#17InkQuestions from The Gentleman Stationer

So ever since my friend Lisa over at Olive Octopus came up with this #21penquestions-inspired challenge, I've been thinking on my answers. Hopefully my responses add a bit of a different perspective, since I'm primarily a pen-and-paper-focused enthusiast. Sure, I use a lot of ink everyday, but it tends to be straightforward “pen company” ink without special properties or truly wild colors. Where possible I’ve tried to link to the products I reference or past reviews I’ve written. Enjoy!

1. What was your first (memorable) ink? This one is pretty easy: the Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock limited edition from the early 2010s. (I think it was released in 2012?) I have a limited amount of this ink remaining, and it remains one of my favorite shades of dark red, almost red black. While other companies have brought many similar shades to market in recent years, none have nailed the exact same tone. This is the only ink I've ever "hoarded" (3 bottles). I consider a dark red-black to be my "signature color" and I'm always looking for a true Hitchcock replacement. I hope I never find it because the search is most of the fun!

2. What is your favorite ink bottle design, and which bottle (or cartridge) is your favorite to use? I love Lamy and Iroshizuku ink bottles, both of which are deep and wide enough to fill almost any pen, and which have a small depression/indentation in the bottom to accommodate the nib. It's helpful to be able to get as much ink as you can out of the bottle before having to decant the ink or use a syringe. Both of these ink bottles also feature an interesting visual design that's a good conversation piece.

3. What's an ink you love or find useful, but would not use for everyday writing? My response to this is identical to R.B.'s over at A Gathering of Curiosities: If I can't use an ink for everyday writing, I move it along. I nearly exclusively use my pens for writing so anything I can't use for that person doesn't stick in the collection.

4. How do you discover new inks? Mainly word of mouth. I honestly don't buy many inks since I have most colors in my collection already. I don't even try to follow all the "ink release" news since there are so many inks being released on an almost daily basis, and I typically rely on people telling me about inks they think I would enjoy or discovering ink serendipitously at pen club or a pen show.

5. Do you use inks for anything other than writing? Occasionally drawing or sketching, but I don't buy inks specifically for any purpose other than writing.

6. What's an ink that's worth hoarding (whether you actually do or not)? These days I'm opposed to hoarding stationery in general, and especially ink. There are so many different inks out there that you’re always going to be able to find a replacement that’s close to a specific color, and that’s if you ever actually finish the bottle of ink that you’re looking to replace.

7. How do you choose which ink goes into a pen? Do they have to match? Do you always use the same ink in a particular pen? I go through phases. Sometimes I'll match pens to inks randomly; other times I'll choose colors that are complementary to the pen. More frequently, what affects my pen/ink pairing is the nib: Some inks look better on paper in a broader nib, as lighter colors in a fine or extra-fine present legibility issues.

8. Do you use ink samples? If so, is your goal to find an ink to buy a bottle, or just get a smaller amount of ink to use? I typically purchase bottles. I don't buy enough ink (maybe 5 bottles per year?) to have to worry about storage space, since I regularly sell off what I'm not using. If I do purchase a sample it's because someone has recommended an ink that I'm curious about and I want to try a smaller amount.

9. Is there a popular ink that's just not for you? What underhyped ink would you like to see more people try? I've never been a fan of the super-saturated boutique inks with special properties (waterproof inks, colorfast inks, etc.). While these appeal to many for different reasons, I've found these inks to be higher maintenance and finicky in terms of things like slow dry time and smearing. Since most of my everyday writing is work-related, I dislike having to think too much about the ink part. Relatedly, in terms of underhyped inks, I always recommend that people who are focused on writing with their pens use more basic "pen company" inks such as Waterman, Pilot Iroshizuku, Lamy, Caran d'Ache, etc. You can typically find any color you want and you can use the inks in your pens without worrying about whether they will cause performance issues.

10. What do you do with any unused ink when you clean a pen? I flush it down the sink. Ink is relatively inexpensive. That said, most times I will write a pen dry or mostly dry before cleaning an re-inking.

