Nahvalur Original Plus Rose Gold Fountain Pens

Thursday Drops: Big Lochby and Lamy Restocks, New Nahvalur Original Plus Fountain Pens, and Paul Smith x Caran d'Ache!

May 4, 2023

This week we received two long-awaited releases: The Nahvalur Original Plus “Matira White” and “Lovina Black”, featuring rose gold trim, as well as the fourth Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith collaboration! We’ve also restocked on Lochby Venture pouches, Lamy Cursive nibs, and several models of Lamy pens. Note that we will be traveling starting Saturday night (family wedding), so order fulfillment may be 3-5 business days next week as opposed to your typical 2-3. If there’s something you’d like to have in your hands next week, please get your orders in by Saturday (May 6) at noon. Happy Shopping!

Oh, and did I mention that we have more Kaweco Sketch-up Clutch Pencils in new colors, as well as a “Softfeel” restock? The highlighter leads are also restocked.

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

Nahvalur Original Plus Rose Gold Fountain Pens. Nahvalur (formerly “Narwhal”) re-released their “Original” Fountain Pens in vacuum-filler form earlier this year, and recently followed up with a rose gold version that sold out quickly. We managed to get some additional stock in both the Matira White and Lovina Black. Read more on the Original Plus and it’s filling system here.
Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith Limited Edition 849 Ballpoint Pens. The Caran d’Ache / Paul Smith collaborations have been something of a tradition over the years, but the last one was released in 2020, so it’s been a while. This release features six different two-toned barrels in signature Paul Smith colors.
Lochby Venture Pouch Restock in All Colors! Those of you who came to see us at the Baltimore and Arkansas pen shows loved the Lochby Venture Pouches, and we now have more, in all colors. These reversible pen pouches feature a “standard” pen pouch on top, and open up to reveal a slotted pen case on the bottom. Read more here.
Lamy Cursive Nibs. I can say one thing - Lamy USA works fast. You all cleared us out of Lamy Cursive nibs in less than a week and we received more yesterday. You can read about this specific nib here, and upon request, I am happy to install one for you on any compatible Lamy pen purchased from our shop. Just send a message through the “Contact” link at the time you place your order.
Lamy 2000 Multipens. A not-surprising best seller has been the Lamy 2000 4-Color Ballpoint (their Multi-Pen), and we recently received a restock. This pen takes standard D1 refills, so you can either use Lamy’s excellent stock options or replace them with the D1 refill of your choice. The Lamy 2000 Multi Pen is a personal favorite and I’ve written about it a lot over the years.
Nahvalur Fountain Pen Inks. There hasn’t been much attention paid to them so far, but Nahvalur is releasing their own line of fountain pen inks, including these four nicely muted colors that are in offbeat shades I’ve enjoyed, especially the “Dark Forest”.
Lochby Field Journal A5 Refills. As long as Lochby has a stockpile of the 68gsm Tomoe River paper, I’m going to continue to carry these excellent A5 softcover notebooks! Five different rulings available, including dot, plain, lined, wide lined, and planner.
Midori MD Light A4 Notebooks. These slim A4 notebooks are sold in packs of three, in different rulings, and fit the standard Midori MD A4 notebook covers in PVC, Paper, and Leather. (You can get two notebooks in a cover by using the front and back cover slots.)
Midori MD Block 500 Sheet Notepads. These Midori desk pads feature 500 sheets of fountain pen friendly MD paper in blank, ruled, and grid format. The block pad measures 4x4”, around the size of a large post-it.
Expanded Inks and Refill Selection. In response to reader/customer requests, we’ve made an effort to expand our selection of bottled inks, and we also offer compatible refills for nearly every pen and mechanical pencil that we sell.

Caran d'Ache 849 Needle-Tip Ballpoint — Is that a Caran d’Ache 849 with a needle-tip ballpoint refill?

Refill Hacks: Alternatives for the Caran d'Ache 849 Ballpoint

May 3, 2023

While I personally think the Caran d’Ache 849 “Goliath” refill that ships with every Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen is a smooth, reliable, relatively dark refill that lasts a long time and, at the end of the day, gets the job done just fine, I understand that many of you are left wanting a different option for Caran d’Ache’s iconic click pen. The Goliath, however, is a proprietary refill with a slightly odd shape that makes it tricky to replace. Over the past few weeks, I’ve experimented and come away with three alternatives that work reasonably well.

Note: The hacks discussed below are just that, “hacks,” and not in any way a modification authorized by the manufacturer. While I’d personally consider the risk extremely low - especially with a ballpoint - if you break any pen by modifying the mechanism or using a non-standard refill, you will likely void your warranty. The same goes for modifying or grinding fountain pen nibs, feeds, etc. Proceed at your own risk!

