My favorite Field Notes Colors edition:  Drink Local, Ales.  I've stocked up and have a healthy supply of both Ales and Lagers. 

For this rainy fall Monday I'll give you all a few words on last Fall's Field Notes Colors Edition:  Drink Local.  It doesn't seem right for me to review a Field Notes edition until I've used at least a three-pack of them.  I'm close to being finished with the third Ales of my first pack, so that's close enough.  The verdict:  These are some quality notebooks, and I'm glad I stocked up and have what, for me, is probably several years' supply.  I fully intend to use all of these notebooks (and the coasters).  

Gratuitous S.A.B.L.E. shot.  This is just part of my stash. 

Hints of stuff to come on the blog. 

The paper in this edition is very nice.  Nothing spectacular, in the sense that you can use a fountain pen on it without bleedthrough/feathering, but I'm enjoying the yellow/orange graph ruling and the slight texture that makes writing with a pencil on this paper satisfying.  Gel pens work fine, but I prefer pencils in this notebook.  

And finally, a shot of what might be my absolute favorite aspect of this edition:  the durable covers.  They wear very well, and don't tear easily.  The spines look nice when they're a little tattered.  I'm pleased to add these to my shelf of "lived in" notebooks. 

Drink Local was a pretty large edition, and you can still find them out there in the wild.  Gary at Notegeist sells them for slightly above the original market price, at $16 per sealed three pack.

null

Platinum Blue-Black is an undersung workhorse of an ink, and one I use a lot.  Some feel that this ink isn't really a true blue-black, since it has a strong blue undertone to it, but it's nice-looking nonetheless.  In the U.S., Platinum black and blue-black inks are best known for being the pack-in inks for Nakaya pens; each pen sold comes with 10 high-capacity cartridges .  As I've mentioned before, when I first purchased my Nakaya, the blue-black cartridges were the only ink I used in the pen for quite some time.  

This ink contains iron gall, which can be corrosive to metal parts in pens if the ink is left in there for long periods of time (i.e., months), so take care to use your pens and/or flush regularly.  Iron gall, however, is what gives this ink its key properties, from its nice color and shading (pictured) to its performance on (most) cheap office papers without bleedthrough or feathering.   

Handwritten review with Aurora Ipsilon Quadra fountain pen, stub nib. 

Thanks to Jetpens for providing me with this bottle for review.  Platinum Blue-Black is available in 30ml and 60ml bottles, although it appears that Jetpens only stocks the 60ml bottle currently.  (link here) 

DISCLAIMER:  I received this bottle free of charge for review purposes.  

Kaweco's take on the "Black German Pen."  

Thanks to the folks at Kaweco for allowing me to take one of their high-end pens, the Dia2, for a test drive.  In summary, this is an excellent pen that deserves to be in your pen case.  It’s understated and classy looking, and sports the same killer steel nib that many love on the Kaweco Sport.  To boot, the nibs are interchangeable, so if you have a Sport that writes well and that you love, you can simply swap the nib out and use it on multiple pens. 

The Kaweco Dia2 in its presentation box. 

The Dia2 is, like the Sport, a reissue of one of Kaweco’s classic pens, the Dia.  And, like the vintage Sport, the original vintage Dia was a piston filler.  I’ll go ahead and get my one criticism of this pen out of the way:  it’s designed to look like a piston filler but fills only by cartridge/converter.  I know that by foregoing an integrated filling system, Kaweco kept the price of the pen down in the $100 range, which makes it an outstanding bargain considering how good this pen looks and performs, but something about the “imitation” piston knob on the end of the Dia2 looks sorta cheesy.  I know this might not go for most people, but I’d be willing to spend more money on this pen to pay for the piston system.  Also, the Dia2 seems to take a proprietary converter; my standard Schmidt and Waterman converters are too long to fit the Dia2.  Anyway, with that taken care of, here’s what I like about the rest of the pen:  everything else.  

Build Quality

Like most Kaweco pens, the build quality on the Dia2 is excellent.  It’s a black resin pen with chrome trim.  Both the body and trim of the pen are well executed; I couldn’t find any visible manufacturing flaws on the pen I tested.  Also, the resin used in the Dia2 seems to be exceptionally scratch-proof.  Normally, after you post a pen at least once or twice, the barrel will show some micro-scratches.  This pen does not, even after a week or so of regular use.    

The pen is noticeably lightweight.  I don’t mean this in a negative way: it doesn’t feel flimsy.  Rather, it weighs enough to feel serious but is still light enough to use for marathon writing sessions.  (I’ll concede that this is probably attributable, at least in part, to the lack of a heavy piston-filling system, FWIW, but I suppose they could always go plastic and rubber, like TWSBI.)  The Dia2 also fits my hand very well, posted or unposted, which is rare for me, as I normally always have to use a pen posted to obtain the desired balance while writing.  

The Nib

Kaweco Dia2 "sporting" the Sport nib.  (sorry, couldn't resist)

I’ve reviewed the nibs from the Kaweco Sport and Kaweco’s other pens here, so you all know I’m a fan.  Kaweco’s nibs (at least in the fine and medium sizes) are smooth, high quality stainless steel nibs.  I’m looking forward to testing out their gold nibs, hopefully sometime soon.  My main criticism of Kaweco’s other full-size pens, however, has been that by using the Sport nib, these pens appear awkward because the nib looks too small.  Not so with the Dia2—the nib size works, for whatever reason that may be.  It seems to be an intangible thing.  Perhaps it’s the way that the barrel is slightly tapered on both ends?

