Kakimori Object Index Cedar Pocket Pen in Grey

Pen Review: Object Index Cedar Pocket Pen

September 18, 2024

If today’s pen looks somewhat familiar, it’s because Object Index has released a pocket-sized take on the Mark’style Tous Les Jours Needle-tip ballpoint, and both feature different versions of the same excellent low-viscosity ballpoint refill. I love these pens because (1) they write a very fine .5mm line that dries almost instantly, with zero smearing; and (2) the hexagonal cedar barrels convincingly imitate the feel of a woodcase pencil.

Object Index Cedar Pocket Pen in-Hand — Though “pocket-sized,” the pen is still long enough to feel balanced - sort of like when woodcase pencils reach that “perfect” length, having been sharpened several times.

Object Index is a Kakimori “sibling brand” that recently arrived in the shop. The Object Index line includes pens, pencils, and various office and desk accessories, all with a shared minimalist design and complementary colors that include grey, yellow, and natural wood tones. Their take on these “woodcase pens” is a bit more understated than the Mark’s version, with minimal branding and a brushed metal nose cone and knock. The knock feels slightly upgraded on the Cedar Pocket Pen, with more resistance and a firmer feel.

The Object Index Cedar Pocket Pen with a Needle-Tip Refill — The signature needle tip of the Ohto refill.

While marketed as a “pocket pen,” I probably won’t be carrying this one in my actual pants pocket, as it’s wood and therefore more subject to damage than a heavier duty metal pen. That said, it’s quite slim, and will fit easily into the pen holders integrated into pocket notebook covers, Plotters, and more, which makes it portable. I understand that this particular pen is also designed to fit into a notepad made by Object Index, which I may try to get in the future.

Object Index Pocket Pen Package Contents — Each pen ships with two extra refills, in addition to the one in the barrel.

These needle-tip ballpoints use refills made by Ohto, another Japanese company that makes some of the best needle-tip ballpoint and gel refills around. As I mentioned, it uses a low-viscosity ink that behaves similar to a Uniball Jetstream. Each pen comes as part of a set, which includes three refills (one in the pen, two extra in the package) and is priced at $15 and available in three colors: Grey (shown here), as well as Yellow and Natural. We also have additional refills for this pen available once you use up the three included in the pack (though this will likely take you a VERY long time). For everyday writing, these pens can’t be beat, and many thanks to Kakimori for including an extra in my shipment so that I could review it and test it out myself.

Object Index Cedar Ballpoint Writing Sample on Midori MD Paper — .5mm Needle-tip writing sample on Midori MD Memo Block paper.

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

Craighill Caro Pen and Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Side by Side

Ask TGS: "Emergency Pens" and Paper Sizes A4 vs. Legal

February 14, 2024

The questions keep coming! It turns out that I really enjoy writing these posts because they’re directly responsive to things that readers want to know. I’ve also received a lot of feedback that you all find the Q&A format helpful, so I’m going to continue to prioritize this type of writing and make this part of the regular rotation.

Question 1: Do You Carry an “Emergency Pen” That Is On Your Person At All Time?

I found this question interesting because (1) it’s somewhat offbeat/unusual and (2) I’ve curiously been asked about this topic several times in the past few months. First of all, by “emergency pen,” I believe people are referring to a very small compact pen that you keep on your person as a “last-resort” writing instrument for when you absolutely need something to sign a document, make an urgent note, etc. It doesn’t need to be comfortable to use for longer writing sessions. The key attributes here are portability, reliability - especially if it sits unused for a longer period of time - and unobtrusiveness. It’s almost always going to be some sort of ballpoint.

Craighill Caro in-Hand — My current “anywhere and everywhere” choice: the Craighill Caro Pen.

To answer this question directly: yes. For many years I carried a “Wallet Pen”, which was basically a modified D1 refill with a clip attached to it, designed to sit in the middle of a bifold wallet. I lost track of this pen long ago (it’s probably still around here somewhere), but because I’ve moved on from larger wallets to slimmer card sleeves, it would no longer meet my needs. Currently, I have two options that I usually carry as a contingency. I keep a Craighill “Caro” pen attached to my keychain, and I’ve been incredibly impressed with this simple tool that was originally recommended to me by a reader. Like the Wallet Pen, the Caro takes a D1 refill and clips to your keychain using a dock attachment that functions as a cap. The cap uses a garter spring to ensure a secure fit - I’ve been carrying this pen for four or five months now, mostly in my pocket, and I’ve not had it come loose once. After the Caro, I would probably rely on the D1 refill in my Victorinox Swiss Army knife as a true “last resort” option.

Craighill Caro Pen + Refill

Craighill Caro Pen + Victorinox "Pen"

Question 2: Will US Legal-Size Writing Pads Fit An A4 Portfolio?

