What Makes A Favorite Pen or Ink Brand?

What do people consider to be "great brands", and what makes them feel that way?  Over the past few weeks I had a couple posts on which I received a lot of feedback.  The first was my post on my "Top Three Favorite Pen Brands," and the second was a post on Sailor Ink, which has long been my preferred brand of fountain pen ink.  The interesting part for me was hearing back from all of you readers on your own favorite brands.  Here's a few that kept coming up: 

1. Pilot and Sailor.  No surprise here.  A lot of people love these two Japanese companies for both their pens and their inks.  I slightly prefer Sailor inks over Pilot inks, because I think they perform slightly better on cheap "office stock" paper, but as you know from my previous posts, I think highly of both Sailor and Pilot pens.   
2. TWSBI.  I received a couple e-mails and comments asking for my thoughts on TWSBI, which makes excellent pens at the sub-$75 price point.  TWSBI doesn't design their pens specifically for fountain pen "newbies", but they are approachable provided that you don't mind filling from an ink bottle.  Since they've tamed their quality control problems, I've kept a couple TWSBI's in my collection, and generally have one inked up and in the rotation.  TWSBI makes excellent workhorse daily carries, and since their pens are demonstrators, I like to use them for testing inks.  The nibs on the TWSBI 580 are interchangeable, and I have several spare nibs that have been ground into various configurations (i.e., a cursive italic and and architect's grind) that I can swap in and out of the pen.    
3. Platinum.  This Japanese brand, often thought of as the "third" Japanese brand behind Pilot and Sailor, as well as the sister company of Nakaya, is gaining popularity here in the U.S.  I recently acquired my first two Platinum pens, 3776 Century demonstrators in Bourgogne and Chartres Blue, and despite some annoying nib issues on the Chartres, which took some time to resolve, I'm enjoying both of them.  Platinum definitely has the potential to break into my "Top Three" in the future, but I need some more time with the pens.  And I still have my eye on their celluloid and Izumo lines...   
4. Diamine.  A British ink company, based in Liverpool, that's beloved for their extremely broad range of colors. Diamine's ink line, however, is so broad that I find it hard to categorize due to the wide assortment of different dyes used, etc.  In my experience, some inks behave differently than others, and I've had their reds and oranges tend to crust up on the nib.  I've had an excellent experience with Diamine's 150th Anniversary Inks (especially the Terracotta), but I've yet to test the waters with their "Shimmer-tastic" glitter inks.      
5. Waterman.  This brand holds a special place for me (and others, I might imagine) because for a long time, these inks were one of the only brands of fountain pen ink widely available in the U.S.  For example, it wasn't too long ago that you could occasionally find bottles of Waterman (and sometimes Phileas fountain pens) at university bookstores or big-box office supply stores.  I've always believed that Waterman makes good pens, too.  (My first "nice" fountain pen was a Waterman Laureate.) 

There are many more out there that people use and love.  This list got me thinking on what these various brands have in common, and why certain brands become favorites.  I settled on three major factors that play into it, at least for me:

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Pilot's Kakuno fountain pen:  Reliability (excellent QC), Variety (lots of color combinations), and Affordability ($10!!!) all in one package.  

Reliability.  Number one for me.  You could also call this "consistency."  No matter what specific item I pick up from one of my favorite brands, I know that it's going to write well, without serious problems.  Reliability and consistency largely determined who made it onto my Top 3 list.  A lot of people were surprised that I included Delta on that list, but Matt Armstrong (Pen Habit) echoed my sentiments in a recent review: every Delta nib he's used has written exceptionally well out of the box.  Reliability and consistency issues have kept other pens that I otherwise like out of my "top" lists.  For example, my experience with the Platinum UEF nib docked them a bit in my book, and TWSBI has a ways to go before I truly believe that they've overcome the cracking problem that plagued them early on.   

Variety. This is a tricky balancing act:  You want your favorite brands to offer enough of a range that you don't get bored, yet at the same time you don't want to see them issuing new models left and right chasing trends indiscriminately.  

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Sailor issues variations on its Pro Gear line of pens, with the Imperial Black Edition being a favorite. 

Who does this well?  Sailor is a big winner here, and it's a major reason why I like them so much.  They refresh their ink line every few years, and make special runs of ink for specific retailers.  They also issue different color schemes and designs without departing from their classic pen models, such as the Pro Gear.  Pilot, Platinum, and Pelikan also do a nice job balancing their traditional lines with tasteful special and limited editions.  Diamine has shown that it can manage a massive line of different inks without any consistency or serious Q.C. problems.   

