The Pilot Metropolitan is the best fountain pen for beginners. There. I said it.

Ever since it was released, the Metropolitan has been gaining steam. I liked what I saw when I reviewed the original medium nib model, and now that the fine nib model has hit mass release I think it is the fountain pen to choose for beginners over my previous favorite, the Lamy Safari.

I still love the Safari, so what changed? The Pilot Metropolitan nib is superior. Japanese nibs are finer than their counterparts from the rest of the world, and the fine Pilot nib is amazing. I love it in the Pilot Prera, and now it is available in a pen less than half the price? I'm sold. The sharper edge on the step-down from the barrel to the grip is still present, so that flaw puts it even with the molded grip on the Lamy Safari. No pen is completely perfect, right? And while the Safari line has many more stock nib options, the Metropolitan is easily modifiable with the EF nib from the Pilot Penmanship or the stub nib from the Pilot Plumix, all for approximately the cost of the Safari.

What do I want to see next from the Metropolitan line? No more Python or Leopard patterns, that's for sure. Since it is a metal body pen and Pilot is doing some interesting colors in their Vanishing Point line, how about some colored barrels? Get on that Pilot - don't let the Kakuno line have all the fun.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

It is hard buying pens for other people! That is the realization I came to as I shopped for Myke's Franklin-Christoph at the 2014 Atlanta Pen Show. It finally made it into his hands and I share the story of how it came to be. I also talk a bit about my Nakaya purchase, great reader mail, and some top EDC pens.

Show Notes & Download Links

Do you have those Top 5 Pens wish lists made out yet? I hope so, because two of you are about to go shopping! The winners are:

Congratulations Paul and Brian! Get in touch via the Contact Page within a week and I will email you the JetPens GC codes ASAP!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks, as always, to my good friends at JetPens for making this possible.

Pen fans may not know the name Jason Hui, but those who travel in EDC circles know him well. Jason is the man behind the hugely successful Prometheus Lights flashlight line that was met with rave reviews. His pen project, aptly named Prometheus Writes, blew away a $16,500 goal on Kickstarter, finishing up at a whopping $121,286! Jason Hui has the magic touch.

Jason and I talked on several occasions during the Prometheus Writes campaign, sometimes discussing me reviewing a prototype (we could never work out the timing) and other times discussing refill possibilities. Jason ended up using Montcblanc refills for his project - both the rollerball and the fineliner - which I thought was a bold choice. No other Kickstarter pens were using them, and as the results show, it was a popular choice.

Admittedly, I wasn't so sure about the refill choice and in the end I chose not to back the project. Jason still remembered our early conversations though, and as a thank you wanted to send me a pen. I jumped at my second chance and was shocked when he not only sent me the the aluminum Alpha Pen but also dropped in the big daddy titanium model and some Montblanc fineliner refills as well. Thank you Jason!

Quality is at the forefront of everything Jason makes, and the Alpha Pen is no exception. Both of these pens are meticulously designed and flawlessly crafted. And I don't mean flawless in the hyperbolic sense. Both the aluminum and titanium models look and feel perfect. For someone with no previous pen manufacturing experience to nail the fit, finish, design, balance, and performance on the first go is a testament to the man behind the machine. I like to pick apart the flaws of pens as much as anyone ... and I've got nothing. Using an Alpha Pen is an experience, which is not something you can say about every pen.

These pens do not come cheaply ($155 for aluminum, $240 for titanium) and I like how Jason addresses the cost factor:

> The Alpha Pen isn't cheap because you get what you pay for...just like your dad told you. The price represents the real cost of manufacturing quality goods, in small volume, right here in the USA. The Alpha won't be for everyone, but if you know quality and demand the best (right down to the custom manufactured screws) you're my customer!

Between the two models, I actually prefer the cheaper aluminum barrel. It is about a half an ounce lighter, and while it is not necessarily noticble offhand, it does come into play if you post the pen. Plus, is has a great shine that the titanium doesn't have despite not being as indestructible. It's plenty strong on its own though.

