Ink Review: Did Scribo Create the Best Ink Bottle Ever?

January 14, 2021

Scribo (a portmanteau of “Scrittura Bolognese”) launched following the closure of Italian pen company OMAS, helmed by former employees who sought to recreate the same writing experience loved by generations of devoted OMAS fans. While Scribo is not a direct descendant of OMAS (the assets of the company itself were acquired out of liquidation and revived in 2018 under the label “Armando Simoni Club”), many in the pen community have found that Scribo’s nibs are the closest you can get to the feel of OMAS in a modern pen. Scribo, however, makes no attempt to duplicate the look of OMAS, with their pens and inkwells taking on a unique new aesthetic that makes the brand a lot of fun to use. I’m working on a more in-depth review of the Scribo “Feel” fountain pen, which will follow in the near future, but today enjoy this look at the company’s excellent line of inks.

Scribo inks arrive in what I can only describe as an absolutely gigantic, 90ml glass bottle. While the ink is priced at $39 per bottle, the quantity of ink you receive, presentation, and practicality of the bottle put a lot of other ink companies to shame. I love the look of the square bottle, and the wide opening and deep inkwell allow you to fill even the largest pens with ease. Another feature many have commented on is the ability to “stack” these bottles for easier storage. While you can certainly stack the bottles - the underside is hollowed out to fit over the cap of another - given the weight of these things I wouldn’t recommend stacking them more than 2-3 bottles high. Otherwise things get a little “wobbly.”

The ink itself performs nicely. The insert that Scribo includes with each bottle indicates that the company designed the ink to flow well in their extra flexible nibs, and the ink does writes fairly wet. That said, I’ve found Scribo ink to dry quickly, not smear, and not feather or bleed on fountain pen friendly paper. (It’s a bit of a mess on less expensive office copy paper, as are most wet inks.) Currently, the colors I have tested are: “Blue Cosmico” (Blue-Black), “Rosso Chianti” (a wine red), and “Classico Sepia” (a rich brown).

Scribo Rosso Chianti. The color is slightly more muted and purple IRL than in the photo, which leans towards magenta. That tone is definitely there, but it’s not as pronounced..

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Scribo offers another good example of how the heritage of beloved former brand can live on in a new company, while still continuing to grow and bring new ideas to the table. I loved the old Omas octagonal ink bottles, but I may enjoy Scribo’s even more, and the ink itself is so good that I’m already looking to add additional colors to my collection.

I acquired these Scribo inks from Appelboom, located in the Netherlands, and international shipping is free on orders over 200 Euros. You can also purchase Scribo inks from Vanness Pens in the U.S. Bottles are priced around $39 U.S, for 90ml of excellent ink.

Disclaimer: I acquired the ink in question from Appelboom, using credit generated through the Appelboom affiliate program. The links in this post are NOT affiliate links, as I am moving away from an affiliate revenue model going forward.

Klein Blue Pencil Sets from Caran d'Ache

January 12, 2021

This fall Caran d’Ache launched a collaboration with the estate of artist Yves Klein, in which they released items from their catalogue in the artist’s signature shade of ultramarine blue. The Caran d’Ache + Klein Blue limited editions include this set of four luxury HB pencils, which feature high quality unfinished cedar dipped in Yves Klein’s signature ultramarine pigment. Now available in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, along with other Caran d’Ache pencil sets such as the Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache, Edition No. 9, as well as the Swiss Wood Gift Set.

My initial allocation of these Klein Blue sets was extremely limited and sold out quickly. While I received more this time, I do expect these to follow suit, so if you’ve been waiting on these I wouldn’t hesitate.

I sell the pencils referred to in this post via the T.G.S. Curated Shop. If you enjoy the content on The Gentleman Stationer, please consider purchasing directly from us, where possible, or supporting us on Patreon. My goal is to make this website entirely independent and self-sustaining going forward.

Last Call for "Old" Tomoe River? The Galen Leather Everyday Book

January 9, 2021

Over the summer, the pen community learned that the company responsible for manufacturing Tomoe River paper was changing its manufacturing processes, which would result in the “new” Tomoe River having a different feel than the current version of the ultra-thin, fountain pen friendly paper that many of us have come to know and love. For the record, I have not had the opportunity to compare the new paper side-by-side with the old, but if you’re interested in reading about the differences, I would refer you to these posts by Yagan at Macchiato Man and Daryl from Atelier Musubi. From what I can tell, Tomoe River paper will continue to be fountain pen friendly, but with a different texture (more tactile), a slightly thicker page, and a less pronounced tendency to showcase sheen on certain inks.

