Pen Review: Esterbrook Camden "Composition" Edition

July 8, 2020

In less than two years since acquiring the relaunched brand, Kenro has grown Esterbrook into a fixture of the modern fountain pen scene. Their original release, the “Estie,” is wildly popular, as evidenced by the success of the recently released oversized “Sparkle” edition, made with Diamondcast acrylic, which many retailers already have sold through. Beyond the Estie, the company has begun to get some traction with what I will describe as their secondary model, the Camden, an anodized aluminum pen that originally came in three brushed “satin” finishes: Rose, Silver, and Graphite. Today, I look at a limited edition version: the Camden “Composition” in “Spring Break Fluorescent Green.”

The finish is my favorite aspect of the Camden Composition. The marbling has a nice texture that eliminates any slipperiness inherent in most metal pens.

The inspiration behind this limited edition will be obvious to those of you who have ever attended school in the U.S.: the classic composition book. Esterbrook has taken the Camden and applied a textured marbled finish akin to the traditional covers on these notebooks. Currently, two colors have hit the market: “Back to School Black” and “Spring Break Fluorescent Green,” with “Fall Leaves Burgundy” apparently coming in Fall 2020, per the Esterbrook website.

The Esterbrook Camden features a standard Schmidt nib without the Esterbrook branding found on the Estie. The “Composition” edition uses the same contoured brushed metal section as on the standard version.

As much as I love the finish and the aesthetics on this particular model, the Camden itself is a bit of a mixed bag for me personally. While it’s a well-made pen, and the stainless steel Schmidt nib makes for an excellent daily writer, the proportions of this particular pen feel a bit off. The Camden is already a relatively long pen, and Esterbrook’s cushion-cap system (discussed further below) makes it even longer when posted because the cap doesn’t rest deeply on the barrel. As a committed “poster” - especially for daily writer-type pens intended to be used in class or at the office - I’ve found the Camden too back-heavy to use for long writing sessions. Unposted, the balance is much better, but the tapered barrel has has me really wanting to post this pen, and I can’t help but wonder how much I would love the Camden if the cap sat just a bit deeper on the back.

As I mentioned, like the Estie, the Camden features Esterbrook’s spring-loaded “cushion cap” that uncaps with only 3/4 of a turn, allowing for quick deployment. As with the Estie, there may be a bit of a learning curve for those unfamiliar with this sort of closure. In order to engage the cap you will need to gently push the cap down and turn to engage the threads. After you’ve done it once or twice, it’s not a big deal, and the purpose behind the design is similar to Platinum’s “Slip & Seal” system: the inner cap acts as a seal that prevents the nib from drying out even if you leave the pen sitting unused for long periods of time. While systems like these are nice to have, they’re not a huge draw for me personally, since I rarely leave pens sitting inked for weeks at a time (much less months).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Like the Estie, the Camden is another well-made fountain pen from Esterbrook that will serve you well as a daily writer, but if you post your pens the Estie might be a better choice. Posting the cap on that pen just feels a bit more secure, and the slightly shorter posted length and lighter-weight acrylic makes the Estie more comfortable for me to write with for longer sessions. Price-wise, the Camden and Estie both sit at the $156 retail price point - the current standard for higher-end steel nib pens - so I can’t really argue with Esterbrook’s decision here, even though I might like to see the Camden closer to $130 simply because the Estie feels more “premium.”

The Esterbrook Camden compared against the Estie.

I acquired the pen featured in this review from site sponsor Pen Chalet, which currently has the Camden Composition in stock in both the “Back to School Black” and “Spring Break Fluorescent Green” finishes. Though I’ve not yet seen the pen start to sell out, Esterbrook apparently has limited the run to 250 pens in each color, so eventually this one will go away.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is a participant in the Pen Chalet affiliate program, which allows me to earn store credit for orders placed with Pen Chalet through links on this site. It’s one of many ways I’m able to support the blog and continue to acquire new products for review.

Unsung Heroes: The Waterman Expert Fountain Pen

July 4, 2020

The popularity of some pen brands has ebbed and flowed over the years, as tastes, ownership, and management change. In my mind, no company exemplifies this more than Waterman. Those of us who came of age in the 1980s and the 1990s may fondly recall Waterman as a popular brand that you would regularly see available for sale in brick-and-mortar office supply stores (remember those?), with a quality build and classy design at a lower cost than brands like Montblanc. For a brief history of Waterman pens and the modern company (which is actually a corporate descendant of the original U.S. company’s French subsidiary), check out my review of the Waterman Man 100 Patrician.

This navy blue Waterman Expert ballpoint with gold trim is the oldest pen in my collection. I think I received it when I was twelve.

