How to buy fountain pens from Japan without paying hefty reseller markups.

How to buy fountain pens from Japan without paying hefty reseller markups.

Ink maker Tono & Lims’s Christmas Party is one of the biggest stationery events in Japan.

Pilot recently introduced their latest addition to the Kakuno lineup - the Madoromi color series.

2022 was the year when stationery got more expensive, a new ink trend emerged, and traditional pen makers joined the dip pen craze.

2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

How to buy fountain pens from Japan without paying hefty reseller markups.

How to buy fountain pens from Japan without paying hefty reseller markups.

Fine nibs are practical, but sometimes you crave BOLD strokes! Here are a few extra broad fountain pen nibs, from coarse and music nibs to stacked and fude nibs.

Fine nibs are practical, but sometimes you crave BOLD strokes! Here are a few extra broad fountain pen nibs, from coarse and music nibs to stacked and fude nibs.

Fine nibs are practical, but sometimes you crave BOLD strokes! Here are a few extra broad fountain pen nibs, from coarse and music nibs to stacked and fude nibs.

Fine nibs are practical, but sometimes you crave BOLD strokes! Here are a few extra broad fountain pen nibs, from coarse and music nibs to stacked and fude nibs.

Fine nibs are practical, but sometimes you crave BOLD strokes! Here are a few extra broad fountain pen nibs, from coarse and music nibs to stacked and fude nibs.

One of the best parts of this hobby is discovering small fountain pen makers who do amazing work. Here are four of my favorites.

Graphilo and Tomoe River are great, but can be expensive and hard to come by. Here are a few more budget-friendly alternatives, all with high-quality paper.

One of the best parts of this hobby is discovering small fountain pen makers who do amazing work. Here are four of my favorites.

Graphilo and Tomoe River are great, but can be expensive and hard to come by. Here are a few more budget-friendly alternatives, all with high-quality paper.

One of the best parts of this hobby is discovering small fountain pen makers who do amazing work. Here are four of my favorites.

Graphilo and Tomoe River are great, but can be expensive and hard to come by. Here are a few more budget-friendly alternatives, all with high-quality paper.

One of the best parts of this hobby is discovering small fountain pen makers who do amazing work. Here are four of my favorites.

Graphilo and Tomoe River are great, but can be expensive and hard to come by. Here are a few more budget-friendly alternatives, all with high-quality paper.

One of the best parts of this hobby is discovering small fountain pen makers who do amazing work. Here are four of my favorites.

Graphilo and Tomoe River are great, but can be expensive and hard to come by. Here are a few more budget-friendly alternatives, all with high-quality paper.

And overview of Pilot’s nib sizes, from the humble steel nib on the Kakuno and Prera to the majestic Namiki size 50.

2022 was the year when stationery got more expensive, a new ink trend emerged, and traditional pen makers joined the dip pen craze.

2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

Hobonichi just sent me a replacement 5-year planner. This one has the new paper with adjusted ink absorbency. I test the new paper and recap the problems with this year’s Hobonichi planners

Hobonichi just sent me a replacement 5-year planner. This one has the new paper with adjusted ink absorbency. I test the new paper and recap the problems with this year’s Hobonichi planners

Hobonichi just sent me a replacement 5-year planner. This one has the new paper with adjusted ink absorbency. I test the new paper and recap the problems with this year’s Hobonichi planners

I tested Sanzen Paper’s soon-to-be-released Tomoe River successor, using extra broad and calligraphy nibs, with chromo-shading and sheening inks, and compared it to both “old” and “new” Tomoe River.

Tomoe River techo, DP (Plotter) paper, Kokuyo Thin Paper (Jibun Techo), and other planner papers compared.

What is going on with Tomoe River? Is it still being produced? What about the 68 gsm paper? Read and find out! I contacted both Sakae and Tomoegawa.

Ink maker Tono & Lims’s Christmas Party is one of the biggest stationery events in Japan.

2022 was the year when stationery got more expensive, a new ink trend emerged, and traditional pen makers joined the dip pen craze.