One of the more vexing paper sizes for those of us who love stationery products - especially imported bags and cases - is the U.S. Legal Pad. It’s a “size” typically unique to the U.S., but there’s no uniformity - throughout my career as a practicing attorney, I’ve seen products marketed as “legal pads” that measure any where from 8.5” x 11.75” to 8.5” x 14”. While the extremely long 14” version is not nearly as common as it used to be (even in the legal profession), you still have to be careful because legal pads will not fit A4 or Letter-sized portfolios once you go past 12” in length. For example:

Legal Pad in A4 Portfolio — Show here is an 8.5” x 11.75” Roaring Springs Legal Pad in an A4 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter notebook cover. This fits quite well, but there’s no room left for a longer pad.

The pad shown in the picture above is an 8.5” x 11.75” Roaring Springs Legal Pad, which is roughly the same size as a traditional 8.3” x 11.7” A4 writing pad. This particular “legal pad” should fit most A4 portfolios and padholders, but again, pay attention to your specific dimensions when you are ordering. For additional information on how different paper sizes compare, you can check out this rough “guide” to paper sizing from a few years ago.

Ask TGS in Person: Visit us at the California Pen Show This Weekend!

Tomorrow morning I’m leaving bright and early for the 2024 California Pen Show, where I will be holding a discussion/class/seminar on “Stationery for Everyday Writing,” and I hope to keep most of the focus on questions such as the ones addressed here, as well as in other recent “Ask TGS” Posts on topics such as how to avoid staining your pens, how to get the best writing experience with specialized inks (like shimmer inks), and the best paper for written correspondence (personal or professional). I hope to see you there!

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

From left: Schon DSGN Pocket 6, Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini Mouette; Kaweco AL Sport, and Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen (Factory Green Special Edition).

Pocket Fountain Pens, Part II: Further Reflections on Pocket Carry

October 4, 2023

Back in January, I wrote a piece in the “Workhorse Pens” series that I had been thinking on for quite some time, titled the “Considerations and Pitfalls of High-Capacity Pocket Fountain Pens.” The specific focus of that article was what I refer to as “pocket ink tanks,” namely high-ink-capacity pocket pens with either a piston, vacuum, or eyedropper filling system. While it can be extraordinarily convenient for those of us who do a lot of writing to carry a full 4ml of ink around in our pocket - and some of these pens do indeed seemingly write forever - there are all sorts of caveats that you need to consider in order to avoid a pocket ink-splosion.

Yes, pocket pen converters do exist! Kaweco (left) and Sailor (right).

But what about pocket fountain pens that use a standard ink cartridge-converter filling system? Are they any “safer”, and to what extent are they subject to the same risks and considerations as the so-called ink tanks? The short answer is that cartridge-converter pocket pens are fairly low-maintenance and easy to use, but still require some attention in order to ensure an enjoyable writing experience. A few thoughts and observations:

Because cartridge-converter pens hold less ink, there’s proportionately less risk of a mess, but still a risk of a mess. Trust me, if a fountain pen ink cartridge explodes, it will cause a big mess. (Especially if you put it through the washing machine.) But it’s not 4ml worth of mess, and the ink is doubly contained, both within the cartridge, and then again within the barrel of the pen. If your pocket fountain pen has o-rings set into the cap and barrel threads, you’re even less likely to ruin your bag or clothing provided you’re always careful when uncapping the pen after travel.
Cartridge-converter pocket pens are less prone to burping and leaking into the cap. Because the ink is held inside the cartridge or converter, which in turn is inside the barrel, it’s more insulated from temperature fluctuations, which can cause “burping” - i.e., what happens when warming ink expands and gets pushed out of the nib and feed. There’s no way to eliminate the risk entirely, especially if you carry a fountain pen in your pants pocket, but I’ve had much less trouble with cartridge-converter pens than those that use the barrel itself as the ink reservoir.
Be mindful of condensation in the cap and the pen getting jostled around. No matter how careful you are, you can’t outsmart the laws of physics and thermodynamics. If you carry a fountain pen in your pocket, it’s really just a plastic or metal tube of ink that writes via a “controlled leak” through the nib and feed. If the pen gets bumped, or you’re particularly active, a drop or two of ink might leak out into the cap or onto the nib. If the pen warms up in your pocket, you might see some inky condensation on the nib. There’s no avoiding these things, so no matter what kind of pocket fountain pen you are using, use some caution when you uncap it for the first time to avoid getting any stray drops onto your clothes, desk, bag, etc.

Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini Nib — The nib on the Sailor Pro Gear Mini Sapporo - you can see some dried ink that leaked out onto the nib when I was carrying it on my Plotter Mini 5 in my pocket on an airplane. It’s minimal, to be sure, and there was no real mess, but it’s a factor to consider.