Who Needs Work? Brands like Monteverde, which frankly makes a lot of weird pens.  Even Delta can be borderline tacky, with a lot of over-the-top limited editions, but the quality of their nibs saves them (at least in my book).  Ink brands like Noodler's and Private Reserve have wild variations in performance (sometimes even across different batches of the same colors), and you never really know what you are going to get with a specific ink.  On the other hand, Waterman suffers from the opposite problem:  their line seems stale.  They haven't introduced any interesting new pens or inks in the past few years, and their product line largely looks like it did in the late 90s (or even the 80s).     

Price Point/Accessibility.  Again, the Japanese companies end up on a lot of people's lists of favorites because their product lines run the gamut of price points from $12 entry-level pens to pens in the $1000s, without sacrificing quality.  Delta does a decent job on this as well, though they haven't yet introduced any pens designed to compete with the Pilot Metropolitan or Kakuno.  Lamy's Safari has been at the top of many "best first fountain pen lists" for decades.  On the other hand, companies such as Pelikan have struggled to broaden their appeal. They've had a lot of success with their higher-end pens, but still can't figure out how to make a true entry level pen that isn't overpriced or doesn't look childlike.  Waterman discontinued their excellent Phileas, which was a great entry-level pen available at office-supply stores, and now their pens start around $100.          

Perhaps the big winner in the non-fountain pen world is Retro 51, which has been wildly successful with their Tornado line of rollerballs.  With a few exceptions, their various editions (both standard and limited) are consistently priced in the $30-50 range, and their quality control is exceptional.  

Of course, lots of different factors go into the business strategies pursued by these different companies.  I'm no economist, so admittedly my thoughts here are entirely subjective and based on what I, personally, value in a brand, as well as discussions with other pen nerds about what we like about certain companies.  Hope you enjoy! 

DISCLAIMER:  This post contains affiliate links, through which I may be compensated a small amount if you purchase an item from any of the sites linked to in this article.  While I'd greatly appreciate it if you use these links to purchase something you are interested in, you are, of course, under no obligation to do so.  Many thanks! 

My Top Three Favorite Pen Brands

People write a lot about their favorite pens, but over the past several months I've been thinking about my favorite pen brands.  After giving this question some thought, I considered a few things: 

1. What pen brands, if any, could I recommend to others, without really worrying about recommending a specific model? 
2. What pens give me, personally, the most joy to use on a daily basis? 
3. What pens are most represented in my own collection? 

The results here may not surprise followers of this blog, though number 3 was a bit of a surprise to me. Without further ado: 

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Pilot's Kakuno fountain pen is a great entry-level model. 

Pilot.  When picking my overall favorite pen brand, without naming a specific pen, it would have to be Pilot.  At every price level, from inexpensive "beginner" pens to very expensive urushi and makie models, you really can't go wrong.  The key selling point for me is the consistency of Pilot's nibs. Without exception, every Pilot nib I have used has been excellent. This applies across the product range:  from the steel nib on the entry-level Pilot Metropolitan and Kakuno to the more expensive Pilot Custom Heritage 92 or the Pilot Custom 823.  What made Pilot number 1?  The fact that I feel like I can recommend Pilot as a brand to anyone and still have confidence they will be able to find something there they like. 

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My most recent Sailor Pro Gear acquisition, the Bung Box "Soleil" model (review coming soon).

Sailor.  On the other hand, Sailor is probably my personal favorite, if that makes sense, meaning that Sailor pens are most heavily represented in my own collection and give me the most pleasure to use. Sailor's Pro Gear model is probably my favorite pen of all time, and I have several of them:  the Pro Gear Imperial Black, the Pro Gear Sky, the limited edition "Realo Soleil" model by Bung Box, and something new on the way.  Why do I like the Pro Gear?  It fits my hand really well, and the nibs, while stiff, almost always write well without tuning. Unlike Pilot, however, Sailor focuses on higher-end pens.  Entry-level Sailor pens do exist, but I've heard mixed reviews and they are not widely available.

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Delta Dolcevita Soiree with the iconic Delta logo on the cap. 

