3 Reasons Why You Should Attend a Pen Club Meetup

Pelikan Hubs Swag!

Last Friday, we were honored to participate in Pelikan Hubs, a worldwide event that gathered pen enthusiasts from all over the globe to celebrate the revered Pelikan brand. At 6:30p local time, registered pen addicts congregated to their respective meetup locations in major metropolitan areas like New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Madrid, Toronto and beyond.  Sal & Tom, along with a few members of our NJ Pen Club, attended the Philly meetup, which was shepherded by flock-master Joshua of Pelikan's Perch.

So, what do you do when you get a bunch of fountain pen fanatics in a room together?

For those who have never attended a pen meetup or pen club meeting, here are 3 takeaways for people who love fine writing.

Joshua's Flock of Pelikan Pens

1. Experiencing New Pens

One of the necessities of a pen club meeting is that attendees bring some pens to show off. At the Hubs meeting, Joshua brought his entire flock of Pelikans, including virtually every tradition series 200/205 model that has ever been produced. Now, I know what you're thinking and, no, you don't need to bring 100 pens to a meetup. A few favorite pens in your everyday carry would suffice.

The point of bringing your pens is that everyone at the meeting can see, touch and (sometimes) write with pens that they wouldn't normally experience. With fountain pen brick-and-mortar retail stores so few and far between, it's rare to be in the presence of so many different writing instruments. Think of it like window shopping at a pen store without the pressure to buy anything.

At Friday's meetup, James spotted a Pelikan M1000 in Joshua's collection. He never experienced holding the largest of the Souveran fountain pens and was quite taken by its huge 18ct gold nib and stately size of this fountain pen. I think it shot up to the top of his wish list after he receives the Nakaya he's been patiently waiting for.

Writing with other people's pens can be a sensitive topic at pen meets. Fountain pens nibs are delicate and, if someone writes with a heavy hand or at an incorrect angle, a nib could be taken out of alignment and cause its owner quite a bit of grief. It is always appropriate to ask the pen's owner if they mind you writing with their pen.

Goldspot brought the M600 Pink, M805 Demonstrator, M805 Stresemann, M205 Amethyst and Stola III to the meet. These are all the new Pelikan designs that were produced in 2015.

The Pelikan Hubs Ink Sampling Station

2. Sampling New Inks

With an ever-growing number of varieties being brewed in the US and beyond, ink has become a big topic of discussion. Besides finding the perfect hue, pen lovers are concerned with other ink properties like shading, sheen, shimmer, lightfastness, water resistance and ease of maintenance. Attending a pen meet affords the opportunity to try new inks. Most attendees will either bring ink samples, bottles or have inks loaded in pens to try.

At Friday's Hubs meetup, Pelikan generously provided the entire selection of Edelstein ink bottles for attendees to sample and swab. At $30 a bottle, these inks would normally be quite expensive to sample. However, at a pen meet, anyone can write, scribble and swab to see, in person, if the color is going to be a new favorite or a fizzle.

Be sure to bring a pad of paper you would normally use for writing so you can test out several inks. If the meet is expected to have several bottles of ink to try on-hand, you may want to have a few empty pens to fill up. A cup of water, paper towels and q-tip cotton swabs are also recommended to help with keeping your pen, and the meeting venue, clean.

The Pelikan Hubs Philly Group

3. Get Experienced Tips and Advice

Arguably the most valuable part of getting together for a pen meet, aside from the socialization, is the free exchange of knowledge. People who are new to fountain pens, or pen collecting, can benefit greatly from the experience of others. From routine maintenance tips to adjusting nibs, open discussions at pen meetings are a treasure trove of information that help you be a better pen enthusiast.

Friday night, Karen brought a couple of Pelikan pens she owned for some years, but was unsure about the specific model. After a minute with Joshua, she knew exactly which models she had (M250's) and a brief history of their creation (they were created exclusively for the retailer Levenger).

