Monthly Archives: May 2014

ACCESSORIES: Here a Swab, There a Swab

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I’m obsessed with fountain pen inks (collect them all!) and make swabs of all of the samples I have on these cards. It’s a good solution, but it’s not perfect – the cards are cream-colored and textured rather than white and smooth; I was finding it impossible to sort through them all and figure out which inks I had in full bottles, too.

I found this nifty item at Maido in San Francisco.  (If you only have time to go to one of the Maido stores, head to Japantown. The one in the San Francisco Center Mall is good, but not as many fun Japanese items and the prices seem higher – not sure if they actually are, but that’s the way it seemed.)

Perfect solution! 

Here’s a link to the full-size image of the item with the product information intact. However, this really is just a business card holder – I’m sure any office supply store would be able to help you out with one of those.  Then you’ll just need to find business card size paper (Maido has that, too), and you’ll be all set.

Have fun!

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY

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After I posted about my anniversary gift from Mr. Pentulant, I came across this book of colors that has apparently been making the rounds and this digitally produced book of colors.

The Pen Addict reviewed Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai ink. Look at how bright the color looks in the cap, but deepens quite a bit on the paper.

FP Physicist has a sweet giveaway going on until the end of the month.

Pens! Paper! Pencils! shows off Diamine Cerise. I’m going to have to dig through my samples and see if I have this one.

THIS OR THAT – Orange Ink Edition

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This or That
Orange Ink Edition
 
 
Two orange inks for your consideration today. Both loaded in its own Lamy Safari with a bold nib.
The top ink is a bit lighter – the bottom has more red it in – the top shades a bit better. Each has a fairly serious smear factor and they each wrote just fine with the color on the bottom feeling just a tad bit more lubricated than the top.
Which do you like better?
Circle one. Top with its light orange and shading? Bottom with its richness and saturation?
How do you decide between them? Mr. Pentulant was decisive, “I like the bottom. No doubt.”
I’m a little more on the fence. Shading or saturation? It seems to be a trade off between these two inks.
Here’s the spoiler ….
Top….Montblanc Gandhi
Bottom….PW Akkerman Oranje Boven
Gandhi is for sale on eBay for around $90 per bottle (it’s no longer in production). PW Akkerman is around $24 per bottle (but you may pay lots for shipping if you can’t find it in the US).
Tell me which you like better and how you made your decision? Color? Shading? Pricing? Maybe a combination of factors?

FOUNTAIN PEN INK: A Sampler by Greg Clark

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Anyone who follows me anywhere (and anyone who comes to my house – ha!) knows that I’m slightly obsessed with ink. Swabs, samples, bottles, and more – I love ink. I like to say that I’m working on collecting them all.  Only kind joking.  (The above is Noodler’s Habanero on Tomoe River Paper.)

A few weeks ago, Mr. Pentulant and I had friends over for a delightful afternoon of board games. The topic of my ink addiction came up and one of our friends said, “Hey, I had a friend who wrote a book about fountain pen inks once.”

What!?  Say what?!

Something about swabs on all of the pages (and I’m thinking, “No way!”) and next thing you know, our friend is texting the wife of the guy. But, no, that book has been out of print for a number of years.

Well, the end, right?

Wrong!!

Mr. Pentulant regularly trolls the For Sale section of Fountain Pen Network and in an amazing bit of unbeknownst-to-me serendipity, the book showed up for sale there!!!

Saturday was the one year anniversary of our marriage. Among other wonderful things, Mr. Pentulant presented me with the book. True love.

The book is in excellent condition. The previous owner says it was stored in drawer to protect it from light – and, really, the swabs look like they could have been done just a week or two ago and not in 2007 as indicated in the text.

It’s interesting to see some very familiar brands and colors – and it’s also interesting to see which brands and colors have not survived.

I see this book/project as a snapshot of a moment in time. The pricing guide, the availability of certain inks, and the articles included in the concerning the changes happening with fountain pen inks.

Granted, this isn’t an incredible piece of history (it was published in 2007), but it is a record of someone’s love for something I love – and that’s pretty special.

Tradition says that paper is the gift one gives for first anniversaries – Mr. Pentulant sure got it right with this.  (Not to mention our other crazy paper adventures over the weekend – but more on that another time.)

What do you think? Would you be crazy for an item like this, too?

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY

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Before we get started with what I’ve been reading, I wanted to remind you that I’m giving away a Neon Coral Lamy Safari. You gotta be in it to win it.

Here’s where I’ve been reading . . .

This FPN thread about Nathan Tardiff (founder of Noodler’s Inks), his politics, and his elusiveness had me smiling.

Ed Jelley didn’t love the Kaweco Liliput, but I might want one anyway. What do you think?

FP Geeks has a review of the Chicago Pen Show

Letter Writers Alliance let us know that the circus is coming to town – or at least to a post office near you!

Oh no. They didn’t? Could this be a much-delayed April Fool’s joke from FP Geeks?

Look at this find from Colassal.  I have to say, I’m toying with the idea of creating a book – this makes me think I could (but it probably wouldn’t be as cool as this, so don’t get all excited).

A reopened FPN discussion about ink samples makes me think I should take some really good pictures of mine for you. And this thread is about samples, too, and makes me think I’d be pretty good at designing samples. How about you?

I’m hungry.

And thirsty!

REVIEW: Staedtler Textsurfer Gel

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I’m a huge fan of highlighters and especially like the Staedtler brand. They work well and aren’t too smeary.

Before we get started with the review, did you see that I’m giving away a brand new Lamy Safari Fountain Pen? It’s the new Neon Coral color and still have time to enter to win.