Ink maker Tono & Lims’s Christmas Party is one of the biggest stationery events in Japan.

Ink maker Tono & Lims’s Christmas Party is one of the biggest stationery events in Japan.

2022 was the year when stationery got more expensive, a new ink trend emerged, and traditional pen makers joined the dip pen craze.

2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Pilot recently introduced their latest addition to the Kakuno lineup - the Madoromi color series.

Pilot recently introduced their latest addition to the Kakuno lineup - the Madoromi color series.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.

2022 was the year when stationery got more expensive, a new ink trend emerged, and traditional pen makers joined the dip pen craze.

2022 was the year when stationery got more expensive, a new ink trend emerged, and traditional pen makers joined the dip pen craze.

2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.

Kohei Kubo is over 90 years old and still makes his own nibs, in his workshop in Tokyo. He’s behind some of the most extreme nibs ever made, and also taught Tohma how to make nibs.

Kohei Kubo is over 90 years old and still makes his own nibs, in his workshop in Tokyo. He’s behind some of the most extreme nibs ever made, and also taught Tohma how to make nibs.

Kohei Kubo is over 90 years old and still makes his own nibs, in his workshop in Tokyo. He’s behind some of the most extreme nibs ever made, and also taught Tohma how to make nibs.

Epigram is a stylish acrylic pen with a sterling silver band, made by a boutique pen maker in Turkey.

Epigram is a stylish acrylic pen with a sterling silver band, made by a boutique pen maker in Turkey.

Tomoe River techo, DP (Plotter) paper, Kokuyo Thin Paper (Jibun Techo), and other planner papers compared.

Tomoe River techo, DP (Plotter) paper, Kokuyo Thin Paper (Jibun Techo), and other planner papers compared.

Tomoe River techo, DP (Plotter) paper, Kokuyo Thin Paper (Jibun Techo), and other planner papers compared.

Tomoe River techo, DP (Plotter) paper, Kokuyo Thin Paper (Jibun Techo), and other planner papers compared.

Tomoe River techo, DP (Plotter) paper, Kokuyo Thin Paper (Jibun Techo), and other planner papers compared.

Designed by a precision engineering company in rural Japan, Drillog is a stainless steel dip pen with glass nib-like ink channels that hold plenty of ink. While currently only sold in Japan, Drillog will soon be available overseas via a Kickstarter campaign.

Designed by a precision engineering company in rural Japan, Drillog is a stainless steel dip pen with glass nib-like ink channels that hold plenty of ink. While currently only sold in Japan, Drillog will soon be available overseas via a Kickstarter campaign.

Designed by a precision engineering company in rural Japan, Drillog is a stainless steel dip pen with glass nib-like ink channels that hold plenty of ink. While currently only sold in Japan, Drillog will soon be available overseas via a Kickstarter campaign.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Sailor’s Theta pens, released in 1996, were inspired by a spiritual concept called hado. The nibs were said to be treated by a hado specialist and purportedly had mysterious health benefits.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Platinum’s Little Shooting Star (小流星钢笔) is a low-cost pen that looks like a Pilot Kakuno. It was released in July 2019 and is currently available in China only.

PenBBS 500 is a new release from popular Chinese pen maker PenBBS, with an all-new filling system that combines elements from TWSBI’s Go and Conid’s bulk fillers.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Long37, the mastermind behind Chinese pen maker PenBBS and owner of its namesake discussion forum, has been on a roll lately. Last autumn, PenBBS released the double-ended 469 and 456 vacuum filler in rapid succession, followed by the somewhat controversial 355 “bulkfiller” just before year-end. This year has already seen two new models: The 471 pocket pen, and the subject of this post: Model 380.

In late December, PenBBS member Beini posted a teaser image on Instagram. Less than three weeks later, the pen was released on their Etsy store and sold out faster than a Franklin-Christoph stock room drop. I managed to snag one in “silver velvet,” one of three finishes, with a medium nib (380-106SM).