Each Everyday Book comes packaged with a leather blotter and writing guides, which can be used to create a ruled page by placing the guide sheet behind each page of Tomoe River Paper.

That said, as the title of this post implies, it’s still possible to get your hands on the old version of Tomoe River paper. Both Galen Leather and Atelier Musubi have large stocks, and have indicated that they will continue to use the old version until their supplies are exhausted. Today, I will take a look at Galen Leather’s leatherbound “Everyday Book,” a 200 page/400 sheet notebook that features the blank, 52gsm white Tomoe River variant and is an excellent choice for those looking for an unlined Tomoe River notebook or journal.

For pretty much every Galen Leather product I have owned, I’ve opted for the brown “Crazy Horse” leather. I love how brown distressed leather looks as it ages, especially on a book. The leather cover manages to be thin without feeling flimsy, and the flexibility allows the notebook to open and lay flat. While the Everyday Book contains blank pages, it ships with lined and grid writing guides, as well as a leather blotter in case you need to close your notebook before the ink dries. (Tomoe River paper is known for its relatively long dry times.)

Tomoe River paper is beloved for its thinness, demonstrated here by comparing the 200-sheet Everyday Book (middle) against two other notebooks (Write Notepads Hardcover Notebook and Life x Kleid Noble Note) that contain around 100 sheets of differen… — Tomoe River paper is beloved for its thinness, demonstrated here by comparing the 200-sheet Everyday Book (middle) against two other notebooks (Write Notepads Hardcover Notebook and Life x Kleid Noble Note) that contain around 100 sheets of different paper.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Galen Leather has rapidly expanded their product offerings from leather notebook covers and accessories to include notebooks, desk accessories, and portable writing boxes/desks. I’m a huge fan of Galen Leather, including this notebook, and have used their products for years. You can purchase the Everyday Book (or “Everyday Blank Notebook” as it’s sometimes called) directly from the Galen Leather website. The A5 leather notebook starts at $36, with A6 and B6 sizes also available for $24 and $29, respectively. Some colors and sizes are currently sold out, possibly due to a run caused by those stocking up on old Tomoe River products before vendors have to move to new stock.

A Note on Tomoe River Paper Alternatives

Personally, I won’t be stockpiling “old” Tomoe River paper. It doesn’t sound as though the new paper will be any different for my purposes, as I actually prefer slightly thicker, more tactile paper, and don’t pay much attention to ink sheening or shading. For those interested in reading further about other fountain pen friendly papers that I enjoy, be sure to check out my series, “Best Paper for Everyday Writing.”

Disclaimer: Galen Leather sent me the notebook pictured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. I have not been otherwise compensated for this review. This post does not contain affiliate links.

My Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing, Five Years Later

January 6, 2021

One of my most popular posts on the blog is a short writeup of five of my favorite “everyday” pencils, which I wrote exactly five years ago today. (Seriously, I didn’t plan that. I had the idea to update this post last night and when I went to look back at the original date of publication I nearly choked on my coffee.) I commented on how pencils were exploding in popularity, and at the time I had my suspicions that the whole pencil resurgence might turn out to be a fad. Thankfully, it has not, and five years later, not only are the pencils discussed in my original post still readily available, but the market has expanded even further and offers graphite lovers many new choices.

You will see that I’ve reworked this list a bit. While I continue to use all of the pencils in the original “Top Five”, and most remain favorites, I have removed some or relegated them to “Honorable Mention”. For example, because pencils are consumable products, you can churn through a lot of them if you write a lot, and the rising price of high-end pencils like Blackwings make them difficult to recommend for general office supply or student use, especially where there are exceptionally good offerings from the same maker at lower cost. With that said, I give you the 2021 Top Five:

Palomino HB. The first pencil for which I ever paid more than $10 per dozen, and it remains my favorite workhorse of all time. Featuring an incense cedar barrel with dark HB graphite and an insanely comfortable smooth coating, you can’t do much better as an all-around everyday writer. My one knock on the Palomino is that the erasers and ferrules tend to come loose over time, but since I like to use a stand-alone eraser like a Pink Pearl or Pentel Hi-Polymer, it’s a minor issue for me.
Palomino Forest Choice HB. Though they’re not as inexpensive as they used to be (come on, did you really think Palomino could continue to sell these at $2.95 per dozen?!), the FSC-certified ForestChoice #2 is an uncoated, incense cedar pencil that is also available by the gross (i.e., a box of 144 pencils). Yes, I bought a gross of these.
Tombow 2558 “For General Writing”. I had to have one yellow No. 2 on here, right? Over the years, I’ve used this pencil in B, HB, and H grades, and frankly, they’re all excellent. Even Tombow’s “H” graphite maintains legibility without sacrificing point retention. The eraser is also ridiculously good, and the ferrule firmly attaches to the barrel to the point where I’ve never had one come loose, much less fall off.
Uni Mitsubishi 9850 HB “Smooth Writing Pencil for Office Use”. Similar to the Tombow 2558 and Palomino HB, this Japanese office pencil writes a smooth, dark line, and the cedar wood sharpens well. The glossy dark burgundy barrel MAY have been the tipping point for me here….
Musgrave “Tennessee Red”. The only pencil I know of that’s made from red cedar (the wood traditionally used to make pencils), the unique smell, dark core, and attractive price point propelled the Tennessee Red onto this list. While some people have had issues with off-centered graphite cores, I’ve gone through two dozen Tennessee Reds and only had 1 or 2 pencils that I would consider hard to sharpen. Also, it feels as though Musgrave has softened the edges of their hex shape on this pencil. It’s still more pronounced than your standard hex pencil, but I find it more comfortable to use than other Musgrave releases.

One thing I do love about all five pencils is that the graphite sharpens to, and holds, a nice point.

Honorable Mention

If you don’t mind spending the money, or don’t use pencils to the point where you are burning through a dozen or more per month, the Blackwing Natural (which features the extra firm graphite) is a gem. Ever since the release of the Blackwing Volumes 211 limited edition, fans have clamored for a natural finish Blackwing, and they delivered. The grey eraser is killer. General Pencil Co. also makes a good standard yellow No. 2, though I’ve gravitated away from the Semi-Hex to the round “Goddess.” Finally, I still use a lot of Caran d’Ache Swiss Woods. Though the premium nature of this pencil keeps it on the “Honorable Mention” list, the quality craftsmanship and the fact that the harder graphite allows the pencil to last a long time makes up for it (or at least that’s what I tell myself - I’m not giving them up!).

Off the List Entirely

I’ve now dropped the Dixon Ticonderoga from my list of recommendations. The most recent packs I’ve purchased have been inconsistent in quality, and I found the graphite a far cry from the dark, smooth version that was used in the Chinese-made Ticonderogas being sold at the time I wrote my original review. With Musgrave, General, and Forest Choice both making less expensive pencils appropriate for office and school use, there’s just no reason to go here anymore.

Disclaimer: This post does NOT contain third-party affiliate links, though I do sell certain pencils referred to in this post via the T.G.S. Curated Shop. If you enjoy the content on The Gentleman Stationer, please consider purchasing directly from us, where possible, or supporting us on Patreon. My goal is to make this website entirely independent and self-sustaining going forward.

Year-End Recap: Favorite Posts from 2020

January 2, 2021

Happy 2021 everybody, and it couldn’t come soon enough! Last week I published a recap that discussed my favorite pens reviewed over the past year in three different categories. Today I’ll close the books on 2020 with five additional favorites, focusing on non-review posts and editorial content. Stay safe, and enjoy this close to the holiday season!

Ten Most Influential Stationery Products of the Decade (Jan. 2020). Lost in the shuffle of all that happened in 2020 was the fact that they year closed out a decade. In January I started the year off by looking at ten of what I considered the most influential stationery products of the past ten years. I still stand by everything on this list.
Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Pens and Pencils for Life (Feb. 2020). Back in the “before times,” I spent February preparing for the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show, where I not only set up as a vendor for the first time but taught a seminar on choosing the best pens, inks, and paper for everyday use.
The Sad, Strange Saga of Crane Stationery (June 2020). Readers asked me to look into what was going on with Crane, an old American stationery company that in recent years had been severely impacted by changing consumer habits. The pandemic apparently sounded the death knell.
When Is a Fountain Pen Too Big? Considerations on Oversized Pens (Aug. 2020). At the time I wrote this piece back in August, it struck me that makers were focusing on bringing “oversized” versions of their standard pens to market. Is this trend sustainable? Is there really demand out there for massive fountain pens? It sure seems like it.
Workflows: Resources and Recommendations for Working from Home (Oct. 2020). When the year began, my goal was to reduce my commute from five days a week to four. Never did I think I’d be working remotely full time, and while there’s a lot that I love about it, and wouldn’t necessarily trade the setup for full-time office life even when things “normalize,” circumstances required that I make significant changes to my home office setup and the way I work.