Handwritten ink review in Kaweco Ruby Red

Takeaways

I used this pen for a solid week without a hiccup.  Since we’re now in the holiday season, I’ll go ahead and recommend this pen as a great gift idea for someone wanting/needing a professional-looking, quality writing instrument that doesn’t break the bank.  I personally like the “black German pen” aesthetic, especially the black on chrome.  (Gold-plated trim is also available.)  It’s nice to be able to buy a pen that looks this good and writes this well for just over $100, as opposed to shelling out $400 for other companies' "entry level" pens cast from what is probably the same "precious resin."  While I personally wish that the pen came with a piston-filler, I can live with refilling cartridges or purchasing a Kaweco converter.  

Full disclosure:  Kaweco provided me with this pen to review, free of charge.  This didn’t influence my opinion on the pen’s quality or performance.     

It's been quite a while since I've done an EDC post, and it's been because I've been embarrassed at the sheer number of things I've had on me at any given time.  I finally wrote dry/emptied some fountain pens and put other pens away, whittling the daily carry down to this. 

From left, Nock Co. Lookout with Nakaya Portable Writer (medium nib, inked with Sailor Epinard); Aurora Ipsilon Quadra (stub, inked with Platinum Blue-Black); and Karas Customs Ink (medium, inked with Akkerman Voorhout Violet).  On the right, Field Notes Drink Local India Pale Ale edition, with vintage Faber Castell Velvet #2 pencil and Karas Customs Retrakt (Pilot G2 .5mm blue refill).  

I'm set for the week, well, mostly.... the next question is, which of the new DDC Factory Floor Field Notes to use next?  I'm leaning towards the "Simple Minded Silver Streak," but "Welcome Hunter's Orange" is also calling my name.... It'll be a game-time decision. 

So I went ahead and cracked open my recently received limited edition DDC Factory Floor Field Notes, and decided to use the "Welcome Hunters Orange" book next.  I like these books a lot, Though it's way too early to do a comprehensive review, I did want to post some photos and provide some initial impressions.

These notebooks are a limited run made by the Draplin Design Co. for their pop-up store in Portland, with a few 3-packs sold through their online store.  I consider myself extremely lucky to have snagged some of these.  First, the cover colors are eye-popping.  The orange notebook is about the same color as the Pen Addict Episode 100 T-Shirt, for those of you who sprung for that.  According to the books' specs, the covers are 100# Mohawk Via Vellum, and the interior paper is 50# "Absolute Alabaster."  The 50# weight on the internal paper is the same as standard Field Notes Paper; what's awesome is the fact that it's bright white (which unfortunately doesn't photograph well on my limited equipment), and the orange grid ruling is the same "Welcome Hunters Orange" ink as the cover.  

The other two notebooks, titled "Simple Minded Silver Streak" and "Copper Pipe Night Raid," are equally attractive.  The SSSS has a metallic sheen to it, which is nice looking without being sparkly, and the CPNR is apparently the result of combining the orange and silver ink colors to produce the copper colored cover.  

This picture doesn't really do the paper and graph ruling justice.  The paper is super-bright white, and the orange is the same eye-popping color as the cover. 

And, of course, it wouldn't be a Field Notes memo book without a "Practical Applications" section.  This one reads like an "Aaron Draplin Personal Favorites" version, and it's awesome. 

The interior of the covers are printed in Simple Minded Silver Streak with the Welcome Hunters Orange lettering.  

Will these be a new favorite?  Possibly/very likely.  Stay tuned. 

Before I got this pen into my hands, I didn’t know whether or not I would like the Karas Kustoms Ink.  I love their machined rollerball/gel pen bodies, such as the Retrakt, the Bolt, and the Render K, but I wasn’t sure how the machined pen concept would translate to a fountain pen, which is much more sensitive to issues such as balance and weight.  Also, I’ve had difficulties in the past with metal sections.  I shouldn’t have worried. 

Like Karas Kustoms’ other projects, the Ink has been masterfully executed.  This pen already has been reviewed to death by nearly every other blogger out there in recent months since the Kickstarter project shipped, so I won’t rehash the details about the impeccable design, construction, balance, etc.  :)  Instead, I’ll tell you what my favorite aspect of this pen is:  customization.  You can choose an anodized pen body from among various color options, and pair it with a grip sections made from different metals (aluminum, brass, or copper).  I chose a black pen with a copper section and couldn’t be happier.  The copper was shiny for the first day or so of use, and rapidly developed an “old-penny” patina.  I’ve tried to include some photographs showing how this happened.  Check out the picture that I posted to Instagram the day I received the pen, and compare to how the pen looks today.  It’s awesome. 

Here is the copper section just after purchase. 

Here is the copper section approximately one week later. 

The nib is a stainless steel Schmidt, like the old TWSBIs.  I chose a medium, and it writes flawlessly.  The flow is just wet enough to let me use even my driest inks without any problem.  I personally preferred these nibs on TWSBI pens and have not been very happy with TWSBI since they change over to Bock.  

Karas Kustoms Ink handwritten review with Sailor Naoi-Sumire. 

The Karas Kustoms Ink is on my short list for best pen purchase of 2014, and should be in your pen case, if you haven’t added it already!

I'm happy to report that all the pens I had listed for sale have gone to new homes.  However, I still have two cases left (a black leather three-pen holster) and a Nock Co. Maryapple pictured on the "For Sale" page that would make great gifts, so please make me an offer!

Also, I have a few pencil sampler packs left.  These have sold really well, but I still have enough woodcase pencils to last 5 lifetimes, so I'd like to thin the herd out a little more.  Each of these packs is $11 shipped, and includes a dozen assorted new and vintage wood case pencils, including those pictured above and a few surprises.  Contact me through the blog or tweet at me if you're interested!  

I know that I've been sparse on posts and reviews this week, but have plenty of stuff in the works. 

