Pilot Letter Pad for Fountain Pens Review

I was smitten with the Pilot Letter Pad for Fountain Pens from the moment I took it out of my banged up package from JetPens (thanks USPS!). The blue cover with the white and gold writing gives off a classic, sophisticated look, and that logo - wow. I don't know what it is about that logo that gets to me, but it is funky and I love it. The real story here is the paper though, so let's get to it.

In the grand scheme of things, the paper quality is elite. It is as smooth as any paper I have used with no bleed and no feathering at all. It is incredible to write on. It gives the same nib-to-paper feel as something like Tomoe River or Rhodia R but with the added durability of a thicker page. In my written review I used a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 Stub nib loaded with Akkerman #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw and it performed wonderfully.

Where the rub lies with the Pilot Letter Pad is the value. If you consider that this is a special occasion pad used for written correspondance (it has envelopes to match even) then I'm somewhat ok with the 30 cents per sheet cost. Even then, you are going to need to mind the exceptionally wide line ruling (front side only) to not end up with a 10 page letter. I think this pad would be better suited with blank pages personally, or else try to fit two or three written lines between the ruling, which is easily doable.

To sum it up, this is a high quality pad that performs exceptionally well and is a pleasure to use. Is it worth the high price of admission? It depends on how much you like your friends. I wouldn't use this as a desk pad but rather to impress a pen pal halfway around the world. Maybe I should write Myke a letter.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Pilot FriXion Ball Knock Biz Gel Ink Pen Review

Erasable pens don't often make my daily rotation, but when one does it is guaranteed to be a Pilot FriXion. Other companies have tried to compete with Pilot in this realm but none have come close. When you think erasable pen all you need to think about is FriXion.

The Pilot FriXion Ball Knock Biz Gel Ink Pen is the latest to come across my desk, from my friends at JetPens of course, and it it may be the best barrel yet. It falls in their high end FriXion line, like the Biz Point 0.4 mm, and others, before it.

The metal Ball Knock Biz barrel has a great weight to it and the retractability of the tip (using the clip as the knock) is a huge plus. From a design standpoint, the only thing that may take it down a notch is that you have to unscrew a cap at the end of the barrel to get to the eraser. Several other models leave it exposed for quick access. Otherwose, it is a very sharp looking pen.

For those who are not fans of the FriXion line the issue with the pen always comes down to the same thing: The gel ink colors are too light compared to their non-erasable counterparts. I agree with this, but I am willing to pay that price for erasability. The black ink is my least favorite, so I keep the blue 0.4 mm needle tip refills handy, which I enjoy. Yes, the ink is lighter than traditional blue gel inks but this one works for me.

For $33 the Ball Knock Biz does not come cheap. If you are a fan of the FriXion line it may be worth the barrel upgrade to you. If you are wanting to test out a FriXion to see what the fuss is all about I would recommend going with the standard Ball Knock retractable (reviewed here). Regardless, Pilot has the erasable pen market on lock down and the FriXion is the only model in this category you should consider.

For more on this pen, check out the recent review at From the Pen Cup

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai Ink Review

What qualities make Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai my favorite fountain pen ink? It is one of the very few inks that works in any pen with any nib on any paper and in any situation. Plus, it is blue black, which I have a well known affinity for. I never hesitate to use it, which is not something that can be said about every ink I own.

Shin-Kai translates into "Deep Sea" and I would say that is pretty accurate. It is the perfect combination of blue and black with no stray colors you see in other blue black inks like green, teal, purple, or grey. It does have a slight red sheen on wetter lines, which is a nice touch. In the pantheon of blue black inks I have tested it falls smack in the middle in darkness. There are lighter and darker blue blacks to be found.

The Pilot Iroshizuku line is notoriously well behaved. It works with any size nib, from extra fine and firm like my Pilot Custom Heritage 912 PO nib to 1.5 mm stub nibs. It is also easy to clean, leaving no trace behind in any pen or converter I have used.

If there is a knock on Shin-Kai - or any Iroshizuku ink - is that it is not waterproof. It will run or fade if it gets wet so if that is high on your ink requirments list you may want to look elswhere. For me, it is not a consideration at all for the type of writing I do so its not a negative on my list. Other than that it is flawless in my mind.

You have one ink that can be your favorite. Just one - no hedging your bets. What is it?

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)