3 Year Anniversary & Pen Collection

Today is my three year blog anniversary and I can’t believe I’ve made it this long! One of the most frequently requested posts is for my full pen collection but I’ve been hesitant so far. I never want to call it a “collection” since I don’t consider them collectables, rather as tools that are used everyday. 90% of my pens are inked up every month, the other 10% need repairs or are waiting to be given to a pen friend.

I decided to go ahead and round up every fountain pen in my house (minus my daughters’ 2 Pilot Kakunos), and take photos of everything. I actually don’t recommend anyone else do this-ignorance is bliss. My husband kept making snarky comments like, “are you sure you need more pens?” and “wow, that one’s pretty, can I borrow it?” No. He isn’t allowed to borrow my pens since he spilled Noodler’s ink all over one of my throw pillows and cracked the cap of my TWSBI 580.

I love buying used pens rather than buying new, but when I do I usually go to one of my favorite retailers.

I love Pelikan pens so much. The M600 nib is my favorite, and that size fits my hand best. I would absolutely buy the M600 in every nib size, although I do prefer the M605 finish. Eventually I’ll find a M600 Pink for a good price and add it to my flock.

• Pelikan M805 Stresemann-M, M800 Renaissance Brown-M, M805 Ocean Swirl-B, M805 Vibrant Blue-B

• Pelikan M600 Vibrant Orange-M, M600 Vibrant Green-EF, M600 Turquoise-B, M600 Violet-F, M605 White Transparent-M

• Pelikan M400 White Tortoise-M, M200 Gold Marbled-M, M400 Green (vintage), M205 Star Ruby-F

Pilot is another of my favorite pen brands., especially because I love so many different pen models from their lineup. I use Pilot Vanishing Points to test out every ink I review.

• Pilot Custom 823 Smoke-B

• Pilot Custom 74 Merlot-B, Teal-M

• Pilot Custom 912 Black-FA

• Pilot Vanishing Point Crossed Lines-M, Galaxy-M, Crimson Sunrise-EF, Yellow-M, Tropical Turquoise-M, Twilight-B, Copper-F

• Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop Purple-M, Turquoise-F

Kaweco Al-sports are good sturdy pocket pens.

• Kaweco Al-sport Black-M, Anthracite-M, Red-M, Petrol-F, Rose Gold-M, Gold-B

• Lamy 2000 Black Amber-F

• Lamy Studio Terracotta-M

I love how many fun colors Kaweco Sports come in.

• Kaweco Sport Blush Pitaya, Rose Quartz, Orange, Coral, Sunrise, Sage, Turquoise Demo, Lagoon Blue, Mint, Serenity Blue

I swap nibs between my Al-star and Safari pens constantly. I love how easy the nibs are to swap.

• Lamy Al-star Bronze, Vibrant Pink, Charged Green, Turmaline, Pacific Blue, Purple

• Lamy Safari Pastel Rose, Mango, Pastel Mint, Petrol, Aquamarine, Bleu Macaron

I use TWSBI Eco’s for inks I think might stain-since they are demonstrators it’s easy to see if any shenanigans are happening, and since they aren’t too expensive I don’t worry about needing to replace them. So far only the Transparent Purple has stained; Troublemaker Dona Victorina is a fickle mistress.

• TWSBI Eco Blossom Red-M, Transparent Orange-M, Transparent Green-M, Transparent Blue-M, Transparent Purple-M, Pink-B, Pastel Pink-F, (Eco-T) Coral-B, Yellow-B, (Eco-T) Mint-B, Pastel Blue-F, 580-AL-M

I love vintage Waterman and Mabie Todd pens, they have wonderful nibs and I love the ornate finishes. I keep 2 Jinhao pens as well as 2 Noodler’s Ahab’s for pen newbies.

• Platinum 3776 Nice-B Architect, Nice Lavande-B

• Waterman Ideal 752 1/2, dated 1903

• 2 Mabie Todd Swan Ringtops

• Waterman Ideal 0552 1/2V

• Waterman Ideal. 452 1/2V

• Jinhao 750-M

• Noodler’s Ahab-Flex

• Noodler’s Neponset-Flex

The Visconti Homo Sapiens was one of my “grail” pens but the retail price is so far beyond what I’m comfortable paying for a pen that I never thought it would happen. A pen friend posted it for sale at a crazy low price within my pen budget so I jumped on it. I love the feel of the material.

• Sailor Pro Gear Sparkling Rose-B, Sparkling Emerald-B

• Sailor Pro Gear Slim Red Supernova-B, Purple Cosmos-Zoom

• Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age-M

• Conklin Durograph Forest Green-B

• Esterbrook Estie Lilac-B

• Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya-Flex

Last year I made a goal of buying more pens made by small US makers, and so far I love every one I purchased. You can find a list of small pen makers here.

• Edison Collier Persimmon Swirl-M, Blue Steel-B

• Edison Beaumont Unicorn-F

• Franklin-Christoph 46 Autumn Oak-M, Blue Diamondcast-B, Green Diamondcast-B

• Franklin-Christoph 45L Italian Ice-M, Salmon Glow-M

• Franklin-Christoph 45 Vanness-B

• Bonecrusher Studios Blue Diamondcast-Regalia Writing Labs Crossflex Nib

• Montegrappa Copper Mule-F

• Montegrappa Elmo Blue Cross Gentian-M

I bought these shark pens as a set because I heard people raving about them, but I haven’t had the best luck. Right now I’m saving them to give to pen friends.

