Newly Inked for 2026

(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!.)

As you know by now, I keep a stupid number of pens inked at any given time (usually 48) but was up to 60 for the Pelikan Hub and was super happy to write a bunch of pens dry over the holidays. Which means, I get to ink up more pens!! With the Philly Pen Show coming up (actually, now, by the time this comes out), I wanted to add a little bit of nib variety to my currently inked. I also wanted to use some pens I hadn’t used in a while, so that was the other criteria I used for picking what’s next.

L to R: Leonardo Momento Zero, Coral; Scribo Piuma, Levante Orange; Platinum 3776, Kasumi; Kaweco Sport, Macchiato; Franklin-Christoph 31, Polar Ice and Navy; Leonardo Momento Zero, Nuvola Lilac; Aurora Optima, Nebulosa.

The above pens were inked up with Robert Oster Red Candy, Robert Oster Australis Oak, Kuretake Art Nouveau Zsolnay Green, Sailor x CultPens Suiseki, Jacques Herbin x CultPens Riviere de la Lune, Pineider Violet, and Birmingham Waterfront Dusk. (Hobonichi Weeks 2021, Tomoe River.)

Leonardo Momento Zero, Coral, Extra Fine Elastic nib, Robert Oster Red Candy.

Despite the name, the Coral Leonardo Momento Zero is a nice red pen, and not coral-colored. Aside from needing a red pen in the rotation I also wanted to use the elastic nib since it’s been a while since I’ve used it. People often think that this nib, which is often called “flex”, is flexible, and it really is not. I’m not sure I’d call it flexy or even bouncy. You can get some line variation if you press hard enough but I personally don’t like writing that way. Still, it’s a nice juicy writer that I’m currently enjoying.

Scribo Piuma, Levante Orange, 14kt Broad Flex (reduced to Medium Broad), Robert Oster Australis Oak.

I don’t think I’ve inked up the Scribo Piuma, Levante Orange since my tale of two Scribos. As I mentioned in that article, the nib was much too broad for me as a flex nib, so I had Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio do a slight nib reduction to more of a Medium Broad, without changing any of the flex or smoothness qualities of the nib. It’s also the perfect wet writer for a slightly dry leaning Australis Oak ink.

Leonardo Momento Zero, Nuvola Lilac, Stylosuite Extra Fine X-Wing Harpoon, Pineider Violet.

I know this isn’t “in order”, but it goes along with the flex nib mood I’ve been in. I put an Extra Fine X-Wing Harpoon flex nib from Les Sheely of Stylosuite - review of two here - even though it doesn’t match the pen’s rose gold trim. It’s so nice and flexy and flows well with the help of an ebonite feed which Les includes with the nib. I also haven’t used this ink before and it’s a lovely royal purple.

Kaweco Sport, Macchiato, Broad Architect; Sailor x CultPens Suiseki.

I know, I know, it’s still not in order, lol. I’ve posted about architect nibs in the past, like the Lamy 2000 BB Architect by Gena, or the Architect that Anabelle tortured me with - in a good way, but this Kaweco Sport was my very first Architect back in 2018. I was so nervous about getting that grind since I knew it should be done in person especially since I have a stupid steep angle, but I picked an inexpensive pen, in case I didn’t like it. Thankfully, Sunny Koh of Straits Pens did a great job on it, and it’s about time I inked it back up.

Franklin-Christoph 31, Polar Ice and Navy, Fine Artist’s Fude; Jacques Herbin x CultPens Riviere de la Lune.

As I will be working at the F-C table at the Philly show this weekend, I thought I’d ink up one of my favorite models, the 31, but not with any ol’ nib, but with something very different - a fude. Some years back, Mark Bacas made two different fude nibs - an artist’s fude and a writer’s fude. Can’t say I know how the two nibs are different but I picked the artist’s one to ink up even though I don’t draw, cuz why not? It reminds me a bit of an Architect grind where the down strokes are narrower than the cross strokes, but the widths get crazy the lower you go!

Very steep angle, my regular angle (still very steep), 60 degrees, 45 degrees on Rhodia 80 gsm paper, and yes, the shimmer still works in this nib!

Aurora Optima, Nebulosa, Double Broad; Birmingham Waterfront Dusk.

The Aurora Optima Nebulosa was a “reward” that I got myself after getting through a grueling project in early 2019. I got it with a Double Broad which is more like a stub, with its slight hammerhead tip. It’s not the most practical nib but it’s fun to use and I haven’t inked it up in so long that it’s overdue.

Platinum 3776, Kasumi, Medium, Kuretake Art Nouveau Zsolnay Green.

Okay, okay, here’s the Platinum! I saved it for last because (1) it doesn’t have a particularly fancy nib or grind on it, and (2) it’s not something I’ve owned for a long time. In fact, this is my first inking. Medium is my favorite nib size across almost all the brands and this one is no exception. Sometimes you just need to ink up something that just works for you, even if it’s not a fancy nib. And sometimes you just need to enjoy new pens as well as ones that’ve been around for a while.

I’ll have these, and 41 other pens inked up at the Philly Pen Show! Hope to see you there but if not, stay warm, stay safe, and stay inky!

(Disclaimer: All pens and inks are my own.)

Fresh Thoughts On The Pilot Prera

I’ve always loved the Pilot Prera Fountain Pen, but it hasn’t always been an easy recommendation due to its price relative to the competition. With the prices of Gold nibs skyrocketing, does this Steel nib fountain pen look like a better value, even though its price has stayed in the same range? I think so.

