For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Blog Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper, it’s basically a list of user-submitted articles, that I will then host on my page. Similar to how The Pen Addict’s Ink Links, Gourmet Pens’ Sunday Reads, and all of the other compiled lists of pen, paper, and pencil reviews and features. If you’re looking for more info on the Blog Carnival, here’s a link to the main page.

For those of you out there who would like to submit an article to be hosted on my site, please do so here!

Thank you for reading, and I’m looking forward to your submissions!

P.S. – Life has been absolutely hectic, hence the sparcity of posting. I just left my job, graduated college, and I am starting a new job all within a one week span. I have a ton of new ink reviews, a new pen review, and a few notebook reviews almost ready to go, so be on the lookout in the coming days!

Pen: Pelikan Souveran M605 – Fine nib
Ink: J. Herbin Terre de Feu
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Pros:

• Unique Color
• Great Shading
• Good Performance

Cons:

• Unique Color
• Bottle Shape

Notes: If you notice that I put “unique color” as both a pro and a con. The ink is definitely a different color from the offerings out there. I didn’t pick this ink out, and it’s not something I usually would. I’m actually pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve been enjoying it though. It’s especially good (due to the great shading) in a Pilot Parallel 3.8mm, the shading is incredible. It also dries nicely on the page. I would call Terre de Feu (Land of Fire) a medium reddish brown. When you translate the name from French, it does a pretty good job of describing the ink. I particularly like this ink on ivory paper, as it cuts down on some of the red and looks almost like a sepia. Like most J. Herbin inks, the performance is good but the bottle is poorly designed. I like the ink quite a bit and use it on a regular basis. Overall, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the review!

Gets much darker with more passes. The ink layers quite nicely and is a very capable shader.

Not as intense as it is in a broader nib, but for being in a German fine, this shades quite nicely.

This ink compliments my go-to photo background (a tile) pretty well.

The shading doesn’t get in the way of reading what’s written, but it’s still apparent enough to be noticed.

Terre de Feu almost looks like a very watered down Oxblood.

Comparison inks. If anything, it’s closest to the Diamine Oxblood, but much, much lighter.

Gallery:

Related Reading:

• Review of Diamine Oxblood
• Review of Noodler’s Cayenne
• Review of J. Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite

Pen

Notes:
I almost wrote this ink off as another black ink, that I wasn’t overly interested in trying out. I’m really glad I loaded it up though. It may be the combo of pen, nib, and ink that just works, but I really like the Monteverde Black. It’s lighter than a lot of black inks out there, but not quite grey. It’s much lighter than my go-to black (Sailor Kiwa Guro Nano Black) but it’s a nice change of pace. The ink does shade a bit, which some people like in a black ink, and others don’t. I definitely don’t mind it. Monteverde Black really shines in it’s smoothness. It goes down on the page really nicely, doesn’t feather, and dries relatively quick. There’s not much else to say, other than I think I may end up with a bottle.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the review!

You can see some shading in the writing. This would probably be more pronounced in a broader nib. This sample was with a Lamy fine.

Some shading, but definitely would be more with a broader nib.

The Monteverde Black gets darker with more passes, but still doesn’t make its way through the Rhodia page.

You can see that it’s a good bit lighter than the Iroshizuku take-sumi. It also has a bit of a reddish undertone when comparing the two.

The “K” could have been a bit dryer. Whoops.

Gallery:

Related Reading:

The Comparison Inks:

• Diamine Grey – Ink Review
• Noodler’s Cayenne – Ink Review
• Diamine Sargasso Sea – Ink Review
• Lamy Safari – Fountain Pen Review

Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm
Black Gel Ink Pen

- Handwritten Review -

• Review Paper: Rhodia Reverse Book
  

Specs:

• Description: A super fine, super clean, 0.4mm gel ink pen with a lot of hype surrounding it
• Point: 0.4mm, needle-point roller ball
• Material: Plastic with rubber grip
• Refillable: Yes
• Weight: 11 grams
• Measurements: 5.35″ closed, 6.0″ posted, .35″ grip diameter

Handwritten Review Scans:

Intro/About:

Quite possibly one of the most hyped pens in recent years, the Hi-Tec-C gained a tremendous amount of popularity online. Being the core refull for dozens of Kickstarter pen projects has made the Hi-Tec-C very popular. With it’s ability to lay down a super fine and clean line and the broad range of colors and widths, I understand why this pen is so popular.

Appearance:

The bare bones version of the Hi-Tec-C is very minimal. I totally get why so many people have made pens around the refill. The cheap plastic body just doesn’t match up with how well this pen writes. It’s made of light, cheap plastic. The rubber grip provides no cushioning, but the ridges around the bottom of the grip do a good job of keeping the pen from slipping. A characteristic of the pen worth noting is the small rubber stopper inside the pen cap. Instead of simply capping, or retracting, this small rubber stopper comes into direct contact with the needle point when the pen is capped. This rubber piece does a great job of keeping the Hi-Tec-C from drying out. There are other gel pens out there that have this, but definitely not the retractable ones. I’m using the version of the Hi-Tec-C with the rubber grip (there’s a version with no grip too) and the overall appearance and feel leave something to be desired. With the ever-growing number of pen body manufacturers, there’s something for everybody in terms of after market replacements.

Performance & Ink:

In my opinion, this is where the Hi-Tec-C really shines. I opted for the 0.4mm version and I am in no way disappointed. It lays down a super clean, fine and consistent line of gel ink. I’ve haven’t experienced any ink globbing or skipping, which is great. I like that the Hi-Tec-C is a needle point too. Many gel pens have a conical steel tip, but this needle point stays out of the way of anything that you’re writing or drawing. In opposition to the Uniball Signo DX and the Zebra Sarasa, the needle point on the Hi-Tec-C provides a full-view writing experience. Many people love this pen for drafting and design and I can understand why. The writing experience is smooth, but not buttery. There’s minor feedback that reminds me of writing with a Japanese fine nib, smooth, but you know you’re writing on paper. If I’m not using a fountain pen, there’s a pretty good chance it’s one of these.

Pros:

• Super clean lines
• Needle point provides good visibility
• Rubber stopper in cap

Cons:

• Cost – a little pricey at ~$3 compared to the competition

Conclusion:

I really like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C. I get why so many pople have designed pens around the Hi-Tec-C refill. The body of the pen leaves something to be desired, but the writing experience is top-notch. The clean lines and the glob-free (I’m looking at you, Pilot G2) writing make the Hi-Tec-C a great choice in the world of gel ink pens. If you haven’t tried one, I recommend doing so. Worth the hype? Maybe. A great, cheap pen? Yes.

Recommendation: Yes, check them out!

Related Reading:

• Rhodia Product Showcase Video
• Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black

Thanks and enjoy!

Related Reading:

• The Process – Video
• Rhodia Classic – No. 16 – Graph
• R by Rhodia – No. 18 – Lined

Pen

Notes:
Well, there’s a pretty good chance that if you’re a teacher, and you want to make your students know how bad they did on an exam, nothing says “this is wrong” better than Diamine’s Wild Strawberry. Now, don’t take that comment as a bad thing, because this is a super bright, vibrant red ink that’s well behaved and cleans out relatively easily. It goes on the paper nicely, but it’s very transparent. There’s some shading, but it’s not typical to what you think of when you hear the word shading. It’s a super bright red that is not going to be for everyone, but there’s no mistake that this is pretty much as red as they come. I feel like I’m being repetitive at this point, but as with every Diamine ink I have tried, this stuff has good flow, writes smooth, and is well behaved with no feathering or bleed through on Rhodia. It’s also worth noting that Diamine Wild Strawberry was pretty easy to clean out of the Lamy 2000 I had it in. No staining, and after a few minutes, the water was running clear out of the pen. While I don’t see myself buying an entire bottle of it, it was nice to try out a sample with a few fills worth.

Also, I would like to thank Brad Dowdy (aka The Pen Addict, @dowdyism) for sending me this sample!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the review.

Why is my script so sharp today? Weird.

Adding on more layer of the ink didn’t have the biggest effect. It started to bleed at three passes, but keep in mind this was in a Lamy 2000 with very generous flow. The color appears to be darker, but it’s really just more and more thoroughly covering the paper.

A fun ink, but it can be pretty harsh on the eyes when in full-page form.

As you can see, this is a bit brighter and more red than Noodler’s Cayenne. It’s does do a good job at bringing out the red tones in Diamine Oxblood though.

Here’s the “shading”. It’s hard to tell, but it is very slightly darker where the shading should be.

Gallery:

Related Reading:

The Comparison Inks:

• Diamine Oxblood
• Noodler’s Cayenne
• Enter the April 2013 Ink Sample Giveaway!

Ink Sample Giveaway – April 2013
-Contest is Over-

So, I’m doing a small giveaway as a trial run for something much bigger and more exciting that will be happening at the end of May. This will not only be beneficial for me, but you guys can try out some new inks for free. I’ll also throw in an InkJournal notebook, and maybe something else. There will be two prizes, first prize is the samples and an InkJournal, second prize is 3 samples. The contest starts today, and will run for one week (ends April 23rd).

Prizes:

1. 3, 4ml Samples of your choice from my TRADING POST list and an InkJournal Notebook
2. 3, 4ml Samples of your choice from my TRADING POST list

How it works:

Go to this link for all of the ways you can enter, there are multiple ways that will give you the chance to enter more times. The bare minimum is to leave a comment on this post, then confirm it through the link. I have it set up so you can submit multiple entries every day, so come back tomorrow and enter some more. I’m trying out the Rafflecopter platform, hopefully it works out!

The contest has ended! Winners have been emailed!

Congratulations to Lenaldo R., and Kris K.,  check your email inboxes that you signed up with!

Once the winners are chosen, they can pick three ink samples (~4ml) from my TRADING POST list, and I’ll pack them up and get them out as soon as I can.

Any questions, feel free to ask. This is a new experience for me too!

Rules:
You must enter through the link in this post or the link in the giveaway page. This contest is open to anyone throughout the globe.

Pen

Notes:

More pictures, and more Diamine ink this week. I’ve been looking to try out this ink for some time now, and I’m glad I finally did. It’s a heavily saturated medium blue that really jumps off the page. On top of the vibrant color, the ink has a great red sheen to it. I’m getting a similar vibe from this ink as the J. Herbin 1670: Bleu Ocean. The blues are similar, but the red sheen in this one puts it ahead of the pack. I tried my best to capture some of the red sheen in the pictures below, but it’s much more impressive in person. The ink writes super smooth, especially in my Binderized Lamy 2000. There’s a pretty good chance that I’ll end up with a bottle of this. Also, I went a little crazy with the comparison inks, I realized I have way too many blues currently inked up. The only thing worth noting is that due to the high saturation, I suspect this might be a little tricky to clean out. I haven’t done so yet, but I have a hunch. I’m really enjoying the ink so far, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the review!

Not much on the shading front, but it does make the red sheen more apparent in areas of higher ink buildup.

Sargasso Sea is pretty close in shade to J. Herbin’s 1670 Bleu Ocean and J. Herbin’s Eclat de Saphir. The red sheen puts it ahead of the pack for me though.

So many comparisons…

I tried my best to capture the red sheen. It’s more obvious on the smaller writing and much more impressive/interesting to look at in person.

This ink is capable of being layered upon. Usually that translates to some nice shading, but there really wasn’t much going on. Sargasso Sea is pretty bleed-resistant too, even the third pass didn’t make it to the page beneath.

More attempts at showing off the red sheen. I really messed up that “S”.

Sargasso Sea looks pretty great on super bright Rhodia.

Medium Lamy 2000 nib, Binderized for extra smoothness. The combo of the pen and ink is one that I will be using again.

Gallery:

Related Reading:

The Comparison Inks:

• Diamine Eau De Nil
• Noodler’s Bad Blue Heron
• J. Herbin 1670: Bleu Ocean
• Iroshizuku Kon-Peki
• Lamy 2000 – Fountain Pen Review

]]> http://edjelley.com/2013/04/16/diamine-sargasso-sea-handwritten-ink-review/feed/ 10 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 11 edjelley Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 11 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 1 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 2 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 4 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 6 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 3 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 8 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 5 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 7 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 9 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 12 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 1 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 2 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 8 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 6 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 7 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 10 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 3 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 9 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 12 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 5 Diamine Sargasso Sea Foutnain Pen Ink 4 http://edjelley.com/2013/04/13/diamine-soft-mint-handwritten-ink-review/ http://edjelley.com/2013/04/13/diamine-soft-mint-handwritten-ink-review/#comments Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:51:56 +0000 edjelley http://edjelley.com/?p=2078 ]]> Pen: TWSBI Diamond 540, Medium Nib
Ink: Diamine Soft Mint
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes:

Wow, I took a lot of pictures for this review. I received a sample of Diamine Soft Mint in this month’s Ink Drop, and I figured it would be a good fit for a demonstrator. Into the TWSBI it went, and out came the review. I feel a bit repetitive at this point, but it performed well like every Diamine I have tried. At this point, I’ve tried dozens of their inks and own several bottles and I can say with confidence that Diamine makes some of my favorite inks. Soft Mint was smooth, had good flow, and there was some nice mild shading in the pen I was using. The only thing I could list as a negative is the name, I’m not a huge fan of “soft mint”, but it does describe the color well. I feel like the dry time was a bit on the slower side, but that all depends on what pen/nib/paper it’s on. While not an everyday color, and not something I’ll be buying a bottle of, I definitely enjoyed my sample. Enjoy the pictures, there’s a lot of them.

