A sample of the different line widths that are possible with the Regalia Writing Labs “Epilogue” nib!

NYC Trip Recap: Big Apple Pen Club, CW Pencils, & More!

November 10, 2018

November has always been a huge travel month for me. In addition to the start of the holiday season here in the U.S., I typically have at least two conferences I’m required to attend, and everyone at the office seems to shift their projects into overdrive in an (often futile) effort to get them done by the end of the year. On the bright side, I get to spend a lot of time in New York, a city I love and which is chock-full of stationery enthusiasts and, increasingly, boutique stationery stores. I’ve written before on the shops I frequent, and not much has changed, other than a planned trip to the new Goods for the Study location over on West 8th Street before I take off tonight.

My Musubi journal and pen case, as well as my CW Pencils package (tastefully wrapped, as always), and some Hi-Tec-C Coleto refills and .38mm Uniball Jetstreams I picked up at Kinokuniya.

On this trip, however, I unintentionally timed my travel to coincide with the November meeting of the Big Apple Pen Club, a group of enthusiasts from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut-area who gather once a month to talk pens, share their latest finds, and even host speakers and guests from within the pen industry. Within minutes of my arrival, cases were opened, pens were on the table, and what I’d consider a mini-pen show ensued. To make matters worse (for my wallet), Daryl of Atelier Musubi was visiting from Singapore, and brought a selection of his journals and pen cases made from Japanese fabrics. I purchased an “Edo” journal in the “Iroha” pattern, as well as an oversized two-pen case in the Seigaiha “wave” pattern and natural fabric. I managed to stay away from Yoshi Nakama’s hand-turned pens, because I knew that wouldn’t end well!

A pair of Oldwin pens in Ebonite and Arco celluloid.

And, like all pen gatherings, I came across several items to add to my “must-have, eventually” list. An Oldwin pen, from Mora Stylos in Paris, remains firmly on the list, after handling my friend Dan’s oversized ebonite version that he acquired from M. Mora at this year’s Tokyo Pen Show. Oldwin pens feature a variety of rare and unique materials, particularly celluloid and ebonite, and can only be purchased at retail directly from Mora Styles, though Sarj Minhas sometimes has a handful of pens for sale at shows. I also had the opportunity to play around with an “Epilogue” nib from Regalia Writing Labs (Ralph Reyes), and believe it or not, I think I could find quite a practical use case for this nib for highlighting and annotation. (So, of course, I’ll have to buy one if they’re ever in stock!)

The Regalia Writing Labs “Epilogue” Nib, on a unique pen from Kasama in the Philippines that Dan obtained courtesy of Leigh Reyes.

A full shot of the Kasama demonstrator - I really hope these become available internationally soon! (And I love their logo!)

I made a quick Friday night trip downtown to CW Pencil Enterprise, where I stocked up on annotation pencils I had run out of, and picked up some scratch-’n-sniff stickers for my daughter. If you’ve never visited the sticker boutique in the back, you need to! Today, I’m off to explore what else NYC has to offer, including Goods for the Study, Muji, and perhaps the Apple Store to test out the new iPad Pro and the supposedly new-and-improved Apple Pencil 2.0 I’ve heard so much about.

If you ever find yourself in New York City on the second Thursday of the month, consider dropping in on a meeting of the Big Apple Pen Club. As with most circles in the pen community, it’s a welcoming group, and this experience made my trip!

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Pen Review: The Esterbrook "Estie"

November 8, 2018

Getting to handle the new Esterbrook pens was one of the highlights from this year’s D.C. Pen Show. When Kenro first announced that they had acquired Esterbrook back in April, I suspected they would turn out something good, but the Estie far exceeded my expectations. Given the history with the “new” Esterbrook brand, first resurrected a few years ago to little acclaim and much derision in the pen community, I was concerned that the Estie wouldn’t get a fair shake, but it appears that the reception has been largely positive, mainly because you can’t argue with the fact that the quality is top notch.

For my two review pens, I chose Esties in Cobalt Blue with chrome trim and Tortoise with gold-plated trim. An ebony model is also available, and you can opt for either trim on any color pen.

