Thursday Drops: Pens, Pens, and More Pens, Plus Undated Sumkin Planners!

September 15, 2022

Everyone’s been making a big deal ‘bout Hobonichi Day, but what if a more flexible, undated approach is your thing? We’ve got you covered! We recently received a shipment of the hardcover Sumkin (formerly Soumkine) “Oh My 307 Agendas” in Charcoal, though unfortunately the beloved mustard versions are no more. I also found a stash of Paris-themed blotter cards that shipped with one of my Sumkin/Soumkine orders, and purchases will receive a couple along with their shipment.

The Original Plus (right) has the makings of a sturdy workhorse, and it’s priced competitively.

Also, as noted on Tuesday, we welcomed a new brand to the shop, Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal)! We currently carry the Nahvalur Original Plus - an excellent vacuum-filler option that comes in four colors - as well as an ebonite version of the Nautilus in aubergine “Stylophora Berry” ebonite. I was going to make the initial promotion run through Monday, but let’s go ahead and make it month long: All Nahvalur purchases ship with a complimentary ink sample: We’re testing out several possible ink brand additions to the shop and are awash in inks. Purchase a Nahvalur pen and receive a “generous pour” of matching ink so you’re reading to write!

My ink “experimentation station”. Serious about this, y’all.

What’s behind this push further into the world of fountain pens? We’ll see, but if the Nahvalur Original Plus and the Nautilus do well, we’re actively working to expand and possibly bring more of a pen presence to our local area. (For now, residents of the greater Nashville, Tennessee area can use the coupon code “615PICKUP” at checkout and e-mail me at joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com in order to arrange local pickup.)

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Nahvalur (Formerly Narwhal Pens) Original Plus Demonstrator. Don’t be afraid of the vacuum filler! At the D.C. Pen Show last month, Nahvalur unveiled it’s successor to the “Original” series, which in addition to switching to a high-capacity vacuum-filling system, moved to a more subtle acrylic to create a nice-looking pen.
TWSBI Vac Mini Fountain Pen. For those looking for something a bit more pocketable, we have a couple of TWSBI Vac Mini’s in stock, which also use a high-capacity vacuum-filling system to create a true “pocket ink tank.” Read the review of this one here.
Nahvalur “Nautilus” Piston Filler Fountain Pen in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite. Nahvalur gave me one of these pens to test out at the Atlanta Pen Show back in April, and I’ve had it inked ever since. When I saw the pairing of eggplant striated ebonite and rose gold plated trim at the D.C. Show, I knew we would want to bring these in house.
The Latest TWSBI Releases! There are too many to name all of them, but TWSBI has been on a tear over the past few months with the ECO Glow Green, ECO Transparent Yellow, and Diamond 580 “Iris”, among others.
Sumkin (Formerly Soumkine) “Oh My 307” Undated Agendas. Sumkin has reimagined their brand lately, and for now has indicated that they will discontinue production of these hardcover notebooks. I managed to get another order in before they ran out, and we currently have stock in both Charcoal and Rose. While intended to be used as a flexible undated “agenda” or planner, the fountain pen friendly paper works equally well as a standard hardcover notebook with a rare “narrow” format.
Platinum Plaisir “Aura” Limited Edition Fountain Pens. The humble Plaisir has been getting more attention from Platinum, and that’s a good thing. The pearlescent white finish on this release subtly reflects the green, blue, or pink shade of the grip section, depending on how you angle the pen in the light. It’s a unique finish that makes me smile.
Midori 70th Anniversary Fountain Pen and Ink Set. For their 70th Anniversary, Midori released a whole bunch of limited edition products, ranging from special notebooks to five-year journals to full fountain pen and ink sets. This set not only gets you a special clear demonstrator featuring Midori’s excellent nib, but a bottle of ink and a converter.
Caran d’Ache 849 “Claim Your Style” Series 4. We haven’t forgotten about Caran d’Ache, one of our original brands to carry here in the Curated Shop. This year’s “Claim Your Style” Series features six new colors with a satin finish. I originally thought I preferred the blues but now can’t really pick a favorite. The yellow is a sleeper.
Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pens and Pocket Drafting Tools. Another old favorite is fully restocked, and the Penco Perfections (especially the “Light” pens) have been flying off the shelves.
Mazzuoli “Nobile ITALIA” Ballpoint/Mechanical Pencil. I haven’t made a plug for this exceptionally ergonomic ballpoint/mechanical pencil hybrid in a while, and that’s unfair. Designed to mimic the shape of its namesake airship, the Nobile ITALIA ships with three different Schmidt ballpoint refills, plus a .7mm mechanical pencil insert so you can change things up as your needs differ.