Pen aficionados can talk about their inks much like beer & wine connoisseurs discuss craft brews and varietals. Besides reading online reviews, pen meetups offer real viewpoints about which inks are safe and fun to use.

Ultimately, a pen meet is about providing a real life experience that doesn't exist in online forums or in brick-and-mortar retailers. Instead of clicking on links and looking at handwriting sample scans, a meetup gives you the opportunity to sample the ink in person, hold the pen in your hand and receive honest, face-to-face advice.

Are you interested in participating in a pen club near you? Check to see if there is one in your area by logging into Fountain Pen Network or the FP Geeks forum to find if a local group is meeting.

If you're in the NJ tri-state area, the recently-formed NJ Pen Club has a few meetings under our belt since June. If you're interested in joining our club and would like to attend a future meeting, please feel free to leave a comment with your e-mail, twittter handle or FPN screen name and we will add you to our pen club e-mail notification list.

Monkeys, Skyscrapers and Pens, Oh my!

Cross is going all King Kong on us.

Not counting the Star Wars collection, two of AT Cross' flagship limited editions that are slated for 2015/16 involve a Monkey and Skyscrapers, so I couldn't help but combine the two together in my mind, and it makes me smile.

Cross Chinese Zodiac 2016 Year of the Monkey Special Edition

Firstly, the latest release in the Chinese Zodiac Series, the 2016 Year of the Monkey takes the curvaceous, Cross Sauvage body style and compliments it with a decorative engraving of a snub-nosed monkey. Indigenous to the mountainous forests of Southwest China, this majestic, endangered species represents the 9th sign of the Chinese Zodiac. The monkey symbolizes status, magical power and good fortune.

Left to Right : Tibetan Teal & Brushed Platinum Plate

The Year of the Monkey will be offered in two colorways - a vibrant Tibetan Teal lacquer with gold plated appointments and a Brushed Platinum Plated silver, also with gold trim. As you can see in the detail shots, both finishes appear to have a textured feel to the barrel and cap,. The playful monkey can be seen engraved the full way down the barrel and cap. The engraving is more contrasted in the Teal version, as it is filled / plated in gold to stand out from the blue.

This limited edition collection will be available October 1st and will be offered in 3 modes : twist-action ballpoint pen, selectip rollerball and fountain pen fitted with an 18ct gold nib. Each pen is accompanied by special edition packaging unique to the Year of the Monkey theme.

Cross Peerless Citizen Special Edition

The grandiose Peerless 125 collection is being expanded with a special edition of three finishes that are crafted after architectural motifs related to three major cosmopolitan centers of world culture : London, New York and Tokyo.

The London's 23ct gold plate engraved finish is inspired by the Gothic Revival architecture of London's Elizabeth Tower. New York City is engraved in platinum plate and borrows design elements from the iconic Art Deco of New York's Chrysler Building. Tokyo's steely, satin black takes its design cue from the Neo-Futuristic architecture of Tokyo's Skytree Tower.

From left to right : Tokyo, London, NYC

Each Peerless Citizen has a brilliant Swarovski crystal set in the top of the pen's crown. The city's name and the latitude / longitude of the city are engraved on the ring right below the crystal. This monumental collection is available as either a twist-action ballpoint pen or a fountain pen with an 18ct gold nib. Coming February 2016.

Do you collect the Cross Chinese Zodiac pens? Are you excited for this new Year of the Monkey edition? Have you tried the Peerless? Let us know if you're excited about these new pens from Cross. If you would like to place a pre-order, be sure to call us at 800-963-7367. If you would like to be notified when these pens will become available on our website, please SIGN UP for our E-MAIL NEWSLETTER LIST.

Visconti Millennium Arc 2015 Edition Sneak Peek

I'm going to precede this article with a disclaimer : I've lusted after the original Visconti Millennium Arc I, II & III fountain pens that were released at the turn of this new century (hence the name).

