The Pilot Hi-Tec-C is a pen that changed how many people think about pens. Artists and designers love the micro-tip sizes - all the way down to .25 mm - plus the needle tip which allows for good sight lines and ruler usage. It also changed the Kickstarter pen market, becoming the go-to refill when pens on Kickstarter first became a thing.

As famous as this pen is, it isn’t a good pen for many people. Over the years, the best word I have found to describe it is finicky. If you are willing to put up with some dry starts until the pen gets flowing, you will find one of the best pens on the market, especially for small writing or detailed artwork. If the output is not worth the initial frustration - and it does get very frustrating at times - you will swear this pen off for a lifetime, like many rightfully have.

The 0.3 mm black Pilot Hi-Tec-C is a personal favorite of mine, and the one I get the best and most consistent performance from. I love what my writing looks like with it, and it is a great sketching pen too. I always have one with me in either the basic grip barrel or in my Pen Type-B barrel.

Recently, Pilot has expanded their G-Tec-C lineup, which is the name of this line of pens outside of Japan, to offer more than the black, blue, red, green, and purple that formerly made up the G-Tec-C group. Navy and Turquoise are the two I chose to review because these ink colors have not been offered by this name in the original Hi-Tec-C lineup as best as I can remember.

I am very familiar with Pilot Hi-Tec-C Blue Black and Clear Blue, which I was guessing these two new colors would match, but they are different shades. Navy is much lighter than the Blue Black refill I have, while Turquoise is close to Clear Blue but ever so slightly darker.

The Navy 0.4 mm model wrote wonderfully throughout the entire review, through all of the stops and starts. The Turquoise model not so much. You can see how light the ink is at the start of some of the Turquoise lines, which is typical bad G-Tec-C performance. This is why I almost never recommend this pen without a pile of caveats.

That doesn’t stop me though. I’m stubborn, and the output gives me a line that no other gel ink pen can match. Maybe you will like it too, and hopefully these new G-Tec-C colors are around to stay for a while.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Vanness Pens has restocked the full Lamy lineup, including the hugely popular Lamy 2000, the retractable Dialog 3, and the bright aluminum colors of the Al-Star. They will also swap black and stainless nibs upon request, and offer free custom engraving. How awesome can you make your pen look with all of these options?

Blackwing Pencils have also landed, with dozen boxes now available in Soft Black, Balanced Pearl, and my favorite, Firm 602. These are the best wood pencils on the market and should be on a desk near you.

Come out and see Vanness Pens at the Miami Pen Show July 15th-17th, Washington D.C. Pen Show August 4th-7th, and the San Francisco Pen Show August 26th-28th.

My thanks to Vanness Pens for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Pilot Vanishing Point has long been a point of discussion on the podcast, and typically polarizes users because of the unique shape and clip positioning. If you're a fan of the Vanishing Point, then you might be interested in the Capless Decimo from Pilot, as it's essentially the same pen with a smaller barrel diameter.

If, however, you don't care for the style or grip of the Vanishing Point, the Capless Decimo won't do anything for you since it uses the exact same grip. The clip is a little smaller, but not enough to make any difference in how it feels, and the larger issue remains the placement of the clip more than the size.

For me, I'm a huge fan of the Vanishing Point, and I was excited to try out the cousin based on the different barrel diameter and color options. My verdict? I prefer the Decimo over the standard Vanishing Point exclusively because of how it feels in my hand. That smaller diameter barrel hits the sweet spot for me. Luckily, the Vanishing Point and Decimo pens use the exact same nib units!

Appearance and feel

At first glance, the Decimo looks like a Vanishing Point, and vice-versa. It's difficult to tell them apart on their own, but there are a couple of factors that make it a bit obvious. For one, "decimo" is printed on the clip of the Decimo models, while the Vanishing Points only feature the "Pilot Japan" print on the barrel above the mid-section. The Decimo also includes this print in the same location. So, in a pinch — just look at the print on the clip to identify a Decimo.

Along with the printing on the clip, the clip has a slightly narrower shape than the Vanishing Point. It's more slim and matches the smaller diameter barrel perfectly. The tip of the pen looks a bit smaller than the Vanishing Point, but it's hard to tell from the naked eye. Apart from these differences, I can't find any others when looking at them side by side.

Weight-wise, the Decimo is a tad lighter. The Vanishing Point has long been a favorite pen of mine, and that doesn't change. But, I prefer to Decimo over the Vanishing Point because of how the Decimo feels in my hand when writing. It's a more enjoyable experience. That's not to say my Vanishing Point is annoying or negative — it's just not as enjoyable as the Decimo.

For me, the clip placement is perfect for how I grip pens, and it didn't take any adjustment since I was already accustomed to the Vanishing Point.

If you're unfamiliar with the Vanishing Point and Capless lines, the retractable mechanism is really well-designed. When the pen is retracted, there's a small door that closes on the inside of the tip to keep the nib from drying out. As you extend the nib, the door opens. In my experience, the pen never dried out after sitting for more than 5 days, and didn't have any hard start or skipping issues.

There are some unique colors in the Decimo line, but nothing out of the ordinary if you stay in the same price point. The Light Blue color that I received is nice, but it's not my favorite out of the full lineup. Although, the Iroshizuku ama-iro pairs very nicely with this body color — almost like they were made for each other.

Writing performance

I'm practically in love with the nib on this pen. It came outfitted with an 18k gold Medium nib unit that writes like a dream. I have one other 18k Medium gold nib from Pilot, and I've exclaimed my affection for that nib as well. Pilot continues to impress me with their out-of-the-box nib tuning and performance, and this Decimo is just another tick on the "winning" side for me.

The nib glides over all types of paper like satin over glass. The medium nib is wet enough to show off ink properties and provide a good amount of line variation, but still small enough for everyday use. There's a subtle amount of feedback in the nib when writing, but it's just enough to let you know that you're writing on paper instead of butter.

Of course, being a gold nib, it exhibits a small amount of flex if you apply pressure. It's not something I do often, but the added flourish is worth it in some occasions (even with my shabby handwriting).

I expected good things when I received the pen, but my expectations were exceeded immediately after I inked up the pen.