Option 1: The Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Refill

Many people were thrilled to see Caran d’Ache release a larger rollerball pen in the classic 849 profile. The best part about it? The 849 Rollerball uses a Parker-style rollerball refill - and a really good one at that - which comes in both .5mm and .7mm sizes, in black or blue ink. (The 849 Rollerball pen itself ships with a .7mm black rollerball cartridge.) While you can turn the 849 Rollerball into a larger ballpoint using any Parker-style refill, I’ve had very good luck with the inverse - the Caran d’Ache Parker-style rollerball cartridge also appears to fit the standard 849 ballpoint pen without much, if any, modification.

Caran d'Ache 849 Parker-Style Ballpoint Hack — Parker-Style refills such as the Jetstream SXR (in the yellow pen) and the Schmidt P900 (pictured here) can be made to work with a simple trick.

Option 2: The Jetstream SXR (and Most Other Parker-Style Ballpoint Refills)

One of my favorite ballpoint refills of all-time is the Uniball Jetstream SXR - a Parker-style low viscosity ballpoint refill that serves as one of my go-to Parker-style refills when I’m looking for an ultra-fine tip ballpoint that dries quickly. While it took a bit of work to get this particular cartridge to work in the standard Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen, here’s what I did:

Step One: Unscrew the knock at the back of the Caran d’Ache 849 and remove the Goliath refill.
Step Two: Insert the Jetstream SXR (or Schmidt P900 or Easyflow 9000 or other Parker-style ballpoint refill of your choice).
Step Three: Replace the knock and screw it all the way down until you reach the end of the threads. You will likely have one of two issues: (1) when you retract the refill, the tip still extends past the end of the barrel, since the refill is too long; and/or (2) when you try to depress the knock, the refill won’t “catch” and stay in writing mode. To fix both of these problems, I typically unscrew the knock one or two turns, which pulls the tip of the refill back into the barrel without affecting the stability of the knock or causing rattling. (You may have to experiment a bit, depending on the refill you’re working with.)

Caran d'Ache 849 Jetstream Refill Too Long — Note that the tip of this Jetstream SXR refill is slightly too long when the pen is retracted. You can fix this problem by unscrewing the knock one, maybe two, turns to reach your preferred length. I have not found that unscrewing the knock in this way affects the usability of the pen.

Option 3: Ohto “Flash Dry” .5mm Needle-Tip Gel Refill

The third option I plan to discuss requires the most work, though it’s still a pretty easy hack. The Ohto “Flash Dry” refill has garnered a well-deserved reputation as an excellent, relatively fast-drying needle-tip gel option that is compatible with Parker-style ballpoint pens. The problem? It’s too long to fit the standard 849 ballpoint without modification. While you might be able to adjust the refill length using the trick described above (unscrewing the knock), you can also modify the refill by shaving off a bit of the clear plastic tubing using a craft knife or sharp scissors. GO SLOWLY. You only need to shave off .5-1mm, but if you take off too much you can add back length by wrapping a small piece of washi tape around the end of the cartridge. (This one will likely take some experimentation).

The unmodified Ohto Flash-Dry refill (left)

To reduce the length of the refill, pull off the black plastic cap and cut a small sliver off the clear refill tubing. Replace the black plastic cap and the refill should work. If you find that you cut too much (i.e., the tip doesn’t extend all the way through the opening when the knock is depressed), simply wrap a small piece of washi tape around the end of the refill to add back length.

Note that if you don’t want to mess around with hacking the Ohto Flash Dry refill to fit in the Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint, this refill fits the 849 Rollerball without modification, and also has it’s own Ohto Fast-Dry click-pen, which is inexpensive and which we stock in the shop.

Again, I have to emphasize that although The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized Caran d’Ache retailer, hacks like these are NOT authorized and we obviously can’t guarantee that any modifications will work in all pens, due to slight variations in refill size (and even the various editions of the 849). Proceed at your own (admittedly low) risk, and have fun making your pens work for you!

New Arrivals: Paul Smith x Caran d'Ache Edition No. 4!

May 2, 2023

They’re here! Finally, we get a follow-up to the wildly successful release that helped us kick off the T.G.S. Curated Shop all the way back in 2020. This new collaboration between designer Paul Smith and Swiss brand Caran d’Ache features the iconic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint in six color combinations: Racing Green + Navy, Warm Red + Melrose Pink, Cobalt + Emerald, Sky Blue + Lavender, Chartreuse + Rose, and Cyan + Steel. Available now for purchase, though some colors are going fast and we will restock more soon.

We carry a wide range of Caran d’Ache products in our shop, including the 849 ballpoints, the larger 849 Rollerball, and - recently arrived - the full range of Chromatics fountain pen inks.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Caran d’Ache.