Delta. This one was something of a surprise for me, but it turns out that I've somehow managed to acquire a lot of Deltas.  Delta is an Italian brand that offers a wide range of pens across a variety of price points. Recently, I reviewed the flagship Dolcevita (in the Soiree model), and in the past I've also looked at the Fusion 82.  While perhaps not quite as reliable as Pilot, I've had a near-perfect record of Delta pens writing perfectly out of the box, and they are one of a handful of pen companies that still issue pens in celluloid, a vintage-style material that I love and collect.  

Honorable Mention.  Platinum and Pelikan both have received increasing amounts of attention from me. I'm thoroughly enjoying the Pelikan M800 Burnt Orange that I picked up at the Atlanta Pen Show last month, and my Platinum 3776 with the ultra extra-fine (UEF) nib has become a near-daily user for detailed note taking after Mike Masuyama tuned it.  However, I don't yet have enough experience using either of these brands to dethrone one of the current top three.  In a year, that might change... 

It was interesting to spend some time going through my collection this weekend and looking at things from a macro perspective (as in, on a brand-by-brand basis instead of a pen-by-pen basis).  Eventually I'll need to update my Tier One Pens list, as some changes are overdue.     

DISCLAIMER:  This post contains affiliate links, through which I may be compensated a small amount if you purchase a pen from any of the sites linked to in this article.  While I'd greatly appreciate it if you use these links to purchase something you are interested in, you are, of course, under no obligation to do so. Many thanks!  

My Five Best Fountain Pen Inks for Everyday Writing

UPDATE: A new version of this “Top Five” list was published on February 26, 2020. Check out the post “Daily Writers: The Best Fountain Pen Inks for Daily Use.”

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed an explosion in the number of fountain pen inks on the market.  Six years ago, when I first picked up my pen again after a long hiatus, the main players with any sort of color variation in their ink lines were Noodler’s and Private Reserve. For us corporate drones, bottles of staid (and somewhat boring) inks such as Parker, Waterman, and Pelikan 4001 could still be found on the shelves of big-box office supply stores.  Today, the big box stores have more or less abandoned fountain pens entirely (except for disposables and super-cheaps), but the overall landscape has completely changed:  I now count 10 readily available brands of fountain pen ink in my desk drawer alone.  Great, right?  But a major drawback is the paralysis of choice and the potential for overwhelm.

I like to shuffle colors in and out of my pens, but there are five or so inks that I keep coming back to for everyday writing.  By “everyday,” I mean writing at work on cheap copy paper, in my pocket notebooks, and taking notes while I read.  With the exception of one recommendation, most of these inks are readily available and relatively inexpensive.  

1. Sailor Kiwa-Guro Nano-Black. Expensive, yes; however, the price has come down a bit lately, and this Japanese workhorse will get the job done anywhere, even in a Moleskine. It’s pigmented ink, so just remember to clean your pens out regularly. Some might balk at paying this much for black ink, but given how long a bottle of ink lasts me, it’s not really a consideration. The versatility of this ink makes it a useful travel companion.

2. Waterman Serenity Blue/Florida Blue. I’ve sung the virtues of this ink before, as it made my list of “Best Blue Inks for the Office.” Want something that’s nice to look at, writes well on any kind of paper, won’t turn any heads, and is inexpensive? Try this.

3. Pilot Blue-Black. Another great ink that’s typically only available in cartridge form in the U.S., though you can easily order it from Japan off eBay or Amazon (in the big 350ml bottles, too). Like Waterman blue, Pilot Blue-Black dries quickly and works well on most papers, but you also get some nice shading and red sheen when the ink dries.

4. Diamine Oxblood. Ever wish you had a red ink that was dark enough to use for everyday business correspondence? Pick up a bottle of Oxblood. Like the vast majority of Diamine inks, it plays nice with most pens and different grades of paper. When it comes to my personal favorite readily available red ink, it’s a toss-up between Oxblood and . . .

5. Sheaffer Skrip Red. With its classic fire-engine hue, it’s my favorite “true red” ink. Skip Red is probably one of the few bright red inks that doesn’t stain, and can be considered “safe” to use in most vintage pens (though I’d still advise you to be careful with lighter colored celluloids or demonstrators).

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This list reflects my own opinion. There are an infinite number of “top five” lists floating around out there, but people love recommendations, so here are mine.  What I need from an ink on a day-to-day basis is probably different than what someone else wants, but if this list can be helpful to even a few people out there, it adds value.  This list also shouldn't be confused with my "favorite inks of all time," because that list will include things such as limited editions and vintage inks (and is on the way).  

