Favorite Pen Discoveries of the Year: Inks, Office Gear, and 25 Standouts

Introduction

Every year, some purchases rise above the rest: the pens that get reached for again and again, the inks that empty fastest, and the office upgrades that quietly change how you work. This roundup collects the favorite discoveries of the past twelve months across inks, office supplies, workshop tools, and a long list of fountain pens from both established makers and small artisans. None of these are the most expensive items in the collection; they are the ones that earned their place.

The list leans toward variety rather than consensus picks. You will find a translucent turquoise grail pen, a hand-finished ebonite King of Pen, a flex nib that punches well above its price, and a limited-edition urushi pen that came in under $400. The common thread is that each item delivered more enjoyment than expected.

Three Inks Worth Trying

Three inks stood out this year, and all three happen to sit in the blue-green family that suits almost any pen in a rotation.

Taccia Sabam Madori

Taccia Sabam Madori goes on the paper blue and transitions into a green with a subtle reddish sheen as it dries. It looks fantastic in a wide range of pens, and it is the kind of ink that prompts a second bottle purchased before the first one runs out.

Dominant Industries Milky Way Blue

Dominant Industries Milky Way Blue comes from the Pearl series, packaged in a neat pouch with a small eyedropper included. The shimmer particles are unusually fine, reading almost as a soft silvery sheen rather than heavy glitter, which makes it approachable even for people who normally avoid shimmer inks. It is a vibrant blue with just enough sparkle.

Color Traveler Satui Shimanami Blue

Color Traveler is a new brand this year, and the Satui Shimanami Blue comes in charming suitcase-style packaging with an insert, stickers, an eyedropper, and a small vial for samples. The color itself is a lovely aqua blue that pairs well with other favorites in the same family, such as Stilo and Stile Roman Bronze Oxidation and Leonardo Smeraldo.

Office Upgrades That Stuck

Some of the year’s best finds never touch paper, but they make the writing and work sessions around the pens far better.

NFP Block Pen Case

NFP is a Turkish brand discovered at the DC pen show, and the Block pen case is extremely well made with a great color choice. It is a genuinely solid addition to any pen storage setup, and it is hard to say enough good things about the build quality.

FlexiSpot Standing Desk

A home office renovation was built around this FlexiSpot standing desk. Since it arrived, standing time went up noticeably, and the extra desk surface made it much easier to keep the workspace clean and organized. It is the rare purchase that reshapes daily habits rather than just filling a corner.

OdinLake Ergo Pro 743

The OdinLake Ergo Pro 743 passed the strongest possible test: a review unit went to the office, and a second chair was purchased for home because the first one proved that good. The leg rest is a real game changer, and it is the chair that appears on camera in every video.

Small-Workshop Tools and Fun Extras

Beyond the desk, a few practical and playful items rounded out the year.

Schon Design Lure Pen Cleaner

The Lure from Schon Design solves a genuinely annoying problem: flushing converters, especially on tricky pens like the Pilot Vanishing Point. The key element is a black shaped adapter made to fit different converters, and the tip swaps out for other brands. The review sample proved so useful that separate units were ordered for Jowo and Sailor nibs. When a free sample leads to two purchases, that says everything.

A few other fun finds rounded out the miscellany: a solidly built replica of the Jurassic Park cryo can that makes an amusing ink-sample holder (currently sold out at the source), a custom cue card made by the SNL cue card department, and the latest Goldspot catalog, which happens to include a print interview and remains a retailer worth recommending.

Favorite Fountain Pens of the Year

Eleven slots, a few shared among multiple pens, and a strong case for how healthy the artisan and small-batch scene is right now.

Shubi North Katsune

Shubi North was an early-year discovery, and the Katsune leads the way. The metal engraving pattern is mesmerizing, the large ink window is a welcome touch, and the coated nib completes a very sharp-looking pen.

Shubi North Creepy Little Skulls

A similar model to the Katsune but engraved with intricate little skulls, including skulls on the nib itself. The maker, Ruth, has been experimenting heavily with laser engraving and it shows in the detail work.

Shubi North Pocket Fox

The Pocket Fox arrived with a rainbow PVD treatment and a personal customization: the maker engraved a small logo into the eyes of some of the skulls. That is the joy of buying from individual craftsmen, the possibility of one-of-a-kind work that makes a pen feel truly yours.