My first PenBBS pen was a white 309 piston filler. I liked the nib a lot, a #6 size fine steel nib slightly bent upward, almost like a waverly nib. However, the rest of the pen wasn’t quite to my liking: Too light and with a somewhat cheap overall feeling, especially the piston mechanism. So I ended up selling it after a while.

After watching chrisrap52 repeatedly singing praise of PenBBS, I was keen on giving the brand another try, but I wanted a pen with a bit of heft, as I find it more comfortable to write that way. When PenBBS 350 came out, I quickly ordered the brass version.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Designed by a precision engineering company in rural Japan, Drillog is a stainless steel dip pen with glass nib-like ink channels that hold plenty of ink. While currently only sold in Japan, Drillog will soon be available overseas via a Kickstarter campaign.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

PenBBS 500 is a new release from popular Chinese pen maker PenBBS, with an all-new filling system that combines elements from TWSBI’s Go and Conid’s bulk fillers.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Yoseka Stationery is a stationery store in NY, founded in 2017 by a Taiwanese couple. Earlier this week, they sent one of their products, the Yoseka Notebook, for me to test.

For the last few days, I’ve been carrying and writing in this notebook. That also included bringing it to a pen meet where it encountered some of the wettest nibs around, such as music flex nibs by nib maniac @tokyostationpens.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Long37, the mastermind behind Chinese pen maker PenBBS and owner of its namesake discussion forum, has been on a roll lately. Last autumn, PenBBS released the double-ended 469 and 456 vacuum filler in rapid succession, followed by the somewhat controversial 355 “bulkfiller” just before year-end. This year has already seen two new models: The 471 pocket pen, and the subject of this post: Model 380.

In late December, PenBBS member Beini posted a teaser image on Instagram. Less than three weeks later, the pen was released on their Etsy store and sold out faster than a Franklin-Christoph stock room drop. I managed to snag one in “silver velvet,” one of three finishes, with a medium nib (380-106SM).

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

My first PenBBS pen was a white 309 piston filler. I liked the nib a lot, a #6 size fine steel nib slightly bent upward, almost like a waverly nib. However, the rest of the pen wasn’t quite to my liking: Too light and with a somewhat cheap overall feeling, especially the piston mechanism. So I ended up selling it after a while.

After watching chrisrap52 repeatedly singing praise of PenBBS, I was keen on giving the brand another try, but I wanted a pen with a bit of heft, as I find it more comfortable to write that way. When PenBBS 350 came out, I quickly ordered the brass version.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Designed by a precision engineering company in rural Japan, Drillog is a stainless steel dip pen with glass nib-like ink channels that hold plenty of ink. While currently only sold in Japan, Drillog will soon be available overseas via a Kickstarter campaign.

Designed by a precision engineering company in rural Japan, Drillog is a stainless steel dip pen with glass nib-like ink channels that hold plenty of ink. While currently only sold in Japan, Drillog will soon be available overseas via a Kickstarter campaign.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.

Japan’s biggest pen club commissioned a turquoise Platinum 3776, based on the standard Nice model, in 2018. It sold out fast.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Sailor’s Theta pens, released in 1996, were inspired by a spiritual concept called hado. The nibs were said to be treated by a hado specialist and purportedly had mysterious health benefits.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Platinum’s Little Shooting Star (小流星钢笔) is a low-cost pen that looks like a Pilot Kakuno. It was released in July 2019 and is currently available in China only.

PenBBS 500 is a new release from popular Chinese pen maker PenBBS, with an all-new filling system that combines elements from TWSBI’s Go and Conid’s bulk fillers.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

Gary is a fountain pen enthusiast from southern Japan with a knack for chemistry. A few years ago, he started experimenting with iron gall inks. This eventually led to a collaboration with Platinum, resulting in the Classic Ink series. He has also made inks for Pen Saloon and Wagner.

A few months ago, Gary published a few observations and lessons using iron gall inks in fountain pens, on his Japanese blog. Given his knowledge on the subject, and as iron gall ink safety is a question that often comes up on pen forums, I thought it was worth summarizing his findings in English.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Long37, the mastermind behind Chinese pen maker PenBBS and owner of its namesake discussion forum, has been on a roll lately. Last autumn, PenBBS released the double-ended 469 and 456 vacuum filler in rapid succession, followed by the somewhat controversial 355 “bulkfiller” just before year-end. This year has already seen two new models: The 471 pocket pen, and the subject of this post: Model 380.

