Pairings Party: Retro 51 Coffee House Tornado Fountain Pen and Kobe Kitano Antique Sepia

What kind of party features a coffee-themed pen and Brown ink? My kind of party! The pairing of the Retro 51 Coffee House Tornado Fountain Pen with Kobe Kitano Antique Sepia has been my most used writing combo over the last month, and has taken the clubhouse lead early into September.

The Retro 51 Coffee House is a Goldpsot exclusive, which they kindly sent me earlier this Summer to try out. The black-based pen features chalkboard-style graphics you can find at a coffeehouse - beans, mugs, presses, cups, steam - the works. It’s a cool design for coffee lovers like myself, and I especially like the all-black hardware.

That includes the nib, which is coated black to match the rest of the pen. Retro 51 switched over to Jowo nibs years ago, and this #6 Fine nib writes nicely. The black coating may add the slightest bit of line width compared to a standard uncoated steel nib, or it could be a placebo effect. There are so many variables to take into account beside nib width - ink properties and paper, for starters. Regardless, this one writes smoothly, and the ink flows well.

This pen also fits my hand well. The underlying barrel is stainless steel, but it’s not heavy. There is some weight to it, but it is well-balanced throughout the tapered barrel. The metal section has a slight concave toward the nib for a solid gripping surface. The cap is threaded, taking two turns to remove or replace, and the clip provides a strong attachment.

In choosing an ink, there was no chance I was inking this pen up with anything but Brown. This shade has been edging towards the top of my usage list for the past year, after years of avoiding it. Antique Sepia was recommended to me by a friend after bemoaning the limited nature of Sailor Tea Time Series Fika Coffee Ink, one of my favorites.

This ink is a rich, dark brown that could easily pass a “normal” ink in a business setting. Some lines lean black, and some of the thinner areas of shading bring in the brown. Let’s keep it on theme here and call it a nice Medium Roast. There is a hint of green sheen with the right amount of ink on the right type of paper, but I rarely see it from my standard writing on Bank paper, PLOTTER paper, or Kokuyo paper - all of which I’ve used this combination with heavily.

The Retro 51 Coffee House Tornado Fountain Pen is $119 from Goldspot, and Kobe Kitano Antique Sepia is $30 at Vanness Pens. The Retro 51 is at a premium from their standard offerings, primarily due to the store exclusive/limited edition nature of the pen, plus the awesome artwork and finishes. Standard Retro 51 fountain pens start around $65 if you are looking to try out a great pen, but don’t need a full caffeine fix. $30 for 50 ml of Kobe (ie. Sailor,) ink is fine by me. Yes, it is still expensive/ml but at least the multiplier is 50, instead of the smaller bottles Sailor loves so much.

I drink coffee every day, often many times a day, so this pen and ink combo has been a blast to use. I just had to make sure I had the real thing flowing through my veins before attempting to write with the pen and ink version.

(Goldspot provided this pen at no charge, and Vanness Pens provided the ink at a discount, to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Pilot Custom 743 - Ranking the Nibs

(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!.)

I jumped at the opportunity to test 14 of Pilot’s #15-sized 14K gold fountain pen nibs on the Pilot Custom 743, and wanted to see which ones would be my favorites. Note that the S (Signature) and MS (Music) nibs are not available in the Custom 743, but the S nib is available on the Custom 823. The main difference between the 743 and 823 is that the former takes cartridge/converter while the latter is a vacuum filler. Both utilize the same size 15 nib and feed.

Side note: August sees the two of the largest US pen shows (DC and San Francisco), so you should try the nibs for yourself at the Pilot USA tables and let me know which ones are your favorites! But if you can’t, read on!

The Custom 743 (as well as 823) has a size 15 nib, while the 912 (and 742) have size 10 nibs. I have several pens with size 10 and 15 nibs, but I don’t have them all (nor do I want to, for now ;-) ) so I was curious to see if my favorites from the size 10 would translate to size 15. I had limited time with these pens (as they needed to be taken to different shows), which is a good thing because this would end up being a 10 page article, lol. I decided to follow a similar approach as the Bossman did in his writeup of 15 of Pilot’s nibs in the Custom Heritage 912.

