Merry Christmas to Me! Esterbrook Estie "Rocky Top"!

I haven’t purchased a new pen for my own collection in a while, and I finally gave in, ordering one I couldn’t pass up: the Esterbrook Estie “Rocky Top” featuring Diamondcast Alumilite from McKenzie Penworks. Gotta show that Tennessee pride! “Rocky Top” contains swirls of Tennessee orange, silver, gold, and white that show off the depth of the material and the real reclaimed diamond dust mixed in. Read more about Diamondcast here.

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As I’ve mentioned before, I love the shape of the Estie, and the standard pen has such excellent weight and balance that I’ve never had a reason to go to the oversized model (though they’re now available in nearly all materials). What’s new about this particular pen is that I added a “Journaler” nib, developed by Gena Salorino from Custom Nib Studio in collaboration with Esterbrook and offered as an add-on at select Esterbrook retailers. While I haven’t had much time with this nib, I’m liking it so far, and I would say that it writes like a soft cursive italic, with medium width.

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I could’ve gone with an orange ink, but instead I decided to try Scribo Classico Seppia, and earthy brown ink that works just as well.

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Journaler Nib Writing Sample, on Midori MD Cotton Paper.

Vanness Pens still has Diamondcast Esties in stock, in both “Rocky Top” and “Peacock” finishes, as well as Journaler nibs. Diamondcast pens are bit more expensive than standard Esterbrooks, given the makeup of the material, and retail for $280 for the standard version and $316 for oversized. The Journaler nib adds $50 to the price. Through December, if you order an Esterbrook from Vanness, you will also receive an Esterbrook rubber stamp (while supplies last)!

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I’d share a sample of the rubber stamp but I don’t have an ink pad, unfortunately! The packaging on Rocky Top is top-notch, btw.

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens is a paid sponsor of this blog. While I purchased this pen with my own funds, for my own collection, I did receive a discount.

The Allure of Enamel Lapel Pins

One thing I’ve never mentioned before is that I have a (very) large collection of enamel pins. Or maybe it’s better defined as an accumulation, because there’s no real theme to it. Whatever you want to call it, it’s intergenerational, since I inherited about half of my pins from my dad when he passed away a few years ago. Most commemorate some family trip or event, and when I was sorting through this box the other day it astonished me that I could remember exactly when some of these were purchased, 25-30 years ago. I think that’s the true allure of pins: they’re small, relatively inexpensive memory tokens that don’t occupy a lot of space.

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Let’s just say that I rocked the one on the right yesterday. Certainly got some looks where I live.

I’ve recently started to take up this tradition again, buying not only pins that serve as a reminder of a trip or event but also seeking out those that represent something especially meaningful to me that I can wear on my lapel or bag. And ever since I first started my little shop, I knew that I’d eventually add pins as a category, regardless of whether they would ever turn into a core product or a big seller. Sometimes you just gotta go with what moves you.

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What I’ll call my “Reading Collection.”

This morning I’m happy to introduce a new section of the T.G.S. Curated Shop, starting with six different high-quality enamel pins from Pasadena, California-based iLootPaperie, who make many of my favorite washi tapes. Currently, there are two main themes: Books and Science, with a pencil pin thrown in for good measure. These are larger pins, and “Stacks on Stacks” and “Make Your Mark” each feature two posts. I hope to add more soon; my only regret was that I couldn’t get these listed quicker, but I guess there’s still a possibility for holiday delivery if you get your orders in early today. Enjoy!

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The Gentleman Stationer Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of iLootPaperie products. Sales through The Curated Shop, the TGS Patreon Program, and affiliations with other sites and retailers are how I fund The Gentleman Stationer. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Bring Back Jumbo Pencils as a Standard Stationery Item!

Or, at the very least, make good ones more available. Over the years, I’ve written several different posts about my love for jumbo and “mini-jumbo” pencils, ranging from humble school pencils such as the beloved Ticonderoga Laddie to the more exotic (and now discontinued) Caran d’Ache Black Wood. Why do I love these oversized pencils so much? It pretty much comes down to comfort.

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A well-made round or hexagonal jumbo pencil offers one of the most comfortable writing experiences around. The problem seems to be (1) availability and (2) the fear of looking like a little kid writing with a giant pencil. IMHO, these two things go hand-in-hand. If the only jumbo pencils on the market are designed for, and marketed to, kindergartners, well, that’s going to affect perception and negatively impact demand. I’m doing my best to change that.