I don't have an original photo, but the originals were a limited edition that are rare these days, but some are available used or new if you hunt for them on the 'net. Combine the style of the Homo Sapiens Crystal Swirl with a arc-filling fountain pen and you've got the original Millennium Arc collection. There was a red, blue and orange, all with 18kt gold nibs and all absolutely delicious to behold.

Earlier this year, when I was on the phone with one of our associates over at Coles of London (Visconti's US distributor), I nearly drooled into my headset when informed that the Millennium Arc would be making a comeback in 2015.

"Great," I thought. After deleting my "millennium arc" saved search on eBay, I've been patiently waiting for the first new information on this re-released limited edition.

The photos came first. I'll be honest, I was disappointed they weren't demonstrators like the previous models. I loved the swirling pattern on the barrels. That style was what made the Homo Sapiens limited edition, and the Opera Master Demonstrators so successful. I could understand why they would not want to re-release the same exact pen, but I was secretly hoping it would be close.

That being said, I do like the new "Moonlight" and "Rainbow" finishes. The Moonlight colors (green, burgundy and blue) are Italian acrylic resins that exhibit a high degree of chatoyance (I learned of that word from Brian at Edison Pens - thanks Brian!). The Rainbow takes a different approach with stacked colors of the rainbow with a dark blue cap. Although it is quite funky, I can dig it!

The other big departure from the original collection is the nib. Visconti is using the Chromium 18 tubular nib on the new Millennium Arc. For those who are new to the nib, Visconti introduced it 3 years ago with the Mosquito-filling tool that allows for the user to fill their pen similar to a Sheaffer Snorkel. A long tube is connected to the nib and feed, fitting over like a sleeve. It allows a mess-free fill from a bottle of ink. Although the Arcs will have the Smartouch nib, they will not include the mosquito fill device.

Filling up the Arc Filler

Moving the locking clip around to allow the arc to depress, I submerge the entire nib into the bottle of ink up to the start of the section. My index finger firmly presses on the arc to expel the air from the sac that is inside the barrel. Bubbles appear in the ink as a result. I let go of the arc to allow the sac to expand again, creating a vacuum and drawing the ink through the feed, up into the sac. The pressing and releasing is repeated a few times until bubbles stop surfacing.

Writing with the Smartouch Chromium 18 Nib

Putting the pen to paper, the Smartouch nib feels like it needs a little time to be broken in. The ink flow comes out wet, but I think there is a case of baby's bottom that is causing the nib to miss randomly. A little work with a micromesh pad should get the nib writing like it's on a plate of glass. For what it's worth, European-made, high-end pens tend to be culprits of this problem, but for a $350 pen, the end-user should have a writing instrument that sings right out of the box.

The nib does exhibit a slight degree of expressiveness when flexed. It may not be an intentional part of the design. Coles of London has advised that, although it is a steel nib, the Smartouch does exhibit a small degree of flex.

The metal section can be a turn-off to some, especially those who have a higher degree of perspiration on their hands. The metal does add a bit more weight to the pen, which feels more comfortable to write with unposted.

A Few Choice Words

Visconti Millennium Arc Moonlight & Rainbow Limited Edition Fountain Pens
Filling System : Arc Filler
Nib : Smartouch Chromium 18
Price : Fountain Pen $349, Rollerball $299
Available : in October

If you would like to be notified when this pen becomes available for order, please SIGN UP FOR OUR E-MAIL NEWSLETTER LIST. If you would like to place a pre-order, please call Goldspot at 800-963-7367 and mention you saw the Millennium Arc on our blog and would like to secure your piece.

Win an Entire Pen Collection Giveaway

Hey All,

We haven't run a good giveaway in some time, and it's a shame, because we love giving away pen goodies to all of our fans, followers and customers. Let's change that.

10 sexy fountain pens are up for grabs.

