Sunday Reading for February 5, 2023 (NYC Travel Edition)

1. Year One: First Anniversary! (via A Fleeting Ripple). Congrats! Often the first year of blogging is the hardest, just in terms of maintaining a steady stream of posts and a reliable presence. A huge accomplishment, especially when the content is so high-quality.

2. InCoWriMo, AKA International Correspondence Writing Month (via Pen Addict). It’s February, so you know that it’s InCoWriMo time! Brad provides a nice overview of what InCoWriMo is all about. More on InCoWriMo below, and how we’re set up to help you with all your letter-writing needs.

3. Sailor Yurameku Inks, Round 2 (via Well-Appointed Desk). During my visit to Yoseka Stationery, I almost picked up a few of these, but then realized that I already had probably exceeded what I was capable of carrying home, and I’m already looking at having to purchase a second suitcase.

4. Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). While it certainly doesn’t get as much attention as Pilot’s Vanishing Point/Capless series, the Curidas is still a legitimate option for those looking for a retractable fountain pen at a lower price point.

5. Further Thoughts on the Jinhao X159 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). I dove in and purchased one of these as well, and I can confirm that the nib I received was very, very good. Now swapping parts between different colors? That’s something I didn’t think of. More details soon.

6. PhoenixPenStands 12 Pen Holder (via KraftyKats). This does seem to be the year of the 3D-printed pen stand, and since this one’s in red and black, I automatically like it!

7. Ink Review #752: TWSBI Blue-Black (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I’m probably biased, but I love TWSBI Blue-Black as a standard blue-black ink. It’s got a nice vintage-style tone, some shading, as well as some water-resistance.

8. Jacques Herbin Gris de Houle (via Fountain Pen Love). I’ve been wondering lately what’s the difference between the “Jacques Herbin”-branded inks and the “J. Herbin”. This is a nice grey, though possibly a bit light for my own use.

9. My Seven-Notebook Writing System (via Pen Addict - Sarah). As I’ve said before, I always love looking at how others organize their writing projects. If you work in multiple notebooks, you may find something like the Lochby Field Journal helpful!

10. A No-Buy Year. Really. (via From the Pen Cup). Congrats to Mary on her progress so far. (Finishing a bottle of ink! In our world, that’s like running a marathon!)

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I reviewed a pen that’s been in my collection for some time without a write-up: the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Macassar fountain pen. I also posted the various pens and carry items I took with me to NYC as I travel to the National Stationery Show for a few days. Keep an eye on Instagram for more on my travels!

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Airplane carry: I don’t just write about this stuff or sell it for kicks: I DO use it myself!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Expansion and Exciting announcements coming!

It’s no secret that I’ve been rapidly expanding the T.G.S. Curated Shop and working on a couple of semi-secret projects, which necessitated me traveling to NYC this week to meet with vendors, etc. New items are rapidly arriving, which I’ll be posting as they land. You can check out this week’s shop announcements here, which includes not only the arrival of Nahvalur’s Limited Edition “Year of the Rabbit” pens, but also full restock’s of Clairefontaine, Rhodia, and Write Notepads, as well as fun new desk accessories from WMS & Co., like these customizable stamps.

Also, if you’re participating in InCoWriMo, please check out our special letter-writing section, set up especially for this month! (If it’s popular, we may make it a permanent fixture.) Also, if you’re into stickers, stamps, and washi tape to use with your written correspondence or otherwise, we maintain a large and growing selection!

Nahvalur

Composition Books

"Philosophical" Stamps

G. Lalo Paper

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

This year, I’m trying to be more visible and intentional with T.G.S. Patreon and how the support/membership program will expand in 2023 to include not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content, including the potential return of Digital Divide. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support!

Travel Kit: National Stationery Show Edition

So I’m kicking off an extended period of pen-related travel with a trip to New York City to attend NYNow and Shoppe Object, two of the largest stationery trade shows in the country. Hopefully I’ll come back not just with lots of fun stories but new finds for the T.G.S. Curated Shop, which I have plans to expand. (See yesterday’s post for the latest arrivals, and I’ll be spending some of my “down time” this weekend updating inventory and listing a few stragglers that arrived yesterday.) Shoppe Object is where I first discovered my friends at WMS & Co. back in 2020, and while I don’t know that they’re attending this year, the ability to meet with these brands in a somewhat more laid-back setting where there’s no immediate pressure to buy (unlike at a direct-to-consumer pen show) is invaluable in finding new additions that might be a good fit for our business.

From left: Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize; Schon DSGN Full Size; Pilot Custom 823; Traveler’s Company Fountain Pen; TWSBI Precision Mechanical Pencil (.5mm Retractable); and Montblanc Classique Fineliner.

Enough Shop Talk, What’s the Travel Kit?

While it could be just a by-product of working primarily from home for the past few years and getting out of a “travel mentality”, the act of prepping for a trip has started to cause me a greater degree of stress than it used to. I decided to keep it simple this time, sticking my journals and an A5 Tomoe River notebook into my Lochby Field Journal, and pulling together some airplane-friendly pens into my Lochby Tool Roll. My Plotter A5 is coming with me as the notebook I plan to carry around the city and to the shows. I just realized I forgot my headphones, but hey, at least I have my stationery!

