I have a lot of evaluation and review in my near future!

Sunday Reading for November 6, 2022

November 6, 2022

Fountain Pen Day: Pens I’d Run into a Burning Building For (via A Fleeting Ripple). Last week was Fountain Pen Day, when the community gathers each year to celebrate our favorite writing instruments. I’ve enjoyed reading how everyone celebrates, this post included.
Fountain Pen Day Giveaway! (via Well-Appointed Desk). You have until Tuesday to get in on this KWZ giveaway, with two of their best-known inks.
A Pilgrimage to NYC’s Fabled Yoseka Stationery (via mnmlscholar). I’ve yet to visit Yoseka, but it’s top of my list for the next time I’m in NYC.
Flax Pen to Paper - Road Trip! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I enjoyed getting to meet the Flax team in San Francisco, and look forward to visiting their shop next time I’m in LA.
2022 Scriptus Pen and Writing Show (via Rachel’s Reflections). Scriptus is the single-day show in Toronto, which content-wise looks like an amazing show but the crowds were certainly something to behold.
Travel First Class with the Onoto Magna Greenwich (via UK Fountain Pens). Ok, so I need to pick up an Onoto for review. The GMT function probably doesn’t interest me from a pen perspective, but it’s still a creative addition.
Pocket Size Review: Benu Minima Skulls and Roses (via Penquisition). It’s been a while since a Benu has grabbed my attention, but these did immediately. I may have to pick one up.
Ink-a-Pet: Sleeping Cat and Little Penguin (via KraftyKats). Chloe reviews the Ink-A-Pet ink vial holder, which appears to be the product that every true pen and ink enthusiast never knew they needed. Plus the post has a discount code!
Cartier Pasha Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). I have a custom pen that features a vintage Cartier gold nib, which I absolutely love. The nibs are indeed on the smaller side but they’re excellent writers.
Finer Things: Ferris Wheel Press Ink Collection (via A Fleeting Ripple). Ferris Wheel Press has been killing it lately with their latest ink series in some extremely interesting colors.
A Few Bloggiversary Thoughts (via Fountain Pen Blog). I always love reading blog origin stories and what drew people to this hobby.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I took a second look at the Aurora Optima fountain pen, and also looked generally at why I like this pen so much: the style. I also reviewed the Opus 88 “Minty,” a new model from Opus that’s been making the rounds, and shares the same general “streamlined flat top” profile that I enjoy so much with the Optima.

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Enter the Fountain Pen Day Giveaway and Take Advantage of the Ongoing Promotions: They End Tonight at 11:59pm CT!

The big news this week in the shop was the launch of our various Fountain Pen Day offers, plus a general discount of 10% on most items. Visit the Fountain Pen Day post for details. We also added a bunch of new products from Hightide Japan to the Curated Shop, including the “Attaché” pocket fountain pen, as well as new colors and designs of the melamine pen trays, a restock of the Sandglasses in the larger sizes, and all colors of the folding metal bookstands. Stay tuned as we gear up for the Holiday Shopping Season (which may already be underway)!

Penwell

Hightide Pens

Opus 88

Traveler's Company

Consider T.G.S. Patreon - New “Gently Used” Items in the Patreon Shop!

For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation via shop purchases, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5 (with a discounted annual option) 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. For Fountain Pen Day I added a handful of pens, as well as the last of my pocket notebook stash, to the Patreon store, which backers will want to check. (Reminder that those items which made it through Patreon become available to the general readership!) Many thanks to all of you who already decided to back via Patreon. Your support means the world to me!

Pen Review: Opus 88 Minty Fountain Pen

November 5, 2022

I’m not sure if you could call Opus 88 fountain pens a “guilty pleasure” of mine, but they’ve certainly taken on a much larger role in my personal pen rotation over the past few years. From the time I first discovered the ebonite + acrylic Koloro demonstrators, to recently when I’ve been partial to the larger Omar and Jazz pens, I’ve been enamored with the high-capacity Japanese-style eyedropper filling system, which previously was only widely available in extremely high-end urushi and maki-e pens from companies such as Danitrio. Recently, Opus 88 has been expanding their lineup to include pens with more of a focus on design, incorporating different materials and color combinations that has enhanced the brand’s appeal and turned Opus 88 into a major player in the $90-200 price segment. The pen I’m reviewing today, the Opus 88 “Minty” fountain pen, is one of those recent releases.

