Fountain Pen Review: 2024 Lamy Safari Special Edition Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry

2024 Lamy Safari Special Edition Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry

In the latter part of 2023, people started talking about the special edition Lamy Safaris for 2024. Some hoped for colored clear Safaris, and others wished for more pens in textured matte finish. In early January, photos of the two Lamy Safari pens for 2024 began showing up. There were mixed reactions to the new pens. Some did not believe the pens were real, others thought they were fake, and many did not like the design. Even I thought they looked like Safari frankenpens!

When Lamy formally announced the release of the two new Safaris, the pens became mostly anticipated, and everyone—including me—waited to get their hands on Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry, the 2024 Special Edition Lamy Safari pens.

Lamy Philippines promptly sent the fountain pens as soon as they received their stocks. Upon receiving the 2024 Safaris, I realized that they are beautiful and unique. It would be a huge loss not to include them in my collection. The two new fountain pens introduced this year have some unique features for the first time, such as different grip section colors, matching cap finials and section colors, matching inks, and labeled boxes!

Lamy Safari Pink Cliff in its pink-themed Lamy box.

Lamy Safari Violet Blackberry in the violet-themed Lamy box. Both fountain pens come with a Z28 Lamy ink converter and a T10 ink cartridge.

Lamy released the 2024 Special Edition Safari pair in packaging similar to that of previous years, such as Dark Lilac (2016), Petrol (2017), All Black (2018), Pastel (2019), Candy (2020), Origin (2021), and Strawberry and Cream (2022). The old, bulky plastic pen boxes are no longer used. Lamy now uses laminated cardboard boxes with the year's color theme, or a combination of gray and the pens' colors. The laminated pen box is enclosed in a plain white sleeve. This year, Lamy has added a small detail to the boxes that I really like — the boxes of the 2024 Safari pens are labeled with the pens' color models!

The 2024 Lamy Safari pen boxes are labeled! Neat! This helps a lot in organizing boxes and pens.

The Lamy Safari Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry are available as fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. The fountain pens have the following measurements and specifications:

• Colors: Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry
• Material: ABS plastic
• Length, capped: 5.5 in | 14.6 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5 in | 13.2 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
• Full pen weight: 15 g | 0.53 oz
• Cap: Snap-on, postable
• Clip material: Stainless steel
• Nib: Interchangeable nibs in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Kanji, or italics (1.1, 1.5, 1.9mm)
• Filling mechanism: Lamy T10 Giant ink cartridge or Lamy Z27 or Z28 ink converter

For the first time, the Special Edition Lamy Safari pens have different colors for the grip sections. Both sections have a textured matte finish.

The Lamy Safari is often considered a beginner or student fountain pen. The 2024 Special Edition includes two pens with different finishes. The Pink Cliff pen has a textured matte finish on the cap, section, and barrel, similar to the pens from 2020 (Violet, Aquamarine, and Mango), 2021 (Terra Red and Savannah Green), and 2022 (Strawberry and Cream). On the other hand, the Violet Blackberry pen has a glossy finish on the cap and barrel and a textured matte finish on the section. These pens are made from sturdy ABS plastic, which is the same material used in Lego blocks, keyboard keycaps, refrigerator walls, and the filament commonly used in 3D printers. The Lamy Safari was first introduced in the 1980 Frankfurt exhibition (read more in Lamy's Company History) and has been in regular production since then. Despite some fountain pen enthusiasts' low regard for this plastic pen, many fans around the world collect the Safari and its aluminum cousin, Lamy AL-star.

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry come with matching black nibs and spring-loaded, oversized clips. These pens are reliable, sturdy, and durable workhorses. They feature ergonomically shaped sections or grip areas to ensure comfortable writing over long periods. In addition, the Lamy Safari's unique ink window allows you to see how much ink is left in the cartridge or converter.

Lamy Safari's iconic spring-loaded clips. This year's pens have black clips. Lamy has not released a special edition pen with a chrome clip since 2020.

The Safari's triangular section is ergonomically designed to make writing easier — it helps users get a firm and secure grip on the pen. An anti-slipping brake near the end of the section prevents a user’s fingers from slipping onto the nib while writing. Some people find the section's design uncomfortable, but I find it very helpful. 

Lamy Safari fountain pens are fitted with sturdy, long-lasting stainless nibs. These nibs are interchangeable for the Safari and for other Lamy fountain pens, which are very useful. A Safari fountain pen has the same feed and nib as those on the Vista, Al-Star, Joy, Nexx, and Studio.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are filled with ink using a converter or a T10 ink cartridge. The proprietary piston-operated Z28 converters are used to fill Lamy fountain pens with ink from a bottle and included in the box.