‘

Gallery:

Related Reading:

The Comparison Inks:

• Diamine Eau De Nil
• Noodler’s Bad Blue Heron
• J. Herbin 1670: Bleu Ocean

]]> http://edjelley.com/2013/04/13/diamine-soft-mint-handwritten-ink-review/feed/ 7 OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA edjelley Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 2 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 4 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 3 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 5 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 10 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 6 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 9 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 12 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 7 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 2 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 11 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 8 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 13 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 4 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 3 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 8 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 13 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 6 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 7 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 2 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 9 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 10 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 12 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 11 Diamine Soft Mint Fountain Pen Ink 5 http://edjelley.com/2013/04/08/parker-quink-in-black-handwritten-fountain-pen-ink-review/ http://edjelley.com/2013/04/08/parker-quink-in-black-handwritten-fountain-pen-ink-review/#comments Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:46:49 +0000 edjelley http://edjelley.com/?p=2031 ]]> Parker Quink – Black

Fountain Pen Ink

- Handwritten Review -

Pen: Lamy 2000, Medium Nib
Ink: Parker Quink – Black
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes:
Parker Quink has been around for decades, which says a lot about a company. Usually when they’ve been making something for so long, that’s a good sign. While there’s nothing crazy about this ink, it’s a solid performer that gets the job done. Since it’s creation, Parker Quink was advertised as a fast-drying ink that required little maintenance. It’s a smooth writer that flows nicely. I think the saturation could be a bit better and there’s a bit of a greenish tinge to the ink, which I don’t know how I feel about. I prefer my black inks to be black, with no shading. I’ll use a grey if I want some variation, but I like my black to be black. My experience with Parker’s Quink was not bad, but there are definitely other black inks that I would reach for first.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the review!

I swear, that “Q” looked way cooler in my head.

Quink did have some shading going on. Like I mentioned before, I prefer my black inks with no line variation, but this one certainly isn’t bad.

As I’ve been finding with most shading inks, they tend to get darker with more layers. Some inks just go on the page the first time the same as the third time, but this one does get darker with each pass.

Further Reading:

• Noodler’s Borealis Black (another black ink I reviewed)
• Montblanc Mystery Black (yet another black ink review)
• The Trading Post (to get your trade on)

Desks don’t have to be crazy-expensive to get the job done or look nice (in my opinion). I sourced the desk from Ikea, and everything came out to well under $100, which certainly isn’t bad considering the amount of desk space I have.

Enjoy the tour, and feel free to post your desks in the comments, I would love to see them!

If you’ve watched the video, you can see that quite a few things have changed. I added a shelf for ink / skulls / Star Wars stuff above the desk which has come in wildly handy. Having all of that stuff off of the desk adds so much more room on my main surface. I now also run my Macbook Pro in clamshell mode, keeping it closed with the video and audio going out to the new 23″ ASUS IPS monitor. The monitor is on an articulated mount that can swing out into the middle of the desk if need be. I have the audio running out of my monitor into a Denon amplifier and two Paradigm Atom v.4s that get the job done.

I added another section to the desk, from Ikea that matches the exisiting desk for around $30. I used to have a giant old red chair that, but that thing got in the way (don’t worry, it’s in storage). The extra table gives me a place to keep more stuff, but not clutter up my main area. It’s nice to have somewhere to be able to put stuff that I’m working on, but don’t want in my face. You can also kind of see my little stationery cabinet underneath the desk.

I need a proper chair. Also, Darth Vader is full of pens and pencils. The clock is very old, very heavy, and unfortunately very broken.

A sweeping shot of where I spend too much time. I’m pretty psyched that it only took me three full months to hang up my 2013 calendar.

The second add-on table is great, but it can collect junk pretty quickly. My extreme surgical cleanliness kind of went out the window when I got my dog, but I try to keep things as un-cluttered as possible.

The fun part. This is where about 75% of my fountain pen stuff lives. I keep most of my inks on the shelf, and some more in the back of that fake writing slope. I say fake, because when it opens, it does not provide a flat surface to write on. It’s more or less a decorative piece that I custom cut some foam for to securely hold some pens. The pen cup is a bit full, and nothing more valuable than a Safari goes in there. All pen cup overflow is transferred to the Darth Vader bank based on usage.

After living with it for a while,  I think I’m going to cut some new foam. I don’t think I need quite as much space in between pens and I could definitely fit a few more in there with some tighter tolerances. To think, my girlfriend was going to throw this thing out. Keep in mind, I have two four-pen holders that are also both full, and an entire draw full of ink samples, pens I don’t use often, and pen boxes.

Thanks for reading, hopefully you have a bit more insight about me and where 90% of the work that goes into this website happens. If no insight was gained, at least you got to see a whole bunch of pens. I plan on doing a post about pen storage in the future, so look out for that one as well.

Please feel free to leave pictures of your workspace in the comments, I would love to see them!

Related Reading:

• edjelley.com video – The Process
• The TRADING POST reminder
• Lamy 2000 review

So, this post is sort of an announcement / reminder rather than a review. A few months back, I had the idea of setting up a place for people to swap ink samples, paper samples, pens, or pretty much anything fountain pen – related. So far, I’ve gotten a decent amount of submissions, and all are hosted on the TRADING POST page, ready to trade. The page as a whole has over 90 different ink samples, a bunch of paper samples, and a few pens, all anxiously awaiting trades!

Here’s how it works:

• Head over to the TRADING POST
• Browse the lists, find something you want
• Click the “SoandSo’s Trade Form – Click here to trade with Soandso” at the bottom of the list you are interested in
• You’ll be brought to their trade form, which has drop downs for all of the items they listed in the post
• Submit the message
• The person who you would like to trade with now has an email in their inbox with the specifics from the form

You do not have to have a form submitted to trade on the site, the Trading Post is open to everyone, and it can’t hurt to make an offer.

If you would like to submit your list, and have it published on the main page of the Trading Post, with your own custom trade form, click here for the “Trade List Submission Form”

I’ve made a few successful trades, and I couldn’t be happier. Why buy ink samples when people are willing to trade them for a small postage fee? If you have made a trade, please feel free to tell us how it went in the comments.

Happy trading!

-edjelley

Pen: Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black, Fine Nib / Lamy Al-Star 1.1mm Stub
Ink: J. Herbin Vert Empire
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: Part of being a responsible blogger is being honest. Exaclair was nice enough to supply me with this bottle of J. Herbin, and I couldn’t be more appreciative. Keep in mind that this does not change my opinion of the ink, I stand by my review.

I feel like I’m drowning in green inks. Is this a bad thing? I don’t think so. Before receiving a bottle of this ink, I had purchased a sample a while back and remembered enjoying it quite a bit. I can say that I was happy when I got the bottle. Vert Empire isn’t your brightest green, which is a nice thing. It’s not quite as dark as Diamine Evergreen, but has some of the same tones going on. The ink shades pretty nicely and as far as medium-dark green go, this one’s  a winner. As with all of my experiences with J. Herbin, the ink performs well, cleans out nicely (okay, Rouge Hematite doesn’t clean out too easily, but it’s totally worth using), and is an all around good ink. The shade of green isn’t too crazy, and you can probably get away with it in more formal situations, but it can be a bit light on the page with a finer nib. The only thing that leaves something to be desired is the shape of J. Herbin’s small bottles. While I like the shape and the aesthetics of the bottle, function usually wins out over form. They can be a bit hard to fill when the ink level gets low, but hey, that’s what they sell syringes for.

Enjoy the pictures, and check out Exaclair for all your J. Herbin, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine needs.

Some pretty nice shading from this one, I need to check it out in a flex nib.

The Vert Empire builds up on the page nicely. It’s easily darkened with a few passes of the nib.

A bit lighter than Diamine Evergreen and Private Reserve Sherwood Green.

Family portrait.

Related Reading:

• Review of Diamine Evergreen
• Review of Private Reserve Sherwood Green
• Review of Diamine Eau de Nil
• Review of Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black

Iroshizuku Ink Mix

- Handwritten Review -

Pen: Lamy Safari, Fine Nib
Ink: Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun X Kon-Peki
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: I was lucky enough to get an ink mixing kit for Christmas, BUT I was not lucky enough to have two or more inks from the same brand that would mix to make a pleasing color. Something tells me that Diamine Oxblood and Diamine Evergreen wouldn’t make the best of browns. The natural choice was to use my Iroshizuku inks, the idea of a blue-grey sounded good, so I went to work mixing. After some back and forth, I ended up with 3 parts fuyu-syogun and 1 part kon-peki. The result was still very blue, but was muted down a bit. Below, I compared it to Diamine’s Eau de Nil, as that was the closest ink I had to the color that came out of the mix. The mix performed well (just like Iroshizuku usually does) and I didn’t have any problems with clogging or clumping or any of the other bad things that tend to come along with mixing inks. I would recommend trying it out, it’s nice to be able to get another color out of two already expensive inks that I had. It’s almost like it’s stretching them further.

Disclaimer: If you are going to try mixing inks, please do not try in your vintage Montblanc 149 that your great grandfather gave you, maybe try it out in a Lamy Safari (or better yet a Platinum Preppy) first. Even inks of the same brand can not get along, so beware.

Check out my individual reviews of fuyu-syogun(click) and kon-peki(click) so you know what you’re dealing with too!

Comparison with Diamine Eau de Nil. It was the closest color I had handy, but the mix has far less green.

Some really nice shading from this mix.

Like the Iroshizuku inks it came from, this mix layered really nicely. It was easy to achieve a darker color with more passes of the nib.

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here!

Submission by Aleks G.
(aleks111 on Instagram)

Aleks’ Description (Left to Right):

• Kaweco AL sport (F) + Sailor Blue-Black
• Sailor ProGear Imp. Black (M) + Sailor Nano Blue-Black
• Pilot Vanishing Point (M) + Noodler’s Purple Heart
• Omas 360° (M) + Montblanc Lavender Purple
• Twsbi Vac700 (M) + Diamine Eau de Nil

Editor’s Note:

WHAT A TERRIBLE LOADOUT. I’m kidding of course, as I have and love 3/5 of these pens in the exact color myself. I also really like three of the inks that you have in there too (Sailor Nano, Purple Heart, and Eau de Nil). I don’t really know what else to say about the loadout, other than that you have really good taste. I have a Kaweco myself (unfortunately not the aluminum version) and I kind of wish I went with the AL-Sport instead of the standard Sport. The Sailor Imperial is a GREAT pen, as is the Vanishing Point. I haven’t spent that much time with my TWSBI Vac700 yet, but so far I’m really liking it.

Thanks for submitting!

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here and filling out the form!

Further Reading:

• My review of the Pilot Vanishing Point
• My review of the Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black
• Weekly Loadout with the TWSBI Vac700

- Black Friday, 5th Edition -

• Lamy Safari – Charcoal – Fine Nib

• Monteverde Black Ink

• Rhodia Unlimited Pocket Notebook

Last month’s Black Friday feature wasn’t my favorite, and I’m much happier with this one. The Google Nexus 4 is a great phone, but it is definitely slacking in the camera department. I shot this month’s feature with my regular camera, and I’m much happier. This month I decided to feature the Lamy Safari, Monteverde Black ink, and the Rhodia Unlimited pocket notebook. This Safari was my first fountain pen, and I love it. It’s the perfect knock-around workhorse that you don’t have to worry about throwing in your pocket or bag. I opted for my black nib in fine because it’s probably my smoothest steel Lamy nib I have. It plays very nicely with Monteverde Black, which I didn’t expect too much from, but after writing with it, I like it quite a bit.

Dry time could be a little faster, but it’s a smooth ink with nice saturation. The Rhodia Unlimited is a great little pocket notebook with a lot of great features. I really liked the ruling (the title box up top included) and the perforated pages. The soft-touch cover is held down by a black and orange elastic strap that’s riveted to the back cover. Both the perforated pages and the elastic band are nice touches that puts the Unlimited ahead of many other pocket notebooks. Everything this month is reasonably priced, but expensive doesn’t always mean good. The Safari is never far from my reach and the notebook is at home in my pocket or bag. Enjoy the pictures.

• Pen: Lamy Safari, Charcoal, Black Steel Fine Nib 
• Ink: Monteverde Black
• Paper: Rhodia Unlimited Pocket Notebook, Lined ruling
  

Browse past Black Friday Features here, and be sure to check back in on the last Friday of every month for a new installment!