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What sharpener put that point on the Black Wood? It’s the Classroom Friendly Jumbo Sharpener, which I’ve previously reviewed. While you may pay a premium for the smooth Caran d’Ache graphite, the pencils have excellent point retention, and my Black Woods have lasted me a long time.

Five years ago, Swiss Brand Caran d’Ache sold a hexagonal jumbo pencil called the Black Wood, which I mentioned above. The Black Wood packed an oversized core of high-quality, Caran d’Ache HB graphite into a sleek black pencil which, to me, became the ultimate pencil for journaling and drafting longer pieces of writing by hand. Even ardent pencil lovers appreciate how a standard hexagonal pencil can get uncomfortable if you’re writing for hours, and this larger format offered both bigger facets and softer edges to grip. I bought a half-dozen or so, and as luck would have it, when I went to procure a larger supply, they had been discontinued.

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This is one of the better pictures I’ve been able to take, in terms of duplicating the Klein Blue pantone on a screen.

This fall, Caran d’Ache announced a collaboration with the estate of French artist Yves Klein, known for his signature shade of ultramarine, “Klein Blue.” Caran d’Ache reissued a number of products from their catalog in this color, including a jumbo pencil! Of course, to my chagrin, when I went to order the line for the store, the jumbo pencil was the one item that sold out immediately. A month or so later, Caran d’Ache apparently decided to release more, because I was recently received a few dozen of what they refer to as the Klein Blue “Maxi” HB Pencil, which appears to be a Black Wood reborn in a Klein Blue barrel, featuring the same smooth oversized HB core. (I might have put a few aside for myself this time. We do need “shop testers,” after all.)

A size comparison for jumbo pencils, from lower right: Caran d’Ache Klein Blue “Maxi” HB, Blackfeet Indian Pencil (a vintage classic from my childhood), Caran d’Ache Black Wood, Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood, and the Klein Blue Fixpencil, which is now sold out but standard versions are in stock.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

To summarize: I think jumbo pencils are great, but there’s a paucity of quality ones on the market. “School pencils” such as the Ticonderoga Laddie and “My First Ticonderoga” that you see at Target and Wal-mart are certainly available - and the Laddie is an excellent cheap pencil for everyday use - but the quality can vary wildly. A safer, more consistent choice for an inexpensive jumbo, in my opinion, is the Musgrave Cub.

When they’re available, Caran d’Ache offers the ultimate jumbo pencil experience. I have a decent stock of the Klein Blue “Maxi” pencils currently available for purchase in The Curated Shop, but my understanding is that this is a limited run and these pencils will not be available as part of the standard lineup. That’s a shame, because based on what I’ve seen to date in terms of demand, Caran d’Ache could sell a lot of these pencils and I would love to have these as an option for everyday writing. Maybe if we make enough noise they’ll bring back the Black Wood? One can dream.

The Gentleman Stationer Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache products. Sales through The Curated Shop, the TGS Patreon Program, and affiliations with other sites and retailers are how I fund The Gentleman Stationer. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Workhorse Pens: Pelikan M800 Stone Garden

What makes a pen an icon? Sometimes it’s a unique design and aesthetic, other times it’s utility. With the Pelikan M800, I’d argue that the latter is what makes it the very definition of a “workhorse pen.” In today’s market, which tends to place a premium on constant new releases of flashy limited edition designs, it seems that the Pelikan M800 tends to get overlooked. Sure, Pelikan has its annual special releases, but the overall design of the pen - and Pelikan’s “Souveran” line in general - hasn’t changed much over the years other than to offer different sizes of the same basic model.

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From left, the Pelikan M800, the Pelikan M600, and the Pelikan M400. I’ve linked to my reviews of the other two pens. As you can tell, I enjoy them all, go back and forth on which one is my favorite, and I can see an argument as to why all of them are the “best size” for everyday use. It will come down to how large a pen you prefer for your everyday writing.

