Your impartial and comprehensive review site for writing instruments

Incoming!

Heads up, dear readers: the review queue is looking flush.

In the past seven days, in case you missed it, I:

  • Reappraised Benu pens from Russia
  • Found myself getting hate mail after critiquing the Venvstas Magna
  • Enjoyed the relatively budget Narwhal Original (wherever its nib comes from)
  • Gave you some tips on checking your own nibs when they arrive
  • Completed a hat trick of Cleo Skribent reviews, reviewing the bargainous Classic.

And while I’m not sure I’ll be keeping up a near-daily posting rate (remember, it is just me pouring hours into this blog), I do have some marvellous things in the queue for you, either already in my possession or soon to be inbound. To whet your appetite:

  • The last of my products from Galen Leather, including their Tomoe notebooks and notepads, and the co-branded Kaweco Sport Cognac.
  • Two pens from under-the-radar British maker John Garnham, who is causing quite a stir on Facebook.
  • A pocket pen from Irish wood wizard Leonard Slattery, who has followed Ian Schon in the move from Bock to JoWo!
  • A couple of Sailor-style stacked nibs from upcoming nib prodigy Jose Munuera
  • Esterbrook’s revised Pen Nooks v2 — and a special surprise
  • The Prussian Blue TWSBI from Write Here
  • Italy’s Maiora from Izods
  • My first try at the venerable ST Dupont courtesy of Pure Pens

And that’s just for starters. I have a whole list of other products to review, plus ideas for more editorial posts, like introducing you to the new ink journal notebook I started this week.

I also want to give you a heads up about a new page on the site, called ‘Working with UK Fountain Pens‘. Alongside my Ethics page, it gives you a totally transparent picture of how I work with makers, brands and retailers to get a review on to this blog. Two requests:

  • If you have any feedback or ideas on that page and how I work, do drop me an email at [email protected].
  • If there’s a product you’re interested in, whether it’s a pen, ink, notebook or something else, and you want me to review it before you spend your hard-earned cash on it, please drop the company a message linking them to that page and ask them to get in touch with me.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and stay tuned!

7 Comments

  1. Susan

    Hello, Anthony —

    Thank you, as always, for all of your interesting, well-written reviews! I’m sorry you caught flack for the Venvstas review; that was actually one of the recent posts I found most helpful, personally, as I like the look of the pen and was really curious about other people’s experiences with it.

    I’m truly grateful to you for sharing your honest, well-reasoned assessments of so many different pens, sometimes even more so when they don’t match my own. I always learn something when that is the case, and I really appreciate you putting all of the time and energy (not to mention pen money!) into keeping your blog posts coming.

    All the best to you,

    Susan

  2. Chapel

    Your review of the Venvtas pen was an honest one. When David Parker at Figboot on Pens talked about it you would have thought it was magical. When I left comments about what a disaster the pen is in design, fit, and finish the Venvtas owner got upset that I didn’t recognize it as great art and threw a hissy fit, ranting and raving at my lack of appreciation for his masterpiece.
    Since the owner claims to be an architect it makes me wonder about any building he’s designed.

    Thanks for your honest reviews.

    • Anthony

      The architect talking about his art and his masterpiece… yep, had that same language in the mails to me. Thanks for the comment, it helps to know I’m not alone!

  3. jomatthews

    Fantastic list of upcoming reviews and sorry you had grief over the Venvstas. Surely, as an architect, he should be used to feedback on designs and use it as an opportunity to improve his creations, but hey, that might be too reasonable.

  4. Rafael R. Pappalardo

    I have two Venustas from their kickstarter campaign some years ago. The first one was a complete disaster and they sent another one. Which was another disaster. Ink leaking everywhere. I see there is no hope for them even after changing production site.

  5. Venvstas Italy

    Hello, we are aware of the review and first, the pen was not bought by Anthony, it was given by a retailer and he failed to take out the nib, we are sorry for his bad experience but the technical office is working hard in improving the nib uni; Some things written by Anthony fall into the realms of what is subjective; We do think is a different pen, therefore customers have 2 weeks for trying out the pen and can send it back with no reason at all if they want;
    We see Anthony is left handed and we specially tune nibs for left handed writers, probably if he had bought the pen from us the story would have been totally different, better like this, we will improve always our products with the help of customers and reviewers alike;
    We have also had a lot of trouble with production due to the pandemic and we are working hard in getting back to normal, please, understand. Some QC problem might have happen, still, we thin that the pen was not handled with care, nor understanding and we would like to check it in our factory this pen to see what degree of damage has taken;

    Everybody who reads this words can contact us for questions and a discount code, so you can try it out ! The pen has two year warranty.

    Think different
    Thank you !

    Alan
    [email protected]

    • Anthony

      I’ll approve this comment to appear on the blog because I support free speech, but I do not agree with the statements it makes. I’m done discussing this pen — I have plenty of other wonderful products I want to get on with writing about! Readers are welcome to make up their own minds and I wish them the best of luck.

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