Another year has come and gone. It is time to tally up my purchases for the year. I have purchased 20 pens and returned 1, that makes 19 pens. Surprisingly, I also have purchased 19 bottles of ink. I swear that wasn’t on purpose. I have purchased the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, a custom A5 leather cover both of which I’ve sold before settling for the Midori Traveler’s Notebook. Out of the 19 pens, 4 were sold within the year notably among them was the OMAS Arte Italiana. It doesn’t pay to rush into the hype and buy things without serious consideration. Only 2 inks made such a turn around.

Looking into my pen purchases, out of the 19 pens, 9 were Japanese pens. Well, that’s not surprising since that’s reflected in my pen collection. There were a good mix for the inks. The majority was dominated by Sailor thanks to the re-issue of their older 4 seasons ink series. I’ve also purchased a new Block.

In total I’ve spend more than $5000 this year just for my pens. It is really scary when you tally up your purchases like this. Slightly less than half of it was the price of my Nakaya Piccolo - A Fox with the Harvest Moon so technically if I don’t get another super pricy pen I shouldn’t be looking at such a figure next year. In the ink department, I spend considerably less, coming in at slightly over $300. Adding in the various notebook covers I’ve purchased along with the accessories I think this year I’ve spend at least $6000. I can’t be absolutely sure because I didn’t keep a close track on the price of the various accessories I bought for the Traveler’s Notebook. At the same time, I’ve recuperated slightly over $1500 from selling some pens, inks and accessories. All in all, 2016 has been a fruitful year in terms of purchases. Do you dare tally your pen and pen related purchases?

I’ve written about my wish list for 2016 when Maybelline of On Fountain Pens requested that I write a guest post on her blog.

My list has:

• Pilot Custom 742 with Falcon nib
• TWSBI Vac Mini
• OMAS Milord Noir
• Edison Pearlette
• Nakaya - A Fox with the Harvest Moon

I’ve purchased 2 out of the 5 on my wishlist, namely the Pilot Custom 742 with Falcon nib and the Nakaya fountain pens. I’ve not gotten around to doing a review of the Pilot Custom 742 because the falcon nib just doesn’t lend itself to daily writing. It’s sole purpose is just to do flex writing on my ink reviews.

Whereas the Nakaya fountain pen was also something of an impulse purchase. I didn’t expect myself to be placing an order for another Nakaya pen so soon after purchasing my first. However the news of the price hike prompted me into action. There is no regrets buying the pen.

Technically I did buy an OMAS fountain pen just not the Noir. I had a chance to handle a Noir but I found I didn’t enjoy the finish. I picked up an Arte Italiana in Liquid Green instead but I sold it in the end because of the slippery grip.

I had decided against buying the TWSBI Vac Mini but picked up a Pilot Custom 823 instead. Also a vacuum filler just not so mini. The only pen I didn’t buy or get something similar is the Edison Pearlette. I’ve not stepped into the realm of custom pen yet but someday I will. Meanwhile I shall be contented with the pens that are already or will be available in 2017.

Update: Apparently I wrote this blog post too early in advance that I've picked up the Edison Pearlette second hand from Leigh Reyes. So, I guess I am 5 for 5?

My wish list for 2017 will be:

Number 5: Pilot pen with Waverly Nib

I’ve been interested in Pilot’s speciality nib selection especially the Waverly nib. The Waverly nib is said to be smooth regardless you are pulling or pushing the nib across the page. It might mean as a lefty, the Waverly nib might be the perfect nib for me. I’m personally not keen on the pen body options for the Waverly nib so here’s hoping that a more interesting pen body comes along.

Number 4: Custom fountain pen

Maybe next year will be the year I’ll put money down on a custom fountain pen. It doesn’t have to be one from Edison, maybe I’ll order one from Shawn Newton or Scriptorium Pens? Who knows, in the world of custom pens the world is my oyster!

Number 3: Graf von Faber-Castell Intuition Platino

I have seen and caressed one. It was a great understated and classy pen. The EF nib that came with it was a lovely and almost sensual writing experience. I would love to get one in the Grendilla wood. Plus the wood box it comes in is just on point. Good job on presentation, Graf von Faber-Castell.