A great “workhorse pen” tends to disappear in your hand when you’re writing. As with other preferred “workhorses” like the Montblanc 146 and the Lamy 2000, the design of the Pelikan M800 doesn’t distract from the work at hand, and the pen posts deeply so you don’t have to worry about keeping track of the cap. A key feature of the Souveran line is the ability to get what is essentially the same writing experience in different sizes. If you enjoy the look of the M800, but feel that it might be too big, size down to the M600 or M400, which are not only smaller but significantly lighter. (I believe this is because the piston-filling system uses different components).

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The specific model shown here is the Pelikan M800 Stone Garden Special Edition, which pairs dark blue acrylic and gold trim with a marbled cellulose-acetate barrel featuring brown, blue, and black flecks. Since Pelikan releases a new M800 every year, I try to be selective about which editions I pick up. I couldn’t take a pass on this one, especially with a color combination (navy blue acrylic!?!) that you rarely see. I purchased this pen with a standard Pelikan medium nib, which writes a line that I consider the equivalent of a steel broad. While the nib is quite round, and therefore doesn’t show much line variation, it was a smooth, consistent writer out of the box and has not been modified.

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One quirk I’ve noticed on this particular pen is that the plating seems to tarnish and need periodic polishing, particularly around the cap band. I suspect this is due to high copper content in whatever alloy was used for this batch. Has anyone else had this problem, either with the Stone Garden edition or another Pelikan pen manufactured around the same time (2018)?

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You can see the slight bit of tarnish on the top cap band, which I find odd. It polishes right off, but I’ve not had this happen with any other Pelikan pen in my collection.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As I noted above, I don’t have that many Pelikan pens in my personal collection, but those I do have see a lot of use as daily writers - what I call “workhorses.” If you’re looking for a pen with a classic design and rock solid reliability, the Pelikan Souveran series has stood the test of time, and you can’t go wrong with a Pelikan M800. For more on what I look for when choosing a “workhorse pen,” I’ve put together a page featuring all the relevant articles here.

Because the Pelikan M800 Stone Garden was a 2018 special release, you will need to search for it on closeout or the secondary market. Currently, retailer Pen Boutique has both the Stone Garden fountain pen and ballpoint in stock, and at a good price for a Special Edition M800. Unfortunately, since it’s been a couple of years, I don’t recall exactly where I purchased this pen, though I believe it was acquired with my own funds for my personal collection. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Disclaimer: This post does not contain any affiliate links.

An Abundance of Good Paper: Write Notepads Memo Pads

We not only live in a new “golden age” of fountain pen ink, but also fountain pen friendly paper. In the past few months alone, I’ve had the pleasure of testing at least four different legal or desk pads, all of which turned out to be excellent. When I first got into this hobby, there was Rhodia and Clairefontaine. Hard Stop. Not only do today’s fountain pen enthusiasts have a much more extensive selection to choose from, but the cost of good everyday paper has dropped.

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After revamping their notebook lineup to include some of the most ink-friendly paper on the market, Baltimore-based Write Notepads has now released a new set of “Memo Notepads” - 8.5” x 11” legal-sized writing pads containing the same 70# paper stock found in the notebooks. Each pad is glue-bound at the top, so the sheets tear off easily, and backed by a sturdy kraft/chipboard back cover.

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One thing I love about Write Notepads paper is that it is uncoated and more absorbent than your typical “fountain pen friendly” paper. It dries quickly, and despite the absorbency does not bleed or feather.

Write Notepads Memo Pads are sold two pads to a pack, with each pad containing 50 sheets. You can choose from three different 1/4” rulings: dot grid, lined, and “Meeting” (a Cornell-style ruling optimized for taking and summarizing meeting notes). These pads are ruled on both sides, so you actually get 100 pages of writing per pad - a feature that I wish makers of other high-end legal pads (such as Blackwing) would emulate. When I’m paying for good paper, I want to be able to easily use both sides of the page.

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Some people really enjoy the “Meeting” ruling for the ability to easily summarize notes and pull together action items. It’s also useful for research.

You can purchase Write Memo Notepads in the Curated Shop, priced at $18 for a pack of two. The Shop also carries the full range of Write Notepads products, from spiral Notebooks to pocket notebooks to hardbound journals. I can’t wait to see what Write releases next - perhaps a landscape desk pad? (Suggestion….)

The TGS Patreon Program, sales through The Curated Shop, and affiliations with other sites and retailers are how I fund The Gentleman Stationer. Your support is greatly appreciated!