The medium nibs on the Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry wrote smoothly out of the box, and they are perfect for my thin-stick handwriting. 

I have been collecting Lamy Safari fountain pens for several years. Most special edition pens have the standard black textured matte cross finials, while the more unique ones have shiny dot-button finials (like the 2009 Pink and Creme Orange editions) or cross finials in the same colors as the pens (Aquamarine (2011), Green (2012), Pastel Collection (2019), and Candy (2020)). Some pens have finials that match the clip colors (Flame (2004), Blue and Red, a.k.a. the Superman Safari (2006), and Red Safari for China (2012)). However, the two pens for 2024 not only have different color sections, but their finials also match their grip sections.

The finials of Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry match the pens' sections.

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry have matching colors for their sections and finials.

Lamy Pink Cliff has a textured matte blue-gray finish for the barrel and cap, with a matte pink for the section and cap finial. The nib and clip are black.

Lamy Violet Blackberry has a shiny dark purple finish for the barrel and cap and a light purple in matte finish for its section and cap finial. The nib and clip are black.

Pink and purple/violet Lamy Safaris and Al-stars, left to right: Powder Rose (2019), Light Rose (2023), Pink (2009), Vibrant Pink (2018), Black Purple (2009), Lilac (2023), Violet (2020), Dark Lilac (2016), Violet Blackberry (2024), Pink Cliff (2024), and Silver Blue (1997).

In previous years, Lamy has released inks to match their fountain pens. For most years, Lamy releases an ink to match a Safari and another one for the year's Al-star. This year, Lamy did something different by launching two matching ink colors for the Safari fountain pens for the first time. The Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry fountain pens have matching inks with the same names.

Pink Cliff—despite its name, this ink is actually a deep navy blue ink with medium shading. It has no shimmer but exhibits some copper sheen. Pink Cliff is not a heavily saturated ink, and I like how it wrote with the medium nib on my Pink Cliff. 

Pink Cliff ink to match Pink Cliff Safari. This ink is available in a T52 50ml bottle or a 5-pack T10 cartridges.

Pink Cliff is a deep navy blue ink with medium shading and no shimmer, but has some copper sheen.

Violet Blackberry is one of Lamy's two new inks for 2024. It is a deep purple-black ink with some shading. Similar to Pink Cliff, this ink does not contain any shimmer, but it dries with a beautiful gold sheen. It is not highly saturated and has a slightly wet flow, which provides a smooth writing experience with the medium nib in my Violet Blackberry pen.

Violet Blackberry ink and pen. This ink is also available in 50ml bottles and 5-pack T10 cartridges.

Violet Blackberry is a deep purple ink with some shading and a beautiful gold sheen.

Lamy inks through the years. 

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry with beautiful copper and gold sheen.

This is my first fountain pen review in more than a year. I missed blogging and reviewing, but I couldn't do it for a long time while attending classes. In February, I underwent a scary medical procedure, and the love and care that my family and friends provided helped immensely in my healing and recovery. I am forever thankful to them, and I dedicate this comeback review to them. In my search for text to use in my writing sample, I focused on gratitude and came across this perfectly wonderful story of the two branches of gratitude.

What's good about the 2024 matching Lamy Safari and fountain pen inks? I didn't have to look hard for inks that would match the Safari fountain pens. The two Safaris wrote smoothly, without the nibs needing tuning or modifications. The Safaris are comfortable pens to use because they are made from lightweight material. I have not inked a Safari in a long time, and I'm glad I'm using them again. 

The two branches of gratitude—a beautiful story.

Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry pens are special edition pens for 2024. When stocks run out, Lamy will likely not produce them again. But these pens are still widely available, so you can still get them for your collection!

Rants of the Archer thanks Times Trading and Lamy Philippines for providing the Lamy Safari Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry fountain pens and inks for review purposes. Lamy Safari pens are widely available from reputable pen sellers worldwide. For a global search of Lamy sellers worldwide, follow this link. In the Philippines, Lamy pens, inks, and accessories are available from Times Trading Company, Lamy Philippines, the Lamy Concept Store in Makati, National Bookstore outlets, Scribe, and Everything Calligraphy.

For inquiries, visit the Lamy Philippines website (https://www.lamyphilippines.com/), email them at customerservice@lamyphillipines.com, or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lamyph.

