Last week's seven turned out great. I used every pen heavily, with the exception of the Pelikan M400. At last I managed to gel with the Pilot 823, although it still doesn't feel 'right' to me every time I pick it up. The Montegrappa Extra and Montblanc 1912 proved deliciously smooth for evening journalling; the … Continue reading The magnificent seven: week two
Inside the maelstrom
Back in the early days of this blog I did a lot more 'editorial' style posts, about topics and themes rather than just reviews of products. So if you scan down this post and don't see any pictures, don't be alarmed: this is meant to be just words! The oxymoronic attainable grail pen? I read … Continue reading Inside the maelstrom
The magnificent seven: week one
Today I laid my collection out, all together. It didn't fit in my pen drawer. I had to leave three pens out of shot. Left to right: Montblanc 1912, Montblanc 149, Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl, Pelikan M400 white tortoiseshell, Visconti Wall Street LE, Visconti Homo Sapiens London Fog, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Visconti Van Gogh Room … Continue reading The magnificent seven: week one
The Leonardo Momento Zero is simply fabulous
I've teased this in the last couple of posts, so I'll come right out and say it: the Leonardo Momento Zero has blown me away. In this review I'll explain why. First impressions? Beautiful pen. It's testament to Leonardo's designers that I agonised for a long time over which colour to pick: turquoise, dark red, … Continue reading The Leonardo Momento Zero is simply fabulous
Snippets: epic mail call and more travel
I haven't posted a blog since 22nd October, 17 days ago. It's been a busy couple of weeks. At the end of October I took a long weekend with the family down to Fowey Hall in Cornwall. It was a chance to get away and unwind from work. I took just four pens with me: … Continue reading Snippets: epic mail call and more travel
The original reborn: hands-on with the new Esterbrook Estie
Guess what showed up today? The new Esterbrook Estie. In case you're not up to speed: the revived Esterbrook brand was recently bought by Kenro, the US distributor of Montegrappa and Aurora. Kenro has created an all-new pen: it's resin, cartridge-converter, made in Taiwan, and featuring a steel Jowo nib plus silver- or gold-coloured trim. … Continue reading The original reborn: hands-on with the new Esterbrook Estie
The UKFP holiday gift guide 2018
What do you get for the fountain pen lover who has everything? It can be tricky. Your first thought might be... well, a pen. But if they're a hobbyist, they're probably past the 20-quid Parkers and Lamys from your local Rymans, Smiths or Paperchase. And you probably don't want to spend 500 quid buying them … Continue reading The UKFP holiday gift guide 2018
The Graf Classic exudes quality
I thought the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic was very overpriced. Comparing it against my other (and only) Graf, the Intuition Platino Ebony, it's tiny, skinny, more conventional — a separate section, a standard converter, a tiny nib. The family resemblance is unmistakable, of course. The metal flared cap, the curving clip, the fluted wood barrel, … Continue reading The Graf Classic exudes quality
Pocket essentials: Milim fountain pen first impressions
Think of a pocket fountain pen and you'll probably think of the Kaweco Al Sport, or maybe the Liliput. Well, with the Milim pocket fountain pen you've now got another option. Milim is a one-man-band based in Poland and selling on Etsy. Bartosz's store showcases not only the pocket fountain pens in brass, black, aluminium … Continue reading Pocket essentials: Milim fountain pen first impressions
2018 London Writing Equipment Show: success!
I nearly didn't make it to the London Pen Show this year. After being in my calendar for months, a family situation threatened to derail plans. But I made it — and it was a great show. What was different this year? Well, for me, it was having my six-year-old daughter along. Crazy idea? Well, … Continue reading 2018 London Writing Equipment Show: success!
