I've had an idea spinning around in my head of trying to build a colour wheel of ink swatches for the 40 or so inks I own. It would be a pretty mammoth undertaking, and I'm not sure it would be of great practical use, since every ink looks different depending on paper, nib and … Continue reading There’s no such thing as ‘blue’

I just received this yesterday. It cost me $15 on Massdrop, plus shipping. It's a simple clamshell case with five pen slots, much in the vein of Nock's various cases, but with a slight twist. As you'll see from the photos, it doesn't zip fully closed: instead, a tucked-in flap seals the case and stops … Continue reading Quick review: Manhattan Portage pen case (Massdrop)

Taking the plunge into custom nib work I've used many different kinds of nibs over the years, from lots of different manufacturers. But I've never had a nib tuned or reground — until now. Don't get me wrong, I had been thinking about it for a while. There are certain grinds that you just don't … Continue reading My first experience with custom nibs: architect and cursive italic from FBnibs.com

First impressions: this is an odd, contradictory pen and I'm not sure I like it. The Ondoro is incredibly distinctive, and that's what attracted me to it. In a sea of cigar-shaped pens, it has a massive, hexagonal, shiny chrome cap, and a pretty massive, hexagonal matte black barrel. If you like that sort of … Continue reading Review: Faber-Castell Ondoro Black Graphite

"Why do you need so many inks?" I'm an ink addict. If I include cartridges and samples, I've got over 40 inks. More than I could use up in ten years. And I keep wanting to buy more. (Part of the collection) Why? Most people are happy with black, or blue, their whole lives. Couldn't I … Continue reading Thwarting my urge to buy more ink

Newsflash: this is not the first review of the Kaweco Sport. But what the hell — here's mine. What's the deal? I've had this pen since October 2015. It's one of the pillars of the starter fountain pen ecosystem — with all the nib and barrel choices, and a price under £20, it's in the … Continue reading Handwritten review: Kaweco Sport and Kaweco Sunrise Orange

I'm trying really, really hard to keep to just five pens in rotation. I had six until afternoon but now I'm on target. As of this morning I had two black inks on the go, which is unheard of for me. I very rarely use black. But I was giving both Aurora Black and Sailor … Continue reading Currently inked: 9th January 2017

It looks like I'm becoming a reviewer of pen cases. Voodoo338 over on Instagram saw my Nock Sinclair review and asked if I'd review a Harris tweed twin pen holder that I'd posted up. I thought that while I was at it I'd review a single pen sleeve made from kimono silk, and throw in … Continue reading Review: pen sleeves in Harris tweed, kimono silk and felt

Inspired by a thread I've been lurking on at FPN, I've been thinking about how different people's preferences are when it comes to pens, and the difference between a "bad" pen and one that simply isn't right for you. For me, I've got no interest in: Ornamental designs. A pen should be comfortable to hold and simple … Continue reading What pen won’t you buy?