Sailor's Sailor Ocean Blue Ink

 

For the past 15 years, Sailor has been actively holding Ink Studio in-shop ink blending events all throughout Japan. These sought after events have always been a success with Japanese consumers lining up to have custom ink colors blended by their famed Sailor ink blender Osamu Ishimaru. To mark Sailor Ink Studio’s 15th year milestone - and to thank their loyal followers - Sailor will be releasing a special commemorative edition bottle ink – the Sailor’s sailor. This special edition bottle ink was originally intended to be sold solely within the Japanese domestic market, however Sailor has decided to extend the availability to North America as well. - Wonder Pens

Sailor's Ink Studio line comes in those tiny little bottles with crazy cool colors named after numbers, which is incredibly frustrating when there are 100 colors and you have to remember which ones you like (no. 1 - 100, basically). The names are numbers. They're beautiful, they're expensive, and I still want most of them. I have resigned myself to having four bottles in total. That might sound like a lot but it isn't when you consider most of my nibs write 1ml/minute.

The Sailor’s Sailor Ocean Blue has some notable differences from the regular Ink Studio line up: the bottle is larger, it's not just a plain white box, the ink has a name, and in comparison to the bottles I own, the color is pretty chill. The solid little box is really cute and while I'm not usually someone who likes presentation, this one is well done and is not excessive. In fact, I'd keep the little box and I'd reuse this bottle for sure.

The bottle is solid clear glass and holds 50 ml of ink with a little blue label and gold bowtie. The cap is faceted and it's really easy to get a grip on and thus, open. It's a pretty matte metallic blue-purple that is sort of iridescent? It's hard to describe so you can check out the picture, but overall, the presentation is really nice. The bottle is pretty heavy and is very stable on the desk. It's easy to fill from and because it's stable, there is no risk of tipping.

Ocean Blue is an attractive, vibrant, bright blue. I don't find it particularly unusual as far as blues go. It’s a lovely, very pure blue with medium sheen that matches the ink. I actually really like that.

It’s unusual for Sailor to have an ink in the Studio line up that isn’t 3429234 colors in one. Sometimes you just want a pure color. It's definitely work appropriate and I don't think it is boring. It has a surprising amount of water resistance, which makes it even better. It's a clean color that is not super duper saturated so I have not found it difficult to clean. If you have greasy residue inside a clear pen (for example, from a piston), the blue can cling to the residue but I was able to clean it out using a Q-tip.

Here's where I can shock you: this is probably the first ink I've ever used where I actually prefer it in the fine nib I inked instead of the super wet juicy music nib. Why? The music nib is dare I say almost too wet and just floods the color out. The fine nib has medium flow so I could see the shading better and it has a strange ethereal delicacy to it, like you're writing on tracing paper. It's really interesting.

I wasn’t planning to get this ink but the bottle was cute and a friend asked if I wanted to split some (in other words, this sad soul bought the bottle and I said oh can I just borrow this for pictures? ... *siphons ink into sample vials*).  Do you need it? If you need another blue, absolutely. It’s a pretty decent one. If you have 29384029348 blues, I’d suggest sharing it with a friend. You’ll have to share custody of the really cute bottle. ⁣

$55CAD at Wonder Pens

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Akkerman Gourmet Pens Pink Ink Looks Fab in the Esterbrook Estie Lilac (100% Unbiased.)

100%. I swear. I have no bias here except for the fact that I picked the ink and I love Akkerman and I love my Lilac and - well, I am biased. That's ok. Just because I'm biased doesn't mean I am wrong!

There's a lot of goodness going on here:

• The sweet Superior Labor A5 Folio from Wonder Pens, which I bought several years ago and have used constantly ever since. Partially to justify the price to myself, but mostly because it's super convenient and robust. Also, it looks really good in pictures. 
• The Atelier Musubi Cat notebook, which was gifted to me from the DC Pen Show this year. We literally got there, snagged this (and several others), and I treasure it. I've been making all sorts of plans for it, and whereas I used to be too afraid to use nice notebooks, now I am eager to get in there and enjoy every square inch of it. This particular cover was a special one so there are only a few out there! They're adorable. What's so special about Musubi? This is what they say and I am pretty happy to buy from them!

