I picked up a bottle of this from Jetpens well over a year ago. The 30ml bottle cost $15. The price is neither the highest or lowest I’ve ever paid for a bottle of black ink.
The ink comes in a squat cylindrical bottle with a flair at the base and the top. The lid reminds me of Diamine’s 50ml glass bottle lids. The label for the bottles is basic looking.
The black itself is nicely dark on all the paper I’ve tried. It doesn’t grey out when I write. There is no shading to speak of though I wouldn’t call this ink saturated. The flow is even and decently lubricated even on garbage paper. The ink is well behaved even on fibery absorbent paper. The ink photocopies incredibly well.
The ink responds well to drips and spills but isn’t waterproof. With a drip and wipe a few seconds later the ink smears but leaves behind legible lines. Even with a lengthier soak the lines are still visible though significantly blurred. I did not test with detergent or with a lengthy soak, but I would not expect this ink to survive the washing machine.
The combination of it being nicely dark, well lubricated, and well behaved on a variety of garbage paper makes it my go to ink. I load most of my pens up with this first then test with other inks later. It’s a great black ink.
My new DayJob allows for blue or black ink* and I’m in search of inks that work well in my various pens, look good on nice as well as crap paper, and photocopies well. I’m looking for professional looking black and blue inks.
My RSVP Co-host, Lenore, sent me a package with a bunch of Akkerman ink samples and a few other inks. I’ve used a bunch of the inks for doodles and writing, but the Binnenhof Blues was a color that I hadn’t touched, until now. I filled my CaliArt Ego with the sample. I used it during my first full week at the new job. While in training I used it on the unknown paper** the main office uses for photocopies, my Baron Fig Vanguard, and my pocket notebook. The ink performed well on all papers*** with minimal feathering and bleed through.
For purposes of photos for the blog, I used the ink on a Baron Fig Strategist 3×5 card, Yoobi 3×5 card, and a Staples Stickies note. I’ve included an image from my Leachturm 1917. The dry time on good paper is slow but on copy paper, it was around 3 seconds, so not bad. I don’t do swatches but I did several layers of ink with a pen. It took 7 layers of scribbles for the ink to soak through. Though fibers lifted from the Strategist after 4 layers. On cheaper paper, it does have a tendency to bled through, though not badly. Thinner papers have some show through, but I didn’t have an issue in my L1917 or Confidant.
Performance of this ink is good on most papers. It photocopies well enough. I quite enjoyed this in my bullet journal and my work planner.
It isn’t waterproof though it does show some resistance. I did a droplet and wipe test. The wipe test showed some smearing but the lines are legible both after the wipes and droplets have dried. With the soak/droplets, the ink showed significant migration. I have no doubt that this ink would not survive the washing machine.
This isn’t a unique shade of blue. It’s been noted by many other and better reviewers that this is Diamine Saphire ink in a fancy bottle. It is a lovely shade of blue-ish purple that reminds me of most blue inks out there. If you want a sedate well behaved blue ink that doesn’t stand out- Akkerman Binnenof Blues is a great choice. Despite the fact that it is a shade of blue available in many forms- from ballpoint to gel to other brands of ink, I like it. There is something about blue-ish purple that I really enjoy. While it is obviously blue it is also warm-ish and in the right warm light could read as purple.
If you are looking for a nice, well behaved blue-purple ink this is a good choice. Maybe buy the Akkerman for the fancy bottle then refill it with Diamine?
This is another eBay purchase. I found this pen for a mere $2.60USD. I ordered the blue anodized demonstrator version. It is available in many other colors. Prices on this pen flucuates, $2.60 is the lowest price I could find, with $15 or so at the highest. After ordering I waited about 3 weeks for it to arrive from China.
It arrived in a thin plastic envelope. INside it was swaddled with copious amounts of bubble wrap. A single cut to the packing tape and it unfurled. Inside the pen was safe.
Immediately I uncapped the pen and checked out the nib and feed. I washed the pen out with clear warm water. I then inked it with De Atrementis Deepwater Black. My intent was to use this pen at work for a week or so before posting my review. (Good news: I did.)
The piston mechanism clicks into place and clicks as you start to use the mechanism, then it slides smoothly down the barrel. The pen sucks up the ink with ease. It seems to hold 2ml of ink. I did not do any rigorous testing on this, just looking at the sample container I used to hold the ink as I filled.
