Penversary Pen, wazzat?

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

You may recall that Brad and Myke recently celebrated 500 episodes of The Pen Addict Podcast and Brad got an Elbwood pen to mark the occasion. He said that he doesn’t really buy pens/stationery to celebrate milestones or events, but that was worthy of a celebration purchase. I, on the other hand, am the polar opposite. I was so excited to be in this hobby that I found any reason I could to buy a pen. First pen show? Yes, definitely pen time. A few weeks later, birthday time, so duh, birthday pen. Not long after was Christmas and another pen for that. And of course, Valentine’s Day, Handwriting Day, pretty much any excuse I could use to get a new pen. And of course, there’s my Penversary. Wait, what? Did you say “Penversary”? Yes, I did. “What the heck is that, Kimberly?” Lemme explain.

In 2017, I got into fountain pens by way of bullet journaling and one of the spreads that I kept was a “Things I Bought” spread, which tracked when I ordered stuff, from which vendors, what I bought and the date I received them. One of those dates happened to be when I received my first shipments of fountain pens from Goulet Pens and Amazon. I got my Lamy Safari gift set and a Pilot Metropolitan (Turquoise!) from Goulet and a 7-pack of Platinum Preppies from Amazon (because I couldn’t pick a color even though it felt a bit excessive to buy SEVEN fountain pens in one fell swoop). And I got both orders on May 31, 2017. And ever since then, I’ve celebrated May 31st as my Penversary date, with this year being the 5th Penversary!

But why? I know birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and such make sense to celebrate with a pen or other stationery gift (or any gift, amirite?), but why celebrate the date I got my first fountain pens? Because if it wasn’t for this rabbit hole, I would not be sitting here writing this, I wouldn’t have an incredible community of fellow enthusiasts from all around the country and the world to share our love of fountain pens, inks and paper. I wouldn’t have people I call Pops, Uncle, Sister or Brother at pen shows. I wouldn’t be speaking Italian to favorite vendors/brands about upcoming releases, or be as well-versed in various foreign exchange rates, lol. Anyway, you get the picture.

Now you may be a normal pen addict that doesn’t care about or even have a Penversary and that’s totally fine, but I’m sure you also have an event, occasion, date or something that you want to commemorate. Or maybe it’s just time for an “I want to buy something special” or you got an unexpected bonus, a raise or a tax refund. Whatever the reason, you want to get something a little more special than the usual pens you’ve been looking at. Maybe you already have something picked out, or you may be like me and wondering what that special pen would be. So I thought I’d walk you through some of the thoughts and questions that are floating around my head.

Budget? - This can be easier said than done because you want to make sure it’s a “special” item, which usually means more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Maybe it’s a “silly” thing that you normally wouldn’t have gotten but it’s just the right thing for the occasion. Maybe it’s not expensive per se, but not as “worth the price tag” as other items. You don’t necessarily have to have a number, though it does help narrow the search down a bit. Right now, I’m not sure I have a budget other than not wanting to get anywhere near the “comma club”, lol ($1,000 and up).

More of the same or something different? - I have been building little collections within my pen collection. I love the Leonardo Momento Zero, so I have several of them. Ditto TWSBI, Pelikan and Platinums. Do I want another one of those pens or maybe one of their Limited Editions to expand the collection? Or should I get something completely different? Does it have to be different from what you already have? Or does it also have to be different from what everyone else has as well?

Custom or Stock? - With the Penversary just weeks away, it is probably too late for me to get a custom pen which can take anywhere from several weeks to several months or years, so factor that in when going the custom route. Even if you can get the custom item done in time, it may arrive a lot earlier or later than the actual event date - ask yourself if that’s ok. I will have another Bokumondoh pen coming my way but I won’t be getting them until later this year; too late for a Penversary, but not too late for a birthday, right?!

Beautiful work by Hiroko of Bokumondoh - can’t wait until birthday time!

Theme? - Maybe you just got accepted into college/grad school or are celebrating graduation. Or you want to celebrate a new job/position with a pen with the company’s colors. Or you like books by a certain author (Montblanc Agatha Christie?) or artist (Visconti Van Gogh? Rembrandt?). Sometimes having a theme or certain colors can help you find something special.

Not a pen? - I am going to look for a pen for my penversary (duh!) but maybe you’d rather get a writing box like this adorable one from Blue Star Crafts or a set of Wizard of Oz inks from Wearingul or go nuts with a washi tape and sticker shopping spree from InkyConverters or a brand new pen case from Galen Leather or Girologio or Rickshaw Bagworks. The point is that there are so many non-pen things that you can get too!

