August 2026 Review

August Inked Fountain Pen Review (13 Pens): What I Loved, What Failed & Rankings I review my August “inked” lineup (filmed Sept 7) with 13 pens and explain how I carry them in an Esterbrook Peanuts bag, an Esterbrook Pen Nook, and a Smart Fit case, plus an ink list for quick reference. I walk through each pen and ink pairing, highlighting favorites like the Picasso 606 with Colorverse December 7th, 1787 and the Pelikan M200 Cherry Blossom with Zircon Hermes, and problems like the Asvine C80 burping/leaking with J. Herbin Blue and the Tom’s Studio Studio Pen cursive italic being rough with hard starts. I note grip-section preferences, thread discomfort on some metal Kawecos, and shimmer-ink clogging issues (Ferris Wheel Press Glistening Glass, Colorverse Butterfly Nebula). I rank pens and inks, share takeaways about ergonomics and use cases, show quote-book writing samples, and end with macro lens nib close-ups (Pilot Custom 823 Signature vs Picasso extra fine and a LAMY fine). 00:00 August Inked Kickoff 00:29 Pen Carry Setup 02:07 Ranking Plan Overview 02:24 Budget Favorite Picasso 03:51 Hexo Purple Pairing 05:24 Kaweco Sport Redemption 07:01 Asvine Travel Trouble 09:32 Pelikan Twist Revisit 11:54 Lamy AL Star Mint 15:29 Pen Nook Picks Begin 15:34 Tom Studio Italic Issues 18:03 Kaweco AL Sport Shimmer 20:51 Colotino Brass Weight 22:46 Acrylic Colotino Upgrade 23:34 Colotino Ink Rundown 24:44 Nib Replacement Thoughts 25:43 Pocket Pen Verdict 26:00 Kaweco Piston Shimmer Trouble 28:29 LAMY Studio Gold Nib 31:57 Pelikan M200 Cherry Blossom 34:39 Pilot 823 Signature Nib 37:08 Monthly Rankings Recap 40:23 September Use Case Planning 41:40 Quote Book Flipthrough 45:38 Wrap Up and Requests 46:35 Macro Nib Closeups