{"id":12062,"date":"2023-12-13T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=12062"},"modified":"2024-12-12T07:33:39","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T12:33:39","slug":"2023-new-releases-tag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/2023-new-releases-tag\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 New Pen Releases, The Tag"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is a yearly tradition, now, so I HAVE to do it. If you’re curious, you can check out the 2021<\/a> and 2022<\/a> entries. This idea was originally based on the “New Makeup Releases | THE TAG” video<\/a> from Angelica Nyqvist<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tag is about evaluating the releases \u2014 in this case pens & inks \u2014 from the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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1. What release(s) lived up to the hype most this year?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the ink side of things, definitely the Colorverse Nebula series. After the success of the Butterfly Nebula set, it’s hardly surprising that Colorverse released more colors this year. I own Cat’s Eye and Iris Nebula. I’m currently trying to decide between Monkeyhead Nebula and Mystic Mountain<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Image<\/a>
This isn’t my photo. I borrowed it from Colorverse’s Instagram account<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On the pen side of things, I’d say the Benu x Gourmet Pens Talisman True Unicorn<\/a>. That sold like crazy! Per Azizah<\/a> (Ms. Gourmet Pens<\/a>), there have been four restocks. At the time of typing (12\/10\/23) they are currently available with a fine nib<\/a>. If you haven’t gotten one, you should!<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Image<\/a>
Also not my photo. This one is borrowed from the Gourmet Pens Shop’s Instagram account<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

2. Which release(s) did not live up to the hype?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It seems Platinum Chou Kuro didn’t do so well. Talk about it dropped off VERY quickly. I think it was inadvertently sabotaged. I heard \u2014 this is probably 3rd- or 4th-hand rumor \u2014 that at least one store refused to carry the ink because they didn’t want people complaining about ruined pens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rumor may appears<\/em> to at least be correct about that store not carrying Chou Kuro \u2014 the jury is out on the reason \u2014 as a search doesn’t return any results. However, they do<\/em> carry Sailor Kiwa Guro \u2014 which is basically the same thing, but from Sailor \u2014 and Noodler’s, which I’ve heard lots<\/em> of complaints for regarding ruined pens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, pigment inks do<\/em> require some additional care. You need to clean your pen better, and you probably don’t want to leave pigment ink sitting in your pen for a long time, especially a piston pen that can’t be disassembled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Platinum itself acknowledges this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When cleaning the pen nib after using Chou Kuro ink, use purified water available at pharmacies, etc. Avoid washing it with tap water as it reacts with minerals contained in the water and makes it difficult to remove the stains.<\/p>\nPlatinum Press Release 2023.6.27<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

But, you can say the same for shimmer inks, or inks that are known to cause staining. So, I don’t see the big deal. In fact, the note of caution at the bottom of Goulet Pens’ listing for Chou Kuro is remarkably similar in essentials to their note for Colorverse Iris Nebula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Caution: Pigmented inks are intended for use in fountain pens, though they require more diligent maintenance and should not be left to dry out in a pen. It is best to clean it from your pen at least once a week to prevent clogging. Certain pens may handle pigmented inks better than others.<\/p>\nGoulet Pens, Chou Kuro sale page<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Due to the amount of particulate in this ink used to achieve the sparking look, you may experience restricted ink flow in some of your pens. We recommend shaking the ink thoroughly before filling and gently rolling the pen in your hands often to keep the shimmer effect consistent. This will also help prevent clogging. You will also want to be diligent about cleaning and maintaining your pen when using this ink.<\/p>\nGoulet Pens, Iris Nebula sale page<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

While I simply don’t use black ink in fountain pens, Jim likes Chou Kuro, especially for art and outlines, and hasn’t had any real problem with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. What was the biggest curve ball?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a remarkable parallel to last year’s answer, I have to go with Benu’s hand-painted pens. This time, though, it’s their one-of-a-kind pens that retail for $1,400 – $4,000!<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Image<\/a>
Another borrowed photo. This one is from Benu’s instagram account<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Considering their other hand-painted pens are in the $200-$300 range, that’s a MASSIVE leap in price. I asked Bryce Gillet at Luxury Brands of America about the jump at the DC Pen Show<\/a>. If I recall correctly, he said they are done by master artists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, the paintings look gorgeous, and they cover more of the pen than the other hand-painted releases. However, the pricing puts them far outside any other Benu release, and, possibly, outside their customer demographic. But, if you want one, most of them are still available<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. What was the most ridiculous luxury release?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Is anyone suprised that it’s another Montegrappa release? The “crazy” in this case comes from the price, given what you get. The pens don’t say “luxury” to me; they say “cheap memorabilia.” I’m sure<\/em> there are people who will disagree with me, and they’re welcome to do so. But, I just can’t see paying $3,400+ for this.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Image<\/a>
This one is borrowed from the Montegrappa Italia Instagram account<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