When Kaweco sent me the Dia2 for review, they also sent me a few other pens.  Included among them was the Kaweco AC Sport, which may my favorite of Kaweco’s many entries in the Sport lineup.  For starters, it comes in a deep red with black trim.  While my small-ish fountain pen collection (hey, compared to some people) remains varied, the one constant is that I like red pens and black pens, and when a pen is both red and black, I generally buy it.  This review won’t revisit the build quality, great steel nib, etc., of Kaweco's flagship line, all of which are excellent.  See my review of the AL Sport line.  Instead, I’ll talk about what makes the AC Sport special. 

A picture of the pen body, which is wrapped in carbon fiber trim.  I reviewed this pen with a medium nib, which is my go-to size for Kaweco. 

The AC Sport is different from the other Sport pens because it is Kaweco’s riff on last year’s trend of adding carbon fibre trim to fountain pens (and pricing them accordingly).  One thing that should be stated up front:  the AC Sport is not a true carbon fiber fountain pen, in the sense that the pen body is made of carbon fiber components.  A true “carbon fiber” fountain pen made out of carbon fiber costs five or six times as much as the AC Sport.  I recall seeing a few of these a couple years ago, and something tells me they didn’t sell well, because you don’t really see them anymore.  What Kaweco appears to have done is taken an AL Sport and wrapped the barrel in carbon fiber panelling or trim.  The result is more aesthetic than anything else, but I suppose that if you are really, really hard on a pen, or want to avoid the scratches to which the AL Sport is prone, you might get some more durability out of the AC Sport.  According to my scientific method of deduction (i.e., holding both pens in my hands and trying to guess which one is heavier), the AL Sport and the AC Sport weigh about the same.

So why would you buy an AC Sport priced at $122.50, when the AL Sport typically starts at $80, and the regular Kaweco Sport at $25?  Honestly, it comes down to a matter of preference and aesthetics.  When it comes to nice looking red and black pens (and the red AC Sport fits the bill), I have no self control.  From an economic standpoint, if you are looking for an extremely durable, pocketable, nice writing pen, the standard Kaweco Sport is one of the best buys on the market at $25.  There’s no practical need to spend any additional cash.  On the other hand, if you’d like something a little “fancier,” (as in, not plastic), the AL Sport can be had for a bit more, still at the sub-$100 price point.  The AC Sport is the fanciest of them all, but it is a good looking, quality pen.  Carbon fiber is not cheap, and I think the going rate for this pen is reasonable for what you get.  I plan on pairing it up with one of Kaweco’s black-plated nibs as soon as I can find one.   

You can find the AC Sport at Jetpens.  [Link Here].  In the interest of full disclosure, Kaweco provided me with this pen for review purposes.

A sample of what will be in my daily carry come the New Year!  The bullet pencil is perfectly sized for pocket carry--about the same size as a small folding utility knife.   

So I couldn't wait for my Twist bullet pencil to get here.  Literally.  So I went on Jay's Huckleberry Woodchuck website (link here) and bought a vintage bullet pencil.  My vintage bullet sports a dark pink/light red body (of course), is marked "Davison's Granular Fertilizer," and has a gunmetal gray trim.  I'm extremely impressed at the quality of the restoration, and this pencil's already made it into my daily pocket carry.  It's great looking.   

One thing I was very surprised at is how small a bullet pencil really is (at least the vintage ones).  For those of you who may be familiar with such things, the description is apt--it's about the size of a larger rifle cartridge.  The tip is removed and reversed to make a full-size writing instrument.  This pencil came with a Palomino Blacking 602 stub, but I switched it out for a pencil I haven't yet tried, the Palomino Prospector.  Once I've used it for a while I may put up a review.  I bought one of the pencil stub assortment packs as well, which came with a Rhodia pencil stub, a French pencil called "Le Crayon," a Prospector, a Forest Choice, and a Golden Bear.  (Note:  the friction fit on these vintage pencils is tight.  I used some pen-repair pliers to get a better grip when switching out the stub.  I think the modifications that were made to the Twist to address this issues were necessary and well thought-out, and I can't wait to see it when it gets here.  Monday!)        

My posting's been a little sparse over the past couple weeks.  It's due to the holidays, not a lack of interest, and as you can see from these photos, I'll have some new reviews up on the blog in the coming weeks.  (The Baron Fig Three-Legged Juggler edition is awesome looking.)  

This year's Christmas pencils!

Happy Holidays everyone!  I fully intended to get this post up a couple days earlier, but I've been laid up with the worst cold I've had in several years, and haven't been able to do much of anything.  In the meantime, however, I've been spending some time with the Twist Bullet Pencil (verdict: It's awesome!) as well as the Erasable Podcast Pencil Assortment Promo pack that was temporarily available from Notegeist.  There were some great pencils in there. 

Coming later this week will be a review of the Twist, and also some links to the On Fountain Pens "Twelve Days of Christmas" series, in which I will be participating.  Stay tuned! 

Happy New Year Everyone!  Other than the head cold that just wouldn't die, my Holidays were outstanding and I hope yours were too.  For our first post of the year, I refer you to On Fountain Pens for the "12 Days of Christmas" series, to which Maybelline graciously asked me to contribute.  Please visit her site, and especially this most recent project, which includes submissions from: 

• Alt. Haven
• Pete Denison
• Fountain Pen Day 
• No Pen Intended

and many others!  

Link Here. 

The latest addition to my daily carry. 

