The Traveler’s Notebook (Passport) Review

A year of travel with my regular brown MTN (Midori Traveler’s Notebook) has gone by and I could not resist an urge to get another, this time perhaps a more portable one. Not the ultra portable (thumb drive kind) 10th Anniversary Notebook Mini (below), which stupendously completes itself within a span of 5 centimetres. This one had to be a passport, possibly with the recent branding of Traveler’s Company, Japan. 

You can find a review of the regular sized MTN here. Or should I say TN!

           Midori as many of you know is in fact is a 66-year old Japanese company specializing in paper products and creative design stationery. You may also bump into MD Paper, while searching for quality paper products across the Asian market. If you are not very familiar with the Traveler’s company brand, I can rest assure you that it is a rather recent development of 2016. The traveler’s notebooks which were marketed earlier under Midori brand of products, have been rebranded under Traveler’s Company, Japan. Additionally this Traveler’s Company is hosting a few other older product lines including spiral notebooks, kraft paper envelopes & the usual brass stationeries. The core part of the notebook i.e the paper is manufactured in Japan whereas the leather cover is finished by hand in the old city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Traveler’s Notebook comes in two different sizes – Passport & Regular. Though it used to come across two standard colour variants i.e black & brown, there is a third Camel colour available now, which was released as limited runs before. Also a few other limited colour runs (say: Blue) are released by Midori from time to time.

DESIGN & PERFORMANCE (6/6)

Multi-tier packaging. Not expensive, but Differentiated! A polyethylene plastic wrap, diaphanously enclosing a package wrapped in traditional brown paper, increases the excitement of unwrapping a gift. And you can also use the brown paper for a bit of nib smoothing! A note on the front of the package in traditional Japanese paper, reveals that the leather cover ages with time and use. 

Another at the back pictorially explains the four enclosures inside - Cotton Bag, Leather Cover, Blank Refill & Spare Rubber Band. It also makes a promise that the paper of the enclosed refill (notebook) is resistant to bleed-through (although there is some ghosting), but you can say that there is always a tomoe-river refill available, to simultaneously feel & enjoy ghosting to the maximum!

On opening the brown envelope, you can find the notebook enclosed within a white cotton bag. 

You get two spare rubber bands (green & brown). You can also remove the brown one from the enclosure, to use it with the TN.

Now the TN Passport is unveiled. You are right, it’s the Camel one :). The leather enclosure is secured by an orange rubber band going through a perforation at the back, expresses both sense and simplicity in design. The cover is made of cowhide, ensconcing an elemental texture and I can say from experience that it acquires character over time. It’s supposed to scratch, change colour over time to transform into your signature dated companion. A note explains that the leather has been naturally dyed to retain the texture and wetness could result in coloration of immediate things touching it. To remove blemishes, you can use a normal leather cream (the white one), the one you might have used on your shoes/belts.

The TN carries a single stitched notebook with blank pages (Refill#003). Two strings running across the notebook and the leather cover through multiple perforations are anchored by a small tin clasp, placed at the top-left end of the notebook system. The rubber band fastens the notebook and the rather loosely held non-elastic one is meant to be a bookmark.

As stated in the other review, the economy of this notebook is primarily based on an Add-On model: base + spares, like the Gillette razor-blade model or a Sony PS. But again, Sony too sells its PlayStation at a loss and makes up for the same with the entire gaming economy. So, the ecosystem for the traveler notebook consists of two categories of refills – Notebooks and Accessories. Notebook refills primarily come in 64 pages (both sides) across lined (001), grid (002), blank (003) and lightweight Tomoe-River paper (005) variants. You can accessorize your traveler with pocket-sticker (022) or a camel color pen-holder (015/016), once you purchase the refills, but your only concern could be regarding the price which ranges between $4 to $10. There are several other inserts that are available for the TN. Some older ones have been discontinued. You can find a complete list of refills for the passport sized TN here.

            I had ordered two passport sized refills along with this TN - Refill#002 & 005, both have a simple wrap with a coloured stamp conveying the necessary details including the type of paper and number of pages in it.

Adding a refill notebook to TN is pretty easy, by using one of the spare elastic bands to connect the new notebook with an existing one.

The elastic band needs to be secured & adjusted around the spine of both these notebooks. 

