Chicago Trip Ink Haul: Several from Sailor Ink Studio & Sailor Manyo HaHa

November 20, 2021

It’s been that kind of week: I’m just now getting around to unpacking my bags from last week’s Chicago trip, before I turn around and head out the door again on Tuesday for the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S.! I have a few review posts in the works, but couldn’t help sharing my initial swatches of five different Sailor Inks I picked up at Anderson Pens Chicago. Consistent with my latest obsession, all of these inks are double-shaders that, despite some initial hesitation, appear to be quite legible and might make good everyday writers. Also, look at the color shift in the ink as it dries! (And yes, I know I got the numbering wrong in the writing sample. 242 should be 252.)

Time lapse part 2: Check out the color change as the inks dry, especially on Ink Studio 173 and 280. Sailor Manyo HaHa is one of the prettiest double-shading blues I’ve seen.

I’m becoming a bigger fan of both Sailor Ink Studio and the Sailor Manyo inks, the more I use them. Sailor inks are always well behaved, and the Ink Studio line features dozens of unique colors unlike anything I’ve seen elsewhere. Currently, you can only find these inks at select Sailor retailers, including Anderson Pens which carries the inks online and in their Appleton, Wisconsin and Chicago stores. For the record, the inks featured in this post are as follows: Sailor Manyo Haha (50ml, $19), Sailor Ink Studio 252 (20ml, $18), Sailor Ink Studio 173 (20ml, $18), Sailor Ink Studio 280 (20ml, $18), Sailor Ink Studio 670 (20ml, $18). Look for some more follow-up observations as I get these into rotation and work them through some pens.

This post does not contain affiliate links. I was not compensated for this review, and I purchased the inks with my own funds, though I did receive a slight discount on the purchase. Many thanks to Anderson Pens for making this review possible.

Anderson Pens Chicago Inside Palmer House Hotel

Great Pen Stores: A Quick Trip to Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers

November 13, 2021

I’m traveling on a short family trip to Chicago this weekend, and I did want to report back that, yes, I made time for a pen-related excursion to two excellent stationery stores, Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers. Anderson Pens Chicago is the Chicago outpost of Appleton, Wisconsin-based Anderson Pens, run by longtime friends and pen enthusiasts Lisa and Brian Anderson. Pre-pandemic, I had been planning a trip to both the Chicago and Appleton stores, but the world changed and the Chicago location was forced to close due to their location in the Palmer House Hilton (which was also closed). I was happy to learn that the Chicago store is now reopened and Lisa was in for the day so I was able to stop by and visit for an hour or so! Anderson Pens carries the full line of Sailor pens and Sailor Ink Studio Inks (which I stocked up on), as well as a wide array of other brands.

Atlas Stationers Chicago Ink Selection — Both Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers feature a massive selection of fountain pen ink. Shown here is Atlas Stationers’ “ink aisle.”

Atlas Stationers is another longtime, family-owned Chicago stationery retailer (est. 1939!) that’s only recently become more involved in the fountain pen scene, including attending pen shows. I ducked in on Friday afternoon shortly before closing, so unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time to look around, but I did manage to pick up some new inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” line, as well as a sample set of the Ferris Wheel Press “Bookshoppe” Collection Ink Charger Set.

Next time you’re in Chicago - and certainly if you live in the area - you owe it to yourself to visit both of these stores. I’ll be making follow-up visits in the future, when I’ll have a chance to do more thorough photography and I don’t have the time constraints of a family trip. I love to support independent stationery retailers, and I have a section on the website where I archive past reviews and recaps of in-person visits to retailers.

This post does not contain paid advertisements or affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from The T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

A New Distributor and Other Updates from Diplomat, Germany's Unsung Hero

October 31, 2018

Diplomat is one of those pen companies that traditionally has flown under the radar. They make high quality pens that are true workhorses, yet for whatever reason never garner the same amount of attention as the other major German brands. With a new distributor in place for the U.S. (Yafa, who also distributes Monteverde, Pineider, and Stipula, among other brands), I would expect that to change. Diplomat pens certainly had a wider presence at this year’s D.C. Pen Show, and more retailers are starting to carry their full lineup.

So What’s New with Diplomat Pens?