Omas 360

A long-time grail pen, finally secured at a pen show auction: a translucent turquoise Omas 360, new unused and still in the wrapper and box. The triangular design is unique, the swooping clip is iconic, and the original Omas nibs rank among the best ever made.

Sailor King of Pen Ebonite

A sneak peek at a pen sent to the Japanese artisan studio Bokumon and returned looking stunning. The artisan Hokko does extraordinary urushi and roiden work, her waitlist is long, and the finished pen is mesmerizing. A fuller review covers the ordering process and the pen itself.

Schon Design Mondrian Nib

Innovation done right. Schon Design spent years developing and fine-tuning the Mondrian nib, and the result is a unique-looking tubular nib with outstanding performance. It is unlike anything else in the collection and a lot of fun to use.

Santini Giant 8

Santini had been on the radar from past DC shows, but the Giant 8 was the first pen to truly catch the eye. It is very large, the deep blue pearlescent resin is gorgeous, and the in-house oversized number 8 nib matches the pen’s scale and performs nicely. The only pen purchased at that show, and a winner.

Taccia Miyabi Kaga Summer Shimmer

An ebonite base with a yellowish gold background and black urushi stations that evoke tree branches or rock formations. The tactile quality of the surface is a genuine pleasure, and Taccia’s Sailor-made nib writes beautifully. A luxury pen that provides luxury performance, kept inked on the desk for months. A King of Pen nib would suit the size even better, but that is a small wish.

Magna Carta Mag 600

The pen body itself is lighter than ideal and the black-and-gold look is not for everyone, but the 14k gold flex nib is fantastic. With normal pressure it writes fine, and with a small amount of pressure the tines open up nicely for a decent amount of flex. Pure writing fun.

Three Small Artisan Pens

Three pens from small artisan shops share one slot, because what they have in common is exactly what makes them worth owning: total uniqueness.

The Mad Science Pen Company Beta Type R has an incredibly distinctive design, with a very small cap, a fluted section, frosted blue accents, and an interesting resin barrel.

The Hello T Venice Oversize takes a different route with another smallish cap, a very thick section, and a unique Micarta material that looks and feels like nothing else.

The Rockstar Daydreamer features burled maple infused with resin, producing a look no factory pen can replicate. This brand’s product quality has visibly improved over time, too, with the older medallion now replaced by a handsome sterling silver version.

Leonardo Momento Zero Limited Editions

The collaborations between Leonardo and the Italian retailer Stilo and Stile have been exceptional, with limited edition Momento Zeros all year.

The Micarta version uses a material that has long been a favorite, and the pen uses it very well.

Two space-themed Black Friday releases followed: the Violeta and the Andromeda, both sharp and both pulling off the outer-space theme convincingly.

Radius Prisma

Radius is owned by Leonardo, and the Prisma plays to the same design strengths. The white frosted resin paired with a rainbow PVD treatment that peeks through at the back is a lovely combination, and the nib even carries the PVD treatment itself. Eagerly anticipating next year’s limited editions from Stilo and Stile after this run.

Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black

Picked up at a favorite shop in Brooklyn on a trip to New York City. It is admittedly expensive, costing a bit more than it probably should, but the Pro Gear model shape combined with a matte black finish is an irresistible combination. It performs very well, and pens tied to personal memories become that much more special.

Eno Puma Rousi

The last pick is a passion project from the man behind the Eno brand, and it turned out exceptionally well. The pen has an ebonite base finished in aoi urushi, a 14k gold nib, and a price under $400, which is remarkable for this kind of handwork. It was a limited edition of only 50 pens, and a run of 500 would have been welcome. For anyone wanting a urushi pen at a reasonable price, this was the find of the year.

Overall Buying Advice

Three lessons emerge from a year of buying. First, small artisans are where the most distinctive pens live, and customization is a real advantage of buying from individual makers. Second, good tools around the pens, like a proper pen case, a pen-cleaning adapter, and a comfortable chair, raise the whole hobby more than expected. Third, a grail pen is worth the wait when the design is genuinely unique; the Omas 360 and the hand-finished Sailor ebonite prove the point. When in doubt, favor the item you will actually reach for daily over the one that only photographs well.

Conclusion

It was a strong year of discovery, dominated by a healthy mix of boutique brands, artisan collaborators, and established makers still willing to innovate. Whether the priority is a color-shifting ink, a uniquely shaped nib, or a urushi finish at an approachable price, there was something in this list for almost every kind of fountain pen enthusiast, and next year’s list already has a high bar to clear.