5. What was the biggest letdown\/snoozefest?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have to give this one to Aurora. When I bought the 100\u00b0 Anniversario in 2020, I thought I was getting a real piece of history. As I understood \u2014 correctly or incorrectly \u2014 that design was limited to anniversary pens. But, here we are, 3 years later, and they release a blue version, identical in every way except for the color. Even some of the marketing photos are very similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Image<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Image<\/a><\/figure>\n
Both photos were borrowed from Aurora’s Instagram account. Click\/tap the photo to see the original post.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

6. Which brand(s) had the best year?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here’s one I never thought I’d say: Jinhao. Between their Sailor Pro Gear dupes \u2014 officially the Jinhao 82 \u2014 and new #8 nibs, they’ve been on the tip of everyone’s lips.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Image
This image is from an Ali Express listing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

7. Which brand(s) need to reevaluate what they’re doing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s Pineider’s turn again. I will readily acknowledge that their pens aren’t really to my taste. But, they don’t seem to be to others’ tastes either. Pineider pens always seem to be on sale, even their limited editions. I’ve also noticed that several stores have recently had their entire stock of Pineider pens on sale, making me wonder if they’re trying to liquidate their stock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Did your predictions from last year come true?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I made two predictions again last year: “I think we’re going to see more special editions themed around historical anniversaries… I’m guessing we’ll see some mixable inks.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For pens, there were certainly quite a few anniversary pens \u2014 two Le Mans editions, two 007 commemorative pens, and Warner Bros. Tower to name a few. I expected there to be more, especially given some of the big anniversaries this year, but Montegrappa, at least, focused heavily on IP collaborations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was way off on the inks. This year was heavy on the shimmer. I didn’t see any mixable inks at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. What are your predictions for releases next year?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is difficult. I can only assume we’ll continue to see more IP collaborations, especially from Montegrappa. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Bridgerton pen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For ink, since shimmer has been so big, perhaps we’ll see more duo- and multichrome shimmer inks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. Do you agree with my answers? Do you think I’m completely wrong? What are you predictions for next year? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to subscribe to my blog<\/a> or follow me on Instagram<\/a> so you don’t miss any posts. I generally post at least once a week. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the third year, I’m evaluating the pen and ink releases of the year. I also review my predictions from last year.<\/p>\n

Keep Reading2023 New Pen Releases, The Tag<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,407],"tags":[256,251,236,437,348,406,210,247,216,169,201],"class_list":["post-12062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fountain-pens","category-ink","tag-aurora","tag-benu","tag-colorverse","tag-end-of-year","tag-gourmet-pens-shop","tag-jinhao","tag-montegrappa","tag-pineider","tag-platinum","tag-retrospective","tag-tags-and-challenges","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/2023_newPenReleases-featured.jpg?fit=288%2C288&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Z77k-38y","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16166,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/2025-new-releases-tag\/","url_meta":{"origin":12062,"position":0},"title":"2025 New Pen Releases, The Tag","author":"Rachel","date":"December 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"For the fifth year, I\u2019m evaluating the pen and ink releases of the past year and reviewing my predictions from last year.","rel":"","context":"In "Fountain Pens"","block_context":{"text":"Fountain Pens","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/fountain-pens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/penAddictRetro.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/penAddictRetro.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/penAddictRetro.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/penAddictRetro.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5809,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/new-oct-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":12062,"position":1},"title":"New Releases Round Up: October 2021","author":"Rachel","date":"November 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Check out the new pen releases from major brands that caught my eye in October 2021. I give my opinions of them, and if I think I'll be getting them.","rel":"","context":"In "Fountain Pens"","block_context":{"text":"Fountain Pens","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/fountain-pens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Esterbrook's image of the Nouveau Blue","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/esterbrook-nouveaublue.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/esterbrook-nouveaublue.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/esterbrook-nouveaublue.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/esterbrook-nouveaublue.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6334,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/2021-new-pen-tag\/","url_meta":{"origin":12062,"position":2},"title":"2021 New Pen Releases, The Tag","author":"Rachel","date":"December 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Another adaptation from the YouTube makeup world. 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