Nummber 2: Montblanc 1912

Now this pen might be a lost hope. The Montblanc 1912 is an interesting pen that has a retractable nib but it was launched quite a while back and locating one in a reasonable price might be tough. However, the nib that came with the pen I’ve tried is just a great writer. If I’m able to find it, it would be my first Montblanc pen!

Update: Remember the Singapore Pen Show that happened recently? I've seen the pen sold there so I've placed an order for this pen in EF but I've not picked up or paid for the pen so can I still leave it in the wishlist?

Number 1: Nakaya Negoro “Nuro Kise” Hon Kataji

Another year another Nakaya pen, maybe? This is the next Nakaya pen I am eyeing. It is way more affordable than the one I got this year. The cracked finish has caught my eye from the start when I began browsing the Nakaya website. Maybe I’ll be able to afford one again next year?

Update: Remember the Singapore Pen Show? I've placed a pre-order for this pen but I've not fully paid up for the pen so I guess I can count it as a 2017 pen too?

What pens are on your wish list for next year? Tell me about them in the comments below.

My thanks to Robert Oster for sending me this sample.

Robert Oster Signature is an Australian made ink series. Burgundy is just one of the many colours found in the line up. Burgundy is not a particularly wet ink. When paired with my Platinum 3776 Century it performed well. It shades slightly, going from a dark maroon to a muted red. Burgundy goes down bright and vibrant and dries to a darker muted shade.

Similar Inks:

• Montblanc William Shakespeare Velvet Red
• Montegrappa Special Reserve 1996 Red
• Sailor Jentle Grenade

The Numbers:
Weight: 25g
Length (capped): 145mm
Length (uncapped): 134mm
Price: USD $19.99 from ebay.com
Body Material: Plastic
Nib Material: Stainless steel
Filling Mechanism: Piston mechanism
Colours: Demonstrator only

Intro:
My thanks to Sunny of Straits Pen for providing this pen for review. Look out for more details below to find out how to win this pen.

The Wing Sung 698 is a China made piston filling fountain pen. As far as I can tell it only comes as a demonstrator. It is a no frills fountain pen that does what it is made for. The pen is well balanced and it is sufficiently long enough for me to use without posting. However you can still post the cap if you prefer that.

Packaging:
The Wing Sung 698 comes in a plastic blister pack that reminds me of the Pilot Kakuno. In fact I’ll say that the packaging is a direct copy. Inside you would find something that resembles a Lamy converter but don’t be fooled. It is actually a sealed tube of silicone grease.

Performance:
The Wing Sun 698 is not a small fountain pen. In terms of height, it is just slightly shorter than the Pilot Custom 823. However, the plastic body ensures the pen isn’t overly heavy. The clear plastic body is accented with silver finial, clip, centre band and piston ring. I like the clean cut look of the pen. Looking at the way the pen looked, it was clearly made to compete against the TWSBI Eco. It looked similar to the Eco but not entirely copying it. That’s a plus right there.

The cap takes only one revolution to uncap the pen. The clear cap makes it very very obvious if you splatter any ink inside the cap. So if you are bother by such things, it is best to avoid demonstrators in general. The clip is super stiff so it takes a little effort to slip it over thicker things. The finial is a silver sun burst pattern that I thought looked really nice.

The grip section is narrower than I had expected given the size of the pen. The grip section is narrower than the barrel plus it tapers down towards the nib before ending with a slight flare. However, the grip section is long and could accommodate larger fingers than mine. My preferred grip for the Wing Sun 698 is right on the threads but they are nice and smooth so switching to a higher grip is no a problem as well.

The Wing Sung 698 has a large ink capacity. After inking it up for at least 3 weeks I hardly made a dent in the ink sloshing inside the ink chamber. At first when I was trying to fill my pen I found I couldn’t twist the piston knob. For a while I wondered if my pen was faulty. Then, it turned out that the piston mechanism has a trick to it. It has a locking mechanism that prevents the piston knob turning by accident. All you have to do is to pull the piston knob. That will extend the piston knob slightly and then twisting it. The piston operates smoothly and without trouble once it is unlocked. I think this is an interesting design. I think it should be incorporated into more piston filler fountain pens.

The Wing Sun 698 has a clear feed to match the clear barrel. It came with a stainless steel nib in EF. The nib is slightly on the drier side but not overly so. It writes smoothly and well. The ink flow kept up without any trouble. The nib is stiff and well suited to my writing style and quick notes taking. Also, the nib and feed is interchangable with the Pilot Kakuno, Metropolitan, MR and Prera but I've not tested it for myself.