• 12-pack of Jinhao Shark pens

Do you see your pens as tools or collectables? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1170: Troublemaker Hanging Rice

I have one more Troublemaker ink to review today, Troublemaker Hanging Rice. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Hanging Rice is a dark olive green with a strong yellow undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a surprise pop of gold shimmer. It’s very subtle and didn’t show up in writing at all, just the large swabs.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and a little bit of gold shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Hanging Rice is much yellower than most of these, and way more saturated than Troublemaker Kelp Tea. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Sage with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. I was surprised by the little bit of gold shimmer, but it wasn’t visible in writing and didn’t mess up the ink flow so I don’t mind it.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1169: Troublemaker Opon Channel Blue

Troublemaker Opon Channel Blue isn’t really blue, more of a dark teal so the name is a bit misleading. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Opon Channel Blue is a dark teal with sheen.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has some pretty sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low-there was some feathering in the larger nib sizes on Rhodia and Leuchtturm.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, medium sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Open Channel Blue is similar to Robert Oster Deep Sea, Diamine Aurora Borealis and Noodler’s Turquoise. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco-T Mint with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely ink but hardly unique, there are quite a few inks similar to this one already. Robert Oster Deep Sea, Diamine Aurora Borealis and Noodler’s Turquoise are all good alternatives.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1168: Diamine Monaco Red

Let’s take a look at Diamine Monaco Red today. Diamine has so many different reds, but I’ve never played with Monaco Red. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Monaco Red is a dark unsaturated red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading and a little bit of black sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny black sheen, and no shimmer. The sheen is only visible in large swabs on Tomoe River Paper.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Monaco Red is a bit darker and less saturated than Diamine Matador. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop in Turquoise with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a pretty well behaved ink, but I’m just not in love with it. I just feel like there are a lot better reds out there.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1167: Diamine Midnight

Diamine Midnight has been sitting in my ink drawer for white a while, so it’s time to test it out! I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Midnight is a dark, slightly unsaturated blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper you can see some of the black sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no shading, high black sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Midnight is a little bit lighter than Diamine Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue, and less saturated than Diamine Regency Blue. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Pastel Blue with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a nice dark blue ink. It’s pretty close to Diamine Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue so you probably don’t need both of them.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1166: Troublemaker Purple Yam

Let’s take a look at another Troublemaker ink today, Purple Yam. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Purple Yam is a deep blue-violet.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has a bit of green and bronze sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Purple Yam is closest to Sailor Jentle Shigure and Diamine Lilac Night. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Transparent Purple with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet, slightly sticky flow.

Overall, it’s a nice ink but not one I think I need a full bottle of. I think I just prefer Sailor Jentle Shigure over this one and both colors are similar.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1165: Troublemaker Blue Guitar

Troublemaker Blue Guitar is another recent addition to the Troublemaker standard lineup. I know shipping and stock is all messed up right now, but I wanted to review it for when it comes available again. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Blue Guitar is a bright medium blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty dark pink sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low-there was a bit of feathering on Leuchtturm and Rhodia in the flex nib.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was a bit of bleeding on Rhodia in the flex nib.

Other properties: medium shading, medium pink sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Guitar is a bit darker than KWZ Hawaii but not quite as dark as Colorverse Superenova. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Pacific Blue with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet, slightly sticky flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely ink, but it does have a few quirks-a little bit of feathering and bleeding, and it does smear just a bit on Tomoe River Paper after drying. I really enjoyed the pretty shading though.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1164: Diamine Merlot

Let’s take a look at Diamine Merlot today. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Merlot is a dark, dusky, unsaturated purple.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading, and a tiny bit of green and brown sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer. The sheen is only visible in large swabs on Tomoe River Paper.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Merlot is more purple than any of these other inks and much less saturated. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M205 Star Ruby with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s good but not great. It’s pretty well behaved, but I don’t love the color and it doesn’t have much shading. I’m just not in love with it.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1163: Diamine Mediterranean Blue

Today let’s take a look at Diamine Mediterranean Blue. I’ll eventually make it through all the Diamine inks, but there are a lot of them! I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Mediterranean Blue is a vibrant medium blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper there’s some pretty shading. Such a pretty color and just a little bit of red sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer. You can see just a little bit of red sheen in large swabs on Tomoe River Paper, but it isn’t visible in writing.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Mediterranean Blue is a little bit more vibrant than Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M400 White Tortoise with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a gorgeous medium blue with a little bit of shading. I do wish it had just a little bit more, but it’s still a good ink as it is.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1162: Diamine Matador

Let’s take a look at Diamine Matador today. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Matador is a dark unsaturated red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no shading, no sheen, and no shimmer. You can squeak out a little bit of shading, but it has to be in just the right conditions so I’m gonna say no shading in most circumstances.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

MMatador is a bit brighter than Diamine Monaco Red, but not as bright as Diamine Carnival. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop in Purple with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely classic red. It’s a good color, well behaved and affordable. It’s a good fall/winter red.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored in any way.