Related Reading:

• Review of the Lamy Safari
• All things Rhodia
• Other black inks: Montblanc Mystery Black and Noodler’s Borealis Black

The Lamy 2000
Fountain Pen

- Handwritten Review -

• Review Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun / Parker Quink
  
• Review Paper: Maruman Mnemosyne
  

Specs:

• Description: A classic in German Bauhaus Design, the Lamy 2000 has been virtually unchanged since the 1960s
• Nib: 14k platinum-coated gold
• Material: Makrolon and brushed stainless steel
• Filling Mechanism: Piston with nearly invisible tail knob
• Weight: 25 grams
• Measurements: 5.5″ closed, 6.0″ posted
• Ink Capactiy: ~2ml

Handwritten Review Scans:

Intro/About:

The Lamy 2000, does it even need an intro? Probably not, but here’s one anyway. The Lamy 2000 is Lamy’s most iconic pen. This German-designed beauty was first introduced back in the 1960s and has changed very little over the years. It features a platinum-plated 14k gold hooded nib, a brushed Makrolon body, a brushed stainless steel grip, a spring-loaded clip and a piston filling mechanism. Lamy is one of my favorite brands, as a whole, and the 2000 was a necessary addition to my collection as soon as I saw it. I had been wanting this pen for a long time and I’m very happy to have one.

Appearance & Packaging:

The appearance of the Lamy 2000 is pretty impressive. The first thing I noticed was how modern looking the 2000 is, yet it was designed nearly 50 years ago and has not undergone any major design changes. It’s still a futuristic looking pen by today’s standards, but does not come off corny or gimmicky in any way. The finish on the Lamy 2000 both looks great and feels great in the hand. It’s brushed finish provides a nice tactile feel and is very easy to grip. The pen is very streamlined, tapering evenly from the body to the nib, which I like quite a bit. The only thing on the pen that fully reflects light is the visible part of the hooded nib. Other than that, everything else on the pen is mattified, giving the 2000 a low-light, subtle look. A lot of why I like this pen is its understated look, but upon closer inspection, it really is something special.

Lamy’s packaging is pretty straightforward, even on their higher end pens. I wish that they had done something differently here like they did with the Dialog. The Dialog comes in a magnetized wooden box, where this comes in a heavy-duty cardboard box. The design of the box does fit the pen nicely though. On the grey cardboard box is a metal LAMY logo that the flap of the box secures to. It’s nicely designed, and does a good job of protecting the pen in transit. Overall, the box just doesn’t look like something that’s going to last as long as the pen is. Ultimately, packaging isn’t too important to me and it’s what’s inside that counts. The Lamy 2000 more than makes up for its lack of fancy packaging.

Nib Performance & Filling System:

I opted for the Lamy 2000 in a medium nib. I usually write with a fine, but all of the Lamy mediums I have used were super smooth, and the 2000 was no exception. This is my first gold Lamy nib, and it’s great. Since reviewing this pen (on paper) I have gotten my Lamy 2000 adjusted by Richard Binder of richardspens.com while at the Long Island Pen Show. The Lamy wrote well already, but now it’s absolutely perfect. If you can make it to a pen show, I highly recommend seeking out Mr. Binder and having him work on something from your collection. The gold nib glides smoothly and effortlessly across the page, leaving a nice medium-wet line of ink in its wake. The gold nib has a bit of spring to it (I wouldn’t say flex) which makes a nice cushion for writing. Prior to getting my 2000 adjusted, it did skip every once in a while, but this also depended heavily on what ink I had in it. Overall, it’s a smooth writer with good ink flow. It performs as expected for a pen in its price bracket and I can’t complain.

The Lamy 2000 is a piston filler, which is a nice touch when cartridge/converters are so common. The finish on the pen makes the piston knob practically disappear. I’ve found myself trying to pick it out, and it can be difficult if more than a few inches away from the pen. The piston filler holds a generous amount of ink, making the 2000 a great everyday writer / workhorse. The mechanism operates smoothly and performs as well, if not better, than some of the piston fillers in my collection that are several times the price. The pen works great and I’ve yet to have any problems while filling it.

Feel:

The Lamy 2000 feels great in hand. The pen is nicely weighted and balanced, coming in around 25g. In my opinion, 25g is a great balance between too light and too heavy. The 2000 feels just right to me. The pen is well-balanced whether writing with it uncapped or posted. Personally, I prefer to write with my pens posted, but both ways feel just as good. The Makrolon body is an interesting material to make a pen in. The brushed finish is unlike anything I’ve felt before. The Lamy 2000 doesn’t feel like a pen made of “precious resin”, or a cheap plastic. It’s very unique and a little hard to explain. The 2000 doesn’t feel cheap in any way either. It feels great in the hand and great when writing on the page. I have no complaints and I carry mine with me on a daily basis.

A common complaint about the Lamy 2000 is that the “ears” that hold the cap on are a bit intrusive. I respectfully disagree. The “ears” don’t affect the way I hold the pen whatsoever. Even when my hand runs over them, they really aren’t a bother. I feel like every “Should I get a Lamy 2000 or X?” thread I see, the first thing mentioned is the ears. While cleaning my 2000, I noticed that these ears can be easily removed. How did I find this out? I lost the washer that has them on it (they cost $7.95 to replace, by the way). If you unscrew the grip, and remove the washer, poof, no more ears. I had no problems with leaking while waiting for my replacement, but it’s worth noting that the cap does not stay on as well as it did with the ears. Also worth mentioning is how well the cap posts. For those of you that write posted like myself, you’ll be glad to hear that the cap stays on securely and the pen maintains its great balance. The grip of the pen tapers all the way down to the nib, and you can choke up or back off your grip to achieve varying widths. It’s a very comfortable pen to write with and does a damn fine job of doing what it’s supposed to, when it’s supposed to (writing when you want it to?).

Pros:

• Iconic German design
• Large capacity piston filler
• Very smooth 14k gold nib
• Great weight and balance
• It’s a lot of pen for the money

Cons:

• Cap “ears” may be annoying to some

Conclusion:

I love my Lamy 2000. Looking at it, holding it, and writing with it. All great. The 2000 has been around since the 1960s and has barely been changed for good reason. It’s an iconic pen where attention to detail was held in high regard while it was being designed. I find it hard to find something I don’t like about the Lamy 2000. There’s really nothing to complain about, and my only “con” was pointing out what other people had a problem with. For what it is, the pen is reasonably priced around $150 and makes a great, if not necessary addition to any collection.

Recommendation: Absolutely.

Clairefontaine Classic Side Wirebound

• Manufacturer: Clairefontaine
• Weight: 90g
• Size: A4 (8.25” x 11.75”)
• Number of Sheets: 50 (100 Pages)
• Retail Price: Around $5.00 (USD)

Appearance and Construction

The Clairefontaine Classic Side Wirebound notebook pretty much looks like your basic stationery store notebook. They come in a variety of colors, all having a silver double wire spiral binding on the side. The front and back of the notebook are gloss coated heavy cardstock, which can be a bit flimsy. This could easily pass for your basic $1.50 notebook in Staples in the looks department, but it’s what’s inside that makes this notebook shine. It’s a relatively cheaper notebook, so the bells and whistles are at a minimum. It’s a nice looking notebook, and is by no means an eyesore, but I much prefer the look and feel of a black Rhodia.

Performance and Feel

The paper in this notebook is what I would call extremely fountain pen friendly. Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper are both manufactured by the same parent company, so they use almost the same paper. Rhodia is actually 10g lighter than the Clairefontaine paper used in this notebook, but to me it’s not that noticeable of a difference. Since this paper is slick and smooth, the dry times for the test inks were slightly longer than they would be on standard copy paper. J. Herbin’s 1670 Rouge Hematite took the longest to dry (still not fully dry at 30 seconds) while Sailor’s Kiwa Guro Nano Black had the shortest dry time (around 10 seconds). Every one of the test inks performed as expected on this paper. The nib test showed that nothing feathered, even the 1.5mm stub. There was no feathering across the board and hardly any show through, even in the broader nibs. Overall, the paper performed very well. It provided a nice smooth surface for even the finest nibs. The Lamy extra fine glided effortlessly across the page with minimal drag. In terms of performance and feel, I would rate the Clairefontaine Classic notebook as being fountain pen friendly, even for the widest and wettest nibs.

Show Through / Bleed Through Test

The Clairefontaine Classic notebook performed very well on both the show through and bleed through tests. With all three of the test inks, the show through started between three and four passes and didn’t bleed through and affect the next page until 5 passes. This paper is highly resistant to showing and bleeding, which is great considering it allows you to use both the front and back of each sheet. These results are much better than the standard 20lb copy paper that I also tested. Realistically, most people will never do 4-5 passes of ink in rapid secession like I did on this test, and won’t have to worry about the showing and bleeding of ink. After my tests, I’m confident that this paper will do a great job at holding up to both wet writers and flex nibs. The Clairefontaine Classic passed the tests in this category with flying colors and the evidence is clear on the test scans.

Overall Thoughts and Recommendation

The Clairefontaine Classic notebook does much more than just get the job done. It performed very well on all of the tests it was put through. The only negative thing worth noting is that dry time is going to be a little longer than standard copy paper due to the smooth finish and ink resistant characteristics of this paper. It’s a relatively cheap notebook filled with great paper for fountain pen users. The only area in which it fell a little short for me was the appearance and construction. For around $3.00 more, you can get a Rhodia notebook in the same size, except it has 30 more sheets of paper and a water resistant front and rear cover. The Clairefontaine is still a great notebook at a great price. It’s an excellent way to try out Clairefontaine paper before committing to a more expensive offering from the brand. It’s a huge plus that both sides of a sheet can be used due to its show through resistance. I would definitely recommend picking up one of these notebooks as an introduction to the brand.

Gallery with Handwritten Review Scans:

Left to Right:

• Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black Edition - Fine Nib – Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi
• Parker Vacumatic Major – Grey – Extra Fine Nib – J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir
• Pilot Vanishing Point, Gun Metal / Matte Black - Fine Nib – Pilot Blue Cartridge
• 1950′s NOS Sheaffer Snorkel Admiral – Grey – Medium Nib – Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki
• Lamy Vista – Demonstrator – Extra Fine Nib – Noodler’s Cayenne
• Lamy 2000 - Medium Nib – Parker Quink in Black – Binderized Medium Nib
• TWSBI Vac700 – Smoke Demonstrator – Medium Nib – Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun

Notes: Once again, I’ve been slacking with these posts pretty hard. Honestly I haven’t really been changing pens or inks around too much with my busy schedule. I recently did a mass cleaning of every pen that I have that’s not put away in a box to prepare for the Long Island Pen Show. Something told me that I didn’t need 6 Safaris / Al-Stars loaded up with different ink if I was going to be bringing some new stuff home. Anyway, into the carry… I’ve really been enjoying the Iroshizuku Take-Sumi, it’s a nice dark shade of black with good flow and saturation. It follows suit with the rest of the Iroshizuku line, I just don’t know if I want to spend $20+ on a black ink (again.). Next in line is the Parker Vacumatic, which I picked up at the show. I’ve already written/doodled around 10 pages with this pen and it’s great. The nib is super smooth and provides a small amount of flex. Next up is the Gun Metal / Matte Black VP I picked up from Richard Binder’s table. Since I saw the announcement of the new colorway, I knew I had to have it. I already had an extra nib unit so I opted for body-only. It’s a great pen, I just think I need another nib unit, this time from Richard Binder as opposed to Amazon. Next in line, another pickup from the LI Pen Show, a NOS Sheaffer Snorkel Admiral. This pen looks brand new, and still has the sticker on it. It writes wonderfully and the snorkel works great. Honestly, the only reason I wanted a Snorkel was for the filling mechanism, but this one happens to write great too. Onward to the Lamy Vista. I was lucky enough to be the winner of the Office Supply Geek / Goldspot Pens monthly newsletter giveaway. In the package, I chose the Vista, Noodler’s Cayenne ink, a Rhodia Large Webbie in dotPad, and they were nice enough to throw in some free Ink Journal notebooks. My Lamy 2000 is in rotation because while at the show, I got it adjusted by Richard Binder (Binderized, if you will…) and it writes simply perfect. The flow is great and the nib is smoother than it was before. Overall, the pen performs much better than it did, and I couldn’t be happier with it. Expect a review of the Lamy 2000 this upcoming week. The last pen I’ve been carrying is my new TWSBI Vac700. I was really interested in getting a vac filler and the TWSBI fit the bill. The new JOWO nib writes super smooth and lays down a consistent line. I’m in the process of reviewing this one, so keep an eye out in the coming weeks. Overall, I’m really happy with the all-star lineup I have going on right now. I think all of my needs are covered and I’ll be keeping this configuration for a while. Thanks for reading!

Recent Posts & Reminders:

• My write-up of The Long Island Pen Show along with my haul. (click here for more.)
• A review of Noodler’s Apache Sunset – a high shading orange ink. (click here for more.)
• A review of Montblanc’s Mystery Black – a black ink on the lighter end of the spectrum. (click here for more.)
• I am still taking submissions for your Weekly Loadouts! Click here if you would like to share what you carry!
• The “TRADING POST” is still being populated with lists. The Trading Post is a place where you can submit a list of pen stuff you want to trade, complete with a custom contact form to make life easier!

