At first glance, the Pilot Cocoon looks like nothing more than a Pilot Metropolitan in a fancy box. It does bear a striking resemblance to the Pilot Metropolitan in its outer appearance, though the lovely midnight blue anodized color is not something spotted in the Metropolitan line. In its fancy box is an ink cartridge and a CON-50 converter which is a nice treat. But the big news is hidden under the friction-click cap. Its hides a beautiful little fine nib. If you prefer your fountain pen nibs on the slender-to-hairline side of the range, than this little discovery will be of particular interest to you.

Out of the box, I loaded the Cocoon with Caran D’ache Storm and set about testing if this nib was worth the price bump. Turns out, it glides just as smoothly on paper as its wider cousin but with a fine delicate line which is much more to my tastes.

The Metropolitan is definitely the better deal, pricewise, especially if you prefer the medium nib. Actually, the Metropolitan is a ridiculously good deal at $14.50. But even at the $40-ish price point ($25 higher than the Metropolitan), I do not feel cheated or ripped off. Its easy to compare the Cocoon (and the Metropolitan) to the Pilot Prera as well, though the branding on the Prera nib say “super quality” suggesting it may be a slightly higher quality nib. In the end, the Cocoon is a beautifully simple fountain pen with a great quality, steel nib and an ink converter.

Is it worth the price difference to the Metropolitan? That’s a personal preference. I still believe that if you find a good quality fountain pen under $50 that you like using everyday, you have yourself a good pen and a good deal. This is just one of those cases where it doesn’t feel like there should be a $25 discrepancy between a medium nib fountain pen and a fine nib.

PS: A big thank you shout-out to Yvonne (@Woosang on Twitter and ADN) for sending me this lovely pen in a fabulously Aussie-centric care package. I am truly touched by your generosity and I do love this pen.

(J Stationery stocks the fine nib Pilot Cocoon for $39.95 in five different colors. JetPens carries the Pilot Cocoon in the medium nib in four colors or the silver body with a fine nib for $45)

Remind yourself to take a break throughout the day with this desktop wallpaper from How About Orange.

The BIG NEWS:

• If you are interested in the Karas Kustoms RETRAKT project on Kickstarter, check out the Karas Kustoms blog , Clicky Post and From the Pen Cup or my short write-up and goofy video.
• Brad over at Pen Addict tries a vintage Esterbrook LJ with 9284 stub nib.
• Johnny at Pencil Revolution reviews the Deflect-o organizer system and waxes poetic about a vintage Bostitch hand stapler Model B8. The photos are fabulous!

Pens:

• UniBall RT 0.28 and Uni ProMark Highlighter Review (Pen Addict)
• Pentel Tradio Energel (via Clicky Post)
• Rhodia Pencil Review (A Penchant for Paper)
• Bamboo Style Fountain Pen by Ken Cavers (via From the Pen Cup)
• Hero 616 Review (via Ink of Me Fondly)
• Pocket-sized pen pals (via My Pen Needs Ink)

Inks:

• Noodlers Bad Belted Kingfisher (East West Everywhere)
• Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue (Pen Addict)
• Organics Studio Edgar Allen Poe (via Inkdependence)
• Pelikan Edelstein Amber (via East West Everywhere)
• Diaminie Denim (via Ed Jelley)
• Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku (via Ed Jelley)
• Platinum Brown (Fountain Pen Quest)

The Great Gatsby manuscript in pencil (via Pencil Revolution)

Paper:

• Doane Paper Products Review (via ClickyPost)
• Tomoe River Paper Review (via Ed Jelley)

Other link lists:

• June Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper (via Ed Jelley)
• Sunday Notes and Links (via Fountain Pen Quest)

Clockwise from top left: MrMikeDudek’s Kaweco AL Sport, trefste-metrese’s On-the-go penpal kit, klpeabody’s currently inked pens and Writetomeoften matched her nail polish to her ink (or vice versa).