Built upon the twin pillars of obsessive craftsmanship and an enduring social mission, Musubi is an atelier devoted to the careful, ethical creation of small goods.
Our operations exemplify our philosophy of direct impact:
In Singapore, our bookbinding atelier employs only persons with physical and intellectual disabilities, providing them the employment stability and opportunities they previously lacked.
In Peru, Indonesia, and other countries across the globe, we work with indigenous communities threatened by violence, climate change and political upheaval.
By paying our artisans a fair price for their work, we establish proper infrastructure and employment, ensuring both that traditional craft is not lost to the ages, and that the most vulnerable amongst them — often women and children — have safe places to live and a future to strive for.
The end result: every Musubi creation directly and measurably benefits the least fortunate amongst us. Come along with us as we tell a story with meaning.

• Live Notes Tomoe River notebook from Pen Gallery - I love Tomoe River. I usually prefer the 52gsm but this notebook is A5 - one of my favorite sizes - and it's so easy to carry around in the Superior Labor folio. Perfect for writing samples. 
• Esterbrook Esties - you'll see three different ones here, from top to bottom: Estie Regular Lilac, Estie Regular Blueberry, and the Estie Violet Slim. The Slim has a #5 nib, unlike the #6 nib on the Regular and Oversize. I know I say this every time they release a new color, but the Lilac, Violet, and Blueberry are just delicious. 
• Last but not least, and the most biased part of this is the pink ink. It's my collaboration ink with PW Akkerman in The Hague (the only Akkerman that makes and sells these inks). It comes in the awesome fluted bottle with the nifty marble and it's sexy and I picked the pink. You can get it straight from Akkerman,  Vanness Pens, Lemur Ink, Bookbinders Design, and Laywine's in Canada. 
• Side note: PWA has have provided a discount code - 10% off using GOURMET10 ⁣⁣(excludes Montblanc, sadly, their Akkerman inks, discounted products, unfortunately)⁣⁣ However. There's a lot of other goodness:
• no VAT if you're outside the EU⁣⁣
• international shipping⁣⁣
• awesome customer service from people who truly love pens⁣⁣
• a selection of truly delectable goodies.⁣⁣ Shop here! Yep, English option available.⁣⁣

Field Trip: Wonder Pens Studio Shop on Gerrard St.

Wonder Pens opened a studio shop on Gerrard St. in Toronto, Canada. I was able to visit not too long ago and the shop cat, Chicken, made an appearance! The studio shop has an assortment of goodies including Traveler's Notebooks and accessories, Popov Leather, Tools to Live By, The Superior Labor leather products, Peg & Awl, Field Notes, Stalogy, quite a solid assortment of pencils, and more.

It's a smaller location than the regular shop and the pencil assortment is greater. It also has Chicken! You can expect fewer fountain pen inks but also some other more enticing goodies like select pieces from The Superior Labor. There is a small display of fountain pens you can explore as well. I usually stop in to check The Superior Labor leather stock status as well as to find the softest pencil lead I can find.

Scriptus Toronto Writing Show 2018 Inks - Maple Red & Northern Twilight!

The Scriptus Toronto Writing Show 2018 is celebrating its 5th anniversary with inks from KWZI... and this time, it's a re-release of two favourites! Maple Red⁣⁣⁣ was released for Scriptus' 2nd year and sold out in 40 minutes. Northern Twilight was released for Scriptus' 3rd year and sold out in 45 minutes (with twice the amount of bottles as Maple Red!). Previously, they were show-exclusives but this year, there will be bottles available to the online community so if you must have one of these gorgeous inks, you can head over to bauerinks.ca to learn how you can secure one (or both) for yourself. Make sure to do so before October 28, 2018, so you know what you need to do to make it happen!

Maple Red: a stunning red that evokes the image of maple leaves changing colour. Saturated, vivid, warm, and truly beautiful.⁣
⁣
Northern Twilight: an elegant, intense blue-black with strong teal tones and hints of burgundy sheen.⁣

Yes. I know I mixed up the swab names.

Lamy 2000 Makrolon Fountain Pen Review @Lamy

Thanks to Lamy Canada for sending this Makrolon fountain pen for a review!

