Sunday Reading for January 30, 2022

1. What You Need to Know About the Eboya Kobue (via UK Fountain Pens). Anthony has a couple of articles on ebonite pens this week, including this look at the Eboya Kobue, apparently a manufacturing division of the Nikko ebonite company. Eboya used to attend U.S. pen shows, and they are on my short list of pens to experience once international travel starts back up again.

2. Introducing Pen7 Ebonite Pens (via UK Fountain Pens). Anthony also highlights a smaller maker of pens in various beautifully polished ebonites. I love this color combination.

3. Lamy Safari Black Encode Digitizing Rollerball Review (via SBRE Brown). I’ve never been drawn to the “digitized handwriting” market, but at least the look of this Safari maintains overall brand and design integrity. In the past pens like these have been huge and clunky. At the end of the day, how useful these tools are comes down to how well the software/app functionality works.

4. Ink Review: Wearingeul Kyonghui (via Macchiato Man). As I’ve mentioned in some past posts, Wearingeul is a new Korean brand that’s caught my eye recently with their literature-themed inks. This is an interesting shade of orange-brown.

5. State of the Art: Allowing for Flexibility (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). Well said. When you need the recover/down time, take it.

6. Lamy Dialog (via Scrively). The Lamy Dialog is one of the more overlooked retractable nib fountain pens out there, probably due to its larger size, somewhat offbeat design, and high price point. I like it though, and need to get my own review up.

7. Ink Review #1738: Pelikan Edelstein Golden Beryl (via Mountain of Ink). A great review of Pelikan’s 2021 Ink of the Year. I miss having the opportunity to check these out at the annual Pelikan Hubs events.

8. Kaweco Perkeo vs. Ferris Wheel Press Carousel - A Showdown (via Pen Addict). Kimberly compares two similar pens from Kaweco and Ferris Wheel Press. (I’ve yet to try a FWP pen for myself.)

9. Ink Line Review: Robert Oster Cities of America (via Well-Appointed Desk). Rober Oster seems to be getting in on the “states and cities”-themed inks, with a new line developed around cities in the U.S. The stories behind how they come up with these colors is what grabs me.

10. Trying Out: Kobeha Graphilo Paper (via InkSharks). I’ve heard a lot about Graphilo paper from Japanese stationery enthusiasts, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a full review.

In Case You Missed It… Discount Code for Today Only!

I’ve been out of town for the past several days, resting up after a hectic holiday season, so there wasn’t any new content this week. Be sure to check out the links above, and if anything in the shop catches your eye, take 10% off your order (excluding TWSBI and Sunderland) with the coupon code “WINTERBREAK”! It expires tonight at midnight!

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales. Check out the current sale, as there is at least one custom fountain pen remaining!

A Short Winter Break - Along with a Special Offer!

I’m taking a few days off to recharge after a hectic holiday season both here on the site/shop and in the office, so for the next few days it might be kind of quiet. Any orders placed for the remainder of this week will ship out starting Sunday (or more likely early next week), but in the meantime take 10% off orders using the coupon code “WINTERBREAK”! (Excludes TWSBI and Sunderland) Coupon will expire on Sunday 1/30. Many thanks for all your support!

By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Sunday Reading for January 23, 2022

1. 2022 Philadelphia Pen Show Trip Report (via Pen Addict). I was unfortunately unable to attend this year’s Philly Pen Show due to a combination of bad weather and work conflicts, but Kimberly has a great writeup here.

2. Wearingeul: High-concept inks from Korea (via UK Fountain Pens). This might be the third or fourth time someone has mentioned Wearingeul inks recently. I love the literary themes and some of the colors are right up my alley.

3. Personal Values (via Quieter Elephant). The concept of value is something that tends to get lost in the pen community, amidst the marketing and FOMO and obsession over particular brands. Once you discover what you value in a fountain pen or piece of stationery, you may find that your needs are met by something that costs less than $10.

4. Ink Review #646: Tono & Lims Seaglass (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Light blue or sky blue inks have grown on me over the years, and Tono & Lims, as usual, have a bunch of them available.

5. Conklin Endura Abalone Shell 1898 Limited Edition with Gunmetal Trim (via Dapprman). This is a beautiful pen, though as Dapprman points out, Conklin has long been plagued with nib issues out of the box. Fix those and they have themselves a well-positioned pen brand.

6. Onoto Magna Sequoyah Fountain Pen (via Pencilcase Blog). Onoto is a British brand that’s now held by the same company (Bespoke British Pens) that holds Conway Stewart, and the two companies make pens that share a common, traditional design language. Personally, I love it and need to get my hands on an Onoto pen for review.

7. Pennonia Zuzmó Lichen Ink Review (via Pen Addict). I’ve grown to enjoy this double shading ink from Pennonia, which is a green with pink undertones. I’ve found It can be very light for standard writing in narrower nibs, but in a stub or a flex nib, it’s gorgeous.

8. PenBBS 469 Double Nib Fountain Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). I love this pen, and its too useful not to be inked up. I need to get it back into rotation.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I got the review train back on track, looking at the ever-popular Bank Paper, a fountain-pen friendly writing option that’s become increasingly popular over the years. I also reviewed the Otto Hutt Design03 fountain pen, the latest offering from the oft-overlooked German manufacturer.

This Week in The Curated Shop

We still have a small selection of Clairefontaine French-ruled looseleaf paper available, but the big news from this week is that we’ve received a fairly large restock of TWSBI Fountain Pens, TWSBI Inks, and Write Notepads paper! We were running low on fine and medium nib options for the fountain pens, but are all stocked up again. Check out this week’s Deals & Drops post for more details.

TWSBI Pens

Traveler's Notebook

Write Notepads

TWSBI Ink

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales. Check out the current sale, as there is at least one custom fountain pen remaining!

