Vanness Pens was lucky enough to get a custom edition of the beloved Franklin-Christoph Pocket 45 ($105) in a translucent turquoise blue and I was lucky enough to get one from the first batch.
Vanness finally received their shipment on the second batch and there’s already a waiting list for a third shipment. We Franklin-Christoph collectors sure our rabid about these little pocket treasures.
They originally shipped with stock steel nibs but I swapped out the nib with an 18K Masuyama Needlepoint nib that I had in another P45 to make mine extra special.
What took me so long to post about this jewel was finding just the right ink for it. There was much debate about it and testing before I came to a decision. What ink do you think I finally decided to got with? What would you fill yours with?
This week there’s lots of 2017 recaps and favorite lists for the past year as well as some looking forward to the new year. In art, there’s two posts about using scraps (coincidence? I don’t think so!). And there’s also a section of digital wallpapers to refresh your digital workspace for the new year. Hello, 2018!
Ever since I started buying fountain pens, I’ve wanted a Pelikan. I initially thought I wanted an M200 series. I liked the simplicity and classic looks but didn’t know when I began collecting what the difference was between the various lines of Pelikan.
Over time, I learned that as the numbers got bigger (for the most part) the Pelikan pens get larger and the nibs and craftsmanship get more elaborate. The 200-series features the slightly-soft, steel nibs, the 400-series introduces the gold nibs and the pens get a bit larger and then the Souveran and 600-, 800- and 1000-series get a bit larger and more elaborate with inlay and upgraded nibs, clips and so forth.
My first experiences with the soft steel nibs of the M200 series did not go as planned, As much as the Pelikan aesthetic appealed to me, the soft steel nibs did not work well out of the box with a left-handed writer. They are a nib that requires testing firsthand or working with a nibmeister to get the most out of them. This seems counter-intuitive for the lower end of the price spectrum for Pelikan pens but for lefties who tend to push their pens rather than pull, this is an unfortunate reality. So, I have been reticent to try another Pelikan for several years.
This year, though, I visited with a Pelikan collector at a couple pen shows who was an enthusiast and showed me several beautiful, rare Pelikans and talked through some of the finer points of the pens. In educating me about the pens and nibs and letting me test out the gold nibs firsthand, I was able to realize that it was the steel nibs that had been my frustration and not Pelikan in general. Sad truth? I needed to up my game.
Then Pelikan introduced the Souverän 605 White Transparent this fall and I knew I had found my first Pelikan. I immediately pre-ordered it from Vanness Pens with an extra fine nib, having been warned that the Pelikan nibs run a bit wide and wet.
I anxiously awaited its arrival. The pen immediately became dubbed “The Ghost” online due to its translucent appearance and its white-on-white with silver tone palladium hardware. I prefer “The Ghost” to the less descriptive White Transparent name that Pelikan gave it.
The box that the pen shipped in is the same trashy, ribbon-laced box that the previous M600 Pink Special Edition came in. At least this time it didn’t have a giant bow.
Inside, the box is a simple paperboard inlay with a satin ribbon and rubber band to hold the pen in place. I can almost ignore the ridiculous corset lacing box at this point.
Once I threw the box in the closet and looked closely at the pen, all is better. The pen is stunning. The creamy white cap and end cap and the translucent barrel with iridescent stripes and palladium hardware is all perfectly angelic.
It did take me an inordinate amount of time to choose an ink though. Since the ink color can be seen through the iridescent white stripes of the transparent barrel, I wanted to pick just the right color. I’m sure any color would look good but I wanted something seasonally appropriate too. It’s cold and blustery here in the Midwest so I chose an icy blue, Montblanc Miles Davis Jazz Blue.
When the ink hits the embossed ridges of the nib? Pure magic! That’s one thing that’s hard to argue — Pelikan still makes some of the most beautiful nibs in the business. That scrollwork is gorgeous.
To give a sense of scale, I’ve photographed the Pelikan M605 alongside some other pens. From left to right: Pilot Decimo, Lamy AL-Star, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, TWSBI 580 ECO (Thanks for catching my mix-up, Subgirl!), Pilot Metropolitan, the Pelikan M605 and Kaweco Sport.
The Pelikan is between the Sailor and the Metropolitan in size overall.
Here are the same pens, posted. The grip section is very similar to the Sailor with a very subtle step between the threads and the barrel making it pretty comfortable to hold no matter your hand size or grip.
