next to the Long Piccolo - I can’t get over how nice this color looks. The color on the Decimo is slightly more yellow than the Wakakusa-Iro Urushi.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you’re looking for a retractable fountain pen with a slightly slimmer profile than the Pilot Vanishing Point, consider the Decimo. Despite the portability implied by the “retractable” and “capless” nib mechanism, I don’t find the standard Vanishing Point to be a particularly pocketable or “portable” pen - it’s fairly chunky and the primary advantage of the capless system is that it’s easy to deploy with one hand. To me, the Decimo fits better in a shirt pocket, making this a great pen to carry at work. Paired with a high-capacity Pilot ink cartridge, the Decimo also makes an excellent travel companion.

I acquired the pen featured in this review from our former sponsor Paul’s Paper & Pens in the UK (no longer in business as of 2025). The unique yellow-green color, which I’ve seen referred to as “Harvest Yellow,” is no longer available, and I strangely can’t even find this pen on eBay. The standard Pilot Decimo currently comes in six colors (black, burgundy, light blue, navy blue, purple, and champagne/pink) and is priced at $176, same as the standard Vanishing Point.

We currently carry select models of the Pilot Vanishing Point (Matte-Black Trim and Carbonesque) and Decimo, with most nib sizes available in pens and as separate nib units. If you enjoy our content, we are entirely self-supported through our online shop and physical store, as well as the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

2018 Annual Review, Part 2: Favorite Writing Accessories

Earlier this week I briefly recapped some things I liked and didn’t like in the pen world from 2018, and talked about a few developments that I’d like to see in 2019. One area that I didn’t touch on is writing accessories, a sector of the stationery industry that has been growing rapidly in light of the resurgent interest in pens and ink. I decided to devote a separate post to the topic highlighting five of my favorite new accessory-type things introduced in 2018. Without further ado, here they are:

1. Bellroy Workfolio A5. This particular folio ended up being a touch too small for my own everyday use (hence its appearance in the year-end giveaway), but I continue to be a huge Bellroy fan and loved watching them expand outside of wallets and pocket notebook covers in 2018. In addition to the Workfolios (which also come in a larger A4 size), Bellroy has released a line of bags, as well as…

2. Bellroy Classic Pouch. I guess I should mention that this list is not in any particular order, because the Bellroy Classic Pouch is my most-used non-pen gear item of the year. It’s not even purely a pen accessory - I also use it to carry cables, Mac dongles, USB thumbdrives, and SD cards in addition to a few pens, post-its, and paper clips.

3. Atelier Musubi Pen Case. One item that I haven’t been able to review yet, but love, is the Atelier Musubi two-pen case that I picked up from Daryl at the Big Apple Pen Club meeting. I’m working on carrying fewer pens with me at any given time (and generally having fewer pens inked at once) so this gorgeous, handmade fabric case fits right into my “own/carry fewer things, but carry nicer” mentality that I want to bring into 2019. (Since I haven't reviewed the pen case yet, I linked to an excellent review by the team at Hand Over That Pen, a blog you should be reading!)

4. Leather Goods from Baron Fig: The Guardian and the Sheath. While Baron Fig as a brand certainly isn’t new to the scene, I’ve enjoyed seeing them expand their line, which they have continued to do despite moving away from their perhaps-too-ambitious limited edition subscription service/monthly release plan. One particular area where the company has been particularly active is leather goods, including not only notebook covers in every size, but pen sleeves and even wallets. Baron Fig manages to maintain their clean, minimal aesthetic while offering a range of color options. I’ve been carrying one of their slim bifold wallets for the past six months or so and have been impressed with the durability and quality.

5. Toffee Lincoln Briefcase. Again, not a new brand, but definitely new to me. I’ve continued to use this slimline leather bag as a computer case or a minimal briefcase when I just want to take a few pens, a pad of paper, and maybe an iPad Pro for some quick work in a coffee shop.

