Bungubox Sanctuary Blue Sailor Professional Gear Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

When Bungubox announced their limited edition Sanctuary Blue Sailor Professional Gear fountain pen, I was immediately smitten: blue and green, sparkles, unusual white finials, and a wee, little raden turtle on the cap finial. I sent an email right away and bought the pen.

It arrived from Japan in a Sailor clamshell box, the outer cardboard sleeve decorated with the turtle theme.

Inside was a card explaining the origins of the pen. It is based on a green-blue ink called Sanctuary Blue. Off the coast of Enshunada, Japan, the sea is a deep blue color. That color, and the beach's white sand and sea turtles, became the inspiration for the pen.

The pen is Sailor's Professional Gear model. It is 128mm/5.04 inches capped, 115mm/4.5 inches uncapped, and 150mm/5.9 inches posted. It weighs 25 grams (capped and inked).

I absolutely love the colors of this pen. The cap is translucent blue with gold sparkles and gold trims.

The white finial provides a striking background for the little raden turtle twinkling in the sun. This detail makes me happy every time I look at it.

The cap ring is engraved with "Bungubox Sanctuary Blue" and tiny turtles.

The body of the pen is translucent green with gold sparkles, and twin gold rings adorn the barrel where it meets the grip and above the bottom finial.

A cartridge/converter filler, this pen is supplied with a unique converter that has a white knob to match the white finials on the pen.

The nib is a 21k hard medium-fine. It is engraved with an ink bottle because the pen is based on an ink color. I wish the nib had a turtle engraving instead.

I usually don't order anything smaller than a medium-fine with Sailor nibs because they can be scratchy (or, as some say, "They have feedback.") This nib is super smooth and writes like a Western extra fine.

Because the pen is small and light, it is a joy to write with. I can write for long periods of time without any fatigue. I inked the pen with Taccia Sabimidori (reviewed here) and wrote the alphabet and a section from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

I love doing doodle patterns, so I attempted one I saw on Instagram (mine didn't turn out nearly as cool as the original, but oh well). Sailor nibs are wonderful for drawing because they are so fine, and I love how juicy this particular nib is.

Unfortunately, the Sanctuary Blue pen is sold out. However, the good news is that Bungubox now has an English-based online store so you no longer have to email them to place an order. The store currently has a few special Sailor models in stock: the Mangata, the Omotesando, and the Hello San Francisco. You'll also find the gorgeous Bungubox inks in special bottles on the site.

For a person who typically likes larger pens, I've grown quite a collection of Sailor Pro Gears. They are a bit like candy--colorful, shiny, and sweet. It's hard to resist these jewels, and the nibs are impeccable.

(I purchased the Bungubox Sanctuary Blue fountain pen with my own funds.)

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The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 439 - Falcon Is An Acquired Taste

Pilot I Like Me, I Like You. Via Instagram.

Sailor Be You.

Pilot I Like Me, I Like You.

It’s all happy fun times in the stationery world this week! Myke and I talk about what Sailor and Pilot have been up to with these new product lines, the new Bullet Journal notebook launch, and I break down the the very unique TWSBI ECO Golden Horse.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Pen Chalet: Click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password ‘penaddict’ for this week’s special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.

Ooni Pizza Ovens: Bring the world’s best pizza to your own backyard. Use the code PENADDICT10 for 10% off.

Midori Film Sticky Notes Mini 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 Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

My calendar and to-do lists are always in need of a little brightening. Midori makes some of my favorite stationery products, so I thought these lovely Film Sticky Notes Mini Stars might do the trick. And they do! They're the perfect way to add fun pops of color to your pages without adding any bulk. They are, however, a bit tricky to use.

The microscopically fine paper that these notes are printed on makes them weightless and bulk-free, so you can use them abundantly without doubling the thickness of your planner. Their thinness also makes them transparent, so you don't need to worry about them covering up useful lines or information. In fact, they work great to highlight important text or dates. In addition to being able to put them over text and still see it, you can also write on top of them in pen or pencil, like a traditional sticky note (as long as your message is very small). The whole card of 150 notes fits easily inside the cover of a notebook, so you can access them anytime. In this pack, there are fifteen notes each of ten different colors.

Almost the entire back of the note is sticky, so they stay in place well, though they can also be cleanly removed. They can also be applied to various surfaces, like glass and plastic. They're a great hybrid between a sticky note and a sticker.

The only downside to these is that they're so thin that it's a little tricky to just peel off one at a time. Only the top prong on the star is not sticky, so that's the best place to try, But it takes a fair bit of fiddling and squinting to separate just one note. A few times I've gotten two or even three. So you can't really grab one quickly--you've got to be pretty intentional about it. But once you get the hang of it, they're really delightful.

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

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