This is a pretty compact carry for three notebooks and seven pens.

Send Me NYC Stationery Store Recommendations!

It’s been three years since I’ve been to New York City, so my stationery store list is hopelessly out of date. I’ve shockingly never visited Yoseka Stationery, so that’s on my list as a “go visit right away” trip as soon as I hit the ground. CW Pencil Enterprise has sadly closed, and Fountain Pen Hospital is not open on the weekends. I have some time to kill, so give me a hand here!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Pen Review: Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Macassar Fountain Pen

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned during my near decade in the pen world, it’s that sometimes you enjoy things that you shouldn’t enjoy. What do I mean by that? Well, as a general rule, I tend not to like slimmer pens that don’t post. While there are exceptions, I typically find slim, non-posting pens unbalanced (posting the cap can give an otherwise too-skinny pen a necessary bit of heft), and in any event it can be a hassle to keep track of the loose cap while writing. Did I mention there are exceptions…?

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I’ve previously reviewed the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic fountain pen, and enjoyed that pen when I had it on loan, but ended up returning the review sample due to concerns about the dimensions and how well those would work for me as an everyday writer. Since posting that review (back in 2018), I’ve acquired two Graf von Faber-Castell fountain pens, and after a longer test period, held on to both of them in my permanent collection. Of the two (a Guilloche and the pen featured here, the Classic Macassar), the larger Classic Macassar is my favorite.

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Graf von Faber-Castell makes fountain pens in a range of sizes. The Classic series, which features most of their wood barrels, is larger than the Guilloche series, shown on the right.

I have a fair number of black-trimmed pens in my collection, ranging from Sailor’s Pro Gear Imperial Black and Black Luster to the Montblanc 149 Ultra Black release from a few years ago, so if I was every going to invest in one of Graf von Faber-Castell’s flagship pens, it would be this one. Featuring an 18k ruthenium-plated nib and PVD-coated titanium trim, the Classic Macassar is stunning to look at. The darker trim perfectly complements the darker Macassar Ebony wood, and like pretty much every other pen I’ve ever tried from Graf von Faber-Castell, the nib writes perfectly. The Company states that each of these nibs is “run-in by hand,” which I take to mean that it’s hand-tested and tuned before it leaves the factory.

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The PVD coating on the metal section gives it a nice grip, and the elongated concave shape is exceptionally comfortable.

As I mentioned, design-wise, I shouldn’t love this pen as much as I do. The cap is extremely impractical, but I love the oversized, top-heavy look, and the spring-loaded clip works wonderfully. That said, this pen absolutely does not post. While the Graf von Faber-Castell website shows a photograph of the Classic Macassar posting relatively deeply, my pen barely posts at all, to the point where I don’t even want to post the pen for photography purposes because I don’t want to risk damaging the threads or internal cap. If posting is an absolute necessity for how you use pens, I’d consider the Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche series, a slightly smaller, slimmer fountain pen that posts more securely.

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For comparison purposes, I’ll show a photograph of my Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche fountain pen, which is a slimmer pen that posts, even if the end result is a touch long for my taste.

Personally, I find that the Classic Macassar is just heavy enough for me to comfortably use unposted, and while the inability to post the cap will likely leave this particular fountain pen outside the “daily Workhorse” category, I’ve had a hard time putting it away. Even though I’ve told myself I should sell it, because it’s not an everyday user for me, I can’t. Do you have pens in your collection that you have some sort of inexplicable draw to, that you enjoy using even though it’s a pen that your experience tells you that you absolutely shouldn’t like, but you do anyway? Well, this is one of those for me.

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The Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Macassar in-hand.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Though an exceptional fountain pen with a unique look, like most GvFC products, the Classic Macassar retails at an extremely high price point. As of the time of writing, MSRP on this pen is $685 as shown on the Graf von Faber Castell US website, with most retailers having it priced around $550. That’s expensive, but then again, on par for a ruthenium-plated nib pen with blacked out titanium parts. (Compare with the Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, which now lists for $472, or the Montblanc 146 Ultra Black, which apparently has a secondary market value north of $1200?) Whether the pen is "worth it” to you goes far beyond practicality - for me, the combination of black trim and dark wood, as well as the wonderful writing experience offered by the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic pens in general, keeps this one in my collection.

For this review, I chose to ink this Graf pen with Ferris Wheel Press Roaring Patina Black, and the review paper is the excellent Life Noble Note.

I acquired this pen years ago, and can’t remember exactly where (though it was probably either Appelboom or the now-closed La Couronne du Compte). This post does not contain third-party affiliate links or advertising. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Spotlight on Nahvalur Fountain Pens: Introducing the Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition

Last year we brought Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal Pens) into the shop, driven by two specific models: the “Original Plus” vacuum-filler fountain pen and the “Nautilus” piston filler, featuring Nahvalur’s signature “porthole” ink windows. This week, we’ve not only restocked on the Original Plus but have added two new Nautilus fountain pens and will soon add Nahvalur’s new “Explorer” ink line.