The nib itself is silky smooth and feels great on all the paper I used it on. I did test this extensively at work. This means I’ve tested it on all the crappy paper at work as well as Story Supply Co Morning, HP LaserJet 24lb, Staples Sustainable Harvest, Staples 20lb office copy paper, and Baron Fig Confidant paper. The pen felt smooth and perfect on all paper. The only paper that it had any drag on was the colored paper we use for particular assessments. It’s made for Staples but it is rough even with gel pens. It is terrible paper. This pen performed as well as could be expected on such an awful paper.
The cap can be posted but sticks quite tightly to the silver ring that holds the piston in place. Pulling on the cap pulls on this ring, which also seems to remove the blind cap. Dangerous. The clip is well proportioned to the cap and very sturdy. It holds to my shirt with ease. I quite enjoy the elongated coffin shape of the clip.
I was shocked at the performance of this pen. I had very low expectations given that I ordered a $2.60 piston filling fountain pen. I’d read great reviews but didn’t know if they were realistic. They were.
This is a great pen, for $2.60 you can’t beat the performance and the look. The fact that with very little work- in screwing a few bits here and there, you can disassemble the pen to its parts means you can completely clean any ink stuck inside. This also means it is a good candidate for sketching.
This is another pen design that is clearly influenced by a couple of companies- the body and look by TWSBI Diamond AL series. The nib and feed by Lamy. The end reminds me of the Pilot Prera. It takes all the elements that I like about a lot of pens and mashes them together in something that doesn’t quite makes sense but does. Overall it works for me but it leaves me scratching my head.
The leather version of the Fodderstack XL (LFXL) has all of the great attributes of the nylon version- it carries 1 or 2 pocket notebooks safely along with one or two pens. It can slide effortlessly into a back pocket or into a jacket pocket.
The form factor is a tad different than the nylon version. LEather after all is a different material that requires different handling. The LFXL is slightly wider than the original which means that it requires slightly wider pants. It also means that it won’t fit into smaller pockets, like those found in women’s pants. Le sigh. It does fit in most of my shirt pockets. Not that I carry the LFXL in a shirt pocket, but if I did it is possible.
If you’ve used any of One Star LEather Goods products before you know that the leather they use is high quality and patinas to a deep dark caramel color. It is stunning. It’s gotten softer with use. The clips of my pens, pencils and the texture of denim has scarred up the exterior. The scars stay there too, even after I’ve polished and cleaned the leather. I like the look, it marks the LFXL as mine and only mine.
Overall the LFXL is a divine piece of leather work, perfect if you want to have a case that gets better with use and keeps your pocket notebook and PDC pen safe in your pocket. I love mine and use it daily.
The Parkr Jotter is a classic in the pen world. Both the ballpoint and fountain pen version has been around forever. Where the ballpoint is a timeless classic the fountain pen version is… not.
The brushed stainless steel exterior is lightweight and feels pretty nice. The section is made of cheap plastic and has visible mold lines. The pen does not come with a converter, rather 2 international small cartridges. The carts take some serious force to get them to seat properly. Until one is properly seated in the pen you get weak ink flow. As soon as the cart is in place ink flows and keeps flowing. The pen will also take an international long cartridge.
The nib out of the box was smooth and once ink began to flow, it wrote well. Here and there the pen would skip. Looking at it under a loupe I found that the tipping suffered from baby bottom. A tiny amount of work with my polishing stick solved that problem. Since then the pen has worked well in every instance.
I have found that it performs less well on rough crappy paper- the paper at work makes it feel like I’m writing on sandpaper.
The pen has a classic look- brushes stainless steel body, the classic Parker Arrow clip, and flat ends. I like how it looks but the feel is beyond cheap. The raised visible mold lines leave me feeling flat. The diminutive size makes me feel like I’m writing with a child’s pen or pocket pen. This isn’t a pen you’ll want to carry around in a pocket either. The cap takes very little force to remove and could easily fall off as you walk around.
It’s a pen you won’t mind losing or giving away. I’m entirely meh on this pen. What is really horrible is that this is often a pen people pick up because it’s readily available and it is their first introduction to fountain pens. They’d be better off buying a Wing Sung 3008 or a CaliArts Ego. There are a hundred better first pen options at a lower price point than the Parker Jotter Fountain Pen.
The CaliArts Ego is available on eBay for about $10USD. The pen is available with fine and extra fine nibs. I ordered the fine nib.
The pen arrives in a bubble mailer roughly 2 weeks after ordering. Inside the mailer was a silver colored box. Within that box is a silver tin. The tin has a die-cut foam insert to hold the pen in place during shipping. Inset into the foam is a silver wrench and 2 new silicone orange o-rings.
