Ink Review: Aurora Blue

I've been getting fountain pens for a while now, and I have several bottles of inks with me, including the two Private Reserve inks I got last year. Despite the variety of inks I got, I have not taken the time to write about them, or post reviews.

Last weekend, I got hold of a bottle of Aurora Blue and immediately filled my white Schneider Base pen with it. I tried it on my Moleskine first, then I tried it on another notebook with a completely different paper type, and the result is awesome!

Aurora Blue is one of only two colors manufactured by the Aurora Pen Company. It's not my first taste of Blue, as I also have Cross Blue and two Watermans, the turquoise South Sea Blue and dark Florida Blue, which is very similar to Aurora Blue.

The blue of Aurora has a very intense and rich dark hue with visible tinges of purple but dries as a beautiful blue. It has excellent flow that will work well with different pens. It's already amazing on my Schneider Base because that pen is such a smooth writer. I'm excited to try it on other pens later.


Feathering and bleed are two things I always worry about because I use a Moleskine for journaling. Of course it's a known fact that these notebooks are not the friendliest to fountain pens and their inks. When I tried it on my Molie, the ink did not feather at all, but there is minor bleeding. I then tried it on a different notebook with a different paperstock (shown on the photos above) and I am so happy with the results: no feathering, minor bleed.

Aurora Blue is a happy color for me. I cannot describe it properly, but when I look at my Moleskine pages written with it, the pages just seem to smile at me. And happy is good. Happy pens, happy inks. Happier? Happiest! *Winks.*

GPW #2: Pilot Coletos

Here's Gel Pen(s) of the Week (GPW) #2: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coletos.

Alas, here's my foray into the world of multi-pens. :)

Long after its release, I've seen photos and read reviews of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto from many pen blogs and websites. During that time, I was seriously into populating my meager fountain pen collection, that I did not pay too much attention into this new multi-pen from Pilot. I wasn't (and still am) too fond of multi-pens, and this was another reason why the Coleto wasn't am instant hit with me.

Then the time came when there was a huge discussion about Pilot 78G pens at FPN-P. That discussion convinced me to get my first Pilot fountain pen, the 78G. Oh, wait, this is about the Coletos, right? But it was the 78G pens that brought me to the Coletos through Cosmos Bazaar in Binondo. The colorful packaging of Pilot Coleto refills caught my eye that time, but the 78Gs held my attention, and I bought three of them: teal, green, and black - all medium-nibbed. Perhaps it wasn't in the stars yet for Coletos to come home with me.

And then another trip to the city brought me near Binondo. I didn't let the chance pass by that time, and off I went to Cosmos Bazaar to get my Coletos.

At Cosmos Bazaar, the Coleto refills are available in the usual black, blue, and red in all tip sizes: 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5mm. The other refill colors, green, turquoise, purple, orange, and pink, and available only in 0.3 and 0.4mm tips. I bought black in 0.5 and 0.4, and blue and red in 0.5mm. Then I bought all remaining refill colors in 0.4mm tip sizes. I also got three of the three-color pens: clear, blue, and gray.

Coleto refills: 2 blacks, blue, turquoise, green, purple, orange, pink, and red. There are two colors missing in my collection: blue-black and brown. But I don't have them only because Cosmos doesn't have them.

Above is a simple writing sample of the Coletos on my Moleskine. These pens use gel ink, and they write very smoothly and does not skip. I do not worry about bleed and smudges on my notebook pages, because the ink dries fast. They are easy to hold, and my hand is not so tired after writing for some time.

It's also a joy that the Coleto comes in 2, 3, and 4 color sizes. This multi-pen is an excellent choice for people such as I am who loves writing in different colors. And it's also important that the pen barrels can be bought empty, because refilling them with my choice of color is very easy. I can mix different colors in one barrel, or have different tip sizes of a single color. Fun!

Postcard Fun/Joy

These postcards made my day today. Imagine my joy when I got these from our mailbox this morning? Thank you, Pirjo and Long.

The first postcard is a Kaj Stenvall reproduction of a 1993 piece titled, "Whose Move?". I've received a lot of postcards from Finland since I started Postcrossing, but I never did get the chance to receive any of these must-have cards. This is my first Kaj Stenvall, I hope to get more. *Wink.*


This second card is from Taiwan, and it is very, very special. I have always loved bridges, and I have always wished someone from the USA will send me a photo of the San Francisco Bridge. This one, after all, belongs to the holy grails of my postcard collection. It came in an envelope, and though that was an early disappointment, seeing the postcard took all of that away. Add to that the fact that this American postcard, printed in Korea, brought to Taiwan, and mailed from there to reach me here in RP is just so interesting.

