Sunday Reading for September 8, 2024

1. Adjustable Section? The Sailor Tuzu (via Figboot on Pens). Pens with adjustable sections that rotate to fit your grip style have come and gone over the years. This Sailor model is less expensive and targeted towards a different market segment than most.

2. Sneaky Big (via Line Variation). I love reading about unique journaling techniques, and this one about journaling in extremely small notebooks and notepads is no exception.

3. Japanese Fashion Professionals’ Planners (via Notebook Stories). It’s always enjoyable to see how others use their notebooks and planners.

4. Back from Holiday: Galen Leather Writer’s Bank Bag Pen Pouch Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). I love these Galen pouches as well. Personally, I’d love to have one in A4.

5. Worst Nib Ever? The Simplpens Ventura (via Figboot on Pens). I’m not sure how a nib like that ever gets mailed out. I’m also not sure how David finds some of these pens. :)

6. Plotter Sizes (via Stationery Pizza). Plotter sizes generally correspond to common ringed-binder sizes used by brands like Filofax. While there is an A5 size, the others typically fall outside of the universal “A” and “B” system.

7. Choosing Keeping Pocket Notebook (via Blake’s Broadcast). I’ll be visiting Choosing Keeping in London in October, and I’ve begun the process of looking for stationery recommendations!

8. Visconti Opera Master Golden Dust (via Dapprman). I remember when these Visconti Opera Masters first became quite popular. They hold a LOT of ink.

9. A Fresh Start (via From the Pen Cup). Congratulations to Mary!

10. Ink Review: Kobe #12 Okamoto Pink (via Well-Appointed Desk). Whether or not I like pink inks typically depends on whether they lean red or peach, or another offbeat color entirely. This one definitely leans red.

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In Case You Missed It….

This week I wrote a piece on the “Bulkfiller” filling system (which I describe as a plunger or syringe-filler mechanism), and which has received a ton of attention in recent years. I offered my observations on a few different pens that use this filling mechanism, but I’ve not yet reviewed any of them in depth. Since I took a long weekend for a few days off, Saturday’s post is a recap of favorite travel-themed posts from the past few years that people have told me they find especially helpful.

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Our exclusive model of the Sunderland mk1 features a bead-blasted matte black and red finish with a DLC-coated matte clip.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine works pens have arrived!

The big news from this week is the arrival of the T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works mk1 machined pens! When we first released this exclusive collaboration several years ago, it sold out quickly. Based on reader feedback, we decided to do another run, and they are now available for purchase. Pens ship with a .7mm Pilot G2 gel refill, but are also compatible with other sizes/colors of the G2, Juice, Juice-up, Montblanc rollerball and fineliner refills, and with an extender, the Pentel Energel, Uni-ball One, and Zebra Sarasa JF.

The new TWSBI ECO in Irish Green and Onyx will also begin shipping upon my return! I’m really excited to see these pens in person, as dark green is always one of those colors that tends to be underutilized by manufacturers. For a full list of recent arrivals, please check out this week’s Thursday Drops post.

TGS x Sunderland

TWSBI

Lamy

Washi

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives (Including the Sunderland Mk1)

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month’s Patreon “special” is an extra bit off the TGS Sunderland Pen.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Vacation Recap: Traveling with Stationery, Greatest Hits

Since my goal for this long weekend is to enjoy a couple of days off, I’m bringing back the tradition of recap-style posts for vacation weeks. Today, I’ve chosen five of my favorite T.G.S. posts relating to travel stationery, ranging from questions about flying with fountain pens to posts about what I travel with and use when I’m on the road. Enjoy!

1. Your Questions Answered: Flying with Fountain Pens. Air travel with fountain pens can be tricky, and my preferred way to avoid air-travel inksplosions is to carry a pen that features some sort of shut-off valve to minimize ink leaking out the section. In addition to the pens featured in this particular post, I’d add the bulkfiller-style pens discussed earlier this week.

2. Updated Travel Kit 2024: Packing Pens, Pencils, and Notebooks for a Road Trip. Over the years I’ve adapted my stationery “travel kit” to reflect different needs and preferences, mainly adding more mechanical pencils and low viscosity ballpoints, which are often simply easier options when working on airplanes and in travel lounges and conference rooms.

3. Travel Chronicles: Actually Traveling with a Traveler’s Notebook. Lots of people ask me about my preferred setup for a Standard-size Traveler’s Notebook, and since we’re taking a pretty significant international family trip in about 6 weeks (on which I plan to bring a Traveler’s Notebook as my primary journal), it’s a topic I’ve been thinking more about.