Conclusion

In summary, I love this pen, and I love the nib unit even more. I'm continually impressed by the Pilot brand, and this pen has been no exception. I really wish there was a readily-available version of this pen in a clipless model so that more people could enjoy the Vanishing Point and Capless lines. I'm lucky in that my grip happens to match up with the intended grip on the pen, but it's a shame that it makes it difficult or intolerable for other writers.

The Pilot Capless Decimocomes in Burgundy, Champagne, Light Blue, and Purple from Goldspot and retails for $140. And again, the nib units are compatible with both the Capless Decimo and the Vanishing Point.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

(This is a guest post by Sébastien Morissette. You can find more from Sébastien on Twitter @SebMorissette.)

Recently, I have received a gift from my manager. She knows all about my pen addiction, of course, as I do most of my pen usage at work. She gave me a Parker IM Premium 5th Twin Chiseled. 5th in the name means it is the one with a fine liner - felt tip refill that hides under a fountain pen nib shaped hood. She thought she was buying a fountain pen but only realized it wasn’t once back home. She offered me to go back to the store and exchange it for a fountain pen but I refused, by courtesy, and acted like I was happy to get felt-tip pen. And I was in a way: it is not every day that your Manager goes out shopping to buy you a gift as a mark of appreciation. More even so that it is not my work anniversary or my birthday.

At first, I have to be honest, I was a bit disappointed with her buying mistake. What was I going to do with a fake fountain pen? Putting a fake nib on a felt-tip pen is like putting a racing rear spoiler on a Toyota corolla. It doesn’t belong there, it is meaningless, it is useless and it looks silly.

That being said, a closer look to the pen quickly brought me to realize that the pen itself is of good quality. It is made of what seems to be good quality aluminum, and both the shape of the pen and the finish is absolutely beautiful. I got the two toned one with a chromed colored cap while the body is somewhere between gun metal and rose gold. The whole pen is etched with a nice chiseled pattern. The chrome-colored clip is the classic Parker Arrow clip. The grip section is brushed aluminum. There are 3 different finishes in total on the pen between the grip, the pen body and the cap. Without being totally stunning it is a very nice looking pen and does attract attention from my coworkers, more than some of my most expensive fountain pens. The hood is engraved with the Parker’s arrow pattern and the Parker name.

I am not a felt-tip pen person. I do use Sharpie pens from time to time, and do enjoy them, but if I’m reaching out for something else than a fountain pen or a pencil will naturally pick a good rollerball over a felt tip 9 times out of 10. Being a pen nerd, I still was intrigued by this pen and wanted to learn more about the reasoning behind the design choices. I went on Parker’s web site and here is what I found:

“Parker 5THTM Technology: a flexible tip which interacts with the metal hood, and is finely engraved with the emblematic Parker arrow, to provide an exceptionally smooth and fluid writing experience, with an intense and sharp rendering. Adjusts intuitively to the user's style of writing, in just a few words. A highly innovative technology that ensures a clean and simple refill process.”

This refill is rather on the dry side. I did have to adjust my writing angle from low 45 degrees to a good 75 degrees in order to keep a nice wet flow of ink. I wrote for a good 1-hour session on two occasions and had to put the cap back on between pauses to prevent the tip from drying. The pen feels good in the hand and is well balanced. The cap posts well, while keeping a good weight balance. I prefer not to post the cap in general, and this pen body is long enough to be comfortable to use without posting.

The refill that came with my pen is a Medium Tip in a gorgeous green colour. Again my curiosity pushed me online to find out which colour is available for this refill. Again a nice surprise was awaiting me. Parker offers a great selection of bright colour for the 5th type refill: Black, Blue, Burgundy, Purple, Peacock Blue, Olive Green.

But the question remains: Does it do what Parker say it does? From the second that I started writing with this pen I could feel a remarkable difference from a sharpie pen. This Parker refill is Soft. I mean Soft with a capital “S”. Super Soft. Even on cheap copy paper. But the whole idea of a flexy tip that interacts with a hood does not work. The tip bending property does not absorb any sort of the pressure variation created by your hand movement because it hits the hood instantaneously. The concept, while being good, doesn’t work. The hood is too rigid. Parker’s marketing material also states that the tip “Adjusts intuitively to the user's style of writing, in just a few words”; I have not experienced that.

Overall it is not a bad pen. The quality of the materials and the softness of the tip makes it a pen that will find a spot in my non-fountain pen rotation. I will buy refills of each colors and will use them. That being said I believe that anybody who would buy this pen based on Parker’s promises on what the 5th technology writing experience will be disappointed.

As for the aesthetically disturbing nib-like hood, well, it tends to go away when using the pen because that “nib” is not touching the paper, which tricks my brain to believe that it is simply part of the barrel. Because of that I can tolerate it, like I tolerate a trunk lip on a Toyota Corolla, but never a racing spoiler.

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I've long been entranced by the Montblanc Agatha Christie Writer's Edition–that serpent clip and nib are so fabulous. When Montblanc announced the Heritage Rouge et Noir edition, I fell in love immediately. I mean, what's not to love? A Montblanc pen in coral (coral is the new black) and a serpent clip with green spinels for eyes and a serpent nib–all for a price significantly less than an Agatha? I knew I had to have one.

I ordered my pen from Appelboom and requested a special factory-made oblique medium nib.

"This," I told my beleaguered husband, "will be my Mother's Day, Anniversary, Birthday, and Christmas gift!"
"Okay," he said, "but you can't open it until Christmas."
"Sure!" I said. "I can totally wait until Christmas."

But, sacrifices have to be made for the Pen Addict. What's the point of waiting until December to review this pen when all of them might be sold by then? No. Pen Addict readers need to know whether or not they should buy this pen themselves. I am such a fountain pen martyr that I opened it for your sake, good readers. But, I promise that I will clean it thoroughly, put it back in its box, and save it for Christmas once I'm done with this review. Really!

The Montblanc Heritage Rouge et Noir is part of a retro series Montblanc embarked on with the Heritage 1912 (see my review here). The Heritage Rouge et Noir series–one in black, one in coral, and one in black ebonite–hearken back to the 1906 safety-pens, though the modern ones are piston fillers. Taking a cue from the past, the pens have large snowcaps/stars on their finials and a retro-looking serpent clip.