Planner Pens: Picking a Pen for the Plotter

September 14, 2022

Brace yourselves, because as I hinted in my San Francisco Pen Show recap, a lot of notebook/system-Techo-related content is headed your way in the coming weeks. I thought I’d kick things off with a quick photographic response to the burning question that many of you have been asking via e-mail, DM, and in the blog comments: What pens fit the various Plotter leather pen loops?

Plotter A5 (bottom), Plotter Narrow (Middle), and Plotter Mini 5 (Top). If Plotter is reading, all I need now is a Bible Size and a Mini to complete the set (well, that and the “Square”). I promise I’ll figure out a way to use them all. (Maybe.)

Before we get started with pen comparisons, I need to do an overview of how Plotter works from a setup perspective. One of the key features of the Plotter system (which is either a benefit or a drawback, depending on how you like to purchase your planners), is that Plotter is completely customizable, meaning that you purchase the cover, refills, and all desired accessories separately to create the notebook that works for you. While the Plotter system does not ship with a pen loop, you can add one by purchasing the “Leather Penholder with Lifter” accessory refill specific to your size leather binder.

Pens that Fit Plotter A5, Narrow, Bible Size, and Mini Pen Holders

The product listing for the Plotter A5 penholder states that it will fit pens up to 13mm in diameter. The listings for the Bible Size, Narrow, and Mini penholder accessories indicate that they are supposed to be the same size as the A5, and since I personally own both A5 and Narrow-size Plotters, I can confirm that they are roughly identical. That said, these penholders are leather, so in real world testing, there is definitely variation in how tightly individual penholders are sewn, and the leather may stretch over time depending on the size of the pens that you keep in the loop. For example, both the Platinum Plaisir and the Nahvalur (f/k/a Narwhal) Original Plus fountain pens fit the pen loop on my Plotter Narrow, while neither came close to fitting the tighter pen loop on my Plotter A5. Here are several examples of how different pens fit, with pictures. (Narrow is on the left, and A5 on the right, with the exception of the Nahvalur that wouldn’t come close to fitting the A5.) If something fits both my A5 and Narrow “easily,” I can only assume it will work with most Plotters, except the Mini 5 discussed separately below.

Pilot Decimo (Fits both A5 and Narrow Easily)

Gravitas Ultematum/Polycarbonate Twist (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Schon DSGN Full Size and Engineered Plastics Fountain Pens (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Fairly Easily)

Waterman Carène (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Platinum Plaisir (Fits Narrow, But Not A5)

Nahvalur Original Plus (Fits Narrow, But Not A5)

Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoint and Rollerball (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Pens that Fit the Plotter Mini 5 Pen Loop

By far, I’ve received the most questions about my Plotter Mini 5, the smallest of the Plotters and the one I’ve been carrying as a combination wallet/pocket notebook. According to Plotter USA, the Mini 5 pen loop holds pens up to 9mm. As you might imagine, finding a suitable pen to fit this tiny notebook has been more challenging, and for the most part I’ve simply clipped a variety of pocket pens to the outside of the loop. (This technique also makes for quicker deployment - something I find advantageous for most forms of pocket writing.) To be honest, the only pen I’ve tried that actually fits inside the pen holder is the Kaweco Liliput, though it’s not pictured here because I don’t own one and borrowed one at pen club to test. Here are a few that I’ve actually been carrying in the Mini 5, all clipped to the outside:

Penco Perfection “Light”

Pokka Pen with Add-on Clip

Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint

Pens such as the Lamy Pico, Schon DSGN Pocket 6, and Kaweco Sport are too wide to fit inside the loop. I suspect the Fisher Space Bullet Pen might work, but don’t have one on hand to test.

Fisher Space Pen Shuttle Pen — Given that the Fisher Space Pen “Shuttle Pen” fits (even though it’s too long for actual carry in my pocket), I suspect the bullet pen will fit as well.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

This post isn’t intended to be comprehensive, but rather to provide examples of what pens fit the Plotter pen loops. As you can see, the A5/Bible/Narrow/Mini pen loop is fairly versatile, while the Mini 5 somewhat more restrictive. My experimentation, of course, is limited to those pens that I have on hand in either my personal collection or the shop. Your mileage may also vary depending on your particular leather pen loop and how aggressively you try to stretch it.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using my Plotters over the past few weeks, and it’s prompted me to undertake a relatively deep reconsideration of how I use my notebook systems and the role of notetaking in general. As I mentioned, you’ll be seeing more Plotter-related content soon! For more information on Plotter and to purchase if you’re interested, visit the Plotter USA website, which is currently the sole retail source.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the TGS Curated Shop and pledges made via the TGS Patreon Program. While certain of the links contained in this post are links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, this post does not contain third-party affiliate or sponsor links.

The Nahvalur Nautilus in Stylophora Berry (left) shown with the Original Plus in Gold Ocellatus.

In the Shop: Welcome Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal), with a Welcome Promotion!

September 13, 2022

It’s always a fun day when new pens arrive for the shop, and yesterday a huge box of Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) pens showed up. We’re starting out with two models: the Nahvalur “Original Plus” and the Nahvalur Nautilus, both of which bring something unique to the current shop lineup as we build our our fountain pen offerings.

Nahvalur Original Plus Vacuum Filler Fountain Pen

Introducing the Nahvalur Original Plus

You may recall that I previously reviewed the Narwhal “Original”, a piston-filler fountain pen offered at the $45 price point in four brightly colored swirled acrylics. While I very much enjoyed that pen, the materials used in the “original Original” were a bit loud for my taste, and I was intrigued when Nahvalur switched things up a bit by launching the “Original Plus” series with some major modifications. First of all, Nahvalur has introduced a vacuum-filler mechanism, similar to those found on pens such as the PenBBS 456 and TWSBI Vac700R / Vac Mini. Second, while the new “Original Plus” keeps the same general four-color scheme as the “Original,” Nahvalur has opted for transparent acrylic with more subtle colored swirls, and I love the new look. While all four colors (“Altifrons Green,” “Melacara Purple,” “Azureus Blue,” and “Gold Ocellatus”) look great, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add yet another yellow demonstrator to my collectionn (though the blue is calling my name).

Nahvalur Nautilus Stylophora Berry Ebonite

Introducing the Nahvalur Nautilus in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite

I’ve picked up two different versions of Nahvalur’s ebonite piston filler, the Nautilus, over the past several months, and I came away so impressed with the value this pen offers that I had to go ahead and add it to the shop as well. First of all, ebonite pens are still somewhat uncommon outside the custom pen world, despite the fact that it’s the original material from which most early fountain pens were made. I have several ebonite pens in my collection, ranging from the inexpensive to the luxurious, and the feel of this material is difficult to reproduce in any other way. Second, the design of the Nautilus intrigued me, especially the “porthole” ink windows. You’ll be seeing much more of the Nautilus in the months to come, as I had C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens add a mini-Nag grind to one of mine at this year’s San Francisco pen show.

