Search the Community

When I checked my Junk Mail folder just now, I saw Bunbougu.com.au is having an End of Financial Year sale. Funny what Outlook decides to toss aside as junk mail, when I'm a repeat customer of Bunbougu (who only hit it when good discounts are on offer). (You don't need me to give you the applicable discount codes, when they're posted on the site's home page.) I had a quick note, and while there aren't really good offers for ink and fountain pen friendly paper products that I could spot at a glance, these caught my eye: the discontinued Pilot Petit1 fountain pens — even though the discounted price is still significantly higher than the product's retail price in the Japanese domestic market, back when it was easily available, for now it's lower than any price you'd see on AliExpress for such, once shipping from China (and tax, if applicable) is taken into account I think there are 17 units left in stock, across three colours, in total Sailor Shikiori Amaoto, or ‘Sound of Rain’, in the darker of two greens is discounted to half-price, making it competitive with the (fluctuating, and sometimes here-today-gone-tomorrow) lowest discounted price for it I've seen on Amazon.com.au Platinum #3776 Celluloid ‘Koi’ is half-priced, making the offer competitive with the lowest offer for it I've seen on Amazon.com.au in the past three years two units with F nibs remain — although it's the only #3776 Celluloid variant I don't yet have, and the discounted price is much cheaper now than its current retail price in the Japanese domestic market, I didn't pick one up the Pilot Capless in matt blue, with a choice of F or M nib, is decently priced after the discount on offer, and rather less than what I paid for mine some years ago the Lamy 2000 in brushed steel is I supposed decently or competitively priced, after applying the 30% discount, given the pricing adjustments over the past 12 to 18 months; but I haven't been (and still aren't) interested enough to have paid closer attention to know for sure

If anyone here from Sydney still uses the discontinued Pilot Petit1 fountain pens, and dread the day when it's no longer possible to buy new/replacement cartridges for the model (even if just for refilling with one's inks of choice; cartridges shell don't last forever), Dymocks on George Street in the CBD is selling off its remaining stock of Pilot Petit cartridges at 50%-off, bringing the price to AUD $1.99 for a 3-pack. When I left earlier this afternoon, there were still seven or eight 3-packs in red or orange in the bucket, alongside maybe four Pilot Petit3 brush-tipped pens also at 50%-off (which, I guess, makes them $2.99 each).

The Jetpens Chibi 2 is the second iteration of the pen marketplace’s homegrown fountain pen. It features a steel nib, a colorless demonstrator body, and a cartridge convertor filling system. The Chibi 2 retails for $2.99, and is available only at Jetpens. ​A view of the nib of Chibi.​​ First Impressions (6/10) I bought this pen to push me over the free shipping limit on my Jetpens order, and I actually forgot that I had ordered it until it arrived. It is an unassuming pen, pretty much the definition of a “pocket pen”, and I set it aside for later. The pen came with a black ink cartridge in the barrel, which is always nice. The capped Chibi​​Appearance (7/10) The demonstrator pen is decently attractive for what it is, but it couldn’t compete with the likes of a TWISBI or a Pelikan demonstrator. The pen has a clear feed, so you can see the ink flow into it. The nib is small and steel, marked with “Iridium Point Germany.” The pen has a rounded, clear plastic clip with “Jetpens” written on it. The Chibi Posted Design/Size/Weight (10/10) Jetpens really nailed this in my opinion. In the second iteration of the Chibi, they were able to pin down exactly what a “pocket pen” should be. The pen is small, (3 7/8 inches uncapped, 4 1/2 inches capped, 5 3/8 inches posted) but easily usable when posted, and is so light you don’t even notice that you have something in your pocket. It is cheap enough to take anywhere, and feels sturdy enough to be taken anywhere. The barrel and section of the Chibi, separated. Nib (8/10) The nib is a fairly standard steel nib. The nib is marketed as Fine by Jetpens, but I found mine to be a little bit on the wide side, a barely noticeable amount wider than my Pilot Vanishing Point M Nib. The nib is a teensy bit dry, but there is still ample ink flow, and the pen does not skip at all when writing quickly. The nib is mostly smooth, but you can feel some feedback now and then. It’s a nail, so don’t expect anything in the flex department. Filling System (N/A) It’s a cartridge. It works. You can’t fit any convertor I tried into it. Not much else to say here. Cost and Value (10/10) This pen is a great value at $2.99, especially if you need to reach that free shipping line like I did. It compares favorably to pens like the Pilot Petit and the Platinum Preppy, its two main competitors, and unlike them accepts international cartridges. If you need a pocket pen, or a cheap pen to keep in your glove compartment, this one fits the bill nicely. Conclusion (8/10) The pen is a great value, but it has some flaws. It isn’t going to turn any heads when you pull it out, for instance, and it won’t accept a convertor. Despite this, it’s a neat little pen that’s well worth the price, and I would recommend trying it out. If you hate it, you could always give it away to a newcomer to the Fountain Pen world, it’ll still be many times better than the best ball-point. (In my opinion, obviously not a fact, don’t mean to insult any ball-point fans out there). ​