Starting today (Sept 17th) and running until Sept 30th, we're gathering entries for our biggest giveaway yet - a collection of pens from JinHao, along with Diamine ink and a Rhodia pad. We're raffling off this complete, 10-pen collection to one lucky winner that will be randomly chosen when the official deadline for entries closes.

This set of JinHao pens we're giving away has something for everyone. Ornate, classic, modern and stylish designs. No one pen is the same. Some come with converters, some do not. Chances are, you may not be using all 10 pens at one time, so this may not be an issue. They do take standard international converters or international ink cartridges. The winner will have the ability to choose the color of Diamine ink and whether it will be bottled or cartridges.

We will contact the winner and allow (7) days for them to respond with a shipping address and preference of ink. If we do not receive a response from the winner, we will draw a second time and allow for another (7) days, and so on and so forth.

Entering the giveaway is easy. We're hosting it directly our Goldspot Pens Giveaway Page. Be sure to follow the instructions on how you can earn extra entries.

• Sign up to our e-mail newsletter list.
• "Like" our page on facebook.
• Follow us on Twitter
• Tweet a message promoting the giveaway
• Follow us on Pinterest

Like I mentioned, all of this is on our official Giveaway page, so click on over to our link below and throw your name into the hat.

ENTER OUR FALL PEN COLLECTION GIVEAWAY

Pelikan Stola III Collection Preview

Coming soon from Germany, the Pelikan Stola III is a new line of professional writing instruments that rivals the Lamy AL-Star and Pilot Metropolitan in contemporary style and affordable luxury.

Did I miss the Stola I & II? What was it about?
The Stola III is part of a trilogy of pen designs from Pelikan that are similar in model with some minor design differences. Chartpak, Pelikan's US distributor, is only going to bring in the Stola III at this time to test the market. Although Pelikan's website does have information and images of Stola I & Stola II for you to check out, we're going to focus on the third act, since that is the one we are going to have in our hands shortly.

Acting as an entry-level point for emerging professionals and students who are looking for a high-quality and sharp-looking writing instrument, the Stola III has the weight, finish and writing quality to compete with other well-known pens in the $30-$45 price range.

The Stola style has an elegant, contemporary look. Sleek, polished and well-designed with a high-degree of utility in mind. Multiple layers of silver coating give the impression of a metallic, automotive paint finish. The black, stainless steel clip is outlined in the shape of the iconic Pelikan beak with a modern twist. The pen's cap sits flush with the barrel, creating a streamlined look to the pen body. The rounded, black end of the barrel has an "Apple"-esque flair.

The Stola III Fountain Pen

The Stola has a significant weight in hand that feels more luxurious, thanks to a brass-lined barrel and front section.  The fountain pen comes with an ink cartridge to start, but also accepts a Pelikan converter (sold separately). The German-made, stainless steel nib writes fluidly and smoothly from the get-go, with excellent flow. The Stola III is only available in medium point, which is the most common nib size for fountain pen newbies.

The snap cap fits securely over the front end when the pen is capped. The cap itself is made from aluminum, and doesn't add much weight when posting it to the backend of the pen while writing. Posting the cap is a tad difficult, as you have to be quite forceful to get a secure fit.

Fountain Pen Specifications : 4.625" length open, 5.313" closed, 6.188" cap posted, 0.438" width at thickest point, 1.2oz, 0.375" diameter at section.

The Stola III Rollerball Pen

With the free-flowing, Pelikan rollerball ink cartridge installed, the Stola rollerball provides a smooth and liquid writing experience. Similar to the fountain pen, the rollerball also has a brass-lined barrel and front section to give forward weight-in-hand while the cap is a lighter aluminum. The cap snaps over the front send with a satisfying CLICK between writing sessions.

Rollerball Pen Specifications : 4.625" length open, 5.313" closed, 6.25" cap posted, 0.438" width at thickest point, 1.2oz, 0.375" diameter at section.