Bonus Pictures: The TWSBI VAC700 vs. The Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black

The nibs are roughly the same size (#6).

Now the Sailor is bigger. I had to use a bobby pin to keep the TWSBI from rolling, that’s not a clip or anything!

The nibs look more gold than they really are, courtesy of the sun.

Montblanc Mystery Black

Fountain Pen Ink

- Handwritten Review -

Pen: Montblanc 149, Medium Nib
Ink: Montblanc Mystery Black
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: First thing’s first, I got the bottle of ink through the TRADING POST (a place to host your list of fountain pen goodies that you would like to trade, click the link for more info). A big thank you to Wilfred E. for trading with me, I’m enjoying the ink quite a bit. I’ve heard some not-so-great things about Montblanc inks in general, mainly that they’re expensive for what they are. Since I got this bottle in a trade, the price of the ink doesn’t play into my review too much. The ink performs well, it’s nice and smooth with a good, consistent flow. I take it with a grain of salt when a pen manufacturer says only to use their ink, but I felt like loading up my 149 for the full experience. The lubrication in the ink is supposed to keep the piston in good working order, but I can’t comment on that because this is the first time I’ve had MB ink in my MB pen.

The inkwell that this ink comes in is really, really classy looking. The metal / shiny plastic cap looks great and the shape of the bottle is convenient for filling and looks great on my desk. The only thing that may not be for everyone is the lower saturation. I understand some people like their black inks to look like a void in the universe (myself included), whereas some people prefer black inks that tend to be more grey. This one falls in the middle of the line and is actually capable of some minor shading. There are certainly other options at a lower price point that can achieve pretty much the same results, but then again, they don’t come with the great inkwell (wow, I really didn’t take a picture of it…sorry!). If you’re into Montblanc and like what you see, by all means check it out, but there are certainly better black inks out there for a fraction of the price.

Thanks and enjoy!

Thanks Wilfred! Don’t forget to go check out the Trading Post, there are tons of ink samples, ink bottles, and pens up for trade right now.

MB Mystery Black exhibits some slight shading, this could be a make-or-break characteristic for black ink.

Excuse my poor attempt at a Montblanc logo, those things are tricky.

Here’s a few black inks for comparison. I’ve actually been enjoying the Pilot Iroshizuku take-sumi quite a bit.

Further Reading:

• Noodler’s Borealis Black (another black ink I reviewed)
• Weekly Loadout – 12/10 (if you want to see my Montblanc 149)
• The Trading Post (to get your trade on)

Noodler’s Ink – Apache Sunset

Handwritten Review

Pen: Noodler’s Ahab Flex, Fine Nib, Medieval Lapis
Ink: Noodler’s Apache Sunset
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: I’ve been wanting to try this ink for quite a while. I don’t know why I waited so long because it’s amazing. There are a few things about the ink that are less than ideal, but they are easily overshadowed by how this ink looks on the page. Orange is actually one of my least favorite colors (not just ink, but everything) but the intense shading from orange to yellow drew me in. The ink performs well, although it’s a bit slow drying. I went a little picture heavy here, because this ink deserves it. Apache Sunset can be a bit difficult to read at times because of the shading. Sometimes the yellow is a bit tough to pick out. But, this isn’t really an everyday writing ink, and it’s right at home in a flex pen. Overall, I liked the ink, and I would definitely consider picking up a bottle. Enjoy the review, the pictures speak more than my words with this one.

Thanks!

Related Reading:

• Noodler’s Cayenne
• All Posts with Noodler’s
• Diamine Ochre – Another Shader

I was all dead set on taking a bunch of pictures and writing up the show, but I was easily distracted and that kind of went out the window. Also, the room was really dark, making it hard to both take pictures and see the pens.

I ended up coming home with exactly what I wanted. I purchased a grey striated Parker Vacumatic Major with an awesome gold nib, a mint grey Sheaffer Snorkel, a TWSBI VAC700 in smoke grey, and a Gun Metal / Matte Black Pilot VP body, and got my Lamy 2000 Binderized. Wow. I bought all grey stuff. Oh well, it gives my predominantly matte black pen collection some variety (that’s a joke).

I plan on doing a proper review of the TWSBI, and updating my review of the Pilot Vanishing Point. As for the vintage pens, I think a feature is more appropriate, rather than a review. This being because no two vintage pens are exactly alike anymore and a standard review wouldn’t really go for anything other than my specific pen.

Anyway, look for a new review, an update and two features in the near future.

Vintage stuff. Lots of nice finds!

Here’s the two pictures I ended up taking of the actual show, both of the Anderson Pens table, it was a pleasure meeting them and putting faces to the name. If you need anything pen related, new or vintage, I highly recommend checking them out. I purchased my VAC 700 and a Pilot Metropolitan in gold (for the girlfriend) from them. Lisa was also nice enough to give me one of her small desktop notebooks, which I will be reviewing in the near future.

The new stuff that the Andersons had to offer!

]]> http://edjelley.com/2013/03/17/long-island-pen-show/feed/ 9 Pen Show Haul edjelley Pen Show Haul Pen Show Haul 2 Pen Show Haul 1 http://edjelley.com/2013/03/11/diamine-evergreen-handwritten-ink-review/ http://edjelley.com/2013/03/11/diamine-evergreen-handwritten-ink-review/#comments Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:06:33 +0000 edjelley http://edjelley.com/?p=1747 ]]>

Pen: Lamy 2000, Medium Nib
Ink: Diamine Evergreen
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: Well, I guess I need to get myself back in the ol’ photo studio, because I only have green inks photographed and ready to go. ACTUALLY WAIT, THIS WAS TOTALLY ON PURPOSE FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY! Look at that, a new feature is born, just like that. Anyway, Diamine Evergreen. This is one of the first inks that I had purchased when getting into the fountain pen world. I really liked the idea of having a dark green ink, that could almost pass black, but still have that hint of green in there. Depending on the flow of the pen and the nib, this ink can either look black or very, very dark green. This is an interesting ink because it seems to get greener as time goes by. I’ll write out a few pages, the ink will look black, and then when I go back a few days later, the ink has settled into the page and appears more green. The ink performs well, as do all of the Diamine inks I have tried and own.

Enjoy the review, this one’s another one of my favorites!

Not sure if black…or just really dark green…

Can’t find anything to complain about with this one, it’s definitely a great ink.

In the lighter areas, the real color of Evergreen stands out nicely. I think this one can get away with office use without looking like a crazy person. The comparison inks also bring more of the green out.

Evergreen does shade, but it’s very faint. Once the ink is thoroughly settled into the page, the shading becomes slightly more apparent.

The dark green color of Evergreen nicely compliments Diamine’s Oxblood. They’re in the same family of muted, darker colors, and you can definitely write one depressing Christmas card with the both of them.

]]> http://edjelley.com/2013/03/11/diamine-evergreen-handwritten-ink-review/feed/ 1 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 7 edjelley diamineevergreencoll Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 1 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 2 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 4 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 3 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 7 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 6 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 5 diamineevergreencoll Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 1 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 2 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 3 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 4 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 6 Diamine Evergreen Handwritten Review 5 http://edjelley.com/2013/03/08/private-reserve-sherwood-green-review/ http://edjelley.com/2013/03/08/private-reserve-sherwood-green-review/#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:52:22 +0000 edjelley http://edjelley.com/?p=1711 ]]>

Private Reserve

Sherwood Green

Fountain Pen Ink

Handwritten Review

Pen: Pilot Vanishing Point, Matte Black, Binderized Medium Nib
Ink: Private Reserve Sherwood Green
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16, top spiral bound

Notes: This is the second sample I’ve ordered and gone through completely of Private Reserve’s Sherwood Green. It’s a vibrant medium green with amazing shading properties. The bulk of the line does down dark, but the shading is practically neon green. The ink is smooth, and a pleasure to write with. Only thing worth noting is that it can be a bit slow to dry, but taking the extra care is definitely worth it. The shading wasn’t as intense in the Vanishing Point Medium as it was in a Lamy Medium Nib, so your results may vary. Even though it’s close to Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine, they’re two different animals. For the price difference, I would have to recommend the Private Reserve over the Edelstein  because I can’t see having both in your collection as 100% necessary. However, I think I may eventually end up with a bottle of this ink in the near future.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the review!

The Sherwood Green layers up pretty nicely. Usually inks that do that tend to shade well, this ink is no exception.

As you can see, it’s pretty darn close to Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine. The Private Reserve is a bit darker, and the shading is a bit more pronounced.

I probably should have used a different pen. The shading can get even more intense. For best results, try a Lamy Steel Medium.

Nothing too crazy in the doodle section this time. I really, really like this ink though.

Related Posts:

• De Atramentis Fir – Ink Review
• Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine – Ink Review
• Pelikan Souveran M605 – First Impressions

]]> http://edjelley.com/2013/03/08/private-reserve-sherwood-green-review/feed/ 3 PRSGcollage edjelley PRSGcollage Private Reserve Handwritten Review 2 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 3 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 4 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 5 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 6 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 7 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 1 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 3 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 4 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 5 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 6 Private Reserve Handwritten Review 7 http://edjelley.com/2013/03/06/r-by-rhodia-no-18-lined-notepad-handwritten-stationery-review/ http://edjelley.com/2013/03/06/r-by-rhodia-no-18-lined-notepad-handwritten-stationery-review/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:29:12 +0000 edjelley http://edjelley.com/?p=1698 ]]>

R by Rhodia No. 18 Lined Notepad

-Handwritten Review-

Specs: 

• 8.25″ x 11.75″ Top Staple Bound Pad
• Lined ruling
• 90g ivory, acid free, ph-neutral paper
• Micro-perforated for easy removal
• 70 sheets (140 pages)
• ~$13.00 USD

Review Supplies: 

• Pilot Metropolitan - Medium Nib
• J. Herbin: 1670 Bleu Ocean - Ink

Notes: Before trying this pad out, I had no idea that there was different paper in it. Turns out I was missing out. A lot. I went pretty in depth, so I’m going to keep the notes section light. Enjoy the review!

Appearance and Construction:
The R by Rhodia line is marketed as a higher end, premium pad. After finally handling one, I understand why. Available in black or orange, the R by Rhodia pads are adorned with a premium soft-touch cover. The ultra smooth, almost rubber-like cover is a nice preview for the exceptionally smooth paper that’s inside. It’s almost like neoprene rubber and feels much like the “soft-touch rubber” on the sides of my Nexus 4 (phone). The R by Rhodia feels great under the hand and great to the nib. The construction is solid, and I have no concerns of durability. I didn’t try, but I believe the cover has some water resistance, and could easily survive a quick carry through the rain. I can appreciate the small details like the micro-perforated pages, the foldable cover, and the soft-touch treatment on the outside of the pad.

Performance and Feel:
This notepad is marketed as “premium” and I totally understand. The R by Rhodia line uses 90g ivory paper, whereas the standard Rhodia pad uses 80g bright white paper. I believe this paper is smoother than the standard Rhodia pad (which is saying a lot). The paper provides a smooth writing experience. Something else I immediately noticed was how smooth the paper felt under my hand while writing. The pad performs wonderfully under everything from an Extra Fine Nib to a 1.5mm Italic. There’s no show through, no bleed through, and the ink settles into the page reasonably quick.

Color & Ruling:
Another characteristic that sets the R line apart from the standard line of products is the use of ivory colored paper. It’s a nice shade of ivory that is easy on the eyes, and doesn’t appear to be too yellow. It compliments most inks very well, but I still wouldn’t use it for ink reviews, as the ivory does change the appearance of ink a little bit. It’s miles above a yellow legal pad, and looks much nicer too. The color of the ruling is also different from the rest of the Rhodia line. The light violet lines are replaced with a subtle grey, which compliments the ivory paper better than a violet one would.

Overall Thoughts and Recommendation:
The No. 18 R by Rhodia notepad is great. The 90g ivory paper is very smooth, and is as fountain pen friendly as it gets. There’s no feathering with this ink, very slight show through and no bleeding. I can appreciate a paper where both sides can be used. The soft touch cover is a nice detail that helps differentiate the R by Rhodia line. If you’re already a fan of Rhodia paper, you have to check this one out!

Disclaimer: This pad was given to me free of charge by the fine people over at Rhodia. Huge thanks to Karen at Exaclair (the US distributor of Rhodia) for the paper goods! Even though the pad was provided for this review, I still stand by everything I have said in my review 100%. I have been, and will continue to be a Rhodia user, it’s some of the best stuff out there.