After enjoying some time off, I'm opening 2015 re-energized and with a pile of new projects sitting on my desk waiting to make their way onto this blog, or somewhere.  First up:  my new bullet pencils.  Last month I provided a quick overview of a vintage bullet pencil I purchased courtesy of Huckleberry Woodchuck, because I just couldn’t wait for the Twist to arrive.  Later that week, the Twist showed up.  So, now I have two attractive bullet pencils that have revolutionized my pocket carry.  One of these two pencils has been my go-to daily writing instrument for the past two weeks, and they're pretty much all I've used in my Field Notes.  

Bullet pencils, vintage and modern.  The Twist Bullet Pencil (pictured at bottom) is the red anodized aluminum model with a pointed brass bullet.  

Thoughts on Bullet Pencils in General

I appreciate the form factor of the bullet pencil.  As noted in my earlier post, it’s difficult to emphasize how small and light these are when closed:  perfect for jeans pockets (or the pocket of farm/work coveralls, as they were originally intended).  The Twist is slightly larger than the vintage bullet (especially if you opted for the pointed tip—more on that below), but still small enough to be compact and true to the original.  When in extended "writing mode," I’ve also found bullet pencils to be comfortable writing instruments for everything from short jottings in my Field Notes to longer notes on telephone calls at work.  

Even with a well loved pencil nub, the Twist bullet pencil extends to a fairly comfortable size for all kinds of writing. 

Background of "The Twist"

The Twist Bullet Pencil is a Kickstarter collaboration between Jay Smith (a/k/a Huckleberry Woodchuck) and Jon Fontane of Metal Shop CT.  Huckleberry Woodchuck first became known for the restored vintage bullet pencils he sells, first in his Etsy Shop, and now via his own website where he offers not only bullet pencils and refills but hand sewn handkerchiefs and other products.  Jon Fontane is the proprietor of Metal Shop CT, which designs and manufactures machined metal goods such as bottle openers, keychains, and belt buckles (and lately I’ve also noticed some Huckleberry Woodchuck products).  

A full discussion of the history of the project can be found on the project’s Kickstarter page (link here), but in short Jon and Jay set out to offer a modernized version of the classic bullet pencil, and in the process make it easier to carry a pencil as your daily writer.  I’m an unabashed pen guy—I nearly always have one or more fountain pens in my briefcase, and if I’m wearing a jacket, one in my pocket.  But if you’re just going to run out in jeans with a pocket notebook and don’t want to carry a bag, it’s hard to beat the bullet pencil.  You can carry a “shorty” pencil nub with a plastic cap, but I’ve never found really short pencils comfortable to write with, and the bullet pencil allows you to take the "shorty" and use it as a full-size writing implement.  No longer do you have to throw out those pencil nubs after they’ve become too short to hold.  I’m starting a bag of them, myself.  

The Build Quality

The brass "bullet" is well-machined, and the threads seem to be cut with precision.  Word of caution:  the bullet tip is sharp. 

The body of the Twist is made from machined aluminum, and the work is high quality.  I would rank it up there with my machined pens from Karas Kustoms.  The “bullet” is either aluminum or brass, and is especially nice to look at, with a band of knurling around the middle, nice sharply cut threads, and a sharp point on the tip.  No, really, if you’re into the whole “my pen/pencil needs to double as a tactical weapon” thing, I can see ways in which you could use the Twist to do some serious damage.  I won’t be carrying this one on an airplane anytime soon, and may purchase a pencil with a rounded tip for travel purposes.  Note that the brass adds some weight to the pencil.  If you like a very light writing instrument, go with aluminum.  

The Twist ships with three Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencil Stubs and a spare eraser.  The Blackwing 602 is a great all-around pencil, striking the perfect balance between point retention and darkness.  I have a Palomino Forest Choice stub that I’ve been hanging on to for about a year, and I imagine that will be the next to make it’s way into the bullet pencil.  The eraser is white, works well, and even with fairly heavy use is only slightly worn so far.

The Verdict 

If you've been looking for a practical way to introduce pencils into your daily carry or workflow, look no further.  The Twist bullet pencil is a sturdy writing implement that revives a classic piece of Americana, is convenient to use and carry, and also makes a great conversation piece.  Available now from MetalShopCT, starting at $37.50.    

Image by Scott Cresswell via Flickr.

I don't think I ever actually completed a New Year's Resolution until last year.  For a while I stopped making them altogether, using the cop-out excuses that they were yet one more thing I was doing simply because everybody else was doing them; that I was generally content with my current priorities, and that, in fact, I didn't need to change anything.  

Last year, I took a different approach.  Inspired by Chris Guillebeau's personal year-end review process, I spent some time focusing on two or three things that I really would like to be doing, instead of just muddling along in jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none mode.  One of the projects I recommitted to was this blog.  Those (very) few and (very) loyal readers who have followed me from the beginning will recall that I started this blog as "Vintage Writing" two years ago, launched it for two or three posts, and let it peter out when my schedule became overwhelmed with other projects and commitments.  

I rechristened the blog "The Gentleman Stationer" and committed to posting regularly, and while I've still been struggling with what's the right balance for me in terms of posting frequency, I managed to post something at least once a week.

Even though I've maintained an online presence, with a small but loyal readership that I enjoy talking with every week, I sometimes feel that I've not done enough to differentiate this blog from all the other great pen/pencil/stationery blogs out there.  Towards the end of this year, I began experimenting with new kinds of content, such as this post on mechanical keyboards which got a lot of interest, and also this post that I guest wrote for On Fountain Pens discussing my experiences living abroad.  For this year's resolution, I'm committing to featuring similar content and experimenting a bit.           

