Montblanc Patron of Arts Homage to Hadrian Fountain Pen

Thank you to Appelboom Pennen for loaning me this pen so I could share it with you! What a $$$ beast. 

Hadrian was one of history’s most powerful and respected rulers. As one of the ‘five good emperors’ he reigned during an epoch viewed by chroniclers as the happiest of the ancient period. Starting in 117 A.D., Hadrian ruled for 21 years over an empire spanning three continents. Hadrian ended his predecessors’ expansion politics, stabilised the provinces and became a great emperor of peace and prosperity. His legacy was immense, since Hadrian invested in infrastructure and the arts in all parts of his enormous realm. It wasn’t only Rome and Athens that had him to thank for new buildings and comprehensive restorations, but many other cities of his empire as well. Restricted to 4810 pieces, representing the height of the Mont Blanc mountain in metres, the Patron of Art Limited Edition 4810 fountain pen is now available. - Check it out at Appelboom

Remember you can shop at Appelboom and use the discount code 'friend' for 10% off! Unfortunately, Montblanc does not allow discounts like this so it is excluded but you know, there's a lot of other great things to check out!

Sailor Shikiori Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges Make Great Gifts! Also, They're Very Adorable.

Sailor keeps changing things up with their fountain pen inks - the ink used to come in those squat little 50 ml with the plastic cup inside, then without the cup, then they discontinue them, then they re-release them at a higher price, then they remove the cup (ok, that was a good move), then they drop them to 20 ml and they are expensive per ml. The most recent launch is the set of 20 Shikiori ink colors in adorable little portable cases with three cartridges inside. They're silly and adorable and I am a sucker for cute things like this, even though I certainly do not need them. I convinced myself using a few arguments but one was that having a few Sailor cartridges on hand that are not Sailor black (the standard that comes with a fountain pen). 

I was at Take Note just a few days ago and saw them on the shelf. Le sigh. They just have the look of tidy and simple that appeals to me. The entire set is so organized and looks so appealing and I am just a big sucker for this. Soooo as I said, I didn't need them but they come in this tiny adorable little carry case with a tiny adorable little sleeve and they were sitting in their little bookshelf home urging me to select some of them. ONEOFUS.ONEOFUS. Except it's four of them and I ended up with: Okuyama, Rikyucha, Sakuramori, and Yamadori. I don't need the whole set so I just picked out a few of my favorites and I haven't even tried Sakuramori before so this was for science so I had no choice. ⁣

Yamadori is a favorite of mine - Copper Pheasant Teal - sounds like the name from one of those weird memes where your day/month/year of birth = Copper/Pheasant/Teal. Um. Wikipedia says the copper pheasant, or the Soemmerring's pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringii) is endemic to Japan the name makes sense. It's a stunning blue-green teal with red sheen. 

Each individual box at Take Note is $9CAD - none of Sailor's ink is inexpensive but I these are a neat novelty for me and I'll definitely use them and reuse the cartridges. The full set is $165CAD at Take Note but I love that Jolanta has made the individual colors available for purchase. I can't drop 165 right now for the full set but I can split a few boxes with a friend or two and it's not too bad. 

Rikyucha - Tea Green Brown - is a strange green brown motor oil-type color that shades well and looks fantastic in a wide, wet nib like a Pilot Parallel. I have so few colors like this. Come to think of it, this is the only ink I have in this color family, which would be ... green? Brown? Breen? I guess Tea Green Brown is an apt name.

Okuyama - Remote Mountain - is a red-brown-magenta-bordeaux? I'm really not good at describing colors but I am very good at being thrilled by them. Last but not least, Sakuramori caught my eye because it just looks like a sweet, happy little pink. It is Cherry Blossom Pink, which does not surprise me in the least because by now, I know what sakura is, and it also looks like a pink cherry blossom. I'm expecting a nice soft pink. I have obviously not swatched all these new ones and I happened to have a smear of Rikyucha but I obviously was not ready to pop these bad boys in a pen. 