I chose the coral version because, frankly, I'm tired of black pens. Plus, the serpent on the coral version has green spinels for eyes whereas the black version has no jewels. The far more expensive ebonite version has rubies for the serpent's eyes.

The packaging for the Heritage Rouge et Noir is pretty understated for Montblanc. The pen is housed in a black and cream clamshell cardboard box (albeit a nice cardboard box) with a cream velvet interior. A leaflet accompanies the pen.

Aside from the added flare of the serpent clip and nib, this pen is a simple design. The barrel is made of lacquered metal with an antique-looking metal grip. The cap threads are on the nib end of the grip, so your fingers don't contact them. The piston knob is set off with a metal ring that matches the grip. The knob turns on metal threads, and I'm pretty sure there's a ball or agitator inside the piston housing to keep the ink flowing. I can hear it when I shake the pen.

The cap is made of resin with a large cream-colored snowcap/star with a ridged ring around the finial. These details evoke the look of the 1906 safety pens.

An old-style Montblanc logo is etched into the side and matches the cream color of the star.

Of course, the highlight of the cap is the serpent clip. The tail wraps around the cap twice and the upper body of the serpent forms the clip. Montblanc says that the clip is made of a special alloy that has been "aged by a unique galvanic and stripping process." The green crystal serpent eyes glint in the sun and make me smile.

The nib is 14K gold, rhodium-plated with a golden engraved serpent (the black model has a single-tone nib, whereas the ebonite model also has a two-tone nib). The triangular breather hole nicely melds with the serpent's head. It is a striking design (pun intended).

The nib is small but in proportion with the rest of the pen. Unlike the Heritage 1912 nib which has a vintage, springy feel to it, this nib has no "give," unfortunately.

The oblique medium grind offers some line variation and accommodates my tendency to rotate the pen while writing. It took me a little practice to find the sweet spot, but, once I did, the nib wrote smoothly. For some reason the feed doesn't deliver as much ink as I'd like, so periodically I have to shake the pen to get the ink flowing more. It's not that the pen ever completely stops writing or skips, it's just that the ink flow slows down.

I should note that getting my Rouge et Noir with the OM nib took some time. I ordered the pen on April 9, but Appelboom didn't receive it until late June. The specialty nibs are simply not well stocked by Montblanc.

So. How does my Mother's Day, Anniversary, Birthday, and Christmas pen measure up? In terms of quality and beauty, this pen is outstanding and gorgeous. But, dang it, it's just too skinny. It measures 135mm in length, capped; 125mm uncapped; 160mm posted but is less than 10mm in diameter at the grip. Although the proportions are elegant and lean, it feels like a (rather heavy) Bic in the hand (horrors!).

The metal barrel gives the pen some heft, but my hand cramps up when I'm writing for any length of time. I love everything else about this pen, but I don't much enjoy writing with it, and that truly is a shame. Perhaps, with some time, adjusting my grip, and experimenting with different inks, I'll discover I can write with this pen without discomfort. Still, beauty and elegance won't heal hand cramps, so I may have to let this one go. Honestly, I think I really just want an Agatha, but this one almost scratched that itch.

The MB Heritage Rouge et Noir is available at many retailers and Montblanc boutiques. The list price for the black or coral resin versions is around $700.00. If you want the ebonite version, the list price is around $2,000.

Pros

• The Montblanc Heritage Rouge et Noir is a well-crafted, retro-looking fountain pen.
• Despite its svelt girth, the pen feels solid in the hand because the barrel is made of metal.
• The serpent clip and nib are absolutely stunning. The coral color is a welcome departure from black.
• It is a piston filler, though the ink capacity is rather small (less than 1ml).
• The nib performs smoothly but does not have the spring of the MB Heritage 1912 nib.

Cons

• Unfortunately, the pen is very thin in diameter. While this might not bother some people, others will find the pen uncomfortable to write with.
• The pen is expensive (but that's true for all Montblancs).
• The Rouge et Noir is quickly becoming more difficult to find. And, if you want a special nib, be aware that it takes a long time to obtain one.
• I found the ink flow to be a bit stingy but need to experiment more with different inks.

I purchased this pen with my own money and was not compensated by Montblanc for this review.

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Lamy Pens are always a hot item, and Vanness Pens has the full lineup in stock, including two of my favorites on opposite ends of the spectrum: The Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen and the Lamy Pico Ballpoint Pen.

Blackwing Pencils are one of the newest items at Vanness, and if you haven't tried the Palomino Blackwing 602 you are missing out on the nicest pencil made in the last several years.

If you happen to be in Miami this weekend, or fancy a quick trip, make sure to hit up the Miami Pen Show and tell Lisa I sent you!

My thanks to Vanness Pens for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

The staff at Lucrin reached out recently to see if I would be interested in reviewing some of their leather goods, especially those in their stationery lineup. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially since I don’t follow the leather goods market that closely, but I was impressed with what I saw. And I could get them in orange!

What appealed to me the moment I saw it was the Three Pen Tray. I have plenty of cases I can carry in a bag or backpack, seeing that I own a pen case company, and I’m always on the lookout for more quality desk accessories. This tray fit the bill, in smooth orange leather of course.

When the package arrived, I was ecstatic to not only find the pen tray I requested, but also the Single Pen Holder and Pencil Pouch, both in orange granulated leather, and and iPhone 6+ case in smooth orange. Thanks for the hookup Lucrin!

After using the pen tray for a few weeks it has solidified a spot on my desk permanently. That’s no small feat considering the small writing area I have between stacks of books and stationery goods. Real estate is at a premium, but this pen tray definitely increased the property values of the neighborhood.

Everything about it is just right. It is firm, so it lays flat and stays in place, yet it is soft, so I have no concerns resting any and all pens in the three deep channels. Even the most trained eye will have a hard time finding a single flaw in the stitching or craftsmanship of this pen tray.

The same goes for the other three products I received. The quality and construction of each product is flawless. The single pen case is very useful in its thin but protective design, and the pencil case can easily hold dozens of your favorites. Even the iPhone case is made to such a tight tolerance that it is easy to slide your phone in with no chance of it sliding back out.

Every product that Lucrin sent is a delight to use.