11. What is the most unique ink you've used or seen? The entire Vinta line. Vinta inks have a more muted color palette that I really enjoy, and they come up with unique color combinations and shades that you don't see elsewhere - something that's difficult in a market that's oversaturated. (Pun very much intended.)

12. How do you catalog, swatch, track, and store your ink? I don't. I have a Fountain Pen Companion account that I need to finish building out and be better about using, but at the same time I find that I enjoy the spontaneity of digging through my ink cabinet and pulling out a handful of bottles that I haven't used in a while. If I can't make it to a pen show or a physical pen store, to me it scratches that itch of "shopping" for a new color.

13. What is your favorite ink color/color family? Dark Reds and Dark Blue-Greens, but I have favorite inks in all the color families that I rotate through.

14. What ink-related tool or accessory can you not live without? A syringe for refilling cartridges, and my Kakimori metal dip nib for sampling bottles and comparing colors. I've come to really enjoy the Kakimori nib because it allows me to quickly compare inks if I'm having trouble deciding which one to ink - especially when I'm filling a higher-capacity pen like a Pilot Custom 823 or an Opus 88 eyedropper that will remain inked for a long time.

15. Have you ever mixed inks or used shimmer additives? I've never used shimmer additives, but I have used the Platinum Mix-Free ink mixing kit and had a lot of fun with it, especially when I’ve tried to create “replacements” for favorite discontinued inks! I've also mixed Waterman inks to create some fun combinations.

16. What is your favorite ink delivery system (cartridges, type of filling system for bottled ink, etc.)? I don't really have a favorite and use them all. Honestly, for most purposes, I'm happy with the standard cartridge/converter filling system, because it's so easy to clean. I wrote a post a while back walking through the pros and cons of the various filling systems.

17. What ink(s) are you excited about right now? Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku. It's one of the new Iroshizuku inks that Pilot released last year, and it's a beautiful bright teal. I currently have it inked in 4-5 pens but it’s time for a break. :)

If you missed them, you can check out my responses to #21penquestions and #5morepenquestions here.

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Pencil Review: Tombow Mono Graph "Shaker" Mechanical Pencil

It’s not often that I find an entire line of products that I’ve never actually used. Sure, there are things out there I’ve never reviewed, but the Tombow Mono Graph mechanical pencil was so new to me that for a brief minute I couldn’t initially figure out how the “shaker” lead advancement and “lead lock” mechanisms worked. Fortunately, it’s not complex at all, and this little pencil has turned out to be a fantastic discovery.

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This simple, contoured plastic section is quite comfortable to use. You can see the metal shaker mechanism just above the grip.

Tombow is a Japanese stationery company whose excellent office-style products can be overlooked, especially here in the U.S. where the company is often better known for art supplies such as colored pencils. I previously reviewed the (also excellent) Zoom L104 Multi Pen - a slim 2+1 ballpoint/mechanical pencil that impressed me. I came away from that review intending to dive a bit deeper into the Tombow lineup, but there are only so many hours in the day that it’s taken me a few years!

When I received a huge box of select Japanese mechanical pencils from one of my distributors a couple of weeks ago, these pastel-colored Mono Graph pencils caught my eye. Tombow typically nails the price-value proposition, and at less than $8, these pencils intrigued me. I also noticed the “Shaker” description - what does that mean? Pretty much exactly what you would think.

For any Tombow mechanical pencil that uses the descriptor “shaker”, you can advance the lead by, well, giving the pencil a shake. The barrel contains a sliding weight inside that trips the mechanism and advances more graphite. This comes in handy when you’re writing. As you find yourself wearing down the point of the pencil, simply flick your wrist to extend the lead. This can be a lot more convenient than changing your grip to click a physical button mid-sentence. You can slide the clip up to activate a “lead lock” mechanism, which prevents you from accidentally “shaking” too much lead out of the pencil. Of course, you can also press down on the clip to extend the lead like a traditional knock.

The clip slides up and down to either lock the shaker mechanism in place, or to work like a traditional knock and manually advance the lead.