Where to Buy and an Inaugural Promotional Offer

As of this morning, you can purchase both the Nahvalur Original Plus and the Nahvalur Nautilus in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. The Original Plus ($55) is available in all colors and nib sizes, while the Nautilus ($160) is currently available in Stylophora Berry ebonite. Since both pens are bottle-fill only, we also have several different ink options available in the shop, and to kick off the festivities we plan to include a complimentary ink sample (my own random choice, but it will be something quality and I will try to select a color to match your new pen) with all Nahvalur pen purchases through Monday September 19, at 11:59pm. Be sure to let us know what you think of the ink that we include - we’re “test driving” a few different brands as we think through future expansion!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown, including Nahvalur!

Daily Carry Improvements — In the coming weeks you’ll be reading a lot about updates and upgrades to the daily carry!

Sunday Reading for September 11, 2022

September 11, 2022

April Went to DC and SF Pen Shows 2022: Part I (via Penguin’s Creative). April write’s up the first part of her August Pen Show travels, one of the handful of us to hit both shows!
Kilk Orient Fountain Pen (via Pencilcase Blog). Kilk is a Turkish penmaker who I’m starting to see all over the place. They have an interesting design, and I’d love to get my hands on one at some point.
Happy Birthday to Me! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Happy birthday Kimberly! I fully support the “Birthday Pen” concept.
Crystal Clear: Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (via a fleeting ripple). An often overlooked workhorse pen, the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 piston filler is an excellent option for those looking for a pen that simply disappears as you get work done.
Early Thoughts on the Tibaldi No 60 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). Tibaldi has definitely gotten some traction with their recent releases of vintage-inspired designs and materials.
The Bits and Bobs of My Teaching Bullet Journal: Meeting Logs (via mnmlscholar). I enjoy reading about others’ work notebooks and how stationery gets used every day.
Aurora’s Matera and Deserto Are Gorgeous and (Nearly) Flawless (via UK Fountain Pens). Is Anthony back? Even if it’s only temporary, it’s great to see him back (and these are some very pretty Auroras).
Pilot Acroball Ballpoint Pen (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). Pilot’s Acroball was conceived as their answer to the Uniball Jetstream. It’s a good pen, but has never taken off to the same degree.
Pelikan Edelstein Apatite (via Pen Addict - Sarah). While I’m not a huge fan of Edelstein ink, I do know that many of you look forward to Pelikan’s annual release. This one doesn’t seem very exciting, to be honest.
Pen Show Magic: The SF Pen Show 2022 (via Well-Appointed Desk). Julia has a guest post recapping her experiences at this year’s San Francisco Pen Show!

We’re giving away this Sinclair Model-R pen case. Be sure to check out the details. Giveaway closes at 11:59pm tonight.

In Case You Missed It… DON’T MISS THE GIVEAWAY!

This week on the blog, I offered my first impressions of the Nock Co. Sinclair Model R, which Nock brought back in collaboration with San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagworks and revealed at the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show. Most importantly, don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the giveaway to win one of these cases - either by commenting on the Giveaway post or liking the Instagram post.

I also reviewed two new red inks I’ve been using recently: Laban Ares Red from the Greek Mythology Series, and Dominant Industries “Romania Red,” which is a good replacement for the legendary Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock.

This Week in the Curated Shop

Shop news included the arrival of some new cover and case options from Midori, including a new “vertical A5” notebook sleeve/portfolio in natural undyed goat leather. We’re also happy to announce a full restock of the Penco “Perfection” bullet pen series, in both the chrome, brass, and matte black and “Perfection Light” formats. Hightide hourglasses in 30 and 15-minute intervals also made a return to the shop and are selling fast. Stay tuned as we re-up favorites and bring in some new arrivals!

[UPDATE: As of Monday, September 12, 2022, we have added Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) to our selection of brands! Please check out the “Original Plus” vacuum fillers, with more on the way!]

