How to buy fountain pens from Japan without paying hefty reseller markups.

2022 was the year when stationery got more expensive, a new ink trend emerged, and traditional pen makers joined the dip pen craze.

2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

Kohei Kubo is over 90 years old and still makes his own nibs, in his workshop in Tokyo. He’s behind some of the most extreme nibs ever made, and also taught Tohma how to make nibs.

I tested Sanzen Paper’s soon-to-be-released Tomoe River successor, using extra broad and calligraphy nibs, with chromo-shading and sheening inks, and compared it to both “old” and “new” Tomoe River.

Epigram is a stylish acrylic pen with a sterling silver band, made by a boutique pen maker in Turkey.

Tomoe River techo, DP (Plotter) paper, Kokuyo Thin Paper (Jibun Techo), and other planner papers compared.

Designed by a precision engineering company in rural Japan, Drillog is a stainless steel dip pen with glass nib-like ink channels that hold plenty of ink. While currently only sold in Japan, Drillog will soon be available overseas via a Kickstarter campaign.

What is going on with Tomoe River? Is it still being produced? What about the 68 gsm paper? Read and find out! I contacted both Sakae and Tomoegawa.

Fukushima-based retailer and stationery cafe Pentonote’s newly released Koseki Yuji Music Pen is a stylish, store-exclusive Pilot pen based on the Custom Heritage 912.