4. 2023 Travelogue: What I Consider When Visiting Pen Stores and Shopping at Smaller Retailers in General. Whenever I land in a new town (or a favorite city I haven’t visited in a while), I try to visit all the local pen shops and pick up any special or exclusive editions you can’t find elsewhere. I do the same with independent bookstores.

5. An Overlooked Gem? The Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint Pen. Whenever I get the chance, I try to push the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint pen, which is one of my preferred vacation pens due to its compact size and the ability to clip it to the front of a book. (Though it may be rivaled by these little Anterique ballpoints, shown above.)

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

Thursday Drops: TGS x Sunderland mk1 Pens in Stock, TWSBI ECO Irish Green Onyx Pre-orders, and More

They’re here! I picked up a shipment of the T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works mk1 special edition machined pens yesterday, and shipped the first third of them out the door immediately. A huge thank you to everyone who’s has supported this project and helped convince me to bring these popular pens back (hopefully permanently).

It will be interesting to see how dark the green is. I'm excited for this one!

We also have opened pre-orders for the TWSBI ECO Irish Green Onyx edition, which was a bit of a sleeper as it came out in the middle of pen show season but may be one of the more unique releases in a fairly crowded calendar. Finally, as noted on Tuesday, we have a wide range of new arrivals from iLootPaperie, including favorite designs that have been out of stock for a while.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Note that our physical location will be closed this weekend, as we are traveling for a couple of days. Online orders will not be affected and will ship within the typical timeframe. Many thanks!

1. T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works mk1 Special Editions. Dare I say that this batch looks even better than the last? The pens are now in stock, with the first wave of orders out the door yesterday. You can read more on this pen here.

2. TWSBI ECO Irish Green with Onyx Trim Fountain Pen. The first TWSBI fountain pen with black-plated trim, at least as far as I’m aware. This particular release is going to be a “must have” for me.

3. TWSBI ECO-T Eggplant Purple Fountain Pen. We still have some limited remaining stock of this translucent purple ECO-T, a summer-y edition with the softly molded triangular grip and cap.

4. Lamy Studio Piano Red Fountain Pens. Lamy recently updated one of the best sub-$200 fountain pens with a 14k nib. The Piano Red Lamy Studio features a deep red lacquer and the signature “propeller clip”.

5. Lamy Studio Royal Red Matte Fountain Pens. My new replacement for the old Wild Rubin special edition, this dark matte red fountain pen is absolutely gorgeous. One of the more underrated fountain pens on the market.

6. Tom’s Studio Lumos Refillable Fineliners. Currently our best-selling pen of any kind! The Lumos series of refillable fineliners use interchangeable tips and fountain pen ink, making for an extremely versatile and travel-friendly pen. You can read more about how these work here.

7. Hightide Co. Sandglasses. We’ve recently received a restock of most colors in the 30 minute, 15 minute, and 15 minute slim models! Analog timers have definitely improved my focus at work, as it’s nice to not have your phone in front of you all the time. Read more about how I use analog timers here.

8. New Washi Tapes from iLootPaperie. Pasadena, California-based iLootPaperie makes some of our favorite washi tapes, featuring all sorts of fun original designs. (Warning, some of these are only for grown-ups.)

9. Laconic Tokyo Notebook and Planner Inserts. We are restocked on most formats of Laconic’s diverse array of undated planners and structured notebooks. These slim A5 notebooks allow you to customize your own planners, whether using one of Laconic’s own 2-refill covers or a higher-capacity cover like the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter or the Lochby Field Journal.

10. Lochby A5 Notebooks. We recently purchased as many of the 68gsm Tomoe River dot grid notebooks as we could get our hands on. While I don’t think the 68gsm paper is going away anytime soon, it’s insanely popular and we sell through it quickly.

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Should You Buy a "Bulkfiller"? Checking in on one of the Internet's Most Talked About Filling Systems

I’ve avoided writing about the “Conid craze” that took over the pen community during the Pandemic years. While I have nothing against these pens - I currently own a Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize that I regularly use, and previously reviewed the Bulkfiller Minimalistica - the prices these pens were commanding on the secondary market (in the multiple thousands of dollars) struck me as extreme. Today, it’s died down a bit as Conid has resumed limited production, and more companies are releasing pens with a version of the “Conid filling system”, which Conid calls the “Bulkfiller” but which has alternately been described as a syringe filler, or “pump piston” (Kyuseido’s term). While I might eventually write longer form reviews of all of these specific pens, each of which offer a slightly different take on the technology, I wanted to start with my general thoughts on the filling system itself, including what I view as its advantages and disadvantages, as well as alternatives that some might find less finicky.