Stationery Resolutions

But fear not!  At its core, this blog is, and will remain, a pen and pencil blog, with the product reviews and commentary that I love to write.  I have three stationery resolutions as well.  They are, in order of importance: 

1. Use more notebooks.  I'm drowning.  I have a huge backlog of both Field Notes and standard-sized notebooks.  I'm not going to say that I have more notebooks than I can ever use, because that's not true, but I do need to recommit to journaling, writing fiction, and using up some of that paper. 
2. Use more ink.  I need to write down my ink supply.  I've dabbled more with pencils this year--a trend that I think will continue--but I want to get back to using my fountain pens on a daily basis, especially for journalling and more introspective, long-hand writing.  
3. Whittle down my pen collection.  This one generates very mixed feelings on my part.  Readers may have notices that I've sold a lot of pens on the blog this year.  That will continue.  I have way too many pens, most of which I don't use at all.  I have about a dozen that I absolutely love, and I want those to become the core of my collection.  There are some vintage pens that are true collectors pieces which don't get used that often, and I plan on retaining those regardless of use, but it's time to let some other modern pieces go to new homes.  I don't mind having a lot of money tied up in this hobby, because it's meaningful to me, but if I'm not getting anything out of certain pieces I can put those funds to better use.                   

I get the feeling that 2015 is going to be a great year for the analog writing community (not the "pen" community, as that's underinclusive).  I'll warn you in advance that you may see some formatting changes on the blog as I experiment with some different things.  If you see something that just doesn't work, please let me know!  I'm learning as I go, and I'm open to suggestions.  As always, thank you for reading!     

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West, Florida.  Gorgeous Photo courtesy of Grammaticus Bramlington. 

Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein, Jimmy Buffet… do you see a trend here?  At some point all of these writers lived in, or spent significant time in, Key West, Florida.  We’ve technically not been staying in Key West itself.  With a young child, it’s not practical (i.e., too expensive) to rent enough space in Key West proper, so we’re a few miles up the Overseas Highway in a very nice little house in the lower Florida Keys, on the water.     

There’s a reason people who like to write migrate down here.  The pace of life is much slower.  It’s easy to concentrate.  I’ve written more this week than I have in the past month.  I’m on vacation, but I’m actually inspired to work for a few hours each morning.  The one disappointment I have, and one that’s been echoed by some locals I’ve spoken with, is that there really is a "writing problem," as the town of Key West itself loses its flavor as a literary town and becomes more commercialized and corporate.  Key West always has been a tourist destination, but I’ve noticed a marked difference from even five or six years ago.  Many of the old standby “classic” Keys restaurants have taken on that “chain restaurant” feel and are now serving what is obviously frozen seafood.  Since 2011, three bookshops have closed, and a town with the literary tradition of Key West threatens to be left without a bookstore.  

But all that aside, there’s still a distinct “writerly” vibe here, Some things to do (besides write) if you ever get to spend time in one of my favorite places on earth: 

• Drink.  This goes without saying.  There are approximately 400 places to buy alcohol in a two square mile radius.  
• Visit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.  Hemingway spent 10 years living and writing in Key West, from 1931 to 1940, when he moved to Cuba.  The house itself was built in 1851 and has a colorful history.    
• Sloppy Joe’s Bar.  The bar that has made millions billing itself as the place where Hemingway drank.    
• Captain Tony's Saloon (aka, “The Original Sloppy Joe’s,” 1933-1937.  The building allegedly is a former city morgue.) From what I can tell, the bar now called Captain Tony's is probably the place where Hemingway really drank (or at least the place where you’d like to envision Hemingway drinking).  There’s a great article here on an ongoing dispute between these two fine establishments, though knowing my own personal preferences, I'd probably have one hell of a night at Captain Tony’s, while at Sloppy Joe’s you might find yourself debating the merits of respective cruise line all-you-can-eat buffets with the guy on the next bar stool.)    
• If you visit Key West in early January, attend the Key West Literary Seminar.  
• Go fishing.  Boats advertising charters are everywhere.  
• Read.  But soon you may have to bring your own books.  Shockingly, Key West Island Books is the last bookstore left in Key West.      
• Just do nothing.  I've been doing a lot of this.  

And for those of you who will inevitably ask, no, there's not a pen store, but if I ever decide to hang up this lawyer gig, it's not out of the question.  

A little cloudy, but I'll take it. 

"The Original Sloppy Joe's"? 

Photo courtesy of Sam Howzit.

The "New" Sloppy Joe's Bar.  

Photo courtesy of Eric Kilby. 

Sheaffer "Slovenian Skrip" Red.  Handwritten review with Lamy 2000 EF. 

I find the Sheaffer Skrip line of inks difficult to review, in the sense that they're not sexy and therefore difficult to convince people to try.  They offer nothing unique in terms of color, water resistance, or “special properties."  I've had many conversations with fountain pen users who refuse to consider Skrip at all on the grounds that the range of eight basic colors is “boring,” and they "don't use a fountain pen to write in boring colors."  But at the same time, I can't think of a product that provokes the same degree of emotion/nostalgia in people, given Sheaffer’s history and the fact that millions of people used these inks (or versions of them) for years, even decades, at work and in school. 