Embossed at its bottom-left corner of the back cover is the newer 2016 branding of TRAVELER’S notebook & TRAVELER’S COMPANY, JAPAN & MADE IN THAILAND instead of the earlier MIDORI & MADE IN THAILAND. And that is the only visible change.

PHYSICS OF IT (4/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING

The dimensions of the TN Passport size are 10 X 13.5 cm , with a thickness of 1.2-1.5 cm with two standard 64 page refills.

A passport is quite portable compared to a regular sized TN. However, I am more at ease with the regular size, given my writing style and preferences. The TN Passport could score very well for other who have a smaller handwriting size. 

ECONOMIC VALUE (3/6)

The traveler notebook and two 64-pages refill cost me around USD 46, with shipping from Japan. While the price might still be low for a comparative analysis (with other shops), it’s still a notebook and a rather small one for me. And once you are locked in, you might have to purchase refills typically costing anywhere between $4 to $10. That’s TN’s formulae for gross margins. TN is also facing increasing competition in e-com from newer & newer faces like 1, 2 and many others.

OVERALL (4.3/6)

Exquisite Design. Yes. First Mover. That too. MD paper is nice, thick and smooth for all your beloved nibs & inks. I tested a medium nib of Pilot Custom 823 running on Iroshizuku Yama Budo ink inside. And it ran smoothly leaving behind the right amount of ink for shading. The thickness and texture of the MD paper makes even a relatively wet ink dry up pretty fast (less than 18 seconds). Although there is a bit of ghosting.

It’s a subjective opinion and you might like the passport more than the regular. I find the regular handy. Then on the inside cover of each refill you have a midori styled passport page to note down your passport details. It’s illogical to travel with this & without your passport, but I still like that act. So if you have already developed a similar cerebral logic and love the style, then get it! Else wait for a year or two and get a limited run to add to your pen & paraphernalia collection.

Thank you for going through this review. 

You can find some more pen and paraphernalia reviews here.

REFERENCES

MTN Regular Review

Traveler’s Company, Japan

10th Anniversary Notebook Mini

Midori Passport Refills

Leather Maintenance for TN

The Pelikan Souverän M1000 Review

As most of you would know, Pelikan is a 180 year old maker of fountain pens and paraphernalia. It had launched its first fountain pen in 1929. Prior to that Pelikan manufactured dyes, inks and office-supplies. This Swiss-incorporated German pen maker is also credited with the genesis of piston filling mechanism with a differential spindle gear, which endeavoured to address the problem of limited ink capacity in fountain pens of that period. Here, the piston knob is also threaded so that it is able to unscrew itself automatically, while the piston is unscrewed, in an outward direction, thus delivering a greater and efficient ink-suction. Hungarian engineer Theodor Kovacs is credited with the invention of the original filling mechanism before selling off the patent to Günther Wagner (the man who established the company) in 1927. 

                      In the earlier years, Montblanc is said to have manufactured nibs (especially the one with a heart shaped breather hole in 1929/30) for Pelikan, while Pelikan made inks for MB. Pelikan had already built a brand awareness in the writer’s mind, being one of the major ink suppliers (starting with Iron Galls Inks) in Europe. They eventually launched the 4001 line (non-Iron Gall) line of inks in 1898, which is still produced today. 

        I was introduced to Pelikan with a m200 model pen long back. And yes, I am heavily biased towards two of my Pelikans - one is the M400 white tortoise, other is the blue striated M805. The M1XXX is considered to be the next step to M6XX/8XX, once most of your cerebral logic is destroyed! As with the model numbers, there is a general increase in nib size, dimensions and price of course, when you move from M4XX to M1XXX. Again, I do love the Souverän M 625 with dazzling sterling silver trims (Ag 92.5%). Having said that, the serene green-striated M1000 reflects and adorns the 1929 classical green-striped design. The green "transparent Pelikan fountain pen" was launched in 1929 by Wagner. It was named so, to reference the transparent ink window. 

The logos have changed over the years starting from a mother pelican with four chicks to a mother-single chick combination from 2003 onwards.