Since I received way more than I asked for, and I’m impressed with everything about these products, I’ll be running a giveaway tomorrow for the single pen case and pencil pouch, so be sure to check back then.

In the interim, check out the wide array of customizable leather goods that Lucrin offers and I think you will come away impressed too.

My thanks to Lucrin for providing these goods at no charge to The Pen Addict for purposes of review.

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Writing instruments have been a design challenge for thousands of years. Ensso, a small design studio in Los Angeles, step up to the challenge of creating a new pen with a simple yet powerful solution. Pen Uno is the study of liberating a pen of unnecessary parts and ornaments.

After a very successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015, Pen Uno is back as an exciting pen and pencil combo. This new super minimal all-aluminum pen has been redesigned so it can be transformed into a mechanical pencil by switching two parts only. When a pen, it uses the beloved Hi-Tec-C Coleto ink cartridge, and as a pencil it uses standard 0.5 mm leads.

Pen Uno is one of the thinnest pens in production at only 5.3 mm in diameter. The grip section is wider for a very comfortable writing experience and also doubles as twisting cap to protect the pen tip when not in use. A few turns of the barrel will open or close the pen. Pen Uno is machined out of aluminum anodized in five distinct colors: space grey, gold, rose gold, red, and black.

The Pen Uno and Pencil Uno start at just $25 individually, with the Pen + Pencil converter kit starting at $35.

My thanks to Ensso for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

I reviewed these great products from Lucrin yesterday and promised a giveaway today, so let's do it! I'm giving away two items: The Single Pen Holder and the Pencil Case, both in pebbled orange leather. Here is how to enter:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Friday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is open to US and international residents.
2. For this contest, I will pick two winners at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.
3. The contest winner will be posted on Saturday, July 23rd. The winner will have one week to email me via the Contact link at the top of the page.

My thanks to Lucrin for providing these goods for giveaway. Good luck!

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

One of the greatest things you can ever hope to do when it comes to buying new inks is to have the opportunity to try the inks before you make your choice. Like I wrote about with my Akkerman purchase at the 2016 Atlanta Pen Show, Vanness pens provided a testing station that had a couple dozen inked pens that you could try at any time. I think I tested out every single ink they made available, but I only picked two inks to come home with me. Obviously, one of those was the Akkerman Passage Blauw. The other ink was a tad uncharacteristic for me: Bungubox Sunset of Omaezaki. It was uncharacteristic because this is a bright orange ink...something that I've never ventured into when it comes to ink colors. Short story: I'm glad I took the leap.

Omaezaki is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, which is at the very tip of the Omaezaki Peninsula. Being a surf town, the sunset orange seems fitting against the other blue ink that uses the same namesake. The flag of Omaezaki also features a similar orange color as the backdrop.

Now, back to the ink. As far as I understand, the Sunset of Omaezaki ink is a limited edition for this year. It really caught my attention at the testing table because it had a subtle shading effect instead of a basic highlighter-orange color. It's bright and pops off the page, but it also has character.

Being a Bungubox ink, I had no concerns about it being a poor performer in my pens, and I was correct to assume. This is a fabulous ink. The writing performance is on par with other Bungubox and Sailor inks, which is to say it's an exceptional ink. I haven't noticed any hard or skippy starts, no problems when writing, and easy clean up.

When writing with this ink, the nib is lubricated to provide a smooth writing experience. The ink isn't overly wet, but does a nice job of keeping a good level of flow in the different pens I've tried it with. My favorite characteristic of the ink is the shading. It's not a dramatic level of shading like some inks, but it's enough to catch my eye and make me smile. In the areas where ink pools up slightly, the ink takes on a darker, red-orange hue that I love. The normal color of the ink is a brighter orange tone that you can't miss.

The dry time on this ink is another huge plus. In my tests, the ink was consistently dry and resisting smudges by 10-15 seconds. That's impressive.

Another thing to note about this ink is that it does produce a smell when you're writing. It reminds me of certain art supplies or paints — nothing offensive, but just something that you notice. Most fountain pen inks are fairly odorless unless you try really hard to notice a scent. This one hits your nose while you're writing in a proper position where the pen is a good 2+ feet from your nose. It's not an unpleasant smell, but it's worth mentioning. I happen to like the smell.

The bottle is exactly like other Bungubox and Sailor ink bottles. I love the shape of these bottles more than any other (yes, even the Akkerman bottles) due to the sleek design. These bottles feature an ink well system that allows you to ink up your pens even if the ink level in the bottle is low. It's a nice feature that I wish all ink bottles included.

I'm brand new to the world of orange inks, but I think I might be in the market to try some more. I've always heard great things about Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki, so that might be my next experiment. Either way, this Bungubox ink is a huge win for me. I'm loving this ink and find myself using it pretty heavily during the day, even though it's not a standard "business" or "work" color. It's just too pretty and exciting to let it sit all day.

Also, if you happen to own any Karas Kustoms pens with the orange anodized finish, it matches this ink perfectly.

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Out of the top three Japanese pen brands, Sailor does the best job of mixing in limited and seasonal releases alongside their primary fountain pen offerings. My favorite manufacturer, Pilot, is the the worst in this area, with Platinum not doing much either, unless it relates to a Japanese lake.

Sailor, on the other hand, seems to enjoy putting out a few extra releases each year. And whether they revolve around neon colors, seasons, cities, or galaxies, they always seem to be interesting.

In late 2015, Sailor released the Pro Gear Slims Four Seasons lineup, featuring four colors: Haruzora Spring Sky Manyou, Summer Woods Meigetsu, Autumn Moon Yukitsubaki, and Winter Camelia. All feature unique resin colors to match the seasons, and 14k Medium Fine nibs.

It was hard to choose which one I wanted to review from Goldspot. An argument could be made for any of them actually. I thought Haruzora Spring Sky with its bright metallic light blue barrel was the standout, and, judging by the response on social media, I think I chose correctly.

The stark black end caps matched with the bright blue barrel and gold trim makes every bit of this pen pop. Although the blue isn’t a perfect match, I find the look to be Tiffany-esque. It’s classy, clean, and eye-catching.