A few things to keep in mind:

• I am right-handed but have a “stupid steep” writing angle - 75 degrees isn’t uncommon for me, while most people have a 45-50 degree angle.
• I tend to write primarily in cursive, and occasionally in print (but not like the Bossman’s block print), typewriter font and calligraphy-esque styles like Copperplate and Italic. My go-to nib size from any maker/country/region is Medium. I also prefer broader nibs as well as stubs/italics. I rarely reach for Extra Fine.
• Pilot asked that I dip these pens instead of inking them up, which I don’t think is the best way to test the flow in the nibs. I dipped, then dragged the tip across the ink bottle so there wouldn’t be blobs of ink on the page.
• All of the writing samples were done in the Maruman Bodoni A5 Notebook I was given a bottle of Iroshizuku Sui-gyoku, which had been dipped into with a variety of other Iroshizuku inks (it’s pretty common for tester pens to get dipped into different bottles during shows), so the ink color might not be 100% accurate.
• My Chinese teachers from high school would be shuddering, but hey, it’s accurate, just not beautiful. The character means “always” or “forever”.
• Thank you Pilot USA for sending these 743s so I could do a nib showdown!
• Last but not least, I mostly followed Brad’s formatting but I did not read his ranking so I wouldn’t be biased.

Hey, Bossman! I have a new title! Can I get a raise now?

My aging eyes were so happy to be on #teamsticker even if the stickers didn’t all align with the front of the nib.

Based on writing samples of all of these nibs, do you think you can tell which ones I will like more than others? Also, sorry, I can’t seem to get my columns straight, shrug, lol.

14. Posting

Given that I tend to dislike extra fine nibs and I have a very steep writing angle, this nib was my least favorite to use. It felt like I was writing on the top of the nib, with it almost curving backwards on the paper. The original idea behind the nib was to write on postcards, which had limited space and therefore the extra fine line allowed you to fit more words. The angle of the nib also made it very stiff, unlike their regular and soft nibs, so you could also write on multiple sheets, like with carbon paper (does anyone remember what that is?) or forms in duplicate/triplicate.

That’s one heck of a fine line from the Posting nib.

You can see the downturn of the Posting nib, which gives it a firmer writing experience as well as a drier line.

13. Extra Fine

Admit it, you knew this was coming. I don’t hate EF nibs, I just really don’t prefer them most of the time from any brand. That said, I definitely liked it more than the PO nib because I can still write with the nib at my high angle.

Extra Fine.

12. Fine

This may seem to be the next logical choice but it was a little harder than I expected it to be because of the next two in the list. The Fine is a great smooth nib if you need to make fine lines - I just don’t like fine lines as much.

Fine.

11. Coarse

Goodness gracious, this is practically a Sharpie! It wrote like butter but I didn’t love it because I don’t have big handwriting. With my usual writing, the lines would end up running into each other. That said, this would be a great platform for a nib grind which is why I ranked this higher than the F.

Of COARSE this is a fun nib if you need a thicc line.

10. Soft Fine

I liked this more than the Fine because the slight bounce from the softer nib gives it an almost imperceptibly wider line and ever so slight line variation (more from the release of pressure than from adding pressure). That said, it’s still a bit too fine for me.

Soft Fine, you were almost number nine!

9. Waverly

Unlike the Posting nib, the Waverly was designed with a slight upturn on the tip of the nib, which makes it much more pleasant for folks who “push” their nibs, like lefties. As a rightie, I didn’t really notice the difference as it still wrote with a smooth, slightly broader than Fine Medium line. I’m sure I’d rank this much higher if I was a leftie, but since I’m not, I’d pick any of the remaining nibs instead of trying to hunt this one down.

The Waverly’s upturn is more noticeable from the side.

8. BB / Double Broad

Am I giving everyone whiplash going back and forth between the extreme nib sizes? I liked the not-quite-as-insane width of this nib compared to the Coarse but it is still too broad for my everyday use. As with the Coarse nib, this would also be a great canvas for a nib grind.

This BB has one too many Bs for me.

The bottom seven were fairly easy to pick but the top seven were much harder to choose from, so I used two criteria to help me decide: (1) what would be a better everyday writer for me and (2) what nib would I pick to buy next.

7. Fine Medium

This one was REALLY hard for me to put in this spot, but having owned this nib in both the size 10 and 15 sizes, I have come to accept that while it is a great writer, it is, say it with me, just a bit too fine. It is a very practical size for every day but this inkophile wants to lay down more ink, and go through fills quickly and this FM is too fine to do that.

FM, I loved you so much, I got Masuyama to make my 823 M into an FM, but alas, you’re too fine for everyday now.

6. Medium

Yep, my go-to nib size, Medium, barely made the top half of this list! It is such a nice and smooth writer that I wish I had more size 15 M nibs (I have had one ground to an FM and another ground to a Cursive Italic).

Medium is 6th because I’d rather get one of the other remaining nibs first, it’s not cuz I don’t love you.