The best part about these is I think they are a superb gift idea! The back of the box has a little picture on how to use the cartridge and I feel like these are just easier to understand than if you give a newbie a fountain pen, converter, and a bottle of ink. The cartridge is more convenient to travel with and everything. Of course, Sailor cartridges are not a new thing but up to now, it has just been the standard range of colors - black, blue - useful but not thrilling for me. FINALLY! Some fun Sailor cartridges!

Sweet Flexy Handwriting with a Fountain Pen

Ahh, a bit of seductive flex and spreading of tines with juicy pools of ink for your Friday. And my Friday. For this Friday and for every Friday hereafter. 

Pen + nib: Parker Vacumatic Major + factory stub (vintage)
Ink: Waterman South Sea Blue
Music: YouTube X Ray Vision - Slynk

You can visit my sponsors and snag a bottle of Waterman South Sea Blue for yourself! Some even offer discounts for you to enjoy. You don't have to use the code and you don't have to shop with them but it helps me out if you do!

Thank you for watching. If you found this useful, enjoyed it, and would like to see more pen, ink, and paper stuff, please like and subscribe! If you have realized that oddly satisfying pens and inks are your jam and you would like to support my creations, please check me out on patreon.com/gourmetpens to help keep the ink flowing!

Goldspot Pens Sailor 1911S Royal Amethyst Purple Fountain Pen

Worn by royalty throughout the ages, the Amethyst stone embodies the pinnacle of luxury. It is also said to have healing properties, relieving stress and warding away negative thoughts. While the Sailor 1911 fountain pen is not made of pure amethyst, you'll feel the luxury and relaxation radiating from the transparent purple body and gleaming gold trims. An exclusive collaboration between Goldspot Pens and Sailor of Japan, we proudly present the Sailor 1911 Royal Amethyst Fall 2019 limited edition.

The 1911's classic, cigar-shaped profile is well-balanced and feels comfortable to hold for long writing sessions. Sailor's gold nibs are some of the finest on the planet, tending to be a size finer than their European counterparts. The fountain pen fills by Sailor's proprietary cartridge or converter (both included) and includes a 1-year limited warranty. - Goldspot

I'm a sucker for Sailor because I love the huge range of colors and nib combinations available to us. Yes, it drives me bonkers that there are exclusives that we cannot easily access but recently North America has been extra lucky to have some exclusives for ourselves. Goldspot brings us the Royal Amethyst fountain pen in the 1911 Standard and 1911 Large models. 

Aside from colors, Sailor's range of standard nibs is extremely exciting for someone like myself who loves nibs and all sorts of nibs - and yes, even though I give extra-fine nibs a hard time, I regretfully admit I understand their purpose and sometimes they're even enjoyable. However, I lean towards the broader end of the nib range - the broad, zoom, and music stub. In this case, I have a 14kt music stub to play with. 

The nibs are yellow gold and the 1911S comes with 14kt nibs and the larger model has the 21kt nib. I have here a 14kt nib as this is the 1911S. They have plastic feeds and a single slit and round breather hole. Unlike other music nibs, Sailor's is a single slit, two-tine that still manages to be stubby and juicy. Does it need three tines? Probably not because it's pretty broad and juicy as is. Aesthetically, it might be more interesting and yet it's fine the way it is. 

   

The pen is a really pretty purple - bright enough to be easily recognized as purple, it's clear, and it's topped off with gold trim that makes it look quite warm and inviting. I like the color and I love clear pens for some reason. I used to think it was the ink slosh factor but now I'm not sure - there's not a lot of sloshing going on here and I still am attracted to it. Maybe it's because I ink way too many pens up at the same time and being able to see if a particular pen is inked at a glance is really handy, especially if you can also discern the actual ink color within reason. Blue, green, pink, etc. It doesn't have to be down to the specific ink color or anything.