Skrip Red and Skrip Turquoise are my two favorite Skrip colors that I have tried so far.  As a red ink junkie, who insists on being able to use at least one red ink in all my pens (vintage included), Skrip Red is a must-own.  By all accounts, it’s a “safe” ink that washes out of pens fairly easily, and in my experience does not stain.  (Caveat:  I will back off my categorical “red-ink-in-all-pens" statement in one regard: if you have a high-end white celluloid pen or other material that stains very easily, don’t risk red ink at all.  Even Skrip might leave you disappointed.  For that matter, if you are super paranoid about staining, stick with Waterman Florida Blue or Aurora Black and don't even consider moving outside those two basic colors.)  But in any event, here are five reasons why I love Skrip Red, and why it’s my go-to red ink workhorse:

1. It’s cheap and plentiful.  As much as I love my Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock Limited Edition Ink, I only have three 30ml bottles, and once that’s gone, it’s gone.  I don’t want to waste it marking up other people’s legal briefs when all that writing will just be thrown in the trash.  For $12 (or less), you get 50ml of fire-engine red Skrip to bleed all over those bad citations and split infinitives. 
2. It cleans out easily.  As I mentioned, vintage pen people (including both Richard Binder and Ron Zorn) consider Skrip a “safe” ink.  I believe it's still the only ink Ron Zorn sells.  Peace of mind at $12 a bottle. 
3. It’s an American classic.  I know, I know, the ink itself is now made in Slovenia, and even Sheaffer pens are now made abroad.  But everyone from my parents’ and grandparents’ generation grew up using Skrip “writing fluid” in the cool inkwell bottle, and it evokes fond memories in many people.
4. The color.  It’s hard to find an ink that you can label a “pure red.”  I would call Skrip Red a true “fire-engine red,” without any pink or orange undertones.  
5. It dries quickly and doesn’t bleed or smear.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that a lot of red inks tend to stay “tacky” for a while, probably due to the manufacturer using too much dye to achieve super-saturated color.  This is the reason I stopped using Noodler’s Tiananmen, which was the first bottle of red fountain pen ink I ever purchased.  It made me sad to give it up, because I loved the color, but I couldn’t take the smearing and the long dry times.  

In terms of cons, I can’t come up with much related to the ink itself.  I will, however, call out Sheaffer on a couple aspects of the packaging: 

1.  Fix the bottle design.  The little pyramid-shaped bottle is attractive, but it’s incredibly difficult to fill a pen that has an even moderately large nib once the bottle is 3/4 full or less.  I’ve been using the ink in my Lamy 2000’s recently because that’s one of the only pens where it’s easy to get a full fill given the current ink level in my bottle. 
2. In connection with No. 1 above, bring back the Skrip inkwell bottle!  Those are classic pieces of Americana and incredibly useful.  I would even pay a couple dollars more for the ink if they resurrected the bottle with the internal inkwell.  

The Verdict

If you want a workhorse ink that you don’t have to worry about using in the vast majority of your pens, and doesn’t break the bank, you won’t be disappointed with Skrip in any color.  The red is a classic that looks great and behaves reasonably well on all types of paper.  You don’t get any special ink properties such as water resistance or fade protection, but the ink dries quickly and won’t smear all over your hands and the page.  Once I end my ink-buying moratorium and use up some of the bottles of blue and black ink that I have, I’m going to give Skrip blue and Skrip black a run through the rotation.

Tonight I wanted to give a shout out to a few members of our relatively small, but awesome community of writing enthusiasts who are doing some really great things.  This list is by no means exhaustive, but these links are worth visiting:

• Mark Tucker has launched his blog Write Analog, and has been putting up some great product reviews, as well as this amazing piece on cursive handwriting and how to re-master it.
• Caroline Weaver, of Caroline Weaver Pencil Enterprises, has opened a web store that features an AMAZING selection of vintage and modern woodcase pencils.  The selection of Jumbo and Mini-Jumbo pencils is second-to-none, and she carries Calepino notebooks, which I've been meaning to try for a while.  Even better, she is opening a brick and mortar store in New York City, which I will definitely hit up next time I'm in town. 
• Tina Koyama, on her blog, Fueled by Clouds and Coffee, is hosting a multi-part series called "Epic Pen Search and Discovery."  Tina focuses on drawing with fountain pens, which is an aspect of the hobby that gets less attention than it should.  Her new series covers drawing with nibs of variable widths, and the first post can be found here.
• And, unless you've been living under a rock for the past two days, you probably already know that the Pen Addict will be recording live at the Atlanta Pen Show the weekend of April 17-19.  Since I'm only a three hour drive away, I'm so there.  The Atlanta show, while smaller, is still a great show, and something tells me this year's shindig is something you don't want to miss.  

What is InCoWriMo, exactly?  International Correspondence Writing Month!  Every February, pen, pencil and stationery enthusiasts from around the world pledge to write one letter a day during the month of February.  This year is my first year participating.  To learn more and sign up, visit the InCoWriMo website.  There is also a list of nearly 300 people, last I checked, who can't wait to receive your letters.  

I mentioned I'm participating.  If you'd like to write to me during InCoWriMo (or anytime, for that matter), The Gentleman Stationer now has a P.O. Box.  Please send any letters to: 

Joe @ The Gentleman Stationer, P.O. Box 681294, Franklin, Tennessee 37068-1294.

Pens, Ink, coffee, and bourbon will also be accepted.  I can't promise swift responses, since my schedule has been insane of late, but I will do my best! 

P.S.  I've also updated my "about" page, so please check it out. 

The Pelikan M600 Souverain:  The lesser-loved, highly practical mid-size sedan of the Souverain line. 

Here’s one pen review I’ve been sitting on for the past two years, and I’m just now comfortable putting it out there.  Neither the pen nor the review is particularly complex or controversial, but for some reason I really wanted to get this one right.  

I purchased the red/black striated Pelikan M600 from Richard Binder at the 2013 Baltimore Pen Show.  While it wasn’t the most expensive pen that I had purchased to date, it was definitely the purchase I had thought the most about prior to pulling the trigger.  The reason?  I was torn between the M600 and the M800/M1000s that nearly everyone was urging me to buy.  So, how did things turn out?  I made the right choice, for me at least.  

Build Quality

Every Pelikan I’ve owned or written with is built like a tank, and the M600 is no exception.  These are high quality German pens, and are designed to last.  This pen has seen heavy use over the past two years, yet the action on the piston remains smooth, with no sticking or loosening of the blind cap over time.  My pen has no visible flaws on the body or the trim, other than some minor micro-scratches that I consider normal wear and tear. 

