Fountain Pen Review: TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape – Limited Edition

I don’t know precisely why I love my TWSBIs as much as I do. Sure there’s the fact that they’re sort of modern, tech-y looking with the see through barrels, and the piston filler. There’s the fact that my TWSBIs almost always start on the first go, and don’t run dry unless they are literally…

Fountain Pen Review: Sailor Line Friends Cony (NA Exclusive)

Fountain Pen Review: Sailor Line Friends Cony (NA Exclusive)

I was totally caught by surprise when I saw the new North American exclusive Sailor ProGear Line Friends CONY Fountain Pen ($312). I squealed with delight at how cute it was! I am not familiar with the Line Friends series, but the characters look a lot like Sanrio-esque cute Japanese characters. I grew up as…

Fountain Pen Review: Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e Fountain Pen

Often, as fountain pen collectors, we get wrapped up in finding our grail pen. That perfect balance of aesthetics and exquisite writing ability that will make it our favorite pen ever. Or we get caught up in FOMO (fear of missing out) and purchase pens that are all the rage. Sometimes it’s nice to go…

Fountain Pen Review: Platinum Plaisir Aura (Special Edition 2022)

Fountain Pen Review: Platinum Plaisir Aura (Special Edition 2022)

I can’t believe, in over 12 years of blogging about fountain pens, I’ve never reviewed a Platinum Plaisir. Thanks to Gentleman Stationer for sending over this extra special Platinum Plaisir Aura 2022 Special Edition ($41 available in 3 colors). This model of the Plaisir is a little bit fancier than the standard model (approx. $18)…

Ink and Pen Review: Limited Edition Sailor Dipton + Mellow Forest Hocoro Ink & Dip Pen Set (Fude Nib)

Review by Tina Koyama Anyone who has ever glanced through my personal blog knows that I’m a fude nib fan. Let’s just say I’ve tried “a few.” My very first that got me hooked on exploring others was the entry-level Sailor Compass Fude de Mannen (55-degree angle). After upgrading a few notches, the Compass is…

Fountain Pen Review: Pilot Custom 912 FA Nib (Falcon)

Fountain Pen Review: Pilot Custom 912 FA Nib (Falcon)

The Pilot Custom 912 with the FA (Falcon ) nib ($240) is unique pen. While it’s often compared to the Namiki Pilot Falcon fountain pen, they are not the same beast. For starters, the 912 only comes in black and features a 14K gold nib with side cuts to help increase the range of flex.…

Fountain Pen Review: PLUS x Sailor – First Snow ProGear Slim (Special Edition), Ice Gray Ink and A4 Slim Notebook

Fountain Pen Review: PLUS x Sailor – First Snow ProGear Slim (Special Edition), Ice Gray Ink and A4 Slim Notebook

The packaging, which is a lovely pale blue with silver foil snowflakes, says “PLUS x Sailor” but the listing that I found online focused on the Sailor Pro Gear Slim First Snow fountain pen with very little mention of the additional items included in the set: PLUS x Sailor Ice Gray Ink and Ca.Crea A4…