New Product Alert: Staples TRU RED Notebooks

May 15, 2019

Staples surprised me a couple of weeks ago by reaching out and asking whether they could send me some products to review from their “TRU RED” lineup, which ended up including two spiral-bound notebooks and an assortment of gel pens, permanent markers, and highlighters. Knowing that Staples has, in the past, been capable of sourcing inexpensive, relatively fountain pen-friendly paper, the notebooks interested me the most. On the whole, I wasn’t disappointed, and one notebook was excellent, though I predict there will be inconsistency in paper performance for those who want to exclusively use fountain pens or wet rollerballs in these notebooks.

The inside of each TRU RED notebook features a “catch-all” folder, which I find useful for work.

The TRU RED notebooks come in both softcover and hardcover variants, in medium and large sizes. Both notebooks sent to me by Staples were mediums (6.5” x 9.5"), which roughly equate to an A5 size. These spiral-bound notebooks look and feel premium-quality and durable - the hardcover notebooks feature a heavy chipboard cover, while the “softcover” versions sport a flexible plastic cover similar to what you would find on a Miquelrius notebook. The double spiral bindings feel like they will hold up in a bag, and haven’t bent despite some rough treatment.

The covers are thick and durable, and the double spiral binding should hold up well.

The paper is a mixed bag, and the packaging on these notebooks doesn’t provide much specific information other than that they are made in Taiwan. (The only information regarding weight, etc. is the designation as “Premium Heavyweight Paper,” which the Staples website indicates is 27-32 lbs.) Staples offers several different ruling options, including narrow (college) ruled, blank, “meeting”, and “project”. I’d personally love to see dot grid, but I’ll happily use a ruled notebook as long as the ruling is narrow enough. The best part? Perforated pages. For the notebooks I use at my day job, I need to be able to shred/scan/file notes, and the ability to easily remove pages is essential.

The first notebook I tested (the softcover) performed exceptionally well with fountain pens.

Not a hint of bleedthrough - or even show-through - on the reverse, despite the fact that I was using a very wet medium gold nib with an ebonite feed!

So what about paper quality? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The first notebook I opened (the softcover) had me really excited, because the paper was excellent, showing zero bleedthrough or feathering even with very wet fountain pen nibs. That initial thrill was tempered a bit when I tested out the hardcover notebook, because the paper - while OK - wasn’t nearly as good as the paper in the softcover notebook, despite the softcover notebook costing less money and nothing on the label to indicate that the two notebooks contained different paper. To me, the discrepancy in performance suggests batch variability, meaning that Staples is purchasing the paper for these notebooks from multiple sources, which makes perfect sense given the numbers. If you’re producing tens of thousands of these things, it’s unlikely that a single paper supplier will be able to meet demand.

On the hardcover notebook, the paper bled through, especially with a stub nib fountain pen, though it remained well within my “zone of usability” for everyday work purposes.

Good thing I don’t write with a stub nib at my day job.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

It’s hard for me to offer a single verdict on the “TRU RED” notebooks given the inconsistency in how the paper behaves, but on the whole I will say they are good for the price point. I’ll probably run by Staples this weekend and pick up one or two more of the black softcover notebooks, and if the paper is consistently good in that version, stock up because it’s some of the best inexpensive fountain pen-friendly paper I’ve used recently. Regardless, I’d wouldn’t hesitate to pick up more of these notebooks for work purposes, especially given the durability, professional look, and the attractive $9.99 price point for the medium softcover.

You can purchase these notebooks at Staples, either in their brick and mortar stores or online. Though it looks like the promotion ends today, Staples is currently offering a coupon code for 15% off purchases of $75 or more from their “Business Essentials” line. I have a few more of these products queued up for review, so stay tuned!

Disclaimer: Staples provided me with the notebooks featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Rediscovering an Old Favorite: Private Reserve Burgundy Mist

May 11, 2019

I haven’t used Private Reserve ink regularly in years. For those of you who were in this hobby a decade ago, you may recall a time when Noodler’s, Private Reserve, and maybe Levenger were the only options for bright, saturated fountain pen inks that came in dozens of colors. Sure, ink enthusiasts complained about slow dry times, smearing, clogging, feathering and other “high-maintenance” behaviors, but options weren’t plentiful if you wanted to write with an ink other than your basic black, red, or washed-out blue, and these inks were widely available at retail. (Private Reserve ink remains one of the few inks stocked in my local “pen store,” Nashville Trunk & Bag.) Two colors - Private Reserve Burgundy Mist and Sherwood Green, were among the first five bottles of ink I purchased after I discovered fountain pens.