- Black Friday, 4th Edition -

Lamy Accent – Matte Black & Palladium, Sailor Kiwa Guro Nano Black, R by Rhodia – No. 18

So, technically it’s not the last Friday of the month. February really messed me up in terms of scheduling with this whole lack of days thing. If only it were leap year, I would be set. This month’s feature is a mix of old and new. I’ve had the Lamy Accent for a while now, and it’s pretty great. The grip is a little weird, but it’s perfectly balanced. It’s not my number one go-to pen, but I’m happy I have one in my collection. I apologize for the ink being a repeat, but it’s my favorite black ink. Believe it or not, I wrote up three Black Friday features (with different inks and pens) and this is the one I hated the least. I’m my own toughest critic, I guess. Also, the notebook featured this month is something special. It’s the R by Rhoda No. 18 from Rhodia’s premium line of notebooks. The cover has a great soft feel to it and the paper inside is just as good. I’ll have a review of that up in the near future. Also, for whatever reason, I decided to write in cursive. I hope you enjoy the switch up from small caps.

• Pen: Lamy Accent, Fine Nib – Matte Black with Palladium Grip, Black Steel nib
• Ink: Sailor Kiwa Guro Nano Black
• Paper: R by Rhodia No. 18 – Lined Notepad
  

I hope you guys are enjoying this feature as much as I am. Browse past Black Friday Features here, and be sure to check back in on the last Friday of every month for a new installment!

Hey guys/gals,

I figured I would get my social networking in order. If there’s any way you would prefer to follow the blog, you can now do so in a variety of ways!

Here are the many ways you can stay up to date and join in conversation:

• Like edjelley.com on Facebook
• Follow edjelley.com on Twitter
• Follow edjelley on Instagram
• Do whatever people do on Pintrest
• Subscribe via RSS
•  Or click the follow by email button to the right!

As always, thank you for reading! Viewership has increased pretty significantly which helps with motivation. It’s nice to know that my posts are going to good use. Also, another thing I would like to point out is my fancy new logo at the top of the post, and sprinkled throughout the site. A huge thanks to my good friend, and talented graphic designer, Chris, aka mr_kyriakou, for designing the logo for me. If you need anything done, check him out, he’s a good guy. I think that’s it for now, but thanks again for reading the site, it means a lot.

Thanks,

-edjelley

Noodler’s Borealis Black

Fountain Pen Ink

Handwritten Review

Pen: Lamy 2000, Medium Nib
Ink: Noodler’s Borealis Black
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16, top spiral bound

Notes: So after trying easily 20+ black inks, I finally got around to properly reviewing one. When I got into fountain pens, my first task was to find the perfect black ink. I never did formal reviews, but there are pages upon pages UPON PAGES of Rhodia completely filled with doodles, notes, opinions, etc. on different black inks. This particular sample came with my Goulet Pens ink drop, and I figured why not give it a try. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Borealis Black. It tends to feather, even on Rhodia. The flow and smoothness were nice but I also had some problems with dry time (as you can see below). What really stood out was the deeply saturated black and the smoothness of the ink. It was a pleasure to write with, but I couldn’t see myself with a bottle when there are black inks out there I much prefer. Enjoy the review. I think I’ll be doing more reviews of black inks, depending on how this one goes.

Enjoy!

I figured I would show it next to my current go-to black, the Sailor Kiwa Guro Nano Black (wow, mouthful). The Borealis Black looks like a black hole in the page, while the Sailor dries on top of the page with a nice matte finish.

Well. Not much to say here. This ink is BLACK.

Something about black inks that just aren’t as fun to review, yet it’s my favorite color to write with and I always have at least two pens inked up in black.

Pen: Pilot Metropolitan, Medium Nib
Ink: J. Herbin 1670 Bleu Ocean
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: Part of being a responsible blogger is being honest. Exaclair was nice enough to supply me with this bottle of J. Herbin, and I couldn’t be more appreciative. Keep in mind that this does not change my opinion of the ink, I stand by my review.

Lots of people aren’t big fans of the ink for a few different reasons. Mostly it’s that the ink doesn’t have any sort of sheen like it’s partner, Rouge Hematite. In a perfect world Bleu Ocean would have a silver sheen, but it doesn’t. I found it to be super saturated (which is nice) and super smooth. The ink performs absolutely wonderfully, especially in my Pilot Metropolitan. It dries faster than the Rouge Hematite, which is infamous for being a slow dryer. The bottle is great to look at, the ink is great to write with, and I like the color, what more could I ask for?

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here!

Submission by Mike H.

Mike’s Description (Left to Right):

• Parker 51, Extra Fine Nib loaded with Parker Quink Black
• Pilot Vanishing Point, Fine Nib loaded withPrivate Reserve Midnight Blue
• Pelikan M125, Extra Fine Nib loaded with Pilot Iroshizuku Shin Kai
• Pilot Custom 74, Soft Fine Medium Nib loaded with J. Herbin Perle Noire
• Lamy AL-Star, Medium Nib loaded with Noodler’s Ottoman Azure

This is typically what I use throughout the week.  The Parker 51 usually stays at home, the Pelikan in my shirt pocket and the rest in a pen case.  Ink changes a lot, but these are some of my favorites.  Just got the Shin Kai in a sample and man am I loving it.

Favorite Combo:

•  Right now, probably the Custom 74 w/ Perle Noir.  Very nice combo!

Least Favorite Combo:

• Probably the Parker.  It is a GREAT pen, but it does need some work.

Editor’s Note:

Mike, first things first, your handwriting is very neat and I can see why most of the pens you use write on the finer side. I have a Vanishing Point that I like quite a bit, mine is the matte black version but I’ve been looking for a different finish. This one’s quite nice. I’ve also been looking to get a pen from the Pilot Custom line, not sure if I want a 74 or the 823 with the vacuum fill. I’m a big fan of J. Herbin’s Perle Noire, it’s a great smooth, dark black that I use pretty frequently. Lastly, the blue Lamy Al-Star is pretty much a perfect match with Noodler’s Ottoman Azure. You have a nice assortment of pens, everything is different in it’s own way which makes for a well rounded loadout.

Thanks for submitting!

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here and filling out the form!

The Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen

in Bordeaux

- Handwritten Review -

• Review Ink: Noodler’s Bad Belted Kingfisher
  
• Review Paper: Rhodia Graph Pad, No. 16 – 80g Bright White

Specs:

• Description: Perhaps the perfect EDC fountain pen, this pocket-friendly fountain pen “extends” when posted.
• Nib: 23kt Gold Plated Steel
• Filling Mechanism: Cartridge
• Weight: 15 grams
• Measurements: 4.1″ closed, 5.3″ posted
• Ink Capactiy: Intl Short Cartridge, ~.75ml

Handwritten Review Scans:

Intro/About:

I’ve wanted a Kaweco Sport for quite a while. For my first fountain pen, I was in between this and the Lamy Safari. Ultimately, I went for the Safari but this was not far behind. I really liked the pocketability and design of the pen. This pen is by no means new to me (hence it looking pretty thrashed in the pictures). I’ve had the pen for just over two years and we’ve had a tumultuous relationship to say the least (don’t worry, we’re friends now). I recently started carrying the Kaweco Sport again, and after some nib tweaking, the pen is writing how I like it. It’s right at home in my back pocket and is unnoticeable until I need it. Enjoy the review!

Appearance & Packaging:

The packaging for the Kaweco Sport is pretty much what you’d expect from a ~$25.00 pen. It was in a small, nicely designed black and gold cardboard box. I would provide you with pictures, but I discarded it years ago. Check out Google Image Search if you’re curious. Packaging isn’t very important to me, as long as what’s on the inside works well. The only thing worth noting was how small the box is (and the pen for that matter). When I took it out of the shipping box, I was shocked at the size.

The Appearance of the pen is what sets it apart from the rest of the pack. The Kaweco Sport is a true pocket pen. The cap is uniquely designed, in that it’s much longer than what you would think the cap for a pen it’s size would be. The pen, when unposted, is too short for me to comfortably write with. When capped, the pen is approximately 105mm, but when posted, the pen extends to a comfortable 135mm. Kaweco’s slogan “small in the pocket, great in the hand” really holds true. More on this in the feel category. I particularly like the gold cap jewel that matches the nib and the branding on the pen. I opted for the pen in Bordeaux with a fine nib, and the deep maroon compliments the gold quite nicely. The nib has some simple engraving on it, but it’s not corny or cheap looking. It fits the overall look of the pen nicely. I really like the appearance of the pen, I just wish it was a bit more hefty in hand (Kaweco AL-Sport, are you going to be in my collection soon?).

Nib Performance & Filling System:

Initially, this fine-nibbed Kaweco wrote pretty dry. I wasn’t thrilled with the writing performance. It was decently smooth, it just needed more flow. If you like drier writers, then this would be a non-issue. This pen sat around in my pen cup, unused, for quite a while. I recently picked it up again, and I’m glad I did. I spread the tines a bit, increasing the ink flow, and now it’s a nice medium-wet writer. The nib is quite smooth and performs well for it’s price point. I’ve read other reports of the Sport and AL-Sport being hit or miss in terms of nib performance, so be aware. I’ve also read that customer service is on-point, an most issues were resolved quickly and painlessly.

The Kaweco Sport utilizes a cartride filling system. There’s currently no OEM converter available, but there are a few work arounds out there. I just stick to the cartridges, and when they’re empty, I clean them out and refill them by syringe. The Sport takes International Standard Short Cartridges, so finding an ink you like is relatively easy with all the choices out there.

Feel:

The feel of the Kaweco Sport leaves something to be desired for me. The pen is very very light. I would really like to try out the all aluminum Al-Sport. I think I would be happier with one of those because of the added weight. Back to Kaweco’s slogan, “small in the pocket, great in the hand’. It definitely holds true. The Sport practically disappears in my back pocket, comfortably nested in next to my wallet. It’s quite comfortable to write with when posted, but for extended writing sessions I am much more likely to grab something a bit more comfortable. For an every-day carry pen, this thing fits the bill. For essay writing and note taking, maybe not so much. The plastic they use also feels a little bit on the cheap side. It’s not as rugged as the Lamy Safari’s ABS and can definitely get pretty thrashed from  hanging out in a pocket or bag with keys and change.

Pros:

• Great Pocketability
• Appropriately Priced
• Great Cap Design
• Very Portable
• No Proprietary Cartridge

Cons:

• Very Light Weight
• Cheap feel to the plastic
• Inconsistent Nib Performance
• Very Basic Packaging

Conclusion:

For a sub-$30 pen, the Kaweco Sport certainly isn’t bad. As a pocket pen, it’s actually great. It falls a bit short as a daily use pen due to the writing fatigue that can kick in. The light weight makes it great for the pocket, but can be an issue during longer writing sessions. While the plastic Sport is nice, I think I would be happier with the aluminum version due to the added weight and durability. If you are looking for a fountain pen to throw in your pocket or bag with a tiny footprint, then I suggest checking this one out!

-Handwritten Review-

Specs: 

• 5.79″ x 8.23″ (almost A5) Side-Stitched Pad
• 80g ivory paper
• Micro-perforated for easy removal
• 30 sheets (60 pages)
• Pages are numbered, table of contents, included stickers for labeling
• ~$6.00 USD

Review Supplies: 

• Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black Edition – Fine Nib
• Noodler’s Dark Matter

Notes: This paper is quite unique. I don’t think it behaves like any other paper I’ve tried before. There’s an odd amount of feathering, but it’s like only certain fibers in the paper pick up the ink. This notebook is listed as being fountain pen friendly, but there’s a fair amount of show through, a lot of feathering, and even some bleed through. I understand the marketability of a fountain pen friendly paper, but I just wish it was truly fountain pen friendly. Don’t get me wrong, some ink and nib combinations work great, but most of the time there were unwanted results. Check the gallery at the end of the post for some more close up shots of the feathering too!

Handwritten Review Reads:
First thing’s first, this paper is weird. It’s supposedly “fountain pen friendly”, but I can’t really agree. The writing experience is okay. It’s decently smooth. I like the narrower ruling, the pager numbering and table of contents. Unfortunately the things I like stop there. This paper has some very weird feathering going on. Only some of the fibers spread the ink, making letters look “hairy” (for lack of a better word). The bleed through is also pretty bad. It’s nice that the pages are numbered, but not when the evenly numbered pages are unusable [due to bleed through]. I enjoy the look and form factor of the Jottbook, but the paper inside falls short, especially because there is a picture of a fountain pen nib on the packaging.

I really like the way the notebook looks. The subtle camel color is quite nice. The size of the pad is also nice too. A lot of care was definitely put into the details with this notebook. The notebook has a table of contents, numbered pages, and a specific spot for the date which are all very nice touches, especially for a $6.00 notebook. The side-stitched binding allows the Jottbook to fold very flat, which makes it easy to write on both sides of the page. With the amount of show though, this isn’t always possible, or legible.

Here’s the table of contents page. There is an owner information page on the sheet before, but I didn’t post that because it has my phone number on it, and I didn’t feel like firing up Photoshop just to blur it out. You can see how the paper is quite see through. This can be pretty hard on the eyes when trying to re-read what you’ve written.

From the close up shot, you can see how the ink only gets picked up by certain fibers in the page. It’s a pretty weird phenomenon (can I call it that?) and from my experience, regular copy paper doesn’t even do this.