Notebook Review: Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80gsm Regalia Paper

Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80gsm Regalia paper.

I'm back! It's been six months since my last blog review. It's been a hectic, toxic, and trying period that has kept me from using and enjoying my fountain pens. I still have several fountain pens, ink, and paper products waiting to be reviewed. Last April, I said I'll rest for a month. But May came, then June, and before I knew it, it was already September. I wanted to go back to writing about pens and ink and paper. I really wanted to. But work got me. Health issues got me. And I got stuck waiting for that golden moment when inspiration strikes, and I could go on spilling words like there's no tomorrow. I kept asking myself, could I still do it? I wasn't sure, and that surprised and scared me. But last Friday, while I chatted with a friend, she reminded me of going back to my gift, and so here I am, writing and happily spilling words again on Regalia paper in my Recorder notebook that my friend Kailash Ramchandani of PenGrafik sent over to me to review. Regalia is a special proprietary paper created by our awesome friends at Endless Stationery in Madras, India.

The new Recorder Notebook from Endless Stationery, the world's most ink-friendly notebook. The leatherette cover looks professional, classy, and elegant.

The Recorder Notebook is not new to me. In August 2020, Endless Works sent me my first Recorder Notebook to review. It was a thrill writing on the Recorder's 68gsm Tomoe River paper. It's an elegant black notebook with a black leatherette cover and I used it for note-taking, writing ideas for my blog, and doodling colorful art. But the thin TR paper sometimes bothered me, so this new Recorder Notebook with the brand new 80gsm acid-free Regalia paper is perfect!

The Recorder Notebook is made to be the world's most ink-friendly notebook. Available in A5 size (8.3 × 5.6 inches), the new Recorder Notebook has 187 numbered pages of 80gsm acid-free proprietary and ink-loving Regalia paper suitable for fountain pens, inks, micron, and sketch pens. The in-house thicker Regalia paper has a zero-tolerance policy towards bleeding, ghosting, and feathering so we all get the smoothest writing experience. The acid-free Regalia paper also ensures the notebook's contents will last a long time. 

I received the Deep Ocean dotted Recorder and the dark blue leatherette cover looks professional, classy, and elegant. It has a blank Table of Contents that one can easily fill out so it's easy to keep track of notes and ideas inside the notebook. The two page markers in dark blue and turquoise would surely help anyone find their way through their Recorders. And if anyone needs a sheet of paper, there are 16 perforated sheets at the back of the notebook to tear without affecting the rest of the pages in the particular signature. The Recorder also has an expandable inner pocket in the back cover to hold ephemera, receipts, tickets, and other bits of paper. It is also meant to store page guide sheets that Endless designed to keep users on track.

Endless Stationery offers the Recorder in four colors: Infinite Space (black), Forest Canopy (green), Deep Ocean (blue), Crimson Sky (red), and Mountain Snow (light gray). All five colors are available with ruled, dotted, squared, and blank pages. 

The Recorder Notebook's front and back covers are imprinted with the Endless Stationery logos. On the front cover: the long line signifies content and the ellipsis (three dots) "proceeds to infinity." The lower part of the back cover is imprinted with ENDLESS. 

The Recorder Notebook's inside cover page is designed with empty circles to resemble the Endless logo's ellipsis. A blank box in the upper part of the page is meant for writing the owner's name and other details. 

The designers of the Recorder thoughtfully built this notebook. It has two pages for a Table of Contents so it's easier to keep track of what's inside the notebook.

The Recorder's pages are numbered and this feature is helpful in creating a directory for the notebook's contents.

The new Recorder has two page markers, the signature turquoise page marker of Endless Stationery, and another one in the same color as the notebook's cover. The Ocean Blue notebook has the dark blue and turquoise page markers.

Loving the Recorder's rounded page corners. No sharp, pointed corners to bite into my hand and arm while writing. Also, rounded corners are less prone to fraying, so the cover and inside pages won't be worn down easily.

The Recorder Notebook has an expandable inner pocket in its inside back cover. I do not usually use these pockets because their contents create bulges and make it uncomfortable to write on the notebook's pages, but this notebook's back pocket is also meant to hold the Recorder's guide sheets.

Because this new Recorder Notebook has new paper, I was really excited to try writing on it. I tested the Regalia paper using some of my still-inked fountain pens with different nibs — fine, medium, and broad. The Regalia paper is so smooth, it's truly a joy to write on! My pens' inks did not bleed, and I did not see any feathering or ghosting. 