Bottom to top: Pro Gear Slim, Pro Gear, 1911, King of Pens

The Sailor Pro Gear Slim, often called the Sapporo, is the smallest and lightest of Sailor’s gold nib pens. Despite that, it is a comfortable writer for all but the biggest of hands. Even when posted it remains light and well-balanced.

Sailor nibs are considered some of the best in the world, but I personally rank them behind both Pilot and Platinum. That is relative of course, like how I said above that Pilot is the worst among the three with seasonal releases. They are still wonderful, as are Sailor nibs. They have more tooth when compared to the smoothness of Pilot and precision of Platinum. Placing them third among that group is like saying someone is the third best supermodel in the world.

If you have never owned a Sailor fountain pen and were shopping for one of their gold nib models, my recommendation would be to go for the standard Pro Gear due to the larger barrel and nib. Yes, it is more expensive, but if it is your one and only Sailor it will make you the happiest in the long run I believe. If you have tried a Sailor and are familiar with the Sapporo size then you will certainly enjoy the unique colors of the Four Seasons series.

(Goldspot loaned this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Traveler's Notebook (formerly known as Midori) is one of those notebooks almost all pen addicts have heard of at some point. Along with Field Notes and Filofax and Hobonichi, it is one of the most beloved notebooks for the handwriting set.

After I gave up on iPhone/iPad-based organizational systems (believe me, I tried them ALL), I decided that my ADD-addled mind needed something simpler. Several years ago, I bought a "fauxdori" from Etsy seller Zenok Leather and Traveler's inserts from JetPens.

But, last year I decided to go with the Hobonichi (see my review here). In a future post, I plan to compare and contrast the two notebooks. But for this review, I am going to focus on the Traveler's Notebook, regular size, in Camel.

The Traveler's Notebook Starter Set ($53.50) arrives in a cardboard envelope with an elastic around it. Inside, the notebook itself is enclosed in a muslin bag. There are instructions about caring for the leather and an extra elastic as well as a blank notebook.

The camel Traveler's Notebook cover is a single piece of leather with no stitching, no inner pockets, and no embellishment other than a stamp on the back cover.

It comes with one elastic, attached with a small round metal piece, to hold notebooks, a string bookmark, and one elastic cover closure.

That's it. The Traveler's Notebook itself is extremely simple.

Things get more complex, however, when you start looking at all the notebook variations and accessories.

The Traveler's Notebook Starter Kit comes with one unlined notebook. Obviously, most people will want more than one notebook. And there are plenty from which to choose:

• No. 001 Lined $5.50
• No. 002 Grid paper $5.50
• No. 003 Blank $5.50
• No. 005 Daily Planner Grid $7.25
• No. 012 Sketch Paper $7.25
• No. 013 Lightweight paper, blank $7.25 This paper is actually white Tomoe River Paper.
• No. 014 Kraft paper $7.25
• No. 017 Monthly Planner $11.00
• No. 018 Weekly Planner $13.00
• No. 019 Weekly Planner with Memo $13.00

If you plan to insert more than two notebooks in your Traveler's Notebook, I highly recommend you buy the set of extra Connecting Bands $5.50. There are ways to use the single elastic to insert at least three notebooks, but it's simpler to use extra bands.

I also recommend getting the Zipper Case $9.00. You can put this under all your notebooks, and it is really handy to have the zipper pocket to hold stickers, tickets, photos, and other flat items.

My Set Up

This is how I've got my Traveler's Notebook set up. Of course, I can rearrange it anytime, and that's one of the advantages of this system. Because each notebook is separate, you can rearrange the order any way you like, and you can add and remove notebooks as your needs change.

Daily Planner. This is a new addition to my old Traveler's Notebook line-up. Each page has a header that you can fill in (so you can start this calendar any time and skip days if you wish) and a grid format you can use however you please. Right now I put the hours of the day down the left side and fill in my schedule, but I may move to a Bullet Journal format at some point.

Weekly Planner with Memo. I actually used this planner the most in my original Traveler's line up. It works well as a daily planner because on one side are the days of the week with enough blank space to write important events. On the opposite side is a grid format where you can list your to dos. I will probably just use this planner and eliminate the Daily Planner, unless I discover I need the extra space in the Daily Planner.

Another thing I really like about the Weekly Planner is that the first four pages allow you to map out all the days in each month so that you get an overview of all the major upcoming events. I really like this because it gives me a bird's-eye view of the entire semester.

Monthly Planner. I usually only look at this calendar at the beginning of each month, so I can move important dates over to my weekly planner. But, it's a nice layout (blank, so you can start on any month you wish) and lots of room to write in events.

Lined Notebook. Last, I keep a lined notebook for any notes I need to keep with me.

Some people decorate their Traveler's Notebook pages with adorable drawings and stamps and washi tape and photographs. Here's what I think my pages should look like:

How I Wish My Pages Looked

But here's the reality:

How My Pages Really Look

Sure, I wish I were more artistic and had the time to record each day creatively. But that's just not me. I'm a writer, not an artist. So, I record my thoughts, memories, and important events in my Seven Seas Journal without illustrations.

Honestly, there's not a right way to fill out your Traveler's Notebook despite the peer pressure you might feel if you follow artistic Traveler's Notebook users on Instagram. I do tend to decorate my monthly calendar more fully than my daily or weekly calendars, just because I have time at the beginning of each semester to do so.

But, my Traveler's Notebook is primarily my place to write down what I need to do each day to keep up with my schedule. If I add a special quote or a photo or nothing at all, that's okay.

One last thing: the paper. For the most part, the 80gsm paper is great for all kinds of pens, including fountain pens. Even with my wettest pens I didn't experience feathering or bleed through.

However, there's considerable show through, even with ball point pens.

This was especially true on the Monthly Calendar pages I decorated using Ink Joy gel pens. The show through was significant.

Accessories

Oh, man, do I love accessorizing. In fact, I love that a lot more than organizing and making to do lists. There are all sorts of accessories made for the Traveler's Notebook: a pen holder $14.50, a kraft file folder $7.25, a card file set $7.25, and even a Midori Brass pen $27.00. These are just a few of the Traveler's-branded items you can add to your notebook. You can find many more accessories if you Google "Traveler's Notebook Accessories."

Many people like to add charms to the elastic closure and to the bookmark string to personalize their notebooks.

Stickers, stamps, clips, and washi tape are also items that many people use to decorate their notebooks.