The second thing I love about Tombow mechanical pencils are their integrated erasers. Tombow’s white “Mono” erasers are among my favorite on the market - they last a long time, erase cleanly, and don’t leave much, if any, residue on the page. The Mono Graph mechanical pencil features this same eraser, which extends from the end of the pencil using a twist mechanism.

The Mono eraser - a longtime favorite!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As I always say, the stationery world is so broad and wide-ranging that it never gets boring. You can always find new rabbit-holes to dive into, and lately for me that’s included mechanical pencils. The Tombow Mono Graph pencils are inexpensive, comfortable to use, and feature one of the best erasers on the market. As someone who uses their mechanical pencils for writing and notetaking, as opposed to art or technical work, I’m sold on Tombow’s “Shaker” mechanism as much more than a gimmick.

The Shaker mechanical pencil comes in a range of fun colors, including the five pastel options shown here. The one I’m reviewing is the Mint (far right), and the pastel blue is ever-so-slightly lighter though it’s difficult to see in most photos.

The Tombow Mono Graph Shaker mechanical pencil is priced at $7.59 for either the standard black/blue/tricolor models or the pastel version, making it an attractive value proposition. All pencils take .5mm-sized leads. The T.G.S. Curated Shop now carries a selection of Tombow mechanical and woodcase pencils, including the Mono Graphs, as well as Tombow erasers and select pens! We’ve significantly expanded our pencil selection in recent months, and just received a large restock on most brands, so please be sure to check it out.

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Three classics: blue, Tombow “tricolor”, and black.

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

New Arrivals: Lamy Notebooks and Yet Another Interesting Paper Ruling!

As part of our never-ending quest to curate the most interesting paper rulings, we’ve added Lamy notebooks to the shop! Available in Hardcover, Softcover, and “Booklet” (Softcover Slim) formats, all of the Lamy A5 notebooks feature Lamy’s proprietary paper ruling, which is a combination of lines, grids, and dots. The slim booklets are perfect for notebook systems like the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter and the Lochby Field Journal, since you can carry multiple books under one cover. The 90g Italian paper is absorbent, so it dries quickly, and handles most fountain pen inks very well!

Lamy’s signature paper ruling is great for those who like both lined and grid notebooks. You can alternate between the two.

The hardcover and softcover versions are priced at $25, and the three-pack of booklets are priced at $15. In addition to Lamy paper, we’ve also recently restocked on Clairefontaine notebooks and writing pads in most of the formats that we regularly carry. Happy shopping!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Clairefontaine and Lamy products.

Sunday Reading for February 25, 2024

1. CAPS ‘24: The California Pen Show (via The Poor Penman). A great recap of a great pen show. In many ways, I can see how people would consider this an ideal show experience.

2. Pen Show Recap: California Pen Show 2024 (via Well-Appointed Desk). Another great recap that captures why this show was so much fun.

3. Ultem Fountain Pens: Hype or Here to Stay? (via Dapprman). My own thought is that they are here to stay - Ultem is excellent material for pens if you like the amber color, which I do - but you will likely see the hype die down a bit.

4. A Watch Pen? (via Figboot on Pens). We talked about this product on our Patreon meetup last night, and while I’m not sure I would ever use something like this, I find the concept fascinating.

5. Iroful Fountain Pen Friendly Paper: Better than Cosmo Air Light? (via Blake’s Broadcast). The quest for a replacement for discontinued papers goes on! I’ve never tried Iroful paper (from Sakae Technical Paper), but should probably check some out. You know, “for science.”

6. “Oh! I like it when he uses the fancy pens.” (via mnmlscholar). I second the observation that a younger generation is definitely taking an interest in pens and other analog tools. California Pen Show attendees skewed toward younger new users, including many who had never held a fountain pen before going to the show.

7. 17 Ink Questions (via Rachel’s Reflections). At some point I need to get around to answering the 17 Ink Questions!

8. Taking Myself Out of Choosing a Currently Inked (via mnmlscholar). Randomly pairing pens and inks can be fun, especially if you’re playing with inks already in your collection that you haven’t used in a while.