I find office supplies inspiration everywhere. As I’ve posted before, Pinterest is a source of products, ideas and inspiration but I get just as much valuable information on Instagram and Twitter too. Yeah for other office supply lovers!

Pens and Pencils:

• Lamy 2000 Ballpoint Review (via From The Pen Cup)
• Zebra Sarasa  07 RT Review (via Ed Jelley)
• Comparison of Noodler’s Black Inks (via Ed Jelley)
• Uni Style Fit Multi-Pen, Hello Kitty (via Ink of Me Fondly)
• Ivory-topped Pencils in Mr. Selfridges (via Pencil Revolution)
• J. Herbin Vert Pre Ink Cartridges (via Ink of Me Fondly)

Paper:

• Ink Journal, AKA a Midori Traveler Star Edition (via East, West, Everywhere)
• Biffybeans reveals her notebook stash (via Notebook Stories)

Misc.:

• Colored Typewriter Ribbons (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• Message Masking Tape (via Oh, Hello Friend)
• A Tale of Office Supply Subscription Services in Three Parts: Rad + Hungry, Olive Box and Quarterly Co. (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• Inside Moleskine’s Identity Redesign (via Digital Arts)
• 50 years of the ZIP Code (via Smithsonian Postal Museum)
• Taming the To-Do List (via A Penchant For Paper)

Eleanor Grosch Tour De France Desktop Wallpapers (via How About Orange)

Again, clockwise from top left: IvanR365 and his pen case, Design_concussion finds the magic of Doane Paper, GreerChicago finds our kind of vending machine and Writetomeoften puts her Pelikan M100 through its paces

DIY Inkodye photo transfer pencil case (via Etsy Blog)

Last week, there was a brief discussion on The Pen Addict Podcast about how to fill a TWSBI with sample ink. There is not enough ink in a sample vial to fill the pen by the usual method: inserting pen nib in the ink and using the piston to draw the ink into the reservoir. Brad mentioned using a syringe to fill instead which hadn’t occurred to me. So, I thought I’d share the technique. I used my TWSBI Mini but this technique would work with a Diamond 540/580 and probably a Vacumatic as well.

Step 1: Remove the nib unit. Its a screw attachment so just untwist the nib and set it aside.

Step 2: Identify the narrow hole in the top of the ink reservoir so you know where you’ll need to insert the syringe.

Step 3: Grab your ink sample.

Step 4: Fill your syringe. For the TWSBI Mini, I only needed to fill up to the 1 unit marker to get just about a full fill.

Step 5: Insert the syringe needle into the reservoir and slowly depress the syringe being careful not to overfill.

Step 6: Admire the filled reservoir.

Step 7: Screw the nib unit back onto your pen. You may need to give it a good shake (put the cap on or wrap the tip in a towel before shaking) to get the ink down into the feed unit. Then start writing!

You can reverse the process if you are using your TWSBI for ink testing by sucking the ink out of the reservoir with the syringe and putting it back into your bottle or vial. Then clean the pen using water and filling and emptying the reservoir until the water runs clear. Let it dry and refill. I dry mine by shaking it vigorously wrapped in a towel and wiping the nib.

Good luck!

This month’s Ink Drop selection from Goulet Pens is themed “America” in honor of the Fourth of July. Of course, red (in the form of Noodler’s Rattler Red Eel) and blue are featured prominently as well as inks with patriotically names (De Atramentis U.S. Constitution and Private Reserve American Blue). The two other inks are in honor of our armed forces: Noodler’s Air Corp Blue-Black and Noodler’s Army Green.

This is the first time I’ve gotten a color in an Ink Drop assortment that I already own in full bottle quantities in the Air Corp Blue-Black which is a blue-black that leans a bit greenish to me — more like a muddy teal. I like its uniqueness of color and its usability. Its one of my favorite inks.

The De Atramentis U.S. Constitution is the lightest blue I’ve seen. It would probably work better with a stub nib or with a more calligraphic pen. I think its a bit light for a fine nibbed pen.