The cap band is engraved with "Souverain," and the material has a sparkling quality to it.  It doesn't photograph very well in my current lighting, but where the barrel meets the section the pen is translucent, allowing you to view the current ink capacity. 

My pen is in the classic striated material (either celluloid or resin, which one I'm not sure).   I chose the red/black version, my all-time favorite color combination.  Solid black, green striated, and blue striated are also available, along with some special editions that pop up from time to time, like this gorgeous white tortoise version Azizah from Gourmet Pens reviewed (in the M400 size).  I normally keep this pen loaded with a dark red or burgundy ink.  

Nib

The M600 sports a 14K nib that can easily be modified to add flex.  Both Richard Binder and John Mottishaw offer this option.  I have the standard EF nib, which I wouldn’t characterize as “flexy,” but it’s definitely soft.  The nib is engraved with scrollwork and the classic Pelikan logo.  One note on Pelikan nibs:  they tend to run very, very wide.  Prior to Richard Binder tuning this nib, the EF nib ran more like a typical western fine, or even a Japanese medium.  Richard ground it down to more of a “true EF,” but you’re still not going to get .3mm lines out of this nib.  Per my preference, he set the nib to write moderately wet, with the slightest hint of feedback.       

Packaging  

I save most of my pen boxes, but I’m not one of those people who pays a ton of attention to packaging.  Most of the time the box ends up in the closet, where it stays indefinitely (unless I sell or trade the pen).  The M600 comes in a nice Pelikan presentation box, very dignified without being overly ostentatious.  The box includes a faux-white leather pen wrap/envelope, which is nice (I suppose), although I've never used it and probably never will.  (White leather is an impractical carry for things that hold ink.)  Pelikan could up its game by offering its Souverain line with a bottle of ink in lieu of the "penvelope."  It's not uncommon, once you get into the $250+ price range, for a pen company to offer a free bottle, especially if the pen is a piston-filler.  I’m surprised that Pelikan hasn’t seized on the opportunity to market its “luxury” Edelstein line of ink by packaging it with its pens.  Recently, some retailers have taken it upon themselves to throw in a bottle of Edelstein with your purchase.  Check for deals!       

Takeaways

“You’ll regret buying the M600 later. Spend the extra $150 or so and get the M800.  You’ll definitely want more pen.”  I can’t tell you how many times I heard this from pen show attendees (and not necessarily vendors who were trying to sell me the more expensive model).  So were they right?  Let’s find out.

I’m glad I went with the M600.  While I still expect to add both a M800 and a M1000 to my collection eventually, those have been pushed way down the wish list.  If you’re thinking about buying your first high-end Pelikan (and by “high-end,” I mean $250 plus), and are debating between the M400/M600/M800/M1000 lines, here are a few things to consider: 

• The M600 is very light, posts well, and fits perfectly in a shirt pocket.  It’s a great daily writer and a workhorse.  I found the M400 slightly too small for my hand.  The M600 was a better fit.  For an illustration of the size of the M600, see the gallery below.         
• The M800 is a large, heavy pen.  I don’t find that it fits easily into a normal shirt or jacket pocket, and it’s very long and top heavy when posted.  The same thing goes for the M1000.  I don’t know of anyone who posts the latter.  
• The 14K nib on the M600 is much softer than the nib on the M800, which I found stiff.  On the larger end of the spectrum, however, the M1000 nib is very soft and provides decent line variation.
• The M600 nib units are interchangeable with the M400 and, I believe with the M205.  If you have other compatible Pelikans, you will get decent mileage out of any additional nib units you buy, which can mean serious savings (especially if the nibs have been modified or customized by a nibmeister).  The M800 nibs units are only interchangeable within the M800 line; likewise for the M1000 nib units. 
• All of the pens in the Pelikan Souverain series are piston fillers with good ink capacity.  I’ve not measured the ink capacity of the M600, but one fill gets me through two or three days of writing with this pen exclusively, and if I’m carrying more than one pen (which is most of the time), a single fill gets me through a full week.

I purchased this pen from Richard Binder, who unfortunately is no longer retailing Pelikan pens (though he does still sell and modify replacement Pelikan nibs).  If you are looking at purchasing a Pelikan pen from a nibmeister who will tune the pen prior to shipping it to you, I would recommend visiting John Mottishaw at Classic Fountain Pens.  

For another take on this pen (with a BB nib) and a look at her drool-worthy collection of Pelikans, check out Azizah's review of the red/black M600.  

The standard Baron Fig Confidant.  No, the slightly frayed ribbon does not bother me.  

I've had a Baron Fig Confidant notebook for a while, ever since backing their Kickstarter campaign, but I only started using the notebook a couple of weeks ago.  In December, I bought a second: the limited edition "Three-Legged Juggler" Special Edition, which arrived just before Christmas.  And I will buy more.  The Baron Fig Confidant is everything I look for in a notebook, and I see this becoming my go-to "larger-size" notebook of choice.    

A notebook that actually lies flat without having to hold it open with your hand!

There was something about this project that I liked, from the tastefully designed, understated cloth cover, to the very reasonable price (about $16--take that, Moleskine), to the fact that the notebook opens and lies completely flat.  The latter is something you would think stationery companies would have mastered by now, but they haven't.  I give up on, or simply don't purchase, many notebooks because you have to hold them open to actually write on the entire page, and when you do this to a cheap or poorly made notebook it breaks the spine and causes the entire thing to fall apart.  I've intentionally abused the heck out of the Confidant to see  how this thing will hold up, and it's an attractive, well-made notebook.  