In late December, PenBBS member Beini posted a teaser image on Instagram. Less than three weeks later, the pen was released on their Etsy store and sold out faster than a Franklin-Christoph stock room drop. I managed to snag one in “silver velvet,” one of three finishes, with a medium nib (380-106SM).

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

My first PenBBS pen was a white 309 piston filler. I liked the nib a lot, a #6 size fine steel nib slightly bent upward, almost like a waverly nib. However, the rest of the pen wasn’t quite to my liking: Too light and with a somewhat cheap overall feeling, especially the piston mechanism. So I ended up selling it after a while.

After watching chrisrap52 repeatedly singing praise of PenBBS, I was keen on giving the brand another try, but I wanted a pen with a bit of heft, as I find it more comfortable to write that way. When PenBBS 350 came out, I quickly ordered the brass version.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Platinum’s Little Shooting Star (小流星钢笔) is a low-cost pen that looks like a Pilot Kakuno. It was released in July 2019 and is currently available in China only.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Japan’s biggest pen club commissioned a turquoise Platinum 3776, based on the standard Nice model, in 2018. It sold out fast.

Japan’s biggest pen club commissioned a turquoise Platinum 3776, based on the standard Nice model, in 2018. It sold out fast.

Japan’s biggest pen club commissioned a turquoise Platinum 3776, based on the standard Nice model, in 2018. It sold out fast.

Japan’s biggest pen club commissioned a turquoise Platinum 3776, based on the standard Nice model, in 2018. It sold out fast.

Japan’s biggest pen club commissioned a turquoise Platinum 3776, based on the standard Nice model, in 2018. It sold out fast.

Platinum’s Little Shooting Star (小流星钢笔) is a low-cost pen that looks like a Pilot Kakuno. It was released in July 2019 and is currently available in China only.

Japan’s biggest pen club commissioned a turquoise Platinum 3776, based on the standard Nice model, in 2018. It sold out fast.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

Gary is a fountain pen enthusiast from southern Japan with a knack for chemistry. A few years ago, he started experimenting with iron gall inks. This eventually led to a collaboration with Platinum, resulting in the Classic Ink series. He has also made inks for Pen Saloon and Wagner.

A few months ago, Gary published a few observations and lessons using iron gall inks in fountain pens, on his Japanese blog. Given his knowledge on the subject, and as iron gall ink safety is a question that often comes up on pen forums, I thought it was worth summarizing his findings in English.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Fenestro is Fine Writing International’s latest model: An acrylic, eyedropper-friendly cartridge-converter pen with an ink window and spring-loaded cap.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Sailor’s Theta pens, released in 1996, were inspired by a spiritual concept called hado. The nibs were said to be treated by a hado specialist and purportedly had mysterious health benefits.

Sailor’s Theta pens, released in 1996, were inspired by a spiritual concept called hado. The nibs were said to be treated by a hado specialist and purportedly had mysterious health benefits.

Sailor’s Theta pens, released in 1996, were inspired by a spiritual concept called hado. The nibs were said to be treated by a hado specialist and purportedly had mysterious health benefits.

Sailor’s Theta pens, released in 1996, were inspired by a spiritual concept called hado. The nibs were said to be treated by a hado specialist and purportedly had mysterious health benefits.

Sailor’s Theta pens, released in 1996, were inspired by a spiritual concept called hado. The nibs were said to be treated by a hado specialist and purportedly had mysterious health benefits.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Eureka Dodecagon aka-tamenuri is a handmade ebonite pen with urushi lacquer, custom ebonite feed, and Argentium silver nib, all created by a one-man pen maker in South Korea.

Platinum’s Little Shooting Star (小流星钢笔) is a low-cost pen that looks like a Pilot Kakuno. It was released in July 2019 and is currently available in China only.

