The Ark of Pens

Today we have a Guest Post from a friend of the blog, R.B. Lemberg! It’s been a long while since T.G.S. has featured a guest post, and I’ve been looking to bring in some new voices and hope to make this a semi-regular event. Enjoy!

In The Cultures of Collecting, editors Elsner and Cardinal describe the biblical Noah as the first collector. “Adam had given names to the animals, but it fell to Noah to collect them… Menaced by a Flood, one has to act swiftly. Anything overlooked will be lost forever: between including and excluding there can be no half- measures. The collection is the unique bastion against the deluge of time.” (Elsner and Cardinal 1994:1)

It took a global crisis to make me a collector of pens.

In 2020, shuttered in my room and yet overloaded with responsibilities of teaching, leadership, caregiving, and generative work, I stepped into the world of fountain pens for respite. It wasn’t my first pen venture; I learned about writing with dip pens and fountain pens in Soviet elementary school. I was a clumsy child and the pens were of poor quality; I hated every moment of it. Later, in graduate school in the US, I happily used a single Pilot Falcon. I put it aside after getting my doctorate, and switched to Pilot V5s; but something shifted during the pandemic. I think this describes many people.

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Edison Menlo (top) and Kaweco Liliput (bottom).

I remember 2020 and 2021 as joyful years for pens. Everything else was ash and fear, but pens were a happy creative outlet, and many new people joined the hobby. I certainly did not think about myself as a stationery collector before the pandemic, but I found myself reading fountain pen books and blogs and watching instructional videos. In a quest after that special magic of a perfectly tuned nib touching paper, I tried a whole lot of pens. I sent a few pens to Mark Bacas for a grind. I talked about fountain pens endlessly. By the end of 2021, I figured out what I liked, and began curating.

I wasn’t collecting pens to save them from the deluge of time, and these days I’m not sure if I am a collector at all. I like to use my pens, but I also enjoy simply lining them up; I live for an aesthetically pleasing pen tray. There’s certainly a central theme to my collecting. I love Italian pens. I gravitate towards stubs and italic nibs, as well as the sometimes-maligned European mediums. The colors and textures of pens in my tray reassure me that beauty persists beyond the devastation of wars and pandemics, beyond market pressures and too-rapid technological advances. Fiddling with my pens reminds me that history is a human story. We value not just what’s the latest and fastest and flashiest; my pens promise and deliver a contemplative world.

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As a curator, I am infinitely curious about other people’s practices. Over the last three years, I read blogs and talked to folks online and offline about managing fountain pen collections. Some never give anything up – once the pen enters a collection, it is there to stay, whether used frequently or not. In the story of the flood, only a single raven (and later: a single dove) ever left the Ark. Others rotate through pens, frequently buying and selling; a prime example of this approach is the fascinating UK Fountain Pens blog. Many people are somewhere in the middle  - they keep most or many of their pens, and let some go. Some folks call their pens a collection, others an accumulation. I call mine the gathering. Sometimes I think my pens are alive – not just items on display, but friends who hang out with me, and help me get words down on page in a way that nurtures my soul.

Sometimes, pens leave the gathering. They’ve had enough of my party. :) Others are here to stay.

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Today’s Highlights

Onoto Scholar in Mandarin Yellow. I got this one from Onoto directly for a great introductory price in early 2022; the nib in it right now is a special order stub, I believe ground for Onoto by John Sorowka.

Leonardo Momento Magico in Brooks Bohemian Twilight. This one was a birthday present from Limited Pens Korea. I swapped the steel Medium it arrived with for the excellent Franklin Christoph M Sig – one of the best nib grinds I’ve tried so far (thank you, Audrey!) It is an incredibly versatile and joyful pen – I love the ink window and the fact that the nib unit unscrews for cleaning, making it excellent for shimmers.

Aurora Optima Viola with a Factory Stub. I got it for an amazing price on Fountain Pen Day. This also was subsidized by birthday moneys. I wanted to try an Aurora, and this one is superb and easily one of my favorite pens ever.

What are some of your fountain pen standouts? Do you curate, and if so, what is your approach?

R.B. Lemberg (they/them) is a queer, neurodivergent academic and writer of speculative fiction. They are the author of The Unbalancing (2022), The Four Profound Weaves (2020), and other books. You can find them on their website http://rblemberg.net, on their Instagram as @rblemberg, and on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/rblemberg

New Arrivals: Platinum Curidas Matte Retractable Nib Fountain Pens

While Platinum’s Curidas fountain pen has been around for several years now, Platinum hadn’t really done much with the line beyond the original set of demonstrator colors - until now. Yesterday saw the arrival of three new matte finishes in the Curidas (Matte Blue, Matte Black, and Matte Red), all of which are sold packaged as part of a set complete with a converter, ink cartridge, and bottle of Platinum Aurora Blue Mix-Free Ink. You have everything you need to get started writing!

