When I talk about what stationery I’m currently using, I tend to not be able to stop on just those few items at the front of my desk. I did limit myself later in the episode, but wow, was that tough!
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(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!.)
One of the best parts of pen shows (or any pen gathering) is the opportunity to try other people’s pens. It’s neat to see how other pens look and feel and maybe find a new pen or grind to add your wishlist. It’s just as important (if not, more so) to discover things you might not like - maybe a pen’s grip section is too small, or it is too light or too heavy, or doesn’t fit right in your hand.
With the San Francisco Pen Show this weekend and a lot of empty slots in the currently inked pen binder to fill, I wanted to pick some pens that would be cool for folks to check out and try. Here are some of the criteria I used (in no particular order):
I won’t bore you with the contents of the 48-pen binder, but here are some of the especially fun ones I picked out:
Don’t worry, there are more than these for folks to try at the SF Show during after hours! (Pens are shown, left to right, in the order listed below.)
Look at the detail of the guilloche AND the scalloped edge of the nib!
These aren’t the only pens I’ll have with me - the rest of the 48-pen binder will be filled with inky goodness too. So come find me if you want to try these or any of the pens I’m bringing. Your best bet is to find me after dinner, usually not too far from the bar, lol :-) I’m so looking forward to seeing/meeting folks at the SF Pen Show this weekend!
(Disclaimer: All pens pictured are my own, aka, not sent in for review, etc.)
Classic, made modern. That’s what the Anterique Mach Ball Brass Edition Ballpoint Pen pen is to me. This look incorporates some of my favorite design elements of traditional ballpoint pens, mixes in new barrel colors, and the Brass section gives it that extra oomph when using it.
It was those last two features that sold me on it. The Brass section is large, making it the standout feature of this pen. It takes up a little over half of the entire barrel length, and while it does add significant weight to the pen, the lightweight plastic back third of the barrel balances it out well for a comfortable writing experience.
My grip latches on to the metal well, there is none of that normal Brass smell, and interestingly, the patina is taking a while to come in. I haven’t been using this pen heavily since buying it, but it has been sitting out and uncovered, and it still looks like new. I’ve used it plenty, though, so I would have expected a bit more aging, but I guess that’s a good thing!
I chose Lavender for the upper barrel, which is one of the 12 colors you can choose from. There is no wrong answer, which means it wasn’t an easy choice. The Grey looks fantastic, and any of the Blues or Greens would fit me perfectly as well.
The refill uses 0.5 mm oil-based ballpoint ink, and it is merely average. The shape is the classic old-style ballpoint refill, and it wrote like that for the most part. The Black in was dark, and the tip stayed clean, but it wasn’t super smooth (that’s ok for an 0.5 mm tip,) and it did leave some blobs of ink behind on the page. What it didn’t do is leave a mess on the tip, which is where the “low-viscosity” part of the ink comes into play, which also prevents the spidering seen between letters in older ballpoints.
Are there refills that I can replace this one with? Not many. There is a similar Ohto Needle Tip that is compatible, but I’ll have to do some research to see if there are any other options. It’s worth looking, because I love the barrel, but don’t have a use for the refill outside of quick notes and lists. I’d love to write longer with it.
The Anterique Mach Ball Brass Edition Ballpoint Pen runs $29, which is fair given the sizable amout of Brass in the barrel. If you are unsure about that, or the refill, the standard Anterique ballpoint comes in many different styles and colors starting at $5.50, including a Mini which I’m definitely going to have to buy one day!
(I purchased this product from The Gentleman Stationer for regular price at the 2025 Atlanta Pen Show.)
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