All of these pens have small nibs too, interesting side note.
Weight wise, the Pelikan M605 weighs 19gms posted/capped and 12gms unposted and filled with ink. It’s probably one of the only pens I find perfectly balanced when posted. The cap posts deeply and solidly so that the pen does not feel top heavy or precarious. If you like to post your pens, the M605 is definitely a pen that will accommodate the urge.
In writing, I was tickled to discover how much I loved writing with the pen from the moment it touched the paper. The gold nib was smooth and had just a little feedback on some papers, enough to know my pen was on the paper and not skating above it.
The M605 did make me want to write “all fancy” and not my normal chicken scratch. I suppose that’s not a bad thing. Maybe this will be the start of a year of penmanship improvement? Maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes up quite yet?
The Ghost has definitely set me on the path to other Pelikan pens. The M805 Ocean Swirl which was released just a month or so after the M605 White Transparent was equally lust-worthy and made me seriously wonder if I was on a slippery slope of Pelikan pen obsession. Luckily, my wallet intervened.
I purchased a flat lead mechanical pencil several years ago at a big box office supply store that I used to practice my lettering. Unfortunately, it was not stocked for long so supply of the lead was very limited. I bought several of the pencils and a bunch of the lead refills for friends but we all coveted them.
A couple weeks ago, I got a wild hair to search on Amazon to see if anyone else was making a pencil like the one I had because everyone’s supply of leads had finally dwindled. I really wanted to buy my friend one for Christmas. I got lucky and found that Morning Glory makes a 1.8mm flat lead mechanical pencil which is available on Amazon with several containers of lead refills. There is also just an option just to stockpile a bunch of the lead refills.
The images below were done in 2008 using the original Foray 0.9mm flat lead mechanical pencil in the class I was taking.
These flat lead pencils are great if you are wanting to simulate an italic edge. Once you get the point filed down at a particular angle, this is a pencil you won’t want to rotate. You’ll want to keep that chisel edge. As a left-handed writer, I found this particularly useful because I could chisel the angle to meet my particular writing angle and still attempt to achieve the correct weights on down strokes.
The Zebra MLP2 is very similar to the original Foray flat lead mechanical pencil that I used for the drawings here.It looks like more of these flat lead mechanical pencils are entering the market as an easy way to fill in standardized tests. Keep an eye out in your local office supply aisles. The leads seems to only be 2B so that the scanning machines can read them but that works for calligraphy practice just fine too.
Mechanical pencils are a minimum investment and there is no upkeep required. If you are wanting to try calligraphy in the new year, this is a great way to try it with very little fuss. All of my instructors over the years recommended practicing with pencil and these flat mechanical pencils give the sense of line weight better than a standard hex pencil.
The folks over on the BYOB Pen Club podcast were talking about methods to practice and improve Spencerian and other calligraphy skills last week with Nik Pang and it got me thinking about the things I’ve learned over the years. I’ve learned different sorts of calligraphy skills (Nik would probably call them “wrong”) but I thought I would pass along the information in case it was useful.
In my yearly round-up, I thought I might pick my favorite pens, inks and other stationery items for the year. There are so many amazing things this year, it was really hard to narrow it down.
I can’t thank Tina and Laura enough for coming on board and making this blog even better this year! I can’t wait to see what they’ll add to it next year.
There are not quite so many tears this year, thankfully.
Favorite Pens for 2017 (in no specific order):
Karas Pen Co. Decograph
The boys in Arizona took a chance on acrylics and made some absolutely beautiful new pens with the Decograph that are both reminiscent of the past while maintaining their modern machinist vibe.
Caran d’Ache 849 Fountain Pen
I may be alone in my adoration for the Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen but it has become one of my everyday carry pens. Some find the nibs a little too feedback-y or scratchy but I like the friction. Its reminds of a pencil and the snap cap make it great for quick notes.
Platinum 3776 Shungyo Fountain Pen
I fell in love with Platinum fountain pens this year and the 3776 Shungyo was my gateway drug. Technically, a series of Platinum Carbon Desk Pens were my actual gateway but the flood gates were opened with the Shungyo. I bought the 3776 Shungyo with the soft fine nib after a series of trial and error with several different pens at the San Francisco Pen Show. The soft fine nib is particularly finicky and a pen show is a great place to try several different models of the same pen until you find the right one with a pen like this. Any other nib on this model is not quite so fussy but the soft fine behaves differently. At a pen show, there is the advantage of having nibmeisters on site who can tune the nibs well. I lucked out in finding one that didn’t need additional tuning.