Particularly striking to me is how this pen feels in the hand. I’ve used a LOT of turned acrylic pens - I probably own dozens - but the materials chosen for the Esties feel solid and have a lot of warmth, reminiscent of ebonite or celluloid (even though they’re obviously not). The section in particular is quite comfortable, and I find myself wanting to write with this pen for long periods of time. I also absolutely love the vintage cigar shape. Though I’m not a collector of vintage pens, I very much appreciate vintage-inspired design, and the Estie sports the beautifully streamlined look of a classic Sheaffer balance, sans cap band or any adornments other than the clip and an engraved “Esterbrook” logo.

Two features are being used extensively to market the Estie: the “cushion cap” closure and the “MV Adapter,” the latter of which is available for purchase separately, and allows you to use your vintage Esterbrook nibs in the new pen. After some initial skepticism, I’m a fan of the cushion-cap. It’s a spring-loaded inner cap that requires you to push the cap down and turn in order to engage the threads to close the pen. It takes a time or two to get used to, and after that you don’t notice it much. The one thing I don’t love about it is that it makes it difficult to post the cap straight on the barrel - a very minor annoyance, but I’m a poster, so there it is. On the other hand, the purpose behind the cushion cap is similar to Platinum’s “Slip & Seal” system on the 3776 Century: the nib won’t dry out even if you leave the pen sitting unused for long periods of time. This may be convenient for some people, but it’s not so much a selling point for me, nor is it a feature I’m likely to test. I tend to write my pens dry fairly quickly.

The MV Adapter alters the overall look of the pen quite a bit. The adapter only comes in black, and vintage Esterbrook nibs are narrower than their modern JoWo counterparts. From an aesthetic perspective, if you’re looking to purchase this pen prima… — The MV Adapter alters the overall look of the pen quite a bit. The adapter only comes in black, and vintage Esterbrook nibs are narrower than their modern JoWo counterparts. From an aesthetic perspective, if you’re looking to purchase this pen primarily for the MV Adapter, consider the Ebony model.

Similarly, while vintage Esterbrook enthusiasts who own a large collection of vintage nibs might view the MV Adapter as an essential, those who merely want a smooth steel nib on their daily workhorse can probably take a pass. I honestly prefer the feel of modern steel JoWo nibs to standard Esterbrook fines or mediums, and wouldn’t spring for the MV Adapter unless you want to use your vintage Esterbrook stubs, flexies, or stenography nibs. (Confession: I’m not a vintage Esterbrook enthusiast. I like the “J” series and Dollar Pens just fine, but I only own one or two vintage nibs, and I didn’t get particularly invested in the drama over the sale of the brand. The MV Adapter therefore doesn’t have much emotional resonance with me personally.)

Even the packaging has a retro flare. I love the cloth box.

That said, major kudos to Kenro for making peace with vintage Esterbrook enthusiasts, and for envisioning a way to connect the “new” and “old” Esterbrook pens by incorporating a key feature of the vintage brand: the ability to swap the absolutely massive array of available Esterbrook nibs. The MV Adapter works quite well, though you do have to use a different converter, and I suspect that the relaunch of the brand and nib compatibility will prompt vintage nib hoarding and, eventually, price gouging. While Esterbrook nibs are fun to play around with, I don’t personally think the quality justifies the prices some people are willing to pay today for what amounts to a stainless steel nib that can be kind of scratchy. For the prices charged on some of the vintage specialty nibs you could purchase a custom grind.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Short answer: the Estie is a great pen that I can wholeheartedly recommend as an everyday writer, but it’s the overall classic look of the pen and comfort in the hand that wins my recommendation, rather than a fancy cap closure or vintage-nib adapter that, frankly, most brands do just fine without and that I could take or leave.

Esterbrook Pens are available from most Kenro retailers and were widely distributed at launch. Site sponsors Pen Chalet, Vanness Pens, Anderson Pens, and Goldspot all stock the Estie. (Full Disclosure: I acquired the Cobalt Blue Estie pictured here from Pen Chalet using affiliate credit, and Kenro sent me the brown Tortoise Estie for review purposes.) The pricing of the pen has prompted some debate. Currently the standard (MSRP) pricing on the Esterbrook Estie is around $195, with the retailer “street price” around $156, after applying all permissible discounting and coupon codes. The standard Estie comes in three colors: Cobalt Blue, Tortoise, and Ebony, with all colors available in either chrome or gold-plated trim. Esterbrook also has released an oversized version of the Estie, available in Ebony only, at a MSRP of $250 and a street price of $200.