Conclusion:
The Wing Sun 698 is an impressive piston filler fountain pen. For it’s price and reliability it is a really contender against the TWSBI Eco. Pick one up and check it out for yourself.

To have a chance to win this particular Wing Sun 698 fountain pen, please leave me a comment telling me what ink you would like to fill in a demonstrator pen. Please also include your email address so that I can contact you. I won’t be sharing your email with anyone else. It is collected only for the sole purpose to contact the winner. This giveaway is only open to anyone residing in Singapore. The giveaway has ended. The winner annoucement post is here.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Demonstrator
• Large ink capacity
• Interesting piston knob lock

Cons:

• None that I found

This is the latest addition to Pelikan 4001 series. Dark green is a nice strong colour. Plus it shades nicely. It goes from a deep dark green to a vibrant grass green. The most enticing thing about this ink is the price. At only $4 per bottle, this is one of the most affordable and readily available inks around. I’m liking this ink quite a bit!

Similar Inks:

• Blackstone Daintree Green
• Diamine Sherwood Green
• Robert Oster Signature Emerald

John Martinson's excellent article published on the Pen World Magazine. I am honoured to have contributed my thoughts on the subject. Click on the link to check out the article. My thanks to Nicky and the team for co-ordinating!

Another re-issued Sailor ink and one of my favourite from this series. Kin Moku Sei is a bright orange ink that shades well. It reminds me of Sailor’s fabled Apricot. This is a lubricated ink that works well even in my EF nibs. Kin Moku Sei goes from a deep orange like Diamine Pumpkin to a light yellow orange. Why do you do this to us, Sailor? Should I buy another bottle just in case? I love this ink!

Similar Inks

• Diamine Pumpkin
• Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu Gaki
• Sailor Bungbox Hamanako Fresh Mandarin Orange

Congrats to Maxim Mee! You are the winner of the Wing Sung 698 fountain pen. Please contact me within 7 days (26th January 2017) to claim your prize. You can contact me via the contact form on the blog.

My thanks to Robert Oster for sending me this sample.

Another beautiful ink by Robert Oster. This is one ink maker to watch! The turquoise isn’t the bright blend of blue and green that I expected. Turquoise is way more green than turquoise inks of other brands. I think Robert Oster Signature Turquoise feels like it’s right on the line between teal and turquoise. Robert Oster Signature Turquoise shades nicely and flows well even in my Sailor fine nib.

Similar Inks:

• Akkerman Zuiderpark Blauw-Groen
• Diamine Teal
• Pilot Iroshizuku Syo Ro

The Lunar New Year is approaching and let’s assume you’ve been diligent in your spring cleaning. Your desk is now clean and free of clutter. You might be thinking, let’s put some pens in a pen stand and setup my work station, after all the desk is a vital piece of furniture for all fountain pen lovers. How about putting a bottle of ink on my desk for easy access? Of course we are working on the assumption your desk isn’t in direct sunlight and whatever ambient light won’t be damaging the ink in the bottle.

Let’s run through the different ink bottles that each brand provides. There are the basic ones from brands such as Noodler’s, Private Reserve, Sailor, Franklin Christoph, limited edition Montblanc, J Herbin and 30ml Diamine bottles. They are mostly made of glass except the 30ml Diamine bottles are plastic. Now these are no frills ink bottles, mostly cylindrical, rectangular or squarish in shape, some designs more useable than others but all not that attractive.

Then, there are bottles in the middle tier such as the older Bungbox vase shaped ones, Montblanc shoe shaped ones, Pelikan 4001, Maruzen Athena, OMAS and Pilot ink bottles. These are not just basic shapes. The Bungbox vases shaped ones and the Maruzen Athena bottles are among my favourites, the former for it’s functionality and the later for its shape. These are a step above the first tier of ink bottle attractiveness but these are not the best there is.

Up on the lofty heights of ink bottle attractiveness, there are the higher end inks such as the Pilot Iroshizuku, Graf von Faber-Castell, Pelikan Edelstein and Akkerman. These definitely look like and some actually cost a nice chunk of change. Personally the first three brands are what I’ll feel are the prettier brands of ink bottles while the Akkerman is a very different looking ink bottle. Plus it has that marble inside you can play with if you’re bored.