Thoughts on bananas hit the Instagram feed awhile ago because I had bought four green bananas, thinking they would last me a week before they got weirdly brown. No. Two days later, they were beyond saving (or eating) and they had to be given to a friend who prefers their brown spots. Ew? I spent some time dwelling on the banana saga. I like my bananas barely ripe and I hate the strings and once I’ve eaten it, I want the peel far away from me because I hate how the peel smells without a banana in it. Tell me your banana feelings. 

 

The Sailor 1911 series is a solid one: the two sizes means you get two size options of pen and nib. The pen is really comfortable, it's lightweight and can easily be used for longer writing sessions, it posts snugly and securely, and it's a low maintenance fountain pen. The cartridge/converter system is easy peasy to clean and look after, and although the Sailor converter is pretty small in terms of its ink capacity, I still reach for it more often than using the cartridges. I'm just not a cartridge person. I don't know why. If I really must, I refill the cartridge using a syringe and needle, or even using just a small plastic pipette. The larger 1911 is great for most hands - unposted for smaller hands, and posted for larger hands. 

The music nib is juicy but not a ridiculous gusher. It's great for writing to friends because it shows off your ink color really well and you can do some fun doodles or calligraphy with it at the same time. It's a fairly smooth stub in that the corners are not sharp and will not catch on your page so if it's your first time exploring music nibs or even stub nibs, the Sailor music nib is a safe one to go with. These nibs are quite firm and do not offer line variation. The tines do not split and if they do, it's because you've done a naughty thing to your nib! If you apply pressure, the most you'll get is just a little more ink. Vintage music nibs are flexible but Sailor nibs are not. 

I have several Sailors in my pen case and they are all inked up almost all of the time. If they're not, it's because they're waiting to be cleaned. I don't get bored of them and I somehow keep getting more. They're definitely in the luxurious pen category what with the gold nibs and price, but they aren't so grotesquely priced that I'm afraid to carry them around with me. I comfortably take these to pen meets. 

Are you a Sailor fan?

Available at Goldspot - $220USD for the Standard, $312USD for the Large. Goldspot is one of my blog sponsors and they make so many reviews possible so they have my deepest gratitude for their support. I received this pen free of charge so I could share my thoughts with you. I hope this has been helpful! Thank you for reading. If you enjoy and/or appreciate this type of information and you want to lend your support, please do check me out on Patreon! You can support yours truly for as little as $1. You are in no way obligated to do so, of course. I am most grateful for your readership as is.

Waldmann Précieux Black Diamond Fountain Pen - Classy & Elegant!

Thank you to Luxury Brands USA for providing this pen for a review and GIVEAWAY! To find out how to enter, sadly, you must watch the video. Winner will be announced on YouTube by highlighting the comment on Friday, August 21, 2020. I will update the description there to reflect the winner's name. It's a random giveaway, open worldwide wherever I can get Canada Post to ship the prize to.

For more on Waldmann, visit them here!
Luxury Brands USA

Esterbrook The Journaler Nib A Great Writer for Handwriting and Journaling

Esterbrook and Custom Nib Studio have collaborated to bring us a special nib by Gena: the Journaler. 

In 1858, when Richard Esterbrook was still in the business of making dip pens and co-owner of the United States Steel Pen Manufacturing Company, he was making nibs by hand using special tool and machines, which he often had to invent. Nibs were a central feature of his business. His were revered for being versatile, long-lasting and available in many different models to fit the many styles of writing found in the general public. 

As the company moved away from dip pens to fountain pens, the newly minted Esterbrook Pen Company, solely owned by Richard Esterbrook, maintained that the grinding of nibs should remain artful in nature and the company created an interchangeable nib system that offered variety and flexibility to its growing clientele.

As we continue to tell the Esterbrook story, we wanted to continue Esterbrook’s tradition of focusing on specialized nibs. 