Design and Build

Last week I posted some photos of the Opus 88 Minty in my post revisiting the Aurora Optima, since these pens share a common design profile, which I would characterize as a “streamlined flat-top.” It’s a classic, vintage-inspired design that, at least to me, never gets old, especially when paired with materials such as the “cracked ice”-style acrylics that Opus 88 chose for this pen.

The Opus 88 Minty comes in two colors: “Light Green” and “Orange”, which despite their names I would characterize as more of a teal blue and a coral/salmon, respectively. They’re beautiful colors, especially the orange. I also like the double band of color on the finials.

As an acrylic pen, the Minty is lightweight despite its relatively large size. Surprisingly, when placed next to the clear Opus 88 Demonstrator (pictured below), the Minty is only ever-so-slightly shorter, yet due to the streamlined design it feels much more compact in the hand. It also features a longer concave grip section, with shorter, more compressed threads that don’t interfere with my grip when writing. In fact, I hardly ever feel them.

While most of the Opus 88 fountain pens that have been transparent demonstrators, the Minty has an ink window to offer visibility into your ink supply.

What is a Japanese-style eyedropper? You fill the pen with ink directly into the barrel, and operate the end cap like a piston to open/close a valve that allows ink to flow to the nib. This system prevents leaking and ink burping that sometimes plagues eyedropper pens, especially during travel.

Writing Experience

Opus 88 offers an exceptionally good writing experience across the board, and I don’t think I’ve actually had a poor experience with any of their pens (though some of their designs work better for my hand size and shape than others, from a comfort perspective). This particular model is a great workhorse, suitable for longer writing sessions, not just due to the large ink capacity but the rounded shape. The tapered barrel allows you to post the pen, and even though it’s longer, it’s so light you don’t notice the extra weight.

While some might consider the Opus 88’s stainless steel JoWo nib unremarkable, in my opinion it’s a fine selection for a pen at this price point, and as discussed below, it adds versatility to the pen that leaves it open to modification, if you so desire. JoWo nibs themselves are rock-solid writers, and if you’ve been in the pen hobby for any length of time you’ve probably started to accumulate at least a handful of different JoWo-threaded units that you can swap between pens.

Overall Versatility and a Note on Modifications

Though I don’t recommend pen modifications to anyone unless you’re willing to accept responsibility if something goes wrong, one of my favorite aspects of the “Opus 88 experience” is the versatility. Like the Opus 88 Omar and Jazz fountain pens, you can swap out the stock Opus 88 JoWo nib with any other JoWo nib unit, or one of the JoWo compatible housings from Flexible Nib Factory, which allow you to use nibs from other brands such as Platinum, Pilot, Sailor, and more. (The green Minty pictured here features a Pilot PO (”Posting”) nib that I appropriated from a stock Custom Heritage 912 purchased years ago.) Another modification I’ve played around with is removing the clip, which gives you the option of creating a more streamlined pen. Again, proceed with any modifications at your own risk, as it definitely (and justifiably) voids your pen warranty.

On my orange Minty, I left the extra-fine JoWo stainless steel nib in place. The green one I outfitted with a Pilot PO nib using a replacement nib housing purchased from Flexible Nib Factory.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Minty is a welcome addition to the Opus 88 lineup, and I hope Opus 88 does more with this shape/model going forward, perhaps in other materials and with a clipless option. I liked this particular pen so much that after Opus 88 sent me two samples for review, I inquired about adding this model to the Curated Shop, and I’m happy to have a handful of these pens available for sale. They fit the profile of exactly what I’m looking to carry going forward: well-built, versatile workhorse fountain pens that won’t break the bank.

Please note that we are continuing our Fountain Pen Day sale and promotions/giveaway through the weekend! Until tomorrow (November 6, 2022), take an additional 10% off your order using the coupon code “FOUNTAINPEN” at checkout, and receive a complimentary ink sample with all fountain pen purchases, including the purchase of any Opus 88 fountain pen.

Several new Opus 88 eyedropper fountain pens that I have in for review. Please stay tuned!

Fountain Pen Day Weekend 2022: The T.G.S. Promotions and Giveaway Featuring TWSBI and Penwell

November 3, 2022

Tomorrow is Fountain Pen Day 2022, representing the 11th anniversary of our community’s “holiday” to celebrate the writing instruments we love! To follow along with the festivities, including gatherings, promotions, and giveaways, please check out the Fountain Pen Day site for a full list of participating sponsors, as well as some exclusive FPDay-branded products being sold by select partners.

