I'm a sucker for shading orange/red inks. One of my all-time favourites is Diamine Ancient Copper. Another is Diamine Autumn Oak. This ink, Monteverde Fire Opal, falls smack in between them. It's a relatively new ink, and until now wasn't available in the UK. I'm heading out to California in a couple of weeks and … Continue reading A gem of an ink: Monteverde Fire Opal
Month: Jun 2017
Review: Applied Pens Streamline
Confessing my prejudices On paper, this review was stacked against the Applied Pens Streamline from the start. Looking at the specs and other reviews from the United Inkdom horde, three things leaped out at me. One, it's a pen pushing £150 that features a generic #6 Bock steel nib unit and a generic cartridge/converter filling … Continue reading Review: Applied Pens Streamline
Revenge of the $2 Jinhao (the verdict)
In my first post on this topic I wrote with some amazement that a company could profitably manufacture, distribute and retail a fountain pen, complete with converter, packaging and shipping, for less than $2. Even in this globalised, mechanised world, surely the end result would not only be morally dubious, but utter rubbish? I ordered … Continue reading Revenge of the $2 Jinhao (the verdict)
Currently inked: before the Great Flush
I've been writing as much as ever over the past couple of months, but there have been very few changes — partly because I've inked so many high-capacity piston fillers, and partly because my M805 got a complete writing dry before I reviewed it and sent it off for a nib swap. As of yesterday … Continue reading Currently inked: before the Great Flush
You’re gonna need a bigger boat
A recent post by Alison at Her Nibs got me thinking about storage. For a long time, I figured that my hand-converted cigar box would be plenty of storage for my pen collection. Depending on how crammed I'm willing to make it, it holds up to eight pens in felt-lined luxury. Now that cigar box … Continue reading You’re gonna need a bigger boat
Review: Back to school with the Taroko Design A5 notebook
As I lay myself down on the therapist's couch, a quiet voice next to me begins to speak. "Where do you think your addiction to stationery stems from?" "I guess it goes back to my school days," I whisper. "Interesting. Now let's go deeper. Describe the images that come into your mind," the therapist continues. … Continue reading Review: Back to school with the Taroko Design A5 notebook
First flight: the mighty Pelikan M805
The Pelikan M805 is, far and away, my fanciest pen. It's big, built like a tank, and extremely polished — both literally and figuratively. The sort of pen wielded by a statesman or captain of industry. But does it write well enough to justify the fancy price tag?
I’m in love with the Pilot 912
It's very easy to wax lyrical about the Pilot Custom Heritage 912, particularly with the FA (Falcon) nib. Over the past six months, I've mentioned it several times — always favourably. In fact, it might just be my favourite pen. Here are five things I love about it. 1: Modern but classic Glossy piano black. … Continue reading I’m in love with the Pilot 912
UK fountain pens 