Green Thoughts

Laura4 Comments

Sheaffer Snorkel in Fern Green, Sage Green and Pastel Green

Let me just mention that if you are reading this, you should stop for a few seconds. Instead, first read the newest Pen Chalet rhymes in our Most Excellent Pen Giveaway thread. Our blog readers are awesome.

And be sure to post a rhyme or other comment of your own, if you are interested in the Platinum Classic Maki-e.  It’s quite a pen, and quite a generous giveaway by Pen Chalet. Actually, I just found out yesterday that the Classic Maki-e is no longer available with a broad nib, which is sad for me, but that means that whoever gets this pen is doubly lucky. So go click on the Giveaway. No worries; this will wait.

Okay, welcome back. Here are two photos of interesting green pens — not mine. This past weekend the Chicago Pen Club had a green theme for the monthly meeting. Those three pens up there are different green Sheaffer Snorkels.

Vintage pens are interesting. The Snorkel on the bottom of that photo, which I think is a nice, cheerful color, is the very common Pastel Green. The one in the middle, which I also like, is the not-terribly-uncommon Sage Green. The one on top I would pass right on by. It’s not my kind of color.

Except that it’s the really uncommon Fern Green. So, whoops.

Doesn’t it often turn out that the pens no one likes are the ones that down the line are worth more? Because fewer people buy them, fewer are made. And tastes change later. Examples abound, including the Parker 51 in Plum. If only my grandfather had bought his Duofold in the reviled Mandarin Yellow instead of the popular Jade. If only my mother’s Parker 51 had been Nassau Green or Yellowstone. Not that I’d sell them anyway. But in my head, I’d be a pen mogul.

So back to Sheaffer. Here are two green lacquered Sheaffer Targas, also not mine. These are much more recent. I really like them both. The one on the top is the Green Moiré. It’s awesome and wild, and someday, one will be mine. The one on the bottom is the Malachite Ronce. It’s gorgeous.

Sheaffer Targa Laque Green Moiré and Malachite Ronce

I hope the fashion for Targas comes back at some point. Although, if it’s alright, could that be after I’ve found a $5 Green Moiré?

The Targas are from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Yesterday, to me. But technically, that was the last century. I point that out because of something that happened last week. My younger daughter looked at me witheringly, in disbelief at something I had said. (A frequent occurrence.) More in pity than in anger, she said, “Mom, things are different now. You were born in the 1900s.”

Platinum Classic Maki-e Fountain Pen: Enter to Win Right Here

Laura128 Comments

Platinum Classic Maki-e Bush Warbler 

(If you are just stumbling across this post today, I have some bad news: entries are closed; this giveaway is over; and this bird has flown to its lucky new owner. But I have some good news, too:  the pen still is available for purchase, so go ahead and read the review if you’re interested. And do read the comments below, because our commentators contributed some awesome rhymes. Hooray.)

Our friends at Pen Chalet are giving away this gorgeous Platinum Classic Maki-e fountain pen with a broad nib through Fountain Pen Follies. The pen is great. Don’t take my word for it — everyone at my Pelikan Hub loved it, too.

To enter to win the Classic Maki-e, just leave a comment below. Any comment is fine, but how about something that rhymes with Pen Chalet? Mine would probably be, “I’m waiting for the next Dim Sum tray.”  But for the well born, maybe, “I could use a good valet.” Fans of the most lovable baseball team ever surely know, “Hey, hey, what do you say, the Cubs are going to win today.” And kudos for anything like, “Shopping at Pen Chalet makes it a good day.”

This contest is open to anyone, anywhere, but only one entry per person is allowed. I will randomly select the winner on September 27th, and post the lucky winner’s name on the blog. So be sure to check back then. Once announced, the winner will need to contact me with a mailing address within a week.

Pelikan Hub 2016: Chicago

Laura3 Comments

Pelikan Edelstein inks at Pelikan Hub 2016

I went to my first Pelikan Hub on Friday night. Fun.

We had a small group of six; Friday night at 6:30 in the city is a hard time, and some people had to cancel. But for those who were there, it was awesome. The nicest host ever. Key lime pie. And many Pelikans passed around. Fountain pen people are usually congenial, but these other attendees were all amazing. I’m afraid I had so much fun I didn’t take very many photos.

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Kaweco Cartridges: Simply the Best?

Laura6 Comments

Kaweco Skyline Sport Metallic Violet with Kaweco Summer Purple ink

I got that really cute pen, the Kaweco Skyline Sport in Metallic Violet in early February, and I immediately popped in a Kaweco Summer Purple ink cartridge. It’s seven months later — seven months of intermittent neglect — and that same ink cartridge is still in there. Still going.

Kaweco Summer Purple is an attractive purple ink. And I really intended to do a post about it. But life got busy. I forgot the pen was still inked.

Months went by. Then I’d find it and use it briefly. Then weeks would go by. But every single time I guiltily rediscovered this pen, all I had to do was pick it up and turn it over, for the ink to immediately start flowing. And by flowing, I mean flowing perfectly, without hesitation, skipping or blobbing.