If you are looking for a pen that not only does a great job but will last a lifetime you need to check out the Aplha Pen. I'm not the only one who loves it either. My friend Tony at Everyday Commentary gave it a perfect 20 out of 20 score, whch is a rare feat.

Thanks again to Jason for sending me these pens. It has been an eye opening experience. I'm an EDC guy and don't own one of his lights yet, but the Beta-QR Keychain Flashlight is now at the top of my wish list. And speaking of tops, Jason is proving the doubters wrong once again with his current Kickstarter campaign - Prometheus Spins: The Lambda Top.

Sleep on Jason Hui at your own risk.

Top to bottom:

Ti2 Techliner

Prometheus Alpha Pen Titanium

Prometheus Alpha Pen Aluminum

Karas Kustoms Retrakt

-- The power of a podcast about pens (a markov life)

-- Tactile Turn Mover & Shaker First Impressions (Super Fun Time)

-- Ink Review: Sailor Epinard (The Gentleman Stationer)

-- Pilot Blue Black (Inkdependence!)

-- Gone dotty: A review of the Dotgrid.co A5 book (A fool with a pen)

-- Sailor Jentle Miruai (inklode)

-- Retro 51 Tornado Classic & Mini Review (Pen Pursuit)

-- Pen Review: Edison Collier (The Pen Habit)

-- Pensieve: Pilot Vanishing Point Metallic in Mountain Blue: A Review (Scribalishess)

-- Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto (That One Pen)

-- Review: Pilot Vanishing Point Maplewood SE (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Review: Scribal Workshop Mermaid Cyan Ink (Gourmet Pens)

-- Esterbrook 9314F: Fine Stub (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Followup Review / Photo Post (Ed Jelley)

-- TADA Handcrafted Letterpress Notebook review (Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

-- So I picked up a broad……..nib (From the Pen Cup)

-- Eco-Essential Pen and Pencil Set (No Pen Intended)

-- The Best EDC Pens (Everyday Carry)

-- InkJournal Notebooks Review (Fountain Pen Blog)

-- Fisher Bullet Space Pen (The Newsprint)

-- Pilot Metropolitan Review (Funkmon on pens.)

-- Sailor Shu-Katsu Multi-pen Review (THE UNROYAL WARRANT)

-- Testing Fountain Pen Dry-out Times in Usage (Atramental Otaku)

What qualities make Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai my favorite fountain pen ink? It is one of the very few inks that works in any pen with any nib on any paper and in any situation. Plus, it is blue black, which I have a well known affinity for. I never hesitate to use it, which is not something that can be said about every ink I own.

Shin-Kai translates into "Deep Sea" and I would say that is pretty accurate. It is the perfect combination of blue and black with no stray colors you see in other blue black inks like green, teal, purple, or grey. It does have a slight red sheen on wetter lines, which is a nice touch. In the pantheon of blue black inks I have tested it falls smack in the middle in darkness. There are lighter and darker blue blacks to be found.

The Pilot Iroshizuku line is notoriously well behaved. It works with any size nib, from extra fine and firm like my Pilot Custom Heritage 912 PO nib to 1.5 mm stub nibs. It is also easy to clean, leaving no trace behind in any pen or converter I have used.

If there is a knock on Shin-Kai - or any Iroshizuku ink - is that it is not waterproof. It will run or fade if it gets wet so if that is high on your ink requirments list you may want to look elswhere. For me, it is not a consideration at all for the type of writing I do so its not a negative on my list. Other than that it is flawless in my mind.

You have one ink that can be your favorite. Just one - no hedging your bets. What is it?

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Myke and I dumped the bags out this week on the podcast. I always like seeing what other people carry so it was cool to do this ourselves on the podcast. So, are we normal, or crazy? The show notes are extensive so be sure to check them out while listening.

More of my bag dump can be seen on Flickr.

Show Notes & Download Links

The Esterbrook Dollar Pen was one of the pens I acquired at the 2014 Atlanta Pen Show. I didn't really have an Esterbrook on my list when I went to the show, but I went home with two of them. I completely underestimated the charm and unique attributes of these pens, and I just couldn't tear myself away. I had to have them.