Sunday Reading for April 30, 2023

April 30, 2023

I Blame Joe (via From the Pen Cup). Am I really not going to lead with this link this week?
Scribo Grigio Scribo (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Of all the (generally excellent) Scribo inks, Grigio is one of favorites. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite from that line.
Pilot Vanishing Point/Capless Fountain Pens - A Quick Comparison (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Pilot’s range of “capless” fountain pens can be quite confusing, and Kimberly does a great job of breaking down all the different options.
Aurora Style Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Aurora Style and the Aurora Ipsilon are both pens that don’t get enough attention as solid everyday writers.
Goodbye to Paperchase (via Fountain Pen Blog). It’s sad to read this. The U.S. has almost no larger stationery-exclusive retailers remaining, as they have been subsumed by big-box chains.
Abalone Revisited / Scriptorium Pens Idyll (via Weirdoforest Pens). I’ve recently discovered the Abalone blanks, and it’s always great to see Scriptorium Pens getting attention.
Inside My Collection - Vintage Blotters (via Fountain Pen Love). Now that’s a cool addition to a collection of fountain pens and related paraphernalia.
Leonardo Supernova with Elastic Nib Fountain Pen (via SBRE Brown). The Supernova is a relatively new size of Leonardo fountain pen, and I think I might like this one, though I’d prefer to see it in person.
Pencil Blast-em (via Bleistift). Tactile Turn has released their latest seasonal release, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, and you’re a fan of 1980s-era video games, you won’t want to miss this one.
Wearingeul Swatch Notebook and Sheets (via Well-Appointed Desk). This is a cool idea for an ink swatch book, with the bottles stamped inside at 9 to a page.

Pilot Fountain Pen Family Portrait — Continuing to work my way through the Pilot Fountain pen family!

In Case You Missed It….

The main attraction this week was me giving the “Workhorse Pens” treatment to the Pilot Custom 823, an indisputed workhorse that I personally think should be considered the flagship of the Pilot lineup. I’ve owned two of them for years. (Well, the only two that are regularly available in the U.S., but we’re working on that!) I also took a look at the Lamy Cursive nib and compared it to my newly arrived Perspective nibs from Custom Nib Studio - in short, the Cursive nib is an inexpensive way to check out this style of nib grind. I should have more of these nibs available soon.

Nahvalur Rose Gold Fountain Pens — As of last night, the Nahvalur Original Plus fountain pens are available in Matira White and Lovina Black, with rose gold-plated trim. (Of course we still have the Original Plus transparent color demonstrators as well!)

Too Many New Arrivals to Keep Track Of!

I’ve been a bit overwhelmed lately, trying to do the blog justice while staying on top of the seemingly endless flood of boxes arriving on my doorstep. We’ve added a LOT to the store lately, and we’re nowhere near finished, but without these weekly recaps I’m not sure I could keep track of it myself! This week’s major arrivals include the new Nahvalur Rose Gold Original Plus fountain pens (Matira White and Lovina Black), a restock on the Kaweco Softfeel Sketch-ups in Yellow/Black (plus some new colors!), the Caran d’Ache Chromatics Inks in 50ml Bottles, as well as new sizes of the Midori MD Light Paper, Airmail Envelopes, and Midori Memo Blocks!

Kaweco Sketch Ups!

Pilot

Life

Caran d'Ache Inks

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Workhorse Pens: The Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen

April 29, 2023

The Pilot Vanishing Point might be the most popular, and the Custom Urushi and Custom 845 the media darlings that receive a lot of attention, but the pen that I would identify as the true “workhorse” of Pilot’s lineup, and which - if I were in charge - I would personally consider the flagship, is the Pilot Custom 823. Frankly, I’m somewhat embarrassed to have not given the Custom 823 the formal “Workhorse Pen” review treatment at this point in my career, so here we go!

Pilot Custom 823 Amber and Smoke — A flashy pen it is not: The Pilot 823 in Amber (left) and Smoke (right). These two transparent demonstrators are different colors, but when inked it can be somewhat difficult to tell the difference.

The Custom 823 Follows The Workhorse Pen Blueprint

When designing the Custom 823, Pilot seems to have followed my “workhorse pen” blueprint to the letter: (1) an excellent nib; (2) a well-build, balanced pen body that can be used either posted or unposted; (3) an understated design that, while of course lets anyone know you are using a fountain pen, can’t be described as flashy; and (4) a reliable, high-capacity filling system. Over the years, Pilot has taken some flack for not “updating” the design on the Custom 823, and it remains available in the U.S. in exactly two colors: transparent “Smoke” and transparent “Amber,” both with gold trim. There have been no limited or special editions that I’m aware of other than one or two Japan-only exclusives, both of which sold out quickly and now command steep premiums on the secondary market.

Pilot Custom 823 Nibs — The Pilot Custom 823 features a 14k No. 15 nib, which is roughly the same size as a JoWo No. 6.

