Maybe because it’s Inkvent Season, but over the past several weeks I’ve received a few different e-mails asking a version of the same question:

I love shimmer inks, and want to use them in my fountain pens, but I’ve been experiencing lots of hard starts and instances where the ink clogs the nib. Is there any way to prevent this and have a better writing experience?

First, I have to admit that I’m not a shimmer ink aficionado, though I have reviewed them and tested them out a bit over the years. They are NOT, however, part of my regular writing rotation, so my experience is more limited than many. That said, I believe I’ve used them enough to offer some advice here.

Diamine Inkvent Bah Humbug — A dark burgundy ink with red/gold shimmer? Diamine Bah Humbug (Inkvent Day 12) might be my favorite so far!

Accept that some flow issues are inevitable. You’re using an ink with large particles suspended in the ink, so eventually, you will probably experience some instances of clogging and skipping when using these inks, especially if the pen is left unused for longer than a week or so. While there are steps you can take to minimize problems, which I’ll address below, shimmer inks are never going to behave exactly the same as standard writing inks. That said, newer shimmer inks flow much better - and generally dry faster with less smearing - than the first batch of inks released several years ago. The “ink technology” has gotten a lot better and each new shimmer ink release that I’ve tried has written better than the last, with fewer issues.
Clean/flush your pen regularly. While you can leave most standard inks in a pen for months without serious problems, the inevitable evaporation will make a shimmer ink thicker and cause more frequent issues. As liquid evaporates in the pen, the shimmer particles make up a larger proportion of the ink, creating a thicker consistency that doesn’t flow as well. Also, any ink that dries up in the feed will leave shimmer residue behind, causing clogs. If you ink up a pen with a shimmer ink, I recommend writing that pen dry within a week or two, and cleaning it out as soon as you begin experiencing any issues with ink flow.
Relatedly, use pens that are easy to clean. Cartridge-converter pens, Japanese-style eyedroppers, and piston fillers that can be disassembled are all great options because they allow you access to the internal parts of the pen where you can flush them out with a syringe or run them through an ultrasonic cleaner.
Use a broader nib. I’ve always had much better luck with shimmer inks in broader nibs - both round broad nibs and stubs are good options. Not only will you use up the ink faster, but you’ll put more ink on the page which gives you a smoother-feeling writing experience and also allows you to enjoy the shimmer effect since the shimmer tends to pool in the broader lines. My go-to shimmer ink pen is any sort of TWSBI with a broad nib.
Use smoother paper with less texture. Smooth, bright white paper not only shows off the color best, but you avoid having paper fibers contribute to any clogging issues, something that can happen with heavily textured paper. I enjoy using Clairefontaine, Write Notepads, and of course Tomoe River papers with shimmer inks.

Shimmer Ink at the Bottom of a Bottle, showing gold shimmer flecks — Believe it or not, most pen companies did not design their pens to accommodate the amount of shimmer many ink manufacturers now offer!

Finally, it goes without saying that writing with shimmer inks is supposed to be pure fun, so don’t take the process too seriously. A fountain pen is a higher-maintenance writing instrument to begin with, which requires some level of attention to things such as pen cleaning and ink/paper combinations. Using specialty inks such as shimmer inks, heavy sheeners, multichromatics, etc. introduces new factors into the equation, so be prepared to experiment to find what works best, and remember that experimentation is part of the fun in this hobby! It’s also important to remember that most pen manufacturers do not make shimmer inks and accordingly, do not design their pens to use these inks. If a specific pen “doesn’t work well with shimmer,” it doesn’t mean that the pen is “defective,” just that the specific design of that pen is incompatible with how you personally want to use it.

Shimmer ink lovers - I want to hear from you! What are your tips for enjoying shimmer inks in fountain pens? Leave a comment or send a message through the contact link!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’re looking for gift ideas, check out our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide!

Today’s post is the second installment in a series of answers to questions that I regularly get in my mailbag (both “snail” and virtual). I had so much fun with the first round of Q&A that I went ahead and did another addressing questions about how I choose to stock the shop and my overall retail philosophy. Here goes!

What is your shop philosophy, and in general, why have a shop at all?

What actually drew me into the world of “curated retail” was a frustration with emerging retail and marketing trends in the greater online pen community. As pens and other analogue tools have grown in popularity over the past decade, this higher profile was accompanied by an increase in analog-related internet content - some of it thoughtful and high-quality, but a lot of it simply FOMO and acquisition-driven noise that amounted to little more than paid advertising for inferior products and/or affiliate link farms. As someone who had been working mainly as a blogger/reviewer for several years, manufacturers and retailers were sending me products that I didn’t feel added much to the larger picture, and which weren’t nearly as good as products already on the market. I didn’t enjoy reviewing them as much as I enjoyed writing about things like the joy of finding a Workhorse Pen or experimenting with notebook systems. Morever, it felt as though the proliferation of review and social media content on “the next big thing” was starting to drown out more helpful content targeted to those primarily looking for a reliable “first” pen or a daily driver that they intended to use for everyday writing.

