In the past, Ana has let me try writing with her Sailors (specifically the Fresca), and I knew I wanted one. So when the special edition Sailor Professional Gear Slim in Purple Cosmos (retail: $250) went live, I eagerly pre-ordered. What came next was months of waiting and wondering if there would even be enough pens for everyone to get one. But then it arrived and it was beautiful.
The Purple Cosmos is a deep, dark purple with lots of silver glitter and sparkle.
As I said, it’s a special limited edition and only 800 were made. The pen body is a beautiful violet sparkle resin, and the nib is 14k gold and rhodium plated. In this model I opted for the EF nib. It’s surprising to me that after preferring a wetter, medium nib during my first forays into fountain pens, now I am enjoying a finer line.
The Purple Cosmos has all the usual Sailor touches: the end caps and rims, the Sailor ring around the cap, and the iconic anchor.
The pen is very lightweight (just under 20 grams), which is surprisingly pleasing to me. It’s only surprising because I have definitely stated my preference for a more weighty pen. However, the pen is slim and lightweight and perfect for my hand size. The Purple Cosmos is is 4 7/8″ capped, and 5 5/8″ posted. I don’t usually post my pens, but this one is easily postable and pleasantly usable either way.
I really, really love this pen. I know I say that about most of the pens I review but I feel like it’s even more true with this one. I received it shortly after Thanksgiving and I’ve already had to refill it once because I pull it out and use it almost every day. I don’t have occasion to write that much in my daily job (lots of typing!) but whenever I can use pens and ink, this is the pen I reach for. It has supplanted some of my other favorites.
I find the Purple Cosmos is definitely smaller than my TWSBI Eco and some of the other pens I write with, but about comparable to the Pelikan M200 that my father shared with me over the holidays. I’ll admit – the Sailor beats the Pelikan every time.
Though she be but little, she be fierce.
Editor’s Note: While the Sailor Pro Gear Slim Purple Cosmos was limited edition, other models of the Pro Gear Slim are available and Sailor releases limited edition models throughout the year through various retailers worldwide. So, if you think a Pro Gear Slim might be a pen you want to buy, keep an eye out for options. If a specific limited edition interests you, the secondary market may be your only option and even then, these will sell at a premium.
Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.
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!
Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.
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.