9. Journaling Series: On Starting a Journal (via Writing at Large). There are lots of posts on journaling prompts, etc., but not many on how to start a journal. As in, writing the first line.

10. TWSBI 580 ALR Black Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). The Black TWSBI 580 ALR is one of the better colors TWSBI has made in a long time, and in my opinion, a black 580 was long overdue.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I took a first look at the new Lamy Safari Special Editions, as well as the recently released Lamy Inks! Following my workshops at the recent California Pen Show, I also wrote a short piece on pen myth-busting, the main point of which is to keep revisiting generally accepted “internet truths,” as things change over time, especially as manufacturers make changes to formulations. There’s no substitute for your own personal experience! Finally, for those who attended my workshop at the California Pen Show, I posted details regarding the paper samples we exchanged if you didn’t get a chance to jot them down.

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The colorful range of the Lamy econ ballpoint! Both these and the “Noto” take the M16 refill!

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

Among other things, as noted above, a bunch of new Lamy products have landed in the shop, including the new Safari Special Edition fountain pens and rollerballs in the “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry” colorways, as well as the ink (which unfortunately is now sold out but I will try to get more). We also added two new Lamy ballpoint options: the “econ” metal ballpoints and the “Noto” new releases in Deep Blue and Chocolate.

Don’t forget to visit our newly launched dedicated Pencil section of the store! We are rapidly expanding pencil-related offerings - both woodcase and mechanical, as well as erasers and sharpeners and other accessories.

Lamy

Mechanical Pencils

Nahvalur

Wood Pencils

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Pen Myth-busting: Remember That Information on the Internet Has an Expiration Date

Last weekend’s trip to the California Pen Show only reinforced my perception that the pen community is growing, and exponentially at that! Most of my workshop attendees were attending their first pen show, and I continue to get questions via the website from readers looking to invest in their first “nice” pen, whether that’s a fountain pen, a ballpoint, or even a quality pencil.

While the internet is an excellent resource for new users, with a wealth of pen-related information available in forums, on YouTube, and on blogs (and yes, even Reddit), I’ve noticed something of mild concern: many of the “opinions and observations” about specific brands and products that I remember seeing in forums 10+ years ago are still prevalent, even if they’re no longer accurate due to updates in product offerings, ink formulations, and manufacturing techniques. I’m not faulting the newbies here: once something appears on the internet, it’s forever, and as we all know too well, if you repeat something enough times people will accept it as truth regardless of accuracy. I thought it worthwhile to do a post addressing a handful of specific beliefs/ideas that keep popping up:

I try to put my money where my mouth is.

Myth No. 1: TWSBI Pens Always Crack

I’m hesitant to even post this and resurrect “the debate”, but I feel that I have to say it because I’ve handled more TWSBIs in 10 years than most people, both as an enthusiast and (more recently) as a retailer: I have not found TWSBI's any more prone to cracking than any other plastic pen at a similar price point, and cracking is certainly not inevitable. I currently have 25 TWSBI pens in my possession, between my personal collection and product samples. I’ve probably bought and subsequently sold an equal number since 2015. During that time, I’ve had 2-3 pens develop cracks. Two were Diamond 530 and 540 fountain pens (the initial models from 2014-2016 that were indeed prone to cracking), and the other was a first-generation Diamond Mini that developed a hairline crack on the posting threads. I still have the latter pen - the crack is stable and doesn’t affect the usability of the pen. Notably - and of course I’m probably jinxing myself here - I don’t recall ever having had a TWSBI pen returned to my shop due to cracking.

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From left: Lamy Noto and Lamy 2000 ballpoints, plus writing samples from the fine and medium Lamy ballpoint refills.