I really like the Noodler’s Rattler Red Eel. It is a clear bright red. It does not lean orange or pink. If you’ve been hunting for a true red, this can’t be beat.

Private Reserve American Blue is the most vivid blue ink I’ve seen to date. It is true blue and makes me feel patriotic just looking at it. If you’ve been looking for a blue that hums with overt blueness, this is the one for you.

The Noodler’s Army Green has been a color I’ve been curious about for some time, being a connoissuer of all things green. This is a lovely olive-y green with a slightly yellowish tinge. I love it! I plan on buying a bottle ASAP.

I had no noticable issues with dry time on these inks but I focus more on showing off the colors at this stage rather than a thorough review of all the ink properties. When I purchase full bottles, I tend to go into more detail about dry time and other qualities.

These inks were tested using a TWSBI Mini EF with the syringe fill method on a Quo Vadis Habana blank white notebook (A5-ish sized).

When I spotted the Pilot Prera in its slimy-limey green plastic, I knew I had to buy one. And as someone with a huge preference towards fine, fine lines, I purchased the F nib. I wrote a review about how incredibly fine this pen is but after I wrote the review, I found that I had issues using the pen but couldn’t figure out why.

Over the past year I’ve pulled this pen out occasionally. I clean it, fill it with different inks and then test it on different papers hoping to find the magic combination. It wasn’t until I started thinking about the issues of left-handed writers for the Pen Addict Podcast that it dawned on me that I might be the problem.

In an effort to not dismiss the legendarily loved Prera as being a faulty pen, I purchased the exact same pen body with a medium nib to compare. These Prera nibs are the finest of the fine nibs so even the medium turned out to be not very broad but it also set me on the path to figure out why the F was giving me such pains.

The F is a razor fine point that can be flummoxed by dry inks, thready paper and wonky writing styles. I can’t even imagine how fine the EF would be.

When I finally tested to the two nibs side-by-sdie, I also figured out that my overwriting style was causing issues with the F nib as well. Pushing it on the paper was constricting the tines even more for even less ink flow. The M nib was able to withstand my normal over-writing hand position with no issues.

When I wrote with an underwriting position, I got a lot more ink flow out of both pens but the difference of line weight and ink density on the M nib was far less dramatic than the F nib. Clearly, the fineness of the Prera F is more pronounced than other pens, even other F nib pens from Pilot. Clearly, all nibs are not created equally, not even from the same manufacturer.

I am much happier with the results I am getting from the M nib Prera and it has restored my faith in Pilot. I think the line weight on the  Prera M is finer than the Metropolitan but wider than the F nib on the Cocoon. Oh, pens! How you confound me!

Out of this experiment, I feel compelled to attempt to tune the nib on the Prera with the F nib since it is clearly unusable for me in its current state. Let the pen tweaking begin!

The Pilot Prera is available through Jet Pens in both the Fine and Medium nib for $49.50.

I absolutely love perpetual calendars and Oh, Hello Friend has a fabulous collection.

Pens and Pencils:

• Lamy Noto Ballpoint Pen Review (via Clicky Post)
• How to refill a Coleto Mechanical Pencil component (via East, West, Everywhere)
• Schneider Xtra 805 0.5 Black and Red Pen Review (via Economy Pens)
• Kaweco AL Sport Fountain Pen Review (via Clicky Post)
• Retractable Eraser Review: Sanford SpeedErase vs. Pentel Clic Eraser (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Pentel TRFS Tradio Mini Fountain Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Pilot Petit1 Fountain Pen Review (via Ed Jelley)
• Highlighter Alternative (via East, West, Everywhere)
• Pilot Prera Caligraphy Nib Fountain Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Five Disappointing Pens (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Pilot 78g Fountain Pen (via Daily Acquisition)

Notebooks and Paper:

• Staples Sustainable Earth Notebook (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• 1000 Journals Film (via Notebook Stories)
• Orla Kiely Notebooks (via Ink of Me Fondly)

Ink:

• Ink Education: Pharmacist’s Urkundentinte (via The Pen Addict)
• Ink Notes: Private Reserve Gray Flannel (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Diamine Kelly Green (via Ink of Me Fondly)

Misc.