ABOUT

Body material: Makrolon (black fibreglass) + brushed stainless steel
Trim: Aluminum
Cap: Snap-on
Posts: Yes, friction
Nib material: 14 kt gold, rhodium-plated
Filling system: Piston-filler
Length (capped): 138.80 mm/5.46"
Length (uncapped): 124.19 mm/4.88"
Length (posted): 152.96 mm/6.02"
Length (section): 22.93 mm/0.90"
Diameter (barrel):  9.23 - 13.23 mm/0.36" - 0.52"
Diameter (section): 6.30 - 10.80 mm/0.24" - 0.42"
Weight (all): 27 g
Weight (cap): 9 g
Weight (body): 18 g
Price: $226.00 CAD
Where to buy: Wonder Pens

PACKAGING

The Lamy is presented in a simple grey cardboard box with a brushed metal Lamy plaque on top. The pen was placed in an (unnecessary...) plastic sleeve and it was sitting on a felt bed. Very simple and basic and I like that Lamy does not waste packaging. It's not excessively large. Most of it is recyclable as well!

APPEARANCE

The Lamy 2000 is Lamy's flagship model. The Makrolon is probably more recognizable than the stainless steel. The body is round with blunt, flat ends. The cap snaps on with tiny little nubs that stick out of the barrel, which the cap clicks through. The finial is smooth and polished. The clip is attached through a cut out in the cap. It is a sharp, blunt, blocky clip engraved with "Germany" on the bottom and "LAMY" on the side. The clip is brushed metal, which matches the brushed section. There is a silver colored plug at the end of the barrel as well.

The piston-turning knob is well-placed and is flush with the barrel. I can barely even see the seam. The Makrolon has a small ink window. It's not particularly easy to see - you cannot really tell what the exact color of your ink is but you can see if you have any!

The cap and barrel are a matte, brushed black fiberglass. I think it looks quite cool with the brushed stainless steel trim. I like the look of the pen overall, though I usually favour bright colors. I never used to like this model and I never understood what the appeal was and then suddenly I wanted one! Maybe just curiosity but it has a lot going for it.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The 14kt rhodium-plated gold nib is the hooded type, which was one of the things I did not like about the pen. Although the model appeals to me more now than it used to, I still don't care for the hooded nib. It has a single slit and most of the nib is concealed so there isn't much to it. I have the broad nib and it appears to be quite stubby. Lamy tests all their pens before they leave the factory so I flushed the washable blue ink residue out first.

The nib is well-adjusted and well-tuned. Drying times are average - 20 seconds or so - with medium ink flow. The nib is firm, but it does offer a bit of bounce with little pressure. It is definitely not a soft gold nib, though. It did not skip or hard start, nor did it dry out easily. Due to the stubby shape, I found the sweet spot to be where the nib surface aligns parallel with the page - no rotating the pen and a little difficult for fast writing (or maybe inattentive writing).

If you are looking for a nice, round, easy-to-use nib, the Lamy 2000 broad is not a good option. Stick to the fine or medium! If you are looking for a firmer gold nib with a stubby writing experience, the broad is great. The writing experience is interesting and while I'm not crazy about hooded nibs, this one performs well.

The piston-filling mechanism is smooth and operates easily. The pen can be disassembled for maintainance but it's not very simple to do (like a Pelikan, for example) so do so at your own risk and be careful.

IN HAND

The clip is nice and springy - easy to operate one-handed. It is not particularly snug but the pen is not all that heavy either. It is easy to slide on and off papers, pockets, and pouches without damage.

The seam from the section to the barrel is quite smooth and comfortable to the touch. I do not find the section slippery, despite its tapered shape and metal finish.

Unposted, the pen is not all that heavy and it is weighted towards the front. The cap posts snugly, securely, and deeply by friction. Posting the cap shifts the balance towards the middle, which feels comfortable. I like the feeling and weight more than the stainless steel version of the Lamy 2000.

Makrolon itself feels quite pleasant in hand - slightly textured. I like it.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

Oddly enough, I used to prefer the stainless steel version for its weight and appearance. I like how it looks but the Makrolon is now easy for me to use extensively. The stubby broad nib is pleasant and well-tuned but not ideal for (my) fast writing. I know a lot of people love the 2000 and I realize the design is timeless since its launch, but I'm not totally in love with it. It's interesting and neat but I still prefer my Safari with a gold nib.



I was sent this item for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post.