As you can see, these particular notebooks got some good use. Penwell Traveler in the background!

Notebook Review: Kunisawa Find Notebooks

October 24, 2018

A representative of the Kunisawa Stationery Company reached out to me a couple months ago and offered to send me some of their recently released notebooks to review - I didn’t realize that it would basically be a crate! I have three of each of their various products, and as I work my way through the different sizes and rulings, I’ll post my thoughts on the notebooks and pads. First up are the “Find Note Hard” and “Find Note Smart” - the first is a fairly standard A5 notebook, and the second is a tall and slim hardback pocket notebook, which is easily my favorite of the two. But first some information on the company itself.

One thing Kunisawa nailed was the logo and the texture of the covers. The Smart Note (top) feels like an old-school pocket ledger, and the A5 Hard notebook features a sheeny vinyl that also feels nice in the hand.

Background on the Kunisawa Stationery Company

Prior to receiving these notebooks, I’d never heard of Kunisawa Stationery. Per their website, it’s a new venture launched in 2017 by Kawachiya, an older, established Japanese paper manufacturer. Kunisawa is to be marketed as a “prestigious stationery brand for business performers,” and they’ve clearly focused on making a clean, fairly minimal notebook that doesn’t look out of place in an office or a boardroom. For their logo, Kunisawa has chosen a three-legged crow, based on a mythical Japanese figure “Yaragatsu.”

The “i do not seek, i find” quote appears on the inside of both notebooks.

“Due to using a golden luminance to guide Emperor Jimmu on his journey through the dark roads of Kumano, Yatagarasu is celebrated as ‘the God of Guidance.’ The three legs represent ‘heaven,’ ‘earth,’ and ‘humanity,’ indicating that all three are brothers born of the same sun. We use Yatagarasu as a symbol of business people that are casting a bright light on the future and inspiring the world.”

— Kunisawa Website

With the heavy focus on business users in the marketing copy, one could be forgiven for thinking this is a “Japanese Moleskine,” but it’s not. The paper and overall quality are much better, and serious effort clearly went into designing an attractive notebook, from the covers to the binding to the copper gilt edging on the paper.

So What About the Paper?

After having used both of these Kunisawa notebooks at work for the better part of a month, here’s my verdict: the paper on the larger A5 notebook is ok, and the paper in the “Find Note Smart” pocket notebook is exceptional. Others reviewing the same Kunisawa notebooks have not had any success at all with fountain pens, so I suspect there may be batch variations in the paper, much like what happened with the recently released “Elements” Notebooks. (See Susan’s review of the A5 and Jeff’s review of the Smart Note over at the Pen Addict.) Their disappointment is not unreasonable - the company expressly advertises the A5 Find Note Hard as “an ideas notebook specifically designed for fountain pens and carefully considered writing.” While the paper in my A5 isn’t terrible at all - I actually found it similar to the paper in Leuchtturm notebooks and the Studio Neat Panobook - it’s still not ideal for fountain pens. There is feathering and bleed through with wetter fountain pens and rollerballs, though I found that the paper performs much better with finer nibs and a light hand. The paper is far superior to Moleskine for fountain pen use, and I suspect most, if not all, typical business users wouldn’t notice any issues and would love the paper in this notebook.

Both Iroshizuku Yama-Budo and Asa-Gao feathered slightly on the “Foolscap” paper in the A5, and had pinpoint bleedthrough on the reverse. While these are both wet inks, they’re not regarded as high-maintenance.

Kunisawa describes the paper used in the “Find” notebooks as “Foolscap,” which they characterize as “created specifically for writing,” and “extraordinarily high quality.” While it’s good paper, I had always understood “foolscap” - at least the way it’s used in literature - to be a size, not a type of paper (which was confirmed by my Oxford English Dictionary), generally used by students, clerks, and attorneys for drafting. Perhaps something got lost in translation….

A sample of Yama-Budo and a very wet mix of Waterman blue/purple (“Blurple”) on the Find Smart pocket notebook. You can tell from the texture that this is likely different paper.

On the other hand, the paper in the Find Smart Note held up to any fountain pen I could throw at it without any hint of feathering or bleedthrough. I also love the format: 40 double-sided pages with gild edging, hardbound in a slim format that’s easy to carry in a coat pocket and use while standing up. The dimensions are slightly shorter and wider than the new Field Notes “End Papers” notebooks. I wish notebooks like this were easily available, and I can see myself using these up fairly quickly, provided the paper quality is consistent.