I have learnt something form FPNer sirach’s excellent review of the m805. Incidentally, both of us had posted reviews of our m805s the same day, around the same time on FPN :). The mother pelican and chick logo is symbolic of Christ, as when there is no food, the mother pelican is believed to pierce its own breast with its beak, to feed its young of its blood. It is symbolic of Christ sacrificing himself for Man, and is often represented in Christian art. I have taken the liberty to share the picture used by sirach in his review. 

DESIGN - THE STRIPED TRANSLUCENCY (6/6)

The M1000 comes in two standard gold-trims - Green Striped and Classic Black (Green Ink Window), across four different nib widths - EF, F, M and B. The M1005 also came in silver trims of Black/Green Ink Window design, albeit with a dual tone nib. 

There is nothing like the allure of the M1005 demonstrator, but then there are Raden Sunlight & Starlight models too.

The pen hints at a subtle piece of craftsmanship associated with building this writing instrument. Its balance somehow ensures all the necessary weight and nib leverage for comfortable writing. My hand sometimes varies from a light to moderate touch and the m1000 adapts to the change with deft, compared to a m800, partly perhaps because of a more responsive nib. The barrel is made up of highly polished pelikan famed ‘cellulose acetate’ with its diamond cut contours, which partially reveal the necessities like the piston end or ink level, while concealing the unnecessary ones. I feel that this green stripes reveal the ink levels quite well. The pinstripe pattern in the Souverän series is nicknamed Stresemann derived from Gustav Stresemann, the Chancellor of Germany for his famous striped trousers.

The green stripes innately reflect both light and dark while preserving a formal appearance of the souverän as the gold plated trims continue to stand out. The translucency is subtle but useful at the same time to note ink levels. The dazzling green stripes reflect back greens between pine & emerald with ambient light, soothingly to your eyes.. The barrel is silky smooth.

The golden gleam is matched throughout the pen starting from the famed finial and the clip, through those concentric bands in the cap, before finally converging with the dual piston rings. While the white tortoise plays with light with phenomenal efficiency, the green & blue stripes seem to have held their own conservative thoughts.

The cap feels quite substantial and unscrews with a single turn, revealing a dazzling two-tone nib. The grip reveals another knot of golden glitter, towards the section end, where the big dazzling nib unit is screwed in.

Two concentric golden bands with a gold plated crown embossed with the pelikan logo, adorn the cap with a signature pelican beak-shaped clip. The thicker bottom band carries the brand imprint of PELIKAN SOUVERÄN GERMANY. The logo on the finial is the one embraced by Pelikan post 2003, that of a mother pelican and one chick, gleaming in brushed gold. 

The staged pillars of M400, 605, 805 & 1000 glitter with light.

FILLING SYSTEM (6/6)

A piston filler with a sturdy knob is embellished with two concentric golden loops. Like any other pelikan, it’s imbibed with a system which is usually hassle-free and needs minimal maintenance. The piston end unscrews with three to four rotations and ink is drawn into the pen with remarkable efficiency without any fuss, once the piston is screwed back on. And of course, you can observe some of the live action through the striped windows. A brass spindle connector in the M1XXX provides weight and balance. Everything is glistening gold as you can see the connector nut in the picture. M1XXX fills upto 1.5-1.6 mL (similar to M800) of ink.

These brass piston mechanisms can be dismantled using a 7mm wrench (a TWSBI wrench works) on the connector nut, in a clockwise direction. On finding the piston mechanism quite snug while filling ink, I did dismantle it to lubricate the piston lip/seal. Although for any other problem, it is advisable to send the pen to Pelikan Germany/Country Authorized Service Center. Pelikan International is highly responsive to facebook messages. 

NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (5/6)

The nib/feed section is screw-fit and comes in a standard 18k two-tone design across four stock widths - EF, F, M & B. It has the standard pelikan design with the usual convenience of a screw-fit section.

Like the cousins, the tall & slender nib is efficient. With a big feed, and a spread out nib it looks forward to propel your writing imaginations and moods. The silver of two-tone finish does converge with the golden trims in terms of glitter and glimmer.

The tail end specifies the nib-width and composition (18 C, 75% Au) of the gold-alloy used. Three arabesques diverge along the shoulders of the nib with two of them converging near the circular breather hole. The third curve runs across the tines towards the shoulders ending with the tail end of the nib, outside of which a golden decor runs along the shoulders across the tines, before converging onto the iridium tip. There is of-course the dazzling golden mother-baby pelikan logo, resting above the tail. This one in the picture is a Extra Fine nib and writes smooth and is decently wet. No complaints for this piece on out of the box performance.