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The Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize with the plunger rod engaged and extended, ready to fill.

How Does a Syringe Filling System Work?

I prefer describing this filling system as a “syringe filler” because I find it a more intuitive description of how these pens work. (Yes, I know these are distinct from various vintage filling mechanisms marketed as “syringe fillers.” This article is about the modern category of pens, and I may be using my own terminology here.) These pens use a plunger, much like a vacuum-filling pen, but while a typical vacuum-filler takes advantage of a vacuum in the barrel created when the user depresses the plunger past a certain point, a syringe-filler fills on the upstroke (like a syringe). The filling mechanism is somewhat complex, with a more involved filling process compared to most other fountain pens:

• You start by unscrewing the blind cap, which disengages the plunger rod just as you would with a vacuum-filler.

• You then pull the rod all the way back, and thread or hook the seal into the plunger head, which sits at the back of the barrel. This will allow you to push the newly assembled “plunger” all the way forward and prepare to take up ink.

• Dip the nib/section of the pen into the ink bottle, and then slowly draw back on the plunger (like a syringe), which should allow you to fill the barrel to near 100% capacity. At the top of the filling stroke, you unscrew the rod to disengage the plunger rod from the seal and slide it back into position at the top of the section.

Check out this YouTube video from Doodlebud, which is an excellent demonstration of how the Conid version of this filling system works.

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Freshly inked with 3 Oysters Doldam, a great blue-grey!

What I View as the Advantages of This Filling System

As I mentioned, this type of filling system is more complex, necessitating a more involved process to fill your fountain pen. So why should you bother, apart from the inherent “cool factor” of having such an overengineered mechanism on an already overengineered category of writing instruments?

• Ink Capacity. These pens hold an insane amount of ink (anywhere from 2-4ml, depending on the model). For those obsessed with maximizing ink capacity and using the full barrel as an ink reservoir, syringe fillers and eyedroppers are your best options. If you don’t change ink often, and want to refill as infrequently as possible while not messing around with inherently messy eyedroppers, you definitely want to consider this filling system.

• Ease of Cleaning. Because you can force a large volume of water through the pen using the high-capacity filling mechanism, these pens are easier to clean than vacuum-fillers, standard piston fillers, eyedroppers, and honestly pretty much any other pen. My Conid Kingsize demonstrator will flush clean in as little as one or two cycles.

• Travel-Friendliness. When the blind cap is fully secured and the plunger rod completely screwed down, it creates a seal between the main ink reservoir (the barrel) and the primary writing reservoir in the section, which will help prevent burping and leaks during air travel and temperature fluctuations. So not only do you have a pen that will hold an extraordinary amount of ink for an extended trip, but you have the same safeguards against “inksplosions” as a vacuum-filler or Japanese-style eyedropper system. On all of these pens, you will need to open the valve to allow ink to flow freely for a more extended writing session.

• Ink Flow. With the valve open, you can get pretty heavy inkflow due to the volume of ink in the barrel. If you enjoy wet writers, or have a broader nib or ebonite feed that uses a lot of ink, you may love this pen. That said, as I’ll discuss further below, the ink doesn’t always flow seamlessly between the two reservoirs. You sometimes have to shake/tap the pen to force additional ink from the barrel into the section, which can cause significant variations in the level of ink flowing through the nib and feed that leads to the pen writing an inconsistent line.

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The Kyusedio Kakari and Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize, both inked but not “full”. (I’ve been writing with both for a couple of weeks and look at all the ink that’s still in the pen!

The Disadvantages

• Price. Conid ran into production issues over the past several years, leading to a scarcity which pushed demand far in excess of what the company can produce, with prices increasing accordingly. Currently, a Bulkfiller Kingsize starts at $900 for the pen, which I don’t believe includes the cost of the nib, shipping, and applicable taxes and customs duties. That is, if you can get one direct from Penworld, as these are sold in limited batches that often sell out in minutes, and secondary market prices have been astronomic at times. The Kyuseido Kakari is slightly less expensive for a 14k gold nib version. Companies such as Asvine and PenBBS make lower-cost versions of this filling system in the $50-60 dollar range, which feature steel nibs, so I would likely recommend starting here simply to see if you like the mechanism and design before acquiring a more expensive option.