A Few Examples of Low-Maintenance Pocket Fountain Pens

I pocket carry fountain pens all the time, both cartridge-converter pens as well as the pocket ink tanks. I generally won’t hesitate to carry any of my more compact fountain pens in my pocket as long as I’m conscious of not doubling up with keys, knives, etc. Of course, the quintessential cartridge-converter pocket fountain pen is the Kaweco Sport, which has a low barrier to entry and ease-of-use, as well as tons of different materials and finishes to choose from. Honestly, if you hear the term “pocket fountain pen,” most people immediately think of the Sport, to the degree that pen has almost become synonymous with the product category.

Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini Fountain Pen — Two-toned grey? Sign me up.

It’s not the only option, however. A favorite of mine - though at a higher price point - is the Schon DSGN Pocket 6, which comes in a wild array of finishes, is compatible with Ian Schon’s in-house Monoc Nib, and features durable metal construction (complete with o-rings to protect against leaks). I’ve also had good luck with the Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen, based on a traditional “bullet pencil” design. And of course I recently reviewed the Wingback Fountain Pen.

Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini Mouette with a Seagull on the Cap Finial

So what inspired this article? This past weekend at the Dallas Pen Show, I picked up a Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini from my friends at Vanness Pens, who I was helping at their table. They are the exclusive U.S. retail partner for Japanese stationer Nagasawa, and brought with them a wide range of Nagasawa-exclusive Sailor pens that included this Pro Gear Sapporo Mini in “Mouette” two-toned grey. (“Mouette” is the French word for seagull, and the pen is adorned with a couple of different seagull motifs, including on both the nib and cap finial.) This particular Sapporo Mini came with a smaller Sailor converter (win!), and it clips perfectly to the pen loop on my Plotter Mini 5. I’ve been carrying this pen all week in my pocket alongside the Mini 5, which doubles as my wallet, and so far I’ve had no issues. This version of the Sapporo Mini doesn’t have a threaded end-cap, so it posts easily for quick deployment, likely earning it a key role in the pocket rotation going forward.

Plotter Mini 5 with Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini Mouette in the Pen Loop — Sailor Sapporo Mini on the Plotter Mini 5, and as you can see, there are no threads on the end cap of this version.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links.

Wingback Fountain Pen Capped sitting on Galen Leather Pen Rest

Expanding the Pocket Fountain Pen Lineup: A First Look at the Wingback Fountain Pen

September 16, 2023

Pocket fountain pens are hard to get right. For starters, it’s extremely difficult to design a pocket fountain pen that works for for a broad swath of the market, because once you start reducing the size and weight of the pen to so-called “pocket-sized” you limit the number of people who can use it. On the other hand, if you make a “pocket” fountain pen too big, it may no longer be truly “pocketable.”

Wingback is a UK-based designer/manufacturer of writing instruments and personal accessories, and I’ve previously reviewed their Mechanical Pencil that won a 2023 Red Dot design award. A hallmark of Wingback’s design is their ability to avoid the pitfalls of so many manufacturers who attempt to work with heavier materials such as brass and stainless steel, by striking a near-perfect balance of width, length, and weight. I now have a full set of the Wingback writing instruments - Mechanical Pencil, Mechanical Pen, and Fountain Pen - and all of them are exceptionally useable in addition to being beautiful design pieces.

Wingback Fountain Pen and Mechanical Pen — The Wingback Fountain Pen in stainless steel, shown next to the Wingback Mechanical Pen in black stainless steel. Both come with a nice cotton sleeve that you can use for pocket carry. I plan to review the Mechanical Pen in the near future.

The Wingback Fountain Pen, which recently launched on Kickstarter, adopts the cylindrical profile that’s probably familiar to many pocket pen enthusiasts, but in a size that’s somewhat uncommon and, in my opinion, fills a need in the market. For example, I loved the idea of the Kaweco Liliput, but that particular pen ultimately ended up being too small for anything more than quick notes. I’d place the Wingback Fountain Pen between the Liliput and the larger Kaweco Supra size-wise, which could be a sweet spot for those who love this type of design but have had a hard time finding a pocket pen that balances well in their hand.

