New Arrivals: Caran d'Ache Chromatics Inks in 50ml Bottles!

April 25, 2023

On yesterday’s Currently Inked video, I mentioned that Caran d’Ache Chromatics inks would be joining the T.G.S. Curated Shop in 50ml bottle format. We now have all 11 colors in stock and ready to ship! This is in addition to the major Caran d’Ache restock from a couple of weeks ago, in which favorites like the 849 Black Code, the 849 Original, and more were added back to the shop.

Caran D'Ache Chromatics Ink Bottle — The Caran d’Ache ink bottle is slightly angled to make filling easier.

The Caran d’Ache Chromatics series features unique and vibrant colors. Favorites include “Infinite Grey”, which has purple undertones and looks almost silver in some light when it dries. “Divine Pink” reminds me of a slightly darker Iroshizuku Yama-Budo, and “Delicate Green” is a very legible grass green suitable for everyday writing. Caran d’Ache Chromatics inks are available now, priced at $35 for a 50ml bottle.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Caran d’Ache. Many thanks for your support!

Pen Review: Onoto Scholar in Mandarin Yellow

April 22, 2023

Believe it or not, there are still brands that I’ve never reviewed here on the blog - one being British penmaker Onoto! For those unfamiliar with Onoto, it’s a traditional British brand with roots dating back to 1905. The modern iteration of the company launched in 2005, and currently make two primary models: the Onoto Magna (their flagship), and the Onoto Scholar. They even offer a bespoke pen service if none of their current stock designs appeal to you.

Onoto Scholar Nib — Onoto’s signature medallion alongside the excellent stainless steel nib.

The pen I plan to review today is the Onoto Scholar, which is the company’s “entry level” fountain pen. I say “entry level” in quotes because this isn’t an inexpensive fountain pen - it’s very well-made and priced accordingly. That said, if you’re looking to acquire your “one pen” that could serve you well as a daily writer (especially if you plan to do a lot of actual writing on a daily basis), the Onoto Scholar deserves your consideration. Indeed, more than one “working writer” has recommended this pen to me.

The Onoto Scholar isn’t flashy. None of Onoto’s pens are, to be honest, outside of some of the more ornate special editions from the Magna line. Building on classic designs from the 1920s and earlier, the Scholar features a classic flat-top profile reminiscent of vintage Parker Duofolds and, yes, earlier Onoto pens. The Scholar is comfortable to hold, though I personally found myself wishing for just a touch more heft when writing with this pen unposted. Honestly, I was probably spoiled by having first written with the slightly larger Onoto Magna. On the Scholar, the cap doesn’t post deeply enough to offer me the desired balance, so - sigh - looks like I’ll be buying a Magna at some point….

Onoto Scholar Parker 51 Comparison — The Onoto Scholar next to a vintage Parker 51, for size comparison.

Even though I found the Scholar just a touch too small for my taste, the nib on this pen is an exceptionally good steel option. While I don’t believe that Onoto makes their nibs in-house (this one most likely began life as a Bock or Jowo), the nib and feed have both been modified. Onoto stainless steel nibs are slightly softer than most, and if I had to compare the writing experience to another brand, I would choose Otto Hutt. This particular pen was fitted with a delightfully smooth fine nib that I would have loved to add to my collection as an everyday writer if only the pen body had worked for me just a bit better.

Onoto Scholar Writing Sample — The nib writes a classic western fine line.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If the Onoto Scholar were only just slightly larger, or if it would post just a bit deeper, it could easily be a workhorse pen for me. Between its classic, vintage-style aesthetic and the excellent nib, the Scholar offers a premium steel nib option, but I’m likely going to opt for the slightly larger Onoto Magna when I do decide to add one to my collection.

Onoto Scholar Packaging — Onoto outdoes themselves on presentation. Each pen ships with a nice-looking leather pen wrap/case.

Vanness Pens is the exclusive U.S. retailer of Onoto, and you can purchase the Scholar in a range of color and trim combinations for $220. The price point places the Onoto Scholar in approximately the same price range as pens like the Otto Hutt Design06. Both are premium steel nib pens where the manufacturer has gone a step beyond using stock JoWo and Bock nibs, and specifically modified and tuned the pens to their own specification. I found the fine nib on this Onoto excellent.

Note: I’ve updated the T.G.S. Fountain Pen Review Archive to include this Onoto review, my recent review of the Tibaldi Bononia Vintage, and several others. If you’d like to browse older content from nearly a decade of The Gentleman Stationer, start with the “Resources” link at the top of the page!

Vanness loaned me this pen for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, and returned the pen at the end of my testing. The Gentleman Stationer is supported exclusively by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Reviews Revisited (2023): Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo (Moonlight) and Yama-Budo (Crimson Glory Vine)

April 19, 2023

I’ve been feeling a touch overwhelmed lately, whether it’s the pressure of juggling my work schedule and family responsibilities, or just the sheer volume of stuff I have sitting around my office waiting to be listed and shipped or taken over to the warehouse. Sometimes when this happens, it’s comforting to go back to the basics and ignore the latest-and-greatest, a quick flashback a time when my collection/accumulation included just a handful of pens and five or so bottles of ink. (Hard to believe this was only ten years ago, right?!?) For my first couple of years in this hobby, the two “nicest” inks I owned were Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo and Yama-Budo, both of which are still mainstays of my collection.

While I wouldn’t necessarily think of blue-black as having a direct correlation to “Moonlight”, for some reason the name works. The night sky just after dusk, perhaps?

Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo

Why do these particular inks have such staying power? Part of it is nostalgia, for sure, but honestly they’re just good. Tsuki-Yo, to me, is a more interesting version of classic Waterman Blue-Black. The name of the ink translates as “Moonlight,” and while it can certainly pass as a standard blue-black ink - making it an excellent choice for the office - there’s just something about this color that causes it to stand out. Maybe it’s the slight red sheen, the hints of teal, or the vintage-style shading? The ink has never given me any problems in any pen or on any paper, and I’ve come close to using up an entire 50ml bottle. (Well, I’ve used about 2/3 of the bottle, and I expect I’ll finish it this year.)

I angled the swatch to get a shot of the slight red sheen.

While Iroshizuku Inks aren’t known as “super-sheeners,” you get the interesting visual effect without any smearing that’s so prevalent with other sheening inks.

Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo

While Yama-Budo isn’t my favorite overall color (it’s an offbeat burgundy-purple-magenta hue with some gold sheen on certain papers), I have a soft spot for it because it was my first “adventurous” ink color. For such a bright ink, it’s also incredibly well-behaved, and while you always have to be cautious in using reds and purples in stain-prone pens such as clear demonstrators, this particular ink cleans out easier than most. Yama-Budo doesn’t get used nearly as much as Tsuki-Yo, but when I do ink it up, well, I kick myself for leaving it out of the regular rotation.

Gold? Green-Gold? Whatever it is, it only appears on certain types of paper. I see it most on Tomoe River and the Col-o-ring paper here.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Fountain pen ink colors and ink brands can be driven by trends, and fall in and out of favor, but the colors in the Iroshizuku range stand up over time and regularly make their way through my own rotation. Pilot has done an excellent job of selecting a range of interesting, unique colors that can still serve as everyday writers, and they add to the lineup every year or so.

Tsuki-Yo takes on a different look in different nib styles. The top sample is a wet medium stub; the bottom is a medium architect from Mark Bacas. The Yama Budo writing sample is with the Lamy cursive calligraphy nib.

I’ve written a fair bit about Iroshizuku Inks over the years. If you’re curious about reading more, check out my prior reviews of Tsuki-Yo and Yama-Budo, as well as my series on exploring the Iroshizuku line: Part I (Kon-Peki, Shin-Ryoku, and Yama-Budo), and Part II (Asa-Gao, Murasaki Shikibu, and Aji-Sai). I’ve not yet made it through the entire line of Iroshizuku as intended, but now that I have access to all of the inks, well, let’s go!

As I recently announced, we are now able to offer you Pilot pens and inks directly, including the entire Iroshizuku lineup. We currently carry the 50ml bottles of ink, priced at $24. Over the past couple of years I’ve been performing some updates on the site, which includes pruning and updating older content that’s out of date, so you will likely see more “Reviews Revisited” posts in the coming months. It’s been a fun experience to see how my thoughts have changed over the years, and often how my thoughts and opinions haven’t changed much at all!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Pilot, and is currently supported solely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks for your support and patronage!

Happy Tax Day: Olive Traveler's Notebooks Have Arrived!

April 18, 2023

Hopefully everyone is having a not-so-stressful (and fully refundable) Tax Day, at least for those of us here in the U.S. To “celebrate”, we received an initial shipment of the new Olive Traveler’s Notebook Covers in both Standard and Passport sizes, along with the matching pen holders. Note that the Olive notebooks are available as options under the general listing, as they will be part of the standard lineup going forward and are not limited editions. We did not receive a large initial allocation, so apologies if they sell out quickly, but we have ordered more and expect a second batch, hopefully soon. (We also restocked on the Standard size in Blue, so those are available if you’ve been wanting one but found them out of stock.) Enjoy!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all products sold, including Traveler’s Notebook products and accessories.

Currently Inked for Monday, April 17, 2023: A Demonstration on Swapping Lamy Nibs

April 17, 2023

Happy Monday! As I mentioned last night on Instagram, I wanted to do a quick video demonstration of how to change the nib on a Lamy Safari/AL-Star/Studio/LX. It’s typically a pretty straightforward process, using the technique of wrapping a small piece of cellophane sticky tape (Scotch Tape for those of us in the states) around the nib and pulling it off. I say “typically,” because as you will see in the Youtube video, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. On one of my Lamy Studios, the nib simply would not come unstuck, so I ended up pulling the entire nib/feed assembly and sliding them together into the section of another Studio. (It’s not as scary as it sounds. You really have to manhandle any of the lower-priced Lamy pens in order to break them. All of my gold-nibs survived the process shown in the video, but for good measure do practice on the stainless steel version first!)

The Lamy “Cursive” Calligraphy nib features narrower downstrokes and slightly wider cross-strokes, similar to an architect grind.

Lamy Replacement Nibs (Including the Cursive Calligraphy nibs) Are Now Available in the Shop

Yesterday I announced that the T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized Lamy retailer! We carry the full line of Lamy 2000 models (fountain pen, ballpoints, rollerballs, multipens, and mechanical pencils), select pens from the Safari and AL-Star lineup, and all of the refills. Look for us to add additional items in the future. As I note in the video, we stock stainless steel Lamy replacement nibs in most sizes, as well as the Cursive Calligraphy nib, which is ostensibly intended to write cursive script such as Chinese and Japanese characters, but is ground similarly to an architect/Kodachi/Naginata-style nib. If you’ve been interested in trying one of these nib styles, but have hesitated to sacrifice a pen on a nib grind that you don’t know you’ll like, one of these nibs could be a relatively inexpensive experiment. I’ve enjoyed it enough to swap the cursive nib onto two of my personal pens and will be definitely writing more in the weeks to come.

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