A little background

I bought the pens from Carl Daniel at a smaller booth at the back of the room. I remember stopping at the booth several times to handle a few of the pens that were calling to me. He was extremely friendly and offered all kinds of fascinating history tidbits about the pens I was holding. That was part of the allure that snagged me – the history. It put the context in living color.

Esterbrooks weren't on my list before because I really had no interest in antique pens. I had nothing against them, but I hadn't been bitten by the bug. Seeing these pens in person, I pretty much had no choice.

The first model I chose was one of the early "Dollar Pens." From what Carl told me and what I can find online, it's a gray demi model from circa 1939. It's not in perfect, mint condition, and that's part of the allure for me. It's a real pen that's been used. Someone wrote with this, and it still writes today. It has one job, and it does that job with excellence, even ~75 years later.

The nib that came with the pen is a model 1551 – firm medium (student). The nib unit was of an old variety that had a shallow feed. The shallow feeds are apparently prone to leaking, so the vendor included a new-old-stock 2668 nib unit with the pen. I installed the 2668 nib when I got home, and that's all I've been using since.

Now, the pen

I fell in love with this pen the minute I inked it up and started writing with it. I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting it to write so flawlessly. I thought I would possibly end up tweaking and adjusting it a bit before it would write well. No, the pen filled with ink and wrote buttery smooth and consistent from the beginning.

Size

Even though this pen is a short model, it feels like an average full-size pen when posted. When capped, it's somewhere between a TWSBI Mini and a Kaweco Sport. When posted, it's the longest of the three. I've written with the pen for long periods without any complaints. It's a great workhorse pen that I throw in my pen case almost every day. I only paid $30 for the pen, but I treat it like one of my > $100 pens. It's special to me.

Filling mechanism

Ah, the lever filling mechanism. I can't help but make a quick aside about this filling system. As a boy, I loved the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Professor Henry Jones struggles with a solider inside of a German tank, and manages to win the fight by squirting ink in the soldier's eyes. Cheesy, I know, but it's a childhood favorite. I doubt a lever-filler can actually squirt ink with that much force anyway. Back to the point, though.

The lever filling mechanism actually works really well. A small complaint that I have is that it's difficult to get my fingernail under the tiny lever handle sometimes, but that's just a minor gripe. Drop the nib into the ink, work the lever a few times, and you're good to go.

In my experience, the pen doesn't hold much ink. It's definitely much less than a standard Lamy converter, and more like the squeeze converter that comes with the Pilot Metropolitan. Also, another complaint is that you can't tell how much ink is left. You know when the ink starts turning a lighter shade that you only have a few more words left.

Writing

The firm medium nib is a pleasure to write with. There are pens that cost a lot more than this one, and they can't hold a candle to it. I know that each nib is unique and that I might have gotten a little lucky with this one, but that's alright. It's the pen that I have, and I absolutely love it.

The nib is long, which is nice for keeping a good grip on the pen. It's never had a problem starting, skipping, or scratching. I couldn't be happier with it.

And sometimes, depending on the paper and ink combination, the nib acts somewhat like a stub. I've found inks and paper with low saturation properties tend to behave differently with the nib. The tip of the nib is rounded on the top and bottom, but the sides are fairly square. I'm guessing that's what is causing the stub behavior at times. Wet inks do not show any sort of stub behavior, however.

One of the coolest parts about the Esterbrooks is that you can easily swap out the nibs. The nib and feed unit simply unscrew from the section, very similar to how the Edison Beaumont or new Kawecos work.

Overall

This is easily one of my favorite pens, and I'm really glad I took the chance to try one out. It can be a bit nerve-wracking to purchase an antique pen that may or may not actually operate as a functional writing instrument. In my case, I found a good dealer who does a good job of restoring the pens. Being as new to this as I am, I can't really offer any advice other than to find a reputable seller who cares about these pens. If you're fortunate enough to have a pen show near you, that's a fantastic place to see lots of vintage pens and knowledgable, friendly people.

