In Fountain Pen Review

Kickstarter: Ensso Ebonite Fountain Pens

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Kickstarter: Ensso Ebonite Fountain Pens

The latest Kickstarter from Ensso is a pair of Japanese Ebonite fountain pens. One is a mini pocket pen and the other is a full-sized, cigar-shaped (dirigible-shaped?) fountain pen. Ebonite is extremely lightweight which allows these pens to be of similar width and size to the earlier Ensso metal machined PIUMA pens but at a fraction of the weight.

The mini pen is so small that it can take either cartridges or be eye dropper filled. The front section is extremely short. I suppose the Kaweco squeeze converter might work but it doesn’t really hold more ink that a cartridge. The mini pen did come with a rubber gasket and pre-greased threads making the first eye dropper filling an easy task.

The pens feature a #6 Bock nib painted black for a matte black-on-black aesthetic. There is an option for a silver tone titanium nib rather than the black.

Clearly, the mini pen is too short to use without posting the cap but the full-sized can be posted or used unposted. It’s satisfactorily long enough to work either way.

I know a lot of people prefer JOWO nibs but I found these Bock nibs to be a joy to write with.

Size Comparisons:

When compared with other pens, I lined the mini pen up along side a Kaweco AL Sport, Opus 88 Fantasia and a Sailor Pro Gear Pocket. The full-sized is compared to an Aurora Optima, an Opus 88 Koloro and a Lamy Al-Star. The mini is definitely smaller in length that any of the other pens shown while also being the widest. The full-sized is comparable in length, when capped, the the Koloro and AL-Star.

When posted, the mini is comparable in length while noticeably featuring a larger nib. The full-sized Ensso Ebonite is almost the same length as the Lamy when posted.

As for weight comparisons, the full-sized pen weighs 18gms posted or capped and 14gms unposted. The mini pen weighs 12gms posted/capped and 9gms unposted. This makes the full-sized pen comparable in weight to a Lamy Safari and the mini pocket pen comparable to a Kaweco Sport (approx. 10gms with cartridge).

Pen Weights

There are 300 “early bird” backer pens available at $79. After that, the price goes up to $89 per pen. There is a $40 upcharge for a titanium nib.

I’m pleased that Ensso is trying new, lighter materials for their pens. I am hoping that this kickstarter will be successful so that they might introduce some other colors or material — though this pen will cement my place int he Black Pen Society.

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Ensso for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Dapper Notes/Railway Station Press Mikado Notebooks

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Notebook Review: Dapper Notes/Railway Station Press Mikado Notebooks

Review by Tina Koyama

The pocket-size notebook market is well-saturated with the stapled-paper basic. Finding a unique offering isn’t easy; in fact, only one comes easily to mind: Dapper Notes and Stationery. Handmade by Enon Avital, each fabric-covered, sewn notebook edition has a distinctive theme. Many past limited editions included cover designs in collaboration with other artists. Offered by subscription and individually (if you are fast and lucky enough), the small runs sell out quickly.

Dapper Notes’ current collaboration is with Stuart Bradley of Railway Station Press, publisher of non-fiction books. Their Kickstarter campaign, which ends June 16, brings together Avital’s Mikado notebooks and Bradley’s collection of reproductions of Hiroshige’s Last Woodblocks: 100 Famous Views of Edo, which includes 119 images ($30). Bradley’s 6-by-9-inch, perfect-bound book is in a vertical format with one full-color print per page. A spiral-bound Stamp Collectors Limited Edition album, which comes with six Hiroshige stamps, is also offered ($48). (Other books and postcards are also available at some reward levels. See the Kickstarter campaign for more details.)

The Mikado notebook edition includes two elegant cover designs of Hiroshige images, Flying Crane and Standing Crane ($15 each). The two cover images are based on woodblock number 102 of the Edo series, which shows two red-crowned cranes. According to the Kickstarter campaign information: “For the Japanese, the rare and beautiful red-crowned cranes are symbols of good luck and longevity.” 

The standard 3 ½-by-5 ½-inch size, the notebooks’ dimensions are the only thing about them that is standard. Produced in England, the 7.5-ounce cotton twill fabric is glued by hand to book cloth. The two Mikado books include four varieties of end sheets made of hand-stenciled washi paper in red or blue. (First image below provided by Bradley. It’s one of eight pages in the book showing Avital’s bookmaking process and materials.)

Flying Crane, the notebook shown in this review, has 48 pages of dot-grid ruled, 70-pound white paper. Standing Crane’s paper is grid ruled. The first page includes space for pertinent information. The last sheet includes a printed ruler, with information about the collaborators behind it.

The hand sewn book is stitched with heavy blue thread.

