Off to the 2021 D.C. Pen Show... And For Those Who Can't Attend, a Pen Show Special!

As I write this, I’m on the road to the D.C. Pen Show! (Figuratively, of course, as I’m safely stopped. I ended up driving.) I’ll have regular updates through the weekend as the show kicks off in full tomorrow. For those who can’t attend, I’m running a show promotion through Sunday in The Curated Shop: Take 10% off your orders using the coupon code “DCPENSHOW10” at checkout!

If you will be at the show, don’t forget to come see me at the Vanness Pens table, right by the entrance!

All T.G.S. Curated Shop Discounts Exclude TWSBI and Sunderland Machine Works.

First Impressions: The TWSBI Swipe is a Steal

Last week, TWSBI released their new “Swipe” fountain pen, which is the first TWSBI pen to utilize a cartridge/converter filling system. But this isn’t your typical C/C fountain pen - the Swipe ships with not one, but two different style converters, plus a cartridge. Not only does this represent great value, since most companies make you pay $5 for the privilege of purchasing a single converter separately, but TWSBI has adopted a larger, high-capacity design that’s 2-3 times as large as your typical standard international converter. (Just take a look at the pics!)

All this is included with your purchase. The spring can be used for extra security if you want to ensure that your cartridge stays seated in the pen barrel, though it’s not essential. You simply drop the spring into the barrel behind your cartridge.

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My favorite of the two TWSBI Swipe Converters is the plunger-style converter, like the filling system in the TWSBI Go fountain pen. It’s easy to both fill and flush.

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The TWSBI Swipe Converter, bottom, compared against a standard international converter, top. I’ve not taken an official measurement, but I’ve read elsewhere that the Swipe converter holds well over 1ml of ink.

I’ve been writing with the Swipe for three days straight, and so far I love it. It’s lighter than the ECO due to the absence of the piston, while offering a similar writing experience since they use the same nib. While I initially had concerns about the clip, it fits just fine over a shirt pocket and holds the fabric securely.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Frankly, the TWSBI Swipe could be a game-changer in the sense that many oft-recommended pens at the sub-$30 price point are now arguably a less attractive proposition because you have to pay to purchase a converter separately. The TWSBI Swipe is priced at $26.99, and it’s hard to find something competitive in terms of value or versatility, given everything that is included in that purchase. A 10-pack of cartridges can also be purchased for $6 in three different colors, and they ship in this great business card style clamshell case. Both the pens and cartridges are now available in the shop!

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The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of TWSBI and all other brands we carry. By shopping with us, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

New Arrivals: Caran d'Ache 849 Claim Your Style, Edition 3!

On the heels of the latest Caran d’Ache Nespresso releases, Caran d’Ache has announced the latest entry in their “Claim Your Style” series of 849 ballpoints. The Claim Your Style releases always offer six unique color schemes, and this year is the first Caran d’Ache has offered a monochrome look as opposed to mixed-and-matched colors. The current options include “Night Blue,” “Ice Blue,” “Moss Green,” “Scarlet Red,” “Tangerine,” and “Violet.” While I may have a hard time choosing a favorite this year, the dark blue and the green are both absolutely stunning. Fans of the first Claim Your Style edition will appreciate that Caran d’Ache has returned to a slightly more matte finish on these pens (which is especially pronounced on the Moss Green, shown above).

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Shown here from left: Violet, Ice Blue, Scarlet Red, Tangerine, Moss Green, and Night Blue. I love the more muted tones.

The latest Claim Your Style pens are now available in the Curated Shop, priced at $39 each. I also still have a handful of Edition Two pens remaining, with special pricing. And, yes, for those of you who want to mix and match parts, I don’t see any reason why you can’t swap clips and buttons between pens (though it’s not “officially” supported).

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Sunday Reading for August 1, 2021

1. The Late Late London Spring Pen Show (via Dapprman). I’m getting geared up for the D.C. Pen Show this coming weekend, and it’s been fun reading reviews of other pen shows that are happening. (Honestly, I like the look of a truly “distanced” pen show rather than the somewhat claustrophobic situation that tends to prevail at U.S. shows.)

2. Pen Shows Are Back, and Better Than Ever (via UK Fountain Pens). Another great report from the London Pen Show, and again, I love the look of the new setup. I hope D.C. will be similar.

3. How to Pen Show (via Inkdependence). A timely video from Mike, who will be in attendance in D.C. as well! I can't tell you how much I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again.

4. Saying Goodbye to The Pen Addict (via Pen Addict). Congratulations to Susan and best of luck in your new endeavor! I hope this isn't goodbye forever, and that Susan will still occasionally share her thoughts and excellent reviews!

5. Shibui Kibo Urushi Enamelled Copper Pen (via Dapprman). The finish on this pen looks gorgeous, and Ruth Bolton is an urushi artist to keep an eye on.

6. Taccia The Jeans Collection Classic Wash (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I’ve never really understood how Taccia develops their various ink lines. Sure, they make great inks, but the “Jeans” collection is kind of quirky.

7. Obligatory Mechanical Keyboard Post (via Penquisition). The mechanical keyboard hobby is something that interests me, but I’ve never jumped in wholesale, such as building my own keyboard like Evan does. I have two (one at home and one at the office) that I’ve been using for years, and I keep going back to Cherry MX Green as my switch of choice. (Stiff and Clicky!)

8. Dingbats Notebook Review (via Writing at Large). I’m glad to see that Dingbats is still making notebooks. Their paper is quite fountain pen friendly and the vegan covers quite durable.