This is one of my favorite new pens, and I can confidently say that I will be expanding my Esterbrook collection.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

Erasable pens don't often make my daily rotation, but when one does it is guaranteed to be a Pilot FriXion. Other companies have tried to compete with Pilot in this realm but none have come close. When you think erasable pen all you need to think about is FriXion.

The Pilot FriXion Ball Knock Biz Gel Ink Pen is the latest to come across my desk, from my friends at JetPens of course, and it it may be the best barrel yet. It falls in their high end FriXion line, like the Biz Point 0.4 mm, and others, before it.

The metal Ball Knock Biz barrel has a great weight to it and the retractability of the tip (using the clip as the knock) is a huge plus. From a design standpoint, the only thing that may take it down a notch is that you have to unscrew a cap at the end of the barrel to get to the eraser. Several other models leave it exposed for quick access. Otherwose, it is a very sharp looking pen.

For those who are not fans of the FriXion line the issue with the pen always comes down to the same thing: The gel ink colors are too light compared to their non-erasable counterparts. I agree with this, but I am willing to pay that price for erasability. The black ink is my least favorite, so I keep the blue 0.4 mm needle tip refills handy, which I enjoy. Yes, the ink is lighter than traditional blue gel inks but this one works for me.

For $33 the Ball Knock Biz does not come cheap. If you are a fan of the FriXion line it may be worth the barrel upgrade to you. If you are wanting to test out a FriXion to see what the fuss is all about I would recommend going with the standard Ball Knock retractable (reviewed here). Regardless, Pilot has the erasable pen market on lock down and the FriXion is the only model in this category you should consider.

For more on this pen, check out the recent review at From the Pen Cup

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

-- Gadget Notes: rOtring 800 Mechanical Pencil (Kirkville)

-- Noodler’s Air Corp Blue-Black (inklode)

-- Omas Brown Arco, big and small (Leigh Reyes)

-- Pen Review: Pilot Razor Point II (Ultra Fine Tip) (The Gentleman Stationer)

-- Spectrum Artists Show Off Their Tools (AGAIN) (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Nock Co. – “The Brasstown” Pen Case Review (Ed Jelley)

-- Palomino Blackwing 602 pencil review (Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

-- Twsbi Precision Ballpoint Review (Pen Pursuit)

-- Pen Review: Parker Premier (The Pen Habit)

-- The “Anti-Stealth” Edison Nouveau Premiere 2014 Spring Edition (Cherry Blossom) (From the Pen Cup)

-- Stabilo S Move or the Basketball Pen (Palimpsest)

-- J. Herbin Perle Noire (Inkdependence!)

-- Staying Blue: A short review of Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium (A fool with a pen)

-- A Slow Pen Movement? (That One Pen)

-- Review: Lamy 2000 (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Montblanc Meisterstück 146 (Write to Me Often)

-- Review — Clairefontaine Triomphe Stationery Paper (The Cramped)

-- Digital meets Analogue (The Finer Point)

-- In Use – Nock Co. Pen Cases (Dept4)

-- Calepino No 2 Pocket Notebooks Review (THE UNROYAL WARRANT)

-- L-Tech Plus Stealth Fountain Pen with Stylus (Inktronics)

The additon of a Lamy Pico to my writing arsenal has been a long time coming. Like since I started the blog in 2007 long. It is a wonderful Lamy design that no one has been able to match but I always wondered: Would I like it?

What makes the Pico unique is its deployment mechanism. When retracted, the cylindrical, compact barrel measures only 3.75 inches long, but when extended into the writing position it hits a nearly full-sized 5 inches in length. The knock is visually integrated into the barrel perfectly and there is no clip, so this portable powerhouse is able to slide into any pocket with ease. The Lamy badge on the barrel serves as a roll-stopper in lieu of a clip to keep your pen from rolling away.

The refill is the proprietary Lamy M22, which could be a sticking point for some people. It ships with the black 0.7 mm as the default, but I swapped it immediately for the 0.5 mm blue refill and love the output. It lays down a clean, fine line and is smooth as well. It is a traditional ballpoint so I can't really ask for much more performance wise.