Who says that small things cannot bring joy and happines into one's life? Fools. These small joys are enough to last me through the week rowing and paddling away in deadlines, presentations, proofs, and other bigger things that make life dreadful. *Wink.*

GPW #1: Pilot G2s

Here's Gel Pen(s) of the Week (GPW) #1: My set of 0.7 Pilot G-2s.

This it it. This is where GPW starts. I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I will do a GPW project. GPW, or gel pen(s) of the week is a project I thought of while cleaning out my pen boxes. I realized that even if I want to, I cannot fully shift to full fountain pen use due to the following reasons: (a) I got a lot of non-FP pens; (b) i need a GP or a ballpoint to fill out forms, or sign documents; and (c) finding FP-friendly notebooks and paper in this corner of the planet is just way too difficult. But really, the main reason for the GPW project is that I have too many (and still hoarding) GPs and I want to use them.

And so here's GPW #1, and for this week, my featured pens are my Pilot G2 0.7mm retractables.

I met (or bought) Pilot G2s at the same time I got my first Moleskine. Before my Mollie, I've read excellent reviews about these pens from various websites and blogs, and the most interesting articles and posts (even photos) finally convinced me to get these pens for my Molie. To test them, I bought a 0.5mm black and red to use on my new notebook, and true enough, it's an amazing experience to write with these pens. Later on, I got the 0.7mm G2s as I am more fond of thick, wide, dark lines.

Now, a lot has been said about these pens, and as a G2 user, I agree to all the rave about them. These GPs are very smooth and reliable writers, and their ink is very friendly to Moleskine notebooks. I did not experience any skipping or thinning lines ever since I used them not only on the Moleskine, but also on different papers. The rubber grip on the section is just perfect for my discriminating fingers, and the durable plastic clip is excellent to just clip them anywhere-on my bag's tag, my jean's back pocket, etc. Lastly, I am not a person who loves to post their pens. I hate posting my pens, and the fact that the Pilot G2 uses the retractable system makes it a home-run winner!

Through time, I set aside my G2s as I got fascinated with, and of course, used fountain pens. But I also realized it's difficult to move to full FP use. And so I got back to using the G2s. I even found a better use for them in my GTD (getting things done) kit. It helps that I got these GPs in other colors aside from the black/blue/red inks available here. A friend who went to the United States brought me a three-pack of G2s in turquoise, purple, and pink. Now I got six colors out of the 15 available ink colors that Pilot made for G2s.

Here is my GTD kit, opened. The left flap has pen slots, but only for four pens, so the other two pens are clipped to the paper slots on the other flap. This kit, as I call it, is like a wallet, but with more compartments. I got it from NBS for my FPs, but the garterized pen holders are too tight, that I got scared my FPs will be damaged later on. And like the G2 rediscovery, I found a better use for it. *Wink.*

Both the left and right flaps of this pen holder have big slots which can accommodate other stuff, mostly the multi-colored index cards I use for my GTD system.

The back pocket is also roomy enough for bits of paper, and here I got stamps and tea tags.

So here is my GPW #1. I'll dig into my box again and let's see what I'll come up with next Monday. For now, I'm happy with my G2s.

It's Alive.

It's alive. (Insert roar/monstrous laugh here.)

Oh yes, it is. My Frankenthein (photo above) has finally made it to me. Created by our dearest friend Tom Overfield, Frankenthein, or Thein as I love to call him, is a frankenpen. Um, okay, don't freak out. It's not as bad as it sounds. It's actually very simple. For pen collectors and enthusiasts, a frankenpen, or a franky, is a pen that has been created from parts of different pens. These parts may come from the same pen model, or from other pen models, but the idea is for the final product to work like a new, working pen. See? No big deal here. I've done this on some of my gel pens, using Uni-Ball or Zebra refills in my Pilot G2 retractables. Woo-hoo.

Frankenthein's medium 14k gold Triumph nib. The Sheaffers logo is embossed on the clip.

Here's the underside of Thein's nib and feed.

Now, Thein is a Sheaffer Thin Model (TM) with the Touchdown filling system. What I love the most with Thein is that he's got a medium Triumph nib, made from 14k gold. Of course, with most frankys, Thein's burgundy cap, green barrel, amber section, feed, and 14k gold nib came from various Sheaffer TMs, but I don't mind. Not at all.

Thein is a true-blue franky. From Tom's box of fountain parts, he was given a new life. And then he was christened Frankenthein by Leigh Reyes, a fellow fountain pen collector and a franky owner herself. In fact, Frankensnork, Leigh's franky, is the eldest among Tom's creations. (More about Frankensnork here.) After Frankensork, Tom made and sent other frankys to Filipino fountain pen collectors. They are: Son of Frankensnork, Bride of Frankensnork, Thinenstein (a Sheaffer Thin Model), Tuckenstein (Sheaffer Tuckaway), and Demistein (a Parker 51 Demi). See some members of the Frankenfamily here.