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Other brands that continued to kill it in 2018 include Good Made Better (makers of the Penwell), who released their new Penwell “Traveler” via Kickstarter. I’ve done much gushing over the Penwell recently, but I left it off this “Top 5” list because I kept that concept in the “2017” bucket. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed this Italian leather notebook cover from The British Belt Company, and it’s been fun to watch new fountain-pen friendly notebook brands such as Stifflexible and Dingbats* continually improve their paper and bring fun new designs to market. I’m sure these trends will continue into 2019!

Things That Didn’t Stick

A couple items that I mentioned earlier in the year (or even in 2017) fell out of use as the year went on. One is the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, which is an awesome product if you enjoy using multiple slim, single-subject A5 notebooks. (Yes, I know you can put larger notebooks into the Roterfaden too, but it makes it fairly bulky and a bit hard for me to write with.) At the end of the day, I couldn’t justify hanging onto what is a relatively expensive accessory so I sold it off after admitting that it doesn’t fit my workflow. Other cases that didn’t find a permanent home in my workflow included folios such as the Bellroy A5 (mentioned above) and Nock Co Seed A5, as well as the Nock Co. Lanier briefcase. All of these are excellent products - I’ve simply come to terms with the fact that I need to move on from those products that I’m definitely not going to use every day, otherwise I’ll end up drowning in bags and pen cases. Without exception, the reason these items didn’t work out for me is my personal preference with respect to size and format. I prefer to use hardbound A5 notebooks in leather covers, and if I carry a portfolio, I need it to be A4 or American legal size.

So this is it for the year! I’m signing off until after the New Year, and wish everyone a happy end to 2018!

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Of the four items I started carrying at the beginning of 2018, only two stuck (the Nanami Paper Cafe Note, bottom left, and the Baron Fig Confidant with One Star Leather Cover, bottom right).

Disclaimer: I received several of the items featured in this post for review purposes, free of charge (you can find details through the linked reviews). As always, everything in this post is solely my own personal opinion, and should be taken as such.

2018 Annual Review: What I Liked, Didn't Like, and Want to See Next Year

Every year at the end of December I take some time off to recap the year, and talk a little about trends: what I like, what I don’t like, and what I want to see in the future. All of these observations are, of course, my own personal opinion, and shouldn’t be taken as anything more.  

Favorite Acquisitions of 2018

1. Conway Stewart Model 100. Technically, I purchased this pen in late 2017 but it didn’t get any use until 2018. As I discussed in my recent review, this pen hits every high point in terms of what I look for in a high-end fountain pen: classic, vintage-inspired design, quality construction, a well-tuned nib out of the box, and a fair price point.

2. Pelikan M800 Stone Garden. Pelikan’s more modern turn in recent years to styles like the Ocean Swirl and Vibrant Blue had me a bit concerned, because while those were beautiful pens in their own way, it seems like Pelikan was moving towards a trendier look that I was glad to see balanced by 2017’s Renaissance Brown and this year’s Stone Garden, which I couldn’t pass up.

3. Montblanc Petite Prince Classique Rollerball. I surprised myself over the past year with how much I used rollerballs - a big shift from years past. Montblanc makes my favorite rollerball refill, striking what’s (to me) the perfect combination of smoothness, wetness, and line width, even in their medium tips. The Petit Prince theme also has special meaning to me.

4. Platinum 3776 Oshino. I’ve really come to appreciate Platinum over the past year, especially how they manage to innovate in design and materials without sacrificing their heritage and quality. The Oshino is one of the clearest demonstrator’s I’ve used, and this year saw Platinum continue to experiment with texture on the 3776, with the Kumpoo (“Balmy Breeze”) edition that wasn’t a “must buy” for me personally, but which I know many people enjoy.   

5.  Pelikan M120 and M120 Iconic Blue. Yes, back to Pelikan again! I took an initial pass on the M120 when the standard Green/Black version was released, but I had the opportunity to try out the “Iconic Blue” version during a pen club meet-up, and realized that this pen ticks a lot of the same boxes as the Conway Stewart discussed above. The stainless steel EF nib is an exceptional writer, and unlike most Pelikan nibs, writes true to size.

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It will be interesting to see whether Opus 88 continues their growth and expansion into the U.S. market in 2019.