My Five Best Pencils for EveryDay Writing

Editor’s Note: I recently updated this Top Five List! Be sure to check out My Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing, Five Years Later!

2015 was the year of the pencil for many, and I was no exception.  Due in part to the efforts of pencil-pushers like the folks at C.W. Pencil Enterprises and Pencils.com, high-quality woodcase pencils are more available than ever (though they may be more expensive than when we were kids).  Without further ado, here are my top five pencils that I enjoy for everyday writing: 

1. Palomino Blackwing 602. Palomino’s resurrection of the classic Eberhard Faber pencil looks great and has what I consider to be the perfect balance of point retention and darkness. I’ll also include the Blackwing Volumes 211 here, because it uses the same core. The 211 is perhaps my favorite purchase from the past year, but it’s a limited edition, so it can’t merit it’s own place on a Top-5 list.

2. Palomino Forest Choice. My personal favorite of the natural-finish pencils ends could be called the frugal man/woman's version of the Blackwing Volumes 211. At $2.95 for a dozen, it's a fraction of the cost. (Literally, you get a dozen pencils for the cost of one Blackwing.) The wood on the Forest Choice also develops a nice patina with long-term use. Some people find the core a touch scratchy, but I personally prefer a little grit in my graphite.

3. Dixon Ticonderoga (Made in China). What used to be the flagship U.S.-made #2 pencil, that most of us (well, at least those of us above the age of 25) learned to write with in school. Dixon has now moved production to China and Mexico, but the quality is still there—you just have to look a bit harder. The graphite used in the Chinese version (typically sold at Target) is pleasantly dark and soft, as opposed to the Mexican graphite which I find harder and extremely scratchy, even for me.

4. General’s Semi-Hex. My favorite of the last American-made yellow #2s, and it's getting a bit harder to find. I reviewed these a while back. Some might find the graphite gritty, but again, that's my preference. I especially like the "semi-hex" rounded edges, which are much more comfortable than the rather sharp hexagonal edges of pencils made by Musgrave, such as the Musgrave Test-Scoring 100 and the Palomino Golden Bear (made by Musgrave).

5. The Original Palomino HB. My “gateway drug” into nice pencils, and the first pencils that I ordered where I paid more than $10 for a dozen. The Palomino is the whole package: a dark core, aromatic cedar smell, thick lacquer on the wood, and an excellent eraser.

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Writing Sample for my Top Five Pencils:  the classic Palomino HB wins on softness/darkness, though the Forest Choice and Blackwings are close.  Sample on Doane Paper.   

Honorable Mention

I can’t justify placing the Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood and the Caran d’Ache Black Wood in the “Top 5” due to a combination of cost and availability, but I love these two pencils and use them all the time.  If you’re a true pencil geek, they’re both worth checking out! Update: You can now purchase Swiss Woods and a selection of other high quality pencils directly from T.G.S.

Disclaimer: This post does NOT contain third-party affiliate links, though I do sell certain pencils referred to in this post via the T.G.S. Curated Shop. If you enjoy the content on The Gentleman Stationer, please consider purchasing directly from us, where possible, or supporting us on Patreon. My goal is to make this website entirely independent and self-sustaining going forward.

Masters Class: Buying Your First Fountain Pen Over $100

Crossing the $100 threshold is a big step.  Not only is it a lot of money, but many people question whether there's any real difference between a $20 pen and a $100 pen, or even a $500 pen.  Or even a pencil?  They all write, right? 

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The Lamy 2000 tops my list for your first trip over the $100 price point.  

To me, there is a difference, and it lies in the writing experience.  While there are a few steel nibs out there that are excellent writers, I prefer the feel of gold nibs.  Gold fountain pen nibs are (mostly) "springier," meaning that they feel softer than a steel nib on paper; they typically write a wetter line and will show off the ink you are using to a greater degree.  I do agree, however, that beyond a certain price point (say, $250), with the limited exception of certain high-end pens such as Nakaya or custom pens purchased from a craftsman who tunes nibs, you are unlikely to see much more improvement in nib quality.  At the upper end of most manufacturers' product lines you are paying for design features (i.e., a limited edition design), branding (i.e., Montblanc), or a costly/rare material used to make the pen (i.e., celluloid).  So where to start?  Here are my top five fountain pens for someone looking to break into the "luxury" market: 