I went with the white barrel for something different, but every option in the Pico lineup looks as good as the next. Quite honestly, this is close to the perfect every day carry ballpoint. I love the build quality, how the rounded ends slide right into my jeans front pocket, and how slick the knock mechanism works. I wish I would have bought the Lamy Pico years ago.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

We got some great feedback from last weeks bag dump episode, including a couple of listener pics and a takedown of Myke's "style". I then kick off what we are calling Glossary, Version Two where I discuss the most common pen types and lay the groundwork for future episodes.

Show Notes & Download Links

How to choose???

In the endless search for the perfect notebook, I've acquired several softcover notebooks that don't hold up very well to every-day abuse and carry. While the soft cover usually makes the notebook more affordable (not always), they just don't seem to hold up for very long in my bag.

Turns out, Kokuyo has a product to solve my problem, plus a few more. The Kokuyo Systemic refillable notebook cover is a durable canvas cover that can hold two notebooks of your choice. Finally, a way to protect the various soft cover notebooks that I have. This means I'm much less picky about which notebooks I choose to carry about, because this cover essentially transforms the soft covers into a durable folio.

I ordered a semi-B5 cover from JetPens because I really enjoy the semi-B5 size that Kokuyo, Apica, and others sell. It's not huge, but it's still spacious. Of course, Kokuyo also sell a A5 and A6 size, and they all have two colors to choose from. The A5 and semi-B5 come in either Gray/Black or Gray/Red, and the A6 is available in Khaki/Brown or Khaki/Navy. Each cover includes one notebook, which is a nice bonus.

So, how does it work in practice? Awesomely.

The build

The cover is built well and should take years of abuse. The stitching is tight and accurate, and the transparent plastic sleeve that holds the notebook cover is thick enough to last a long time, but still pliable enough to make switching out notebooks a breeze.

It's difficult to tell in the product photos, but the two-tone color scheme is actually more than just an aesthetic touch – The top color (in my case, the gray) is a pocket on the front and back of the notebook cover. A deep pocket that has plenty of room for a smaller notebook, paper, or a couple of pens. I've really enjoyed have the outside pockets. This has been an awesome meeting companion.

A major downside for me is the elastic closure. Elastic closures are a big plus in my book for notebooks (ahem), but this one is weak. If you've ever used a Moleskine or a Rhodia, or any other notebook that has an elastic band to keep the book closed, I doubt any of them were as weak and wobbly as this one. I hoped that I might be able to tighten it if it were just tied to itself on the inside of the cover, but the ends are actually sewn into the outer seam. Bummer.

Apart from being weak, it still manages to hold the notebook shut – mostly. Don't put any loose papers inside thinking they will stay as you transport it.

Apart from that negative, I've been really pleased with the build of the cover. It also has a twin bookmark ribbon at the top so you can bookmark each book. Unlike a lot of notebooks that I've seen lately with ribbons, this one is nicely trimmed at an angle and finished (slightly burned, melted, singed, etc.) to keep from unraveling.

In use

From a practicality standpoint, the cover operates just like a folio. It lays flat on the desk or table (your lap works, but it's a little awkward since it doesn't have a stiff backing) and allows you open one of the two books. I've found it a bit awkward when first opening the cover because it always turns to the first page of the first notebook, and it takes a moment or two to open the second notebook. Not a big deal, and probably an error on my part due to clumsy fingers.

Unfortunately, the cover does not do well when turned back on itself. I've tried to do this a few times in the interest of saving space, but it just isn't comfortable to write on. The spine is thick and stiff and doesn't lay flat when it's folded back, so the writing service isn't level or steady. For some writers, this isn't a problem, but others I imagine it's a deal-breaker.

Like I said earlier, each cover comes with one notebook. In the semi-B5, it's a plain, black notebook that looks and feels like the standard Kokuyo bound notebook–like the Campus notebook.

It's a great paper. It isn't as great as Kokuyo's premium papers, like the MIO paper, but it's still a well-behaved and smooth paper for writing. Of course, it's also lined, so there's also that to consider.