Classic packaging, classic Private Reserve jar/bottle. Though some might claim it lacks aesthetic appeal, Private Reserve makes one of the more practical ink bottles out there.

Unfortunately, over the years, as new ink companies emerged, and as the larger pen companies such as Pilot, Sailor, Pelikan, etc. began to introduce a wider range of options into the ink market, Private Reserve lost ground. Reports of quality control issues didn’t help - I personally lost a bottle of Burgundy Mist to “Slime in the Bottle” (mold) and another red ink turned brown as the dye deteriorated. Then, the owner passed away, and the future of the company was in doubt. You didn’t see much Private Reserve ink in stock at retailers or at pen shows. From an outsider’s perspective, things looked grim.

Not so fast. Recently, things have turned around. A former employee purchased the company. Changes apparently were made to ink formulations. Old favorites such as D.C. Supershow Blue, Burgundy Mist, and Tanzanite began to reappear in stock at retailers. And you know what? The ink I’ve tried thus far is excellent. Back at the beginning of March, as I was getting ready to leave the Baltimore Pen Show, Lisa Vanness asked whether I’d like to take a bottle of Private Reserve to review, as the new owner had been making the rounds at the show - where she had her own table - promoting the company and letting everyone know that Private Reserve is back and ready to do business.

66ml, filled to the brim! (Don’t knock this one over onto the carpet.)

So what about my beloved Burgundy Mist? Is it as good as I remember (minus the whole SITB issue)? In short, yes. Burgundy Mist is the same saturated, classic dark burgundy that shows up well on the page and is perfect for a more conservative office environment. Despite the saturation, the ink behaves incredibly well - it dries nearly immediately in a fine or extra fine nib, with no noticeable feathering and minimal bleedthrough even on the cheapest of generic memo pads from my desk at work. Not what I expected from Private Reserve. Did I mention that the ink remains inexpensive? At $11 for 66ml, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better deal based on price-per-ml, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see that price come up a bit in the future as the company regains its foothold.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Based on my experience with Burgundy Mist, I’m going to give Private Reserve another shot, and look forward to picking up more old favorites such as Sherwood Green, Supershow Blue, Tanzanite, Avocado (yes, they fixed the spelling) and Chocolate. At the price-point, it’s a low-risk proposition, and based on my experience with Burgundy Mist I’m confident that at least a few of those will turn out well and wind up back in the rotation.

Though not as widely available as it used to be, Private Reserve is still relatively easy to find at retailers. The deep bottle is more of a jar, with the wide mouth making it easy to fill pens with large nibs.

Disclaimer: This post has been revised to reflect/disclose that as of June 2025, T.G.S. is now a retailer of Private Reserve Ink! You can purchase a selection of the Private Reserve Colors directly from our shop.

Perfect Pairings: TWSBI Eco Transparent Orange and Pen Addict/Robert Oster Fire on Fire Ink

May 8, 2019

I don’t typically try to “match” inks to pens - there are only a handful of pens in my collection that have “one” ink that fits them so perfectly I won’t use anything else. The new TWSBI ECO Transparent Orange might just have become one of them, with the recent release of the much-awaited Pen Addict/Robert Oster collaboration “Fire on Fire.” Read on as I take a look at the ink, as well as TWSBI’s latest special edition from its Eco lineup!

First, the Pen

TWSBI has slowed down their releases of new products over the past couple years. Apart from the TWSBI Go and the very recently released TWSBI Aurora (which only appeared in limited quantities), most of their efforts have gone into releasing variations on their standard lineup, including the 580 AL series, the Diamond Mini AL series, the Vac 700R/Vac Mini, the Precision technical pens/pencil, and TWSBI’s entry-level piston filler, the TWSBI Eco. The Eco has been a success story for TWSBI in the years since it’s release, with limited edition colors flying off the shelves at retailers, and TWSBI even releasing an “ECO-T” with a triangular grip section. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the ECO has overtaken the standard 580 as the most popular TWSBI model, as the ECO offers users TWSBI’s excellent high-capacity piston filling mechanism at a much lower price point. Sure, you lose the ability to easily swap nibs using TWSBI’s screw-in nib units for the 580, but if you’re someone who prefers a single nib size for most of your writing (which I venture are most people), interchangeable nib units aren’t a selling point anyway. You can read my prior review of the TWSBI ECO, which I published shortly after the pen’s release and which still holds up three years later. The Eco has also retained a spot on my “Best Fountain Pens for Beginners” list.

