Fans of writing tools seem to fall into two groups: the pen/pencil people and the paper people. But for most of us, both are important, as the combination of pen and paper is sometimes more important then each thing on its own. My focus has always been on paper, in the form of notebooks, but I do have a soft spot for pens too. I last wrote about my pen collection in 2017, so I thought it was time for an update on some of my more recent acquisitions.

I’ve always loved a nice fine-point rollerball or gel ink pen, and for many years, the Uniball Signo RT 0.38 retractable pens have been my favorite daily use pen– and in fact almost my ONLY daily use pen. These days I just buy the refills and insert them in a TI Click EDC Pen from Big Idea Design. I also have one of their TI Pocket Pro pens. From what I’ve been able to discover online, these are the lightest weight metal pens that hold my Uniball refills. I also like the Uniball Style Fit multi-pens, and always have one in my bag, along with a Caran d’Ache pencil.

I’ve talked before about how my notebook preferences are not necessarily driven by fountain pen friendliness. My favorite notebooks for daily use have been pocket size Moleskine notebooks in the squared and sketchbook versions, which are great with most gel ink pens and pencils, but not so great with fountain pens. (Some fountain pens can be ok on the heavy sketchbook paper, but not reliably. On the old-stock squared Moleskine notebooks, some fine nibs and certain inks work ok, but might bleed in spots.)

As I’ve reviewed more and more Moleskine alternative notebooks with fountain pen friendly paper, I’ve gotten to enjoy using fountain pens and bottled inks. (Though I still use the same 13 year old disposable Pilot Varsity fountain pen I bought just for my reviews. It’s amazing that it’s still going strong!) The Nolty planner I use daily has great paper for fountain pens, as do the Bindewerk notebooks that are often part of my rotation, so I find myself using fountain pens more and more frequently, and wanting more and more varieties of inks and nib widths. Perhaps you’re familiar with this concept of the “rabbit hole?” Anyway, I now have a nice little collection of fountain pens and inks. Nothing that would be all that exciting by true pen collector standards, but I’ll show them off anyway!

Lamy Safari & Vista: I’ve had some of these for several years, but I’ve added more Lamys to my collection. They’re not too expensive, they’re comfortable and light, and I like knowing the nibs can be swapped out easily. I have 2 Fs, one EF, and recently added M and B. I have small handwriting so wider nibs aren’t usually my preference, but sometimes you want a fatter, wetter line to show off the shading of a colorful ink! I just wish the converters held more ink. [Buy]

Platinum Preppy: I have 3 of these, but only one, a medium nib, is currently inked. There’s nothing particularly special about them, but for such inexpensive pens, they are a pretty good value. I found the fine and extra-fine nibs a little scratchy, though. [Buy]

Pilot Metropolitan: for a long time, my silver metallic Metropolitan was my favorite fountain pen. The nib is very fine and it usually wrote well. But the converter is a rubber bulb that seems to dry out more quickly than other pens, and it kept clogging up on me. I recently gave it a thorough cleaning and might ink it up again soon to see how it goes. I have a second Metropolitan that always had a slightly scratchy nib and is no longer inked. [Buy]

TWSBI Eco: this was my first step up to a higher price tier. (The list price isn’t much more than a Lamy but I think I’d gotten my first Lamy at a discounted price on Amazon, so it seemed like a bit of a leap at the time.) It’s just a great pen, one of my all time favorites. The nib is nice and smooth, it holds a lot of ink, the refilling mechanism is easy to use and it’s an attractive, functional, reliable pen for everyday use. I’ve never once cleaned it in the 4 1/2 years I’ve had it but it always writes perfectly. [Buy]

Pilot Falcon: this was my first big step up into the next price tier of $100+ pens. The way it writes is worth it. The SF (soft fine) nib is very fine and smooth, but soft enough to allow a nice bit of line width variation with a little pressure. I only wish the converter held more ink. I’ve always had this filled with Diamine Sepia. Every once in a while I think about swapping it out, but I still like this combo. [Buy]

Pilot Justus: I was so mad at myself when I bought this. I was traveling and went into a pen shop, intending only to buy a cheapo disposable mechanical pencil. I asked the proprietor a question about fountain pens, started looking at various things, and when he let me try the Justus, I just fell in love with it. It seemed bigger and heavier than any of my other pens, but I loved the idea of a very fine but adjustable nib that could go from softer to harder and back again with a just quick twist. But it was a BIG leap in price: over $300. I was so flustered deciding to buy it that I didn’t even ask the price of the “cheap” mechanical pencil I was also buying. Afterwards, I was even more mad at myself for spending something like $27 on the Caran d’Ache pencil than spending $319 on the pen. I’ve now had the Justus for almost 4 years, and actually use it quite often, so I’m feeling more reconciled to the price per use! And it really is a great pen– the converter is a nice push-button mechanism that makes it very easy to fill and it holds quite a lot of ink. And it’s another one that always works well even though I’ve never cleaned it. [Buy]

Sailor Pro Gear: this is a recent purchase, the only pen I’ve really bought primarily for its sexy looks. I tried a different Sailor pen in the store (the wonderful Yoseka Stationery) and liked the feel of the nib, but I preferred the look of the Pro Gear body. When I saw the full array of colors for the Pro Gear bodies, I fell in love with this deep orange. I don’t have much interest in fancy pen bodies, but the right combo of shape and color does attract me. I guess I was just in the mood to splash out that day, as it was my first in-person visit to a stationery store in quite a long time! This one was also over $300. The nib gives more feedback than I’m used to with fountain pens, but it’s not at all scratchy. I love the look and feel of this pen, and having my favorite turquoise ink in an orange body is a fun combo. [Buy]

As for my collection of inks, here’s what I’ve accumulated over the years:

J. Herbin Bleu Nuit [Buy]

Diamine Oxblood and Sepia [Buy]

Sailor Jentle Seaweed Indigo [Buy]

Sailor Ink Studio #873 [Buy]

Kobe Shinkaichi Gold [Buy]

Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku and Chiku-Rin [Buy]

Noodlers Apache Sunset and 54th Massachusetts [Buy]

I really enjoy seeing a lot of lively colors on the pages of my Nolty planner and journals. The shading you can get with fountain pen inks adds a touch of beauty that you can’t replicate with any other kind of pen. I recently finished a Bindewerk notebook and felt a little sad about going back to a squared Moleskine, but I still sometimes use the fountain pens in it despite some bleed-through spots. If I ever found a notebook that was exactly like my beloved old-stock Moleskines on the outside but with truly fountain pen friendly paper, it would be a tough call on what to do with the enormous stash of spare Moleskines I’ve accumulated!

Speaking of stashes, I’m feeling like I probably have enough pens for now. Maayyyybe I could use a couple more ink colors, like a nice dark forest green or a brown that’s darker than sepia. I wouldn’t mind having another TWSBI Eco, as it’s such great value for the price. I definitely won’t buy any more low-end pens like the Metropolitans or Preppies, as I feel like paying a little more for a Lamy or TWSBI is worth it. But I could see myself getting one more higher-end pen with a nice flexy nib– maybe the Pilot Custom 912 with the FA nib.

In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying all my current pens by journaling, practicing my handwriting, doodling, sketching and jotting random notes just for the fun of it!

_{I purchased all the products discussed here with my own money and did not receive any discounts or compensation for this post. Buy links to Amazon are affiliate links through which I earn a small commission.}