Overall, this notebook cover is a home run for my use. If you're interesting in a sturdy cover for your soft notebooks, bound or spiral, check out the Systemic system.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

I was smitten with the Pilot Letter Pad for Fountain Pens from the moment I took it out of my banged up package from JetPens (thanks USPS!). The blue cover with the white and gold writing gives off a classic, sophisticated look, and that logo - wow. I don't know what it is about that logo that gets to me, but it is funky and I love it. The real story here is the paper though, so let's get to it.

In the grand scheme of things, the paper quality is elite. It is as smooth as any paper I have used with no bleed and no feathering at all. It is incredible to write on. It gives the same nib-to-paper feel as something like Tomoe River or Rhodia R but with the added durability of a thicker page. In my written review I used a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 Stub nib loaded with Akkerman #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw and it performed wonderfully.

Where the rub lies with the Pilot Letter Pad is the value. If you consider that this is a special occasion pad used for written correspondance (it has envelopes to match even) then I'm somewhat ok with the 30 cents per sheet cost. Even then, you are going to need to mind the exceptionally wide line ruling (front side only) to not end up with a 10 page letter. I think this pad would be better suited with blank pages personally, or else try to fit two or three written lines between the ruling, which is easily doable.

To sum it up, this is a high quality pad that performs exceptionally well and is a pleasure to use. Is it worth the high price of admission? It depends on how much you like your friends. I wouldn't use this as a desk pad but rather to impress a pen pal halfway around the world. Maybe I should write Myke a letter.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

-- Old Carnations Smell of Tannin (Palimpsest)

-- Sailor HighAce Neo (inklode)

-- inexPENsive - Pilot Sign pen (The Pencilcase Blog: )

-- My war horse: A Review of The Pilot Metropolitan (MR) (A fool with a pen)

-- Tactile Turn Mover and Shaker (That One Pen)

-- Review: Mitchell Leather Horween Dublin Journal Covers - Standard & Deluxe (Gourmet Pens)

-- Pen Review: Baoer 051 (The Pen Habit)

-- Noodler's Texas Blue Bonnet (Eternity) (Inkdependence!)

-- Kaweco AL Sport Fountain Pen - Stonewashed Edition (The Clicky Post)

-- Hobonichi Techo Daily Planner [Review] (Chrispian H. Burks)

-- How I Learned to Love Paper Again (Modern Stationer)

-- Nomadic Easy Classification Pencil Case (East...West...Everywhere)

-- Old school 88 (And All Other Tasks)

-- Pilot Iroshizuku Ama-Iro ink review (Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

-- 2014 National Stationery Show Cool Finds (Office Supply Geek)

-- The Pencils of Pens #1: Bic Cristal (Pencil Revolution)

-- Pen Review – Kaweco AC Sport Carbon Fountain Pen (My Pen Needs Ink)

-- Twsbi Mini Official Review (Pen Pursuit)

-- Dror Benshetrit Talks Design for rOtring Institute 2014 (Selectism)

-- Palomino Starter Pack (The Finer Point)

-- Sailor Sapporo Mini Fountain Pen (Write to Me Often)

-- Mod Notebook Review (The Cramped)

-- Don’t Worry, Be Happy: The Pilot Kaküno (From the Pen Cup)

-- How to improve your handwriting (The Guardian)

-- Ink Notes: Rohrer & Klingner Salix (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Field Notes: America the Beautiful (The Newsprint)

-- Retail special: stationery shops (Monocle)

-- You know you’re a Pen Person when… (Leigh Reyes)

-- Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review (Inktronics)

-- Top 5 EDC Pens (Everyday Commentary)

-- Pilot Custom 845 Urushi Fountain Pen Review (THE UNROYAL WARRANT)

You will find wildly varying opinions of the TWSBI Vac700 across the internet. For some, it fits their needs perfectly. For others, there are too many design quirks to overlook. Without first hand experience myself, I fell into the second camp. The Vac700 didn't speak to me from the get go, and reading reviews of the pen only solidified those thoughts.