Traveler's Company

Penco Pens

Hightide

TWSBI

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens.

TWSBI Demonstrators with Red Ink — For me, red inks nearly always go in a demonstrator, preferably an orange or yellow one.

Red Ink Research: Laban Ares Red and Dominant Industry Romania Red

September 10, 2022

It’s been a while since I updated everyone on my never-ending quest for the “perfect” red ink. (Yes, even though I’ve swabbed and sampled literally dozens of red inks over the years, and have probably 12 or so “keeper” bottles in my collection, I’m still looking.) Given that most of my recent attention has been devoted to pen show travel and building out the shop, I’ve acquired less for personal use, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still exploring. Today I’m going to look at two inks that I picked up in recent months: Laban “Ares Red” from their Greek Mythology series, and Dominant Industry “Romania Red.” Both are excellent, but the latter might be my favorite since it seems like a very close match to my now-rapidly-dwindling supply of Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock.

Laban Ares Red

Though I’ve not gotten around to reviewing the inks until now, at the Baltimore Pen Show I picked up nearly all of the Laban “Greek Mythology” Inks from various retailers. These inks were released in two series, and since I’m a longstanding mythology enthusiast there was simply no way I would pass up having all of these inks in my collection. To my knowledge, Laban hasn’t released a line of inks prior to this one, and they are surprisingly good.

Ares Red (named after the Greek god of war) is a bright red similar to classic Sheaffer Skrip, though perhaps slightly richer in tone. I had tempered my expectations somewhat, given that many people claim to have experienced slow dry times with this particular ink. That was not the case at all for me, as I’ve found Ares Red to be extremely well behaved. It dries relatively quickly, and I’ve had no feathering or bleeding in a few different pens and nib sizes. To pair with this particular ink for this review, I chose the new TWSBI ECO in Transparent Yellow, in an extra-fine nib. I have no qualms about using red inks at work, since I annotate a lot of documents, and this shade of red is perfect for markups. (I also have a thing about putting red inks in demonstrators - I especially love it when the demonstrator is orange or yellow.)

Dominant Industry Romania Red

If you’re looking for a deeper red that could be a good everyday writer, you should definitely try out Dominant Industry’s Romania Red, apparently an attempt to clone Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock. “Romania Red” even has a touch of the greenish-gold sheen that Hitchcock can develop around the edges on certain papers. Like the Ares Red, this ink did not give me any trouble in terms of dry time, bleedthrough, or feathering. Either would make a good workhorse ink, and I had this one inked up for review in a TWSBI Smoke and Rose Gold RGII Diamond 580 with a medium nib. Like Laban, Korean inkmaker Dominant Industry has impressed with their overall lineup, and I have several bottles currently in rotation.

Note that the Hitchcock has just a bit more sheen to it than the Dominant Industry version. It’s not an exact match, but perhaps the closest I’ve seen, especially in everyday writing. The paper used for the writing samples is Midori MD Cotton paper.

Where to Buy and Further Reading

We stock the Laban Greek Mythology Series, including Ares Red, in our own Shop, and our friends at Vanness Pens currently carry the Dominant Industry Romania Red. Laban Inks are priced at $25 for 50ml, and Dominant Industry inks $17 for a 25ml bottle. This pricing is fairly standard, though I’d say Laban falls on the inexpensive side on a per-ml basis, while Dominant is in line with the pricing for other imported inks.

Laban Ares Red and Dominant Industry Romania Red Comparison — A side-by-side comparison so that you can see how these will look in everyday writing.

Do you have a special ink color that you’re constantly exploring? If so, you may want to check out this series that I put together last year, in which I swabbed all of the various inks in my collection and laminated the sample sheets. If you visited me at the D.C. Pen Show, these are the sheets I had at the table!

This post does not contain links to paid sponsors or affiliates. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.