5. Broad

I am shocked that I don’t have any Broad nibs in either the 10 or 15 size, though I do have it in a VP nib and it’s glorious. This would be a great ink layer-downer nib without having an overly broad line and as such would be a great addition.

Broad. It me.

4. FA or Falcon nib

Not to be confused with the Falcon pen (aka Elabo), the FA nib has cutouts on the side of the nib that gives it the ability to flex a bit. It is not like vintage flex, more like semi-flex. The size 15 FA is actually stiffer/firmer than the size 10 FA, and gives slightly less line variation than the 10. I have both and prefer the 10 FA because I do like to slow way down and write in a Copperplate-like style when using it. Even though I already have one, I wouldn’t turn down another FA if it were to cross my path.

You can see the cutouts from the top of the FA nib.

A better view from the side.

3. Soft Medium

I don’t have this nib and I want it. I love the slight bounce that this gives over the Medium, but it also makes the line a touch wider too. I could have easily swapped the M and SM spots but this one ranked higher because I don’t have one. Yet.

Soft Medium, I need this so much.

2. Stub

As someone who occasionally likes to do italic calligraphy, as well as write cursive with stub nibs, I was really curious to see how Pilot’s stub nib would feel. I absolutely loved writing with it! It is a fairly smooth stub, unlike Pilot’s sharper steel nibs like the ==CM== (Calligraphy Medium) which are more like italics. The only reason this is ranked second is because this wouldn’t be as practical for me as an everyday writer.

Stub, where have you been all my life?

1. Soft Fine Medium

I have the SFM in size 10 and absolutely love the nib so I wondered if the size 15 would elicit a similar response and omg, yes, it does! The slight softness of the nib makes the line a bit broader than the regular FM, which means it is the perfect width. I really enjoyed writing with this nib and am waiting for the right pen to show up with this nib in it!

Soft Fine Medium, I knew I loved you in size 10 and now I know I love you in size 15.

And there you have it, my ranking of the size 15 nibs from the Pilot Custom 743 collection! I can’t wait to see what the Bossman thinks when he gets his hands on the set. Size 15 nib throw down, coming to a TPA near you!

It’s the circle of life, I mean, nibs!

Oh, one more thing, this article also marks my 3 year anniversary of writing for The Pen Addict! Thank you so much to Brad “The Bossman” Dowdy for giving me this opportunity and not giving me the boot (yet)! And a heartfelt thank you to all of you for reading, commenting and encouraging me - it really means a lot! Onwards to more wordy articles, hahaha!

BENU Viper Fountain 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 Twitter. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Not a year goes by where BENU doesn't get me at least once. Their irresistible creativity overrides my willpower on a very regular basis, and the most recent temptation to run away with me was the BENU Viper. I mean, look at it. Whether it's glitz and sparkles or these tactile gothic designs, they are always a match for my mood.

Made of acrylic resin with a snakeskin-like texture, this pen sports a fully 3D snake wrapping around the body and cap. The snake is hand painted, so it pops off the background in more ways than one. This model has a black pen body with a wonderfully iridescent green snake, the Bamboo Viper, but there are other combinations available, such as the Mangrove Viper that has a dark teal background with a gunmetal grey snake, or the Bush Viper--purple with a bright green snake. The BENU brand letters are hidden, scattered among the snake's coils.

It's spooky and elegant, but also practical. The snake's 3D form keeps the pen from rolling, and the coils are cleverly placed in such a way that they create a comfortable grip, stopping the pen from slipping in your hand. So often I wonder if these wildly textured pens will be comfortable to hold, but BENU has definitely considered that in the design of this pen. The acrylic body is also lightweight, so the design does not add uncomfortable weight. It's a very comfortable pen to write with for hours on end. About spooky things, of course, because mood.

It is cartridge-converter filled, and comes with a converter. The nib is a gold-toned stainless steel and comes in Fine, Medium, and Broad. For all the playfulness of BENU's pen bodies, I'd love to see them play a little more in their nib offerings. But despite the lack of variety, the nibs work well and are pleasant to write with.

In the past, I've reviewed a number of BENU pens that felt a bit underpriced for the quality they deliver, but in this case, I think we're creeping well into the "fair" category. This pen clocks in at $180, which is by no means a bargain, but it's in range for what I'd expect a pen like this to cost. BENU's recent offerings have really broadened their market, with affordable (by fountain pen standards) pens still coming in around $100, and some hand-painted works of art as high as $4000.

As always, I can't wait to see what BENU will do next. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying writing with thisssss beauty.

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

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