A kind reader named Becky fell into that second camp too, although she only found that out after making the purchase. She didn't care for the Vac700 (for reasons we will get into) so she offered to send it to me. Not loan it to me. Not sell it to me. She knew I'd be interested in checking it out and had no love for it, so she just flat out gave it to me. That says a lot about the pen, but also how awesome Becky is. Thank you!

She sent me the Smoke model with a bold nib and my first impressions on the feel and appearance were positive. It's no secret I am a TWSBI fan, so I knew I would like a lot about what the Vac700 had to offer. But there are several things that keep this from being a pen I can recommend blindly like the TWSBI 580.

First off, the size of the Vac700 is a barrier to entry. That's fine, because that is part of what this pen is. It has a vacuum filling system so the pen requires a larger ink tank to accommodate the plunger and bigger than normal ink capacity. It's a feature, but the size and weight may be uncomfortable for those with smaller hands.

Secondly, there are some interesting design elements in play here. The big one for me is the extra large step down from the barrel to the grip section. Again, it's almost a requirement due to the mechanics of the filling system, but it does get in the way when I am writing. Not horribly, but noticeably.

The brushed clip is another oddity. It doesn't affect the performance of the pen but it is a strange choice when the rest of the chrome is polished and shiny and the clip is dull. Each chrome element on its own is fine, but mixing finish styles on the same pen does not work visually.

It's not all bad though. The filling system is the primary feature of the Vac700 and it works well. A few pumps of the plunger and you have more ink capacity than you know what to do with, keeping even the most prolific writers happy for days. The nib is great too, which I fully expected. I hadn't use a TWSBI bold nib before this pen and it is fantastic. It is really smooth and a joy to write with.

In the end, poor comfort outweighs good performance for me. Your mileage may vary, so make sure to read up on the TWSBI Vac700 if you are interested in making a purchase. It may be the perfect pen for you. If not, it makes for a beautiful paperweight.

More TWSBI Vac700 reviews:

Pentorium

FP Geeks

Ed Jelley

That One Pen

FP Quest

The Lamy Tipo is one of Lamy's more unique takes on the rollerball refill version of their products. There are rollerball models of the Safari, Vista, and even the 2000, but I think the Tipo looks the most unique of all of them. And, it's also the most affordable. At less than $11, you have to wonder how it compares to the Retro 51 and Schmidt refills.

Well, the Tipo doesn't beat the Retro 51 and Schmidt refills, but it's still a great, quirky pen with a decent refill.

Simple design

The Tipo doesn't have a knock like most retractable pens. Like the Retro 51, it uses an alternate system to extend and retract the refill. The Retro 51 uses a twist mechanism, which lots of other pens also use. They're smooth and sure.

I'm guessing that the typical rollerball refills don't work well with a clicky knock system, but I really don't know. In Lamy's case, they went with a unique catch system that uses the clip and barrel to keep the refill extended. There's a small hole in the body, and an inversely shaped knob on the end of the clip that fits perfectly into the hole when the clip is pressed down.

It's novel, but it needs work in my opinion. It feels cheap and it doesn't breed confidence in me when I use it. Many, many times I've wondered if it's going to stay when I start writing, and I've also missed the catch several times if I'm trying to click it quickly. When extending the refill with this pen, you have to be slow and deliberate to be sure it catches. I'm being a bit dramatic to make a point. In all honesty, it catches perfectly about 95% of the time. But it just doesn't make me feel sure most of the time.

The grip on the pen is fantastic for me. It's textured with shallow grooves and has a nice width. The pen is light, with more of the weight gathering toward the tip, which makes for a pleasant writing experience.

One of the most unique aspects of the Tipo is the variety of barrel colors available. White, black, pink, orange, and turquoise. They all look vibrant in the photos, and the white one I have is no let-down. On all colors, the grip, tip section, and clip are all black.

There's a small, tasteful Lamy logo on the top of the barrel parallel to the clip. It's a nice way to brand an otherwise mysterious looking pen.

Another gripe I have with the pen is the design of the top (butt?) of the pen. It looks unfinished. There are two small holes and nothing else. It looks like some decorative piece was once attached, but fell off at some point. It would be cool to see a plastic screw on the top, similar to the Safari and Vista caps. But, that's not really a big deal. The pen still has a really clean, pleasing design. Besides, at $11 I can't really complain too much about it missing decorative elements. Get a Safari already, right? I know.