No bleedthrough whatsoever on my Find Smart Note.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Kunisawa notebooks are not yet widely available here in the U.S., so the easiest way to purchase is probably to buy directly from the company itself via their webstore. (Overseas orders must be placed by e-mail, with contact details on the site.) The A5 Find Note Hard retails for approximately $26, and the Find Smart Note for just under $9, subject to exchange rate fluctuations. These notebooks are not inexpensive, but they’re also within what I’d consider to be the “range of reasonableness,” to borrow some lawyer-speak.

If you’re a pocket notebook aficionado, and the idea of a hardback pocket notebook you can slip into a jacket or suit pocket appeals to you, definitely check out the Find Smart Note. I was less enamored of the Find Note hardback A5 - I expected more from the paper, given the description - but if you like the look it’s certainly not a bad notebook. I look forward to testing out the rest of the notebooks and pads sent to me to see if there are additional variations in paper quality among the Kunisawa line. Stay tuned for more testing!

Disclaimer: Kunisawa sent me the notebooks featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. Many thanks to Kunisawa for making this review possible!

Letterpress Stationery from Meticulous Ink

October 20, 2018

It’s taken me way too long to get this post up, and there’s one reason why: I’m terrible at letter writing. The plan was to work through my ever-growing stack of correspondence that I’ve been intending to answer, and write something about how I’m getting back into letter writing, featuring this stationery, but I just haven’t had the discipline to sit myself down and actually do it. Given the quality of this letterpress stationery kindly sent to me by Meticulous Ink, that’s a shame.

Meticulous-Ink-Letterpress-Greeting-Cards

Meticulous Ink is a shop in Bath, England that specializes in bespoke letterpress printing and fine stationery. All of their letterpress is done in-house. While I can’t claim to be a connoisseur of letterpress work or stationery in general, what Meticulous Ink has sent me is beautiful, from the letter sheets and correspondence cards to the greeting card and bookmark. (I absolutely love bookmarks, and have a massive stash of them everywhere around my house, so they pretty much had me with that.)

I was actually shopping around for some letter sheets and letterhead when Meticulous Ink reached out about a review. I couldn’t have asked for better. The design is classy and understated - exactly what I was looking for.

Who doesn’t need correspondence cards? I use these far more than letter sheets, to send short notes and thank-yous.

A great quote, and an even better design.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

This type of “review” works much better as a visual post, so I’ve tried to provide you with some detailed images of the type of work the team at Meticulous Ink can do. If you are in the market for bespoke stationery or correspondence cards, you should definitely visit their online shop. Meticulous Ink also stocks an array of calligraphy and lettering supplies, pens, pencils, notebooks, and notepads, some of which I’ve not seen before, like this FAF Desk Pad. If you live in the area, they also host calligraphy and lettering workshops.

Many thanks to Verity and the team at Meticulous Ink for sending me this stationery and making this review possible!

Disclaimer: I received the items featured in this post free of charge, for review purposes.

Old Reliables: The Platinum Preppy and Plaisir?

October 17, 2018

Of the “Big Three” Japanese pen companies: Pilot, Sailor, and Platinum, the latter traditionally gets the least amount of attention outside of Japan. Thing have changed somewhat in recent years, as Platinum has started to explore the limited edition market with its excellent line of 3776 Century pens, and its sister brand, Nakaya, has developed a stellar reputation among high-end collectors of pens featuring urushi, makie, and other forms of traditional Japanese artistry.

What tends to get lost in the shuffle is that of the “Big Three,” Platinum probably makes the widest array of low-cost pens. Two models, the Preppy and the Plaisir, regularly find their way onto various “Best First Fountain Pen” lists, and for good reason. Starting at $3.95, the Preppy can be as cheap as some disposable fountain pens, yet can be refilled with (proprietary) Platinum cartridges OR it can be eyedroppered, provided you first add some silicon grease and/or an o-ring to the barrel threads. Eyedroppering a Platinum Preppy is an excellent way to use “high-maintenance” inks that might damage or stain nicer pens, and the highlighter version of the Preppy can be used with Noodler’s Highlighter Inks.

A .3mm stainless steel nib on the Plaisir (left) and a .5mm stainless steel nib on the Preppy (right). Both nibs wrote an extremely smooth line out of the box, using the stock Platinum ink cartridge that came with the pen.

The Platinum Plaisir adds an upgraded body to the same nib, feed and section featured on the Preppy, made from anodized aluminum and available in a wide array of colors. The primary reasons to opt for the Plaisir over the Preppy would be aesthetics and durability - some of the color options on the Plaisir are quite nice, like the “Ice White” featured here, and the caps on Preppies tend to crack over time.