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The Matte Curidas fountain pen sets are currently available in the shop, in fine and medium stainless steel nib options. Please visit our shop to check out these and other recently arrived pen, paper, and ink offerings!

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

Sunday Reading for June 11, 2023

1. Six Years and Counting! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Happy Six Year Penversary to Kimberly! How long have you all been in this hobby? Do you have any special ways to celebrate?

2. Use Symbols to Help You Scan Your Paper List: the Dash Plus System (via Analog Office). There are many variations on “bullet journal-style” task tracking, including Dash Plus.

3. What Is this Collecting Lark? (via Goodwriterspens). Are you a user or a collector? Both? Does it matter? You can also read Part II here.

4. Pen Trends: Dip Nib Mania (via Well-Appointed Desk). Laura walks through three popular dip nibs currently on the market. I go back and forth on whether there is interest in dip nib content here at T.G.S. If you’d like to read more about this, or even have me bring them into the store, let me know!

5. Diplomat Elox Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). Diplomat has a long history of fountain pen manufacturing in Germany, and in recent years have garnered much acclaim for the Aero and the Elox, with their distinctive designs.

6. Systematizing: Traveler’s Notebook (via A Fleeting Ripple). One of the best aspects of the Traveler’s Notebook System is its customizability - you can make this notebook/planner as structured or flexible as you want using Traveler’s Notebook refills (or your own).

7. Diamine Monboddo’s Hat on Maruman Mnemosyne (via Incredible Colors). One of the many collaborations between Diamine and the Reddit community of fountain pen users, Monboddo’s Hat has been compared to Lamy’s coveted “Dark Lilac” special edition ink from a few years ago.

8. Dupe the Expensive Vibes (via Rachel’s Reflections). An interesting post from Rachel, which talks about pens with the look of (much) more expensive models, while still maintaining a degree of originality in the design.

9. Unearthed! Mutts Fold & Mail Stationery (via From the Pen Cup). Fold & Mail stationery is such a great concept, especially since it makes the letter writing process easy by (1) forcing you to keep your letters to a reasonable length to get them out the door; and (2) simplifying the process of getting them out the door.

10. Review: M800 Green Demonstrator (via Pelikan’s Perch). I love the look of the M800 Green Demonstrator. Amidst some uncertainty regarding Pelikan’s direction and the future of the fine writing division, I’m glad to see this release, even if it is something of a retread.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I took another look at the subject of landscape notebooks, with a deeper dive into the Write Notepads version. I also reviewed one of my Spring pen show acquisitions: the R615 “Titanium Blue” fountain pen special collaboration between The Good Blue and our friends at Vanness Pens.

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

Two big arrivals this past week: the much-anticipated Endless Creator fountain pen, which is their attempt at an original capless/retractable fountain pen at an accessible $50 price point. We also received a massive restock of Anterique ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils, and the refills. See the full list of recent arrivals and restocks in this post from Thursday.

Write Notepads

Anterique

Traveler's Company

WMS & Co.

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

T.G.S. Patreon is currently the only non-shop means of support for the site, and features not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support! Note that Patrons will have early access to our forthcoming special release that should be arriving either later this month or early July, including pre-order opportunities and possibly exclusive access to certain add-ons. June is a good time to join!

Pen Review: The Good Blue R615 "Titanium Blue" Vanness Exclusive Edition Fountain Pen

The pen I'm reviewing today is part of my ongoing effort to break out my fountain pen comfort zone and try things that I wouldn't typically purchase to use at work, but rather pick up just for fun. The Good Blue is a London-based company that specializes in flexible-nib fountain pens paired with a unique feed system designed to ensure and adequate supply of ink to the nib, which is where most "modern flex" pens have underwhelmed. So how does The Good Blue R615 perform? Honestly, very well.

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I absolutely love the color of the Cerakote on this pen. Read more on the history of the pen design and materials used directly on The Good Blue website.

Pen Design and Aesthetics

This particular model, the R615 "Titanium Blue" is a special edition collaboration between our friends at Vanness Pens and The Good Blue. The pen features a streamlined, 6082 Aluminum body with "Titanium Blue" Cerakote coating, paired with a section machined from untreated CZ121 brass. The body of the pen is deceptively comfortable - I expected the step down from the pen body to the section to be too steep and severe for my taste, but as it turns out the grip area is long enough that this is not an issue.

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The brass section will patina due to both your grip and exposure to ink. Note the porous feed and compare to the photo of the un-inked pen below.

While the R615 has no clip, the streamlined body features a facet on one side, which acts as a roll-stop. It's a simple, practical design. The brass components, per the company's website, are untreated and "precision textured with a surface roughness for ergonomic grip." Note that the untreated brass will absolutely patina, and may also change color due to exposure to ink. This doesn't bother me at all, and I find it to be part of the charm of the pen.

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The pen doesn’t post, given the design, but is very well balanced in the hand.