Time for a Girologio pen binder?

“Upgrading” what you already have? - Maybe instead of a whole new purchase, you can upgrade an existing pen into something that truly makes it special. After-market urushi and maki-e work is available from artisans like Hiroko of Bokumondoh, or you can get specialty nib work by folks like Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio or Mark Bacas of Nib Grinder, or upgrade your steel nib to a gold one from vendors like Franklin-Christoph or Pablo from FPNibs or gold Pelikan nib (not all model’s nibs are interchangeable, so ask your favorite Pelikan vendor which nib you need).

I had Mark Bacas grind this Visconti nib to a Predator Extreme and it is so good!

“Grail” pen time? - Maybe it is time to finally pull the trigger on your grail pen, whatever that means to you. Whether it is just a pen that is so far out of your usual budget, or an incredibly difficult-to-find pen that was discontinued years ago, only you can decide if this event is significant enough to pull all the stops and go for it.

Grail-worthy Montblanc Around the World in 80 Days, anyone?

Well, after all these questions, I’m not sure I’m any closer to figuring out what my 5th Penversary pen will be. Maybe I’ll find it at the Chicago Pen Show this weekend? And if I don’t, come find me anyway and give me your suggestions on what I should get!

Hinze Pen Company Autumn Leaves Fountain Pen Review

Pen shows serve a multitude of purposes for a multitude of people. For me, I get the opportunity to meet the people behind the scenes and learn their stories. As the years go by, I’m able to witness first hand how they grow, change, and adapt to the current stationery landscape.

I first met Jim Hinze of the Hinze Pen Company at the 2018 Arkansas Pen Show. I enjoyed talking with him, learning about his company, and seeing his wares. We’ve stayed in touch at various pen shows over the years, including a Meet the Makers panel that we both participated in for the online edition of the 2020 Detroit Pen Show.

I hadn’t seen Jim in person for years, so seeing what he has been up to during my time at the 2022 Atlanta Pen Show was a priority. I was duly impressed with the depth and breadth of the Hinze Pen Co. product lineup in Atlanta, and hearing Jim - and yes, you too Francisco - get excited to tell me about ALL THE THINGS was a great experience.

Building a pen like their Autumn Leaves fountain pen is an experience in itself. The material was made exclusively for Hinze by Diamoncast, one of the more popular pen blank makers currently on the market. And the model I was provided for this review includes a matching nano-plated clip and nib to complete the full Hinze experience.

One thing I learned in talking with Jim in Atlanta is don’t you dare say the word “anodized” when referring to his colored nib and clip choices. The nano-plating process is stronger and more durable than anodization, giving those parts a more durable finish for daily use. Obviously if you get a nib grind on one of their colored nibs you will see through the coating, but for for non-modified use, the coating will remain consistent and strong.

The shape of my Autumn Leaves pen is called B24, which features a straight barrel, with a slight taper running the length of the pen from tip to tail. The grip section is a traditional slightly-concave shape, which is comfortable to hold, and the cap finial features the Hinze Pen Co. logo. The B24 is a well-balanced overall, although posting, while possible, is not advised due to the added length. Hinze Pen Co. offers a huge range of pen shapes and styles, so you are certain to find a shape to your liking.

It would have been easy for me to pick an orange ink to use with this pen, but I opted for an equally as complimentary bright purple with Bungubox Imperial Purple. It’s a great match to this material, which also features a nice range of blues and greens. It may be called Autumn Leaves, but this is a year-round material.

Looking at the Hinze Pen Co. lineup as a whole, you quickly realize that if you have an idea, then Jim and his team can help you execute it to perfection. Material, hardware, story - they have you covered. But did you know that Jim Hinze is the maker’s maker as well? Through his work, he machines many of the tools that other pen makers use to make their own products. How cool is that? Not only does Hinze Pen Co. make great pens for us, they make things for other makers, too.

So yeah, count me as a fan. Shocker, right? Cool pens, cool colors, cool hardware, cool people … what more can you ask for? Good price, too! The base Autumn Leaves pen is $209, with a $20 upgrade for the nano-plated nib (in a wide variety of colors, btw.)

My thanks to Jim and his team for providing this pen for review (and giveaway tomorrow!) If you happen to be at the Chicago Pen Show this upcoming weekend, be sure to swing by and check out their goods.