If all things being equal, regardless the kind of ink is in the bottle, regardless the price of the ink or the volume of ink contained, I will crown the Graf von Faber Castell bottle as the ink bottle for my table. Look at the elegance of the ribbed glass bottle and capped with a hefty metal cap. The label also looks like a blend of old world class and personal touch of the analogue world. I would buy the entire ink lineup they have just for the bottle.

Which ink bottle would you crown as the ink bottle for your desk? Tell me in the comments below.

My thanks to Robert Oster for sending me this sample.

Robert Oster Signature Jade is a nice blend of green and yellow. It looks really good and shades very well. This is one ink I really wish I have a full bottle of. Jade is a beautiful colour that goes from a light yellow-green to a strong dark green. This is defintely best paired with a nib to show off the shading Jade is capable of.

Similar Inks:

• Diamine Dark Olive
• Sailor Jentle Tokiwa Matsu
• Sailor Jentle Waka Uguisu

This is the latest addition to Pelikan 4001 series. Dark green is a nice strong colour. Plus it shades nicely. It goes from a deep dark green to a vibrant grass green. The most enticing thing about this ink is the price. At only $4 per bottle, this is one of the most affordable and readily available inks around. I’m liking this ink quite a bit!

Similar Inks:

• Blackstone Daintree Green
• Diamine Sherwood Green
• Robert Oster Signature Emerald

The Numbers:
Weight: 16g
Length (capped): 124mm
Length (uncapped): 123mm
Price: USD$380 on Pen Chalet
Body Material: Resin and cellulose acetate Nib Material: 14k Gold nib
Filling Mechanism: Piston filler
Colours: Various

Intro:
I’ve been lusting after the Pelikan M800 Brown Tortoise ever since I’ve laid eyes on one. I love the play of light and dark colours of the brown tortoise shell finish. However the price have always put me off buying one of my own. Maybe Pelikan has heard my prayers and launch the Brown Tortoise in M400 size this year. With a quick check on the price, I promptly ordered one for myself.

I’ve previously reviewed the M205 and I went into detail about what does the various model number mean in the Pelikan lineup. Do go over there to read about it, I won’t be repeating it here.

Packaging:
The M400 Brown Tortoise comes in a regular Pelikan box that can be open by pulling on the tab at the side. It also has the standard white faux leather pouch which holds the pen. There wasn’t anything particularly more fancy in terms of the packaging for this special edition fountain pen.

Performance:
The M400 is mostly made of dark brown resin and brown striped cellulose acetate for its barrel. It is accented with double rings of gold around the end of the cap and at the piston knob. The clip and finial is also gold. The pen looks very classy but the brown stripe barrel adds a flash of character to the otherwise standard looking Pelikan fountain pen. You can tell that this is a quality fountain pen, the fit and finish of the pen is flawless.

It takes slightly less than a single revolution to uncap the pen. The M400 being a pen on the smaller end of the Souveran lineup, the cap can be posted to extend the length of the barrel. The cap securely at the end of the barrel. Personally I found it comfortable enough without posting.

The grip section is relatively short and thin. I would say the M600 would be a comfortable size for most. Those with larger hands should try it out in person before buying. I had some issues with my M205 previously. Maybe this is a special edition fountain pen or the M400 series generally get better quality control, the threads that I found sharp on the M205 are smooth here.

Pelikan Souveran fountain pens are all piston fillers. Thanks to that, they have substantial ink capacity. The resin barrel is clear, while the stripes are opaque. It makes it easy to monitor the ink level of the fountain pen when you looked at it against light. The Pelikan M400 Brown Tortoise comes with a variety of nib options, going from EF to B and special for this particular release an Italic Board nib. Me being me, opted for the EF nib. It wrote well out of the box but personally I found Pelikan nibs does nothing for me. They wrote broader and wetter than usual of their nib size so I promptly handed it off to a local nibmeister to have it ground down into a Japanese EF.

The result is a nib with delicious feedback. It writes very finely as expected of a Japanese EF nib. Though this nib wasn’t modded for additional flex, with a little pressure I can get some line variation from the nib. The feedback can be a little much so this particular nib modification isn’t for everyone.