Platinum’s Little Shooting Star (小流星钢笔) is a low-cost pen that looks like a Pilot Kakuno. It was released in July 2019 and is currently available in China only.

Platinum’s Little Shooting Star (小流星钢笔) is a low-cost pen that looks like a Pilot Kakuno. It was released in July 2019 and is currently available in China only.

PenBBS 500 is a new release from popular Chinese pen maker PenBBS, with an all-new filling system that combines elements from TWSBI’s Go and Conid’s bulk fillers.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Long37, the mastermind behind Chinese pen maker PenBBS and owner of its namesake discussion forum, has been on a roll lately. Last autumn, PenBBS released the double-ended 469 and 456 vacuum filler in rapid succession, followed by the somewhat controversial 355 “bulkfiller” just before year-end. This year has already seen two new models: The 471 pocket pen, and the subject of this post: Model 380.

In late December, PenBBS member Beini posted a teaser image on Instagram. Less than three weeks later, the pen was released on their Etsy store and sold out faster than a Franklin-Christoph stock room drop. I managed to snag one in “silver velvet,” one of three finishes, with a medium nib (380-106SM).

My first PenBBS pen was a white 309 piston filler. I liked the nib a lot, a #6 size fine steel nib slightly bent upward, almost like a waverly nib. However, the rest of the pen wasn’t quite to my liking: Too light and with a somewhat cheap overall feeling, especially the piston mechanism. So I ended up selling it after a while.

After watching chrisrap52 repeatedly singing praise of PenBBS, I was keen on giving the brand another try, but I wanted a pen with a bit of heft, as I find it more comfortable to write that way. When PenBBS 350 came out, I quickly ordered the brass version.

PenBBS 500 is a new release from popular Chinese pen maker PenBBS, with an all-new filling system that combines elements from TWSBI’s Go and Conid’s bulk fillers.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Long37, the mastermind behind Chinese pen maker PenBBS and owner of its namesake discussion forum, has been on a roll lately. Last autumn, PenBBS released the double-ended 469 and 456 vacuum filler in rapid succession, followed by the somewhat controversial 355 “bulkfiller” just before year-end. This year has already seen two new models: The 471 pocket pen, and the subject of this post: Model 380.

In late December, PenBBS member Beini posted a teaser image on Instagram. Less than three weeks later, the pen was released on their Etsy store and sold out faster than a Franklin-Christoph stock room drop. I managed to snag one in “silver velvet,” one of three finishes, with a medium nib (380-106SM).

PenBBS 500 is a new release from popular Chinese pen maker PenBBS, with an all-new filling system that combines elements from TWSBI’s Go and Conid’s bulk fillers.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Long37, the mastermind behind Chinese pen maker PenBBS and owner of its namesake discussion forum, has been on a roll lately. Last autumn, PenBBS released the double-ended 469 and 456 vacuum filler in rapid succession, followed by the somewhat controversial 355 “bulkfiller” just before year-end. This year has already seen two new models: The 471 pocket pen, and the subject of this post: Model 380.

In late December, PenBBS member Beini posted a teaser image on Instagram. Less than three weeks later, the pen was released on their Etsy store and sold out faster than a Franklin-Christoph stock room drop. I managed to snag one in “silver velvet,” one of three finishes, with a medium nib (380-106SM).

My first PenBBS pen was a white 309 piston filler. I liked the nib a lot, a #6 size fine steel nib slightly bent upward, almost like a waverly nib. However, the rest of the pen wasn’t quite to my liking: Too light and with a somewhat cheap overall feeling, especially the piston mechanism. So I ended up selling it after a while.

After watching chrisrap52 repeatedly singing praise of PenBBS, I was keen on giving the brand another try, but I wanted a pen with a bit of heft, as I find it more comfortable to write that way. When PenBBS 350 came out, I quickly ordered the brass version.

PenBBS 500 is a new release from popular Chinese pen maker PenBBS, with an all-new filling system that combines elements from TWSBI’s Go and Conid’s bulk fillers.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.