Towards the latter half of 2019, I decided to let paid advertising expire on the blog and unlinked my affiliate accounts, with the goal of becoming 100% self-sustaining. I opened a Patreon account, placed an order for Book Darts and Write Notepads (thanks guys!) and took a table at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show. While running a shop involves a LOT more daily work than relying on income generated by referrals, I prefer this method of operating for three reasons that are very important to me personally:

Independence. I no longer have to navigate the politics of offering a negative or lukewarm opinion on a product given to me by a paid monthly sponsor or advertiser. While there’s always going to be some degree of tension - I still review products made or provided by those I consider friends and colleagues - the lack of a paid relationship removes a layer of complications. I can choose to write my own content and/or review what I want, when I want, without having to worry about preserving a business relationship or ensuring that my site remains appealing to potential advertisers. If someone loans or gives me a pen that I want to review on a one-off basis, I simply disclose that fact. In a bit of internet heresy, I ignore site analytics as they have little value to me. Knowing whether people choose to support me by buying from the shop or pledging Patreon is enough.
Accountability. If I recommend a pen and you purchase it from a third-party advertiser or referral source, I have no control over the customer experience, whether at retail or in after-market customer service. On the other hand, if I’m selling directly, I can do whatever I can to ensure the customer experience is positive, and address any customer service or warranty issues that may arise myself.
Transparency. In my opinion, selling directly and not relying on third-parties is one of the most transparent ways to generate revenue. Any business has to navigate conflicts of interest, particularly when reviewing products or offering opinions, but under my current model you all know exactly how I get paid: through the shop or Patreon. If I write about a product or brand sold in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, I try to be as objective as possible, but to the extent there is a conflict of interest readers know exactly what that is. Third-party relationships with affiliate networks and advertisers get murky, and in my opinion many blogs and websites (not just in the pen world but all across the internet) fail to adequately disclose both the existence of these relationships and the extent/nature of the financial compensation being paid. I’m not throwing shade - the “rules” (where they exist at all) are murky and involve all sorts of judgment calls. Personally, it felt like the right choice to just remove the issue from my own business model as much as I possibly can.

Has Your Philosophy/strategy Evolved or Changed over the years?

I first launched the T.G.S. Curated Shop in early 2020, with the goal of offering a small selection of handpicked goods that best reflected my philosophy of how I use stationery. In short, I chose practical, well-made goods within a moderate price range, targeted to those who use their stationery on a daily basis for work and study. Over time, in response to reader/customer feedback and what I perceive as the needs of the market, I’ve branched out a bit to include some special editions and products that are just “pure fun,” but at the end of the day I would say that the mix of products in the shop is weighted 80/20 to my original philosophy, and occasionally I find myself dialing it back to return to my original focus.

What’s The Plan for T.G.S. in 2024? Do You Plan to Open a Physical Shop?

Right now, my family and I are just trying to survive the holiday season, but if I had to set a goal for 2024, it would be to further grow the shop while refining the product selection, including more custom and exclusive items. Our collaboration with Hinze Pens was extremely successful, we sold out of our second run of the T.G.S. Penwell, and in October we were proud to become one of a handful of retailers in the U.S. to carry Roterfaden. If I had to point you to an area of the shop where we test product categories and experiment in areas where we are actively considering expansion, check out the “Reading and Desk Accessories” page, which also offers a lot of insight into my own personal interests and hobbies. We are also looking to expand our selection of woodcase pencils, in response to what we perceive as a gap in the market. And while we almost certainly will have a permanent physical location in 2024, it remains to be seen exactly what that will entail as so much depends on a local real estate market that is incredibly unfriendly to small business.

Joe's Analog Library, including Roterfadens in front of a Bookshelf — My house is basically a museum of the analog life.

In terms of content, I don’t review as many “new releases” as I used to, and this is by design. Longtime readers may wonder why I often circle back to pens I’ve previously reviewed, such as the Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 74, or Pilot Custom 823. The reason relates to what I alluded to above - there are new users entering this hobby every day, and the internet (and social media) often suppresses older content in favor of the new and shiny. Those searching for a “best first fountain pen” can miss out on an excellent recommendation because the reviews of said pen were published eight years ago. While it’s important to stay current on new trends, the priority of T.G.S. is to offer a well-rounded perspective on what’s out there as a whole, which includes regularly coming back to the basics.

I do get a lot of mail, and unfortunately there just aren’t enough hours in the day for prompt responses. Please know that I read everything! I try to get back to everyone eventually, but as the readership grows it may not be possible logistically to do personalized replies.