1. Lamy 2000.  My default recommendation for a "first really nice pen" has always been the Lamy 2000.  I've already reviewed the pen, and I own two of them, so consider me a fan of its minimalistic, Bauhaus-inspired styling.  The Lamy 2000 has a very wet, 14k gold nib that most consider soft and springy.  Be aware that the 2000 nib sizes run much broader than a lot of other pens.  I have both a custom stub (formerly a medium), and an extra-fine.  In my opinion, both the medium and the EF run one size broader than normal (i.e., the medium writes more like a broad).  In recent years, many bloggers and commenters have noted a prevalence of nib issues with this pen, such as scratchiness, misaligned or uneven tines, and even bent nibs.  While I wouldn't rule out some deterioration in Lamy's quality control over the years, I've not personally experienced any issues, and I sometimes wonder whether this is just a function of how popular this pen is, with some problems being inevitable once so many of them hit the market.  The Makrolon Lamy 2000 is the least expensive pen on this list, (from Amazon), or you can opt for more deluxe the brushed stainless steel model.      
2. Sailor Pro Gear.  At no. 2, you have the most expensive pen on this list, but it's possibly my favorite pen of all time.  Sailor's 1911 Professional Gear (dubbed the "Pro Gear") is a relatively compact fountain pen that sports excellent Sailor 21k nibs.  I promise that I won't go on about Sailor at length--you can read my reviews of my two Limited Editions here and here--but in short Sailor is a Japanese company known for its nibs.  To achieve maximum smoothness and perfection, I've had both my Sailor nibs tuned by Mike Masuyama (who worked for Sailor for 25 years or so), but all Sailor pens that I have purchased have written just fine out of the box.  Starting at $250 for the standard version at PenChalet, and if you have smaller hands the Pro Gear Slim might be a better option at $156.   
3. Pilot Vanishing Point.  The go-to option for a retractable nib fountain pen.  Of all the modern pen companies, I've found that Pilot nibs write the best out of the box, and the Vanishing Point is another easy recommendation with one caveat:  many people have a hard time with the clip.  Due to the fact that a retractable fountain pen needs to be stored nib-up, the clip ends up on the writing end of the pen, attached to the "section."  (Take a look at some photos of the pen, and you'll see what I mean).  I personally am not sensitive about grip sections, and the matte-black VP model is one of my most used work pens.  The Vanishing Point is available in a wide array of colors, and start at $140 pretty much everywhere (pre-discount code).   
4. Pilot Custom 74.  A pen that I don't personally own anymore, but that I enjoyed while I had it.  The Pilot Custom 74 is a full-size pen that features a nice rhodium-plated gold nib, and in the United States is available as a clear, blue, orange, smoke, or violet demonstrator.  The Custom 74 also comes with Pilot's high-capacity Con-70 pump converter, which is just flat-out cool.  Starting at $160 from most retailers.  NOTE:  I have not reviewed either the Vanishing Point or the Custom 74 for this site, but both pens have been reviewed to death, and you can easily locate reviews of both using the Pennaquod search engine.  
5. Franklin-Christoph.  Your "gateway" into custom nibs.  Franklin-Christoph has taken the fountain pen industry by storm in recent years, offering an array of unique designs that use JoWo interchangeable nib units, some of which have been customized by Mike Masuyama. You can purchase a Masuyama Ground cursive italic or stub nib for your pen at a slight upcharge.  For example, the Model 20 "Marietta" starts at $165, and comes in at $180 for a Masuyama nib.  Most will want to stick with a steel nib for their first Franklin-Christoph, but gold nibs are available as well.  Note that Franklin-Christoph checks and tunes all nibs before they ship, and they have excellent customer service if you are not satisfied.  I really like their demonstrator models, which look absolutely awesome when converted to eyedroppers.      

Again, this list contains just like, my opinion, man, so if you think I've left anything off, reach out through the "Contact Me" link or via twitter.  I've received some great suggestions following the prior posts, and haven't had a chance to get back to everyone yet.  I will try!  

DISCLAIMER:  This post contains affiliate links, through which I may be compensated a small amount if you purchase a pen from any of the sites linked to in this article.  While I'd greatly appreciate it if you use these links to purchase a pen you are interested in, you are, of course, under no obligation to do so.  Many thanks!