Pen Review: Otto Hutt Design03

I remember back in 2016, when I seemingly was the only pen blogger who had reviewed a product from German pen maker Otto Hutt, based in famed jewelry town Pforzheim since the 1920s. Over the past several years, Otto Hutt has made a concerted effort to expand beyond Europe into the U.S. market, and since I first reviewed the Otto Hutt Design06, I’ve had the opportunity to look at their flagship Design07, and today, the Design03. Each pen has been a pleasure to write with, and I remain an unabashed fan of Otto Hutt as a brand.

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The Otto Hutt Design03 in blue (right) shown with the Otto Hutt Design06 in matte black (left).

The Design03 has a completely different look and feel from either of the two pens that I’ve previously reviewed. While both the Design06 and Design07 feature a “flat top” look, the Design03 is rounded, with a more modern silhouette and a more visible logo on the barrel. The Design03 is also the slimmest pen of the three I’ve reviewed, and would easily fit within a planner loop or pen sleeve (though I’d be sure to clip it in because the Design03 is on the heavier side).

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The Design03 makes for a classy looking workhorse.

And let’s talk about weight. Like most Otto Hutt offerings, the Design03 is a metal pen, which gives it some heft. But also like the Design06 and the Design07, this fountain pen is exceptionally well balanced. Due to the shape and cap design, the pen doesn’t post, but the balance is such that the heaviest part of the barrel rests comfortably between my thumb and forefinger. I had no issues with hand fatigue, but as with most metal pens, those sensitive to the weight of their writing instrument may want to try this one in person before you buy it.

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For me, this pen writes a perfect medium line. The balance of this pen makes me feel as though I have a lot of control over my writing, which I appreciate.

Finally, the nib. Otto Hutt uses bicolor stainless steel nibs that I believe are sourced from Bock, though they are customized for Otto Hutt. Every Otto Hutt nib I have used has been expertly tuned for a smooth writing experience that’s never caused me any issues. Indeed, the nibs on my Otto Hutt pens are some of the most reliable in my collection. The Design03 is no exception, writing a smooth, medium-wet line with consistent ink flow. (The ink shown here is Scribo Grigio, a dark grey-blue that’s a current favorite.)

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One distinction between the Design03 and the Design06 is the lack of visible branding on the Design06 (other than the cap finial and cap band).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to review this Otto Hutt fountain pen. Despite the brand’s somewhat inexplicable lack of traction stateside, I remain a huge fan and try to get my hands on them whenever I can. Otto Hutt’s steel nibs are smooth, reliable writers, and I personally find their pens fit my hand perfectly. The matte texture that they use on both the Design06 and the Design03 (featured here) makes for one of my favorite tactile writing experiences.

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if you’re interested in trying Otto Hutt out for yourself, please visit Pen Heaven, a UK-based retailer that carries a wide-variety of fountain pens, ink, and related writing accessories. The Design03 pictured here is currently priced at $162, which hits the sweet spot for a pen of this quality. The pen accepts standard international cartridges, and also ships with an Otto Hutt converter. Many thanks to Pen Heaven for making this review possible!

The pen featured in this post was sent to me free of charge by Pen Heaven, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review. This post does NOT contain paid affiliate links and I am not compensated for any purchases made from Pen Heaven.

Deals & Drops: Write Notepads Restock!

After you all wiped us out over Christmas, we had to do a post-New Year’s restock on Write Notepads products, and our shipment arrived yesterday! We now have a additional Landscape Notebooks, Weekly Planners, Meeting Notebooks, Engineer Notebooks and Memo Pads, and more. January is a great time to stock up on your favorite workhorse stationery products for the New Year, and we’ll keep alerting you to more new arrivals and incoming new products.

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

1. Write Notepads Landscape Notebooks. These lined wirebound notebooks use a landscape-style orientation for those who like to have a notebook sitting beneath their keyboard, or who otherwise just want to avoid having your hand rub against the spiral binding. .

2. Write Notepads Weekly Planner. It’s been a while since we’ve had these in stock, but we recently received more of the Write Notepads undated weekly planners, which allow you to plan out a week on two pages. The planner is undated, meaning that you can use it every day, or just when you need it.

3. Write Notepads Meeting Notebook. Fans of Cornell-style notetaking will love the Write Notepads Meeting Notebook (and for those who don’t want a bound version, Meeting Memo Pads are also available).

4. Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook. I personally use one of these hardcover notebooks as my commonplace book. They’re now available in both lined and dot grid paper.

5. Write Notepads Paper Notebook/Journal. We were finally able to bring these back, at least in some of the colors. These slim A5 paper notebooks are infinitely useful, for those who prefer a more slender format.

6. Write Notepads Engineer Notebooks and Engineer Memo Pads. Prefer grid paper? Love the smell of wax on your waterproof notebook cover that will travel with you into the field? You won’t want to miss these.

7. Kokuyo Perpanep Zara Zara A5 Notebooks. These A5 notebooks from Kokuyo feature fountain pen friendly “Zara Zara” paper and come in a wide variety of rulings, including grid and dot grid in multiple widths, as well as a steno ruling!

8. Kokuyo Sketch Book and Trip Book Hardcover Pocket Notebooks. Durable, colorful, and useful for anything from list-making to journaling, these have largely replaced softcover pocket notebooks in my own rotation.

9. Rhodia Webnotebook. A true stationery classic, especially if you’re looking to update your classic “Black A5 Notebook” game. Rhodia makes some of the best all-around paper available.

10. Clairefontaine French-ruled Looseleaf Paper. We still have some Clairefontaine A5 looseleaf sheets and double booklets available! This was an import order so it may be a while before things come back in stock.