Gary is a fountain pen enthusiast from southern Japan with a knack for chemistry. A few years ago, he started experimenting with iron gall inks. This eventually led to a collaboration with Platinum, resulting in the Classic Ink series. He has also made inks for Pen Saloon and Wagner.

A few months ago, Gary published a few observations and lessons using iron gall inks in fountain pens, on his Japanese blog. Given his knowledge on the subject, and as iron gall ink safety is a question that often comes up on pen forums, I thought it was worth summarizing his findings in English.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) and pen club Wagner’s autumn event, in one weekend!

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.

Gary is a fountain pen enthusiast from southern Japan with a knack for chemistry. A few years ago, he started experimenting with iron gall inks. This eventually led to a collaboration with Platinum, resulting in the Classic Ink series. He has also made inks for Pen Saloon and Wagner.

A few months ago, Gary published a few observations and lessons using iron gall inks in fountain pens, on his Japanese blog. Given his knowledge on the subject, and as iron gall ink safety is a question that often comes up on pen forums, I thought it was worth summarizing his findings in English.

Gary is a fountain pen enthusiast from southern Japan with a knack for chemistry. A few years ago, he started experimenting with iron gall inks. This eventually led to a collaboration with Platinum, resulting in the Classic Ink series. He has also made inks for Pen Saloon and Wagner.

A few months ago, Gary published a few observations and lessons using iron gall inks in fountain pens, on his Japanese blog. Given his knowledge on the subject, and as iron gall ink safety is a question that often comes up on pen forums, I thought it was worth summarizing his findings in English.

Gary is a fountain pen enthusiast from southern Japan with a knack for chemistry. A few years ago, he started experimenting with iron gall inks. This eventually led to a collaboration with Platinum, resulting in the Classic Ink series. He has also made inks for Pen Saloon and Wagner.

A few months ago, Gary published a few observations and lessons using iron gall inks in fountain pens, on his Japanese blog. Given his knowledge on the subject, and as iron gall ink safety is a question that often comes up on pen forums, I thought it was worth summarizing his findings in English.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

The nib is fine! Don’t worry. In fact, it’s more than fine: It’s a Concord, by none less than grandmaster Yukio Nagahara (“Nagahara Junior”), who recently started his own business, The Nib Shaper. But let’s start from the beginning.

It was a busy weekend at Bungubox in Omotesando: Nagahara did nib grinding, Eboya had a small pop-up shop around the corner, and Ken Takeda (who recently appeared on The World Unknown To Matsuko to talk about ink) did “ink fortune-telling”.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Sailor has its Pro Gears, Pilot has Custom 91 and 912, and now PenBBS has model 352: Flat-top cartridge-converter pens with stylish clips. Modern-looking complements to classic, cigar-shaped models in their respective product lineups.

Model 352 is one of PenBBS’s two new releases in June (the other one being vac filler 268), and comes in a number of different acrylics and with several nib options. The one I got is called Galaxy, and has PenBBS’s new extra-fine or REF nib.

Yoseka Stationery is a stationery store in NY, founded in 2017 by a Taiwanese couple. Earlier this week, they sent one of their products, the Yoseka Notebook, for me to test.

For the last few days, I’ve been carrying and writing in this notebook. That also included bringing it to a pen meet where it encountered some of the wettest nibs around, such as music flex nibs by nib maniac @tokyostationpens.

Yoseka Stationery is a stationery store in NY, founded in 2017 by a Taiwanese couple. Earlier this week, they sent one of their products, the Yoseka Notebook, for me to test.

For the last few days, I’ve been carrying and writing in this notebook. That also included bringing it to a pen meet where it encountered some of the wettest nibs around, such as music flex nibs by nib maniac @tokyostationpens.

Yoseka Stationery is a stationery store in NY, founded in 2017 by a Taiwanese couple. Earlier this week, they sent one of their products, the Yoseka Notebook, for me to test.

For the last few days, I’ve been carrying and writing in this notebook. That also included bringing it to a pen meet where it encountered some of the wettest nibs around, such as music flex nibs by nib maniac @tokyostationpens.