Pelikan Stola III Ballpen - I am not a hand model :-)

The Stola III Ballpoint Pen

The twist-action ballpen has a unique design characteristic in the front end grip area. The section flares out to 0.438" in diameter, which provides finer balance and more comfort for your grip. The Pelikan ballpoint refill that is included can be replaced with any Parker-style type ballpoint or gel ink refill, which makes it very easy to find refills for your pen, since you aren't tied down to a particular manufacturer.

Ballpoint Pen Specifications : 5.438" length open, 5.313" closed, 0.438" width at thickest point (grip section), 0.9oz.

Comparing the Stola III with the Lamy AL-Star & Pilot Metro Fountain Pens

It is hard not to immediately want to compare this new Pelikan model up against some of its tried and true competitors that dominate the entry level pen arena. The closest analog (especially since it's also made in Germany) is the Lamy AL-Star. The aluminum-bodied AL-Star has a more utilitarian look, as most Lamy pens are designed in the Bauhaus style. It is also larger in size, as you can see from the comparison photo above.  The brass-lined Stola fountain pen is 55% heavier than the AL-Star at 1.2oz versus 0.77oz. The retail price points are nearly the same, with the Stola winning out by a few dollars less than the AL-Star.

The Japanese-made Pilot Metropolitan is similar to the Pelikan Stola III in its streamlined profile, sleek design, metallic barrel and black front sections. The Metro fountain pen is lighter by a third of an ounce, while being only slightly longer. The Metro comes with a converter to start with and is priced under $20, which is half the price of the Stola. However, I felt (and this is my opinion) that the nib on the Pelikan was much smoother than the Metro.

I can see the Stola III being a great option for an entry-level Pelikan that has more style and elegance than a kid-friendly Pelikano. Will it be in the conversation for "best beginner fountain pens?" One could certainly argue that such a well respected fine writing brand like Pelikan should have their name in the mix, but only time will tell. One thing I would suggest for Pelikan is to offer this pen in multiple nib sizes.

The Stola III ballpoint is really intriguing and I think will be a pleasant surprise for Pelikan fans and those who need a solid, everyday carry ballpen. The engorged front grip area and brass-lined barrel is great to experience and comfortable to hold.

We expect to have the Pelikan Stola III line available within the next few months. If you would like to be notified of when these pens will be available for sale on our website, please SIGN UP to our E-MAIL NEWSLETTER to be the first to know.

What is This Pen Worth? Part 1 - Identifying

] You could be sitting on a gold mine.

eBay listings for vintage pens

Well, that might be exaggerating a bit, but you may have some gold on a pen that could be quite valuable.

Every day, collections of pens are either rediscovered by the current owner or inherited by someone who may not be knowledgeable about the writing instruments they now possess.

The pens are old. You know that much for sure. But, how old and, more importantly, how valuable are these writing instruments of yesteryear?

Vintage pens, from the layperson point-of-view, can be overlooked as a defunct device in the current era of mobile phones and touchscreen tablets. Unless you're a pen aficionado, it is not easy to identify and place a value on a writing instrument.

That's where this article aims to help.

Although we're a retailer of modern pens, we have over 10 years of experience and have seen both sides of the market - customers who are hunting for discontinued, out-of-production pens and folks who are looking to liquidate their collection of pens. There is a healthy demand on the web for vintage and discontinued pens.

If you list the pens as an estate sale or lot without doing your proper research, you could be leaving major dollars on the table that could have been easily in your pocket.

Relying on the collector's market or a reseller to pay a fair value for your writing instruments is a folly that will leave you with a fraction of the value for your collection.

The best way to figure out the value of your older pen is a 3-step process :

1. Identify the make, model and the year of manufacture (estimated).
2. Determine the condition
3. Gauge the current market value of the item.

We're going to talk about step one, which is a question we get often - What is this pen that I have?

Before we get started, here is a simple diagram to get you familiar with the parts of a pen.