• Meet The Zeller Writing Company (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• “The Block” by Mike Dudek (via From the Pen Cup)
• Richard Binder Nib Shaping Class (via Rhodia Drive)

This week, FPQuest inked up a fabulous collection of vintage Esterbrooks. So many lovely examples!

PS: P is for pens, paper, perpetual calendars and pencils. Q is for Quest as in Fountain Pen Quest.

At some point in a pen obsessive’s life, you will find yourself in possession of a “troublesome pen”. Maybe it bloops inks, maybe it’s scratchy or maybe the ink just does not flow. I thought I’d put together my quick list of tips to try to amend the troublesome pen’s maddening ways.

The bottom line is that there are six things you can try before abandoning all hope.

1. Clean it: remove the nib, run it under cold water to loosen ink and debris then soak it in clean water. Keep changing the water every 30 minutes or so until its clean. Remove the ink cartridge or flush water through the ink reservoir until it also runs clean. Dry it and refill it.
2. Change up your ink: some inks might not be the best match for your pen. Depending on the pen you are using your ink might be drying too quickly or too slowly. The ink might be old or too gritty or too viscous. Try a different brand. If you are having an issue with the pen being too dry, look for an ink that has a longer dry time or is described as more lubricated. If your ink is too runny or isn’t drying, seek out an ink that is described as quick-drying. You might discover that by simply changing your ink, your least favorite pen will become your favorite pen.
3. Add a refillable cartridge converter (or convert into an eyedropper/syringe filler): If you are running out of ink too frequently, try using a cartridge converter of convert your pen to an eyedropper/syringe filler with some silicone grease. This will allow a much wider selection of inks to choose from and a larger ink capacity. In the long run, its also more cost-effective than the individual cartridges.
4. Swap out the nib: If the problem has still not been solved, can you swap out the nib? Even on lower-priced pens, the option to purchase a wider or finer nib is available. A great example is my Pilot Prera issues. While I didn’t swap out the nib per se, I did try the pen with a different nib size to discover what all the hullabaloo was about. Its been suggested that I could have used a nib from a lower priced Pilot fountain pen as an alternative to buying a whole new pen.
5. Try some different paper: Paper can completely change how a pen behaves. Cheap office copy paper might be too absorbent causing your ink to spread and feather or it could be coated with sizing that makes it resist ink. If you are having issues with a fountain pen, I would actually recommending starting here. Change your paper. Try a good quality paper like Rhodia and verify if your pen performs properly. If it doesn’t, then I would suggest trying the other suggestions here but its pretty amazing what a difference even slightly better paper can make.
6. Get it repaired or nib tuned: If none of these options have solved your problem or if you cannot swap out the nib, you may need to have your nib repaired or tuned. Goulet Pens now offers a kit to attempt your own repairs but I recommend that you proceed with caution here. On a lower end pen where it might not make financial sense to employ an expert, this might be a way to try to save a pen from the trash heap. If you have a higher quality pen that is causing you problems, start by contacting the manufacturer to see if they offer repair or replacement services. If your pen is secondhand, vintage or outside of a manufacturer’s warranty you may want to consider one of the experts in the field like Richard Binder, Mike Masuyama or one of the dozens of other experienced pen repairmen. A pen show is a great place to find someone who might be able to help you. To find great recommendations and discussions about pen repairs and tuning, search the archives of FPN.

Ever heard of a Swivodex? Its an ink wells designed by the same people who invented the Rolodex. Its a tip-proof ink well that can be tilted (think “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down!”) to get more ink out of the bottle without making a mess — hopefully. They were produced in the middle of the 20th century, best guess is the 40s and 50s. If you spy one at an antique store, grab it! Could be a great way to dispense your favorite inks!

