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 bargain it was. At least two people bought one off the back of that post — I guess I should be on commission!
Now that I’m a convert to the smaller LeGrand, I’m freshly reconsidering the Petit Prince…
Tuesday: Gallic charm
My glorious Oldwin arrived. It’s huge, it’s a one-off, it’s hand-made, it has red and gold in abundance, it is amazing. It also had a hole in the nib where there shouldn’t be one. So I am now in limbo waiting for a replacement nib.
Wednesday: from large to little
More post! And from the giant Oldwin to the tiny Kaweco Art Sport Coral. I know this model well, so I didn’t waste any time getting a review up — mainly focusing on the colour.
Thursday: nibmeister in training
I finally got around to tackling my gold Sheaffer Legacy Heritage, with its slightly not-right and far too wet broad nib. A bit of pressure here and there and things were feeling better, if not perfect, and the alignment under a loupe was nearly there. My next brainwave was to see how a super-dry ink would work — so Blackbird Mallard Green went in. Wet nib meets dry ink, and the result is rather nice. Feeling very pleased with myself.
Expect a post on how to fettle a nib to come soon.
Friday: hail to the King
A big day for me: I received a Conid Kingsize, in trade for my Graf Platino and Visconti Wall Street. Both amazing pens that weren’t seeing enough use. I am already missing them, but I know they’ve gone to a great home. And in return I have this absolute beast, with a size-8 Ti nib. It fixes every issue I had with the Minimalistica Monarch. I’m a very happy guy.
Saturday: getting my hit of Birmingham
Speaking of Birmingham, I was mildly alarmed (but also super encouraged) to read Nick’s news that he’s going to be changing his business strategy to go fully in-house. I ordered a load of his wonderful Tomoe notebooks, including an A3 pad (!!!), as well as backups of some of my favourite inks, such as Celestial Blue.
Sunday: travelling to the future of Montblanc
Speaking of Birmingham, today I wrote the Montegrappa Extra dry of Birmingham Polar Bear and reinked with Montblanc Homer Greek Blue. That’s one more pen on the wagon for my 12 inks for 2019.
I wrote and posted a blog about travelling with pens. I’d love to know your experiences, since this is a perennial topic of interest.
And last but not least, I got a heads-up about the full 2019 Montblanc pen line-up. A flex-nib 149 (yes, a flexible nib 149. Montblanc doing flex. Yes). Kipling in the writers series. Hadrian in patron of arts. Walt Disney in great characters. Maki-e. Sand-brown Petit Prince. You heard it here first, folks. And that’s surely enough to earn me a lifetime ban on FPN…
Wow, what an eventful pen week. I hope the replacement nib arrives soon for your Oldwin. Enjoy your new goodies!