Trends from 2018 That I’d Like To See Continue

1. Well-Conceptualized Brands. At various points last year I talked about Kanilea Pen Company and how they impressed me with the coherence of their brand identity. They picked a theme (their love for Hawaii) and stuck with it, releasing a small number of well-executed pens that all adhered to the same level of quality and consistency. This year’s addition, the Hanauma Bay, was a no-brainer acquisition at the D.C. Pen Show. On the ink side of things, Colorverse has done something similar, releasing three “seasons” of space-themed inks that blew everyone away with the level of attention paid to detail. As the year went on, however, I feel like Colorverse has drifted off target a bit. I’m not sure I understand how their latest “Wisdom of Trees” fits into the overall scheme of the brand.

2. Innovation at the Mid-tier Price Point. Here I’m primarily thinking about Opus 88 and their line of Japanese-style eyedroppers. Opus 88 targeted a somewhat neglected price point (the $50-100 range) and positioned itself as a legitimate go-to option for a reasonably priced workhorse pen. The high-capacity Japanese-style eyedropper mechanism is something previously only available in the ultra high-end market segment, from manufacturers such as Danitrio. From what I’ve seen teased online, Opus 88 has some new designs in the works.    

3. Return to Classic, Vintage-Inspired Design. I won’t say too much more about this one, but in addition to some great special and limited editions of classic pens from established brands (discussed above), 2018 saw the relaunch of Esterbrook in a new format that paid better homage to the brand’s heritage. The M1 adapter allows Esterbrook enthusiasts to use their collections of vintage Esterbrook nibs in the new pen bodies.  

4.  Continued Creativity with Materials. Jonathan Brooks continues to do what he does best - working with companies and retailers on custom acrylics and other materials. Just take a look at what he’s been able to do in collaboration with Kanilea Pen Company and stores like Vanness Pens and their 80th Anniversary Special Edition.

5. Emerging Nibmeisters and Penmakers. A new generation of fountain pen enthusiasts also sparks a new generation of retailers, nib workers/specialists, repair people, and other service providers. Dan Smith (The Nibsmith) and Mark Bacas both continue to gain solid followings with their nib work, with Dan expanding his retail services as well. Ralph Reyes of Regalia Writing Labs also has something special going with his absolutely crazy nib modifications.

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My 2018 “Tier One” Pens: Consolidation of the collection is a work in progress.

What I Want To See Next Year

1. Originality Beyond Different Colors. I want to see more than companies putting out the same model of pen in every color imaginable. I can be a fan of special editions, but it needs to be “special.” I’m getting a little bored with the rotation of Lamy AL-Stars and Safaris in various shades of neon, and even the Pelikan M205 “Gemstone” releases feel a little tired (though I did love this year’s Olivine). Aurora has done a decent job of mixing things up with their limited edition 88s, such as this year’s “Minerali” demonstrators and the “Sigaro Blu” edition, two pens I finally picked up during year-end clearance sales. Sure, it’s the same base model of pen, but Aurora manages to do just enough to keep things interesting with unique design schemes and materials.

2.  Moving On From the “Minimalist Pen”. Please, no more “minimalist pen/pencil” Kickstarter projects. This “thing” has been done. I plan to pass on reviewing these types of projects from here on out because I want to refocus on things that are new and exciting.

3. Consolidation in Ink Lines. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the newfound variety of ink on the market, but has it swung too far in the other direction? With the proliferation of ink companies, it sometimes seems that they are racing to outdo each other through volume, including by introducing “new” colors that really aren’t that different than other inks in their current lineup. One of the reasons that I’ve basically stopped buying ink is because I’ve purchased so many bottles that ended up being identical to inks I already owned - including some made by the same manufacturer!

4. Fewer Acquisitions. Building on the themes of “less grab ‘em all” and “consolidation” that I talked about above, one of my personal goals for this upcoming year is to acquire fewer things. I’ve been on a downward trend in recent years - my personal collection is much smaller than it has been in the past (it almost fits in two pen cases), and I can’t recall a year that I’ve purchased less ink. I sometimes feel that I let myself get caught up in the “collect every color of everything” mentality that manufacturers have encouraged, and I want to work against that by focusing a bit less on rushing to review/preview every new release, and providing more in-depth content on what I find interesting and really enjoy using day-to-day.