(photo via Pendemonium)

Loyal reader and friend, Chris P., is listing a couple pens for sale on Ebay and I wanted to share them. Chris is a retired lettering artist and an italic nib fan so these are a couple sweet pens with some interesting heritage.

There is a Parker Falcon with a Parker#94 medium italic nib from the 80s. It looks to be well cared for and in great condition.

The other pen is a Dunhill gold pen with a custom ground italic nib that Chris had ground for him especially back in the 80s.

Both would be great additions to any collection. Good luck!

Pencils:

• Staedtler Norica HB Review (via Pencil Revolution)
• Palomino Blackwing Pearl Review (via Woodlcinched)
• Palomino Blackwing Pearl Review (via Design Concussion)
• Tombow Havanna 100th anniversary mechanical pencil (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Neon Ticonderoga Review (via Pencil Revolution)

Pens:

• Kaweco Sport Italic (via Too Many Pens)
• Which Karas Kustoms is right for you (via Clickypost)
• OfficeMax Brand Writing Tools Review (via No Pen Intended)
• Pentel Sign Pen in Sky Blue Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Pilot Multiball Blue Review  (via Clicky Post)
• Pilot Hi-Tec C Coleto 3-barrel multi-pen Review (via Paper Love Story)
• Category Killers (via No Pen Intended)
• Lamy Vista Fountain Pen Review (via Informal Scribble)
• Where Nibmeisters Differ (via And Other Other Tasks)
• Kickstarter Baux Aluminum Holder for BIC Stic (via Clicky Post)

Ed Jelley’s Pen and Ink Tattoo (via Ed Jelley)

Ink:

• Aniki Yuki’s Garden (via East, West, Everywhere)
• Diamine Oxblood (via Informal Scribble)
• Franklin Christoph Olde Emerald (via Inkdependence)
• J. Herbin Inks (via The Pencil Case Blog )
• Diamine Meadow (via Ed Jelley)

Paper and Notebooks:

• Who’s Got What (via Field Notes)
• Midori MD Cotton Notebook (via Leigh Reyes)
• Fabriano Art Journal (via Ink of Me Fondly)
• Shelf Life of Notes (via Patrick Rhone)
• Stillman & Birn Zeta Series Notebook Review (via Notebook Stories)

Paper Message Tape (via Oh, Hello Friend)

Misc:

• J. Herbin Sealing Wax (via Rhodia Drive)
• US Priority Mail Gets a New Look (via Letter Writers Alliance )
• Four Things You Can Do at Your Desk to be Happier (via Inc)

Reader Cliff offered to send me an Esterbrook Falcon nib and I gladly accepted. What I didn’t realize until it arrived is that it is the same number as my favorite Esterbrook nibs — the #2442. It turns out that the #2442 is also called a Falcon nib or a Fine Stub. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have a second one as I have far more Esterbrook pen bodies than I do nibs but first, I needed to do a little research about what exactly made a nib a “falcon” nib.

As best I could glean from the Internet is that a Falcon nib was also a term used to describe a left-leaning italic nib which is also sometimes considered a left-handed italic. This does not mean only left handed writers can use it but that it does seem to benefit lefties who tend to write leaning a bit to the left.

At close inspection, the two 2442 nibs look a little different. The one on the left is the one I’ve had for some time and my go-to pen. The cleaner one on the right is the one that Cliff sent me and the tines seem tighter and the angled tip looks a bit sharper in the corners.

When I put them to paper side-by-side, a mysterious and slightly unsettling thing occurred. My older 2442 wrote like butter, like it was made for my hand. With the feathery-lightest of touches, it applied ink to the page. No scritchy noises, no snags or skips. When I put Cliff shiny new 2442 to paper it revolted against me. It skipped, stuttered and  behaved most uncivilized. How could this be the same nib? One would think the new nib would behave well and the old nib would be grumpy and fussy but no. It was the other way around. How could this be?