An additional delightful little detail is the packaging of the pen. It's futuristic and difficult to explain, so check out the picture:

Writing experience

Ah, the refill. Possibly the most important aspect of the pen. Short story: it does a good job of writing. It's smooth, dark, and mostly consistent. And that's the reason it doesn't get a perfect score. It tends to skip or go a little faint every now and then. Not enough to cause any frustration, but enough to knock it down a little.

Seriously, it's a good refill and I'd like to try some more just to make sure I didn't get a one off skippy refill. The refill is half the cost of the pen, so I'd expect the quality assurance to be fairly high, but that's probably a little too optimistic.

On the plus side, you have a choice of 4 colors: black, blue, red, and green.

The line is a tiny, tiny bit thicker than the default Schmidt refill that comes with the Retro 51. So, a 0.7mm refill that seems to contain a good amount of ink in the reservoir.

A point that really makes the Tipo an even greater value is the fact that it can take G2 size refills. That opens up another world of possibilities if you aren't happy with the refill that ships with the pen. Of course, you can also trim other refills that are similar to the G2. I personally use the Pilot Juice refills instead of the G2, and the Tipo body is a lot more interesting and attractive than the Juice body. Score.

Wrap up

The Lamy Tipo is a great little pen with a unique, quirky personality. It doesn't make waves with the refill, but it provides a compelling value and looks great while doing it. If you're like me and have an urge to try every rollerball out there, don't leave this one out.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

I know Tim Fletcher. You know Tim Fletcher. Wait, who is Tim Fletcher? Listen and find out. Plus, Myke and I swoon over the resurrection of one of our all-time favorite pens.

Show Notes & Download Links

"What makes Akkerman inks so special?"

That is the question I get the most when talking about my P.W. Akkerman ink purchases. They are expensive, hard to come by, and some say, identical formulations to another very popular ink brand. Why spend the money and go through the trouble when you can get something similar for less and easier?

Located in The Hague, Netherlands, the P.W. Akkerman fountain pen shop has been in existence since 1910, carrying some of the finest brands on the market. To celebrate their 100th anniversary, they created their own fountain pen ink line which includes 31 vivid colors and possibly the coolest ink bottle on the planet.

Over the past several months I have been lucky enough to be sent several Akkerman ink samples, be part of a direct group buy, and grab a couple of bottles at the Atlanta Pen Show. So at the moment I have more Akkerman inks than any human being should ever own. Time to get reviewing.

Out of all the Akkerman inks in my possession, #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw is my clear favorite. Knowing it is a blue black ink, that should come as no surprise. The funny thing is, as much as I loved it when I did the handwritten review below I don't think the color is an accurate representation of what I see looking at it in person. I actually think the color on my Pilot Letter Pad review is much more accurate. Looking at other reviews I'd say that is a fair statement.

Diep-Duinwaterblauw is a deep blue black with a hint of turquoise that I like more than I thought I would. The primary shade is dark, then pops of brightness come through, giving it a unique shading I have seen in very few other inks. It shows up in wide stub nibs as well as extra fine nibs and I find myself wanting to use it as much, if not more, than my favorite blue black inks.

One question that people have asked over the years about Akkerman is are these inks rebottled and rebranded? It is all speculation, but many people believe Diamine is the manufacturer of these inks. Not only that, there are Diamine equivalent inks that are exact matches to some Akkerman inks. I have no direct knowledge of this, and really have no comment on it either other than to inform you that there is a lot of conversation around this topic. Take from this what you will.

What I take away from my experience with #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw is that this is a great color that perfoms wonderfully in any nib I pair it with. Is the price worth it? For me it is. I've spent as much on other inks that I haven't been nearly as happy with as my Akkerman inks. Look for more reviews of this brand in the very near future.

If you are interested in purchasing Akkerman inks and aren't visiting The Hague anytime soon, send an email to Vanness Pens and they may have what you are looking for.

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