Myth No. 2: Lamy Makes a Bad Ballpoint Refill

“I love the look of the Lamy ballpoints but everything I read says that Lamy ballpoint refills are terrible and you can’t replace them with an Easyflow 9000.” I get this question multiple times a month, and again, it’s largely derived from either (1) old information; or (2) someone writing a “review” extrapolating their personal preference to a general judgment about a product. My take: Starting in about 2017, the quality of Lamy ballpoint refills has consistently been excellent. Prior to that, I found the refills could be dry and often “skippy” (i.e., not writing a consistent line), but as I discuss a bit more below, ballpoint refills have improved across the board in the past 10 years, including at Lamy. Today, Lamy’s M16 refill is one of my favorite everyday writers, as is the M22 that fits the Lamy Pico. I even have a “Fine” M16 refill loaded into my 2000 ballpoint pen, and Lamy ballpoints at multiple price points constitute a core pen recommendation for those looking to give a pen as a gift. (Be sure to check out the new “Noto” and “econ” ballpoints, which are ridiculously inexpensive for their cool design.)

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In recent years, the wider availability of low-viscosity ballpoint refills like the Jetstream has driven many other manufacturers to up their game.

Myth No. 3: The Schmidt Easyflow9000 Is the Best ballpoint refill

“Does it come with an Easyflow9000, because I’ve been told that’s the only ballpoint pen worth buying.” (Translation: I read on the internet that the Schmidt Easyflow9000 is the only good standard ballpoint refill and you should therefore only buy compatible pens.) Here’s the deal: 10 years ago, you might have been right, because a lot of ballpoint refills - especially proprietary refills - were “skippy”, clogged easily, and didn’t write nearly as smoothly as Schmidt’s flagship cartridge. I used to buy Easyflows by the dozen. Today, it’s probably fourth or fifth on my list of preferred ballpoint refills, due to the increased availability of “low viscosity” ballpoint inks like the Uniball Jetstream SXR-600 in multiple formats (not to mention finer point sizes), and advances in ballpoint ink technology across the board. I would even say that I prefer Schmidt’s own P900 refill over the Easyflow, because I like a slightly drier, less oily ballpoint writing experience and the P900 accomplishes that without losing much, if any, darkness or line consistency.

Myth No. 4: Lamy 2000 Fountain Pens Suffer from disproportionately Bad Nib Quality Control

There are Lamy 2000 haters who will virulently disagree with me, but I don’t believe this “issue” ever existed on the scale many people seem to think. Based on (1) my own experience owning a dozen different Lamy 2000s in every conceivable nib size; (2) conversations with other users; and (3) my experience as a retailer, I believe the perception that Lamy 2000 nibs suffer from widespread QC failures is the result of a mismatch between personal preference/expectations and the underlying hooded design of the fountain pen and how the nib is tipped/ground, especially in the extra-fine and fine nib sizes. The finer nibs can have a more angular, almost architect-ish tipping on them, which can be incompatible with certain writing styles (especially those who rotate their pen a lot). I always allow returns if this becomes an issue, but it happens quite infrequently and upon inspection, I’ve never found what I would consider a true “QC issue” with the nib. My advice: If you like the Lamy 2000 style, but also enjoy the feel of a super-smooth, rounded nib, then start with the medium or broad and have the nib ground down if necessary. Personally, I love how Lamy 2000 fine nibs write and they are a mainstay of my everyday rotation.

(Note: You absolutely can get a bad nib on any brand or model of fountain pen, and it happens more frequently than I would like across brands. The above should be taken to say that I’ve not personally noticed more frequent nib QC issues with the Lamy 2000 than with any other pen I’ve used or sold. If it does happen, you should contact the retailer, who should replace it.)

Disclaimer And a Side Note

I am a retailer of TWSBI, Lamy, Schmidt, and many other brands in addition to those mentioned in this post, but you likely already know that if you’re a regular reader of the site. With that said, I dislike that retailers and even bloggers can feel pressured into watering down, or not offering at all, their opinions on certain brands out of fear of being labeled a “shill” or “biased.” I personally don’t feel any compunction about offering the opinions above because I’ve held them and written about them long before I became a retailer. Moreover, I do feel a sense of responsibility to offer my own opinions, especially since they’re colored by more than a decade in the pen community and having handled hundreds, if not thousands, of pens. In any event, given how I’ve structured my business, if I think a product is poor quality, I won’t sell it. I’m a bit old-school in that I think if you sell a product, you’re by implication endorsing it, and you should be prepared to stand by it if any issues arise.