Posts filed under Pen Reviews

YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

There's too much plastic in our everything, but especially too much in our waterways. There are lots of options for ways to reuse this surplus of waste, but arguably one of the best ways is to make a cool pen. Okay, there are probably more practical, efficient ways to solve this problem, but every little bit helps and this was a neat idea, so let's run with it.

The YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball pen is made out of discarded nylon fishing nets, preventing them from ending up in waterways or landfills, where they might snare wildlife. The body is crafted from these recycled nets in a way that reduces 83% of carbon emissions, and the core of the pen is made from brass and aluminum. The metal gives it some weight, though it's much lighter than their original brassing rollerball pen. The body material has a slight texture to it, which makes it easy to grip. It has the classic Ystudio hexagon profile, with a tapered section and a snap cap. It does not have a clip. It comes in a minimalist recycled paper box.

YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball Dawn Yellow

YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball Barrel

The body is available in a variety of colors. This model is Dawn Yellow. There's also Sea Indigo, Evening Purple, Sunset Orange, and Sky Blue. They're all pastel hues, apart from the indigo. The pen comes with a Schmidt 5888F Rollerball cartridge and can easily be refilled by twisting the brass cap off of the bottom of the pen. It's a bold refill with a wet flow, so it may show some ghosting on thinner paper. It's also compatible with some of my favorite gel refills like the Pilot G2, UniBall One, and Pentel Energel--so you have endless ink color options, as well.

YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball Refill

As a sustainable, well-built, sturdy pen body with all the best ink refill options, this pen is well worth the $50 price tag. It might not be for everyone (the hex barrel is not a comfortable fit for all paws), but it looks fantastic, and it's a part of a movement that turns hazards into helpers. We need as much of that as we can get, even if it's just one pen at a time. Better yet, use the pen to write to your representatives.

(This product was purchased from Goldspot at a discounted price.)

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YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball Box

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Sarah Read and filed under ystudio, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen Review

I’m always skeptical when a company known for its fountain pen inks decides to make the jump into fountain pens, but credit to Dominant Industry, who I think has done a nice job with their Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen series.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen Box

Launched earlier this year, there have been two Keyno Stay.tionery releases so far, the first being No. 014 Cherishment, and the second named No. 001 Serenity, which is the model I am reviewing. Dominant Industry is looking to expand their storytelling beyond their inks, paper, and accessories with these pens. What story, exactly? From their marketing:

“Born from Dominant Industry in 2026, this fountain pen brand aspires to create writing instruments in harmony with beautiful inks. Their story starts at Hotel Keyno, a secluded retreat perched in the mountains of a faraway peaceful island. Each release is created with a a hotel visit in mind through each "key number" assigned to a pen. With a refined touch and balanced weight, each piece delivers an indulgent writing experience. Their pens are fitted with an ebonite feed for a rich and seamless ink flow. Rooted in story-driven design and detail, their fountain pens aim to inspire and nurture creativity.”

I’m the first to roll my eyes at marketing out of thin air like this, and even held off on the Cherishment release despite finding the pen nice looking. I just didn’t feel the overly Instagrammable style of the pen was something I would use regularly.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen 001 Serenity

The second release, aptly named 001, hooked me for two reasons. One, the barrel color landed a bit better for me personally, and two, the short timeframe from when the second pen released in relation to the first. Why does that second detail matter to me? It told me that this pen concept wasn’t going away soon, so I may as well test it out and share my thoughts. Best case, I have a fun pen to add to the rotation. Worst case, I give it away to one of you tomorrow.

Spoiler: This is not tomorrow’s giveaway.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen Barrel

Let’s get aesthetics out of the way first, because I think that will be the biggest contention with Keyno Stay.tionery products. I love fun, pretty, colorful, and stylish products, all of which I think are good descriptors for this fountain pen. There is a balance, though, and the 001 Serenity gets right up to that edge for me. On one hand, this pen is on the same style family tree as Pelikan’s popular color editions. You know, the ones with the White caps, Gold trim, and colorful barrels? You can find them in various Pelikan sizes, and I do see a little bit of that in Serenity.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen Finial

Upon closer look, Dominant Industry turned that classic style into something more. The details on the clip, clip band, both finials, cap ring, and nib etching show that they wanted to maximize the style of this pen to fit in with their storytelling vision. Keys and key holes everywhere! Overall, it is themed well, but is not for everyone.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen Nib

What might be for everyone with this pen is the nib. I say might, because I ordered mine with an Extra Fine nib (Fine and Medium are the other options, all Steel,) and haven’t tried the others. Visually speaking there is not a lot of tipping on this nib, which got me excited for fine lines. It delivered.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen Writing

This nib is so good, and was from the first touch on the page. I inked it up with Wearingeul The Blue Castle, and have used it across many paper types. It has been solid, smooth, and controllable. For a “who knows who makes this,” nib, it is perfect. Bonus, it has an ebonite feed, which helps with ink flow and consistency. It hasn’t skipped a beat from first inking.

Dominant Industry Keyno Stay.tionery Fountain Pen Ink

So, who is the Keyno Stay.tionery No. 001 Serenity for? You have to love the aesthetic that Dominant Industry is going for here to even consider it. It’s $115, which seems fair, especially given the performance I’m getting from the nib. The more I use it, the more I like it. Will I need the entire series of Keyno Stay.tionery fountain pens? No, but I do have a hotel room key that needs investigating, so who knows where this will lead.

(This product was purchased from Dromgoole’s at a discounted price.)

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Posted on July 20, 2026 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Dominant Industry, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Esterbrook Estie Nouveau Bleu Ballpoint Pen Review

For when you want to feel fancy but need to be practical, Esterbrook offers some of their prettiest materials in a ballpoint pen. The ultra-classy Nouveau Bleu material, an elegant acrylic in shades of blue with gold veins and flecks, comes with either gold or chrome trim.

Esterbrook Estie Nouveau Bleu Ballpoint Pen

The pen has a faux cap, so that it looks like a posted pen, but the cap section is really a twist mechanism that deploys the tip from the nose cone. This cap-like end pulls off to reveal the cartridge. It takes a Parker style cartridge, so there are a lot of options for different inks and colors to choose from. It comes with the Esterbrook refill, which writes very nicely. It's smooth with no skipping and less smudging than many ballpoint inks.

The twist mechanism is simple and secure. It hasn't ever accidentally twisted or resulted in ink staining. It also works as a perfectly silent fidget. It lacks the tactile clunk of a click pen, but it's still satisfying.

The clip has just the right balance of firmness and springiness, so it has the perfect hold in a case, pocket, or clipped to a folder.

The Esterbrook Estie ballpoint pen sells for $125 and it comes in many of their most popular materials, like Raven and Seaglass. It's a great way to enjoy some of their prettiest designs at a lower price point than the fountain pen.

This is a good pen for work if you have a fancy job, and also a good pen if you have a regular job and want to feel fancy! And it's the perfect pen if you have a special occasion like a wedding or birth and you'd like to sign the paperwork with something special, but you can't use a fountain pen due to the ink properties. It would also make a great gift for someone who loves pens but doesn't like the maintenance of fountain pens.

I've been really enjoying ballpoint pens for their practicality lately, and pens like this help me meet my daily writing needs while still enjoying fine writing tools. These are pretty and well made, and they elevate a simple grocery list, or bring an important formality to life's big moments. If you haven't tried a fancy ballpoint, this is a fantastic one to add to your pen collection.

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