My pen and ink test on Regalia paper did not have any feathering or bleeding.

Then I also tried writing on a whole page of the Regalia paper and it's true! Regalia paper is a joy to write. I used my TWSBI 530 with a wet medium nib inked with Iroshizuku Asa-gao to do this test. The TWSBI wrote smoothly on Regalia paper. No feathering, and certainly no bleeding. The ink on the stamp I used for the date did not bleed, too. I did some ink swatches at the back of this test page and though the Robert Oster Fire Engine Red ghosted a bit, it did not soak the paper to the other side of the sheet. Regalia paper is truly an excellent paper for fountain pen ink!

I did write on two pages of the Recorder Notebook to test Regalia paper. The ink from my wet and juicy TWSBI 530 did not bleed.

Here is the back side of the sheet. The Fire Engine Red ink is wetter than the two blue inks and almost bled to the other side of the sheet. Fortunately, it did not bleed through.

I also did an ink art on the Recorder's Regalia paper using a Leonardo Furore with Robert Oster Orange Zest. The color in this ink art is amazing and Regalia paper helps make ink colors pop out and look radiant on it!

The Recorder Notebook with Regalia paper is an excellent, well-made notebook, and is one of the most ink-friendly papers available in the whole world today. I love its features: Table of Contents, numbered pages, rounded corners, and numbered pages. Regalia paper is so friendly to fountain pens, and the Recorder has that simple, "classic notebook" elegant look. The leatherette cover is durable, the signature turquoise elastic strap keeps the pages together, and the round page corners prevent fraying. This notebook is perfect for journaling, calligraphy, note-taking, ink swatching, or for simply writing down thoughts and ideas. With the Recorder, ideas are endless! Get one for your pens!

The Recorder notebook in this review is provided by PenGrafik, the exclusive seller of Recorder Notebook and Endless Stationery products in the Philippines. Visit PenGrafik on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PenGrafik) and see their many offerings!

Fountain Pen Review: Narwhal Original Demonstrator

In August 2019, a new brand of fountain pens was launched during the Washington DC Fountain Pen Super Show. Narwhal fountain pens joined the pool of promising fountain pen brands. They are fountain pens with white ribbon swirls in bright and colorful blue, green, purple, and yellow semi-transparent resin. Narwhal fountain pens debuted at one of the biggest fountain pen shows in the world, and since then has become one of my pen "must-haves." Two more pens were added into the Original series in September last year, and a few months later, I received a Demonstrator fountain pen from Narwhal through their exclusive seller in the Philippines, Jumpbid.

When I received the Narwhal Demonstrator, I was more than surprised—I was impressed! I got a piston fill demonstrator pen with an amazing nib! The pen is designed well, the resin looks durable, and the medium in-house nib writes very smoothly!

The pen is presented in a white box that is printed with NARWHAL on either side and the brand logo of a multi-colored narwhal on the top.

Inside the box and its contents: pen, wrench, user guide, and an extra nib.

Narwhal includes a wrench in each box so the pen can be easily taken apart for cleaning.

The Narwhal Original Demonstrator fountain pen is truly an impressive pen. It's a piston fill fountain pen with the mechanism visible through its clear demonstrator barrel. It holds a huge amount of ink at 1.5ml, and this is a plus for people who use their pens a lot. It feels very solid in my hand, and the material is smooth and polished with no sharp corners. The threads on the section are also smooth. The length and weight of this fountain pen are just right, which makes for a comfortable and enjoyable writing experience. 

Narwhal Original Demonstrator fountain pen.

The Narwhal Original Demonstrator fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.8 in | 14.73 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.25 in | 13.3 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.9 in | 17.5 cm
• Length, cap: 2.9 inches | 7.36 cm
• Full pen weight: 20 g | 0.7 oz
• Body material: Transparent resin
• Color: Clear demonstrator
• Trim: Silver
• Cap: Screw on
• Clip material: Stainless steel 
• Nib: No. 6 steel in Fine or Medium
• Filling system: Piston fill mechanism through bottled ink
• Colors available: Classic Black, Demonstrator, Poseidon Blue, Yellow Tang, Merman Green, and Hippocampus Purple

Narwhal Pens used an excellent material for this pen. It's sturdy and shatterproof.

I love Narwhal Pens' classic clip design. It's shaped like a fountain pen nib!

A ring below the section threads bears the Narwhal logo.

The clear and blemish-free barrel of the pen shows the piston filling mechanism.