Parker Vacumatic Fountain Pen Basic Diagram of Named Parts

Step 1. Figure out the Brand

Parker Duofold Lucky Curve barrel imprint from Vintage Fountain Pens (UK)

Yes, even with pens, brand name is everything. Demand for Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman and Esterbrook pens are high in the vintage market. Best case scenario is that you have the box and original paperwork and can easily find out what the brand, model and approximate year of manufacture is. However, if you don't have that information handy, check the clip, nib or cap band for the brand name. Most vintage pens will also have an imprint on the barrel with the brand name and perhaps a date code or other signifying marks that will make it easier to identify the pen.

Step 2. What's the Model?

Simply saying that I have a vintage Parker pen for sale doesn't cut it for most collectors. There's a large variety of different models that vary in value. Knowing your Vacumatics versus your Duofolds and 51's will help in getting a ballpark idea of the value.

Now that you know the brand, take to Google Image search. Enter a search "BRAND NAME pens". Alternatively, you may want to try the following searches :
BRAND NAME vintage pens
BRAND NAME MODE (where mode is ballpoint, rollerball or fountain pen)
BRAND NAME + other imprint text that is found on pen

The idea of this google search is to find images that match the pen you are researching. Then, once you find the image that matches, click on it, then click on "visit page" to see the webpage that is hosting the image. Most likely, that site will have more information, including the make and model of the pen you are looking for.

Step 3. Devil in the Details

Now that you have a make and model, it's time to bone up on your pen history. That's where it will be helpful to have a resource like Richard Binder's website or a brand-specific website like Parker Penography to find more details about the history of the particular pen. The key is to find more information about the materials of the pen, the year manufactured and the filling system.

Some sellers on eBay or vintage resellers might also have a solid amount of information, including dimensions of the pen, idiosyncrasies with rare variants and common problems that may be encountered when restoring the writing instrument.

If you're stuck on any of the steps, don't worry, there's help to be had.

Take a nice photo of the pens you are looking to identify. Sign up as a user (it's free) to Fountain Pen Network, Reddit /r/fountainpens or FP Geeks. Post the pic on one of those discussion board style sites with a sincere plea for help to find the identity of your pens. The kind and knowledgable folks that frequent those sites are usually very quick and helpful to lend you their expertise.

At this point, you should have the brand name, model and should have an approximate idea of when the pen was made, what type of filling system it has and some other tidbits that will help you in the next step, which is Part 2 : determining the condition of the pen.

Do you have any comments or tips on how you go about identifying an unknown pen? Please share them below in the comments.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 : EVALUATING CONDITION

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Disclaimer : Although I'd love to help every one of you that are trying to do your own detective work, there's not enough time in the day and we're not official appraisers of pens, nor do we purchase our inventory from private sellers.

The Story on Sailor Storia Pigmented Inks (Review)

] Sailor (Japan) is known by many as the manufacturer of high quality, gold nib fountain pens, hand-tuned and inspected by masters of their craft. It is not a common fact that Sailor also has an entire division dedicated to brewing specialty fountain pen inks. Building upon the popularity of their Jentle line of fountain pen inks available in the US, Sailor has introduced the pigmented Storia line of 8 new colors just last month.

The Concept of Storia

Sailor Storia inks are inspired by the bright and cheery colors of the circus. Each color has a circus-themed name. Presented in frosted glass ink bottles with a 30mL capacity. The effect is reminiscent of little paint bottles. The built-in reservoir common to all Sailor inks allow the user to easily fill their fountain pen and extract every last drop of colorful ink into their pen.

What is this Pigmented Ink You're Trying to Feed My Pen?

Pigmented ink is crafted with tiny particles of pigment instead of dye to color the ink formula. In the case of the Sailor Storia inks, the benefit is a quick dry time, water resistance and lightfastness. Pigment particles sit on top of the paper instead of being absorbed into the paper fibers like dye ink. Use the ink with a acid-free paper and you've got a combination that can be preserved for 200-300 years. Imagine writing about the 2015 VMA's and trying to explain Miley Cyrus to the human race of the 24th Century. They way things are going, they will probably have someone that will make Miley look like a Puritan spinster.