A big black plastic feed (earlier ones had ebonite feeds) with closely spaced fins ensures a good ink buffer and promises wet and even smoother starts. Even with a dipped nib section, it would write a page.

In my experience with Pelikan nibs (both with earlier Bock & now in-sourced), the good nibs usually after running 80 pages of my usual B5 notebook, break in to my liking. This nib being a little different with a characteristic spring and a bit of flex, did break in within a month to fit my writing style. I feel that these days these nibs have started to lay a finer line, owing to user recommendation of the Pelikan community. Fortunately some of the mylars & buff-sticks are saved, thanks to these birds. 

PHYSICS OF IT (5/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING

The pen has got the heft in it and I use it without posting. The overall capped length is around 14.6 cm. The total weight of M100X has slightly less than a third of contribution from the cap. The grip diameter is around 1.2 cm and the bit of tapering renders comfort to the fingers. The cap threads are higher up on the section and are non-intrusive for me, since I do not hold the pen very high. It is not a light & small pen and may not comfortable to you at first, I gradually became used to it. The motivation if not anything else, was the Kingsized #8 nib. 

• Uncapped Length ~ 13.5 cm 
• Posted Length ~ 17.7 cm 
• Nib Leverage ~ 2.8 cm 
• Overall Weight ~ 35 g (Cap ~ 10 g) 

Capped and uncapped comparisons with a few of the same flock go below for your reference. 

Top to bottom (m1000, m805, m605 & m400) 

With an MB149

And an Emperor with the Entire Flock 

ECONOMIC VALUE (4/6)

The M1000 retails these days at around GBP 380 (discounted), although it might be available at lower street prices. I strongly feel that this acquisition was a result of an impulse driven bid on the bay, since I had a low expectation of winning the bid in the first place. Even though it’s one of the phenomenally efficient pens with a high degree of nib appeal, I would still value it as a standardised-good value buy. 

                          A part of me which loves Pelikan for the great pens they make, rationally feels that the m1000 being a flagship pen, they need to build up its image akin to an Meisterstück 149, to command a high price and appeal, for it sells much below its RRP across internet/offline shops. May be Pelikan can start with a body/barrel combination solely made for m1000 with a custom designed nib. Then again, I would not be able to buy it :)

OVERALL (5.2/6)

Historically for me, I did not like the weight/balance of the M1000 pen. However, with frequent use, I found the balance acceptable and then comfortable!! These 18k nibs have a smooth and wet flow. The m1000 nib has a fair bit of flex (modern bit!) with an inherent softness, since with the bigger size of the nib, there is more room for it to move. Being nice and wet writers out of the box, the Extra-Fine nib puts down a fine line, which takes around 35 seconds to dry Visconti Blue Ink on MD Paper. The pen feels balanced for my hands both with or without pressure and given the tapered profile of the section, it has a good grip. This nib runs a tad finer than say a #3776 medium nib, and with some pressure it leaves a wider line. I have used single fills of Sailor Sky High (now Souten), Montblanc Toffee Brown, Visconti Blue, Iroshizuku Yama Budo/Tsuki Yo inks in rotation, and the pen has performed gracefully with all these inks.

Thank you for going through the review. 

You can find some more pen and paraphernalia reviews here and in the below links section. Comments & feedback are welcome.

So, what is your favourite Pelikan?

REVIEWS & LINKS

Pelikan M805

Pelikan M605 Marine

Pelikan M625

Pelikan M4XX

Pelikan M200 Cognac

Pelikan Nibs

Patent

Ink Capacities

The Platinum #3776 Century Review

The #3776 is a marvellous piece of writing instrument that any passionate fountain pen lover would consider absolutely essential, for building up a collection. Sometimes, it’s one of the top five must haves for people like us, available perhaps at the lowest price given the gold nib. As for me, I never sensed any urgency to get one, as there were a few similar shaped pens (Pilot Custom 74, Sailor 1911 & MB 146) with me. I liked the wide flattish nib and had decided to take a Naka-ai writer later, which would address my desires of getting an urushi lacquered pen in Tamenuri finish. With time however, a few #3776s of my friends passed through my hands and then one fine day the wine red Bourgogne seemed to be unavoidable. I didn't like few of the nibs which I had encountered previously, given their low tolerance to even moderate pressures resulting in higher feedback. The similarly sized and shaped Pilot Custom 74 albeit with a smaller nib, wrote like a dream with just the softness and responsiveness one would ideally want in a fountain pen. The pluses were many if I ended up with the right kind of nib, given a great balance, an unique colour and a air-tight sealing mechanism of the cap. 