The nib is this pen's biggest surprise for me. Narwhal nibs are made in-house, and I had some reservations about that. I almost expected that the nib will be dry or scratchy. When I inked the pen for the first time though, the Narwhal stainless steel medium nib put away all of my reservations. It is wet, smooth, and wrote so well out of the box without any nib tuning or modification. I didn't get any hard starts or ink flow problems, only a smooth and flawless writing experience. 

Narwhal stainless steel nibs are engraved with the brand logos.

The Narwhal Original is longer by ~0.25 in than my two TWSBI demonstrators (Diamond 540 and ECO). It's also longer than the Lamy Vista (0.3 in), and Jinhao 992 (0.5 in), but this does not get in the way of writing comfort. The Narwhal Original fountain pen is comfortable to use even for long periods of writing.

The Narwhal Original Demonstrator with some clear demo pens. From top: TWSBI ECO Clear, TWSBI Diamond 540, Lamy Vista, and Jinhao 992.

I thought of filling this pen with a bright red or pink ink so it will show nicely in the clear barrel, but I realized that most bright red or pink inks stain pens. So I filled this pen with Iroshizuku Kon-peki, a personal and crowd favorite, and they are a perfect match! The medium nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for any adjustments or tuning. I did not experience any hard starts or problematic ink flow. It just wrote so beautifully!

A match made in pen and ink heaven: Narwhal Original Demonstrator and Iroshizuku Kon-peki. It's as if these two are made for each other. The pen wrote so smoothly and I can't think of any ink to fill this pen with.

The Narwhal Original is an exceptional and well-designed fountain pen with an excellent nib. I highly recommend it to fountain pen users who want to experience a demonstrator pen with a piston filling mechanism without paying too much. It's a perfect beginner pen, and even more perfect to add to a collection. It's great to look at and a delight to use. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks Jumpbid and Narwhal Pens for providing the Narwhal Original Demonstrator fountain pen for review purposes. To learn more about these beautiful, well-designed pens, visit the Narwhal Pens website: http://narwhalpens.com/original/ or follow them on social media for updates and see their new offerings:

• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/narwhalpens/) 
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/narwhalpens/)

In the Philippines, Narwhal pens are available at Jumpbid's Shopee store: https://bit.ly/3cvrQkn

Review: Shibui 5-Pen Case in Saddle Brown Leather

When I started using and collecting fountain pens, I didn't realize that the hobby would include a lot of other products. A few months into the hobby, I learned that aside from adding more fountain pens to my collection, using these pens involves a lot of other fascinating products -- paper, ink, and carrying cases such as pen wraps -- or rolls -- and pen cases. For so many years, I enjoyed using a blue 12-pen flannel pen roll as my daily pen carry. The cloth was safe for my pens, it was easy to wash/clean, and it carried a lot of pens. But I realized I needed a smaller carrying case for only a few pens, too. I needed one that's sturdier and more secure.

During the 2018 Manila Fountain Pen Show, I came upon Shibui PH and their leather pen cases. It was love at first sight! Shibui's leather pen cases became one of my must-haves as a fountain pen user/collector. They are well crafted and looked like the perfect pen case that I needed! Two months later, I received Shibui's 5-pen case in lovely saddle brown leather. The pen case is beautiful, well built, and ready for the rough and tumble of being an everyday carry, or what we call our EDC. I was ready to use it and write a review, but my health held down everything for a while. For most of 2019, blogging, calligraphy, and my other hobbies were grounded as my body needed time to heal from surgery. I am now fully recovered and back to blogging and reviewing with Shibui's leather pen case as my comeback review before 2019 ends.

Shibui's white boxes — neat, simple, elegant. 

Shibui's products are packaged in large white boxes printed only with the Shibui logo. This careful, efficient, and elegant product presentation is very classy and truly impressive. Inside the box are the pen case, a small flyer with leather care instructions, and a postcard. The inside bottom of the box contains the Shibui brand philosophy, contact details, and their social media accounts.

The pen case inside Shibui's iconic white box.

Inside the box: flyer for leather care, postcard, Shibui brand philosophy, and their contact details.

Shibui pen cases are handcrafted by artisans in Bulacan, a province in the Philippines' Central Luzon region where leather crafting is a major industry. The leather used in their beautiful pen cases is locally sourced from either Bulacan or Marikina City in Metro Manila where specific cowhide colors are made for them. Unlike other companies that outsource their production, Shibui PH makes their pen cases in their leather making factory. Awesome!