Nahvalur 2023 “Pen of the Year” is Now Available

The big announcement this week is the release of Nahvalur’s 2023 Pen of the Year, the “Year of the Rabbit” limited edition Nautilus. Featuring a pearlescent white resin and a 14k gold nib, this release is limited to 223 pieces worldwide and we were lucky enough to get a handful. Available in either fine or medium.

The white resin used in the Year of the Rabbit pen comes from Starry Night Resins.

As I mentioned above, we’ve also added the classic black Nautilus ebonite piston filler featuring either an antiqued bronze (“Bronze Corydoras”) or black (“Cephalopod Black”) trim, and we once again have all colors of the “Original Plus” fountain pens in stock, including the popular Ocellatus Gold which sold out quickly.

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It’s Restock and New Arrival Season, So Keep Checking Back

We have new products arriving daily, so keep checking back to view the new arrivals in pens, inks, and pencils as well as paper and notebook systems!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

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"Serious Nibbage": Do No. 8 Nibs Live Up to the Hype?

Every year, there are a couple of products that see their popularity soar unexpectedly, despite the fact that the’ve been around for a while. In 2022 - and continuing into 2023 - one of those product categories is the No. 8 fountain pen nib. For those unfamiliar with fountain pen nib sizing schemes, the size of the nib itself (as opposed to the tipping) is denoted by number. Different regions (or even brands) will use their own numbering so there is little overall consistency, but for purposes of this article, the generally accepted “standard” nib size is a No. 6 (i.e., your typical JoWo or Bock nib), with the larger No. 8 rapidly growing in both popularity and availability.

If what you’re looking for is a bouncy, wet writer, a Bock No. 8 titanium nib, like the one on the Kingsize Bulkfiller, will serve you well. You also don’t need to pay Conid prices to get one. They are available separately from many different sources and can be fitted to pens like the Schon Ultem, provided you have the appropriate section. More on that below.

Why Do People Like No. 8 Nibs So Much?

A No. 8 nib just looks different. Part of the appeal is the uniqueness factor. The experience of writing with a nibbed pen adds much of the charm to using a fountain pen in general, and the larger No. 8 nib is especially eye-catching. The first time you see a pen like the Montblanc 149 or the Pelikan M1000, what you notice is that giant gold nib. Other companies, like Conid, offer gold but increasingly the standard No. 8 nib for small-batch and custom makers seems to be the less expensive No. 8 Bock titanium nib, with a matte finish that pops in its own way.

A smoother writing experience. Many people who first recommended No. 8 nibs to me commented on how much smoother they feel, and to a certain extent they’re correct. I suspect that the “smoother” feel comes from the larger feed, which if tuned properly will deliver more ink, which in turn makes the nib write “wetter,” and a wet nib typically feels smoother than a dry one because it masks any rough spots on the tipping or tine misalignment. If you like wet nibs with a bouncier feel, you will probably enjoy Bock No. 8 titanium nibs, which deliver a lot of ink and provide some line variation.

More stability and control. Personally, I appreciate No. 8 nibs for the same reason that larger pens are growing on me: a greater degree of stability and control over my writing. The larger nib feels more precise in your hand, especially with a finer nib like the one on the Jinhao X159 discussed below.

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The pen on the left costs $1100. The pen on the right costs $12.50. As you can see, you don’t need to break the bank for the No. 8 writing experience.

Less Expensive No. 8 Nib Options Are Becoming More Widely Available

Currently, I have four No. 8 nibs in my collection: A Montblanc 149 with a broad nib (that writes more like a stub); a Montegrappa Extra 1930 with a medium nib; a Conid Kingsize Bulkfiller with a medium titanium nib (review forthcoming); and a Jinhao X159 that just arrived the other day. Of these four, the one that surprised me the most was the Jinhao. I love it when I discover extremely inexpensive pens that are fabulous writers, and while this stiff nail of a steel nib won’t give you the same wet writing experience or bouncy feel as the others discussed, for $12 I’m not sure you’re going to care. Because these larger Jinhao nib units are threaded and unscrew from the pen, I’ve heard that penmakers are starting to experiment with Jinhao-compatible sections, which will allow you to use these nibs in custom pens. Another less expensive option are the Magna Carta stainless steel nibs, which I’ve heard are compatible with the No. 8 sections made for the Schon DSGN Ultem pens. (UPDATE: See comments below, as people have had mixed success with Magna Carta. What I’ve heard is that the recent batch works with the Ultem pens, but YMMV.)

The Jinhao X159 writes a smooth, dark line. The writing experience offered by this pen punches FAR above its price point. The body of the pen does feel pretty inexpensive - even cheap (which it is), but the nib is superb.

Stay tuned for more No. 8 nib-specific content, specifically how these options all compare to one another. I’m planning on picking up some No. 8 sections for my Schon pens during this year’s pen show adventures, and I’m also looking forward to trying out the JoWo No. 8 nib, featured on the Edison Collier Grande.

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