On to the review …

When I saw the Textsurfer Gel, I picked one up with hopeful skepticism. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t what I saw when I removed the cap. They reminded me of the Crayola Stick Slix (do you know those?) and I was immediately concerned about smears, bits of the gel flecking off, and having a product that would be consumed very quickly.

Using HP 32 lb paper, I tested four fountain pen inks, two Bic ballpoints, one marker, and one pencil. Before swiping the Textsurfer across the writing, I made sure the inks were dry.

Overall, it went very well as far as smeariness goes.

There was definitely a somewhat sticky gel residue left on top of the paper. Surprisingly, over the course of a few days, that went away and what was left looked and felt like any other highlighter.

Imagine that gel residue if I’d been highlighting in a book and closed the page? Ew.

I then did some in-depth testing with Noodler’s Black . . .

Line 1…didn’t wait for the ink to dry before highlighting
Line 2…a retest of the above
Line 3…waiting for the ink to dry and then vigorously rubbed the gel
Line 4…didn’t wait for the ink to dry before vigorously rubbing the gel (ignore that dog hair, please)

Here’s a link to the full-size original image. (It’s big.)
My final analysis . . . 
  • It’s ok (not great). My fear of flecking was not realized (good news!).  
  • The sticky residue is troubling, but not terrible for single sheets of paper that aren’t going to be stacked. 
  • The cap cannot be posted – irritating, for sure.
  • I wouldn’t buy another one of these.

Have you tried this? What is your favorite highlighter? I have some of the Noodler’s highlighting inks. Need to get them loaded and tested.

THIS OR THAT? Montblanc Heritage 1912 or Boheme

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A super-quick (ha!) version of This or That – two Montblanc Fountain Pens – the fancy newish Heritage 1912 versus the classic and much-loved retractable nib Boheme.

But first – did you see that I’m giving away the new Lamy Safari in Neon Coral? Enter here.

On to This or That . . .

These are each great pens that write really well. I had the Heritage inked with Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun from this review and inked the Boheme with Montblanc Oyster Grey in anticipation of writing this post. I’m not showing any writing samples today – suffice it say that the writing experience is pretty terrific with both pens.

Other than the great brand, precious resin, and amazing writing, the greatest similarity between the two pens is the retractable nib. 
The biggest differences are . . . 
Fill System The Boheme will only accept cartridges (standard short). The Heritage has a unique piston filling system.  Cartridges are convenient, for sure – just pop one in and go (well, after waiting a few minutes or more for the ink to work its way through the pen’s capillary system). There are approximately a zillion more colors of bottled ink available than cartridges. Also, fill with a piston and you’re ready to start writing immediately.  
Posting the Cap The Boheme is designed to be posted – to advance the nib, simply screw the cap on to the end of the pen – it’s perfect, really. There is no way for the cap to work its way loose with normal use.  The Heritage, on the other hand, is not meant to be posted – annnnnd despite the pictures on the MB website (this kills me, in case you’re wondering), it cannot be properly posted. This could be a deal-breaker for some people.
Size Capped, the Boheme is smaller – practically pocket-sized. Uncapped, the Boheme is still smaller. However, posted, the sizes are comparable. With each pen in the ready-to-write position, the Boheme is around 1/2 inch longer than the Heritage.
Grip The Boheme (shown above) features a very slightly flared grip. I find it very comfortable to hold. The Heritage (below) is quite smooth. I also find it very comfortable. I can see that some people would have an issue with the Heritage. For example, if you have especially (ahem) moist hands, maybe your grip would be too slippery to be an enjoyable writing experience?
Clean-Up The Boheme can be a bit of a pain to clean. Do you want to run water through the pen and over the working parts of the retractable nib? I didn’t think so. Given that, your options are to set up an elaborate cleaning scheme which involves a cleaned-out cartridge (long) and needle/syringe or find some cleaning cartridges (I’m not even sure these are still around?).  (Maybe there’s another option?) 
While I’ve not yet cleaned the Heritage (not even before I inked it because I’m pentulant like that), I imagine it will work like any other piston fill pen.
Let’s talk about money . . . Right now on the MB website, Bohemes range from $690 – $1645. The Heritage is $1,110.  Of course, you can probably find a better deal for each on eBay – and the very good news is that the retractable nib pens are (to my knowledge) not counterfeited.
Right now, I’m a huge fan of the Montblanc Heritage 1912.  I’ve mentioned to more than one person that I think it’s my favorite pen – maybe even my grail pen. I love it that much.  Having said that, I also love my Boheme collection.
As each pen is a terrific writer, it’s really going to come down to personal preference. I’ve outlined the things that I think could make or break a decision. Now, you tell me – This or That? Which would you choose?

GIVEAWAY: Lamy Safari Neon Coral Fountain Pen

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Woooooooo! My Lamy Safari Fountain Pen in the new (SCREAMING) Neon Coral color arrived Saturday.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are wonderful for a whole lot of reasons and this is a GREAT color. I’m totally excited about inking it up and taking it for a spin.

Before I do that, I wanted to let you know that I ordered TWO of these pens.  One for me to keep and love forever and one to give away!

One winner will be chosen at random from all of the entries. US only (so sorry, international friends).

Leave a comment here before next Monday – May 12, to be entered to win. (One entry per person, ok?)

And…seriously seriously, tell me how to get in touch with you. I’ll try like crazy, but if I can’t find you with you within three days of the drawing, someone else will get the pen.

(In case you’re wondering…this isn’t a sponsored post. I bought the pen with my own saved up pennies.)

xoxo