Carolina Pen Co. Matte Petal Pink Fountain Pen (Zaxxon Rule breaker)
I had the opportunity to buy my first pen from Jonathan Brooks at the San Francisco Pen Show. And while he is becoming wildly well-known for his Primary Manipulation resins and Urushi work, I fell in love with a pastel pink, matte finish resin with a slight hint of silver dust. It looked almost vintage. So while this is not necessarily the exact resin finish you could get from Jonathan, you could request something totally different from what you’ve seen in his Instagram feed. He is a man of unlimited talent and creativity.
Favorite Inks for 2017:
Robert Oster Fire & Ice
Okay, technically Robert Oster Fire & Ice burst onto the scene at the end of 2016 but I sold so much of it at pen shows this year that it was THE ink of 2017, hands down.
Robert Oster Viola
This was the year that I delighted in the inks that were not the standard colors and there were so many to choose from it really is hard to pick just a few. Oster Viola is not one that caught many people’s attention but I loved it.
Robert Oster Caffe Creme
I have a hard time finding brown inks that rock my world but one stroke across the page with Caffe Creme and I was sold. Sorry, Pelikan Smoky Quartz. Caffe Creme had so much more depth and variety going for it.
Kyo-No-Oto No. 1 Nureba-iro
I finally discovered a black ink I love. Kyo-no-oto No. 1 Nureba-iro is it. I not only fell in love with a ridiculously expensive Japanese ink but a whole line of inks that come in a beautiful bottle. No one ever said this hobby was was cheap or decisions were made logically.
Organics Studio Nitrogen Royal Blue/Thoreau Walden Pond
Organics Studio came back on the scene this year with a sheen! Nitrogen and Walden Pond was all anyone could talk about if they liked sheening inks. The color is fabulous but if any of the ink dries on the cap of the bottle, you will end up with sheen flakes lingering on your desk or counter for days. I recommend a protective layer of towels.
Other Favorite Stationery-Related Items:
Rickshaw Pen Sleeves Rickshaw Bags plush-lined pen sleeves, available in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-pen configurations, have become some of my favorite pen carrying accessories. The vast array of sizes and color options make them a great addition to your next pen purchase. Get one to match your favorite pen or pen collection.
Col-o-ring
Not to toot my own horn but I sure am glad to finally have a replacement for the discontinued swatch cards I had been using, even if I did have to make the Col-o-ring myself. I’ve filled over 400 cards this year for myself as well as making cards for demos and shops. Col-o-rings have truly been a labor of love and I’m so glad other people have liked them too.
NockCo Fodderstack Petite Card + Pen Holder
The Fodderstack Petite Card Size doubles as Col-o-ring card holder and the pen holder slot will hold a travel dip pen and a couple cotton swabs. This version of the Fodderstack is only available at pen shows (not quite a Zaxxon Rule breaker but close). It’s the perfect travel swatching kit for taking to pen club or to a pen show, which I frequently do. Keep an eye for one next time you’re at a show.
The Pencil Perfect
Caroline Weaver created an absolutely page-turning book about the history of pencils. The Pencil Perfect is full of intrigue, history and so much more. The illustrations and conversational tone make it readable and enjoyable.
Favorite Non-Stationery Things:
Lucy (The other Zaxxon Rule-breaker, but you are welcome to come over and per her anytime or visit your local shelter and adopt your own furry companion)
On the day of the eclipse, a kitten wandered into our backyard and into our hearts. El Presidente of the house, Rosie, hasn’t warmed to her yet but everyone else in our house thinks she’s pretty keen.
Sphero R2-D2 Robot
My new Sphero R2-D2 Droid is a licensed Star Wars product done right. Take notes, Sheaffer and Cross. By far, the best Christmas gift I got this year. He can be controlled with my phone, chase my cats around, do patterns on my kitchen floor, watch movies with me and generally entertain the hell out of me. He also cost considerably less than a Cross Century Chewbacca fountain pen.
Nerdette Podcast
While there were two great new stationery-related podcasts added to my podcast catcher this year, I was also thrilled to add Nerdette to my line-up as well.