Here is a writing sample of Frankenthein after filling it with Waterman South Sea Blue. I wrote in an old Starbucks diary. And oh, wow. Thein is a wet writer, and writes vey smoothly, too! (Click on photo for a larger view.)

Lifetime companions: Frankenthein and Franentom.

After a long journey, my very own frankenpen is with me. Oh no, don't frown. It's been a long journey for them. Here's why: Tom sent Thein from Virginia (USA), together with some of the other frankys including Frannie in a package he sent to Leigh in Manila. Leigh sent it to me through our Makati Office, and finally the envelope traveled all the way to Los Baños. Phew!

But the long wait is over. Thein is here with me now, and together we will embark on a new journey where we will be joined by other pens who welcome him with warm hearts and open minds. Thanks to Tom's brilliance, these frankenpens are given new lives, and now in the hands of people who love and cherish them dearly. And oh, Thein is my first Sheaffer pen. Isn't it great?

And Now... Meet Mary Ann

And now, meet Mary Ann. Stunning, isn’t she?

Mary Ann belongs to Retro 51's Scriptmaster II series, and she's the third in my stash of white fountain pens. I got her from her previous owner last April but only got to ink her early this month. She's made of solid bars of cellulose acetate, and her articulated clip and rings are coated with platinum. Whoa.

Retro 51's logo on the cap's ring.

She is 5.5 inches long of flawless beauty, 5 inches uncapped, and extends to 6.5 inches when posted. Her Medium steel nib writes very smooth and very wet, the exact two things I always look for in a fountain pen.

And she is with other fountain pens on top of my blue flannel pen wrap. Peeking out on her left is my black Pilot 78G, and on her right, sharing a slot are the pens from India: Camlin and Chelpark.

And so her name is Mary Ann. She's got brothers and sisters, too. In fact, she's got a sister named Clementine, and I know I should have gotten that, but orange pens are not my thing now. Later, maybe. But for now, you rock my world, Mary Ann! *Winks.*

My Weekend Hoard of (Gel) Pens and A Pencil

I took a much needed respite from blogging recently as I focused on more pressing matters, such as work and health. As I finish those important tasks, I’m happy to be back. With pens.

This is my growing stash of gel pens. For a bigger photo, click here.

The three-day weekend last weekend has brought me to what else, NBS. I went there to get some (more) notebooks (again), but this time of the month is not a good time to visit NBS, or any bookstore/school supply store as people flock to these places to hoard school supplies and similar items. June is the month when classes start here in the Philippines.

I couldn’t get my way through the crowd near the notebooks, so I went to check their pens. Hm. I was instantly attracted to the Pilot Acroballs because they are available in non-black/blue/red colors such as green, pink, and turquoise. But my attraction turned to disappointment when I realized that Acroballs are ballpoints and not gel pens. Oh, well. Moving down the display, I finally gave in to the Coleto when I saw the three-color blue barreled multi-pen. I got the 0.5mm refills of black, blue, and red, the only refills available at NBS.

Since I was at the Pilot section of the pen displays, I saw the yummy H32 mechanical pencils and tried out the transparent red H325. The transparent H32 is available in different barrel colors: clear, red, blue, yellow, green, and gray/black. I got this pencil for its looks, but it proved to be an excellent writing tool. Mine has a 0.5mm tip, but I’d like to get the 0.3mm and the 0.9mm next time.

New pens: a transparent red Pilot H325 mechanical pencil, blue 3-ink refill Pilot Coleto, Zebra Jimnie Gel Rollerball, Foray, and two Uni-Ball Signo Gelsticks. For a bigger and clearer photo, click here.

Lingering on the pen section of NBS is very dangerous. LOL. Because not long after I decided to buy the Pilot H325, the Uni-Ball pens caught my attention. I got several Uni-Ball gel pens in my stash already, but I liked the way the 0.7mm Uni-Ball Signo Gelsticks wrote when I tried them so I got both black and blue, the only colors where the pens are available. They write smoothly and don’t skip, and I’ve used them on the postcards I’m sending out today. No smears, smudges, or skipping lines. Great pens, really.

The other two pens in the tray, a Zebra Jimnie Gel Rollberball in medium black and the blue 0.6mm Foray are gifts to me by my aunt because I kinda fixed her computers last Saturday. Great service fees. *Wink.*

Here's the writing samples of all the gel pens, sans the pencil. For a bigger and clearer photo, click here.

With the growing number of pens on my box, I'm thinking of using one or two pens a week, to rotate using them, together with my fountain pens. I may call it GPW Project, or gel pen(s) of the week project. Cool idea, eh?

