Lennon Tool Bar - Cat General

[yazeh]

Lennon Tool Bar - 2023 Summer Limited - Cat General

 Review #178

Lennon Tool Bar is a Taiwanese company. 

Cat General is one of the 4 limited 2023 Edition inks of the . The other 3 are, Bird Monster ( Green grey) Catfish Spirit (purple grey)  and  Rabbit God (Pink). 

 

It is still available from retailers all over the world as of March 2025.

 

This is my first foray in Lennon Tool Bar inks.

 

Ink is difficult to define, everything about it, is pen/ paper/ nib dependant. On each paper it’s subtly (or not so) different.   

Colour is difficult to define: It’s a sepia/ gold with a hint of pink. Color/ shading is pen/ paper dependant. 

 

At first, I thought the flow average, lubrication slightly below average, but by the time I reached B nib, flow was below average, and lubrication low. 

I liked the colour on some papers, hated it on others. It had shading on some papers, less on some, extreme on Iroful. 

Ink is very well behaved on copy paper and shades with some nibs. 

 

Dry times are about 20s on Rhodia. Cleaning is a pain in the fountain pen   Give me a pigment ink any ie but not this one. I had to put the Safari in cleaning solution (twice), ultrasonic twice. I made a mistake of filling a vintage pen, I’m still cleaning residual ink after two days, and several marination periods in cleaning solution. 

 

I would recommend this ink only for pens that can be easily dismantled. 

 

Chroma:

 

 

 

Writing Samples:

 

 

 

Photo:

 

Comparison:

Water test:

Left side (10 seconds under running water. After 24 hours)

 

Art Work:

 

Sever

Kala Moonlight Tide (Grey)

Part of the Inktober prompt, depicts in ancient scirpts of Felus-Maus when the great ruptre happened and cats & mice became enemies...

 

 

Another take on Sever

Manicure

Cat is being pampered at the beauty salon for a manicure and obviously some treats afterwards.

You can also enjoy a first peak at some chromoshading inks reviewed for the next two weeks*. 

*FANYANTAN - Qinghai Wave (Green)

*Hosia Ink Studio - Shing Tong

Kala Moon light Tide

 and finally 

Order of the Mouse

General Cat has received the most prestigious of military valour. You really have to look for that Medal   

J Herbin's Bleu Calanque (background)  and Kala Moonlight Tide for the outlines. 

 

 

 

·      Pens used: Pilot F3A Ef, Ef, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Waterman W2 vintage flex.

·      What I liked: Name, colour on some papers.  Doing washes. 

·      What I did not like: Colour on some papers. 

·       What some might not like: A pain to clean  

·      Shading: Yes. 

·      Ghosting: None.  

·      Bleed through: No. on cheap paper.

·      Flow Rate: Average, to slughly below average. 

·      Lubrication: Slightly below average, to below average. 

·      Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

·      Start-up:  Ok

·      Saturation:  Nope. 

·      Shading Potential: Paper/ nib dependant. 

·      Sheen: With larger application.  

·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. 

·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice.

·      Staining (pen): No. 

·      Clogging: No.

·      Cleaning: A pain. Give me a pigment ink any day...

·      Water resistance: Quite Good!          

·      Availability: 30 ml bottles, 

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier  

[inkstainedruth]

That's an interesting color.  I wasn't familiar with this brand at all, and not sure what I think of this one (the cleaning issue might be a deal breaker for me).  But thanks as usual for the comprehensive review and the fun artwork.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

14 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

That's an interesting color.

It is. I would mind painting a wal with this colour

 

14 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

 

 I wasn't familiar with this brand at all, and not sure what I think of this one (the cleaning issue might be a deal breaker for me).  

@LizEF did a review of another ink by this brand recently. It's a pity cleaning was such an issue. With some pens, I get lazy and shove them in the Ultrasonic wit the solution and let it sonic to death. But for the review I had to take it through all the steps and suffer the pain, so to speak  

14 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

But thanks as usual for the comprehensive review and the fun artwork.

 

A pleasure. 🙏

 

 

[LizEF]

Well, at least it's not boring (from your description and the chroma)!    Poor flow and below-average lubrication sounds not so different from the single LTB ink I reviewed...   Makes me wonder if this is the norm for them...

 

52 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Cleaning is a pain in the fountain pen 

 

Looks too pink-leaning on Rhodia, but that quote!  Fabulous!    (All the quotes are good - but that first one.... )

 

Shocker of shockers, I like the color best on Iroful, but I'm not really excited by the color at all - in the scans.  The photos look nice.  The swatch drawing is great, color...   I guess this really is one where you have to find all the right conditions - and even then, there's a chance it won't be pleasant to use, even if it's pleasant to look at...  Not a promising ink...

 

Love getting the pre- and post-water versions of that drawing! Thanks!

 

Aaah, relief!  The artwork makes up for all that went before!    The ink makes a great background for Sever - very ancient and deserty. Manicure is a crack up!  Careful with them clippers, Mousey!  Well done, General Cat!  Must have been quite the feat, earning the Order of the Mouse!

 

Thank you for enduring an annoying ink to bring us such wonderful drawings, @yazeh!

 

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Well, at least it's not boring (from your description and the chroma)!    Poor flow and below-average lubrication sounds not so different from the single LTB ink I reviewed...   Makes me wonder if this is the norm for them...

I believe it is. I think it's the same for Wearingul. And a few others "chromoshading" inks, I'm reviewing are even worse in the lubrication department

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Looks too pink-leaning on Rhodia, but that quote!  Fabulous!    (All the quotes are good - but that first one.... )

I was sure you'd love it. After all you are the love seats to your boys  

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Shocker of shockers, I like the color best on Iroful, but I'm not really excited by the color at all - in the scans.  The photos look nice.  The swatch drawing is great, color...   I guess this really is one where you have to find all the right conditions - and even then, there's a chance it won't be pleasant to use, even if it's pleasant to look at...  Not a promising ink...