Tears:
(Image from the Long Island Pen Show Web Site, circa 2009)
Susan Wirth
Real tears were shed this year at the sudden passing of pen show fixture, Susan Wirth. She was someone who made a real impact on me and her passing was too sudden. The community lost great knowledge and a compassionate, caring person who took no crap from anyone. I raise a gin and tonic in her honor.
Montblanc William Shakespeare Velvet Red Ink
To start with, I hate that the round bottle is used some of the time with Montblanc special releases. The artwork on the William Shakespeare Velvet Red bottle was awful and the ink color was downright lame. One should not proceed half-cocked if you intend to take on the Bard. For shame, Montblanc.
Some of Montblanc’s limited edition pens also made me say “Hmmm?” this year too. The Beatles pen was close… until you see the mustache clip and then I had to wonder who phoned in that design decision. And the overtly curvy Marilyn Monroe pen was clearly designed by a man who only knew about Monroe from reading her Wikipedia page and not the deeply troubled, multi-faceted woman that she was. She was more than a curvy, red dress. If they ever do a Grace Kelly pen, I shudder to think what they might do.
The Star Wars Collection from Sheaffer (and Cross)
If Sheaffer thought it was going to escape my wrath, it clearly didn’t get the memo from Cross from last year. The Sheaffer line of Star Wars pens and accessories left me wanting. Get it together, folks. If you’re going to do an entry level novelty pen with printed graphics, then price it under $20. It looks cheap. Or up your game.
And while I’m on the subject… really, Cross? The Chewbacca pen? WTF were you thinking?
Looking Forward
I’m hoping that 2018 will bring even more collaborations and projects from the community. There are small ink manufacturers popping up, Kickstarter projects and other new ventures everyday that get me excited to see what the pen community worldwide will unveil in the coming year. New collectors are coming into the community with a love for vintage, modern and everything in-between. There’s no telling what wonders will be created, saved and rebuilt. And maybe, we’ll all meet over a drink at the bar at the next pen show or pen club meet-up? If you see me out, please say hello, okay?
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Thanks to everyone who entered the Hobonichi x3 Giveaway. I feel like these books are headed off to good homes. Hopefully, there will be more awesome giveaways, reviews and eye candy in 2018, so stay tuned!
The winners, selected by our random number generator, are:
Lydia, Marie and Elise, I don’t know what you do in real life but together you sound like a crack team of superspy superhero cover names. Use those planners to save the world! And have a fabulous 2018!
I have a thing for pencils, particularly red/blue pencils, but you knew that already, didn’t you? So, in my never ending hunt for red/blue pencils, I occasionally come across red marking pencils. These are also extremely useful. For most people, these are correction pencils or grading pencils. For me, these are sketching pencils so my criteria for usefulness is often slightly different.
For grading, teachers are looking for red pencils that can’t be erased. I’ve come to understand that in Japan, there is a tendency to prefer a warmer, red-orange color rather than a bright fire engine red as it seems less harsh in the already over-angst ridden Japanese educational system.
For correction notes in a professional setting, erasability is an either/or proposition. It’s not necessary but can be helpful if someone changes their mind about a change in a document.
For sketching, I like being able to erase but for a lot of artists, its not necessary. The point of sketching in red is that you can then ink over your red lines, scan in your drawings in color and then drop out the red channel in RGB and voila! No sketch lines. Hence, the need to erase is not necessary. I like to be able to erase some of the lines just because they can get a little distracting. I like the red lead (or blue, also an option) because its less smudge-y than graphite as its usually wax-based and tends to stay put or fade rather than turn my paper all grey if smudged.
So, I thought I’d round up the pile of red pencils (not artist grade, so there are no Prismacolors or the like in here) that I’ve acquired and show you the differences.
I tested these in a sketchbook with toothy 60lb drawing paper and then did some additional tests on Rhodia smooth paper as well.
The Hex-Shaped:
Viking Valgblyant Jumbo ($3) The Viking is the only jumbo-sized red pencil in the mix and while I’m not sure the original intention for it, I was charmed by its white gloss paint, dipped end and hole drilled in the end as if to hang it by a clipboard for marking off orders. It also erased pretty well so I might work well for quick under sketches on large canvases, for outdoor marking or other big projects. I’m envisioning it used for wall murals maybe? The thick lead would make it durable too for heavy hands. The lead was a warmer, orangey red but it felt a little dry and chalky overall.