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

Yoseka Stationery is a stationery store in NY, founded in 2017 by a Taiwanese couple. Earlier this week, they sent one of their products, the Yoseka Notebook, for me to test.

For the last few days, I’ve been carrying and writing in this notebook. That also included bringing it to a pen meet where it encountered some of the wettest nibs around, such as music flex nibs by nib maniac @tokyostationpens.

Yoseka Stationery is a stationery store in NY, founded in 2017 by a Taiwanese couple. Earlier this week, they sent one of their products, the Yoseka Notebook, for me to test.

For the last few days, I’ve been carrying and writing in this notebook. That also included bringing it to a pen meet where it encountered some of the wettest nibs around, such as music flex nibs by nib maniac @tokyostationpens.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

My first PenBBS pen was a white 309 piston filler. I liked the nib a lot, a #6 size fine steel nib slightly bent upward, almost like a waverly nib. However, the rest of the pen wasn’t quite to my liking: Too light and with a somewhat cheap overall feeling, especially the piston mechanism. So I ended up selling it after a while.

After watching chrisrap52 repeatedly singing praise of PenBBS, I was keen on giving the brand another try, but I wanted a pen with a bit of heft, as I find it more comfortable to write that way. When PenBBS 350 came out, I quickly ordered the brass version.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Fine Writing International (FWI) is a Taiwanese pen maker and stationery store. In addition to their own production line pens, FWI produces exotic, one-off urushi creations, and imports and sells foreign brands (see Inkantadora’s video tour).

Until recently, FWI was relatively unheard of internationally. As late as May last year, when I got my first FWI pen, I had to order it directly from Taiwan, via email.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Pen Trading in Tokyo (ペントレ) is an annual pen show organized by “Pen Collectors of Japan”. It is arguably the place to find rare Japanese pens, and thus attended by some of the most dedicated collectors around. It is not just about vintage pens though.

This year’s show was the 19th. It was a three-day event, with the first day focused on presentations, paraphernalia, and Kakuno hacking, and the two remaining days on gold-nibbed pens, new and old.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Japan has a long tradition of urushi lacquerware, going all the way back to the Jomon period. Over the years, multiple regional forms such as Wajima-nuri and Kyo Shikki, and decorative techniques like maki-e and chinkin, have evolved.

Urushi is a time-consuming craft. Sap is extracted from the lacquer tree, filtered, often mixed with pigment such as vermilion, and painstakingly coated in many layers, on everything from rice bowls and trays to cars. This coating is not only decorative but has practical benefits, being durable and resistant to heat and moisture.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Eboya is a Tokyo-based pen maker that has been around since 2009. Their specialty is pens made of ebonite, polished on traditional rokuro lathes. Eboya’s parent company is Nikko Ebonite, the only producer of ebonite in Japan.

Eboya has seven pen fountain pen models, including the Onoto-inspired Kyouka, the bamboo-like Ricchiku, and the torpedo-shaped Houga. Each model is available in several types of marbled ebonite, in small, medium, and large sizes, with an appropriately-sized 14K Bock nib in F, FM, M, or B.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Storied stationery retailer and bookstore Maruzen is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate this occasion, Maruzen produced three limited edition pens: A Sailor KOP in micarta (Voyage), a yellow Pilot based on Custom 912 (Lemon), and the subject of this post: Athena the Pen.

The name, Athena, may be familiar to fountain pen enthusiasts. Maruzen has a popular series of inks carrying this label, including the sought-after Eternal Blue, and even more exotic ones sold only once a year, at their annual pen fair.

Long37, the mastermind behind Chinese pen maker PenBBS and owner of its namesake discussion forum, has been on a roll lately. Last autumn, PenBBS released the double-ended 469 and 456 vacuum filler in rapid succession, followed by the somewhat controversial 355 “bulkfiller” just before year-end. This year has already seen two new models: The 471 pocket pen, and the subject of this post: Model 380.

In late December, PenBBS member Beini posted a teaser image on Instagram. Less than three weeks later, the pen was released on their Etsy store and sold out faster than a Franklin-Christoph stock room drop. I managed to snag one in “silver velvet,” one of three finishes, with a medium nib (380-106SM).