Some people have remarked that this pricing is inconsistent with the spirit of the brand. Esterbrook, after all, was a “budget-friendly” pen back in its heyday. Some vintage Esterbrooks cost only a dollar (hence the “dollar pen” models). I tend to disagree with such assessments. In today’s market, given the realities of manufacturing and distribution costs, $150 seems to be the price point at which smaller brands are able to make a high-end fountain pen without running into significant quality control problems. Turned acrylic pens are more expensive than cheaper injection-molded plastic models, and the $155 price point is lower than both Edison and Franklin-Christoph pens, with which the Estie compares favorably. Plus, if we want these companies to stick around to serve a small (albeit growing) niche market, they need to be able to turn a profit.

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Pen Review: Aurora Optima Rollerball

November 3, 2018

I’ve been on a rollerball kick lately, especially at work. Rollerball pens are among the most versatile and practical pens out there for many reasons: they’re smooth writers, refills are easy to come by, and the ink is typically permanent. Rollerball cartridges use writing technology similar to a ballpoint (i.e., the ink flows from the cartridge to a metal ball, which “rolls” the ink onto the paper), but instead of oil-based ballpoint ink, Rollerballs use a liquid ink formulation. This assists with the “smoothness” factor, giving rollerball pens a feel closer to a fountain pen, but not as close as a fineliner or a felt-tip pen.

My “go-anywhere” rollerball pen: the Aurora Optima, shown here on top of my Nanami Paper Cafe Note B6 in Gfeller natural leather cover, which is starting to show some wear!

The other thing I appreciate about rollerball pens is the price - a “nice” rollerball pen will run you much less than the same model of fountain pen. Take, for example, the Aurora Optima. I’ve previously reviewed the Aurora Optima fountain pen, which sports a price $200 north of the rollerball version. (I’ve not managed to add a fountain pen version to my permanent collection yet, but perhaps that’s coming?) In the meantime, I found myself in the market for one or two understated, business-appropriate rollerball pens that I could take to business meetings, depositions, and even to court, so I could have a reliable writing instrument that is much less distracting than a fountain pen. The Optima ticks all of these boxes:

It’s understated. No non-pen-person is going to look twice at the black-with-gold-trim design, or feel that it’s overly showing or ostentatious (often an issue when you want to “blend in” at the back of a courtroom or board meeting). At the same time, you’ll notice that I used the term “understated,” and not “boring.” The Optima rollerball sports Aurora’s signature “Greek Key” design around the cap band that lends the pen character.
It features a solid refill. I enjoyed using the Aurora-branded refill that shipped with the pen, but I did end up swapping in a finer-tip Schneider Topball 850 .5mm refill, which doesn’t get nearly the amount of attention that it should. Because rollerball pens feature a sharper point which can dig down into the paper fibers, the liquid ink in the cartridges has a tendency to feather and bleed through the page, even on fountain pen-friendly stock such as Tomoe River and Rhodia. The stock Aurora refill and the Topball 850 both perform well in this regard - you might have a bit of showthrough but I experienced less bleeding than with Schmidt refills.
It’s comfortable and well-balanced. Here’s where I think the Aurora Optima truly shines as a rollerball. Many companies make their rollerball pens slimmer and lighter, presumably to mimic consumer preferences in the disposable pen market. The Optima, on the other hand, sticks to the same dimensions as the fountain pen, which strikes me as a larger version of my beloved Sailor Pro Gear. It’s an amazingly comfortable pen to write with - if you need to use a rollerball pen for longer writing sessions, consider splurging on an Aurora Optima.

The vintage-style barrel engraving adds a touch of class to this pen, imho.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Aurora Optima rollerball has served as a solid addition to my daily rotation alongside my Montblanc Classique Le Petit Prince rollerball, which I’ve been using as a fineliner. While the Optima doesn’t necessarily have the visual “wow” factor that turns heads, I wasn’t looking for that in this pen, which was intended to meet a specific need in my kit.

I purchased the pen pictured here from our site sponsor Pen Chalet. This black pen with gold trim is the “base model,” with prices starting at $265. The “Auroloide” versions are more expensive, starting at $445, and of course there are limited edition versions running as high as $800. Pen Chalet also carries the fountain pen versions of the Optima, with prices starting at $445 and running all the way north of $1200.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I purchased this pen using affiliate store credit, which is one of the ways I manage to keep this blog going. Many thanks for your support!

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.

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Spoiler alert! Of all the extremely inexpensive pens I’ve reviewed to date, the Wing Sung 3001 is my favorite.