I successfully restrained myself from purchasing any of the first Transparent or Color ECOs, or the ECO-T, mainly out of a desire to avoid accumulating more pens. (At this price point, it’s easy to fall into the “catch-’em-all” mindset.) I couldn’t pass up the orange, however, especially since I’ve experienced major seller’s regret after letting go of my Amber Diamond 540 and Orange 580AL. TWSBI makes a great orange pen, and I may end up having to pay “stupid tax” on the secondary market to get those other two back. If you’re looking to unload an Amber 540 or a 580 AL Orange via sale or trade, hit me up….

The TWSBI Eco, while long, is still usable posted due to the light weight. I also think the chunky, faceted Eco cap looks better in a transparent material.

And on to the Ink…

Moving on to the ink that drove this pen purchase: Earlier this year Brad Dowdy at the Pen Addict released his first ink in collaboration with Australian ink maker Robert Oster, who has become known for his “Fire” series of inks that feature a red sheen. “Fire on Fire” is just that - a bright, pure orange ink that offers a hint of red sheen in especially broad or wet nibs. While I haven’t found the sheen particularly pronounced, this is still a great orange ink, and perhaps one of the best I’ve used in a long time.

In order to earn a regular spot in my rotation, an orange ink has to check a few boxes:

Visibility. The ink can’t be too yellow for me to use in a fine or extra-fine nib. I like to use orange inks for annotating documents, and if the ink appears too pale it’s illegible.
Dryness. Depending on the dye used to make the ink, certain oranges end up drier than others. This not only makes visibility issues worse, but also can make the ink scratchy and unpleasant to write with. In the past, I’ve passed on inks that I’ve found too dry, but going forward this may be less of an issue as Vanness Pens is now selling the “White Lightning” ink additive, a drop of which can significantly improve performance.
Minimal Precipitate, or “Nib Crud.” I know nib crud is supposed to be the harmless result of dye precipitating out of highly saturated inks, but it’s one of those things that annoys me and that I can’t be bothered to tolerate. The dye used in red and orange inks are particularly prone to nib crud, and I generally avoid those inks that have a reputation for “crusting up” on the nib.

Tested in three pens: From left, Kanilea Pen Company Hanauma Bay with a fine nib from Nibs on Point; a JoWo 1.1mm Stub in an Additive Pens Double Helix Eyedropper, and the TWSBI Eco Transparent Orange pictured here.

Since receiving this bottle directly from Brad at this year’s Baltimore Pen Show, I’ve used Fire on Fire in three different pens and it has performed flawlessly in all of them. The ink flows well, with zero nib crud noticeable on any of the pens and one of them was an eyedropper that has held the ink for months. But my favorite thing is the color - Brad and Robert Oster nailed the tone on this orange ink, which is the closest to a “pure” orange that I’ve used. (Note: what constitutes a “pure” orange may differ from person to person. To me a “pure” orange leans towards the red end of the spectrum.) The “fire” comes out as hints of red around the edges of your writing in broader or wetter nibs, and the ink remains highly visible even in a finer nib. It’s a perfect “daily user” orange ink for me, and I can’t wait for Brad to start selling it in the massive 100ml Oster bottles! (If he can take a hint….)

A writing sample in three different nib sizes shows that Fire on Fire won’t lose its visibility when writing a finer line.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Since I’m an orange (and red) pen and ink fanatic, both of these items were “must have” purchases for me. The fact that you can get both the pen and the ink for less than $50 made them no-brainers.

The TWSBI ECO in Transparent Orange is generally available from most TWSBI retailers. While I’ve heard the Transparent ECOs described as “special editions,” TWSBI seems to have made a lot of them, with all of the previously released colors (blue, green, red) still available as of the time of publication of this review. I don’t think there’s any immediate danger of this one disappearing, but TWSBI is known for retiring popular pens without much notice, so keep that in mind. [UPDATE: The ECO in transparent orange is no longer available, though you can now purchase TWSBI fountain pens, including other colors of the TWSBI ECO demonstrators, directly from the T.G.S. Curated Shop.]