The Esterbrook Custom Nib Program is our way to highlight exceptional American nibmeisters and we’ve asked some of the most prominent and exceptional nibmeisters in our community to create nibs to be a part of Esterbrook’s storied legacy. Gena Salorino of the Custom Nib Studio in Los Angeles has created the first edition.

An apprentice to nibmeister John Mottishaw of Nibs.com for nearly four years, Gena’s nib work is derived from his style, but as she’s established Custom Nib Studio, her signature nibs have become well-known in the marketplace for her own trademark style and beautiful handmade quality.

In her own words, the custom nib Gena is grinding for Esterbrook is a “medium stub grind, based on the vintage Esterbrook 9314M nib. The idea is that it’s smooth and friendly enough for everyday use, gives your writing some flair, all without being too huge for practical writing”. 

Available for the Standard and Oversized Esties as well as the new Camden, Gena’s custom nib has an MSRP of $50 and your pen will come with this nib. Esterbrook Pens⁣

I have to agree - it adds some flair but it is absolutely friendly enough for every day use. It feels like a cursive italic that leans to the stubby side, so it's easy to write quickly and it's quite forgiving. The Journaler is a great name for it⁣. If you purchase your pen with the nib, you will get a custom ground nib without having to part with your new baby! 

 

You can see the transitions in the loops are thinner than the downstrokes but there are no catches because the corners of the nib are not sharp, thus the do not catch on the page. I wrote those loops quickly and still it was forgiving enough not to have this issue. The downstroke is broad enough that, with inks that show some shading, you will get the benefit of that characteristic. You can see it with this turquoise ink. 

It isn't a gusher and that is appropriate for a nib that is intended to be for journaling as you don't want to be waiting for it to dry or smearing the ink everywhere. 

 

Would it really be a journaling nib if I didn’t journal with it? This is how I journal and this quote rings true, especially now. “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

I used a few inks: Waterman Obsession Blue, PW Akkerman Gourmet Pens Pink (that's mine!), and Sailor Shikiori Yozakura. 

 

Which one would suit your writing best?

⁣Esterbrook Estie Lilac + The Journaler nib - the easiest to write with of the bunch here. Very forgiving, still offers line variation to add some pizzazz to your handwriting. Feels something like a cursive italic.⁣ A great starting point if you're not sure if your writing is too big or too small to manage. 

Sailor 1911S Royal Amethyst + music nib - quite a stubby square music nib. Fair amount of line variation. Totally usable on the daily. Obviously it will be a wide writer, but it is pretty forgiving and if you have larger handwriting, it is not an issue. If you don't, then perhaps this is not the ideal option.

⁣Aurora 88 Satin Rose + stub nib - surprisingly sharp for a stub, so lots of line variation here.⁣

⁣Franklin-Christoph Pocket 66 Antique Glass + music nib - the widest of the bunch so not necessarily a writer for every day. No tipping so you cannot modify it further - it is what it is (personally I love it). Great for lots of line variation between downstrokes and cross strokes!⁣

 

More weekend reminders from YOU! It's a great practice, to prepare the mind for goodness ahead. Thank you @writeunafraid @maassteven @notsimar for the mind candy, and everyone, please do feel free to add more below. I read them and appreciate them, and then I get to write them! 

 

 

Get Your Esterbrook!

La Couronne du Comte
Discount code: GOURMET10

Appelboom
Discount code: friend

Pen Chalet
Discount code: GOURMET2020

Goldspot Pens

PW Akkerman Gourmet Pens Pink

Akkerman (PWA has have provided a discount code - 10% off using GOURMET10 ⁣⁣(excludes Montblanc, sadly, their Akkerman inks, discounted products, unfortunately)⁣⁣ )
Vanness Pens
Lemur Ink
Bookbinders Design
Laywine's 

I hope this has been helpful! Thank you for reading. If you enjoy and/or appreciate this type of information and you want to lend your support, please do check me out on Patreon! You can support yours truly for as little as $1. You are in no way obligated to do so, of course. I am most grateful for your readership as is.