Shibui pen cases have their own characteristics — no two pieces are alike and each carries its own look and personality.

The Shibui leather pen case looks beautiful out of the box. The full-grain leather is smooth to touch and has a rich earthy scent. The pen case has excellent stitching and a good quality zipper that is easy to reach. Shibui pen cases are all handcrafted from real leather, and each piece is unique — no two pieces are alike — in appearance and characteristics. I'm excited to see how this pen case will look after several months of use. The leather will surely develop a patina, a character marked by occasional scratches and darkened by the oils from my hand.

The full pen case fits inside my backpack comfortably. It's not too thick because the leather is not padded at all.

During their design process, the creators of Shibui wanted their pen cases to be strong enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily use. They thought of making the insides of their pen cases as sturdy and durable as its leather, but still flexible to accommodate different fountain pen sizes without the use of elastic bands. This led to the creation of the most unique feature of Shibui's pen cases — the Pull-Tag™ — an adjustable soft leather band holding the pens securely in their slots inside the pen case. Most pen cases use elastic bands for pen slots, but those become loose and are easily worn out through continued use. Shibui's Pull-Tag™ allows pens in any size and thickness to fit securely in their slots without any risk of pen damage due to tight elastic bands. Anyone who has a Shibui pen case can add and mix different pens safely in their EDCs!

Shibui pen cases are the only pen cases in the market with the Pull-Tag™ adjustable leather band.

The Pull-Tag™ replaces elastic bands that turn loose and are easily worn out due to daily use.

The zippers on Shibui's pen cases bear their logo. Love this!

This Shibui pen case accommodates pens in any size and thickness...

...without the risk of pen damage (scratches, cracks) that usually happens due to tight elastic bands. Each pen — thin or thick — fits comfortably in their slots. The leather band looks nice on the pens, too! 

This pen case has compartments, too! There's one which fits a pocket notebook or a small notepad, and two smaller ones for business cards, receipts, or tickets.

During the 2019 Manila Pen Show in November, Shibui PH introduced exclusive and limited edition leather 2-pen cases. The pen cases are made from 100% veg-tanned genuine cowhide leather. The pen cases are available in two variants and color combinations to represent the second pen show in the Philippines. The color scheme, on the other hand, is inspired by the new wave of the milk tea craze that took over the Philippines in 2019. The color combinations are The Classic, which has white leather on the outside, and brown leather on the inside; and The Brown Sugar, with brown leather on the outside, and white leather on the inside. These pen cases are still available from Shibui PH.

Exclusive and limited edition Shibui 2-pen cases for the 2nd Manila Pen Show.
(These 100% veg-tanned pen cases are still available at the Shibui PH website.) Photo from Shibui PH

Shibui PH products are designed and crafted by Filipinos whose vision has always been to create a brand that will promote Filipino leather craftsmanship to the world. Shibui's creators are firm believers of local craftsmanship and their goal is to enrich local industries and compete with other brands on a global stage. They envisioned a brand that will have a strong local and international following because they believe that providing jobs to Filipino leatherworkers means that more families can stay together and will no longer need to look for work overseas. This way, fathers can stay with their children, train them, and pass on the legacy of leather crafting to the next generation, a skill that is slowly fading as next-generation leather workers become interested in other endeavors.

My Shibui pen case's saddle brown leather is a perfect match for my brown Traveler's Notebook!

Aside from this pen case, Shibui offers 3-pen cases, an 8-vial case, Hobo Weeks Cover, A5 or A6 Notebook/Journal Covers, A5 or A6 Life Organizers, Travel Wallet, and Travel Organizer. To see (and buy) these amazing Filipino products, visit the Shibui PH website (https://www.shibuiph.com/).

In the Philippines, Shibui pen cases and other leather products are also available in the following stores: Scribe.ph (SM Aura, Glorietta 4, and Eastwood branches), Analog, Noteworthy (Podium, Rockwell, BGC, and Alabang Town Center branches) and Everything Calligraphy.

And did you know? Shibui PH has now reached the global stage! Overseas, Shibui leather pen cases are available in Malaysia (Pen Gallery), Singapore (Cityluxe), and the United States (Endless Pens). Shibui products will also be in Hong Kong and Korea very, very soon!

The Shibui 5-Pen Case in this review is provided by Shibui PH where it retails for PhP2,650 (~US$65). For more details on purchasing from Shibui PH, visit their website at https://www.shibuiph.com/.