Why Clutch Pencils Are So Versatile: The Kaweco Sketch Up Clutch Pencil

April 8, 2023

When I decided to stock Kaweco, it wasn’t necessarily to carry their iconic Sport fountain pen (though it’s a favorite). It was the “Sketch Up” clutch pencil. While I’ve previously written about clutch pencils / leadholders like the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil - which is geared toward writing and originally designed as a wartime replacement for the standard woodcase pencil - the Sketch Up uses thicker 5.6mm leads intended for drawing. How can you use one of these pencils, if you’re not an artist or sketchnoter? Let’s take a look.

The brass version of the Sketch Up is shiny when new, but will develop a cool patina as it ages.

Intended Use No. 1: A Sketch Pencil for Drawing

As mentioned, the first use for a clutch pencil like the Sketch Up is as a drawing tool. Each pencil ships with one 5.6mm 5B lead, which is very soft and very dark, perfect for blending. What it’s not great for is writing, unless you write very large, but again that’s not the intended use. I’ll take this opportunity to discuss the main question people have regarding this pencil and its refills: Whether you use it for drawing or writing, how do you sharpen a lead this big? Use the excellent integrated sharpener inside the cap, which unscrews. While I don’t really bother with sharpening when I’m using clutch pencils for highlighting because I like a broader edge, the cap contains a good lead pointer. For a demonstration of how the clutch mechanism works, and how to sharpen using the cap, I thought it would be easier to do short videos, which I’ve linked to here.

The Kaweco Sketch Up loaded with a pink highlighter lead.

Intended Use No. 2: A Highlighter/Drylighter

My own primary use case for the Kaweco Sketch Up is as a highlighter. I’ve long favored so-called “drylighter” pencils over traditional liquid ink highlighters, since they don’t dry out, don’t bleed through thinner paper, and work better with less-waterproof inks like fountain pen ink and gel ink. The Sketch Up serves as a nice, compact refillable highlighter that’s a more sustainable option than woodcase drylighters or plastic highlighter markers. Most brands sell highlighter refills for their clutch pencils in addition to standard graphite, and Kaweco highlighter refills are sold in packs of three.

I wrote pretty hard here to try to get it to smear, and was only able to get the slightest smearing on the still-wet gel pen. For everyday highlighting I’ve found these to be great.

Not-So-Intended Use No 3: A Dip Nib Holder

I may get into a bit of trouble for promoting an “off label” use of the Sketch-up, but what had me the most excited about this product was the ability to use it as a holder for my Kakimori Brass dip nib. I love the idea of carrying a dip pen with me to meet-ups and pen shows, but longer handles are inconvenient and portable versions such as the Drillog are expensive and perhaps don’t lay enough ink on the page. Many people use dip nibs for drawing as well, adding to the versatility of the Sketch Up as an art tool. To see how the Sketch Up works as a dip nib holder, check out this short video.

The Sketch Up is handy for sampling fountain pen inks, such as the Kaweco Palm Green shown here.

A couple of people have asked whether or not the Sketch Up will fit dip nibs other than the Kakimori conical-style nib. I’m not a heavy dip pen user other than this particular tool, but I did experiment with a Zebra G and it seems to work. I make no representations otherwise, YMMV. Also, I do feel a need to issue a disclaimer: The clutch mechanism on the Sketch Up is made of metal. When using this pencil as a dip pen, be sure to clean and dry the mechanism after use, and try to minimize any ink or water leaking into the interior of the pencil. Otherwise you may see some corrosion.

The Sketch Up fitted with a Zebra G dip pen nib. (And that crazy grey ink in the bottom right is Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same. I just realized how good that looks….)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I plan to keep the Kaweco Sketch Up in stock alongside other clutch-style pencils such as the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil and perhaps a few other styles. I’ve long carried one of these as a key highlighting and annotation tool, and the added versatility of using this particular model as a portable dip nib holder for playing around with inks at pen club and pen shows is an added bonus. I may even break out the 5B lead from time to time when I’m drawing with my daughter.

The Sketch Up fitted with the Kakimori Brass dip nib.

The Kaweco Sketch Up starts at $21 for the “Softfeel” black and yellow model (which I chose for my own carry and which is shown in most of the photos here), and runs $38 for the brass version, which will develop a nice patina as it ages. As mentioned, the T.G.S. Curated Shop carries both the pencils and the Kaweco lead refills in both the 5B graphite and the highlighter versions. We are now authorized Kaweco retailers and look forward to stocking more of their pens, pencils, inks and accessories going forward!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Thursday Drops: Kaweco Sport Fountain Pens, Kaweco Sketch-Up Clutch Pencils, and More!

April 6, 2023

The big news this week is that The Gentleman Stationer is now an authorized retailer of Kaweco! We currently have pens from the Classic Sport and the Skyline Sport product lines, as well as two models of the “Sketch Up” Clutch Pencil in Brass and Black/Yellow SoftFeel. We decided to start with the Kaweco Sport because quality pocket pens are something I value, as well as a product category that has been very popular with our customers. Look for more versions of the Kaweco Sport and other products from the Kaweco line to arrive soon.

