In my last post I teased some of the new Montblanc pens being launched this year. I thought I'd fill in a little detail for you. Disney The great characters release is Walt Disney. All 'tiers' are 146 size, and frankly they're not what I expected. The base tier is rhodium and black, with quite … Continue reading Montblanc fountain pen releases for 2019: the limited edition releases
Snippets: the week in stationery
I try to avoid using this blog as a diary for all the stationery-related goings on in my life. But it's been a pretty big week, and I have some stuff I want to share. Monday: start your engines I spent the day admiring my new BMW 146, and couldn't resist posting about what a … Continue reading Snippets: the week in stationery
Nine tips for travelling with pens
One of the questions I see most often on pen forums is whether it's safe to take fountain pens on a plane, and how to travel with pens so they won't leak — whether from changes in air pressure or jostling.I'm not much of a jet-setter, but in the past twelve months I've taken maybe … Continue reading Nine tips for travelling with pens
Hey Kaweco, I like my coral smooth, not grainy
Consider this a follow-on from my review of the Kaweco Art Sport Alabaster, and the Skyline Sport Fox. To recap, the Alabaster has hung on as one of my favourite pens. It's just so smooth, so perfectly polished. The Fox, on the other hand, was a great clay-orange colour, but felt cheap and sharp. So … Continue reading Hey Kaweco, I like my coral smooth, not grainy
Who’d have thought BMW would be the cheapest place to buy a Montblanc 146?
A few years ago I had a friend who always wrote with a 146 and a Starwalker, and drove a BMW Z4. One year, for his birthday, I found the perfect gift: the newly launched Montblanc BMW Blue ink. Except he only ever wrote with black ink. Oh well, nice idea. Roll on to more … Continue reading Who’d have thought BMW would be the cheapest place to buy a Montblanc 146?
Kaweco’s sharp little Fox runs away
I mentioned the Kaweco Skyline Sport Fox in a previous post. I mailed it to its new owner today, but before I did I took some final photos and I wanted to review it briefly for anyone considering this hot new release (did you know coral is the Pantone colour of the year?!) The Fox … Continue reading Kaweco’s sharp little Fox runs away
Esterbrook’s Phaeton misses the mark
The Esterbrook Estie was one of my surprise hits of 2018. Now, the reborn, Kenro-owned Esterbrook is back with the Phaeton 300R, a $68, slim, metal-capped pen with a hooded nib. Mine arrived (sent to me for free) in a stately navy blue colour, with a brushed steel cap and gold trim. There's a disc … Continue reading Esterbrook’s Phaeton misses the mark
Quick sale update
Update: Conid has sold. Platinum has sold. Fox has sold pending funds. Thanks to my lovely readers, two more pens are winging their way to new owners today. Just as a quick reminder, here are a few pens I still have for sale — and you can see the full list along with notebooks, flashlights, … Continue reading Quick sale update
New year, new Magnificent Seven
2018 was a good one for this blog. Nearly 99,000 views and 78 posts, at final count. Over the Christmas break I've already started work on some new posts for 2019, including some industry interviews, how-to guides, explainers, ink roundups, retrospectives and editorials, as well as reviews of pens at all price brackets. But: I … Continue reading New year, new Magnificent Seven
12 inks for 2019
What does an empty ink bottle look like? I watched in amazement in 2018 as people on my Instagram feed actually finished bottles of ink. The #emptyinkbottlechallenge seemed to me as crazy, admirable and impossible as running an ultramarathon. As of today, I have 166 full-size bottles of ink (excluding sample vials and duplicates), and … Continue reading 12 inks for 2019