Before moddiing

Conclusion:
The Pelikan Brown Tortoise is one of my grail pen, I “settled” for the smaller sibling but the colour of the light and dark alternating stripes is just as beautiful to admire. Plus, I don’t believe any two Brown Tortoise pen is completely identical because of the stripes. As a standard M400, this isn’t the cheapest model you can find out there, but the Brown Tortoise finish is just too hard to say no to. Though the nib modification is an additional cost but it is also what makes the pen special to me.

Pros:

• Brown Tortoise!
• Delicious feedback from nib modification
• IB nib option

Cons:

• Limited number of pens

Additional Reading:

• The Pelikan’s Perch’s news about the M400 Brown Tortoise

There are affiliate links in this review. I may get a small amount of store credit if you purchase anything via the link(s). You are under no obligation to do so but if you would like to do something nice, do buy what you need via my links.

Check out if you have missed part 1 here.

So after all that hard work of actually using the pens day to day and deciding which pens you are keeping, you have to sell those you are not keeping. There are a few different places you can sell your pens.

1. Fountain Pen Network Classifieds
   You have to be a Gold Member to post sales thread on Fountain Pen Network Classifieds. However, the classifieds is a high volume place, your post might get lost in the shuffle but it is also high traffic which will mean more eyes looking at your post. This means your item may sell that much faster. Note, since the forum is an international site, you have to be willing to ship your item overseas.

2. FPGeeks For Sale
   Anyone can post a sale thread on FPGeeks. There are a good number of people looking at the posts but you might have to bump your thread up every couple of days. Also people tend to communicate via FPGeeks’ PM system so make sure to check your inbox there. Note, since the forum is an international site, you have to be willing to ship your item overseas.

3. Pen Addict Slack Sell-Trade
   The Pen Addict Slack is free to join and anyone can post their item up for sale. Things tend to get lost and searching might be hard because of the post limit of Slack. However, the group have circumvent that with a Google Sheet. Sellers update the Google Sheet and post in the Sell-Trade room to give everyone a head’s up. Note, since the forum is an international site, you have to be willing to ship your item overseas.

4. eBay.com
   Personally, I have never sold a pen over eBay but it feels like a hit or miss type. I would probably only use eBay as a last resort to sell a pen. It feels more trouble than it is worth but it would open your item up to a wider audience. Note, since the forum is an international site, you have to be willing to ship your item overseas.

5. Singapore Fountain Pen Lovers Black Market (Facebook only)
   Singapore Fountain Pen Lovers (SFPL) as the name suggests is the home base for most Singaporean fountain pen users. Selling your item here is the best and easiest way to sell locally. What I enjoy most is your dealing location is mostly “the next pen meet” and you can get business done easily. Note, this is a very Singapore centric Facebook group, so assume anyone replying you here is located in Singapore.

6. Fountain Pen Market Buy and Sell (Facebook only)
   Another Facebook only group but this one is international. I’ve not personally sold anything off this particular Facebook group but what’s the harm of posting your item up if you are using Facebook anyway? Note, since the forum is an international site, you have to be willing to ship your item overseas.

7. Carousell This is a buy and sell app and website. It is mainly Singapore and Malaysia focused. It’s also another great way to increase visibility of your item to local markets. It is similar to eBay but much easier to post things for sell. Communicate with buyers can be done via the app but I found their push notifications in constant which end up with missing out on offers on your item.

And finally a few tips on selling your pens and inks online:

Photos and more photos
Nothing entice a buyer more than pretty photos of the pen in question. I’ve been the receiving end of that plenty of times.

Provide close up photos
Every buyer will have to inspect the nib before buying. Of course there is no way to inspect it if you are buying it online, so provide photos of the nib and of every little detail on the pen.

Be honest
Be honest when you are describing your pen on your listing. Clearly state and provide photos of any flaw. You can only be dishonest once, it won’t be long before the community is wise of that fact. There is no gains in being dishonest. Plus, you will most likely be selling more than one pen.

Price accordingly
Do your research, find out what others are selling the same pen so that you do not overprice. Also when you set a price there is the listed price and there is the true price. The true price is what you are willing to sell for while the listed price is usually a little higher so that there is room for negotiation. It is best to set this true price early on so that you don’t get tempted with a low baller’s offer which leads to my next point.

