Pen & Ink Testing
Hello loves! I hope you’re all doing well. I am so excited to be blogging again. Today, I’m sharing details about my latest video, where I share my new fountain pen and do some ink testing on different paper/notebooks (mainly comparing my hobonichis from last year to this year’s). Alright, let’s get started!
Sailor x Pen Point Pro Gear Cosmos
Little backstory: Since acquiring my Sailor x Hachimonjiya Pro Gear Kubozakura last year, I have been longing for another Pro Gear. I’ve realized that I prefer the Pro Gear size, over the Pro Gear Slim size. I stumbled upon this pen earlier last year but had passed on it, since I had just gotten my dream Pilot Decimo, which I feel like cost me an arm and a leg. So I couldn’t possibly purchase another pen straight away.
Fast forward a few months, one of my planner besties, Marylyn, shared her new acquisition, which was this same pen! It’s so so pretty and I kept thinking about it… I gave it a week… and I was still thinking about it. So I inquired with GoodPenLife if the pen posted was still available. Luckily, it was. They actually had two in stock at the moment… One was a Medium Fine nib and the other, a (Hard) Fine nib, exactly what I wanted! And to top it off, it has a special engraving –a rare piece. It felt like it was meant to be and I just couldn’t pass it up this time around.
It arrived on Saturday, February 8th and I just had to ink it up straight away. Instantly, IN LOVE. The ink that I chose is Sailor Manyo Azuki (10% OFF with code CHARMAINE when you shop at Atlas Stationers). What a perfect match.
The nib was surprisingly smooth. (I honestly, usually have some issues with my Sailors. Nothing serious, but they usually feel almost too scratchy at first that I tend to take my micro mesh to them… just a tad bit haha).
The color of this pen is actually hard to capture. It’s a pink with more of a purple undertone. The body is a bit translucent and there’s no shimmer whatsoever. The finials are clear, which makes it dreamy and can we have a moment for that PINK Sailor logo!? How cute is that!
The nib has a beautiful engraving of a fountain pen nib with sakura petals. I don’t know much about it, but I was told that it’s a rare nib.
Ink testing time
Above is the Hobonichi 2025 A5 Day-free.
There’s feathering here and there.
Above is the Hobonichi 2025 A6 Techo.
No feathering, thank goodness!
Above is the Hobonichi 2024 A5 Day-free.
No feathering whatsoever.
Above is the Hobonichi 2025 Weeks.
No feathering.
Thoughts on the paper issue: Even though my A5 Day-free for this year is inconsistent with the random feathering… I will continue to use it because I don’t want to waste it. Eventually, I will do an ink archive in a book. I’m thankful that my A6, where I memory keep and use my fountain pens in daily, has no issues. I was really worried about that one. Hoping that next year Hobonichi will address the “said issues.” I really don’t want to change any of my systems as they’ve been working for me for years.