(Hinze Pen Co. provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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PenBBS 456 Cordierite Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It's always great to find a comparable product that provides an excellent experience at a fraction of the price to its inspiration. The Pilot Custom 823 is a holy grail pen for some — it's a larger fountain pen that boasts a 14k gold nib, a large vacuum filled ink reservoir, and the prestige of the Pilot name (and quality) behind it. But at nearly $300, it can be difficult to obtain for some. Just in the genre of vacuum filled fountain pens, your options are few and far between. No one wants to start at the $300 mark just to experiment with a vacuum filled pen.

For a while now, TWSBI has had the Vac700 and Vac Mini, which provide the same basic functionality as the Custom 823, but at a much more affordable sub-$100 price point. At a price between $62 (for the Mini) and up to $82 for the full size 700, you can have a well-made vacuum filler for a much better price. At this price, it's easy to justify for experimenting with the filling mechanism to see if you want to wade deeper into the pool. The only problem with the TWSBI options is the lack of color. They're just demonstrators that allow a little bit of color on the grip and knob pieces. Luckily, PenBBS has a strong entry to this genre with the 456 — a fantastic fountain pen with a vacuum filling system.

The 456 is a full-size pen with a large ink reservoir, a large and smooth nib, and a comfortable grip. But what's special about this is they offer eight colorful options to choose from. You can definitely pick the demonstrator if that's your thing, but there's also plenty of blues, ambers, grays, purples, whites, silvers, and pinks to add personality to the pen.

Regardless of the colorway you pick, they all use chrome trim (something you can't get easily in the US if you're looking for a Pilot Custom 823). The pen feels well-built and has a nice weight. It doesn't feel cheap even though it only costs $56. The vacuum piston system works smoothly (as well as my TWSBI and Pilot as a comparison) and operates exactly as I'd expect. I haven't measured to be completely sure, but I think the reservoir easily holds 2-3 ml of ink. Compared to a standard cartridge or converter, this is a massive upgrade in terms of ink capacity. Even a large piston filling pen can't hold as much ink as a vacuum filler. Something like the Opus 88 Demo might hold more ink, but that's also a really large pen and it's also technically an eyedropper system.

Now, this pen does only cost a little over $50 — you can't expect it to compete directly with the Pilot Custom 823, but that doesn't stop it from trying. I'm surprised by how much I like using this pen, and I'm lucky enough to have a Custom 823 nearby to directly compare. The 823 has a 14k gold nib, so it automatically just feels nicer to use when writing. It has a soft flex and smoothness on paper that a steel nib can't touch. The body and materials feel more solid and higher quality. The knob mechanism is smooth and feels durable.

That being said, the 456 feels good in its own way. The steel nib writes flawlessly and feels great for a steel nib. It's a great size that matches the rest of the pen. The materials don't feel as nice in the hand, but they feel really good — better than they should for the price. The knob mechanism isn't as smooth, but it feels like it will last quite a while before developing any problems. Visually, I like the 456 over the 823. The 823 has a dull workhorse vibe, and I love it for that. It will outlive me and still write flawlessly, but it just isn't a pretty pen with the translucent amber body and gold trim. The 456 colors excite me — I had a hard time picking a color because I liked them all. They're made of acrylic resin, so you know they'll be durable.

The main question that I keep coming back to when using this pen is simple: can this pen replace the Custom 823 for me? My answer is simple because I already own an 823: No. But, I think Pilot should pay attention to what's happening here. TWSBI's offerings weren't exciting and had quality issues. The PenBBS 456 is still new, so quality and durability are an unknown at this point. But the fact that they've managed to produce a pen that has a solid vacuum filler mechanism, a fantastic nib, and plenty of color options at a price of $56 should make Pilot at least consider a response. Top of mind for me? Give us more color options with the 823. It's best-of-class and it deserves some more love in the way of colorways. But more interesting is possibly offering a new pen that uses the tried-and-true 823 mechanics at a smaller size, lower cost, and more fun colors. If they could offer this at a sub-$100 price with the Pilot standard of quality we all love, I imagine they'd fly off the shelves.

I know it's unlikely that Pilot will do any of this, but it's fun to dream. I think the PenBBS 456 is an incredibly easy choice for anyone that's interested in trying out a vacuum filler. There aren't a ton of options in this area, and this price is unbeatable. The color options are just icing on the cake.

Time will tell, but if the 456 turns out to be a long-lasting, durable pen, it will certainly take a chunk out of the Pilot Custom 823 market and possibly obliterate the TWSBI Vac line. This is a fantastic pen and I highly recommend picking one up if you're even remotely interested in owning a vacuum filler fountain pen. There's something so satisfying about dipping the nib into an ink bottle, plunging the piston, and watching the ink fill up the reservoir while you just hold the pen still. Check out all the exciting colorway options, and best of luck on making a decision!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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