The drawback of pigmented ink is the cleaning aspect, which needs to be approached with more frequency and care. Give Sailor some faith in creating an ink that is safe for fountain pens, considering how much care they put into crafting a quality writing instrument. That being said, I would still err on the side of caution when using these inks in your pens.

Follow these tips to properly use pigmented inks in your fountain pen :

• Up your cleaning schedule to less than 5 days after initially filling the pen with pigmented ink.
• To create a more frequent cleaning schedule, only fill the pen to partial capacity so it will deplete quicker.
• Soak the nib with a bit of windex cleaner (containing ammonia) to help with any stubborn ink that won't clean out.

Sampling the Storia Inks

Being that there are only 8 inks in this collection, I decided to write dangerously and fill 8 pens, one with each color. The pens vary in nib size, manufacturer and year produced.

Favorites :
Lion Light Brown, Magic Purple and Clown Yellow-Green

Not-so-Favorites :
Fire Red and Spotlight Yellow

Performance-wise, a majority of the inks had great flow, with exception to the Fire Red that was in my TWSBI with the 1.5mm stub nib, but I've had similar flow issues with different inks in that pen, including Rouge Hematite. There's a beautiful shading on the Lion and the Clown colors. Fire Red really falls short of what I would consider "Fire" and is very close to the hue of the Dancer Pink.

I tested the set of inks on Rhodia 80gsm plain notepad paper and applied water droplets to each of the swatches. After letting the water drops sit on the page for a minute, I wiped off the water while trying to smear the page as much as possible to see if the ink gets lifted from the page.

Sailor Storia Water droplet test results

Don't get the shading confused with the water resistance, this ink does a great job holding up against a spill. The Dancer Pink seemed to be most effected by the water, lifting up some of the color saturation. Balloon Green and Lion also seemed to be lift a bit from the page, but ever-so-slightly. The other colors look as though there was no change. Smearing can be seen on Fire Red and Night Blue, but only a touch. All in all, these are a solid set of water resistant inks.

The Spotlight Yellow is completely unreadable on white paper. Now, why in the world would anyone want an ink like that? Well, that brings me to my next topic where we mix things up!

Mixing Sailor Storia Inks

Besides being colorful right out of the bottle, these Storia inks can also be mixed with each other to create new color combinations. It is strongly advised that these inks are not to be diluted or mixed with any other inks outside of the Storia line. I haven't had the chance to mix up a few colors, but the Spotlight Yellow seems like a good candidate to add to another color to achieve a golden halo in the new creation.

Writing Samples

Each pen and ink combination was recorded using an InkJournal notebook to provide a comparison of the writing samples between inks. It has to be noted that the Lion Light Brown was slightly tinted green to start with due to the last ink that was in the pen I used. Same deal with the Spotlight Yellow. I tried my darnedest to clean out all the Emerald of Chivor from my Nemosine pen before filling it with Spotlight, but the slightest bit of any other saturated color will contaminate this pure yellow ink.

Sailor Storia Pink Dancer w/ Parker Vacumatic

Sailor Storia Red Fire w/ TWSBI Diamond 530 1.5mm Stub

Sailor Storia Lion Light Brown w/ Waterman 352 Stalwart Flex Nib

Sailor Storia Spotlight Yellow with Nemosine 0.6mm Stub

Sailor Storia Clown Yellow-Green w/ Visconti Van Gogh (F)

Sailor Storia Balloon Green w/ Edison Herald (F)

Sailor Storia Blue Night w/ Kaweco AL-Sport (EF)

Sailor Storia Magic Purple w/ OMAS New Bologna (M)

We'd love to read your thoughts on the new Sailor Storia line. Have you tried any of these inks already? Any issues with keeping your pens clean after using these inks? Any mix recipes that you care to share?