Kaweco Summer Purple ink writing sample

Some of my pen-ink combinations have balked if left for just a few days unused. So this is meritorious service. Shout-out to Kaweco.

I’ve mentioned that Kaweco inks are nicely lubricated. And that Kaweco cartridges contain a little plastic ball for better ink flow.

Kaweco ink converter plastic ball

Clearly, it all works. What a well-made pen, what a great ink cartridge, what a great ink brand.

And Summer Purple ink is a nice color, too.

Kaweco Summer Purple ink writing sample

 

Comparing Sailor Souten with Sailor Sky High

Laura4 Comments

Sailor Souten and Sailor Sky High

I plan to do a more in-depth look at Sailor Souten, but we were talking yesterday about how it compares to Sailor Jentle Sky High, and here’s a quick look at just that.

Sky High is my favorite Sailor ink, and one of my all-around favorite blue inks. It’s just a nice, cheery blue, with great shading, and uncomplicated behavior. It even has nice red sheen for sheen fans.

But when Sailor discontinued Sky High, that was fine with me. I had a bottle, and I have a lot of blue inks. If I ever used up my Sky High, I’d be left with only 943 other blue inks. Not a tragedy.

But Sailor did bring out Sailor Jentle Four Seasons Souten, and I was given a sample, and eventually bought a bottle. I’ve been using both together for the past few weeks, to evaluate Souten and compare the two.

Sailor Souten and Sailor Sky High

I don’t think they are identical. I think Souten may be very slightly darker than Sky High. Maybe I’m wrong about that, but I am certain that any differences are slight. (I’ve also done paper towel chromatography.) To me, Souten is essentially the same as Sky High.

Here’s a writing sample. Souten is the first ink and Sky High the second in each pair

Sailor Souten and Sailor Sky High writing sample comparisons

I’ve mostly been writing with both inks in Lamy Safaris with broad nibs. Those are dry pens. Here’s a closeup.

Sailor Souten and Sailor Sky High writing sample comparisons

I also tried the two inks in Edison pens with identical 14k medium nibs. Those are wet writers.

Sailor Souten and Sailor Sky High writing sample comparisons

Sky High still looks just a bit lighter to me, after using them for weeks in the same pens on many different papers. But the two inks share the same hue, the same degree of shading and sheen and the same excellent behavior.

I was happy to buy a bottle of Souten. Sky High is a favorite, and I’m pretty sure I won’t even notice the difference.

Comparing Parker Penman Sapphire and Bung Box (First Love) Sapphire

Laura10 Comments

Parker Penman Sapphire compared to Bungbox First Love Sapphire

When I got my new bottle of Parker Penman Sapphire (not actually new, but new-to-me), I hemmed and hawed about what pen I should use.

Part of me wanted to put it in a gorgeous Azure Blue Parker Vacumatic, because PPS is a gorgeous blue Parker ink. Another part of me thought, this is a job for my Pelikan M205 blue demonstrator: PPS is an ink that should be appreciated in a demonstrator. While all the votes on Instagram were for the Vac.

But I ended up choosing the beautiful new Kaweco AL-Sport Light Blue with extra-fine nib instead. I’ve got that pen for review, and it deserves a special ink.

Parker Penman Sapphire ink

After a few days of using PPS in the Light Blue AL-Sport, a light bulb went on: I also have Kaweco AL-Sport in raw aluminum with an extra-fine nib. The same pen, the same nib. So I grabbed the second AL-Sport and filled that with what remains of my sample of Bung Box First Love Sapphire, which is often compared to PPS.

You can see the results at the top, and I’ll put some closeup photos on the next page.

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Blast from the Past: Parker Penman Sapphire

Laura6 Comments

Parker Penman Sapphire ink

A very nice friend found a partially full bottle of Parker Penman Sapphire for me, and it arrived on Friday.

I don’t chase vintage inks, so this will be my first and last bottle of this one, but it’s great to have more to use.  PPS is a great blue color, very deep, with nice shading. This ink is saturated, is not easy to clean, and it has red sheen out the wazoo. I like less saturated inks; I like easy-to-clean inks; and I’m neutral on sheen. And I still adore PPS. It is special.

I put it in a Kaweco AL-Sport with extra-fine nib this time.

Parker Penman Sapphire writing sample

 

Wheat Straw Paper: Yes, It Sheens

Laura1 Comment

sheen of Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu on Step Forward wheat straw paper

When I blogged yesterday about my new Step Forward wheat straw paper, a reader asked whether it shows sheen. I wasn’t sure; I’d been seeing some, but not a huge amount. And part of that has been due to our cloudy, rainy weather. And part of that is I don’t have a sheening ink in a wet pen right now.

But I have good news. Yesterday afternoon, for a brief few minutes, the sun burst through. And so did the sheen. That first photo shows Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu, an evergreen ink with a lot of sheen, on the Step Forward wheat straw paper.

Here it is on the edge of the little notebook, where I fortuitously had wiped off a messy nib.

sheen of Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu on Step Forward wheat straw paper

I don’t think the wheat straw paper is necessarily a power sheener, like Tomoe River paper. But it’s good to know that if you put enough ink down, and it’s the right ink, there will be sheen.