The pen is a clear piston filling demonstrator. The feed is also clear. Upon arrival, I cleaned the feed and interior with some clean water. I did not remove the feed to do this, and I should have, the feed would not allow ink to move freely. I removed it and gave it a quick scrub with a toothbrush and warm water. After drying I installed it again and the ink has moved perfectly since.
I inked my pen with a classic ink- Diamine Chocolate. There is something about this ink that reminds me of fall and the harvest but also of gingerbread. It is a lovely ink with perfect flow and is well behaved on most papers. It is a great ink for testing a pen.
The nib out of the box was smooth and feels great on all the paper I’ve tested it on. Thus far I’ve used it on Story Supply Co Morning, HP LaserJet 24lb, Staples Sustainable Harvest, the cheap recycled garbage at work, Staples 20lb office copy paper, and Baron Fig Confidant paper. Overall the pen feels great. I was surprised it felt so good on the rough garbage work paper, which makes most pens feel terrible.
The fine nib is very fine for a fine. The feed seems to allow a decent amount of ink to flow through to the nib. It’s neither dry nor wet. It is just right, for me.
The cap cannot be posted. It connects to the blind cap and flops around until it falls off. Useless. The cap itself is fine. It screws on snugly and an o-ring prevents you from over tightening. It also keeps the cap airtight.
Let’s talk about that clip. The pen itself is pretty decent looking. SImple clean and useful. That clip is an abomination. It is too small and reminds me of one of those skinny neckties, but at the wrong proportion to the body. Yeesh. Ugly. It is snug enough and holds my pen clipped to my shirt. But it’s ugly.
Overall I like this pen. Sure the clip is ugly but it is a minor issue for a pen that works really well and with a really nice nib for $10. I like that it arrives in a nice protective foam-lined tin. Because it can be completely and relatively easily disassembled it is a contender for filling with India ink for sketching. (Don’t @ me. I know you shouldn’t.)
A final thought on this pen. It is clearly, uh, influenced, by the TWSBI Diamond and Eco pens. I’ve been told that the piston and blind cap fit the TWSBI Diamond and vice versa. The nib and feed look like Pilot nibs and feeds. This pen looks as though someone took design “cues” from both companies decided that they could make their own pen and set off to make one. Honestly they pulled it off but this could have ended badly.
I’m a big fan of the Sakura Foam eraser. I’ve been a fan of it for a long time. When I make an order from JetPens, I add a few onto my order. I use them in trades, swaps, and often give them away.
When I was at my local Artist and Craftsman I picked up a Sumo Grip retractable. They are quite affordable chunky click style erasers. The Sumo Grip is offered in a variety of sizes, all of them large. This is by design. I was able to chat with Peter from Sakura of America who filled me in on some of the design choices around the Sumo Grip. Sakura has a line of mechanical pencils designed for kids that have a sturdy chunky style the company chose to call them Sumo Grip after the sport of Sumo Wrestling. The image of the sumo wrestler was purposefully chosen to match the style of the pencils, and now erasers.
Coming back to the eraser itself, Sakura created the sticky non-smudging technology by combining the tech behind the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and a standard white plastic (PVC) eraser. The result is a soft sticky eraser that wraps around graphite (and other materials) and trapping the graphite in the sticky eraser without harming the fibers of your page. Which is one of the reasons I LOVE the Sakura foam, it takes less effort to clean graphite off the page and the erasers don’t burnish the fibers of the page down like so many other erasers styles. (Lookin’ at you Mars Plastic.)
Sakura then upped the ante by removing philates from the PVC and making the eraser nontoxic. As someone who often uses her erasers as fidgets, I can appreciate this. Also, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable about giving a fat Sumo Grip to my nephew.
Bringing all this back to the Sumo Grip Retractable. I love this as much as I like the Sakura Foam, or Arch- it’s the same eraser but colored black. My inner angsty emo kid loves black stationery items. The chunky black click mechanism means that when I carry this around in my pocket it doesn’t get worn away via movement. The nock ejects 3mm of the eraser at a time. The chunky body is comfortable and feels great in use.
I’m as much a fan of this eraser as I am the original Sakura Foam. Every person who uses pencils or makes art should get some version of the Sakura Foam- I just happen to really love the fat chunky black Sumo Grip a whole lot.
I’ve read a review or two where folks express, concern, over the logo. Just as an FYI Sakura is a Japanese company that is based out of Osaka, Japan. Design choices are made by the company and with pride over their heritage which includes Sumo Wrestling.