PRESENTATION (6/6)

The pen comes in a blue faux-leather gift box, packed with one blue cartridge, a converter, a warranty card and an user manual. I like the simple, no-fuss design of the box with the right amount of protection necessary for the pen.

The model number of the pen, in this case tagged to the clip in a small plastic sleeve, PNB-10000 #71, encompasses both the launch price and colour within it. The 10000 refers to JPY 10,000 as the launch price and #71 to Bourgogne, in this case.

DESIGNED - CLASSICAL CIGAR (5/6) 

The #3776 comes with plethora of names and materials ranging from resin to wood to ebonite & celluloids. The ones most commonly purchased across #3776 Century Collection is either the Chartres Blue or the Bourgogne one. The original #3776 series was designed by Japanese playwright Haruo Umeda who was incidentally also known as Mr.Fountain Pen, along with the designers at Platinum, with the intention of creating an ideal fountain pen. The first of the #3776s were made available to general public in 1978. They sold over 150,000 pens in the first six months, gaining popular use. As you might already know, #3776 expresses the height of Mt. Fuji (3776 meters), the highest peak in Japan. This new model however represents the first full model change in over 33 years. You can find a more detailed historical interlude with an amazing review of the Chartres Blue version by Garden Man on FPN.

                 This classical cigar starts with a rounded off finial and a gold plated clip & ring combination, syncing well with concentric cap bands and concluding with a golden dazzle at the end of the barrel. The relatively dark wine red or Bourgogne coloured resin allows light to dazzle through the entirety of the pen. Bourgogne (or Burgundy) is one of France's main wine producing areas. The region is well known for both its red and white wines, mostly made from Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes, respectively. The pen incidentally gleams in revealing wine red and striking golden hues with ambient light and these effects proliferate with light. The converter shines within, revealing the ink-levels inside. The transparency doesn't give in to all ambience of light, and keeps pacing up with the intensity of red wine.

The cap disengages in less than two turns. revealing a golden glaze of the 14k nib. The grip does reveal another knot of glitter, at start of the section here. The barrel further steps down to the section, however it did not affect my writing experience. Injection-moulding threads are somewhat visible at the threads of the barrel and grip, which could have been polished off.

Compared to the President nib, the #3776 nib poses serious competition in terms of size and of course flexibility.

The cap with a rounded off finial preserves a classical look. A few things etched across a thicker centre band include the symbol p for brand name of PLATINUM, model number #3776 and of course MADE IN JAPAN. An concentric narrow band above renders some differential aesthetics. The simple clip is tension-fit and has a traditional shape, with a faint western resemblance. From top, you can also observe part of spring & screw of the Slip & Seal mechanism inside the finial. 

This new air-tight screw on cap is supposed to completely seal off the nib tip from outside air, preventing any escaping vapours. The inner cap ‘Slip & Seal’ mechanism was originally designed for the pull-on caps on lower models. 

                      In the current design, the forward upraised edge of the section pushes up against the inner cap, the inner cap rotates independently of the outer cap till a spring at the end of the inner cap pushes back the distance, thereby removing the ambient air and achieving an air-tight seal, as seen in this video. This last bit of threads on the barrel (almost the last quarter turn) which activate the air-tight seal in the inner cap, keep the nib from drying out for more than a year, according to Platinum. 

Overall, the building materials (resin) and the quality of gold plating seem to have improved. The resin seems reasonably resistant to scratches compared to older models but I do see a cap mark on the end of the barrel as I consistently happen to post the pen.