The Platinum Preppy posts a bit longer than the Plaisir, but it’s also extremely light due to its plastic construction.

On the whole, however, both pens offer an exceptional writing experience at the price point. One quirk is that nib sizes on these pens are not labeled with the usual EF, F, M, B designations. Rather, they are numbered .2, .3, and .5. For example, the Preppy featured here is labeled “.5”, as in .5mm, which equates to a medium, while the .3mm on the Plaisir is a fine. Platinum also makes a .2mm extra fine, which is a bit more difficult to source.

I prefer the weight and balance of the Plaisir, but you can’t argue with the writing experience the Preppy offers for $3.95.

The .3mm (fine) nib is my favorite. I’m not a fan of stock Platinum black ink, as it can have a washed-out appearance.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve neglected both the Preppy and the Plaisir in my own use, and that’s unfortunate, especially since I’ve grown to appreciate Platinum as a brand. These relatively inexpensive models offer an excellent writing experience at a bargain price. The Preppy in particular gives you a reliable refillable fountain pen at a price point similar to “disposable” pens like the Pilot Varsity. For just a bit more money, you can get the more professional looking Plaisir in a growing array of colors.

You can purchase either of these models from most major pen retailers in the U.S., including our friends at Vanness Pens (in the United States). [Update: As of August, 2022, you can purchase the limited edition Platinum Plaisir Aura, as well as other select Platinum products, directly from us via the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Thanks in advance for your support!]

Disclaimer: This post does not contain links to paid sponsors or affiliates. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges through the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Syahi-Monarch-Striped-Ebony-Fountain-Pen

First Impressions: Syahi Monarch Fountain Pen

October 3, 2018

The Syahi Monarch was one of a handful of pens that came home with me from the 2018 D.C. Pen Show. Prior to the D.C. Pen Show, Sanay, one of the owners of Syahi India, reached out and requested that I stop by their table and pick up a pen to review. I finally managed to make it over there on Sunday afternoon during a lull in the insanity, and selected the Syahi Monarch in Striped Ebony with a fine steel “semi-flex” nib.

The brushed brass trim and the wood grain on the ebony are both gorgeous.

The Monarch is quite large - the length of a Pelikan M800 or a Montblanc 146, but heftier. The girth comes close to a Montblanc 149. The pen does not post. The body features a black acrylic section that’s comfortable to write with - the threads are larger, not sharp, and sit higher up on the section so they don’t get in the way of your fingers. In terms of designing a larger wooden pen that’s a comfortable writer with high quality fit and finish, the company has succeeded. According to Sanay, all components are made in-house, and Syahi’s goal is to manufacture a high-quality Indian fountain pen made of wood that doesn’t feel like a “kit pen.”

Nib and Writing Experience

At the DC Pen Show, the Syahi “flex” and “semi-flex” nibs were the subject of much discussion. I chose to review what the company calls a “Fine Semiflex Steel” nib, which appears to be a Bock nib modified by extending the nib slit all the way to the base. This is a common technique used to add “flex” to steel-nib pens while keeping the price relatively low, and if done correctly, the technique is highly effective in adding line variation to your writing. The nib on my Syahi Monarch works quite well, and the nib remains smooth enough to use as a daily writer even when you’re not flexing. (Sometimes these modified steel flex nibs can feel scratchy.)

Because the steel “semi-flex” nib remains relatively stiff, you can continue to use it for standard writing.

Even though it flexes well, this nib has its drawbacks. Extending the nib slit also exposes the feed to more air, leading to issues with ink evaporation and hard starts. If you’re going to use one of these steel flex nibs, you shouldn’t leave the pen sitting for more than a day or so. I’d also recommend using a low-maintenance, free flowing ink such as Waterman Blue (or, as shown here, a 50/50 mix of Waterman Blue and Violet (“Blurple”)).

Syahi Monarch (center), compared against a Montblanc 146 (left) and a Platinum Plaisir (right).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Wooden pens are difficult to do correctly, in the sense that they can easily turn out looking like inexpensive “kit pens” that you’d purchase from a hobby store. Syahi has plainly avoided this pitfall - nobody would confuse this with a $30 pen. From the choice of wood, to the brushed trim, to the experimentation with the nibs, the company is striving to deliver a high quality product.