The state of the union in the sub-$100 fountain pen category is that there are some great pens to be had in the lower and middle parts of the price bracket, with the upper limit (over $75 let’s say,) a bit weaker in comparison. Pens from the Platinum Preppy at $7, to the TWSBI ECO at $37, and up to the $64 Prera all provide good value and good options, depending on what you are looking for in a pen. And there are dozens of other good choices in this bracket, too.

The Prera was one of my first fountain pens, and I loved it from the start. It’s a simple plastic barrel pen with a fantastic nib, it posts well for a small and light pen, and has a satisfying ‘click’ when you cap it. The problem over the past few years is that it had become too expensive.

The launch of the Pilot Metropolitan in the early 2010’s - which was around $15 at the time - took a hacksaw to any value the Prera offered - even as a $30 pen at the time. Mix in other companies doing good work in this area, and Prera pricing being all over the place (regional pricing is fun!) it fell out of favor. It never stopped being a good pen, though.

The only negative of the Prera is the inclusion of the CON-40 converter. It was created by Pilot to be a more universal option for more of their pens, but it is worse than the CON-50 in pens where it was replaced. I guess corporate is happy, though.

I’m on record multiple times saying that the $64 price tag of the Prera is too high, mainly because of other options. Those options included the Platinum 3776 14K Gold Nib fountain pen, which at the time of my statement ran about $180. That’s around three times the price of a Prera, making it a good choice to save up for if you wanted to purchase your first gold nib fountain pen.

You can guess what happens next.

As you may have noticed, I’m pretty fired up about the escalation of precious materials prices driving the up the cost of fountain pens. What were recently aspirational pen purchases have been pushed into the realm of the impossible for many buyers. That stinks, but what can we do? Well, we can look differently at less expensive Steel nib pens like the Prera, and understand how nice the experience of a pen like this can be.

For beginners, the Prera might represent an upgraded purchase from starter pens like the Preppy or LAMY Safari. For experienced users, it could be a playground for nibs, which are hot swappable in Pilot’s Steel lineup, especially from cheap pens like the Pilot Penmanship - where you can grab an Extra Fine nib for $10 and have a second writing option. It could even be the endgame for many users because the Gold nib upgrade jump has gone from a short hop over a puddle, to requiring an appearance from Mondo Duplantis.

I’m not saying that the Pilot Prera is the end all, be all pen - even in its own price bracket where it costs more than pens you may find superior. What I am saying is that the context has changed, and I need to be willing to change along with it. I’m looking forward to even more change along these lines in 2026, especially when I plant a flag on the Pilot Kakuno as being better than the entirety of this price range! 🤪

(This Pilot Prera was gifted to me by a friend.)

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Benu Haute Collection - A First Look

(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!.)

A couple months back, Benu announced a new addition to their family of fountain pens - the Haute Collection. This collection “embodies elegance and modern sophistication with its faceted design and striking finishes.” Thank you to Bryce Gillett from Luxury Brands of America for sending these pens for review.

Benu is known for their colorful and sparkly pens, which tend to evoke a squeal with grabby hands or a shudder because it’s “too much”. As I said in my Benu comparison article a couple years ago, they definitely aren’t boring, nor would you confuse them with other brands.

The Haute Collection comes in 10 colorways - Satin, Decadence, Grace, Perle, Lustre, Chic, Lush, Flair, Icon, and Allure. Bryce kindly sent Grace and Perle for review.

Grace (top) and Perle (bottom) from the Benu Haute Collection.

Each of the colorways of the Haute Collection are unique and offer not just different colors but also different levels of sparkle and mixes of colors. Grace, for example, has blue with bits of turquoise sparkly flakes. It also has subtle bits of black mixed into the blue resin.

Benu Grace.

The black flecks in the blue resin gives it a nice depth.

Contrast this with Perle which is a primarily pink pen with a light blue gradient in the middle, and very fine light blue shimmer throughout the resin. The cap band and grip section is clear with silver flakes.

Benu Perle.

Sparkly ombre light pink to light blue in the center, along with a clear with silver flakes in the cap band and grip. Note that the nib unit’s top band is gold-toned - the distinction is visible in person but isn’t super clashy due to the silver flecks in the grip.

Unlike the Euphoria, which has 11 facets on the barrel and cap, the Haute Collection pens have four “main” facets and subtle, smooth, thinner facets that connect the main facets.

The Haute Collection (left) and Euphoria caps - you can see the more square profile of the Haute versus the Euphoria.

The reflection is from the slim facets.

Schmidt puts the nib sizes in the little square - both of these pens have Medium nibs, as indicated by the script M in the middle of the square. If your Benu nib doesn’t have this design, it is likely a Jowo nib, which has the size on the side of the nib.

The Haute Collection is similar in size to the Benu Euphoria with a slimmer cap and barrel. The grips are similar in size.

Comparison pens capped (left to right): Benu Euphoria, Sailor Pro Gear, Pilot Custom 823, Benu Haute Perle, TWSBI Eco, Platinum 3776, Esterbrook Estie.

The Benu Haute Collection pens are packaged in a Benu-branded white box with an inner paper pen “pouch”, warranty information and a long standard international cartridge (pretty rare to find long carts!). The included Schmidt K2 standard international converter (no metal on the tip end) is already installed in the pen. The Haute Collection is available with a steel #6 nib - Fine, Medium, Broad, Flex Fine, Stub 1.1, and Stub 1.5 (the latter 3 are Jowo and not Schmidt).

Writing samples of the Fine, Medium, Broad Schmidt nibs, along with others for comparison. From the Benu comparison article.

The Haute Collection pens retail for $210-252 and can be found at authorized Benu dealers including Dromgoole’s and Goldspot.

(Disclaimer: The Benu Haute Collection pens were sent for review by Luxury Brands of America. All other pens are my own, including the Benu x TPA Euphoria.)

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