Though Waterman may be a shadow of its former self, I still have a soft spot for their pens, and over the years have accumulated a micro-collection of sorts. All of my Watermans are either modern or what I would consider “near modern,” pens like the Man 100 that aren’t made anymore but are still modern enough in construction and build that I wouldn’t call them vintage. One of my favorites - and probably the first “nice” pen I’ve ever owned - is an early 1990s Waterman Expert ballpoint that a relative gifted to me for a birthday. I recently had the opportunity to add a sort-of-matching Expert fountain pen, a model I’ve never owned despite the fact that it’s still readily available at retail.

Small details such as the imprint has changed, but most of the design language remains the same over the thirty years that separate these two pens.

Since Waterman has discontinued its true entry-level options such as the Phileas and Kultur - wonderful pens that never should have been allowed to go out of production - the Expert has stood a the lower end of Waterman’s reduced lineup, at least in terms of price. While it appears that the company is introducing a few new entry-level pens that haven’t yet made it to widespread distribution in the United States, for most the Expert is their introduction to the Waterman brand.

The slanted finial is the Expert’s “signature.” I appreciate how it lends a touch of flair to an otherwise standard basic pen design.

The design of this pen has not changed over the years. I would describe the Expert as a moderately sized, streamlined pen with flat ends (though the cap finial is angled in a signature design touch). The pen features a stainless steel nib, a friction fit cap that also “clicks” to post securely, and a cartridge-converter filling system. (The pen does NOT ship with converter - a pet peeve of mine at the $100+ price point). Waterman has clearly designed the Expert to appeal to the maximum range of tastes, not only in terms of design but also size preference. It fits my moderately sized hands perfectly, and I tend to see more Experts in the workplace than any other fountain pen or rollerball, in the hands of both men and women. It’s a great “universal” size for a writing instrument - relatively lightweight and exceptionally well-balanced. The medium nib offers exactly what I expect from Waterman: reliable, moderately wet ink flow and what I consider to be a classic “Western medium” line width. Again - middle of the road, and designed to appeal to as many people as possible. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that given the market for this pen.

The perfect size for me. I could write with this pen for hours.

Notwithstanding the fact that I still love Waterman, the quality of the modern Expert doesn’t feel quite as good as on my now 30+ year-old ballpoint. That’s not necessarily surprising, since “mainstream” companies like Parker, Waterman, and even Montblanc all seem to have cut some corners in recent years, giving their modern pens a less substantial feel than those you might have picked up as recently as 10 years ago. On the Expert, it’s most noticeable on the finials. The black plastic feels harder and more brittle, whereas on my vintage version they feel more like softer resin, almost rubbery. Only time will tell whether this change in materials affects long-term durability.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While not as ubiquitous as it used to be, you can still find Waterman fountain pens at most pen retailers. I honestly believe that this storied brand should be getting more attention than it does, especially among those of us who rely on our pens as everyday tools for the office or study and don’t necessarily need something flashy, but rather just want a predictably reliable pen that gets the job done at a reasonable cost. The Expert fountain pen retails for $185 MSRP (which is too high), but you mostly see it priced at less than $150. If you can use a discount code to get the pen down into the $125-130 range, I’d recommend this pen any day of the week.

I acquired the blue Waterman Expert featured here from site sponsor Pen Chalet, which currently has the pen priced at $147.35. There’s always a 10% discount code floating around (such as the current “FREEDOM” Fourth of July promotion), which gets the pen to a very attractive price point. For an extra $15 or so, you can opt for the “Deluxe” version with an engraved metal cap.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which allows me to receive a small commission, payable in store credit, that I use to acquire additional pens to review on the site. It’s one of many ways I support the blog.

What's the Best Long-Point Pencil Sharpener? I Look At Handheld Options

July 2, 2020

I’ve been writing a lot with pencils lately, probably because I’ve been reading more than usual over the past three to four months (for obvious reasons), and I rarely read nonfiction without a pencil to make notes and annotations along the way. I also tend to write small, so when I do use pencils it’s important to me to have a good sharpener that can put a sharp, durable point on the pencil. When I’m at my desk, my go-to is the Carl Angel-5, but when working on the patio, reading in the library, or traveling, it’s not exactly convenient.

A telltale sign of a great sharpener is whether it carves the wood into a single unbroken shaving. In terms of point length, the Masterpiece is pretty much unrivaled for a handheld sharpener.