9. Looking Back at Old Flames, with Ever Widening Eyes (via UK Fountain Pens). You may have noticed that I’m selling off a ton of inks and paper, and I haven't figured out how I’m going to reduce my pen count. I’m struggling with it to avoid later regrets.

10. Birmingham Pens Everlasting Inks (via Mountain of Ink). I love these colors, but permanent inks tend to feather and bleed a lot for me. I have a bottle of “Compost” in for review and will see how it works out.

In Case You Missed It…

This week I published the third installment of my “All the Inks” series, in which I swab my “mini collections” of ink in their entirety. Purple inks were up next, and it was interesting to see that I wasn’t as attached to many of the super-popular “cult” purples as I thought I would be. I let a lot of them go. I also wrote a short piece highlighting the new Caran d’Ache x Nespresso collaborations, which are available in the store. I love this annual release - I grab one of each installment for my personal collection. Finally, this week’s Deals & Drops highlighted the new TWSBI Swipe and more!

Pre-D.C. Pen Show Inventory Updates - Sunderland, TWSBI, and the More Regular Launch of T.G.S. Gently Used/Vintage!

I will be bringing all remaining Sunderland x T.G.S. mk1 collaboration pens to the D.C. Pen Show with me, so if you are NOT attending the show, and want to get one in the near term, I would recommend purchasing this week. As I noted, I have the new TWSBI Swipe in stock, all of the TWSBI inks (including the smaller bottles of colored inks), and the full range of Caran d’Ache x Nespresso pencils. Finally, I’ve launched the T.G.S “Gently Used” page, where I will be selling some items from my personal collection, as well as some vintage items - namely vintage pencils - that I’ve stockpiled over the years.

Sunderland MK1

Caran d'Ache

TWSBI

Rhodia

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items and T.G.S. collaborations, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live and features the inks that I’m selling off as I thin out my personal accumulation.

Mini Collections, Part IV: All the PURPLE Inks

I’ve decided to push through, and to post my ink inventories consecutively, as opposed to stretching these posts out over the coming months. (As I previously mentioned, I’m focused on really paring down the amount of ink that I have accumulated, and this is the most effective way to compare the various colors and decide what I like and what I can move on from.) Next up are the purple inks, a color that’s less represented in my collection in terms of number of bottles, but which is still one of my favorite “fun” colors to write with, especially for annotation purposes.

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Of course, the one that everyone wants to see is Lamy “Dark Lilac,” with Montblanc “Beatles Psychedelic Purple” a close second. So these are the top two inks on the sheet. The bottom two, leaning more heavily blue, are Colorverse “Hayabusa” and “Hayabusa Glistening.”

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a great purple ink. Waterman “Tender Purple” (formerly “Violet”) is a bright, intense purple ink that I believe rivals many of the “cult” purples that command such a premium on the secondary market. TWSBI Violet is another sleeper, which I think approaches the tone of Montblanc Beatles Purple with slightly less vibrancy.

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Key Takeaways and Conclusions

I don’t use my purple inks as often as other colors, and even though I don’t have as many, I don’t really need what I have. Therefore, I’ve decided to make some hard choices to pare down the collection:

1. After much consideration, I’m going to move on from a lot of the “popular” inks that I’ve accumulated over the years. While Lamy Dark Lilac and Montblanc Beatles Purple are great colors, I don’t use them enough to justify keeping them around when others will likely enjoy them more. These are going in the Patreon Sale today along with several others.

2. The purple inks that I enjoy the most are the ones that aren’t very expensive. Waterman Tender Purple and TWSBI Violet can be had for a song, so there’s no need for me to have a ton of money locked up in (much) more expensive inks, some purchased at a premium on the secondary market, especially where there are relatively close equivalents should I occasionally want to write in that particular shade.

3. For those looking for a substitute for Lamy Dark Lilac, consider picking up Diamine “Pansy” from the Flower Set, or Diamine Monboddo’s Hat, which I’ve not personally tried but many swear by as a close match. Montblanc Beatles Purple is a bit harder to duplicate. While the shade of purple is fairly common (it’s a bright violet), other inks have a hard time matching the vibrancy after the ink dries. Both TWSBI Violet and Iroshizuku Murasaki Shikibu have somewhat similar tones but don’t maintain the brightness when dry.

4. I’m partial to purple inks that lean heavily blue, such as Colorverse Hayabusa and Diamine Iris (another from the exceptional Flower Set). Over time, I’ve become less enamored with very dark purples-black inks, such as Sailor-Bungubox Ink of Witch and the Lamy Dark Lilac. I guess tastes evolve.

Further Reading and Personal Ink Sale Details

If you missed the first installments of my multi-part ink comparison, check out my post on “All the Red Inks” here, and “All the Green Inks” here. (I have many more red and green inks in my collection than any other color, so these will be the most comprehensive.) Also, here’s how I’m handling my “ink liquidation”: All bottles that I decide to sell go into the Patreon sale page for a week, and anything that Patreon members don’t claim goes to the public “Gently Used” page, where I occasionally post stuff from my own personal collection for sale. I recently moved a bunch of green and red inks, as well as vintage pencils and other items, to that page. Though I am not an official retailer of any of the items listed, any gently used orders can be combined with Curated Shop orders to meet the free shipping threshold. I’m not looking to profiteer here - nearly everything is listed at below retail, and where a premium is charged, it’s for a bottle I had to work hard to get or for which I paid over retail on the secondary market.

Disclaimer: This post does not contain paid affiliate links. Going forward, T.G.S is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!