The Gentleman Stationer has been a proud supporter of Fountain Pen Day for many years, and I look forward each year to crafting my own promotions, sales, and special content. This year, we have a three-part promotion that includes freebies with any orders from the store, a discount code good on select brands from the shop through the weekend, and a huge giveaway! All promotions start today, Thursday (11/3), and run through Sunday (11/6).

T.G.S. Curated Shop Promotional Offers (i.e., Free Stuff!)

In celebration of Fountain Pen Day, the following promotional offers are now live. No coupon code is needed to take advantage of these freebies, as they will be automatically included with qualifying orders.

Fountain Pen Day Swag with All Orders. Every order placed during this promotion will receive a free piece of Fountain Pen Day Swag, whether that’s a sticker or a bookmark (or for really big orders, both!). Cary was also kind enough to throw in some Esterbrook-branded swag, so you may find that in your package as well.
T.G.S. Swag Pack with All Orders over $50. All orders in excess of $50 will also receive, in addition to the Fountain Pen Day swag, a free pack of Gentleman Stationer buttons and stickers!
All Fountain Pen Orders Ship with a Complimentary Ink Sample. Some of you have taken advantage of this promotion already, as I’ve done a “quiet preview” this week, but through Sunday all fountain pen purchases will ship with a complimentary sample of ink from Anderillium or other brands I have on hand.

Shop Discount and Clearance Pricing on Select Brands Through Sunday!

Take 10% off most brands through Sunday, using the coupon code “FOUNTAINPEN” at checkout! Note that due to agreements with brands like TWSBI and others, I cannot discount certain products beyond my advertised pricing. I’ve also placed certain items on sale throughout the shop, including some big clearance discounts on stuff that also qualifies for the 10% off coupon on top of the promotional pricing! Items you’ll want to take a look at, including the remaining stock of the now-discontinued Soumkine planners. All sale items are marked so that they should appear in the “SALE” section of each page. Remember that all domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free, so you can really stack the discounts here!

Fountain Pen Day Weekend Giveaway with Three Great Prizes!

Last but not least, we are giving away three exceptional (hey, at least IMHO) prizes. To enter, comment on this post and let us know how you are celebrating Fountain Pen Day, or alternatively tell us about your best fountain pen-related memory! No Instagram or other social media entries for this contest, and the only way to enter and win is to comment here. Just be sure to leave an e-mail address when prompted so that I have a way to contact you if you win. After the giveaway closes on Sunday, November 6 at 11:59 pm US Central Time, I will number the comments in order received, and using a random number generator to pick three winners. This giveaway is open to everyone, but if shipping is exorbitant I may ask that you chip in on international packages. The prizes are as follows:

Limited Edition T.G.S. “Aged Red” Penwell. We recently restocked on our signature Penwell, designed in collaboration with Good Made Better, and what better way to celebrate Fountain Pen Day than to give away what I consider to be one of the best fountain pen-specific accessories on the market!
TWSBI “Glow Purple” ECO Fountain Pen. We can’t have a Fountain Pen Day Giveaway without a fountain pen! Win one of TWSBI’s latest releases, and if you don’t want to wait for the giveaway to conclude, we have additional pens in stock and available for purchase!
Soumkine “Agenda” with Mustard Cover. The Soumkine Planners are being discontinued, but I set a few of the coveted “mustard” cover planners aside for my own use and for a future giveaway! These hardcover “agendas” are undated, with fountain pen friendly paper and a flexible format.

Know that I appreciate you all and I always enjoy rewarding my loyal readers and customers every Fountain Pen Day! Please be sure to visit all of the FPDay sponsors and take advantage of their offers and special promotions, as Fountain Pen Day really kicks off the last two months of the year that are so important for small businesses.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links. Discount code promotion excludes TWSBI and Lochby.

My Favorite Style of Pen: A Second Look at the Aurora Optima Fountain Pen

November 2, 2022

Since this coming Friday is Fountain Pen Day, it’s only appropriate that both of my main posts this week be devoted to, well, fountain pens! Today’s post is less a full review than a further observation based on several years of heavy use. Back in 2016 I reviewed the Aurora Optima, on loan from my friend Thomas. While I enjoyed that pen, it was a bit out of my price range at the moment and I didn’t end up picking one up until a couple of years later, when I added the green Auroloide version pictured here. I wanted to take a moment today to remark not only on how much I have enjoyed the Optima, but in particular the shape.

Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black (left) compared against the Aurora Optima. These two share a similar profile.

If you’ve followed the blog over the years, you likely know that I have several pen models that are personal favorites, including the Lamy 2000 and the Sailor Pro Gear. If you add the Aurora Optima and the Opus 88 Minty (a recent addition) into that mix, you’ll also notice a trend: I apparently favor a streamlined flat-top design, mostly in pens that post.

Why do I like this shape so much? As with all things fountain pens, it’s largely a matter of personal preference. “Postability” plays a huge role: Most days I’m running between meetings in different offices and conference rooms, writing perched on different chairs and sometimes even on a bench in the back of a courtroom or leaning against the wall in a crowded conference room. I can’t really worry about what I’m going to do with the cap of my fountain pen.

But a lot of what I enjoy about this pen design is personal in the sense that the shape fits my hand better than nearly every other style. With both the Lamy 2000 and the Pro Gear, the pen fits my hand best posted; the Optima sits in the midrange size-wise, at a point where I can generally use it either posted or unposted; and the Opus 88 is more on the upper end of the range, where I can post it if necessary (it’s very light), but when I’m at a desk or at home I find the size perfect unposted.

The Opus 88 Minty (left) and the Aurora Optima (right)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If I found myself in a position where I had to choose a single model of fountain pen to use forever, never purchasing another pen ever again, chances are that it would likely be one of the pens pictured here. A primary goal of my writing here at T.G.S. has been to encourage people, when making a purchasing decision, to look beyond the aesthetics of a pen or piece of stationery to how well it will work for them in everyday use. While pens like the stock Aurora Optima or Lamy 2000 may not be the most visually exciting from the perspective of today’s FOMO, limited-edition driven market, they have staying power among fountain pen aficionados for a reason: they’re well-built workhorses that will let you write comfortably, for long periods of time.

An overhead comparison of four pens with a similar classic shape.

You can purchase the Aurora Optima pictured here from most Aurora dealers, as it’s the standard green model with gold trim. I picked this one up from Dan at The Nibsmith, who doesn’t appear to have this particular color in stock at the moment, but our friends at Dromgoole’s do have it priced at $476. The Lamy 2000 and Sailor Pro Gears are also widely available at retail, generally priced at around $200 and $300-$350, respectively. For a similar look in a larger pen, you might consider the Opus 88 Minty (which we do sell directly), a Japanese-style eyedropper that not only holds a LOT of ink, but sits in at the $125 price point. I plan to review the Minty separately at a later date.

New in the Shop: Outfit Your Desk in Style with New Arrivals from Hightide!

November 1, 2022

Happy November, everyone! Today marks the end of “Spooky Season” and the first foray into the last two months of the year (aka the “Holiday Season” for many). While the updated 2022 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide won’t be released for another couple of weeks, we have spent the past few months bringing in favorite gift-friendly items that should be well-stocked through the end of the year, including a fresh batch of goods from Hightide Japan! Currently we have all Hightide and Penco products in stock, including the favorite Hightide Sandglasses in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals, in all the colors we could get our hands on. To read more on how you can incorporate an hourglass into your daily workflow as a non-disruptive “analog timer”, check out this post here.

The versatile folding metal bookstand is one of my most-used desk accessories (yes, it even holds a tablet). It folds flat to easily slip into a bag.

We’ve also restocked favorites such as the marbled melamine pen trays in both the rectangular and round (pictured above) shapes, the folding metal bookstands in nearly a dozen different colors, and the Penco “Perfection” bullet ballpoints, all of which make insanely good ideas for those looking to get a jump on the gifting season.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands shown, including Hightide and Penco.

In Case You Missed It….

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Enter the Fountain Pen Day Giveaway and Take Advantage of the Ongoing Promotions: They End Tonight at 11:59pm CT!

Consider T.G.S. Patreon - New “Gently Used” Items in the Patreon Shop!

Design and Build

Writing Experience

Overall Versatility and a Note on Modifications

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Further Reading on Opus 88

T.G.S. Curated Shop Promotional Offers (i.e., Free Stuff!)

Shop Discount and Clearance Pricing on Select Brands Through Sunday!

Fountain Pen Day Weekend Giveaway with Three Great Prizes!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Further Reading on the Aurora Optima

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