You're not stuck with the Traveler's Notebook brand covers if you want something in different colors or with extras like pockets. I love my Zenok Leather cover from Etsy because it easily allows for four or more notebooks. And I just ordered a ChicSparrow version in blue (a review of that will be forthcoming).

Apps That Do What Paper Can't

Although I've moved my calendar, to-do list, and notes to a paper system, that does not mean I've abandoned all digital organizing. One thing a paper system can't do is ding you with reminders and repeated events. For that, I use an iPhone app called Due. This app is absolutely essential to my life, because it won't stop reminding me about things until I mark them done. I put repeated events in Due, such as when my credit card bill needs to be paid each month, when the dog needs his heart worm meds, when I'm supposed to pick up my daughter, etc. Due won't leave me alone until I get these things done–annoying, but effective!

I also use Fantastical (a calendar app that syncs across my Mac, iPhone, and iPad) for things like doctor's appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. I put these things in my paper calendar too, but it's nice to have repeated events on my iPhone and computer and pop-up reminders about upcoming events.

Pros

• The Traveler's Notebook is a terrific option for anyone who wants a paper-based organizational system (or a sketchbook, journal, commonplace book, etc.)
• I prefer the regular-sized notebook to the passport version, simply because, for my purposes, the larger format allows me to include more information and, frankly, it's easier to read.
• I especially like the freedom the Traveler's Notebook offers, in that you can rearrange and add and remove notebooks to suit your needs. This is an advantage over the Hobonichi Notebook which limits you to the layout chosen by the publishers.
• There are so many notebook and accessory options you are bound to find a set up that suits you perfectly.

Cons

• While the Traveler's Notebook leather cover is nice, it only comes in a few colors (camel, black, and brown). There was a limited edition blue, but I believe it is sold out. The cover has no stitching or pockets. If you prefer covers with more frills, numerous options are available.
• The paper in the notebooks is good but does exhibit show through.
• I wish the Traveler's Notebook came with more than one elastic to hold notebooks.
• The bookmark string is too thin to be very useful. It would be nice to have a more substantial bookmark with multiple ribbons or strings.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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After a very successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015, Pen Uno is back as an exciting pen and pencil combo. This new super minimal all-aluminum pen has been redesigned so it can be transformed into a mechanical pencil by switching two parts only. When a pen, it uses the beloved Hi-Tec-C Coleto ink cartridge, and as a pencil it uses standard 0.5 mm leads.

This project has already surpassed its goal and there is still time to get in on the action. There are even a few Early Bird spots left for the $35 Pen Uno + Pencil Converter kit.

My thanks to Ensso for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Lucrin makes fantastic leather goods for your home, office, digital goods, and even stationery. The orange leather pen cases they sent me are fantastic, and I'm happy to be able to ship two of them off to the following giveaway winners:

Congrats Mark and Duncan! Mark will take home the pencil case and Duncan will grab the single pen sleeve. Please email me your shipping information via the Contact Page and I will get everything sent out.

My thanks to Lucrin for sending me these products for giveaway.

When I think of Graf Von Faber-Castell I think of high end writing instruments like the Perfect Pencil or the somewhat extreme Pen of the Year release. What I haven’t thought about, until now, are their fountain pen inks. I had no idea what I had been missing.

Deep Sea Green is my first foray into GVFC inks and I am completely enamored with it. It was an easy choice actually, because the colors in the rest of the lineup aren’t all that inspiring. They offer ink colors that all fountain pen companies have to offer: Black, blue, red, green, brown, grey. Sure, they have fancier names - “Garnet Red”, “Cobalt Blue” - but they aren’t all that exciting. Deep Sea Green is a clear outlier.

Despite the basic colors, these are not basic inks. All GVFC inks are indelible, meaning they are smudge-resistant, light-fast, waterproof, and solvent resistant. For all intents and purposes, they are permanent. That is something I can get behind despite the blandness of the shades available.

Deep Sea Green has more character than I expected when I received this bottle from Goulet Pens. I’ve been using it in my Sailor King of Pens with a stock medium nib, and it shades well despite the fineness of the nib. There are showings of light and dark greens and blues, plus appearances of grey. It flows wonderfully and dries quickly too. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences so far, and yes, it makes me even want to try some of the more boring colors.

$30 may seem steep for a bottle of ink, and it is, but keep in mind the bottle holds 75ml, which is a 50% increase over the similarly priced Pilot Iroshizuku. And the ink contained within has far more features. The bottle itself is strong, sturdy, and wonderful to look at on a desk or shelf.

Now, if the higher-ups at Graf Von Faber-Castell would mix in a purple or turquoise we would be off to the races.

(GouletPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre, via JetPens

Sponsor support is very important to me here at The Pen Addict. My sidebar advertisers put their faith in me to deliver good value for them month in and month out, and I want to shine the light on the best of the best for you. If you are shopping for pens, paper, inks, and more, please check out these great companies and see what they have to offer. Some recent highlights:

Anderson Pens just received the latest limited edition in the Platinum 3776 lineup, the beautiful blue Kawaguchi, which is limited to 2500 pens worldwide.

JetPens has the hottest ink release of the summer, the new J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre to expand the gold fleck lineup to 5 wonderful shades.

Goldspot stocks all things Filofax to get you or your favorite student ready to head back to school.

Thank you to all of my wonderful sponsors this month!

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

For a product that has such a long name, the Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Staplebound Notebooks Duo are a pocket-friendly notebook worthy of respect. I've long been a fan of Clairefontaine paper, and this newest addition to my collection is a new favorite. A 3.5" x 5.5" notebook filled with creamy, white Clairefontaine 90gsm paper is hard to beat.

When I picked up these notebooks to try, my goal was to find something in the pocket notebook category that could handle fountain pens with ease. Well, these notebooks hit the mark perfectly. Let's take a look at the specifics and then look at how they perform in real life.

These notebooks share the same measurements as Field Notes, but their about the same thickness as two Field Notes books. This is good and bad: It's good because you have plenty of paper to use, but it's bad because it means you can pack one less notebook in pockets and sleeves that normally accept two notebooks. Not a big drawback, but just be aware that it might require you to change your carry a bit.