Don’t rush
If you are in a hurry, you can get sucked into accepting an offer that is lower than usual. Selling should be done with patience. It is ok to wait a few months for the right offer to come along especially if your pen is rare and/or limited.

Price low to move quickly
Of course if you are in need of cash quickly, pricing them low will move your pens very quickly. This is usually universal.

Knowing where to list a pen is half the battle
Different pens would find their target market at different places. Such as trying to sell a Nakaya on Carousell is probably not the best idea, these should be sold on Fountain Pen Network or FPGeeks or SFPL.

How much is shipping?
If you are selling your pens internationally it is best to find out what’s the regular shipping cost. You can weigh your pen with all the accessories it is coming with before hand. It is just a quick check online for the shipping cost. Alternatively, you can just assume it is going to the US and it will weigh at least 500g and then add tracking. That’s usually a safe bet.

I hope these information has been helpful and you know what to do when you have to cull your herd.

I've recently had a trip to Hong Kong. I didn't went out of my way to go pen shopping but I did drop by Winner Pens Collection. I didn't buy anything but I took some photos. Enjoy them!

You can find Winner Pens Collection at

中環德輔道中68號
萬宜大廈商場 110 號
Man Yee Arcade, Shop 110
68 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong.
Tel.: (852)-2710-8802
Fax.: (852)-2781-2608

Another year of blogging and another year of pen buying. Like the top 5 inks of 2016 list, the criteria to make it onto the list are simple. Firstly, I must have made the purchase of the pen during the year. And, I’ve used it and loved it. With that out of the way, onto the list.

Number 5: Faber-Castell Loom

This is a good value for money beginner fountain pen, not that only beginners can use the Loom. Mine came with one of the smoothest stainless steel nib that I’ve ever used. Coupled with it’s ability to take both a standard international cartridge and converter it makes the Loom an versatile and outstanding fountain pen.

Number 4: Kaweco Supra

My personal experience with my Kaweco ICE Sport aside, the Kaweco Supra took me by surprise with both its ingenuity with the extender and the size of the nib. The #6 nib makes the Supra easily upgradable because you are not only limited to only Kaweco offerings. The Supra is the best EDC fountain pen I have in my collection now.

Number 3: Pilot Custom 823

The Pilot Custom 823 in amber was acquired this year. It has a giant ink capacity and a fantastic nib that wrote well out of the box. I must say the Pilot Custom 823 is one of the best workhorse fountain pens around.

Number 2: Pilot Vanishing Point

I have a love / hate relationship with the pen but after switching to the Hobonichi and then the Traveler’s Notebook for my daily planner, the Pilot Vanishing Point shines as the pen that I pair with my planner. It’s a pen that I come crawling back to even after selling my first. My preferred nib is the stainless steel nib instead of the softer 18K one, the stainless steel nib helps with quick note taking and on the go writing.

Number 1: Nakaya Piccolo - Fox with Harvest Moon

What can I say? I am a sucker for the way a fountain pen looks. Look! Pretty fox, that actually is raised. Plus, that SF nib is just sublime. The very tactile experience of writing is addictive and tingles my senses. This isn’t a pen for everyone for sure due to the price but I love mine, a lot.

I have more stainless steel nibs on the list than gold. That speaks to the quality and writing experience that can be achieved with a good stainless steel nib. A gold nib isn’t needed for a great writing experience. The enjoyment of a fountain pen isn’t just limited to the writing experience too.

Another year has come and gone. It is time to tally up my purchases for the year. I have purchased 20 pens and returned 1, that makes 19 pens. Surprisingly, I also have purchased 19 bottles of ink. I swear that wasn’t on purpose. I have purchased the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, a custom A5 leather cover both of which I’ve sold before settling for the Midori Traveler’s Notebook. Out of the 19 pens, 4 were sold within the year notably among them was the OMAS Arte Italiana. It doesn’t pay to rush into the hype and buy things without serious consideration. Only 2 inks made such a turn around.

Looking into my pen purchases, out of the 19 pens, 9 were Japanese pens. Well, that’s not surprising since that’s reflected in my pen collection. There were a good mix for the inks. The majority was dominated by Sailor thanks to the re-issue of their older 4 seasons ink series. I’ve also purchased a new Block.