Interior paper of 70-pound weight is a nice treat in any pocket notebook. It has slightly more tooth than what’s typically found in Field Notes and other similar notebooks, so it takes well to both pencil and pen. 

For my media tests, I pulled out some of my juiciest pens just to see what it could handle. Only bits of my super-juicy Sailor Fude De Mannen nib with Platinum Carbon Black ink and the Zebra Optex highlighter came through to the reverse side. Even the Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencil did not come through where I washed it lightly. I will enjoy both writing and sketching in this book.

Although it doesn’t bother me, one thing that some may complain about is that the book doesn’t stay completely closed when laid on a desktop, probably due to its thickness in a single signature. I do have a small concern about cover durability. I’m sure the fabric is more durable than paper against moisture, but the edges are already fraying a bit. I carry my pocket notebooks in a bag pocket where they receive little wear, so it will probably be fine. But those who hip-pocket carry might want to use a cover with this one. (I would be interested in hearing from readers who use Dapper’s books about how they fare after pocket-carrying for a while.) 

Below are a couple more pages from Bradley’s book that show some of Avital’s bookmaking production steps. I was also given some lovely postcards that Bradley published featuring images from Hiroshige’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido Road woodblock prints.

If you have been wanting to try a unique, distinctive and handmade pocket notebook, Dapper Notebooks’ Mikado edition would be a good one to start with. The Kickstarter campaign ends June 16. Go!

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

tina-koyamaTina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

In feature, Ink Review

Anderillium Inks

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments
Anderillium Inks

As the Atlanta Pen Show started to pack up for the journey back to individual homes, Ana and I met up to investigate a popular table: Anderillium Ink. While Anderillium may be new to most readers, the company has been around for a few years already. After introducing their first round of inks, the owner and manufacturer took the feedback received from users, reformulated the inks, and is now back in full force with two new ink lines.

This post today will be giving a first look at the two ink lines: the Cephalopod Series and the Avian Series. I will dive deeper into reviewing the characteristics of the inks in further posts, but I wanted to give an overview of the colors as soon as I could.

The first Series is Cephalopods. This line consists of Bobtail Squid Green, Colossal Squid Dark, Flapjack Octopus Orange, Vampire Squid Red, Blue-Ringed Octopus Blue, Spirula Green, Cuttlefish Brown, and Flying Squid Blue.

The Avian Series consists of Common Loon Black, Shoebill Stork Grey, Roseate Spoonbill Pink, American Goldfinch Yellow, Purple Gallinule Purple, Green Kingfisher Green, Pompadour Cotinga Burgundy, and Indigo Bunting Blue.

I was sent 0.5 ounce bottles of each ink – these are sold for $14.50 in 1.5 ounce bottles at various retailers.

Cephalopods:

Avian:

On Col-o-Ring cards, the only smearing I noticed was from my own clumsiness.

  • Above: Cosmo Air Light paper

  • Above: Cosmo Air Light paper

I attempted to remove the sticker that was used to close the bag ofCepholapod samples, but my clumsiness showed up again. I did want to show off the wonderful drawing on the sticker, however. Just ignore the fact that it is in pieces…

The Avian Sticker came off in one piece, though!

Cosmo Air Light shows plenty of shading and hints of sheen in Flying Squid, Blue-Ringed Octopus, Vampire Squid, Roseate Spoonbill Pink, and Common Loon Black. Haloing is also showing up in several colors.

  • Above: Tomoe River Paper

  • Above: Tomoe River Paper

The same five inks sheen on Tomoe River paper as well where the colors are softer and shading is less pronounced.

  • Above: Midori MD Light paper

  • Above: Midori MD Light paper

I love the depth of these inks on Midori MD Light paper. Vampire Squid sheens quite a bit here and Cuttlefish has a fascinating variety of layers.

As I said above, this is only meant to be a quick teaser of the Anderillium ink lines. In the coming weeks, I will dive deeper into how these inks perform. Don’t forget to check back next week!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Leigh Weighs in on Sanzen Tomoe River

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Link Love: Leigh Weighs in on Sanzen Tomoe River

If you read nothing else this week, read Leigh Reyes’ post about the new Sanzen Tomoe River paper. Leigh doesn’t post often but when she does, its a week to celebrate. Her photos are stunning and shows how far you can take pen, ink and paper. I am always inspired by her work and this post is no exception.

Link of the Week:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

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In Ink Review

Ink Review: Vinta Inks Salimbay

Author Laura CameronPosted on 2 Comments

In my quest for perwinkle inks, I thought Vinta Inks Salimbay (30mL for $15.00) from the Fairy Tale Collection looked promising, and I wasn’t wrong!