FILLING SYSTEM (4/6)

As a cartridge converter filler, the supplied convertor is limited by a volume of 0.6 mL although platinum cartridges have an advantage with capacity of more than 1 mL. Unfortunately enough, Platinum stopped manufacturing piston-fillers long back and the last one (70th Anniversary) was released way back in 1989. The #3776 takes in proprietary converters and like all other current Platinum pens and there is an adapter available for international cartridges/converters, whose production is currently stopped.

              The barrel disengages from the grip section with less than three turns, exposing metallic threads of the section (thus removing the eye dropper possibility). The resin barrel carries the opposite threads inside.

The proprietary converter looks cool with its golden trims matching the overall trims of the pen and you can observe the ink levels through streaming transparency of red wine. As you can see, almost the entire converter capacity(albeit limited), remains exposed to your eye. 

NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (5/6)

The nib #3776 is made up of 14k gold alloy and it comes across in several Japanese widths - EF(Extra-Fine), F(Fine), M(Medium), B(Broad), UEF(Ultra extra-fine), SF(Soft Fine) & C(Double broad). Inscribed within the nib is the symbol of Mt. Fuji’s peak.

                A heart-shaped breather hole lies above the imprint of a relatively flatly styled nib. Below the etching of #3776 and the brand symbol p, along with nib alloy (14k), width (M) and gold content(585), rest at the far end of the tail. The peaks of Mt. Fuji start parallel to the tines and achieve their summit towards the iridium tipping. These scrollwork are limited to the tines. JAPAN is engraved on one of the faceted shoulders. The nib lays a wet and smooth line and is a tad forgiving to pressure.

The black plastic feed for the has spacey and stylish fins and even with the cap open for a while, it does not take an effort to lay a consistently wet line. A small feeder hole at the section end provides ink suction for the converter. This is a redesigned feeder which is wider and thicker than the 1978 one, resulting in a stronger nib alignment. The nib and feed are heat fitted and you are advised not to pull out the unit just for fun.

PHYSICS OF IT – RELATIVELY SPEAKING (6/6)

The cigar shape of a pen renders comfort and balance for usage. The cap weighs around 10 grams, and I prefer to post the pen to get necessary heft even for extended writing. To take notes or scribble here & there, I don't usually post the pen. The section with around 1 cm girth is another desirable element for longer writing sessions. Along with the converter, the weight and balance are what you would pretty much expect in most of the nicer pens.

• Length closed ~ 14 cm 
• Length open ~ 12 cm 
• Length posted ~ 16 cm 
• Grip Diameter ~ 1 cm 
• Nib Leverage ~ 3.3 cm 
• Weight (with inked converter) ~ 23-24 g 
• Weight of cap ~ 10 g 

Some snaps of capped, uncapped & posted #3776 with Sailor Pro Gear, Pilot Custom 74 and Pelikan m605 go below for your reference.

ECONOMIC VALUE (6/6)

The pen retails at around USD 176 in the US or around Rs 10,000 in India, although you can find it significantly lower prices in Japan. I bought the pen at around the street price plus shipping which hovers around USD 80-90. The pen reached me from Pensindia Pune office next day, after placing an order. Honestly, if you are end up with the right kind of nib, this pen is the steal of a deal. It cannot get better than this, given the 14k better-sized gold nib, along with a good body in a comfortable shape. 

OVERALL (5.3/6)

The medium nib lays a width somewhere between a western extra fine and western fine, graced with a wet and consistent flow. With free flowing inks like Waterman, Pilot Standard ones or specific Iroshizukus, the nib glides over paper with great panache. You may feel a bit of resistance, in case of more viscous/shading inks (say MBTB or even Sailors). I did feel some characteristic spring and a hint of softness with the 14k nib. It felt rigid initially, but with constant writing the nib has started to accommodate my pen-pressure with incremental reflexes. The verticals are almost as thick as the horizontals, showing an absence of any unforced line variation. With a decent buffer capacity of the plastic feed and remarkable sealing off mechanism of the cap, the nib starts like a star and glides over the paper with Iroshizuku Yama-budo ink. The ink takes around 20 seconds to dry completely on MD paper, which also points to efficiency as well as economy of Japanese manufacturing. Overall, I am glad that I have finally bought this pen for myself. 

Thank you again for going through the review.

You can find other pen and paraphernalia reviews here.

REFERENCES

Air-Tight Seal of Cap

Platinum #3776 Century Website
Platinum Izumo - President Nib Review