And Here's From Bleubug

Lately, I haven't had the time to write anything about pens, notebooks, or toys. Been busy with the Brief, and with something else. But on a rainy, gloomy, sad Tuesday morning, our Mailroom guy gave this to me, and boy, did it brighten the whole world for me. *Wink.*

This postcard, like the one that Missive Maven sent to me, is not from Postcrossing, but from a dear friend from the 'other side of the hemisphere.' Tom, or TAO to most of us at FPN-P, sent me this postcard from Virginia. It's very kind of him, whom I only met online, after I've posted comments on his blog. He has also created a Frankenpen for me, christened Frankenthein by fellow fountain pen collector Leigh Reyes.

The front of the postcard shows fall at Lover's Leap Overload and Lover's Leap birdhouses.


It's thoughtful of him to write with a fountain pen and use two different inks in his message, one for the greetings and his signature, and another for the body of the letter. I'm not sure about the blue ink, though, but the orange is J. Herbin's Orange Indien. Cool.

Again, for this postcard's pièce de résistance: the stamps! I got Simpsons' stamps!!! Bart, Homer, and Marge are here!!! And I'm just so proud to have them. *Wink.*

What Missive Maven Sent to The Archer

After the suprise post about the postcard I sent to Missive Maven (read previous post), I didn't know I was in for another suprise: a postcard from Missive Maven herself.

The postcard is a photo of Rhode Island's Newport Bridge, a suspension bridge that connects the City of Newport on Aquidneck Island and the Town of Jamestown on Conanicut Island. Yes, it's a photo of a bridge, and I'm quite thrilled because I'm slowly building up a collection of postcards showing bridges.

Just like the postcard I sent to her, Missive Maven also wrote about the pen and ink she used in writing her message to me. She used a Sheaffer Agio with a Fine nib, filled with Noodler's Eternal Hunter Green. Beautiful.

And now, for this postcard's pièce de résistance: the stamps! First its got a vintage car stamp showing a 1957 Lincoln Premier. This stamp is included in the second part of the 'America on the Move' series launched by the United States Postal Service last year. And then... it's got an Edgar Allan Poe stamp. It's the commemorative stamp launched this year to remember his 200th birthdate. Both stamps are Holy Grails in my collection. *Wink.*

Awesome! This postcard is just so awesome! First, it's got a bridge photo, then the sender used fountain pen to write to me, and lastly, it's got awesome stamps! I'm putting it in a sealed plastic before placing it in my postcards album. I just want to be sure it is protected enough and won't be damaged as people go through the album.

Monday Morning Surprise

Imagine my Monday morning joy when I visited The Missive Maven's blog and saw this:

It's the postcard I sent to her last April!!! (Click photo to enlarge.)

Yes, I sent The Missive Maven a postcard in late April after a blog hopping spree brought me to her site. Of course I didn't tell her I'll be sending her a postcard. *Grin.* To my suprise, the postcard arrived in Rhode Island the first week of May. Surprised because it got there a lot faster than the other postcards I've sent to US addresses in the past. The Missive Maven is a blog dedicated to snail-mail and letter-writing. The blog owner calls herself The Missive Maven, from New Port, Rhode Island. She posts photos of the letters she wrote and received, and urges everyone to GO WRITE A LETTER! And so I sent her a postcard.

Here's what she wrote about it:

"A blog reader sent me this postcard of a funky old church from the Philippines. Though I am not much on old churches (or any churches, for that matter), this is a really lovely building. The other side was the rockin' side, though."

The rockin' side she's pointing to is the other side of the postcard where I wrote my short note to her. (Click photo to enlarge.)


Here's what she said:

"I don't know how I hadn't managed to see Parker Quink Ruby fountain pen ink before, but I hadn't. Gorgeous stuff! Wow. I have a couple Parker Vectors -- could it look that fantastic in mine?"

Aw, what a complement. For The Missive Maven to say that about my lowly Parker Vector (but it's white!), I'm truly elated. Now for a bit of info, the ink I called Parker Quink Ruby is part of Parker's Penman ink series, and not Quink -- apologies for the mistake. I got several of these ink cartridges -- Ruby, Emerald, and Mocha -- all from different National Bookstore branches around Manila. The discontinued Penman series have five colors: Ebony, Emerald, Mocha, Ruby, and Sapphire. I'm lucky enough to get hold of three in cartridges only, though. Here in my part of the world, getting hold of non-black, non-blue, and non-blue/black ink is close to impossible so getting the cartridges is just as lucky.

The Penman ink cartridges I got: Mocha, Ruby, and Emerald. (Click photo to enlarge.)

It was only recently that I realized these are not Quink inks, but Penman inks. The Penman logo went by completely unnoticed by my detail-obssessed eyes. *Winks.* Ruby, which I first used on my white Parker Vector and later on my white Schneider Base, is very saturated and I was scared it might cause some serious clogging problems later on. Then again, with a strict rule of cleaning and flushing with every ink/cartridge change, the beauty of this ink, its unique and incomparable redness is just... priceless. As priceless as the review post by The Missive Maven. Thanks, Missive Maven!