Until recently, my go-to handheld sharpener has been the KUM Masterpiece, a two-stage sharpener that creates an exceptionally long point but has a couple of drawbacks when you’re at work or traveling. First, there’s no receptacle to hold the shavings, so you need to either be outside in a place where you can dispose of biodegradable pencil shavings, or have ready access to something that can hold shavings, like a garbage can or a plastic bag. Second, the sharpening process is a bit involved in that you need to use the first stage to strip the wood from around the core, and use the second stage to sharpen the point itself, which can be a bit harrowing with softer graphite prone to breakage.

The NJK Long Point does its job efficiently, quickly sharpening to a serviceable long point. It’s size and low cost make it a great choice to keep in your pocket or the car.

Lately I’ve been relying more on single-stage sharpeners, and I’ve come across two that give the Masterpiece a run for its money. The first I discovered as part of the Pencil Box Subscription Program from C.W. Pencil Enterprise: the NJK Long Point Sharpener. CW Pencils recently started selling these sharpeners separately, and at $6.50 each they’re a bargain over something like the Masterpiece, which retails for $22. (Note 2024: Since CW Pencils is no longer operating, we are now selling these pencil sharpeners directly. They are excellent, so please consider giving them a try!)

The Blackwing One-Step: A point so long it curves.

The second sharpener I’ve enjoyed using is Blackwing’s new One-Step Long Point Sharpener. From both a looks and functionality standpoint, the Blackwing sharpener might be the best-looking and best-designed handheld sharpener I’ve ever used. The body of this sharpener is a machined aluminum matte-black jar that holds a relatively large volume of shavings, and the blade sharpens pencils to a concave (i.e., slightly curved) point that holds up much better than similar “needle points” I’ve been able to put on pencils using other concave sharpeners. As with most “concave” sharpeners (and pretty much anything from Blackwing), it doesn’t come cheap. The Blackwing One-Step Long Point sharpener costs $20, and given how well this sharpener works it may have a leg up on the M&R Pollux at $30, unless you prefer the “brass bullet” format, which some people do because it’s far more portable.

A comparison of all three points by handheld sharpeners, from left: Kum Masterpiece, Blackwing One-Step, and NJK.

If you’re looking for a convenient handheld sharpening solution that won’t ask you to sacrifice a long point for the sake of portability, both the NJK Long Point and the Blackwing One-Step Long Point are excellent choices. Personally, I use the NJK the most because of its pocketability, but the Blackwing will definitely find a home in my bag once/if things ever get back to normal and I’m moving around more.

The downside to buying Blackwing’s One-Step Long Point Sharpener at the moment is that you can’t buy a replacement blade. I understand that may change in the future. As you can see, the sharpener is easily disassembled.

Disclaimer: I purchased the sharpeners featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use. This post does not contain affiliate links.

What Is a Book Dart? An Explanation.

June 30, 2020

I’ve received a few questions via social media and e-mail over the past couple of weeks about a product that I’m now selling in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Book Darts. Since Tuesdays are generally pretty quiet around here, I thought I’d take a few minutes to do a quick post explaining Book Darts and why they might be one of my favorite pieces of non-pen/paper stationery that I keep on my desk.

Book Darts are pretty simple products, really. Each “Dart” is a paper thin, precision-cut folded metal clip that slides onto a page from your book or notebook. Since Book Darts are pointed, you can use them to mark entire pages or specific passages or lines. Because they’re so thin, you can stick dozens of Darts into a book without noticeably increasing bulk. Importantly, Book Darts are “archivally safe,” meaning that they don’t damage paper. The company states on their website that they “have tested our Darts on varieties of paper under accelerated heat and humidity conditions, and they have never imparted any stain to any page.”

This Nanami Paper Cafe Note currently has at least six Book Darts marking various sections. Closed, you can barely tell, even on super-thin Tomoe River paper.

While a Book Dart is not the same thing as a standard bookmark, you can certainly use them that way. Most people, however, view them as replacements for dog-eared pages, paperclips, sticky notes, or whatever else you might use to flag pages in a book you’re reading, a journal, or a notebook. Book Darts are reusable, and you can remove them or move them about as you like.

On the left, a standard Book Darts tin, and on the right, my custom tins sold in the store!

I currently sell Book Darts in tins of 50, in either stainless steel, brass, or bronze, as well as in sleeves of 12 or 18 Darts that feature a mix of all three metals. They’re a fairly inexpensive tool to add to your workflow, and one that I find incredibly helpful as I do a lot of reading and research that requires me to come back to revisit passages I’ve read or notes I’ve taken, even years later.

The sleeves ship with a folded “bookmark sheet” of 18 mixed darts - you can use it as a bookmark while you read, holding your Darts until you want to mark a page. These are great for travel!