I was hooked by the name. I got a few others also based on feline names 😸 This color is best for washes. It reminds me of old parchments & Egyptian mausoleums  I'm sure @namrehsnoom would be able to tame this ink. 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Love getting the pre- and post-water versions of that drawing! Thanks!

I was asked to do that    I never thought those drawings were worth the watch

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Aaah, relief!  The artwork makes up for all that went before!    The ink makes a great background for Sever - very ancient and deserty. Manicure is a crack up!  Careful with them clippers, Mousey!  Well done, General Cat!  Must have been quite the feat, earning the Order of the Mouse!

Thanks. I had fun doing them. My first version of the Manicure was a bit creepy. Poor kitty, looked more like a mummy.  

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Thank you for enduring an annoying ink to bring us such wonderful drawings, @yazeh!

It was fun, despite the disappointment. Art helps to see inks under a different angle  

[Sailor Kenshin]

Holy chroma!  And isn't the ink's name right up your artistic alley?

 

The sketches live up to that, and I'm cracking up at Kitteh Beauty Salon.  I might get some of this just to make the chroma, and pin it on my wall. 🤣

 

@yazeh, thanks once again for introducing an unknown to me ink and making life colorful with your detailed, entertaining InkSplorations!  Keep ‘em coming! 

[yazeh]

28 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Holy chroma!    I might get some of this just to make the chroma, and pin it on my wall. 🤣

The chorma is amazing and it's the reason why it's so difficult to clean, that red/ orange dye is a nightmare 😛 

28 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

And isn't the ink's name right up your artistic alley?

Guilty as charged  

28 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The sketches live up to that, and I'm cracking up at Kitteh Beauty Salon.

Glad you enjoyed it

28 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

@yazeh, thanks once again for introducing an unknown to me ink and making life colorful with your detailed, entertaining InkSplorations!  Keep ‘em coming! 

A pleasure. I'm glad, I'm on a roll now. Sometimes, I'm afraid of running out of inspiration  

 

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

I believe it is. I think it's the same for Wearingul. And a few others "chromoshading" inks, I'm reviewing are even worse in the lubrication department

Maybe the makers spend too much time on r/fountainpens where everyone brags about their triple-extra-super broad glossy smooth firehoses...

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

I was sure you'd love it. After all you are the love seats to your boys  

  Exactly!  Klaw, who before Smoke would rarely sit on me, will now come at least once per day and pat at my leg to indicate he wants to jump up and sleep on me.  I am, of course, required to recline a little, make some room, and tolerate it when his kneading occasionally reaches skin...   And when he demands one arm, I have no say in the matter and must be content to use only one...

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

I got a few others also based on feline names 😸 

Looking forward to the others!

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

It reminds me of old parchments & Egyptian mausoleums

Yes, it works well for that!

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

 I'm sure @namrehsnoom would be able to tame this ink. 

Ooo, I'd love to see the results of inky experiments!

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

My first version of the Manicure was a bit creepy. Poor kitty, looked more like a mummy.  

  Well, that would be a better reflection of reality - so many kitties have to be turned into a "purrito" before manicures and such.

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

Art helps to see inks under a different angle  

[yazeh]

6 hours ago, LizEF said:

Maybe the makers spend too much time on r/fountainpens where everyone brags about their triple-extra-super broad glossy smooth firehoses...

 

Her majesty used to do the arm thing. I told her cut it out or I'll get another cat. She agreed to disagree 🙀 😸

 

[LizEF]

4 hours ago, yazeh said:

Her majesty used to do the arm thing. I told her cut it out or I'll get another cat. She agreed to disagree 🙀 😸

[Pen Ffynnon]

I had never heard of these inks, so thank you! I went and looked at their colors (I was suckered in by Rabbit God). The colors are wonderful, but I admit to some unease about the clean-up...

[yazeh]

15 hours ago, Pen Ffynnon said:

I had never heard of these inks, so thank you! I went and looked at their colors (I was suckered in by Rabbit God). The colors are wonderful, but I admit to some unease about the clean-up...

This is probably specific to this ink. Often times the red dye in inks makes it very difficult to clean. I doubt with a pale pink you'll have much of a problem. You can check this review, thought here's no mention of cleaning:

https://inkcrediblecolours.com/2025/03/22/lennon-tool-bar-rabbit-god/

[namrehsnoom]

Great pics, not so great ink. I hate it when pens are a pain in the *ss to clean. When trying a new ink, I typically have it inked up in five or so pens. Not so much fun cleaning all of these.

[Pen Ffynnon]

15 hours ago, yazeh said:

This is probably specific to this ink. Often times the red dye in inks makes it very difficult to clean. I doubt with a pale pink you'll have much of a problem. You can check this review, thought here's no mention of cleaning:

https://inkcrediblecolours.com/2025/03/22/lennon-tool-bar-rabbit-god/

Thank you so much!

[yazeh]

11 hours ago, namrehsnoom said:

Great pics, not so great ink. I hate it when pens are a pain in the *ss to clean. When trying a new ink, I typically have it inked up in five or so pens. Not so much fun cleaning all of these.

Like you, I can forgive a lot in an ink, especially as I use and have lot of pens permanently filled with pigment inks. But nothing is worse than inks that refuse to be cleaned  

[yazeh]

6 hours ago, Pen Ffynnon said:

Thank you so much!

A pleasure. I have 2 other Lennon Tool Bar inks to review, but frankly I don't know when I will get to them as I have too many samples to review. They are not in the colour range of Rabbit God, though. But it might be that this brands like some other Far East  brands might be low in lubrication.