Thursday Drops: Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog, Pilot Preras, Colorvent Calendars and More!

Ok, so with the arrival of the 2025 Colorverse Colorvent Calendars, the holiday season has officially kicked off! If you’re looking to acquire a Colorvent Calendar for this year, please don’t sleep on these as we are already more than halfway sold through our allocation, and once these are gone there will be no more. And no, I have not opened mine yet - there will be no spoilers here until December 1!

View fullsize

I decided to pick a SFM in the Lavender Fog, and a Medium Honey Yellow Prera!

We also received the first shipment of the U.S. exclusive Pilot Custom 74, “Lavender Fog.” I was especially excited for this pen because Pilot has chosen to release it in four relatively uncommon nib sizes: Soft Fine, Soft Medium, Soft Fine-Medium, and Double Broad. (As a huge FM fan, that’s what I picked.) In addition to the Custom 74, we’ve received the latest solid-color Pilot Preras, and have restocked on nearly all Pilot fountain pens and inks!

Our Nashville store is open this weekend from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10-6pm on Saturday. Note that we will be in our current location (Suite 113) before moving over to Suite 107 on the front of the building NEXT WEEK, just in time for our in-store event with Vanness Pens and Newton Pens. Hope to see you there!

1. Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog. This year’s U.S. exclusive release from Pilot features a gorgeous translucent lavender acrylic that to me appears to have almost grey undertones. The kicker is the nib selection here. Soft Fine-Medium for the win.

2. New Pilot Prera Fountain Pens. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the clear Prera, but once Pilot announced these vintage-y solid colors (Empress Teal, Honey Yellow, Porcelain White, and Cinnamon Brown), I jumped. The Prera is an excellent mid-range Pilot that should appeal to those looking for a midsized pen that is small enough to be portable yet posts long enough to write with for more extensive sessions.

3. Colorverse Colorvent. Whether you’re an Advent calendar fanatic or simply looking for a way to jumpstart your ink collection by experimenting with 25 different colors, the Colorverse Colorvent Calendar is an excellent solution!

4. Lamy Studio “Orion” Edition (Fountain Pens, Ballpoints, and Rollerballs). The latest Studio release from Lamy features a deep burgundy matte finish. I personally opted for the rollerball this time, and also went ahead and pulled a Royal Red Matte fountain pen because who knows how long those will last….

5. Pilot E95s Fountain Pens. We’ve restocked in all nib sizes of what I’d consider one of the best buys on the market for a gold-nib fountain pen. The burgundy and ivory color combination offers a unique look.

6. Pilot Explorer Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. Pilot’s Explorer line is undergoing a refresh, with some colors being phased out and possibly new colors substituting in. If you’ve been eyeing one of the existing colors, this may be the last shipment before they change over.

7. Hightide Sandglasses. One of our original items offered in the shop remains one of our top sellers! We have these hourglasses/sandglasses in different colors and time intervals.

8. Anecdote Hardcover Notebooks. I love the feel of the buckram covers of the Anecdote A5 notebooks, and these have a nice price point. Most colors are back in stock.

9. Lochby Field Journals and Field Folios. Available in multiple sizes and colors, the Lochby Field Journals (strap closure) and Field Folios (zipper closure) are cord-based journals that can hold up to 6 slim notebooks. The waxed-canvas exterior will patina nicely and makes an excellent alternative for those who don’t want leather.

10. Notsu Index Cards. These fountain pen friendly index cards are available in graph and dot grid layouts, productivity formats, and a large 5x7 foldable size. Notsu also makes a line of accessories to help you carry and organize your cards.

View fullsize

2025 Colorverse Colorvent Calendars are here!

Yes, it’s that time of year already! The 2025 Colorverse Colorvent Calendars have arrived, with 24 new inks ready for you to open starting December 1 (or immediately). Note that the colors pictured below are last year’s colors, and are solely to give you a sample look at what you can expect from this year’s calendar, which is a mystery…. No spoilers!

View fullsize

We also have the “Top 3” Inks from the 2024 Colorvent calendar that Colorverse chose to add to the permanent lineup. Two of them are “Glistening” (shimmer) inks while another is a sheener. All are available in full-sized bottles.

Don’t sleep on the Colorvent Calendars because retailers are given a limited allocation and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Colorvent Calendars are currently available for purchase online and any that remain will be made available in the brick-and-mortar store this week, Thursday and Friday 1-6pm and Saturday from 10-6pm.