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

One of the joys of attending pen shows is discovering new products. At Wagner’s year-end event, I picked up a type of paper called Null Refill. It wasn’t the first time this paper was sold at a pen show I attended, but for some reason, I had missed it until now.

Null Refill is based on a synthetic paper called Yupo, known for its water resistance. Because of this property, it is commonly used for e.g. posters and shampoo labels. It isn’t considered fountain pen friendly, as it takes forever for liquid ink to dry.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

Wagner is a Japanese pen club that I have previously written about. On December 30th, Wagner held a year-end meetup and sale event at their favorite venue in Ryogoku.

As usual, there were plenty of exotic pens available, including Wagner-commissioned limited runs, various vintage pens, and other rare items such as y.y Pen Club’s red Sailor Realo.

A new ink, a turquoise iron gall one called 喜望峰 (Cape of Good Hope), was available for testing and pre-order. This ink has been developed by a Wagner member and ink mixer called Gary, who’s also worked with Platinum on their classic inks.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

This autumn was a busy time for stationery fans in Tokyo, with no less than four events between late September and early October.

Starting it off was Pelikan Hubs. The one in Tokyo was held in trendy Meguro, in Atlas Tower near Naka-meguro station. It was my first time joining, so I didn’t know what to expect, but around 20 people showed up, almost half of them foreigners.

Most people had brought far more exotic pens than I did, including vintage Pilots, rare anniversary Sailor KOPs, Bokumondoh-customized Pelikans, and more. My own pen case contained, among other pens, a vintage Sailor with soft nib, a pre-production PenBBS vacuum filler, and a pen with a Franklin-Christoph SIG flex nib. The last one garnered most interest.

My first PenBBS pen was a white 309 piston filler. I liked the nib a lot, a #6 size fine steel nib slightly bent upward, almost like a waverly nib. However, the rest of the pen wasn’t quite to my liking: Too light and with a somewhat cheap overall feeling, especially the piston mechanism. So I ended up selling it after a while.

After watching chrisrap52 repeatedly singing praise of PenBBS, I was keen on giving the brand another try, but I wanted a pen with a bit of heft, as I find it more comfortable to write that way. When PenBBS 350 came out, I quickly ordered the brass version.

Last year, Leo of Inquisitive Quill fame posted on Reddit about a new pen called Bronze Age, from Taiwanese pen maker Fine Writing International. I was taken aback by the beauty of this pen but quickly gave up trying to purchase one for myself, as the only method of payment at the time required a bank account in Taiwan.

A few weeks ago, this pen started showing up on my Instagram feed for unknown reasons, which rekindled my interest. This time I decided to make an effort to purchase the pen, so I searched for a found this Taiwanese pen maker’s website, and although I didn’t understand a word, I managed to find an email address.

Hi! My name is Jacob and I am a fountain pen enthusiast from Scandinavia currently living just outside Tokyo. I’ve been in Japan for almost 20 years and know the pen scene here inside out. If you want to know more about me, listen to Pen Addict episode 504.

On this blog, I write about stationery-related topics: Events, trends, products, and more. I also post on Instagram and co-host a podcast about Japanese stationery called Tokyo Inklings.

Hi! My name is Jacob and I am a fountain pen enthusiast from Scandinavia currently living just outside Tokyo. I’ve been in Japan for almost 20 years and know the pen scene here inside out. If you want to know more about me, listen to Pen Addict episode 504.

On this blog, I write about stationery-related topics: Events, trends, products, and more. I also post on Instagram and co-host a podcast about Japanese stationery called Tokyo Inklings.

Hi! My name is Jacob and I am a fountain pen enthusiast from Scandinavia currently living just outside Tokyo. I’ve been in Japan for almost 20 years and know the pen scene here inside out. If you want to know more about me, listen to Pen Addict episode 504.

On this blog, I write about stationery-related topics: Events, trends, products, and more. I also post on Instagram and co-host a podcast about Japanese stationery called Tokyo Inklings.