• Yes, the Mechanism Can Be Finicky. Because there are so many moving parts, more can go wrong. The most widespread problems I hear about with these pens, across brands, is the piston/plunger head “sticking” at the top of the barrel, and/or the plunger rod becoming stuck and not disengaging from the plunger. While these issues are more common in the lower-cost pens, I’ve had the issue occasionally arise with my Conids and Kyuseido pens as well. Thankfully, I’ve always been able to figure out a fix myself, because shipping pens internationally for a repair is not a simple (or inexpensive) proposition.

• Inconsistent Inkflow. I’ve found the ink flow on my bulkfiller/syringe-filler fountain pens to be less consistent than with my vacuum-fillers and Japanese-style eyedroppers. On nearly every pen I have used with this style of filling system, the ink has a tendency to stick at the top of the first reservoir, which requires you to shake or tap the pen to get additional ink to flow from the barrel. I assume this is due to surface tension, but it’s somewhat frustrating on pens at this price point that someone hasn’t figured out how to fix the issue. Does it keep me from using these pens? No. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t annoying. Honestly, the issue was so bad on my original Minimalistica that I ended up parting with the pen. It’s somewhat better on my new Bulkfiller Kingsize and Kyuseido Kakari, but still a factor.

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An approximation of what can happen with the ink “sticking” at the top of the reservoir and not flowing down. I tried to recreate the issue here for photography purposes, but it tends to happen spontaneously as you’re writing, requiring you to tap or shake the pen to get ink flowing again.

Closing THoughts, Alternatives for a Similar Experience, and a note on fomo

Are these cool pens, that feature a lot of clever engineering that’s enjoyable to use every day? Absolutely. Would I buy my pens again? Absolutely. Do I feel like the hype on these pens is somewhat excessive and that people should carefully consider their options before making such an expensive purchase? Also yes. As I noted in my original review of the Conid Minimalistica nearly a decade ago, these are “pen geek” pens, and I don’t recommend them to everyone, especially beginners. Be prepared to tinker a bit, and if you’re newer to fountain pens, I’d recommend trying one in person or experimenting with the lower cost options from PenBBS (Model 355) or Asvine before spending a lot of money. Honestly, try a Japanese-style eyedropper to see whether you even like a pen that holds this much ink. If you’re a serial ink-changer, you may find that you prefer cartridge-converter.

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As you can see, because they hold so much ink, they tend to be larger pens. Shown here alongside a Montblanc 146 (far left) and Waterman Exception (far right).

The observations I make in this post apply across brands and models using this filling system, so there’s no “knock” intended on any particular pen. I enjoy using both my Conid Bulkfiller and Kyuseido Kakari, both are well-made, quality pens, and they are both going with me on vacation tomorrow. As a pen enthusiast and longtime fountain pen user, I love having examples of all the creativity and craftsmanship that goes into designing these pens.

So why have I been so conscious about emphasizing the “downsides” in addition to the positives? Because I’ve noticed a significant amount of social media-generated FOMO associated with these pens, which can be dangerous with such an expensive, often sight-unseen purchase. I don’t subscribe to the mentality I’ve seen in certain forums that acquiring one of these pens should automatically be everyone’s “grail,” and I cringe when I read about relative fountain pen newbies paying thousands for secondary market Conids before ever using one. As is the case with nearly any pen or filling system, these pens aren’t for everyone, and for ever person I know who considers their bulkfiller/syringe-filler a “grail pen,” I know someone else who finds these pens finicky and frustrating to use. To that end, if you want to use one of these pens to see if they’re for you, you’re always welcome to try mine. Pen show after-hours gatherings are great venues, as are local pen clubs, and since we now have a Gentleman Stationer physical store, just stop by! (Permanent hours will be posted next week.)

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

New Arrivals: A Fresh Washi Shipment (Including more "Grown-Up" Tape!), Fixpencils, and More

Last week we listed a fairly large restock of many favorite washi tapes from iLootPaperie, including everyone’s favorite adults-only version. Also new in the shop are a new reading-themed washi tape, book-inspired vinyl stickers, as well as classic enamel pins with multiple themes that include snail mail, reading, and science.

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We’ve also recently restocked on the classic matte-black Caran d’Ache Fixpencil, including a handful of the “Creative Nomad” sets developed by Caran d’Ache in connection with Swiss lettering artist Rylsee, which include a limited edition Fixpencil, a pack of 3B leads, an eraser, Fibralo and Fibralo Brush fibre-tipped pens and a code to access an online creative class taught by Rylsee himself. Fixpencils take a 2mm lead refill, which comes in a range of hardnesses and can be sharpened to a fantastic point with a dedicated lead pointer.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized Caran d’Ache retailer and carries a broad selection of Caran d’Ache pens, pencils, and inks.