View fullsize

The Colorvent Calendars contain 24 individual 15ml bottles of new Colorverse inks. It’s almost like an instant ink collection!

Friday Drops: New Platinum Preppy Wa Edo-Monogatami, Colorverse Colorvent Top 3, and More Viarco!

This week’s Drops post is a bit late, and it’s because I had to spend yesterday listing a bunch of new inventory as it arrived. New arrivals include the latest Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” series, dubbed “Edo-Monogatami” and themed around various aspects of life during Japan’s Edo period. (You may recall that the Taccia Ukiyo-e fountain pen inks reflect Edo period art, so consider whether these pens and inks might be a good match!)

View fullsize

After a somewhat lengthy wait, we also have the much-anticipated Colorverse “Top 3” inks from the 2024 Colorvent Calendar, and the three colors chosen were Christmas Star, Pulsar Pulse, and Milky Way. You can purchase a set containing three 15ml bottles (one of each color) plus four complementary washi tapes, or you can purchase a standard 65ml bottle of individual colors. Finally, we have the new Lamy AL-Star pens and pencils highlighted in Tuesday’s post, as well as a full Viarco pencil restock.

Another reason why it’s been a bit quiet here recently - in addition to Pen Show travel - is that we are expanding our store! Next week we will be taking over a larger showroom to create dedicated viewing and shopping space (though we will still have our current location as our warehouse, office, and event space, and it will likely be some time before the new space is open.) Come see us this week on Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, as well as Saturday from 10am-6pm, so you can see all of these and more in-person!

1. Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” Edo-Monogatami Special Editions. All of the most recent Platinum “Modern Maki-e” releases are now available, themed around life in Japan’s Edo period.

2. Colorverse Colorvent “Top 3” Ink Sets and Bottles. We knew it was coming, but Colorverse has finally released the Top 3 inks from the Colorvent Calendar, available either in a set of three 15ml ink bottles with matching washi tape, or as individual 65ml bottles.

3. Lamy AL-Star Dark Dusk and Mint Special Editions. The latest Lamy AL-Star pens and pencils have landed, in two new green and blue colorways.

4. Laurett’s Ebonite Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils. I picked up several of these Laurett’s machined ebonite ballpoints and mechanical pencils at the D.C. Pen Show after visiting the Laurett’s table. The combination of precision knurling and ebonite is unlike anything I’ve seen before.

5. Archer & Olive Traveler-sized Notebooks. These A5 Slim hardcover notebooks have proven popular so we are likely going to bring in additional sizes, as well as more of the Traveler’s-size notebooks.

6. Viarco Pencil Restock! We spent most of yesterday afternoon listing a half-dozen different varieties of Viarco pencils and accessories, including all of the standard office pencils in HB and B hardnesses as well as the vintage series. Oh, and…

7. Viarco Pencil Caps. Pencil caps are back! These simple metal spring-style pencil caps protect your long-point-sharpened wood pencils in transit. Available in the boxes of 8 or larger packs of 20.

8. Blackwing Volume 140 Pencils. We have some remaining stock of the latest Blackwing Volumes release, inspired by stainless steel cookware and the Maillard Reaction. These are very nice looking pencils, and there are also high-quality recipe cards to pair with the release.

9. Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil. The Perfect Pencil is back! We have the more reasonably priced version, which you won’t be afraid to carry and use as intended, as an everyday sharpener and pencil extender.

10. Faber-Castell Grip Trio Sharpener in New Colors. The Grip Trio pencil sharpener allows you to sharpen standard, jumbo, and colored pencils, and now comes in three new colors.

View fullsize

And yes, we’ve added to our selection of Bicolor annotation pencils!

So Who Won 2024? Final Thoughts on Inkvent vs. Colorvent

This “Inkvent Season” was the first year that Diamine and Colorverse went head to head with their respective “Inkvent” and “Colorvent” ink advent calendars. So who did it better? In my opinion, Colorverse, and it wasn’t even particularly close. This was a bit of a reversal, where I thought Inkvent was leading for the first 10 days. Colorverse not only grew on me over time, but ran away with the victory starting about halfway through the month.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Diamine Ink, but primarily their standard colors. I’m partial to more subdued, muted shades - even if I do enjoy a subtle shimmer ink on occasion - and this past year’s Inkvent focused too much on “extreme sheen”, which might be my least favorite ink property. I found these inks slow to dry, and they often featured so much gold or green sheen that you couldn’t even see the base color once the ink was on the page.