The Uniball Signo 207 is a staple pen. You can pick one up at any office, box, drug, or grocery store in the US. The multicolored sets are available at office supply stores across the US. A standard multicolor pack includes red, blue, and black. There are a total of 8 colors. 5 of those colors are only available in the 0.7 or medium point. The colors are identical across their range of gel inks, so if you want to sketch with a SIgno 207 then switch over to a Signo DX you can. This is great news if you want to sketch with these pens.
Uniball reports that the Signo 207 RT “forms an indelible bond in paper” and reports them to be “fade- & water-resistant, acid-free ink.” If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time you know what I think about acid free claims.* Fade and water resistance are much more important for those of us who use these pens for sketching. So a few things to note about these pens. The black is a solid everyday pen- great for writing, making notes, bullet journaling, and sketching. I’ve recomended it over and over and over again. It’s a great pen. Additionally so are many of the other colors. However, when you use these pens on good paper the ink doesn’t bond well with the fibers of the paper. So when you add water, or highlighter, it lifts and smears. I have found that this is much much worse with the colors, any of them. The black adheres the best of the lot, but every other colors I’ve tested with a variety of highlighters, smears. Adding water causes lifting and bleed of the ink.
Sketchbook paper with less sizing does well. My Leuchtturm1917 didn’t fare well. The ink smeared and I had to use a blotting sheet to keep the ink on one page. The colors are great for bullet journaling but not in a Leuchtturm1917.
Overall, I find the colors great for sketching and writing. I can use the bright red or orange for calling out a note or coloring a box. Further, the writing experience remains smooth and enjoyable from first to the last click. The ink is great on crappy paper, it bonds well but doesn’t drain out of the pen. I also enjoy these for sketching but the water-resistance of the colors is less than that of the black ink. Use the variety of colors combined with water with caution. Test first.
Let’s just cut to the chase, the Pentalic Traveler is a fabulous sketchbook or journal. Let me tell you why.
The cover is made of soft touch vinyl. It feels really nice for vinyl. I purchased a softcover version. The covers are held shut when in transit by a sturdy elastic the same color as the vinyl. Mine is red, bright cherry red. Inside there is a lengthy satin red ribbon, in the same shade as the rest. I heat sealed mine.
The end sheets are cream. In the back there is a pocket for assorted loose bits and bobs you might add to your sketchbook as you are traveling. THe pocket is roomy. The soft cover allows you to stuff even more into the pocket than a hardcover.
The book block is smythe sewn, sturdy and flexible. The paper itself is fabulous. It’s smooth but with enough tooth that pencils fair very well. Fountain pens and dip nibs glide across the pages. Surprisingly the 74 lb recycled sketch paper accepts watercolor washes with ease. The paper cockles a bit but in the end looks better than most sketchbooks in this price range.
Overall I was very surprised at the performance of this sketchbook. Every media I used performed well and looked great on the cool white page. At $7.49 and 160 pages it’s not a bad price for a pocket sketchbook. It’s sturdy and full of great paper.
I’ve been wanting to review a highlighter with a view window tip for ages. I picked up a 2 pack of the Sharpie version during the BTSS clearance for super cheap.
The highlighter is classic neon yellow, my least favorite of the highlighter colors, but a classic shade. The ink lays down wet and even. I hate it when they squish out a blob of oozy wet ink then dry out as I lay down a line. The chisel tip is just the right size to get a line of text in an average textbook or in my pocket notebook.. the tip can be flipped to achieve a narrow line. The tip does not mush down even with a heavy hand. To test this I gave one of the highlighters to my wife and she used it as she read cases for work. Usually, I don’t like to use a highlighter after shes touched one for more than an hour. Hers was perfectly usable after several days of use.
Which brings me to another point, despite its diminutive size these things have a decent amount of longevity. My wife often burns through a highlighter or two PER week. This one lasted a week. So there is a decent amount of ink.
The shape is flat and prevents rolling. They remind me of the Stabilo Boss highlighters in shape and size. It isn’t my favorite but it does the job well enough.
The cap is flaired and acts as a convenient pen stand so the pen doesn’t dry out in use. The pen is dry out resistant. I left it uncapped for about an hour and it was fine. This also means that if you lose the cap or toss it into your bag uncapped it’s going to make a huge mess.
The tip does allow me to see what I’m highlighting and I really do like it, though these are kinda silly. The see-through tip feels like a gimmick to me and unnecessary. But the tip does hold up much better than other highlighter tips. It doesn’t mash or bend, and I like how usable the tip remained even after heavy use. That the tip is made of mostly plastic with a firm but smooth tip seems to make a great deal of difference of the longevity of the highlighter. Overall, I love these, but not for the see-through nature of the tip, rather for the longevity of the tip, which is a byproduct of the see-through plastic.