I’ve previously reviewed a couple of Diplomat’s offerings, including the iconic, Zeppelin-inspired Aero. During a bout of downsizing a year ago, I sold off my two Aeros, but missed having the pen so I picked up a new one in matte black. I immediately noticed a few differences.

The logo on this Aero seems like it will stay put. The one aspect of the Excellence A2 that I dislike is the plastic cap finial - I think it cheapens the look of the pen.

While Diplomat has not made any major design changes to the Aero, the finish seems less “matte” than in previous versions. This change may have been intended to increase durability - while the previous version looked great, the coating had a tendency to chip and flake, and as reflected in my prior review, the logo on the top of the cap actually scratched off. The snap cap also feels tighter, which is a welcome adjustment and makes the pen feel higher-quality. Previously, I had heard reports of Aero caps loosening over time and developing a tendency to spin and rattle, much like I experienced with the Lamy Aion.

Even though Diplomat uses standard JoWo nib options in stainless steel or gold, they’re well-tuned and come engraved with Diplomat’s “propeller” logo.

Recently, I’ve also had the opportunity to test the Excellence A2, Diplomat’s follow-up to the Excellence A. While the Aero receives most of the attention due to its distinctive design, the “Excellence” series is Diplomat’s conservative “flagship” pen - plainly directed at a business crowd - and it may remind you of a rounded version of Waterman’s “Exception” series (only much less expensive). According to the Diplomat website, the updated “A2” features a new and improved spring-loaded clip, as well as a “soft sliding click” cap that Diplomat claims is more durable. (From the product descriptions on the Diplomat website, it appears they made the same adjustments to the cap closure on both the Excellence line and the Aero.) I wrote with the Excellence A2 at work fairly extensively for two weeks, and enjoyed the pen. The section offers plenty of grip space, and the pen itself seems indestructible.

A good clip is a crucial element to a daily workhorse, at least for me. The spring-loaded clip on the Excellence A is solid - no cheap folded metal here.

The one potential drawback to the Excellence A2 is the weight, especially if you post. The pen is very well-balanced either way, but it’s still substantial. This didn’t end up as an issue for me - my hands are just large enough to handle a heavier pen - but if weight tends to bother you I’d test this one in person before committing to a purchase.

The overall build quality on the Diplomat Excellence A2 impressed me, from the simple, subtle engraving around the cap band to the metallic “Midnight Blue” finish. Here you can also see the addition of the spring loaded hinge on the clip.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Both the Excellence A2 and the Aero are nice pens that deserve your consideration if you’re in the market for a reliable workhorse that’s compatible with all of the JoWo nib units you may own. As I’ve mentioned before, as far as JoWo nibs go, Diplomat’s are some of the best out there. I’ve heard the company works closely with JoWo to ensure the nibs used on Diplomat pens are properly tuned, and I’ve not experienced any issues with them being misaligned or scratchy.

I acquired both of the Diplomat pens featured in this post from site sponsor Pen Chalet. Pricing on both the Excellence A2 and the Aero ends up at a street price of around $150, sometimes a bit less if there’s an applicable coupon code. This places Diplomat around the same price point as brands such as the new Esterbrook, production-line Edison pens, and Franklin-Christoph (and maybe even a bit lower). Given the quality, the price is reasonable, and I have no difficulty recommending Diplomat as a brand to someone who likes their style.

In addition to the traditional matte brown, black, silver, and orange, Diplomat recently released the Aero in two new colors: blue and “factory” (raw aluminum). Also, our sponsor Anderson Pens currently stocks a special edition version of the Aero in a gorgeous bright red. Be sure not to miss the latter if you’re considering an Aero. That one’s a stunner.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Ink Review: Noodler's Blue

November 25, 2017

I rarely review an individual ink by itself. I tend to prefer to review them in batches of three or more from a particular line or brand because it makes it easier to see whether the line as whole is consistently good or whether certain inks are outliers. Occasionally, however, an ink will surprise me, and I'll give it its own writeup. One of those inks turned out to be Noodler's Blue.

Ink swab on a Col-O-Ring Ink Testing Book.