View fullsize

Yep, the sheen on this ink led to smearing weeks later.

Of all the Colorverse Colorvent Inks, however, there were only a handful that I couldn’t see myself using on a regular basis. The Colorvent Calendar went heavy on the blues, reds, and multi-shading greys, and while many of these colors aren’t particularly “festive”, I personally appreciate the fact that I can use them year-round, especially after shelling out close to $200 for the Colorvent. It’s a lot of ink, and I actually plan to keep most of it!

View fullsize

Diamine Wishing Tree was my favorite of the 2024 Inkvent Inks. You can check out my overall favorites from the first half of the two calendars here.

View fullsize

I REALLY want Colorverse to add this particular ink to their permanent collection. This was prominently featured in my recap of Inkvent/Colorvent, Part II.

Grab Some Select Inkvent Samples, While Supplies Last!

I can’t keep everything, so I’ve dropped this year’s Inkvent samples and some remaining from prior years into the “Gently Used/Clearance” section of the shop. Patreon Members already have had first crack at these, but there’s still a lot of ink left to go out the door. Also, please be sure to check out the rest of our brands, as we’ve recently brought in several new lines including Teranishi, Taccia, Diamine 150th Anniversary, and more!

Our brick and mortar shop is typically open for regular hours Thursday through Saturday, and otherwise by appointment. For directions and specific hours keep an eye on this page, which will reflect any changes due to anticipated inclement weather later this week.

Inkvent and Colorvent 2024: Recapping Days 11-20

I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the reaction to how I’ve handled Inkvent/Colorvent season this year, as everyone seems to enjoy the daily Instagram polls. I personally enjoy seeing which inks people prefer, and the poll results have definitely included some surprises. Without further ado, here are the top three inks from both the Colorverse Colorvent and Diamine Inkvent calendars, respectively. Note that these polls are not at all scientific, and depend entirely on how many people responded to the Instagram stories poll as of the date of this post. If your favorite ink isn’t included here, go vote! (And if you missed the recap of the first 10 days, you can check it out here.)

Top Three Colorverse “Colorvent” Inks from Days 11-20: NGC 2264, PUlsar pulse, and brinicles/milky Way (tie)

View fullsize

Easily my favorite ink from both Colorvent and Inkvent. This dark green should be a frontrunner to be added to regular Colorverse lineup next year. Poll results were near-unanimous.

View fullsize

It came as no surprise to me that Pulsar Pulse was a favorite.

View fullsize

Ok, so the "third place” Colorvent ink was actually a tie between “Brinicles” and “Milky Way” (shown below). I enjoyed both inks so I decided to include both in the top “three”!

View fullsize

Given the connection people have long drawn between the “Advent Calendar inks” and shimmer, I’m surprised that the Colorvent Calendar hasn’t included more shimmer inks. That said, those that have appeared in the calendar are very good.

Top Three Diamine “Inkvent” Inks from Days 11-20

View fullsize

Snow Glob surprised me with how popular it was, yet it’s sort of understandable since it’s one of the more “usable” Inkvent inks from this year.

View fullsize

Winterberry, with it’s deep red hue and pink shimmer, is probably my own favorite from this year’s Diamine shimmer inks.

View fullsize

Blue inks with red sheen are always popular. No exceptions.

Overall Takeaways from Inkvent/Colorvent, Part II

My personal takeaways from the first ten days hold true: the Colorverse Colorvent calendar contains more inks that I would use as everyday writers, whereas the Diamine Inkvent calendar features inks that are more traditionally “festive” and associated with winter and the holiday season. Given how much I’ve enjoyed the Colorverse inks, I’m strongly considering adding Colorverse to the shop as a standard brand in 2025. The dark green NGC 2264 is my favorite ink so far from both calendars, and it’s not even close. Stay tuned for the final five days and a general wrap up next week!

We have exactly ONE Diamine Inkvent calendar left. It’s not too late to grab samples of all the inks! Even though the inky advent calendars are mostly sold out, we still have plenty of ink available in our shop, including lots of recently added brands! If you’d like to peruse ink in person, we have extended holiday hours Saturday through Monday before taking a long-awaited break for Christmas. Come see us!