Writing with a flex nib was pretty out of control. There was rampant feathering, and it makes the writing look blurry. I can’t say I recommend this paper with a flex nib.

]]> http://edjelley.com/2013/02/21/leuchtturm-1917-jottbook-handwritten-review/feed/ 10 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 2 edjelley Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 2 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 8 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 9 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 1 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 5 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 7 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 11 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 1 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 3 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 5 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 6 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 7 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 8 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 9 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 11 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 12 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 13 Leuchtturn Jottbook Review 14 http://edjelley.com/2013/02/19/weekly-loadout-21913-all-black-everything-almost/ http://edjelley.com/2013/02/19/weekly-loadout-21913-all-black-everything-almost/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:39:01 +0000 edjelley http://edjelley.com/?p=1411 ]]>

Left to Right:

• Pelikan Souveran M605, Black & Rhodium – Fine nib – Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine
• Lamy 2000 – Medium Nib – Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun
• Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black Edition – Fine Nib – J. Herbin Vert Empire
• Pilot Vanishing Point, Matte Black - Fine Nib – Pilot Blue Cartridge
• Pilot Metropolitan, Matte Black with Dots – Medium Nib – J. Herbin 1670 Bleu Ocean
• Kaweco Sport, Burgundy – Fine Nib – Noodler’s Bad Belted Kingfisher

Notes: Wow, I have seriously been slacking on these. It’s turned into more of a bi-weekly, sometimes three weekly, maybe monthly loadout? I haven’t been changing inks all that much because I’ve been stupid busy with school, work, and other work, and the dog. So I apologize for not posting these weekly, but changing the name is too much work. SO. This Weekly Loadout has a pretty serious amount of matte black going on. I’m pretty much settled in with everything I have. Also, if something in the list doesn’t have a link associated, there’s a pretty good chance that there’s a review coming in the very near future. I would give some opinions if everything wasn’t already being reviewed / in queue to be posted, so I’m going to save myself some time, and possibly build up some hype/excitement for new stuff. I apologize if the pictures aren’t as great as they could be. I used my new Nexus 4, and I’m not totally thrilled with the camera. It’s a great device, but the camera definitely leaves something to be desired. I feel like a walking contradiction, I need the latest phones / technology, yet I prefer a fountain pen and NEED a mechanical watch on my wrist.

Also, I opened up a new feature on the site called the TRADING POST. It’s a way for readers of the site to post up their lists of pen goodies that they wish to trade. It’s similar to the ink swap threads on the popular forums, but the difference here is that you get your own page, I host your list, and I create a custom contact form that emails you directly with any trade requests. Thanks to the few people who have submitted lists! If this is something you may be interested in, check it out! Also worth noting, you do not have to have a list on the site to trade! It’s encouraged, but if you want something in one of the lists, and want to trade, by all means!

Reminders:

• I am still taking submissions for your Weekly Loadouts! Click here for instructions on how to do that!
• I also started the “TRADING POST” where you can submit a list of pen stuff you want to trade, complete with a custom contact form to make life easier!

Keep Calm and Write On.

Bonus Dog Gallery:

Pen: TWSBI Diamond 540 – Medium Nib
Ink: Sheaffer Turqouise, Sheaffer Peacock Blue
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: I ordered this sample of Sheaffer Turquoise because I wanted to compare to the bottle of vintage Peacock Blue that I have. They’re pretty close, but the Peacock Blue has a little bit more green in it, and doesn’t shade as much as the Turquoise. The Turquoise performed very nicely, had great shading, and wrote nice and smooth. The color was pleasing as well. I used all of the blues I had inked up in the comparison section to give a better idea of what the shade was. While I don’t think it’s a direct replacement for the discontinued Peacock Blue, it’s pretty darn close.

This ink can really shade. It’d be nice to see what it can do with a broader nib, or something with some flex.

Side by side, you can see that the Peacock Blue has a little bit more green in it than the Turquoise.

So, this past week I sent out a few ink samples to friends, and realized maybe a “Trading Post” would be a fun idea to get people more involved in the site and the pen community in general. On here, I will list up the bottles of ink that I have and the ink samples I am looking to try out. If you would like to try anything, fill out the form in the post and it will send an email directly to me and we can get trading! To make this more fun, I will also be hosting other people’s trade lists and provide a unique contact form for them, so that other people may submit a form to you for an ink trade. This is all kind of crazy. There will be many kinks to work out and I don’t know if it’s going to work at all, but it’s fun getting little packages in the mail. It’s also pretty fun sending them!

I am 100000% open to suggestions, comments, input, complaints, etc.

Thanks Guys/Gals!

- edjelley
So, here goes nothing…

- CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TRADING POST -

Things should be more straightforward once you see my list and form. If you would like your list & form to be hosted on the site, fill out the “Trade List Form” on the main Trading Post page!

Pen:Lamy Safari, Red, 1.5mm Stub Nib
Ink: J. Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: J. Herbin’s 1670 Rouge Hematite. That is a mouthful, but such an impressive ink deserves an equally impressive name. This ink was released for the 340th Anniversary of J. Herbin. Wow. 340 years of ink manufacturing is absolutely crazy. There are few things in the world that can say they’ve been doing something for that long. The ink itself is really, really nice to look at and write with. Rouge Hematite can be roughly translated to “Blood Red”. Going back to the days when I had a rock and mineral collection (I was eight years old, cut me a break) there were several pieces of hematite in my collection. Hematite is a dense, very dark grey stone that when polished gives off almost a black chrome appearance. This ink is not to be confused with the mineral. The Greeks used the word hematite for blood, and the color sure does look like it. It’s a deep, dark red with great shading and a golden sheen. Initially, it was this golden sheen that had drawn me to the ink, on top of that it’s blood red. Really, what more could I ask for? There are a few things about the ink that I don’t necessarily like, but they are easily overlooked when seeing the final product.

See what I mean? It’s stare-worthy.

The ink dries pretty slow, and with Rhodia or any slicker paper, the ink doesn’t really like to stay put. If some smearing on the page (which is practically inevitable unless you’re surgically precise with your writing and hand position) and some red-stained hands here and there bother you, I would suggest checking out a sample before committing to an entire bottle. Which brings me to the bottle. It’s looks absolutely stunning. It’s taller than J. Herbin’s other ink bottles, and much more square. It has a golden ribbon that’s held down by a gold wax seal. The cap is coated in red sealing wax as well. The bottle is a great piece to have on my desk along with my other more visually pleasing bottles. The only thing about the bottle is that the mouth isn’t very wide, and pens with a thicker grip could have trouble filling. It’s a small trade off, plus, it’s up to the Germans to provide form and function, the French just make everything look pretty (from a design standpoint anyway).

Enjoy the review, this is an ink I always have in at least one of my pens.

Great shading here, however be careful with a broader nib. The dry time can be pretty long depending on the paper.

I opted to compare my other blood red ink with this one. While oxblood is much darker (perhaps a less oxygenated blood), Rouge Hematite is a brighter shade of red with less blue and more yellow. Either way, they’re both great inks.

Rhodia No. 16 5x5mm Graph Pad

-Handwritten Review-

Specs: 

• 5.875″ x 8.25″ Top Staple Bound Pad
• 80g bright white, acid free, ph-neutral paper
• Micro-perforated for easy removal
• 80 sheets (160 pages)
• ~$5.50 USD

Let me start this off with a little blogger disclaimer: this pad was given to me free of charge by the fine people over at Rhodia. Huge thanks to Karen at Exaclair (the US distributor of Rhodia) for the paper goods and Stephanie over at Rhodia Drive for sending me in the right direction. Both of them were very nice and enthusiastic, and I appreciate them taking the time out of their day to send a new blogger some stuff to review. Even though the pad was provided for this review, I still stand by everything I have said in my review 100%. I have been, and will continue to be a Rhodia user, it’s some of the best stuff out there.

Without further adieu, here’s the handwritten review (wow, that rhymed and I’m incredibly lame)…

Review Supplies: 

• TWSBI Diamond 540 – Medium Franklin Christoph Nib
• Sheaffer Turquoise Ink

Notes: Rhodia paper is extremely fountain pen friendly. It’s very similar to Clairefontaine paper because they’re both made at the same mill. The only real difference is that the Rhodia paper is 10g lighter. It’s really hard to tell the difference between the two, even when side by side. The bleed through is practically non-existant, even with several passes of the nib. This is my third pad in the No.16 size, which I have come to prefer. This was my first graph pad though, and I quite like it. I like the violet ruling that Rhodia uses across most of their line, it’s easy on the eyes yet it stands out a bit. It’s a nice departure from blue or green ruling that I’m accustomed to on graph paper. Make sure to scroll all the way down to the gallery, I went a little picture crazy!

The signature Rhodia orange. The pen shown is a TWSBI Diamond 540. The No. 16 is an idea size for throwing in a bag and not taking up too much room. It’s a bit big to be pocketed, but I really like the size.

Rhodia’s paper is a nice and bright white that’s perfect for showing off shading inks. It’s doing a good job here at showing off Sheaffer’s Turquoise.

Once more for size. The Number 16 isn’t too big or too small, it’s just right.

Signature Rhodia Orange. There’s no chance of this thing getting lost in a bag or on a desk. The pad is also available in black for the more subtle people out there.

Pen: Pilot Metropolitan, Matte Black with Dots, Medium Nib
Ink: Diamine Eau De Nil
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: I feel like I’ve been slacking with my reviews lately. I’ve been doing them, it’s just the whole photographing, formatting and posting thing I’ve been bad at. I just started my last semester of college, so things have been a bit hectic. Anyway, here’s my review of Diamine’s Eau de Nil. I know most of my reviews tend to be positive, but 90% of the reviews I’ve done, I’ve bought the items in them, so from the start I’m hoping that I will like them. I’ve been wanting to try out Eau de Nil (means “Water of the Nile”) for a long time now, and I was ecstatic when it showed up in last month’s Ink Drop. I this ink has moved it’s way up the ranks into my top ten favorites. It is a great shade of blue/green and has really nice shading. I’ve been taking a lot of notes with it, and the color is easy on the eyes, yet unique. Diamine is one of my favorite brands of ink, and for good reason. All the Diamine inks I’ve tried and reviewed perform wonderfully. I will surely be taking advantage of the Ink Drop discount and be picking up a bottle of this stuff. It’s great.

Eau de Nil has great shading, even in the finer Japanese Medium on the Pilot Metropolitan. It’s very smooth, and the flow is right in the middle where I like it. Do yourself a favor and check out the full size image for a close-up of the shading.

The fun part. I know the wave is Japanese, and the name of the ink is French and the meaning is referring to a river in Egypt. I’m just going to classify this one as being multi-cultural.

I especially liked the color palette of the comparison inks. Eau de Nil goes great with the Pilot Iroshizuku fuyu-syogun. If you put it in a fancier bottle and doubled the price, it could 100% pass for an Iroshizuku ink.

First off, this is the first article-style post I’m posting. I know everything I do so far has been a review or an announcement, but I came across a thread on a fragrance forum asking for recommendations on a cologne with a paper/ink accord. This thread inspired me to write this article, and it made it extremely easy because I already had the two fragrances in my collection that kept coming up the most. Not far behind fountain pens, is my interest in colognes. I have a pretty modest collection, but each of my bottles are just as carefully chosen as my inks. It also helps that my mother is a fragrance fanatic and is always on the lookout for me. She’s commented on my ink bottle collection several times and how they look to be as carefully packaged as fine fragrances.

This feature focuses on two of my favorite colognes, 2 Man by CdG and Encre Noire by Lalique. The 2 Man actually lists Japanese sumi ink as one of it’s base notes, while Encre Noire (translates to “Black Ink”) is meant to evoke the dark, heavy, inkiness of black ink. Both fragrances do a great job at accomplishing what they are meant to. Below you’ll find a brief review of each fragrance and an explanation on how it relates to the ink that it’s drawn inspiration from.

First up is Japanese designer, Comme de Garcons’ 2 Man. This is an extremely popular scent overseas, and is beginning to gain popularity here in the states. It’s a light, smoky wood-based fragrance that has decent lasting power. At first, I was a bit disappointed with the strength of this cologne, but it’s not meant to be a heavy fragrance. It is one of the few woody scents that I can wear during the summer months without feeling like I’m standing directly over a campfire in the heat of the day. The hotter it gets, the more I stray from the heavier, woodier scents so it’s nice to have one that I can get away with wearing year-round. The notes in this wonderful scent, as listed by LuckyScent.com, are: incense, white smoke, saffron flowers, nutmeg, vetiver roots, mahogany, leather and of course, Japanese sumi (ink). The dry down on this cologne is quite nice, without being heavy or lingering. It’s one of those fragrances where you do not constantly smell on yourself throughout the day, but when you get a whiff of it, it’s super nice. I’ve gone through about 3/4 of the bottle so far, and I am definitely going to keep this in stock in my personal collection. This version of CdG 2 is specifically geared towards men, however, there is “Comme des Garcons – 2″ which is a bit more on the feminine side. They also make a candle of this scent if that’s more of your thing. I have this as well, and it’s a great addition to my desk. I keep it on my desk at all times, and it doesn’t have to be lit to enjoy the scent.