In total I’ve spend more than $5000 this year just for my pens. It is really scary when you tally up your purchases like this. Slightly less than half of it was the price of my Nakaya Piccolo - A Fox with the Harvest Moon so technically if I don’t get another super pricy pen I shouldn’t be looking at such a figure next year. In the ink department, I spend considerably less, coming in at slightly over $300. Adding in the various notebook covers I’ve purchased along with the accessories I think this year I’ve spend at least $6000. I can’t be absolutely sure because I didn’t keep a close track on the price of the various accessories I bought for the Traveler’s Notebook. At the same time, I’ve recuperated slightly over $1500 from selling some pens, inks and accessories. All in all, 2016 has been a fruitful year in terms of purchases. Do you dare tally your pen and pen related purchases?

I’ve written about my wish list for 2016 when Maybelline of On Fountain Pens requested that I write a guest post on her blog.

My list has:

• Pilot Custom 742 with Falcon nib
• TWSBI Vac Mini
• OMAS Milord Noir
• Edison Pearlette
• Nakaya - A Fox with the Harvest Moon

I’ve purchased 2 out of the 5 on my wishlist, namely the Pilot Custom 742 with Falcon nib and the Nakaya fountain pens. I’ve not gotten around to doing a review of the Pilot Custom 742 because the falcon nib just doesn’t lend itself to daily writing. It’s sole purpose is just to do flex writing on my ink reviews.

Whereas the Nakaya fountain pen was also something of an impulse purchase. I didn’t expect myself to be placing an order for another Nakaya pen so soon after purchasing my first. However the news of the price hike prompted me into action. There is no regrets buying the pen.

Technically I did buy an OMAS fountain pen just not the Noir. I had a chance to handle a Noir but I found I didn’t enjoy the finish. I picked up an Arte Italiana in Liquid Green instead but I sold it in the end because of the slippery grip.

I had decided against buying the TWSBI Vac Mini but picked up a Pilot Custom 823 instead. Also a vacuum filler just not so mini. The only pen I didn’t buy or get something similar is the Edison Pearlette. I’ve not stepped into the realm of custom pen yet but someday I will. Meanwhile I shall be contented with the pens that are already or will be available in 2017.

Update: Apparently I wrote this blog post too early in advance that I've picked up the Edison Pearlette second hand from Leigh Reyes. So, I guess I am 5 for 5?

My wish list for 2017 will be:

Number 5: Pilot pen with Waverly Nib

I’ve been interested in Pilot’s speciality nib selection especially the Waverly nib. The Waverly nib is said to be smooth regardless you are pulling or pushing the nib across the page. It might mean as a lefty, the Waverly nib might be the perfect nib for me. I’m personally not keen on the pen body options for the Waverly nib so here’s hoping that a more interesting pen body comes along.

Number 4: Custom fountain pen

Maybe next year will be the year I’ll put money down on a custom fountain pen. It doesn’t have to be one from Edison, maybe I’ll order one from Shawn Newton or Scriptorium Pens? Who knows, in the world of custom pens the world is my oyster!

Number 3: Graf von Faber-Castell Intuition Platino

I have seen and caressed one. It was a great understated and classy pen. The EF nib that came with it was a lovely and almost sensual writing experience. I would love to get one in the Grendilla wood. Plus the wood box it comes in is just on point. Good job on presentation, Graf von Faber-Castell.

Nummber 2: Montblanc 1912

Now this pen might be a lost hope. The Montblanc 1912 is an interesting pen that has a retractable nib but it was launched quite a while back and locating one in a reasonable price might be tough. However, the nib that came with the pen I’ve tried is just a great writer. If I’m able to find it, it would be my first Montblanc pen!

Update: Remember the Singapore Pen Show that happened recently? I've seen the pen sold there so I've placed an order for this pen in EF but I've not picked up or paid for the pen so can I still leave it in the wishlist?

Number 1: Nakaya Negoro “Nuro Kise” Hon Kataji

Another year another Nakaya pen, maybe? This is the next Nakaya pen I am eyeing. It is way more affordable than the one I got this year. The cracked finish has caught my eye from the start when I began browsing the Nakaya website. Maybe I’ll be able to afford one again next year?

Update: Remember the Singapore Pen Show? I've placed a pre-order for this pen but I've not fully paid up for the pen so I guess I can count it as a 2017 pen too?