The Kaweco Sketch Up Clutch Pencil in Brass.

As we announced earlier this week, we have fully restocked on TWSBI, including some of the last ALR “Punch Pink” and AL “Rose” Diamond 580 Fountain Pens, which are being discontinued and probably won’t be available again for some time. (TWSBI does tend to rotate colors every few years, but there’s no guarantee that these exact shades will reappear.)

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pens. How do I not own a “Bordeaux” Sport yet? Sometimes the original flies below the radar, and for me the Classic Kaweco Sport is one of those pens. At only $25, these pocket pens represent great value. Kaweco cartridges are available separately.
Kaweco Skyline Sport Fountain Pens. Now I DO have multiple Skyline Sport fountain pens in my own collection, and have owned basically all of these nontraditional, more muted colors over the years. My daughter picked the Mint Skyline Sport for her first pen.
Kaweco Sketch Up 5.6mm Brass Clutch Pencil. It’s shorter length prevents the brass from being too heavy, and the finish will patina nicely with age. Refill with 5B Kaweco graphite leads, highlighter leads, or swap in a brass Kakimori dip nib?
Kaweco Sketch Up 5.6mm SoftFeel Black and Yellow Clutch Pencil. When I saw these pencils on the “discontinued stock” rack in New York back in February, I had to have them. For whatever reason, this “SoftFeel” rubberized material won’t be made going forward, per the distributor, and I love it in the Sketch Up. Get them while you can.
Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pens. Now available in all colors, Pilot’s 14k workhorse features the high-capacity CON-70 pump converter for one of the best all-around everyday writing experiences under $200. Pilot nibs are astonishingly good, and the “Blue Stone” pen hasn’t really left my side for the past week.
Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens. If I ran Pilot, I’d make the Custom 823 more of a focus, because it’s that good. The high-capacity vacuum-filling system can be a bit intimidating to look at, but it’s fairly simple once you get the hang of it. Check out this Youtube video for a demonstration.
TWSBI Diamond 580 AL Rose Fountain Pen. I screwed up and sold my original red TWSBI 580 many years ago, and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the AL Rose come back out. I nearly missed picking these up again for the shop.
TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR “Punch Pink” Fountain Pen. The “Punch Pink” TWSBI 580 features the textured ALR grip, and has a reddish-pink hue that’s somewhere between a true pink and a red. “Punch” is actually a good name, now that I think of it….
Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Inks. In addition to Pilot pens, we’re happy to add the Iroshizuku line of bottled fountain pen inks to our store. These are some of the best all-around inks on the market, and the wide array of unique colors are based on the scenery of Japan.
TWSBI Fountain Pen Inks. We have all of the TWSBI bottled inks and cartridges available once again, including the six-bottle sets of the 1791 inks!

Introducing Newbies to Pens, step one: Don’t start with pens!

Five Things You Can Do To Introduce New Users to Nice Pens

April 5, 2023

This is a bit of a different post this year, following up on trips to three different pen shows (Baltimore, Arkansas, and - this past weekend - Atlanta), all of which had a large contingent of new users. If you saw me at the show this past weekend, you probably noticed that I had my own “new user” in tow, as my nine-year old daughter accompanied me to her first pen show (well, really the first pen show that she can remember). It was a big hit, especially judging from our haul below! I thought it might be fun to do a post in which I discuss my own thoughts on introducing new users to this passion of ours. And if you’re a new user yourself, hopefully you can find something here that might interest you!