Nib and Writing Experience

As I mentioned above, the main issue that people run into with so-called "modern flex pens" is ink starvation. Namely, modern plastic feeds have a difficult time maintaining ink flow sufficient to write broader lines as you flex the nib from extra-fine to double-broad. The Good Blue appears to have solved this issue by using in-house polymer feeds made from an absorbent material that not only absorbs the ink to keep the feed saturated but changes color to match the ink (helpful if you, like me, often forget what ink you have in a pen.)

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The engraving on the nib says “For the love of flex.” These nib units are in JoWo-threaded housings and therefore interchangeable with pens from other brands.

The Good Blue offers several different nib options. There are, of course, standard stainless steel nibs available, but with a company known for flex, I had to try the titanium flex nib. Once broken in, the titanium nib lays down a ton of ink, and line width ranges from a bouncy fine/medium, writing with little pressure, to around a double broad if I really try to push things. (By “broken in,” I mean that the nib will soften with use. Mine was fairly stiff when I first received it, but has gradually opened up to where I can get significantly more line variation.) I have experienced zero "railroading" as long as I use moderately wet inks, and have only had issues with a couple of drier or extremely saturated shimmer inks.

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Writing sample on Write Notepads paper with Iroshizuku Asa-Gao fountain pen ink.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I didn't intend to purchase this pen, but after playing around with the demo model at the Vanness Table at the Arkansas Pen Show (dangerous table neighbors there), I couldn't pass it up. My R615 has remained inked ever since March, and while I don't write with it every day, it sees regular use in my journal and written correspondence, as well as when I'm doodling around with ink - something I've tried to do more of for the simple joy of it. The Good Blue makes one of the best modern "stock" flex nibs I've used, and I'd like to try their calligraphy and 14k nibs in the future.

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Because this particular pen is exclusive to Vanness Pens, you can only purchase it through them (though it is currently out of stock as of the time of writing). Vanness does carry other versions of the R615, including the acetate and Ultem versions, as well as a selection of the standard and flex nibs. Prices start at $140 and increase depending on your choice of materials and nib, with the pen shown here coming in at $220 for the special finish plus the titanium flex. The pens and various specialty nibs (including 14k flex and untipped "Calligraphy Flex") can also be ordered directly from The Good Blue, though they will ship from the U.K.

I purchased this pen from Vanness Pens with my own funds for my own collection, though I received a discount for review purposes. This post does not contain affiliate links or paid advertising. 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: Retractable Pens, T.G.S. Penwell Last Call, Traveler's Spiral Ring Notebooks and More!

Earlier this week we announced the arrival of the Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen, a new original design from notebook-maker Endless that seeks to offer a retractable nib option for fountain pens at an accessible price point. In addition to the Endless Creator, additional colors of Anterique Pens, and Anterique mechanical pencils, we now have more Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks, as well as new versions of both the Life Noble Note A5 Sidebound Notebooks and Stenographer’s Pads. Happy Shopping!

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

1. Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen. The Endless Creator Fountain Pen hit stores this week. I’ve been playing around with one and will have a fuller review at some point, but I’ve enjoyed the faceted body and interesting design. No issues with the pen on my end.

2. T.G.S. x Penwell “Aged Red” Collaboration. As I mentioned in last weekend’s Giveaway announcement, I’ll be pulling a handful of the T.G.S.-exclusive Penwells out of stock to use in connection with an exclusive fountain pen promotion in the coming weeks. I don’t know whether/when we’ll do another run of these, so last call!

3. Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks. We received a shipment of the Traveler’s Company Spirals, featuring both the classic Midori MD Paper and the Midori Watercolor paper. These notebooks with Kraft paper covers make great journals and/or sketchbooks, especially now that we have the watercolor versions.

4. Anterique Classic Click Ballpoints. We now have the Anterique vintage-style ballpoint pens in 26 different colors. These pens include a .5mm low-viscosity refill similar to a Jetstream or Acroball, and leave a very fine line that dries quickly and doesn’t smear. You can even mix and match the different colors to create the pen(s) of your choice.

5. Anterique Brass Ballpoints. Anterique makes a brass-barrel version of the classic click pen, in four different colors (though the plastic parts are interchangeable with the upper section from the standard click pens).

6. Anterique Classic Click Mechanical Pencils. The .5mm mechanical pencils share the same vintage “click pen” look, and feature a retractable tip and “cushion spring” mechanism to prevent lead breakage.

7. Anterique “Mach Ball” Refills. These were on backorder for some time, but we now have a healthy stock of these Anterique .5mm “Mach Ball” refills. Feel free to stock up with your Anterique Pens!

8. Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith 849 Ballpoints. We have more of the Caran d’Ache and Paul Smith limited edition ballpoints currently in stock, though certain colors (Racing Green) go extremely fast.

9. Life Noble Note A5 Blank Notebooks. We received the plain unruled versions of the Life Noble Note A5 sidebound notebooks, so we can now offer all formats of this paper.

10. Life Stenographer’s Notebook (Graph Paper). The top-bound Life Stenographer’s pad features 50 sheets/100 pages of quality life paper in either classic steno or grid ruling.