Ticonderoga Erasable Carmine Red ($9.69/doz.) Oh, Ticonderoga. I keep trying. The box I purchased was a “made in Mexico” set I picked up at my local big box office supply store. I was hoping it would bode well for the quality. I resharpened them from the factory “pre-sharpened” point in hopes of getting a less scratchy writing/drawing experience. Overall, it was a pretty dry, hard pencil. It made erasing very challenging as well for a pencil clearly labelled “erasable”. At the price point, they are about $0.80 per pencil which is twice the cost of the Musgraves.
Musgrave Hermitage 510 Thin Red ($0.40) The Musgrave Hermitage Thin is the classic red checking pencil. It’s the least expensive in this group and I’d consider the baseline by which to judge all other red pencils. It is a solid choice. The color is a good true red, the price couldn’t be better and the look is classic. The Hermitage is still made in the USA, it is a fairly sharp hex and has a pleasant creamy consistency.
Mitsubishi Hard 7700 ($2) The Mitsubishi Hard 7700 is cooler in color than their Fine Vermillion 2451 round. The end is unfinished but a beautiful glossy finish with a soft hex shape. It keeps a good point but feels a bit drier on drawing paper than the Ticonderoga.
Of the three hex-shaped red pencils, the Musgrave was my favorite core, the Mitsubishi had the best feel in the hand because of the finish.
The Rounds:
Kitabobshi Red Pencil 9352 ($1) The core of the Kitaboshi Red is the coolest red color of the three round pencils I found. The consistency of the core of the Red and Vermillion feel similar. They are both soft but drier than a Prismacolor.
Kitaboshi Vermillion Pencil 9351 ($1) The Kitaboshi Vermillion is almost the same color and consistency as the Mitsubishi Fine Vermillion Hard. I can’t tell that the core consistency is all that different than the Musgrave or the hex Mitsubishi but if you prefer round pencils over hex shaped pencils, than either of the Kitaboshi would be a good option.
Mitsubishi Fine Vermillion Hard 2451 ($2.50) The biggest difference is that the Mitsubishi Fine Vermillion Hard has a finished end with ferrule and eraser. It’s the most expensive and the exterior finish doesn’t feel any smoother than the Kitaboshi. If you like the warmer red color and like a round pencil, go with the Kitaboshi over the Mitsubishi Fine Hard.
I generally prefer hex-shaped pencils though for colored pencils I love Prismacolors so I do make exceptions. These round red pencils don’t offer more than the hex red pencils.
The Mechanicals:
Pilot Color Eno 0.7mm Mechanical ($2.75 & $1.65 for 6-lead refill) While the mechanical pencil bodies don’t really matter here, the Pilot Color Eno 0.7mm may be the gateway for some into the world of colored mechanical pencil leads. You can put any color lead into any mechanical pencil as long as its the right diameter. The standard Color Eno leads are fairly soft and a little on the pink side.
Uni Kuru Toga 0.7 with Uni Nano Dia 0.7mm Red ($7.50 and $3.30 for 20-piece refill) The Kuru Toga is a favorite mechanical pencil for many folks so I put my favorite red lead into it. I hate to bias this but there you have it. This is my go-to lead as it fits into many of my mechanical pencils (it’s also available in 0.5mm). It’s soft enough to work with a light touch. It’s still a cooler red than the hex pencils but since it is in a mechanical pencil, I don’t have to worry about having a sharpener handy and can lay in fine details for drawings.
If I were only using red pencil for writing, I’d go with the Musgrave Hermitage but since I am mostly using it for sketching, I tend to favor the Uni Nano Dia 0.7mm Red in whatever mechanical pencil strikes my fancy. The leads fit in my vintage Sheaffer Skripserts, my Kaweco Special in Black as well as the Uni Kuru Toga so I have a lot of pencil options.
NOTE: I employed the Doppel-Läufer Universal 0440 rubber eraser ($1.50) for the erasing as it has a grittier end designed for erasing colored pencil and ink. So most pencils erased a bit but red pencils just don’t erase as well as graphite pencils do.
DISCLAIMER: Some items were sent to me free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Others were purchased from shops with my own funds. Please see the About page for more details.
is a licensed Star Wars product done right. Take notes, Sheaffer and Cross. By far, the best Christmas gift I got this year. He can be controlled with my phone, chase my cats around, do patterns on my kitchen floor, watch movies with me and generally entertain the hell out of me. He also cost considerably less than a Cross Century Chewbacca fountain pen.