I pouted for days and grumbled and wondered. My instinct is that the new nib needs a little tuning to match my writing angle, to smooth the end for my somewhat wonky writing angle. It requires some pampering and adjustment to grow up to be as fabulous and flaw-free as the older 2442.

My takeaway from the experience is that not every nib, even from the same manufacturer, is going to be perfect, or perfect for me. We, as pen lovers, can either choose to pass it on to someone else who it might be perfect for, or tweak it, tune it or manipulate it to work with our needs. This is not the first pen that did not perform as I anticipated. I’ve had a vintage Parker that were actually broken and leaked like a sieve. I have had brand new pens from manufacturers respected for their craftsmanship fall short of my expectations (one due to an inherent flaw and one to do a user flaw). Over time though, I’ve learned not to let these experiences sour me on fountain pens. Each is a learning experience and what may be a jewel to you may not be for me. That’s part of what makes the world of pens and fountain pens so wonderful.

Feel free to share your own pen experiences in the comments, for better or for worse.

(Nib sent to by reader Cliff, aka Caleath. Thank you for your kindness. I will make this work!)

Handwriting:

• Life as an Addicted Cursive Writer by Alice Jenkins (via A Penchant For Paper)
• A Word or Two on Penmanship (via East West Everywhere)
• The Dying Art of Handwriting (via Time)

Pens:

• Green Pen Comparison (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Schmidt P8126 Rollerball Refills (via Pen Addict)
• Schmidt Easy Flow 9000 Rollerball Refills (via Clicky Post)
• Pilot Capless Fountain Pen (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Pilot Juice 0.38 Dark Red (via No Pen Intended)
• Pilot Hi-Tec C Knock Review (via Pen Addict)
• Inside the pen, ink and nib selection process (via JustDaveyB)
• Pilot Prera Fountain Pen Review (via The Pencil Case Blog)

Inks:

• Diamine Red Dragon Ink Review (via Pen Addict)
• Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukiyo (Moonlight) Ink Review (via Ink of Me Fondly)
• Noodler’s Sequoia Ink Review (via Ed Jelley)
• Pelikan Edelstein Onyx Ink Review (via Pen Addict)

Pencils:

• The $425 Pencil (via Pencil Revolution)
• Some Special Pencils (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Blackwing Pencils in the Hollywood Reporter (via Pencil Talk)
• KUM Automatic Long Point Sharpener (via Informal Scribble)
• General Pencil Co Kimberely Review (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Another Ode to the Blackwing (via Pencil Revolution)

Paper and Notebooks:

• Analyzing Paper Weight (via Notebook Stories)
• Sir Isaac Newtons Notebooks (via Notebook Stories)
• One Star Leather Goods Notebook Wallet (via Clicky Post)
• Anderson Pen Co Proper Pads (via Inkdependence)

Misc:

• Dusting Off Erasers (via Huckberry)

I haven’t done a daily carry post for awhile so I thought I’d give you all a peek into my bag, its a Letter Writers Alliance member pencil case, in case you were curious. I have a few of my favorite pins stuck to it as well. Paper geek pride!

I’ll go from left to right:

• Elmer’s Glue Stick
• Kaweco Sport Guilloch EF Fountain Pen
• Bone Folder for making perfect folds in paper
• Clinique Black Honey lipgloss (a girl must be prepared)
• Ohto Ceramic Pen Cutter
• TWSBI Mini EF Fountain Pen
• Marvy Le Pen in Teal Blue
• Poppin Ballpoint Pen
• Palomino Blackwing 602
• Marvy LePen in Olive Green
• Pilot Hi-Tec C Coleto Me Multi-Pen
• Pilot Prera M Fountain Pen
• Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball
• UniBall Signo Broad in Opaque White

The various and sundry bits at the bottom from the left:

• Vintage letter opener
• Lefty Pencil Sharpener
• Pocket Swiss Army Knife
• Wireless USB controller for my Wacom tablet
• a couple spare SD cards
• a USB flash drive (8GB)
• my name chop I got in Stanley Market in Hong Kong

Its probably way more than I need but I like to be prepared and have options. I don’t have my own office at work so I tote a lot more with me each day than most people. How many tools do you carry with you each day?