Pen Addict/Robert Oster Fire-on-Fire Ink is available exclusively at the Pen Addict Shop, along with lots of other great Pen Addict branded goods.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use, and the ink was provided to me free of charge by Brad at the Baltimore Pen Show for review purposes.

More from the Bargain Bin: KACO Retro Fountain Pen

May 4, 2019

So, Joe, why have you been reviewing so many inexpensive fountain pens lately? Why have you been scouring Amazon and eBay for $20 pens when you presumably have cases and drawers full of perfectly nice, much more expensive and higher-quality fountain pens at home, not to mention a zillion other things to review?

Fair questions, all of them. And ones I can easily answer: with a few notable exceptions, I'm getting bored with what the old "mainline" pen companies have been releasing (or not releasing), especially where enthusiasts are being asked to pay ever-increasing prices for products characterized by what I view as a general lack of creativity and innovation. So, as I see new Chinese pen companies moving well beyond the "$1.99 eBay pen" market or Montblanc knockoffs and releasing their own original designs, with legitimately good nibs, I've begun to enjoy exploring the so-called "lower-end" of the market.

Each color version of the pen ships with a different color plastic ball

Some brands stand head and shoulders above the rest. Two of my favorites are Wing Sung and KACO, which in my opinion make some of the better inexpensive pens on the market, to the point where some U.S. retailers are starting to carry them as part of their regular stock. I recently reviewed the KACO Edge, a Makrolon fountain pen that vaguely resembles something that Lamy might have made had they foregone the misguided Aion and created a product for those of us who don't want to write with a metal nightstick. At the same time I purchased the Edge, I picked up the KACO Retro, an even less expensive hooded-nib pen that I think I actually prefer.

Ink window! A nice touch at the price point.

Why do I like this pen so much? For starters, I like hooded nib fountain pens, for both their design and functionality. With the Retro, KACO actually made an effort to design a pen that's not just another inexpensive Parker 51 clone (there are already plenty of those out there). The name "Retro" fits the pen well, from the hooded nib to the injection molded mid-century modern design to the colors that come straight out of the 1960s. I even like the minimalist wire clip, with a contrasting plastic ball acting as the "keeper" on the end.

The hooded steel nib arrived with both the feed and the tines properly aligned, which can be a problem-area with low-cost hooded-nib pens.

The KACO Retro definitely isn't a fancy pen. It feels lightweight and inexpensive, uses a generic yet sturdy plastic converter, and at this price point is something you could give to an older child or just throw in your bag to use as a work or travel pen. But it also writes quite well, better in fact than not only all of the cheap Parker 51 clones I've tried, but better than many of the Parker Super 21 and 51 Special fountain pens I've used. (For those of you who are not vintage pen aficionados, the Super 21 and the 51 Special were lower-end, alloy-nib versions of the Parker 51 that Parker released at a lower price point.)

Sure, it’s a generic plastic converter, but it seems pretty sturdy compared to what I’ve seen on other cheap pens. I do find it odd that this pen comes packaged with a converter, but the KACO Edge (which is more expensive) does not.

The stainless steel nib writes a slightly wider and wetter line than the nib on the Moonman N3, comparable to the KACO Edge though it’s a different nib.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The KACO Retro isn't going to become my daily writer, but it's a good enough pen that a student or budget conscious fountain pen lover could easily use it as one. Fans of vintage-style hooded-nib pens might consider the KACO Retro as a travel pen, for those who don't want to deal with the risk of using their vintage pens on an airplane, or worry about losing a prized pen at conferences or in an office or hotel room. The barrier to entry is very low, and I have no problem recommending the Retro given the price point.

I purchased this pen from Amazon, and it arrived quickly because it was Prime-eligible. Of course, I went with the orange version, but there are turquoise, burgundy, blue, white, black and turquoise pens available as well.

If companies such as KACO, Moonman, and Wing Sung keep this up, and can sustain a decent level of quality at their current price point, Lamy, Pilot, Pelikan, and a few others will have something to worry about with their mid-tier and entry-level offerings, especially since the trend has been towards higher pricing and spottier quality control. If nothing else, it adds variety and a bit of competition to a segment that traditionally has been dominated by a few pens - not just a few companies - and in my opinion more choice for the consumer is always a good thing.