Now for the fun part…this cologne really does smell like Japanese ink. For those of you familiar with the scent of Sailor’s Kiwa Guro Nano Black, the scent can be picked up almost immediately when smelling them side by side. I always enjoyed the scent of the Kiwa Guro, and when it occurred to me to smell these two together, it just made the experience that much better. The scent of the Kiwa Guro can be a bit overwhelming, but 2 Man takes influence from the inky scent without being overpowering. While it’s predominantly a woody incense fragrance, if you know what the ink smells like, you can definitely pick it up. I’m finding it hard to explain, but if you get the chance to compare the two it really stands out. Samples of 2 Man can be purchased from Lucky Scent for those interested in trying it out! I also recommend having some Kiwa Guro on hand to compare them side by side!

The second inky scent in my collection is Encre Noire, by French designer Lalique. While this does not smell as much like actual ink as the CdG does, it’s meant to evoke the darkness in a black ink. I pictured it above with J. Herbin’s Perle Noire, because I feel like what better way to show the fragrance off than with a fellow French company’s black ink. Unlike the CdG, this fragrance is way too heavy to be a year-round scent. I usually wait until the weather starts cooling down in the fall and retire it when it starts warming up. While the Encre Noire doesn’t smell like ink, it’s a dark, woody, earthy scent that certainly evokes the feel of black ink. Even the bottle, which is black glass with only a hint of transparency reminds me of J. Herbin’s 1670 ink bottles. The cap is a dark brown wood, hinting at what the scent inside is like. This cologne has glowing reviews across the internet and I purchased it without sampling. It can be found for around $30, and is definitely worth it. Fragrantica lists the notes as follows: Top note is cypress; middle note is vetiver; base notes are musk and cashmere wood. It’s heavy on the dirty, earthy vetiver which I happen to be a big fan of. It’s also worth noting that this scent is considered unisex (but it’s quite masculine )and also comes in a candle in case the above mentioned notes sound nice to you, but not something you would like to smell like.

This fragrance definitely reminds me of a black ink. It’s a dark, and at times heavy scent. The bottle is similar to J. Herbin’s 1670 line’s square bottles, which is another similarity between the cologne and the ink in which it draws inspiration from. While there’s no recognizable scent of ink, in this case it’s the thought that counts. Afterall, it is named “Black Ink”. Other than the fragrance being a dark, woody and earthy scent, the shape and color of the bottle, and the name there isn’t much else that ties this scent into the fountain pen world. Encre Noire can be sampled over at The Perfumed Court for those interested!

Disclaimer: Everything in the above article was purchased by me. I’m only recommending/linking the above retailers because I have ordered from both several times before, and had nothing but great experiences.

- Handwritten Review -

• Pen: TWSBI Diamond 540, medium nib
• Paper: Rhodia #16 dotPad

I first sampled this ink a long time ago back in the beginning of my foray into fountain pens and ink. I was in the market for a grey ink, and I was immediately drawn to the blue-grey of the Fuyu-Syogun. I’ve gone through three samples of this ink and have enjoyed them quite a bit, but I never caved in and bought a bottle. This past Christmas I was lucky enough to receive a bottle as a gift from my girlfriend, who had no idea that I had already loved the ink. It’s a great shade of blue-grey with nice shading properties, great performance, and nice flow. Every singe one of the inks in the Iroshizuku line that I’ve tried were very well behaved and cleaned out easily. Pilot really knew what they were doing when they  made the Iroshizuku line of inks. I would highly recommend checking one of them out. I think there are enough colors to make anyone happy and the ink is an absolute pleasure a write with.

Enjoy the review!

More Iroshizuku-related Posts:

• Kon-Peki Review
• Christmas Haul
• FPGeeks Announcement

]]> http://edjelley.com/2013/01/30/pilot-iroshizuku-fuyu-syogun-handwritten-review/feed/ 17 OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA edjelley OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun Review Handwritten - 5 Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun Review Handwritten - 4 Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun Review Handwritten - 3 Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun Review Handwritten - 2 Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun Review Handwritten - 1 http://edjelley.com/2013/01/25/black-friday-3rd-edition-sailor-professional-gear-imperial-noodlers-dark-matter-and-a-large-rhodia-webnotebook/ http://edjelley.com/2013/01/25/black-friday-3rd-edition-sailor-professional-gear-imperial-noodlers-dark-matter-and-a-large-rhodia-webnotebook/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:18:11 +0000 edjelley http://edjelley.com/?p=1014 Sailor Professional Gear Imperial, Noodler's Dark Matter, and a Large Rhodia Webnotebook So, it's that time again. For those of you (most of you) who haven't seen a Black Friday feature yet, this is the third installment. On the last Friday of every month I'm going to be featuring a black pen, a black ink, and a black notebook. This Black Friday just happens to the blacker than the blackest black times infinity. [Read More...]]]>

- Black Friday, 3rd Edition -

Sailor Professional Gear Imperial, Noodler’s Dark Matter, and a Large Rhodia Webnotebook

So, it’s that time again. For those of you (most of you) who haven’t seen a Black Friday feature yet, this is the third installment. On the last Friday of every month I’m going to be featuring a black pen, a black ink, and a black notebook. This Black Friday just happens to the blacker than the blackest black times infinity. To top it off, I was listening to The Black Dahlia Murder while doing the feature just to add that extra element of darkness. Also, a big thank you to Karen at Exaclair for providing me with the Rhodia Webnotebook!

• Pen: Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black Edition, Fine Nib 
• Ink: Noodler’s Dark Matter
• Paper: Rhodia Large Webnotebook

The semi-matte finish of the leather cover of the Rhodia Webnotebook perfectly matches the Sailor Pro Gear Imperial. They compliment each other very nicely. Check out the in-depth review I did of the Sailor in the Fountain Pens category, or in the link above!

Everything is black, right down to the nib. Speaking of the nib, the Noodler’s Dark Matter makes this thing write super smooth. I think the ink may be bottle-worthy. It’s a nice black, but not too dark. With a broader nib, you can get some shading out of it. The effect is a gradient from dark grey to black. I think this is a nice departure from the super black inks like Sailor Kiwa Guro.

I know I’ve said it at least three times so far, but I’m really enjoying this combination. The notebook is the perfect size to bring along with you, yet it’s not too large where a bag is needed. The ink performs very nicely in the pen, and it looks great on the off-white Rhodia paper. As I said in the handwritten section, this is my first experience with non-white Rhodia paper, and I really like it. Check back for a review of the notebook soon!

I hope you guys are enjoying this feature as much as I am. Browse past Black Friday Features here, and be sure to check back in on the last Friday of every month for a new installment!

The Sailor 1911 Professional Gear

Imperial Black Edition Fountain Pen

- Handwritten Review -

• Review Ink: Noodler’s Bad Blue Heron
• Review Paper: Rhodia Elastibook, A4 – 80g Bright White

Specs: Taken from Sailorpen.com and Nibs.com

• Description: Matte Black resin pen with titanium ion plated nib and accents.
• Special Features: Completely Black Pen
• Filling Mechanism: Cartridge / Converter
• Weight: 24.5 grams
• Measurements: 5.063″ closed, 5.875″ posted, 0.5″ barrel width, 3.635″ barrel length, 0.41″ section diameter
• Ink Capactiy: 0.9ml

Handwritten Review Scans:

Intro/About:

From the second I saw the Professional Gear Imperial Black fountain pen, I knew I had to have it. Sailor took their standard Pro Gear and completely murdered it out. They even listed the pen being completely black as one of the special features. This is my first Sailor and I have a feeling it will not be my last. The pen is a joy to look at, hold, write with, and then look at some more. I hope you enjoy the review as much as I’m enjoying this pen!

Appearance & Packaging:

The appearance of this pen is what you’re really paying a premium for. Sailor has gone above and beyond in making the Pro Gear Imperial the blackest pen out there. The 21k gold titanium ion plated nib is a beautiful black chrome color, and somehow manages to be shiny, yet still very black. It’s a perfect match to the cap band, the band above the section, and the clip. The attention to detail is top-notch. Another thing that stood out to me is the material (resin) that the pen is made from. The mattified black resin has a great tactile feel to it. It provides an added amount of grip that smooth pens simply do not have. My hands can get sweaty and slippery during long writing or note taking sessions, and the little bit of extra grip/texture goes a long way

As far as packing goes, I did not get this pen in the fancy black presentation gift box. I ordered my pen from a Japanese retailer, and I’m not sure if they swapped boxes to save on shipping, or if the Japanese market pen comes in a different box. It came in a standard Sailor presentation box with velvet-like lining, along with the cartridge and converter. I was able to overlook the fact that the gift box was not included, considering I purchased the pen for significantly cheaper direct from Japan rather than one of the retailers in the United States. The box is an added bonus, but it really has no affect on the pen’s performance.

Nib & Performance:

I opted for the Pro Gear with a fine nib, knowing it would be more like a Western extra fine. The nib is quite smooth, especially when considering how fine the line is puts down really is. It always starts up and lays down a nice, consisten line. The pen has yet to skip either. I can place it down uncapped during short writing breaks, and it starts right back up when I need it to. The nib is very smooth, although it can be a little noisy. I think the sound it makes on the paper tricks my brain into thinking it’s less smooth than it really is. To test this out, I wrote the second half of the review with headphones on, and sure enough the pen felt smoother because I wasn’t hearing it. I don’t mind the audio feedback from the nib, but I think it was worth noting. Also, this could be further emphasized or lessened with a different combination of ink and paper. I love the way the all black nib looks. The engraving and filigree are top-notch, and an absolute pleasure to look at. The shape of the nib is different from what I’m used to as well. The nib has more of a swooping taper to the point, and is folded on the shoulders. I really like the aesthetic appearance of Sailor nibs. It’s something different in my collection. The ink flow is pretty perfect for my writing style, so no complaints there.

Now, onto the filling system. Many Japanese pens are shifting towards the cartridge/converter filling system. The Pro Gear Imperial Black is no exception, and is equipped with this filling system. While many people prefer a piston-filler, I do not have  a definitive preference. The cartridge/converter holds a decent amount of ink (0.9ml) and makes pen maintenance much easier. Since the nib lays down such a fine line, it does not burn through ink, even with the medium flow. The converter that the pen came with is high quality, plus, it’s hidden within the pen. The converter can be completely disassembled, which makes cleaning a breeze. I really like that Sailor designed the converter this way, as ink always finds it’s way into the unreachable crevices, therefore turning the formerly unreachable into the reachable.

Feel:

I briefly mentioned before how the matte black resin feels, wel…it’s great. I think it was necessary to add a category devoted to how the pen feels in hand because that can be just as important as how the pen writes. I wrote the entire handwritten section of the review straight through, and nothing got slippery or sweaty (sorry, I know, gross). The weight of the pen is pretty much perfect for me. It’s just a touch lighter (0.5g) lighter than a Lamy 2000. I’ve been writing with this pen posted and the balance and size in my hand is pretty much ideal. I like that it has a bit more heft than my Pelikan Souveran M605, but it’s not a tank like my Montblanc 149. The diameter of the section is very comfortable. The lip at the bottom of the grip is a comfortable stop for my fingers too. The barrel gently tapers into the section, and the threads are very unobtrusive. There’s no real step from the barrel down to the section, which makes the pen super comfortable in hand. I think the Pro Gear has an ideal weight, balance, and feel. The only thing that I feel is worth noting is that the pen is a little bit on the short side (for me) when it’s not posted. Other than that, it’s pretty perfect.

Pros:

• All Black Everything
• Nice weight
• Good Flow & Smoothness
• Superb Fit & Finish
• Great Feel in Hand

Cons:

• It’s pricey, considering the price of a regular Pro Gear is much less money
• A little bit short when un-posted
• I don’t have ten of them

Conclusion:

I really, really love this pen. It looks amazing, feels great in hand, and it’s an absolute pleasure to write with. Un-posted it’s a bit short for me, but I prefer to write with it posted anyway. It’s definitely the highlight of the matte black collection I have going. Ever since it was announced, I knew it needed to be in my collection. Now that it is, I can finally sleep at night. I highly recommend this pen to anyone who has an obsession with matte black like I do. Even if all black isn’t your thing, the base pen is a Sailor Professional Gear, which is available in many other configurations. It’s a great writing instrument, and a must-have for all matte black enthusiasts, ninjas, and Batman wannabes.