Further Thoughts on (Very) Inexpensive Fountain Pens

October 27, 2018

I’ve previously touched on how we seem to be living in a new “golden age” of fountain pens. Pen companies - both new and old - are regularly releasing new models every few months or so, each more irresistible than the last. Sure, it may not be the best of times for the “legacy” companies such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, etc., but the likes of Sailor, Pilot, Pelikan, Platinum, Lamy, and a host of relatively recent entrants have stepped it up.

That said, in the ten years or so I’ve been following this industry, there’s been a real void at the “low end” of the price spectrum. Other than two models from Pilot, the Metropolitan and the Kakuno, or the Nemosine Singularity, there just hasn’t been that much available at the sub-$20 price point - much less the $15 price point - and a lot of what was out there was ridiculously low quality. Sure, you can go with a Platinum Preppie, but it still sort of looks like a disposable pen. As vintage collectors are aware, even during the original fountain pen “golden era” from approximately 1920-1970, there was room in the market for so-called “third-tier” brands like Wearever, Majestic, etc. Some of these cheaper pens featured interesting materials, were quite nice looking, and sold for well under a dollar. (CENTS, people, imagine that!) Apparently there’s now a flourishing vintage Wearever collectors’ community.

Wing Sung pens have excellent nibs, in my experience. Most are paired with a transparent plastic feed.

Lately, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the resurgence of inexpensive pens being manufactured in China. Inspired by bloggers such as Frank Underwater and the Economical Penster, I made a few VERY inexpensive purchases off of Amazon and eBay. We’re talking five-pens-for-$13 kind of cheap. And you know what? The quality was more than acceptable - most of the pens I tried had very nice nibs, solid plastic construction, and some even featured piston fillers. (To be honest, the quality on many of these pens was better than pens I’ve reviewed in the $50-75 price bracket.) Cheap pens have their place. Not only do you not have to worry excessively about losing them on your desk at work, at a hotel when you’re traveling, or even in the car - you can use all those crazy permanent, shimmering, non-freezing, flammable, likely-radioactive, pen-dissolving inks that we all know you want to test out.

OK, Which Pens to Buy?

From left: Wing Sung 3010, Wing Sung 3001, Wing Sung 3008, Wing Sung 618, and Wing Sung 698.

I’ve discussed most of these pens in a previous post where I talked about how I was making more of an effort to test inks. It turns out I’ve found myself using these pens for much more than ink testing, and have carried a couple of the Wing Sung pens as daily writers. The 3001 model has become a favorite.

Wing Sung 3001. These are currently my preferred “cheap” pens. I purchased a five-pack, and every single pen wrote well without any adjustments. The colors look pretty nice too. I especially like the peach and smoke colored demonstrators. The filling system is cartridge-converter, but from what I can tell these don’t accept standard international cartridges. (I’ve heard Wing Sung pens accept Parker cartridges, but have not tried this myself.)
Wing Sung 3010. Along with the Wing Sung 3001, these are the super-inexpensive pens that I’ve been using the most as daily writer. Like the 3001, these pens feature extra-fine nibs and cartridge-converter filling systems. Because the 3010 has a “snap cap”, it might prove to be less durable over time, but then again, the plastic feels pretty thick.
Wing Sung 3008. The Wing Sung 3008 is a piston filling fountain pen that I originally purchased after using them at the DC Pen Show. Of the pens on this list, these are the ones that I’ve confined to “tester” status. They simply don’t feel as sturdy as others that I’ve used. The plastic feels a bit more flimsy and the blind cap on the piston is loose. That said, I’ve had no issues with them leaking or evaporating while they’ve been sitting on my desk, and the nibs are quite nice for a steel extra-fine.
Jinhao Shark Pen. For a pure coolness factor, you can’t beat the Shark Pen. While I don’t own any, I’ve written with them at pen shows and everyone I’ve talked to that bought a pack enjoys them.

A bit more money ($15-20) gets you into some very interesting pens such as the Moonman M2, the Wing Sung 601 Vacumatic, and the Wing Sung 618 and 698 piston fillers. Other people have had great success with the wide variety of acrylics and styles available from PenBBS (who also make popular inks). While I’ve used the Moonman and all of the Wing Sung piston fillers and vacumatics extensively, and they’re great, there’s something incredibly satisfying about writing with an excellent fountain pen that cost you $3. For that reason, if I had to recommend one super-inexpensive pen, the Wing Sung 3001 would take the prize.

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