Currently the easiest way to purchase a Syahi fountain pen is to order directly from the Company’s website, though based on what I learned at the D.C. Pen Show, you may start seeing these pens at retailers soon. The pen featured here - a Monarch in Striped Ebony with Brass Trim - looks like it’s unavailable at the moment, but there does appear to be a Monarch in Mexican Rose Wood with brushed brass, and if you don’t mind polished gold trim you can still purchase a striped ebony Monarch. Other models are available as well, with pricing starting at $159. If I hadn’t been able to find an ebony Monarch, I likely would have gone with the flat-top Imperator.

Many thanks to Syahi for making this review possible!

Disclaimer: I was provided with this pen free of charge, for review purposes.

A Modern Classic? Montblanc Heritage Collection 1912

September 29, 2018

The Montblanc Heritage 1912 falls squarely within the “niche pen” category that certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but offers a glimpse of what storied, experienced brands like Montblanc are capable of when they reach into their back catalog for inspiration. I’ve had mine for a couple years now, and while it was an expensive purchase that required me to liquidate a significant chunk of my pen collection to be able to buy it, I’ve enjoyed every minute of owning and using this pen.

The Heritage 1912 is compact, which makes it a fun pen to carry for work, though you do have to mind where you set the cap because the pen doesn’t post.

This pen’s full name is the “Heritage Collection 1912 Fountain Pen,” which for simplicity’s sake I’ll refer to as the “Heritage 1912.” If you’re familiar with fountain pen history, and especially vintage Montblancs, you’ll notice the resemblance to the Simplo “Safety Filler” from the early 20th century. The key innovations of safety fillers like the Simplo included retractable nib mechanisms and a screw-on cap, both of which made early hard-rubber eyedropper pens less likely to leak. This pen, of course, is resin, not hard rubber, and it’s not a true “safety filler” eyedropper pen but rather a piston-filler that features a retractable nib.

The Heritage 1912 with the nib extended, and…

The filling system on this pen is one of the more unique in my collection - it’s a piston filler where the piston knob has been modified to control both the filling system itself and the retractable nib mechanism. (Pictures and descriptions are included below.) Concerned that you might accidentally cap the pen with the nib extended? Worry not, because Montblanc designed a failsafe in the cap that keeps you from screwing the cap on in a manner that damages the nib. There’s a thin metal rod mounted in the end of the cap that blocks the cap from closing and bending the nib tines.

In its standard position, the piston knob rotates to extend/retract the nib.

Once the nib is extended, you pull out on the piston knob to engage the filling mechanism, which works like a regular piston filler. Once you fill the pen, you push the knob back in.

Don’t get me wrong, I own far more functional fountain pens than the Heritage 1912, which has its drawbacks as an everyday writer. For starters, the pen doesn’t post. Also, a smaller ink capacity limits your ability to use the Heritage 1912 with broader nibs: the pen holds less than 1 ml of ink, which I worked around by having Mike Masuyama grind my fine nib to a .4mm cursive italic. If you can overlook these two issues, however, the Heritage 1912 is a superb writer. The resin body has exceptional balance, with the filling system/mechanism lending this smaller pen some weight. The 14k, rhodium-plated nib has quite a bit of spring/bounce (NOT flex) to it, and I’d consider it one of the best Montblanc nibs I’ve ever used.

The design element that drew me to this pen was how Montblanc treated the Snowcap. Montblanc describes its emblem as “encased in transparent resin and coated in mother-of-pearl lacquer.”

A size comparison shot of the Montblanc Heritage 1912 against my recently acquired - and sharp looking - Retro 51 “The System” pencil from Mike Dudek of the Clicky Post!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I count myself an unabashed fan of Montblanc, especially when they branch out of their standard comfort zone of pens based on the Classique/146/149 templates and do something unique like the Heritage 1912. There’s nothing else like this pen in my collection, and if I ever had to narrow my pens to a handful, this one would easily make the cut. I would wholeheartedly recommend this pen to any Montblanc enthusiast or those who’d like to experience the feel of a vintage safety filler but want a pen that they can use everyday without worrying about damaging a valuable antique.

The Heritage 1912 can be somewhat challenging to find, but it is part of Montblanc’s standard lineup and not a special or limited edition. Site sponsor Appelboom currently has the pen available for around $850 USD (depending on the exchange rate), which certainly isn’t inexpensive but also doesn’t approach Montblanc’s premium pricing on its Writer’s Editions and other limited offerings. (If you really want to blow it out, you could spring for the much larger Heritage 1914, which retails in the many thousands of dollars/euros. I’ve never seen one in person, and presume they were made in much smaller quantities.) Other Montblanc retailers who stock the Heritage 1912 include La Couronne du Compte and Fountain Pen Hospital.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection. This post does contain affiliate links.