It may be a bit bard to tell from my camera, but Salimbay is a lovely bright purple ink with deeper blue undertones and a pretty pink shimmer. It’s got that perfect twilight feel with almost a pearlized finish that makes it seem magical.

The ink is fairly light in smaller nibs (this one shades and sheens a bit), but still remains readable in print. Interestingly enough, the large droplets on this one don’t give off the sheen – they’re just purply blue, rimmed with darker edges.

In terms of other inks in my collection the closest in hue and intensity is probably Stipula Deep Blue. Dominant Industry Periwinkle Twinkle is much darker and blue leaning, and even Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire and Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai are still very blue. I think Salimbay really gets at my desire for something a little purple and even a little pink on top of blue. It’s a complex color and I really love it – I just bought a sample, but I might need a bottle!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

Great Minds: Pens & Tea: Top 5 fountain pens I recommend but don’t use myself

Author AnaPosted on 9 Comments

I have been a fan of Pens & Tea on YouTube for many years now. While we have never met, we have similar perspectives on pens, though sometimes our reasons differ. Her recent post: Top 5 fountain pens I recommend but don’t use myself was remarkably similar to a list I would make, though we have slightly different reasons for making these decisions.

Kerry’s list of Top 5 Pens she recommends but doesn’t use/own are as follows:

  1. TWSBI
  2. Lamy Safari/AL-Star
  3. Kaweco Perkeo
  4. Diplomat Magnum
  5. Conklin Duragraph

I 100% agree with the first two in her list. I recommend TWSBI  fountain pens frequently to people but I have a TWSBI curse (every one that has ever passed into my hands has been weirdly scratchy) so I tend to give away or sell any that I buy. But when I know someone particularly wants a pen to use with bottled ink, it’s the first pen I’ll recommend. Every other member of the Desk staff loves their TWSBIs (whether its the Swipe, the ECO or a Diamond) so I am definitely an outlier when it comes to TWSBI pens.

While I do own several Safari/AL-Star pens, I don’t often reach for them nor do I plan to add anymore to my collection. I mean, c’mon, how do you top an Urushi Lamy? Seriously, though, as a lefty, I find the triangular grip section tends to dig into my fingers. Aesthetically, I prefer other pens, even at a similar price point (the Kaweco Sport line immediately comes to mind).

As for the Kaweco Perkeo, it is actually a pen I do recommend. The color combos are a little odd but the ability to accept a full-sized converter or standard international cartridge makes it a great starter pen. The low price point makes it also within the reach for a lot of people.

As for the Diplomat Magnum, I have to admit that I don’t own or have even tested the Magnum. I guess its time to put it on the list for future reviews.

And as for the Conklin Duragraph, I don’t own nor do I ever really recommend it. I think its name and its history is what often brings it to people’s attention but the current production quality is not something that makes it consistently good writer or aesthetically all that appealing.

So, if I were to write my own list of Top 5 Pens I recommend but don’t use/own:

  1. TWSBI
  2. Lamy Safari/AL-Star
  3. Pilot Vanishing Point
  4. Diplomat Aero
  5. BENU

I’ve already explained my feelings on the TWSI and Lamy Safari/AL-Star above so I’ll just go over the last three on my list.

I often recommend the Pilot Vanishing Point because it appeals to gadget-heads and fidgeters. The classic VP is too big for my hands but I do own a Decimo which I like but I’m disappointed that Pilot doesn’t offer the Decimo in more color options.

The Diplomat Aero is a beautiful pen with unique aesthetics and really good build quality. For eme personally though, it’s anther pen that is too big for me. In this way, Kerry and I are very different. My hands are tiny so many of the pens I use personally are often too small for most people so I recommend other, interesting and unique pens that I know are well-made and beautiful.

Citrus Diplomat Aero
Photo from Vanness Pen Shop.

Finally, I often recommend BENU pens even though I don’t own one. They are just eye candy that it is often the gateway for people looking for a very unique, eye-catching pen. The quality is excellent and BENU offer an array of colors and sizes at reasonable prices so its often a pen people choose when they are wanting to upgrade beyond the under $50 pens. I haven’t found “the” BENU pen for myself yet though. I often love a finish but not the shape or vice versa. So maybe someday I will own one but for now, I will continue to recommend them and see the delight in someone’s eye when they hold the gem that is a BENU pen in their hands and know that it is their new favorite pen.

BENU Pen
Photo from Vanness Pen Shop.

I hope Kerry doesn’t mind me hopping on her proverbial coattails but I was so tickled when she said she recommended TWSBI but didn’t use them that I felt a kinship and spent the rest of her video thinking what list I would make. So I did.

What pens do you recommend but don’t own or use?