I am a huge fan of Brad Dowdy and his Pen Addict blog and podcast but I’m going to have to provide some alternatives to his podcast gift guide. I was actually speaking out loud as the podcast was playing with my suggestions so I figured I needed to put them down for everyone else. I will not be recommending the Vanishing Point or the Retro 51 since the boys have already covered that topic fairly thoroughly but I do have some alternatives.
| The Pen Addict Recommends: | The Well-Appointed Desk recommends: | Why? |
| Render K | Sherpa | Everyone has a Sharpie, Uni-Ball rollerball or an Accent Highlighter so give them a better case to carry it in, $30. |
| Retro 51 | what can I say? I do own a Retro 51 Crossword mechanical pencil. They are cool looking and reasonably priced, the rollerballs start at $21. | |
| Lamy Safari | TWSBI 540 or TWSBI Mini | TWSBIs are fabulous pens that write every time, $40-50 |
| Sharpie Pen | Le Pen or Sakura Pigma Micron or TUL marker pen | similar quality and prices, Le Pens have great color, Microns and TUL are great quality. |
| Kuru Toga Mechancial Pencil | I haven’t used this mechanical pencil (yet) but who am I to reject a good pencil tool? | |
| Uni-Ball Signo DX (0.38) | Uni-Ball Style Fit Multi-pens | I do love the Signo DX, I think the Uni-Ball Style Fit Multis use the same ink quality for a larger pen with more than one color in a single tool. |
| Pilot Hi-Tec C | Pilot Hi-Tec C or Uni-Ball Style Fit Multi-Pens | more color choices in a single tool and a bigger grip, about $20 tops. |
| Edison Collier | Monteverde Prima | Beautiful and about one-third the price and available in a 1.1mm stub nib, $56 |
| Field Notes Color Subscription | Totally agree! If you can’t afford the whole year, buy the classic kraft set or the red-blooded set as a stocking stuffer. | |
| Doane Paper Utility Cover | Looks like a great gift. |
My big fuss is, as a lefty, I cannot comfortably use a Lamy Safari. I can write at almost any angle, upside down or sideways with the TWSBI 540. Pick the clear demonstrator model to show off the ink in the reservoir. The new TWSBI Mini looks great and is smaller alternative to the 540.
I am not a fan of any of the Kickstarter holders for the Hi-Tec Cs. But if you want to jazz up a pen, how about a Sherpa?
I prefer to use a multi-pen version of the Hi-Tec C or, better still, the Uni-Ball Style Fit multi-pens which are as good a gel pen as the Uni-Ball Signo DX but with more than one color (and the possibility for a mechanical pencil) in one device.
Finally, as lovely as the Edison Collier pens are the Monteverde Prima is much less expensive. Monteverde is a larger company than Edison but I cannot, with a clear conscience, ask my family to give me a pen that costs $150 at the holidays and I can’t afford to buy it for myself. The Monteverde Prima in $56, available in beautiful colors and can even be purchased with a 1.1mm stub nib. Great option, right?
Of course, a gift certificate is always a good solution to get someone hooked on good pens. And because I love all my readers, I am going to give away a $25 gift certificate for the holidays. Pass it along or treat yourself. Tell me what’s on your wishlist in the comments to enter to win.
FINE PRINT: Voting ends at 10pm on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 (US Central Time). You do not have to be registered in this district to vote. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Sunday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear.
Not a wish list item, but a recommendation. I highly recommend the Hellbrand Leatherworks leather Field Notes cover. It costs much less than both the Doane utility cover or Field Notes “official” cover ($95 … Seriously dudes???) and is hand crafted in the USA. When I ordered mine, it came hand wrapped in old style brown paper with hemp string and a hand written note. Just beautiful and wears like iron so far (had mine for 6 months)
P.S. another Retro 51 Tornado “Metalsmith” edition pen would be nice to find in my stocking on Christmas morning though 🙂
I would definitely love to trey the Coleto! Would love to try the Retro 51 as well! Maybe a starter fountain pen such as Lamy or Kaweco.
I definitely put down a TWSBI 540 down on my wishlist! Along with a pretty bottle of Private Reserves ‘Plum” The boyfriend ended up spoiling his surprise because I made it into my graduate program of choice AND of course, Christmas is around the corner! (So excited to start optometry school with a fancy pen to take down my patients not so fancy symptoms!)
better hurry as the 540s are being clearanced out since they are replacing them with some new model?
On my wishlist is a Rhodia webnotebook and Noodler’s Shah’s Rose ink 😛
I would really, really love a TWSBI. Too bad we have a $20 limit for gifts in our family 🙂
i ordered some field notes state fair sets for my brothers and my boyfriend but didn’t order anything for myself. now i’m wishing i added a set to my own wishlist.
Those state fair sets are great. I like to give them to people from out-of-state when they visit.
I’ve been lusting after the adjustable brass Dux pencil sharpener posted earlier for a while now – too bad they’re so hard to find! More realistically, this year I want a set of Alvin draftmatic pencils and a large Fabriano dot grid Ecoqua pad to use them on.
Those state fair field notes are great. I like to give them to people from out of state when they visit.