The covers are a thick material that have a textured exterior. It's a strong material, and I'm not worried at all about these things falling apart after daily pocket abuse. The front has a subtle Clairefontaine logo embossed in the lower right corner, and the back cover has a SKU and barcode, as well as some info about the book. Apart from that, there are no other markings on this book — just 96 empty lined pages.

The notebooks are assembled with two staples. I have my doubts about the longevity of this binding system, but time will tell. They feel strong, but I know that Field Notes can get a bit weak at the staple areas, and they have one additional staple over the Clairefontaines. Either way, they seem strong enough for normal use.

As I mentioned briefly before, the paper in these notebooks is exactly like the paper you'll find in any Clairefontaine notebook. That's something I love about their notebooks. Once you've tried their paper in one format, you've tried it all. It's predictable, and it's dependable. Now, if you don't like lined paper, you're out of luck because it's all they make.

As for the paper, it's splendid. It handles inks so well, and it's always been a favorite of mine from day one. The lines are spaced at 7mm, which is similar to a "college rule" in the U.S. The lines are a faded light blue color that's easy enough to ignore if you want to draw or think outside the lines. It's 90gsm paper, so it's bound to handle most pens with ease. It isn't sketching paper, so anything else (like markers, watercolors, etc.) will probably be out of bounds. For writing, it's fantastic.

The paper does a very good job of minimizing show-through on the opposite page. The only way I was able to make it show up in the pictures was by putting the notebook between my camera and a bright light source. Under normal conditions, it's nearly impossible to detect any show through unless you're using an extremely wet nib.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with this notebook. It's a familiar size, familiar paper, and excellent price. At less than $7 for a pair, it's quite a good deal considering how much paper is included. It's become a favorite for me when paired with a Fodderstack XL and a favorite pen. This makes a great mobile writing kit.

These notebooks are available from JetPens in a variety of sizes and colors. For this review, I used the 3.5" x 5.5" Red/Green combo, but you can also get them in Black/Tan. Or, if you want something a little larger, there's always the 5.75" x 8.25" versions in the same colors. Those cost a few dollars more (still less than $10) and are an equally excellent deal.

These are currently my favorite "disposable" journaling notebooks. They don't break the bank, but they still feature some stellar paper inside. Now all we need are some more color options!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

(Ron Gilmour is a fountain pen enthusiast, would-be calligrapher, and librarian. You can find him online at Twitter @gilmour70 and Instagram.)

In the introduction to this series, I mentioned that one of the drawbacks to the various sac-filling pens was ink capacity. Because you need room for the sac itself and whatever is compressing it, there's a limit to how much ink you can get into a sac-filling pen.

In the 1930s, Parker came up with an interesting solution. What if suction could be created in the entire pen barrel rather than just the sac? They replaced the sac with a flexible diaphragm at the rear of the pen. When the diaphragm was pushed inward by a plunger, air was forced out of the pen. When the diaphragm was released, ink was taken up. A breather tube was added to prevent ink taken up by one stroke of the plunger from being squeezed out by the next stroke. This innovative mechanism, eventually dubbed the "Vacumatic," allowed a far greater portion of the barrel to be filled with ink than any sac filler.

Another drawback of sac fillers was that it was impossible to see how much ink you had left. (Sheaffer tried to make lever-fill pens that would allow this, but were only moderately successful.) The smart people at Parker realized that once they had eliminated the sac, all they had to do was use some transparent material in the body and the ink level would be easily visible.

And that brings us to the pen's aesthetics. An innovative filling system and a visible ink supply were great, but the Vacumatic might not have been the success that it was if not for another factor: it was gorgeous. The alternation of solid and transparent bands of celluloid still turns heads today. (A friend refers to my silver Vac as "your Matrix pen.") The striking, arrow-shaped clip is a design element that Parker still uses on their pens today. The total package is an Art Deco masterpiece.

The "alternating bands" pattern, available in several colors, is the most common, but there were a number of other patterns, especially on the "junior"-sized pens. See, for instance, Brad's drool-worthy "Golden Web" Vac that he bought at last year's Atlanta show.

Furthermore, Parker in Days of Yore was known for their excellent gold nibs, so a great writing experience is almost guaranteed, barring a damaged nib. I've owned several vintage Parkers (Vacumatics and others) and they have all written smoothly and consistently.

If you're the collector type, Vacumatics are a lot of fun because of their seemingly endless variations. When you take into account the different sizes, colors, clips, cap bands, presence/absence of an end jewel, etc., one can happily collect Vacumatics for decades and never see the end.

Buying a Vac

When shopping for a Vac online, make sure that the pen you're considering is a usable size for you. The Vacumatic came in a wide variety of sizes, some of which are very small, which might not be your thing. You can't depend on model names: both of my Vacs are "Majors," but they're slightly different sizes. Make sure the seller provides measurements, or at least a picture that shows scale.

Also be aware that like sacs, Vac diaphragms are flexible parts that can break down over time. Make sure the pen you're buying has been tested and actually fills.

If seeing the ink level is important to you, make sure that you buy a pen with good barrel clarity. Many vendors will provide back-lit photos to demonstrate this quality.

Nibs on vintage Parkers, and many other vintage pens, have no visible size indication. Most reputable sellers will give you a good indication of nib width in their description: "Writes a wet western fine" or similar. It may be helpful to ask for a writing sample on a known paper marking (e.g., Rhodia grid) to help you judge the nib width.

Given the large number of variations mentioned above, prices will be greatly influenced by the rarity of the particular combination of features on a pen, along with condition. For a functional, but not cosmetically perfect, Vacumatic in one of the more common models, you can expect to pay about $100-150 US. Prices can get significantly higher for rare colors and patterns, for pens in pristine condition, and pens with unusual nibs.

Filling a Vac

Filling a Vacumatic is simple, but may take a few seconds longer than some other mechanisms. First, remove the blind cap at the back end of the pen to expose the plunger. Submerge the nib completely in the ink bottle. Depress the plunger. You should hear bubbling as air is forced out of the pen. Release the plunger and hold the pen in place while ink flows into the pen. Repeat this sequence (press, release, wait) until you no longer hear bubbling when you depress the plunger. Wipe the nib and section with a paper towel, replace the blind cap, and you're ready to write.