Editor’s Note and Follow-up

I'm going to take a minute here to supplement my review of the KACO Edge and my thoughts on lower-end pens in general. Despite the overall good quality of both Wing Sung and KACO pens, I've experienced cap cracks with both, which I accept as par for the course in this price bracket. At sub-$20, you're going to have to accept a lower level of manufacturing quality control on the front end, and what becomes important is the extent to which the retailers and manufacturers will support their customers on the back end. In the case of the KACO Edge, I was warned by a reader to be on the lookout for cap cracks, and a week or so after finalizing my review, I found one. I reached out to the Amazon Seller (who I assume is affiliated with KACO), who literally responded within 5 minutes offering to mail me a new cap, and requesting that I send her a photo of the crack with details of its location so she could share with the factory. A far cry from the service you would get when you used to receive a bag of five $2 Jinhaos, and you were lucky if two of them actually wrote.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use.

Adventures in the Bargain Bin: Moonman N3 Fountain Pen

May 1, 2019

Up on the blog today: more adventures in the online stationery bargain bin, with this entry examining a recent release out of China, the Moonman N3. I discovered this pen via Frank’s “Chinese Pen News You Need to Know” update for January and February, and the blue striated material, which Moonman refers to as “celluloid,” jumped out at me. Despite some immediate skepticism of the claim of “celluloid” at this price point - confirmed by the fact that I have seen this particular material used elsewhere and NOT labeled celluloid - I bought one because I wanted to see if Moonman could justify the (slightly) higher price than the sub-$20 market of the M2 eyedropper.

Let’s get this out of the way first: this pen is definitely not “celluloid,” despite how it’s described in the listings, but to be honest I didn’t expect to spend $35 and receive a real celluloid fountain pen. I suspect this might be more of a translation issue than anything else, because in other listings I’ve seen Moonman pens labeled as “celluloid resin acrylic” or “celluloid acrylic",” which just doesn’t make any sense. In any event, the material is still nice, and appears to be the same acrylic used in more expensive pens like the special edition FPN “Blue Pearl” Bulkfiller from Conid, as well as Monteverde’s “Giant Sequoia” pen.

I understand that Moonman uses mostly Chinese-manufactured nibs, none of which are labeled the typical “Iridium Point Germany,” but rather have a custom Moonman imprint. The Moonman nibs I have used have all been excellent and well-tuned out of the … — I understand that Moonman uses mostly Chinese-manufactured nibs, none of which are labeled the typical “Iridium Point Germany,” but rather have a custom Moonman imprint. The Moonman nibs I have used have all been excellent and well-tuned out of the box.

Product description issues aside, Moonman has done a nice job with the N3. The fit and finish exceeds that of much more expensive pens in my collection, and the nib comes well-tuned, which is something of a Moonman hallmark and uncommon at this price point. Note that the N3 is on the slimmer side - I’d personally prefer a wider-diameter barrel, but the pen has a nice balance, posts ok (though a little long), and is lightweight. The generic converter is just that - generic - but I haven’t experienced any inkflow issues.

Even the somewhat generic pen box feels much nicer than what typically comes with pens at this price point.

Moonman continues the trend of Chinese pen companies targeting a segment of the market that previously has been dominated by TWSBI and neglected by other companies: the $20-50 range. It’s certainly rare to see a pen with a more traditional, “professional” design cost this little money, and for it to be of decent quality, well, that’s even more uncommon. At least two other Moonman offerings take this same approach: the M200 and the M300, which hit a slightly higher price point and apparently feature Schmidt nibs.

The Moonman Logo on the cap finial adds a bit of class, and makes this pen look more upmarket.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve been favorably impressed with every Moonman pen I’ve tried. From the original M2 eyedropper to the slightly more elaborate N3, these pens easily outperform their price point. I also appreciate the fact that they aren’t “homage” (much less knockoff) pens, and that Moonman appears to be attempting to do something original with their designs. Given that I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, it’s only a matter of time before Moonman makes its way into the mainstream. Depending on their distribution chain, it’s easily a brand that pen retailers should consider stocking.

Currently, you can purchase the Moonman N3 and other Moonman pens via various eBay sellers. While the N3 is slightly more expensive than the company’s other offerings, the pen is nicely finished and the nib is well-tuned. This one will stay in the collection.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use.