The Gossip:

• There’s been some big news around The Pen Addict and a soon-to-be-launched Kickstarter project under the name Nock Co.
• There’s rumors that following the success of the RETRAKT, Karas Kustoms might be making something fountain pennish. You didn’t hear it from me.
• Field Notes 18-month wall calendar is available and it won’t be long before the #20 in the Colors Editions will be announced. Find out more about Field Notes and its co-creator Jim Coudal on this week’s CMD+Space podcast.

My darling friend Sandi did this fabulous sketch and kindly included the pens she used — the ever-handy Sakura Pigma Microns. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled program:

• Scripto Mechanical Pencils (via Le Vie Graphite)
• Brad Finally Reviews the Lamy 2000 (via Pen Addict)
• I love it when pen folks are more OCD than me, like Just Davey B numbering his nibs. Warms my heart.

There is a new Kaweco fountain pen to ogle. Its called the Fantasie Fountain Pen. There’s a ballpoint option available as well and the refill is actually listed as a G2 and looks like a standard Parker-style refill. It’s designed with a raw brass body designed to accept decorative FIMO dough to the exterior. I love the raw brass and suspect that in its natural state, the pen should patina beautifully but I’m intrigued about the idea of wrapping a pen with FIMO dough (a type of polymer clay that can be hardened in the oven). It would give the pen a very different feel in the hand and would be one-of-a-kind.

The Kaweco Fantasie Fountain pen retails for $54.50 and the ballpoint for $40.50.

I’m taking off for the Labor Day weekend but will be back, re-inked, freshly sharpened and opened to a clean page on Tuesday. In the meantime, enjoy the diverse collection of links this week and feel free to explore the archives! Happy Labor Day!

Pens:

• Difference Between Ballpoint and Rollerball (via Write To Me Often)
• Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict)
• Paperchase Wonderland Fountain Pen Review (via No Pen Intended)
• Retro 51 Ballpoints (via From The Pen Cup)
• The Most Awful Jetstream (via No Pen Intended)

Inks:

• Organics Studio Jules Verne Nautilus Ink (via Inkdependence)
• Diamine Sapphire Blue (via Informal Scribble)

Paper and Notebooks:

• Five Best Paper Notebooks (via Lifehacker)

Misc:

• Calendar Stamp (via Hello Dear Friend)
• DIY Jar Sharpener (via Pencil Revolution)
• Letter Openers (via Pencil Talk)
• What famous authors write with (via Notebook Stories)
• Analog Research Lab (via Fast Co)
• Midwest Typewriter Repair (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• The Pen Addict “Penultimate” Article (via The Magazine)
• How to get that “Back to School” back (via Inc)

I cannot tell you how long I’ve wanted this pen. Its no secret I’m a big fan of the Kaweco line in general. While I am not generally inclined to be interested in “girlie” tools I like the smaller scale of the Kaweco line for comfort and portability so when I saw the aluminum finish Liliput which looked like a perfect match for my Secretary knife, I had to have it.

Capped, the Liliput is a whopping 3.75″ long (9.5 cm) which is just a half an inch longer (1 cm) than my knife. The Liliput has a smooth aluminum finish while my knife is slightly brushed in finish but they are a perfect pocket pair and also fit exceedingly well in my EDC bag.

The Kaweco Liliput ships in a decorative tin with a paperboard sleeve. Its a nice presentation for a lower priced fountain pen. Inside, the pen is wrapped in a plastic sleeve to protect from nicks and set into a space in the molded flocked plastic that looks as though it was designed to fit a Sport-sized pen rather than the diminutive Liliput. But all in all, its a lovely keepsake tin with classic Kaweco graphics embossed on the lid.