Cleaning a Vac

So here's the bad news: Vacumatics are a pain to clean. You can expel ink from the pen by depressing the plunger slowly. Then you can suck water into the pen and slowly depress the plunger to expel that. Repeat this until a) the water comes out clean or b) you're hungry, your thumb hurts, and you just don't care anymore.

Do yourself a favor and use easy-to-clean inks in your Vacumatic.

In Closing

The Parker Vacumatic is one of the most iconic vintage American fountain pens, and is also a beautiful and practical choice for the modern fp user. They are more expensive than some of the other models we will look at in this series, but the combination of exquisite celluloid, large ink capacity, sturdy construction, and high-quality gold nibs makes them a good buy. Try finding that set of features in a modern pen for under $200 US.

Further Reading

• Richard Binder's Anatomy of a Fountain Pen II: The Parker Vacumatic shows details of the filling mechanism.
• Richard Binder's profile page on the Vacumatic is a great place to start for more Vacumatic knowledge.
• Richard Binder's article on Parker date codes explains how to find out when your pen was made.
• Tony Fischier's article on the Vacumatic features images of many very rare finishes.
• Brian Gray's video about his Edison Menlo Pump Filler includes a demonstration of filling the pen. Brian's pump filler mechanism works on the same principle as the Vacumatic, but is updated to use sturdy brass parts.
• David Nishimura's page on the Vacumatic addresses some issues about the complex nomenclature of Vacumatics.

We did it gang - we hit maximum peak weirdness this week! As if a podcast about pens wasn't weird enough, we ramped it up with discussions around pen shooting, pencils from India, and bamboo pens. Plus, I show you how not to eBay.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Harry's: An exceptional shave at a fraction of the price. Use code PENADDICT for $5 off your first purchase.

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Kickstarter seems to be inundated with EDC pen projects, especially machined pens. I'm usually not interested in these projects because (a) I don't use ballpoint pens much and (b) many machined pens are just too industrial looking for my taste. But, when I saw photographs of the RNG Products SQ1, I was intrigued. Here was a machined pen with a beautiful aesthetic.

RNG stands for Rise-n-Grind, a company that makes CNC machined gear. This Kickstarter project includes two kinds of machined pens: a non-stylus edition and a stylus edition. I am reviewing the non-stylus pen.

The SQ1 is machined from 6061 T6 aluminum. You can get the pen in anodized colors, including black, olive drab green, blue, red, or pink, or you can get it in stonewashed aluminum for a rougher look.

You also choose cap and barrel-end materials: brushed copper, polished copper, polished brass, or shipwrecked copper. My pen came with the shipwrecked copper, which is my favorite finish.

The barrel has CNC dimples on the nib end for your fingers to grip.

The rest of the barrel is smooth except for very subtle etching on one side.

On my pen the nib cone is made of brushed copper which complements the shipwrecked copper of the cap and barrel end nicely. This part also comes in shiny copper or brass.

The pen uses the Fisher Space Pen refill with a fine tip. I found the ink a bit dry and the writing a little rough.

This isn't a criticism of the SQ1 but of the Fisher refill. Unfortunately, I couldn't find alternatives for Fisher refills that didn't require modifications.

As with many EDC pens, the SQ1 is small so it can fit in a pocket or a small notebook. It is 5 inches in length (posted) and weighs only .9 ounces. It is quite thin, with a diameter of only 5/16 of an inch (about 8mm).

The SQ1 does not have a clip. That means it could easily slide out of a shirt pocket (if that's where you carry your pens). And, the pen is too thin to fit in most notebook pen loops. A clip would ruin the sleek aesthetic of this pen and the cap is probably too small to support one. Still, a clip would allow you to fasten the pen to a pocket or loop securely. Nevertheless, because the pen is so small, it will easily fit into a jeans pocket or the pocket of a wallet or small notebook.

The cap screws on and off and requires about six turns both ways. You need to get it aligned just right, and I found the threads to be a bit rough. The cap sometimes squeaks as you screw it on. With some more use and maybe a little oil, I suspect the threads will smooth out.

To post the cap (which I recommend since it is small, rolls easily, and can be lost), you must screw it to the back of the pen (again six turns). This is not an easy-on, easy-off sort of pen cap. So, while you're unlikely to lose the cap as long as it is secured on, you will need to unscrew and screw the cap each time you want to use the pen. This pen that would not work well in situations where you need to uncap and cap the pen often.

The refill is accessed through the barrel end which you unscrew. Then you need a 3mm allen wrench to undo the set screw that keeps the refill from moving around inside the pen.

The pen doesn't come with an allen wrench, and my pen didn't come with instructions. I had to email the manufacturer to find out how to remove the refill. I felt a bit dumb, but really, even with the photos on the website I didn't realize an allen wrench was required. I think the engineering that keeps the refill from rattling around inside the barrel is genius. But, if your pen runs out of ink, you will need a refill and an allen wrench handy.

The SQ1 gets high marks from me for its beautiful design. It's also one of the most reasonably-priced machined pens, starting at only $25. The Kickstarter ends soon (August 10), so if you want to support this project act now.

Pros

• The SQ1 is a well-constructed and designed EDC pen. All the barrel colors and cap options are beautiful. The shipwrecked finish, in particular, is unique and striking.
• The pen is reasonably-priced at $25.
• It takes easy-to-find Fisher Space Pen refills.
• The pen is small but sturdy and will fit easily into pants pockets and the pockets of small notebooks or wallets.
• The set screw is ingenious, keeping the refill from jiggling around and insuring that the nib stays steady. Just be careful not to over-tighten the inner set screw.

Cons

• The cap requires at least six rotations to screw on or off. This is not a big deal if you're at a desk. But out in the wild, it could be a pain. Plus, the cap and other parts are small and could be easily lost.
• Without a clip the pen cannot be safely attached to a shirt pocket or pen loop.
• I'm not fond of Fisher Space Pen refills. Some people love them, some people don't.
• Although the inner screw that keeps the refill from jiggling is a great idea, it does make changing out a refill a bit cumbersome. Although most people probably have allen wrenches around the house, I wish one was included with the pen.
• The thin diameter of the pen might make it too small for some writers.

(RNG Products provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!