Pen:Lamy Safari, 2012 Limited Apple Green – 1.1mm Stub
Ink: Diamine Majestic Purple
Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16 - Top Spiral Bound

Notes: Usually I’m not the biggest fan of purple inks, but this one was actually pretty nice. It’s not my favorite  color in the world, but this one is a nice shade. Personally, I don’t have much use for a purple ink but since it came in the January Ink Drop from Goulet Pens, I figured I’d load it up and try it out. I decided to put it in the Apple Green Safari because I was immediately reminded of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The mix of the purple and green were the perfect mix for Donatello’s colors. Anyway…back to the ink. As with all the Diamine inks I’ve tried and reviewed, this ink is a solid performer. It had a little bit of shading, nothing crazy. I liked the level of saturation too. When I went over the ink a few times, it didn’t really get that much darker. I think I just ended up more thoroughly filling in the blocks I had drawn. The smoothness and flow were exactly as expected from Diamine. They’re one of my favorite brands of ink due to their consistency across the line, the reasonable price, and the huge offering of colors. If you like purple inks, I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Thanks for reading!

I really like the way this page turned out. Something about the color palette in the comparison inks went very nicely with the Majestic Purple.

This photo made the shading appear to be a little bit more intense than it is in person. The color is pretty much dead on, but I don’t think it shaded quite as much.

Diamine Majestic Purple is indeed pretty majestic. It writes like a dream. The real test is going to be cleaning it out of the converter. I’ve had a few purples stain before. (I’m looking at you Noodler’s North African Violet…)

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here!

Ivan Romero of Inktronics

Also, check out his feed on instagram: ivanr365 for some more pen and ink-related goodness.

Ivan’s Description (Left to Right):

• Starting on the left, I have my Kuru Toga mechanical pencil I sourced through Jetpens. I do not use pencil often but I do need one once in a while.
• Next is the TWSBI Micarta with a B nib and Waterman Absolute Brown. I got the pen in a trade on FPGeeks forum.
• I use highlighters quite a bit and the Zebra H301 fits the bill. It was given to me by a coworker that also enjoys pens (and is also my Jetpens buddy).
• After that is the Zebra V301 fountain pen.
• Next to that is my next review pen. The Platinum Century #3776 with a C nib (double broad) and currently loaded with Diamine Asa Blue.
• Finally, we come to the Pilot Custom 742 with sutab nib (factory stub). It is also loaded with Diamine Asa Blue and is my anchor point for comparison to the Platinum.

Paper:

•  I use mainly Rhodia Dotpad (see the edjelley.com review here) paper for my reviews (#16) but I also use Doane Paper notebooks at work with a leather Renaissance Art Moleskine Pocket Cahier cover.

Favorite Combo:

•  It’s a secret for a future review.

Least Favorite Combo:

• Not a least favorite but I know that some nib modifications will be forthcoming. The Platinum C nib is just to broad for my hand.

Editor’s Note:

Ivan, you have a nice carry here, I especially like the case. I’m sure more people carry a pencil and a highlighter, but more often than not they don’t show them off with their fountain pens. I’m glad you did! Pencils are a necessary tool, and it never hurts to keep one close by. Same goes for the highlighter. I’m really curious as to how the Platinum and the Pilot stack up against each other. They look very similar. I don’t have experience with either of those pens, so I’m looking forward to hearing how they are. I think the Pilot has the slight edge in the looks department, but only because of the engraving on the nib. Thanks for sharing!

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here and filling out the form!

Hey everybody,

Super excited to announce that I will be writing stationery reviews for FPGeeks.com!

My first review of the Clairefontaine Classic Wirebound Notebook is up now.

I would like to say that I’m very excited to be working with them and I look forward to writing more FPGeeks.com reviews!

I will be adding a section to the menu bar that links to my author section over at FPGeeks shortly.

As for edjelley.com, do not worry! I will still be going forward with my own pen reviews, ink reviews, weekly loadouts, other features and whatever else I come up with. I will also be posting stationery reviews on this site here and there, but my main focus on stationery is going to be over at FPGeeks.

Thank you for reading, have a great day!

P.S. I would also like to thank Brad Dowdy over at The Pen Addict for giving me such a nice shoutout on his latest podcast episode. I’m extremely flattered by what they had to say. If you haven’t checked out The Pen Addict (I’m sure you have!), you’re seriously missing out!

You can download and listen to Episode 38 of The Pen Addict  podcast here!

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here!

Yves aka Cordwainer on instagram

Yves is a certified Swiss shoemaker who does some really great work. You can check out his project here!

Yves’s Description (Left to Right):

• Sheaffer Edit – 1.1mm (pencil)
• Waterman’s Eddy – Extra Fine  GP Steel Nib
• Parker 25 Flighter – Broad Steel Nib
• Pelikan M400 – Broad Stub 14c Gold Nib
• Visconti Van Gogh – Fine Steel Nib

Inks:

• Waterman – Mysterio Blue
• Pelikan Brilliant – A Mix of Brown, Black, and Red
• Pelikan Brilliant – A Mix Green and Black

Paper:

• Elco Switzerland Satin

Favorite Combo:

• I love all my pens!

Least Favorite Combo:

• Pelikan M400 filled with the Pelikan ink mix(black, red and brown). I need to search again the perfect mix of inks for this pen.

More Pictures in the Gallery (click to enlarge):

Editor’s Note:

Yves, you definitely have some nice combinations of pen and ink here. I think it’s interesting that you mix inks. I received an ink mixing kit for Christmas, but I have yet to experiment. I think I need a few more inks by the same manufacturer so I can safely experiment. Your Visconti Van Gogh is quite beautiful, as is the Pelikan M400 in striated brown. A Visconti Homo Sapiens is probably the next high end pen I’m going to be purchasing. I have a Pelikan M605 that I love. I would really like to try out a specialized nib like your stub though. The wrap you keep the pens in is also very nice to look at. It looks like it does a great job of protecting the pens too. Thanks again for submitting this great loadout, it’s my pleasure to feature it!

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here and filling out the form!

Left to Right:

Lamy Al-Star, Graphite – Black Fine Nib - Diamine Grey

Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black Edition – Fine Nib - Noodler’s Bad Blue Heron

Pelikan Souveran M605, Black & Rhodium – Fine nib – Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki

Pilot Vanishing Point, Matte Black - Medium Nib – Diamine Oxblood

Notes: I know, I know, the “weekly” loadouts aren’t exactly weekly. I apologize for that. I’ve also been slacking in terms of post frequency, so I’m posting on back to back days. I also have a pretty big announcement coming later this week that I’m really excited to share with you guys. Now, onto the loadout…

This week I have only been carrying these four around with me. I think the overall theme is quality over quantity. Since I’m between semesters at school, my pens see a bit less use and I don’t usually carry a bag to hold the 8-10 pens I usually carry. These four pens are shown above in a Libelle leather case which I have had for quite a while now. No complaints with the case at all. The pens stay in there nicely and are almost 100% protected. I still tend to keep my less expensive pens in the side slots just so nothing can damage the more expensive ones from the side. The flap over the top stays put, and being that the case was only around $20, it was quite the deal. I plan on doing a feature on pen storage in the very near future so stay tuned for that.

Another thing that’s new about this loadout is the Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black Edition. I have been DROOLING over this pen since it was announced, and got a bit of exciting news, so I bought it for myself as a little reward. It’s my first Sailor, and so far I am loving it. Once again, a review will be coming shortly. I don’t have a top/bottom combo this week, because I really like what I have going on with all of these pens. I have bottles of each of the inks (read: I liked them enough to buy them) so everything is a tried and true favorite. The loadout was written on a Clairefontaine Classic Side Wirebound notebook, which you will also be seeing a review for soon!

Reminder: I am taking submissions for your Weekly Loadouts! Click here for instructions on how to do that!

Keep Calm and Write On.

Pen: TWSBI Diamond 540 with Franklin Christoph M Nib

Ink: De Atramentis Fir Scented Ink

Paper: Rhodia dotPad, No. 16

Notes: I had been initially drawn to De Atramentis’ scented inks because I thought it was a great idea to add a scent to a fountain pen ink. I thought that it would be cool to be able to smell the piney fir scent while writing in a nice shade of green. Unfortunately, the addition of scent didn’t really impress me all that much. The scent is very weak, and I could only really smell it with my nose up against the sample vial (yes, I also ended up with a semi-circle of green ink on my nose. awesome). I couldn’t detect any of the scent while writing, perhaps it would be more evident in a Pilot Parallel or a BB nib, I’m not sure. The ink itself performs okay, but overall I found it to be a bit watery. The shading is decent, and it’s a pretty pleasant shade of green. This is the third scented ink from De Atramentis that I’ve tried, and the third one that left me kind of disappointed. This ink falls somewhat in the middle for me, not terrible, but nothing to write home about (awful, un-funny pun.). I don’t think I’ll be trying out any more of the scented offerings from De Atramentis, but if it’s something you’re into, check it out.

Enjoy.

I much prefer Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine. It’s a shame that this ink fell a bit short for me, as green is one of my favorite colors.

This ink can be built up pretty nicely. There’s an obvious difference between passes, which is nice. It also dried quite quickly. There was a slight amount of shading there, but nothing crazy.

De Atramentis Fir – looks nicer sloshing around in a demonstrator than it does on the page, I think so at least.

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here!

To tide you over, here is a submission from:

Peter LoRe aka trefstemetrese on tumblr and trefste_metrese on instagram.

Peter’s Description (Left to Right):

• Levenger L-Tech Stealth (M): I wanted a Rotring 600, I got this instead. I was not disappointed.
• Lamy Safari (B): I like the Safari series. I love this color. I love this ink. (see the edjelley.com review here)
• Pelikan M205 (BB): I bought it thinking I would use the highlighter. It wasn’t cutting it as a highlighter and is too broad for daily writing. Smooth as butter though.
• Monteverde Invincia Stealth (M): My favorite pen in my collection.
• Lamy Safari (EF): I just switched nibs on this, as I thought this EF’s tines were out of whack. Turns out I was wrong as this combo writes beautifully, especially with what I consider a difficult ink.  (see the edjelley.com review here)
• Noodler’s Ahab (Flex): This ink/pen combo is great for editing. Just lays down the blood-red slashes.
• Kaweco Sport: I really hate this pen. Everything about it is sub-par for how much it costs. It is in the loadout because I never use it so It stays inked.

Paper:

• Rhodia Dot Pad (see the edjelley.com review here)

Favorite Combo:

• I really am enjoying the nib swapped Safari EF with Noodler’s BSB.

Least Favorite Combo:

• The Kaweco Sport needs to go away.

Editor’s Note:

I really like what you have going on here, especially that there are three “stealthy” pens. All black everything is a motto I tend to live my life by. We can all thank Jay-Z for that (sorta?). I own several of these pens, and they’re all solid performers for the most part. I’ve been eyeing the Levenger L-Tech and the Monteverdia Invincia Stealth for a while now, but other pens have taken over the top acquisition spot. Someday I’ll have them though. I also have a Kaweco Sport that I wasn’t the biggest fan of until I made some adjustments. It wrote very dry, and wasn’t the most pleasant pen to use. I would try spreading the tines a bit to increase the flow and use a more lubricated ink. With the flow adjusted and full of Noodler’s Bad Blue Heron, it’s like a new pen. One that I actually enjoy. I think this is a solid loadout with a lot of solid ink choices. This isn’t too far off from what I usually carry, so thumbs up!

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here and filling out the form!

Pen: Pelikan Souveran M605, Fine Nib
Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki
Paper: Rhodia dotPad

Notes: I received this ink for Christmas (I asked for it) and I couldn’t have been happier opening it up. I have tried out a few Iroshizuku inks before and liked their overall performance, the colors, and their presentation. The ink comes in a very minimalistic box that’s silver with a block of color that matches the ink. Open the box though and this is where the real fun stuff starts. The bottle is absolutely beautiful. It is slim in width, but has a taller and wider profile than most of my ink bottles. It has a great textured paper label with very minimal print on it. There’s a silver cord tied around the neck of the bottle which just adds some class to the overall appearance. A nice bottle is great to look at, but it’s even better when the ink inside is just as nice.

Kon-Peki is a vibrant blue with lots of shading qualities. It dries nice and fast. So far I’ve had it in my new Lamy 2000 and the Pelikan, and it was great in both. The color pops without being obnoxious and I’m glad I have an entire bottle. The Iroshizuku line doesn’t come cheap at around $28.00 US per bottle, but I think it’s worth it. I also received a bottle of Fuyu-Syogun as a gift from my girlfriend. I didn’t even have to ask her for it, she just happened to pick it out. I’ve gone through three samples of the Fuyu-Syogun and had been debating a bottle for a long time. Check back soon for a review of that!

Enjoy!

P.S. – Just a reminder, I am taking submissions for your Weekly Loadouts! If you want to share what pens, ink and paper you’re using this week/month/whatever, please share!

The flow and shading of this ink are great. At first, I thought it was a bit watery. After writing some more and noticing the quick dry time with the wonderful shading, all negative thoughts went away.

This ink can be built up on the page. With three passes it darkens up nicely.

Close up of the shading test. This stuff would really shine in a broader nib. I can’t wait to get some in my 3.8mm Pilot Parallel.

More nice shading from Kon-Peki

Rhodia dotPad, Pelikan M605, and the bottle of Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki. A wonderful combination.