What pens are on your wish list for next year? Tell me about them in the comments below.

My thanks to Robert Oster for sending me this sample.

Robert Oster Signature is an Australian made ink series. Burgundy is just one of the many colours found in the line up. Burgundy is not a particularly wet ink. When paired with my Platinum 3776 Century it performed well. It shades slightly, going from a dark maroon to a muted red. Burgundy goes down bright and vibrant and dries to a darker muted shade.

Similar Inks:

• Montblanc William Shakespeare Velvet Red
• Montegrappa Special Reserve 1996 Red
• Sailor Jentle Grenade

The Numbers:
Weight: 25g
Length (capped): 145mm
Length (uncapped): 134mm
Price: USD $19.99 from ebay.com
Body Material: Plastic
Nib Material: Stainless steel
Filling Mechanism: Piston mechanism
Colours: Demonstrator only

Intro:
My thanks to Sunny of Straits Pen for providing this pen for review. Look out for more details below to find out how to win this pen.

The Wing Sung 698 is a China made piston filling fountain pen. As far as I can tell it only comes as a demonstrator. It is a no frills fountain pen that does what it is made for. The pen is well balanced and it is sufficiently long enough for me to use without posting. However you can still post the cap if you prefer that.

Packaging:
The Wing Sung 698 comes in a plastic blister pack that reminds me of the Pilot Kakuno. In fact I’ll say that the packaging is a direct copy. Inside you would find something that resembles a Lamy converter but don’t be fooled. It is actually a sealed tube of silicone grease.

Performance:
The Wing Sun 698 is not a small fountain pen. In terms of height, it is just slightly shorter than the Pilot Custom 823. However, the plastic body ensures the pen isn’t overly heavy. The clear plastic body is accented with silver finial, clip, centre band and piston ring. I like the clean cut look of the pen. Looking at the way the pen looked, it was clearly made to compete against the TWSBI Eco. It looked similar to the Eco but not entirely copying it. That’s a plus right there.

The cap takes only one revolution to uncap the pen. The clear cap makes it very very obvious if you splatter any ink inside the cap. So if you are bother by such things, it is best to avoid demonstrators in general. The clip is super stiff so it takes a little effort to slip it over thicker things. The finial is a silver sun burst pattern that I thought looked really nice.

The grip section is narrower than I had expected given the size of the pen. The grip section is narrower than the barrel plus it tapers down towards the nib before ending with a slight flare. However, the grip section is long and could accommodate larger fingers than mine. My preferred grip for the Wing Sun 698 is right on the threads but they are nice and smooth so switching to a higher grip is no a problem as well.

The Wing Sung 698 has a large ink capacity. After inking it up for at least 3 weeks I hardly made a dent in the ink sloshing inside the ink chamber. At first when I was trying to fill my pen I found I couldn’t twist the piston knob. For a while I wondered if my pen was faulty. Then, it turned out that the piston mechanism has a trick to it. It has a locking mechanism that prevents the piston knob turning by accident. All you have to do is to pull the piston knob. That will extend the piston knob slightly and then twisting it. The piston operates smoothly and without trouble once it is unlocked. I think this is an interesting design. I think it should be incorporated into more piston filler fountain pens.

The Wing Sun 698 has a clear feed to match the clear barrel. It came with a stainless steel nib in EF. The nib is slightly on the drier side but not overly so. It writes smoothly and well. The ink flow kept up without any trouble. The nib is stiff and well suited to my writing style and quick notes taking. Also, the nib and feed is interchangable with the Pilot Kakuno, Metropolitan, MR and Prera but I've not tested it for myself.

Conclusion:
The Wing Sun 698 is an impressive piston filler fountain pen. For it’s price and reliability it is a really contender against the TWSBI Eco. Pick one up and check it out for yourself.

To have a chance to win this particular Wing Sun 698 fountain pen, please leave me a comment telling me what ink you would like to fill in a demonstrator pen. Please also include your email address so that I can contact you. I won’t be sharing your email with anyone else. It is collected only for the sole purpose to contact the winner. This giveaway is only open to anyone residing in Singapore. The giveaway has ended. The winner annoucement post is here.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Demonstrator
• Large ink capacity
• Interesting piston knob lock

Cons:

• None that I found