Why Do I Still Like This Pen So Much, Nearly 7 Years Later?

I first reviewed the Pilot Custom 823 nearly 7 years ago, in August of 2016, after purchasing the Amber pen at the Atlanta Pen Show that same year. While the design of this pen has grown on me over time, the real reason this pen is a regular in my rotation is the overall writing experience. Specifically, the combination of the nib and the weight/balance of this pen is nearly perfect for me, and while I haven’t yet tried the Custom 743 (the newly released cartridge-converter version of the 823), I have a hard time imagining that any pen will supplant the Custom 823 as a go-to recommendation for a high-ink-capacity everyday writer.

Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen Posted In-Hand — The Custom 823 posts deeply, allowing you to write with the cap posted without sacrificing balance.

Nib. As I discussed in my initial review, the Pilot Custom 823 features a larger No. 15 14kt yellow gold nib, with the prototypical Pilot engraving and feed. Between the multiple Custom 823s and Custom 74s that I’ve owned over the years, I can honestly say that I’ve never had a bad Pilot gold nib (outside of one finicky Vanishing Point that I bought secondhand…). I don’t like to throw the term “guarantee” around when you’re talking about pens, because so much about the writing experience is subjective, but with Pilot, you’re probably as close as you can get to a “guaranteed” out-of-the-box good writing experience from a major pen company. Quality control is top notch, and in the event there is an issue, they stand behind the product. Currently, I have two Custom 823s in my collection: a stock fine nib that is an excellent pen for annotation, and a medium that I had ground into a blade-style nib by Mark Bacas that might be my favorite.
Size and Balance. Each one of us has a “Goldilocks” size when it comes to writing instruments - neither too big nor too small - and for me the Pilot Custom 823 falls squarely into that role, along with the Lamy 2000 and the Montblanc 146. I may even have to give the Custom 823 the slight nod here because I do find the Lamy 2000 slightly too short to use unposted and for whatever reason the 146 less comfortable. Here, the Custom 823 posts deeply and securely, even with the blind cap slightly open to release the safety valve. (More on that below).
Filling System. What originally drew me to the Custom 823 years ago was the then-unique vacuum filling system, which has since become far more common and widely available at multiple price points. (See the TWSBI Vac700R and the Nahvalur (Narwhal) Original Plus.) Even if vacuum fillers can be more difficult to clean, I still appreciate the MASSIVE ink capacity, and tend to deal with any cleaning issues by picking a specific ink (or ink color) for each pen and sticking to it. Note that if you’re a serial ink changer, vacuum fillers may not be the best choice, because flushing and cleaning these pens too regularly over time can stress the gaskets and lead to leakage/sticking. (This is really hard to do, and I’ve had my pens for 3-7 years without incident, but I’ve heard isolated reports of it happening with people who overwork the filling system by changing inks frequently - i.e., every other day.)

Pilot Custom 823 Unposted with Valve Open — For longer writing sessions with a vacuum-filler like the Pilot Custom 823, you’ll want to slightly open the blind cap to release the safety valve and allow ink to flow continuously.

Reflections on the Pilot Custom 823 as an Everyday Writer

You can go for a long time without refilling a Custom 823, especially with a fine nib, making it the perfect companion for long trips and extremely long writing sessions where you don’t want to worry about running out of ink. A key benefit of a vacuum filler fountain pen is the shut-off valve, which when closed seals the ink into the barrel of the pen to help prevent leakage. If you plan on writing more than a page or two, all you need to do is unscrew the blind cap to slightly open the valve and allow the ink to flow freely. What this does is offers you the ability to carry this fountain pen on an airplane, in a car, in your bag without having to be overly terrified of a serious ink spill. But at the end of the day, beyond these pragmatic considerations, the reason I love the Pilot Custom 823 so much is that it’s one of those pens that easily “disappears” while you’re writing. The nib isn’t finicky. It’s not distracting. You don’t have to refill it often. It just works.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

When I decided to make a fairly significant investment by bringing Pilot into my shop earlier this year, I could have chosen to start with less expensive lines, or trendier models available in “catch-’em all” colors. But given how I make my selections, the decision to start with the Custom 823 and the Custom 74 was really a no-brainer. While I might add more models in the future, these are the two that I’m comfortable recommending across the board and standing behind.

To be clear, the Pilot Custom 823 is not an impulse buy pen. At $336, it’s a long-term investment in an everyday writer and should be approached as such. However, this is a fountain pen that can last you a long time with proper care, as my own experience attests. We currently stock the Custom 823 in both colors and all nib sizes, and if you want something slightly smaller, with cartridge/converter capabilities and, yes, different color/trim options, consider the Custom 74. I expect that I’ll add the Custom 743 in the near future, but I’d like to get my hands on one first.