If you like the look of a Book Dart, but perhaps want something more durable for use as a more traditional bookmark, consider these sterling silver Page Points by WMS & Co. (sold as a set of three). They have the streamlined profile of a Book Dart, but will likely hold up better to repeated use over time as the metal is quite a bit thicker and they’re actually intended for long-term bookmark use. They’ll also take on a nice patina, or you can polish them to maintain the shine.

Disclaimer: I am an authorized retailer of Book Darts, and all links are to my own shop. This post does not contain affiliate links.

My Top 10 Blackwing Volumes Pencils

June 27, 2020

Most stationery subscription services haven’t stuck with me. Around this same time last year, I wrote an article titled “Are Stationery Subscription Services Worth It?” in which I looked at the pros and cons of having a steady stream of new releases automatically coming to your mailbox. Personally, nothing much has changed since then in terms of my own situation. I still subscribe to both Blackwing Volumes and C.W. Pencil Enterprise’s “Pencil Box” subscription service. Though I considered resubscribing to Field Notes in light of the great releases they’ve put out over the past year, I don’t use enough pocket notebooks to justify it. (Anyway, now that I’m both a Field Notes and Write Notepads retailer, this isn’t such a big deal, as I have an endless supply of notebooks if I see an edition I like or I somehow run out. In many ways, the problem is worse, because I have this constant temptation to raid the store inventory for my personal stash, but that’s a story for a different time.)

So what keeps me coming back to Blackwing Volumes? It’s not as though I’m using up a dozen of each release on a monthly, or even an annual, basis. Honestly, it’s more about supporting the brand’s creativity and guaranteeing that I’m able to enjoy each of the releases, which can sell out quickly. If there’s one I don’t particularly like, or if the pencils pile up to the point where I can’t use them all, pencils are easy to give away, and I have a school-age child.

It’s easy to see which Volumes get the most use.

What I realized while waiting for Blackwing Volume 3 (Ravi Shankar) to arrive, is that I’ve never done a deep dive and talked about my favorite Blackwings, and with so many special editions having been released over the past few years there are some exceptional pencils to choose from. As a relatively long-term subscriber, I have most of the editions in my personal stash, with the exception of the very early ones. Here are my favorites:

Blackwing Volume 344: Dorothea Lange. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that I have a half gross of these tucked away. The combination of the deep red burgundy barrel, red imprint, and bright red ferrule - well, other than maybe the upcoming Volume 3, I’m not sure there’s a pencil that’s a better fit for my personal taste.
Blackwing Volume 211: John Muir. I don’t have many 211s left, but I honestly prefer the standard release Blackwing Natural, with it’s grey eraser and extra-firm graphite. (I actually think I only have a single 211 left, and I couldn’t find it, which is why the Natural appears in the photo at the top.)
Blackwing Volume 10: Nellie Bly. An underrated release that doesn’t get enough love. The simplicity of the matte grey finish, inspired by newsprint, makes this a pencil I could use everyday.
Blackwing Volume 73: Lake Tahoe. The raised texture on this pencil gets me. Plus, this one features Blackwing’s softest graphite found in the original Blackwing MMX (now the “Blackwing Matte”).
Blackwing Volume 24: John Steinbeck. I love this pencil not only for the blacked-out color scheme, but because it’s the first Blackwing pencil to feature their “extra-firm” graphite, which is an excellent choice for drafting and long-form writing. I sometimes swap out the black eraser for a pink one, just to add a little contrast.
Blackwing Volume 16.2: Ada Lovelace. I’m not a computer programmer, or even that technologically adept, but I love the combination of the white barrel and black ferrule.
Blackwing Volume 1: Guy Clark. The first (and to date, only) Blackwing Volumes editions to feature a round barrel. While I’m a Nashville native, and maintain some familiarity with country music, I’ve never been a huge Guy Clark fan, but I certainly appreciate how they pulled this one together.
Blackwing Volume 155: Bauhaus. Of course this one was going to make the list. My collection of Bauhaus-inspired writing instruments increases yet again.
Blackwing Volume 530: California Gold Rush. The second Blackwing pencil to feature the extra-firm graphite, this model was a tribute to California Historical Site No. 530, where gold was first discovered. The banded ferrule added another unique touch to a pencil that’s a favorite for many.
Blackwing Volume 4: Mars. Volume 4 was somewhat controversial due to the gritty texture of the paint, but the combination of the dark orange barrel, gunmetal ferrule, and the soft MMX graphite keeps this one in my rotation.

All pencils pictured here are from my own personal collection. As of 2024, The Gentleman Stationer is now an authorized retailer of Blackwing, so you can purchase directly from us and show your support!