5. More Paying-It-Forward and More Giveaways! This one’s much more of a “personal resolution” than something I’d like to see from others. As a “first step”, I’m holding a massive 2018 year-end giveaway. Details on prizes and how to enter here. You definitely don’t want to miss this one!

Thanks for a great 2018, and I’m looking forward to what 2019 has in store. Things might be a little quiet around here until after the first of the year, but I’ll hit the ground running in January!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Pen Review: Conway Stewart Model 100

I couldn’t make it to the end of the year without reviewing one of my favorite pens, my Conway Stewart Model 100 in Honey Noire acrylic. Conway Stewart is a traditional, well-established British manufacturer whose pens were used by luminaries such as Winston Churchill and various members of the royal family (though I hear the Queen is partial to Parker Duofolds). Unfortunately, the original Conway Stewart company filed for bankruptcy back around 2014, but Bespoke British Pens, makers of brands such as Onoto, Jack Row, and others, acquired certain remaining assets and components from the Conway Stewart factory and resurrected the brand with a series of small-batch releases. Currently, I believe that Vanness Pens is the only authorized U.S. retailer for Conway Stewart pens, and that’s where I acquired the pen pictured here during my visit to Vanness in late 2017.

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The depth of color in the “Honey Noire” acrylic immediately sold me on this pen. Conway Stewart was always known for its materials, many of which managed to reproduce the depth of color typically found only in vintage celluloid. The flecks of dark golden brown and black mix with streaks of iridescence to give this pen a look that I’ve not seen duplicated elsewhere. It’s a similar effect to the much-acclaimed “Dartmoor” acrylic, which I previously featured in my review of the Scriptorium Balladeer.

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Size-wise, the Model 100 compares favorably to the Pelikan M600.

The Model 100 itself is what I consider a perfect-sized pen. It’s also one of the smaller and lighter Conway Stewart models. Unposted, the pen is approximately 5 inches in length; posted, it jumps to 6.5 inches, which sits right on the threshold of what I consider to be manageable. If I had one criticism, it’s that I wished the pen posted a little deeper, but the light weight of the acrylic and the cartridge-converter filling system prevent the pen from becoming unbalanced. Along with flexibility and ease of cleaning, this is a key benefit to a cartridge-converter system, as all of us pen-posters know well, and I have gradually come around to viewing this filling system as an advantage rather than looking at it as a way for manufacturers to cut costs.

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The nib on my Model 100 looks like a No. 6 Bock nib, though it’s been custom-engraved with the Bespoke British Pens Union Jack “flag” logo and nicely tuned. I typically don’t enjoy Bock nibs out of the box, but the nib on this pen and my Faggionato Petrarque show how well Bock nibs can write with proper tuning and adjustment. The medium 18k nib writes a moderately wet line, with a traditional western-medium width and just a touch of bounce. I’d still characterize this as a “stiff” nib.

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I like the Union Jack motif. Apparently the one asset Bespoke British Pens was unable to procure was the right to the traditional Conway Stewart nib design/engraving.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

My Conway Stewart Model 100 ranks up there as one of my best pen purchases from the past few years. It features the vintage-inspired design I love, with a well-tuned nib and a reasonable price point for the craftsmanship and materials. As I mentioned, Vanness Pens is your U.S. retailer for Conway Stewart Pens, though you can also order directly from Bespoke British Pens online. I consider Conway-Stewart pens to be well-priced at $460, which is around what you would pay a pen maker to turn a custom pen from legacy Conway Stewart acrylic and fit it with a gold nib, and maybe even a bit less. Currently, Vanness has several models of Conway Stewarts in stock, including the Model 100, Wellington, and Raleigh, with new pens regularly rotating in as they receive new inventory. I believe Vanness can order other models and materials that are not currently in stock.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review from site sponsor Vanness Pens at a discount. Many thanks to Lisa, Mike, and the team at Vanness for making this review possible.