But what about the paper?  It's handled everything that I've thrown at it flawlessly.  On the fountain pen side of things, I don't use extremely wide or wet stub or music nibs for daily writing, and I don't use high-maintenance ink, so I've never had a problem with the paper in the Confidant.  If you use broad, wet nibs (especially flex nibs), and write with highly saturated ink such as Noodler's or Private Reserve, you will probably seen some bleed-through and feathering on the paper.  But as many have realized, this paper truly shines with pencils.  The paper is slightly textured, which makes it extremely nice for writing with all types of pencils, especially lighter grades of graphite that don't show up as well on smoother papers.  I would go so far as to call it the perfect pencil notebook, of all the books I've used to date.   

A writing sample with both very dark and very light pencils.  I have small handwriting, so the dot grid doesn't get in my way.  I've also noticed that there is next to no ghosting (i.e., graphite transfer) when you write on both sides of a page, even with extremely dark pencils like the Musgrave News Pencil.  

I'm currently using my Confidant (the standard gray) as my Morning Pages/free writing notebook.  (In other words, the stream of consciousness, nonsensical-to-everyone-other-than-me stuff they could use to lock me up if anyone ever found it and read it; sort of like this blog.)  I haven't started to use the Three-Legged Juggler book yet, but I like the color and will grab one or two more before they sell out.     

Other well-made, bound notebooks that I've found include: 

• Papier Plus:  These very nice, high-end books are made in a small shop in Paris, which is probably one of the nicest stationery stores I have ever visited.  Seriously, I was within 8 oz. or so of having to pay the overweight bag fee coming home.  They are filled with blank laid paper that also handles ink and pencil well (though they primarily sell pencils in the shop, so I expect the notebook is designed with graphite in mind).  The downside to these notebooks is the price (35 Euros for the size I have, plus shipping), but again, they are a luxury product, and for those of us in the states we have an improving exchange rate and no VAT.  
• TWSBI:  On the slightly more economical end of the spectrum, if you're looking for a nice soft-cover notebook, check out the TWSBI notebooks.  I've been using one of their large notebooks at work notes for the past year or so.  The version I have uses a fairly narrow ruling, and there's a good number of pages, so it lasts forever.  This notebook also has been subjected to significant abuse (i.e., air travel, coffee spills while working in rental cars, etc.) and it's remarkably still in one piece.  It looks....distinguished.  
• Emilo Braga:  I vaguely remember using one of these years ago when I was living in Europe, and really enjoying it.  Emilio Braga is a family owned Portuguese company that makes very nice looking "cloud" patterned notebooks that apparently haven't changed much since 1918.  They have that classic "composition book" look.  These are next on my list.  The large size is available from CW Pencil Enterprise, and there is also a smaller size that comes with an elastic closure.

Notebook size comparison, from the top down:  Field Notes County Fair (Tennessee, y'all!); Baron Fig Confidant; Vintage Cavallini & Co. notebook; Zequenz; Papier Plus  ("L'epais" size); Twsbi Large-sized notebook; Staples bagasse composition book.  

Papier Plus and TWSBI Notebooks.  The Papier Plus Notebooks are so nice I haven't been able to bring myself to use them yet, but their day is coming. 

They say that the last stage is "acceptance". . . . I'm gradually coming around to the fact that I will never burn my way through my notebook backlog.  (But that's the point of having a "stash," isn't it?) 

Picture via Flickr Creative Commons (license here). 

In case anyone has some extra money in the budget this month (or needs some incentive to find some extra money), here are some links from around the web. 

1. Others review the Baron Fig Confidant, and come to the same conclusion I did this week:  It's an awesome notebook. (Links to both Write Analog and Ed Jelley here)
2. Ed Jelley Reviews Sailor Jentle Miruai, a great ink that I don't use nearly often enough.  
3. Ana over at The Well-Appointed Desk has created a resource for converting blank notebooks into ruled.  If you're willing to use a guide under the page, blank notebooks are incredibly versatile. 
4. On that same note, here are two reviews of more uncommon notebooks that feature blank paper.  The Unroyal Warrant discusses Il Papiro, an Italian line, and CW Pencils discusses Emilio Braga, a Portuguese stationery company. 
5. Leigh Reyes provides a professional take on the Esterbrook brand "revival." 

There are also several good giveaways currently taking place, many of which are related to International Correspondence Writing Month (InCoWriMo).  For those of you who may have missed my earlier post, InCoWriMo involves challenging yourself to write a letter a day for the month of February, but even if you just write one, you contribute to the spirit of things!  Even better, two of the giveaways listed below involve writing a letter in exchange for being entered to win some great prizes, so why not give it a try? 

1. The InCoWriMo organizers are giving away an Edison Pen to one lucky participant.  While you are on their site, you can find the addresses of hundreds of participants who are eager to receive a letter from you.  (NOTE:  This post previously indicated that two Edisons were being given away.  That was a mistake on my part.)  
2. Goldspot Fine Writing is giving away a Noodler's Neponset and a Waterman Expert 3 Deluxe if you write them a letter.  (Mine is in the mail.)
3. FP Geeks is giving away a Lamy 2000 with a bottle of Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink.
4. Mark Tucker at Write Analog is giving away an incredibly generous assortment of pencils. 

If you want to write to me for InCoWriMo, my address is Joe @ The Gentleman Stationer, P.O. Box 681294, Franklin, Tennessee, USA 37068-1294.  (It may take me a while to respond, but I promise I will, whether online or via handwritten correspondence--hopefully the latter!)

Also, I've updated my "About" page on the blog with some new information, and have also added the option to subscribe to the blog by e-mail.  Happy Sunday!