Wingback Pocket Fountain Pen Showing O-Rings

The Wingback Fountain Pen adopts a minimal, streamlined design with no branding other than the subtle “Wingback” engraved on the cap. Diamond knurling is perfectly centered on the barrel when the pen is capped, and well-executed in the sense that it’s comfortable to hold this pen for long periods of time. (More on that below.) Finally, both ends of the section feature an o-ring on the threads, which protects the user from any ink leakage and prevents the nib from drying out. Interestingly, Wingback implies that this pen can be eyedroppered, stating that with the o-ring, “you can convert the pen’s chamber within its body into a reservoir for your ink of choice,” and that “we have tested and approved the stainless steel for corrosion resistance to inks, and are currently testing brass and titanium in longer long term trials.” I don’t personally eyedropper metal pens, but I do know people who have done so without incident, and as long as the metal resists corrosion long-term you should be fine. I lump this one under the header of “proceed at your own risk.”

Wingback Fountain Pen, Mechanical Pen, and Brass Showing three finishes — Three of the four finishes. Sorry, I don’t have an example of the titanium (yet).

The Wingback Fountain Pen is available in four materials/finishes to start: stainless steel (pictured here), brass, tungsten-carbide coated black stainless steel, and titanium. Custom laser engraving of up to 50 characters is also available, if you would like to personalize your pen.

Wingback Fountain Pen Bock Nib Knurled Section

Nib and Overall Writing Experience

The Wingback Fountain Pen uses a standard Bock 076 stainless steel nib, and the one I received (a fine?) arrived perfectly tuned. According to the Wingback Kickstarter page, five standard nib options will be available, including extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, or double/extra-broad. I would consider the Wingback a pure cartridge pen - while one of the mini converters from Kaweco or Monteverde might fit, those don’t hold much ink and you’re likely better off refilling a standard short international cartridge via syringe if ink choice is important to you.

Wingback Fountain Pen Shown Unposted — *The Wingback Fountain Pen measures 95mm unposted / 135mm posted.*

Though I personally find them well-balanced, some have remarked that the Wingback Mechanical Pencil and Mechanical Pen are a touch short. The Wingback Fountain Pen is indeed quite short unposted, but offers a workaround since the cap posts, much like the Schon DSGN Pocket Six or the aforementioned Liliput. While the Wingback Fountain Pen might be just long enough to jot quick notes unposted, longer writing sessions will probably require posting the cap unless you have very small hands.

Wingback Fountain Pen Posted Shown In-Hand

I’ve been using the Wingback Fountain Pen for the past two weeks, and haven’t experienced any of the hand fatigue that sometimes comes with machined metal pens of this weight. The knurled grip eliminates any slippage, while remaining subtle enough not to hurt your fingers. This pen will stay in my pocket pen rotation, and I’m considering whether to back the Kickstarter for a Black Steel or Titanium version.

Details on How to Get the Wingback Fountain Pen

As of the date of publication of this post (September 16, 2023), you have 19 days remaining to back the Wingback Fountain Pen on Kickstarter. While pledges are listed in £, they start at around $120 (which may fluctuate a bit due to the exchange rate). Wingback estimates that this will represent a 25% discount off the eventual retail price, which seems about right since both the standard versions of the Mechanical Pencil and the Mechanical Pen currently retail for around $158 USD.

Wingback Fountain Pen in the Plotter Pen Holder — Yes, for those of you who will ask, the Wingback Fountain Pen does fit in the Plotter Pen Holder!

Wingback is a company with a long track record of successful Kickstarters, so I have no concern about backing this one, but anyone considering backing a crowdfunded a project should of course be aware that Kickstarter offers no guarantee of timely delivery (or of any delivery, for that matter). Projects do hit delays, and by funding a project you are supporting the project itself, as opposed to “purchasing” a unit. That said, this project already has raised nearly $78,000 of its $2,500 funding goal, so I wouldn’t anticipate any issues here.

Disclaimer: Wingback sent me the Wingback Fountain Pen pictured here for review purposes, free of charge. T.G.S. has not otherwise been compensated for this review and is not being paid for referrals or advertising. T.G.S. is supported financially via purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Perfection, Modified: Penco "Perfection Light" Bullet Pens

March 2, 2021

I’m a pocket pen addict, and at any given time I have a dozen or so scattered around the house, in my car, in coat pockets, pants pockets, on dressers, you get the picture. I don’t even worry about losing them anymore, because I know they’ll turn up eventually, and I can always count on one being somewhere when I need it. Which is why I was especially excited to see Penco expand their lineup and release this series of inexpensive, multicolor “Perfection” pocket pens. Back in October, I started stocking the metal version of the Penco “Perfection,” and it’s sold quite well - I now offer this model in Chrome, Brass, and Black Anodized finishes.

As of today, you can pick up a Perfection “Light” from the T.G.S. Curated Shop in one of ten different colors, priced competitively at $10. While the stock refill is quite good and reminiscent of a black Uniball Jetstream, the Penco Perfection accepts any universal D1 refill so you can modify as you wish! Visit the Curated Shop to check out these and a wide variety of other pocket pens.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we sell.