Start with Paper. There are many more people interested in notebooks and planners than there are people really into pens. I’ve found that one of the best ways to show someone why I’m so passionate about stationery is to ask them to write with a good notebook or writing pad, and compare it to the paper they’ve been using that they either stole from their office’s supply cabinet or picked up for a couple of dollars at a big-box outlet. My favorite brands for this sort of experiment are Maruman Mnemosyne and Clairefontaine, since these brands are less intimidating both price and design-wise, making newbies less nervous about using them (and buying more).
Start with a Non-Fountain Pen. Retro 51 is a great “gateway brand” for nice pens, featuring both fun designs and a quality refill. (My daughter’s first pen was one of Brad’s Shiba Retro 51 rollerballs.) Ballpoints are also great. At this year’s San Francisco Pen Show, I ordered personalized Traveler’s Company Ballpoint Pens in limited edition colors for all of my family members, and they were a huge hit. Again, the goal here is to start someone with a pen that’s not intimidating and where there’s little-to-no learning curve from something that they’re already familiar with.
Give Someone a Pen from Your Collection. If they’re insistent on trying a fountain pen, give them a pen from your collection that you’re not using anymore. One of my colleagues at work bugged me for weeks to let her try a fountain pen, and I finally decided to just give her a Lamy Safari that I had at home and hadn’t inked up in a while. She loves it. For someone who hasn’t used a fountain pen at all, and is on the fence about them, gifting that person a pen may work out better in the long run because you remove the frustration that might result from someone feeling like they “wasted money” while they figure things out.
Take Someone to a Smaller Pen Show or a Beginner-Friendly Store. This is especially important if you’re trying to introduce a child to fountain pens. Smaller shows tend to be easier to navigate, and aren’t so large that they’re overwhelming to new users like D.C. or San Francisco. Vendors and attendees both seem less stressed, and can take the time to explain things to children (and new users in general). If you have a local “beginner-friendly” store - meaning that the store has both a friendly, helpful proprietor as well as products available for people to hold and try - that’s a great place to start. For this reason, the Arkansas Pen Show is an excellent show for first-timers, as you have both the show itself and Vanness Pens available to visit locally.
Don’t Treat Your Pens as “Ultra-Precious” Around Others. I always keep a Platinum Preppy, Platinum Plaisir, or TWSBI Swipe fountain pen inked up and available for people to try if they ask. I also make sure that people see me using my stationery, whether it’s my beat-up Traveler’s Notebook, or my ink-stained Nanami-paper Café Note and Lochby Quattro. Anybody who visits me at my house is free to sort through the piles of stuff I have in my office, with anything truly fragile or valuable put safely away to just avoid the issue entirely. If people see pens, paper, and related accessories as tools to be used in the real world, as opposed to fussy fetish objects to be collected and babied, they’re more likely to develop an interest themselves.

That said, you may want to just disregard everything I said above. My daughter visited the Atlanta Pen Show and after spending an entire day there wanted nothing other than vintage dip pens, and eyedropper fountain pen, and inks with extreme shimmer and sheen.

To read more on my pen recommendations for beginners, check out the T.G.S. “Best Pens” list, which is in the process of being updated for 2023 and should be slightly refreshed sometime this month. Also, if you’re interested in learning more about paper (and specifically, fountain pen-friendly paper), check out this post, which has a vibrant comments section with tons of recommendations in addition to the brand that I discuss. Now excuse me while I’m off to ink up someone’s new eyedropper….

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and Pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain affiliate links or paid third-party advertising.

New Arrivals: TWSBI 580 ALR Punch Pink and TWSBI 580 AL Rose Fountain Pens, Plus a Saffron Restock!

April 4, 2023

Since you all cleaned us out of most of our top-selling TWSBI models, between pen shows and the series of recent new releases, we had to do an “emergency” restock! Many items have been marked as “out-of-stock” for some time, so it’s best to do a quick round-up of what’s available:

TWSBI ECO Persian Green. The latest TWSBI ECO is in-stock and ready to ship. I love the mid-century modern vibes that this particular color gives off.
TWSBI ECO-T Saffron, for those of you who couldn’t grab one in Baltimore! Based on color alone, this is my favorite TWSBI release to date. The shape of the grip and cap on the ECO-T is subtly different - read more about it here.
TWSBI Diamond 580 “Iris” Models in all nib sizes.
TWSBI Precision Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils.
TWSBI Inks and Ink Cartridges, including the TWSBI 1791 inks in all colors and the six-ink Sets.

Honestly, I keep waiting for one of the new TWSBI designs to - well, maybe not flop, but simply “not wow” - but it hasn’t happened yet. The ECO-T Saffron and ECO Persian Green are both available now.

Last Chance to Get a TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Punch Pink or 580 AL Rose

Long ago, TWSBI released both red and orange Diamond 580 models, which I now regret passing along in the spirit of “catch and release”. When I placed this last TWSBI order, I noticed that some stock remained of the Diamond 580 ALR “Punch Pink” and the Diamond 580 AL “Rose” models, which are available in VERY limited quantities in the shop, in specific nib sizes. Once these are gone, they’re gone, so this is a “last chance” opportunity, unless TWSBI decides to release a similar color down the road.

The TWSBI Diamond 580 AL Rose and the ALR “Punch Pink” can be difficult to tell apart in some of the online photos, but this one shows the difference. The “Punch Pink” is much more of a reddish pink, and has the ALR texture on the grip plus a matching anodized cap band. The AL Rose is more of a true red, with a smooth section.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Introducing T.G.S. "Currently Inked!" Let's Start Off with the Pilot Custom 823 and Parker 51

April 3, 2023

I’ve been wanting to introduce some additional video content to the site and related channels for some time now, so this morning I filmed a short video in which I ink up two new pens for the week: My Amber Pilot Custom 823, and my newly acquired Parker 51 that I picked up at the Arkansas Pen Show a couple of weeks ago. Both of these pens have interesting filling systems, and I actually get a lot of questions about how the Custom 823’s vacuum-filling system works. Check out the video here over at the T.G.S. Youtube Channel. (Yes, we have one!)

This particular video contains bonus content in which I spill ink on myself. Yes, it still happens, even after all these years!

Disclaimer: The Gentleman Stationer is now an authorized retailer of Pilot Pens and Inks.