Noodler's Blue is one of the standard Noodler's colors, meaning that the ink is not waterproof, "bulletproof," lubricating, glow-in-the-dark, etc. It's straight up water-based fountain pen ink, and I found it to be very well behaved, with a reasonable dry time and no smearing. The color is gorgeous - a bright blue with none of the washed-out look that you sometimes get with standard blues.

While Noodler's Blue isn't what I would call a heavy shader, you will probably see a bit of shading and variations of tone and color with a wider nib.

With an ink this vibrant, I expected to have issues with staining. When I was syringe-filling a pen from a sample vial, I spilled a rather significant amount of Noodler's Blue into a white sink. I'm happy to report that the ink cleaned right up with water and a paper towel, and my marriage survived. That said, I currently have this ink loaded into a TWSBI 580 clear demonstrator, so we'll see how easy that pen can be cleaned out after a few weeks.

A Note on Noodler's

Noodler's gets a bad rap in certain corners of the pen community because some of their inks have a tendency to be "high maintenance," meaning that they can exhibit slow dry times, clog and stain pens, and bleed through what should otherwise be fountain pen friendly paper. A few general observations that I try to keep in mind when using Noodler's:

The brighter, more saturated colors contain high concentrations of dye. These are often beautiful, very unique colors, but be aware that inks with heavy dye loads often have a tendency to smear even after the ink is dry, and can clog a pen if you leave it unattended for too long. I sometimes decant Noodler's Ink into a sample vial and add a couple of drops of water, which dilutes the ink ever so slightly without affecting the color much at all.
Some Noodler's inks are famous for their "special properties." (i.e., the "bulletproof" inks are permanent, the "eel" series contains added lubricant, the "polar" inks won't freeze, etc.) Those properties, however, require adding chemicals to the ink that may impact the ink's performance in everyday writing situations. The trade-off may not be worth it if you don't have a good use-case for an "eternal" ink or one that doesn't freeze. A great guide to the different Noodler's Inks and their special properties can be found at Goulet Pens.
Because so many Noodler's Inks are "permanent" or "bulletproof," that necessarily means that they not only are hard to wash out of paper, but also pens (and carpet). Exercise good judgment when deciding which pens to use with permanent ink - your light-colored vintage celluloid collection isn't the best option here.

Where to Buy

You can purchase a bottle of Noodler's Blue at Anderson Pens. One great thing about Noodler's is the value - you get 3 oz. (90ml) of ink for $12.50. A single bottle of Noodler's will last you a long time, especially if you dilute the more saturated colors with a bit of water, as I discussed above. Each of these glass bottles comes filled to the brim, so be careful when uncapping.

Disclaimer: Anderson Pens sent me this ink sample free of charge, for review purposes. Many thanks to the folks at Anderson Pens for sponsoring the blog and making this review possible.

Ink Review: The Colors of Caran d'Ache

September 9, 2017

I now understand why people enjoy Caran d'Ache inks so much. Like other Caran d'Ache products, the inks don't attempt anything crazy in terms of color range or special properties, but they are extremely solid quality-wise. I sampled three colors, Idyllic Blue, Ultra Violet, and Delicate Green, and had no problems with any of these inks. Of the three, Ultra Violet - a dusky purple - was my favorite, followed by the Delicate Green (reminiscent of Akkerman No. 28 Hofkwartier Groen), with the Idyllic Blue coming in third, just because I found it a touch plain.

The Ultra Violet made for a great work ink. For some reason, dusky purple inks always work well for me on cheap office paper. Maybe it's something about the combination of dyes?

My second-favorite was this grass-green color, which I used as an editing ink. The paper that I used for these ink swabs came from Ana Reinert's Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book!

It should come as no surprise that like other Caran d'Ache products, the possible tripping point is price. Caran d'Ache inks have never been inexpensive, although the price point now sits at a more palatable $32 for a 50ml bottle, as opposed to the $40+ that I recall these inks commanding when they were first released. I've noticed the price of ink creeping up in general over the past year, so I'm not sure Caran d'Ache is that far outside the "mainstream" of other imported inks such as Sailor Kobe ($30), Akkerman ($29); or Pelikan Edelstein ($26).

You can purchase the full range of Caran d'Ache Inks at Anderson Pens, and they're available in cartridges as well as bottles.

Disclaimer: Many thanks to the folks at Anderson Pens for sending me these ink samples free of charge. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.