I’ve been lusting after the Dux adjustable pencil sharpener – too bad they’re so hard to find. More realistically, this year I’m hoping for a set of Alvin draftmatic pencils and a few Fabriano dot grid pads to use them on.
I think my first attempt at commenting on this disappeared mid-post – sorry if this is a duplicate!
I have a small starter collection of fountain pens and have been thinking about what’s next. Maybe I’ll find a TWSBI Mini is on my wishlist. I may have to add a Monteverdi Prima now (with the stub nib)!
I’d like to try some pen brands that I don’t have yet in my fountain pen collection. On my wish list: the TWSBI Mini, Sheaffer Intensity and Kaweco AL Sport.
No love for the Kaweco AL Sport?
I will always love the Kaweco Al-Sport but its not the first pen I would recommend to a new fountain pen user and I know a lot of people find them a bit small. Besides, me recommending a Kaweco is like Brad and Myke recommending Retro 51s and Vanishing Points. LOL!
The Coleto multi, and more Tradios!! Just started using them, and they are smooth and lovely.
Well, I would really really love to have a Nakaya urushi with flexible xf nib, but it’s a bit pricey for my wish list. I’ve just added the Stad-T-Gaal pencil sharpener (with much thanks for review) to my list. Much more realistic.
Oh ever since I’ve read about them here (and on FPN, I think) a TWSBI is on my wishlist. I haven’t decided on the model as yet, but sure I will find something I really like and just go for it at some stage. I have enough Lamy’s to keep me going forever, so I’m itchin’ for something new now! 😀 😀 😀
This is an awesome and hilarious gift guide! Great suggestions all around. JetPens just got the new Iroshizuku inks in so of course those are high up on my wish list! Thank you for the chance to win 🙂
On my wish list are more R & K Salix and Scabiosa inks for me, and a Jetstream multi for my partner.
I’d like to try a TWSBI 540 for my wish list:)
What’s on my wishlist? Probably all the multipens! I mean, both the Pilot Coleto a UniBall Style Fit and all the non standard, often fruity sounding colours. Multipens are <3
My wishlist is WAY too long to include all of it here. But it does include a Uni-ball Style Fit multi-pen, a Rhodia DotPad, and a Pilot Parallel calligraphy pen. And all sorts of other good stuff. The TWSBI fountain pens are really nice looking, especially the clear ones, but are a bit out of my price range for this year.
I would certainly like to try Noodlers Navajo Turquoise and a Lamy Safari.
Just dropped the univalve style fit onto my wish list!
My wishlist would include the Uni-ball Style Fit Multi. I am a fan of multi pens and have yet to try this one. I would also like a retro 51 because I would like to convert it to hi-tec-c refills that Brad did in a post several months back.
I would love to find a twsbi 540 underneath my Christmas tree this year.
I’d love to have a Pilot Falcon with a flex nib!
Agreed on wanting the TWSBI!
Definitely the TWSBI 540. A friend let me try it out (thanks, Ana!) and what a great writer. Nice weight and feel in the hand.
hmmm i was just browsing the montiverdi one touch stylus pens since i’m getting an ipad for christmas.. one needs a stylus pen right? esp since i already have fp ink i would then need the one touch engage..
I’m a lefty and enjoy writing with my Lamy safari, but am now interested in the TWSBI. I would also like a bottle of Noodlers’ Bulletproof Black.
TWSBI mini or a leather Field Notes cover (Hellbrand or Renaissance Art).
I have both the Prima and TWSBI mini. Love them both and wholeheartedly agree with your recommendations. Although I have never been a big LAMY fan, I do love the looks of the 2000.
if i won the gift certificate i’d give it to my friend who has provided moral support as i am completing my graduate studies. i couldn’t do it without all her words of encouragement and love, and what better way to say thanks than with a beautiful new pen?
My wishlist would include the Hi-Tec-C multi pen. I think that would be awesome to try!
My wish is to find in my stocking a Lincoln or Jefferson metalsmith from Retro 51
I’m into different inks right now so my wishlist would include several colors of DeAtramentis ink and Private Reserve ink. You can never have too much ink, right?
I just want to start my fountain pen experiments. 🙂
My dog chewed the end of my beloved Kaweco Liliput and now it doesn’t post properly, so I’d love to replace it. And some Diamine Oxblood would be fun to try.
would love to have fountain pen that disposable. In my perfect world, it would also be adjusted for left handed writers. Anything Kaweco ro Lamy would be perfect!
I’m wishing for another mini TWSBI. I love this pen. You’re so right. It writes like a dream and I am really digging the demostrator.
The Retro 51 pens are lovely. I’m just starting out on this pen obsession thing.
TWSBI mini would be on my wish list but also RenderK.
I like your suggestion of using multi-pens as gifts. Throwing some standard disposable sharpie pens in a stocking seems a little cheap to me. The multi-pens are a nice upgrade.
My list has the Lamy Vista for note-taking next semester would love to try the Signo MF3, too! Thanks!
Thanks to your post I now have the Kutsuwa Dr. Ion Super Mega Pencil Case on my list in addition to the Render K!
The monteverde looks intriguing…