There are minimal graphics on the pen body itself. Etched on the cap near the top is the Kaweco logo type and the text “Made in Germany.” Its quite subtle. The cap can screw on the end of the pen to increase the overall length to 5″ (12.5 cm) from tip to cap. The width of this pen is much narrower than the Sport model pens. I would compare the diameter of the Liliput to that of a round barrel pencil (though it is slightly wider) where the Sport models are closer in diameter to a Sharpie Marker.

The nib looks just like the Sport nibs and performs equally but has a silver finish rather than the gold finish favored by the Sport line. I favor the Kaweco EF nibs so purchased the same in this pen and it works exactly as anticipated.

It weighs a mere 10 gms with cap and full cartridge. In my pocket, I barely feel its weight. I’ve included my chart of other pen weights for comparison:

The Lilliput is 3 gms lighter than my previously lightest pens and is the equivalent of about two US quarter coins. Not going to notice this in your pocket at all.

Because of its tiny size, the Liliput can only take short cartridges and there are no converters that fit it. I keep a stash of random cartridges in my bag and on my desk so I can refill various pens quickly so I don’t mind. When I have the time, I refill cartridges using a syringe to extend my ink options.

The one complaint of this pen is that it does not have a clip and, since it is completely smooth, it does have a tendency to roll off the table. For me though, its smoothness is part of what I like about it. It feels nice in my hand, like a long, slender pen “pill.”

Side note: I had a technical difficulty with the original pen I ordered. It did not write at all. Had this been my first experience with Kaweco I would have felt quite differently about their quality. Having owned four other Kawecos that all performed without issue, I knew this was a defect in the pen. JetPens worked with Kaweco to get me a replacement Liliput and sent me this model. I mention this only because I know people have commented that they are not fond of Kawecos. At these $25-$60 prices for fountain pens, I expect that quality control may not be the same as at higher price points. If you’ve had issues with a Kaweco, I recommend trying another, replacing the nib unit or contacting the seller or Kaweco. For modern, lower priced fountain pens, these are the smoothest nibs I’ve ever used.

Pencils:

• Rainbow Pencils (via Kickstarter, found the link by way of Woodclinched)
• Flat Cedar Pencils (via Pencil Talk by way of Palimpsest)
• Faber Castell Grip Sparkle (via Pencil Talk) –insert squee of joy here, this is one of my favorite pencils!
• Staedtler Riptide & Polo Mechanical Pencils (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Staedtler Factory Footage : best watched without sound (via Woodclinched)

Pens and Ink:

• Zebra Arbez Eo Ballpoint Review (via Pen Addict)
• Four Chinese Pens (via FPQuest)
• Zebra Z-Mulsion EX Ballpoint Medium (via Informal Scribble)
• DeAtramentis Oriental Red (via Ed Jelley)
• Sailor Jentle Epinard (via FPQuest)
• Sheaffer Taranis Fountain Pen Review (via From The Pen Cup)
• Edelstein Amber (via The Pencil Case Blog)

Paper and Notebooks:

• How I’m Using My Midori Traveler (via The Life of a Perpetual Student)
• Tom Lipton’s Industrial Notebooks (via Notebook Stories)
• $410: The Going Price for a set of Butcher Blue Field Notes (via Pen Addict)
• Review of some Moleskine products (via Boing Boing)
• AquaNotes Waterproof Notebook (via Pencil Revolution)

Misc:

• Smithsonian Postal Museum William H. Gross Stamp Gallery Opening: Sept 22, 2013 (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• Watch it (via Rhodia Drive)
• Nothing Ryhmes with Orange : Prototype Preview (via Nock Co.)
• Geoball Papercraft (via Cherry Plum)

This week, Levenger is selling the Pelikan M205 highlighter pen set with BB (double broad) nib and bottle of fluorescent yellow ink for $87, reduced from the regular retail price of $175.

Sale is good through Sunday and the discount code is HILITE9.

This pen can be filled with other inks and would work as a lovely yellow demonstrator if a highlighter fountain pen doesn’t appeal to you. I really wanted the new demonstrator green version of the M205 but its hard to pass up this one at half price.