Almost exactly a year ago I reviewed the Esterbrook JR, a plucky little pen that impressed me much more than I expected it would. On paper the JR is nothing much: a small plastic pen with a converter and a generic steel nib, that sells for about £40 more than rivals like the piston-equipped Pelikan … Continue reading Esterbrook JR Paradise with Scribe architect nib: the feelgood hit of the summer?
Month: Aug 2021
Drillog reinvents the glass dip pen
If you've been in the pen game for a few years, you've probably bought at least one glass dip pen, lured in by the artistry, the pretty colours... and the functional advantage of having an easy-clean tool for playing with 'specialist' inks, doing swatches, and so on. I must have bought half a dozen over … Continue reading Drillog reinvents the glass dip pen
Atoms to Astronauts: UK-made, fountain-pen friendly notebooks
I used to review a lot of notebooks. Like, a lot. Then gradually I settled on (mostly) Tomoe River paper from a select roster of makers: Pebble, Elia Note, Musubi, Galen, GLP. And now I have a stockpile of more than 25 notebooks, enough to last me years. So you could say I'm not actively … Continue reading Atoms to Astronauts: UK-made, fountain-pen friendly notebooks
For sale: Nakaya, Lamy, Cross and more
A few new pens from my personal collection up for sale. As always, consider these to be in inked but very good condition, and boxed. Prices include UK shipping and are based on PayPal friends and family or bank transfer. All of these are exceptional pens, many of them are uncommon. Selling only to keep … Continue reading For sale: Nakaya, Lamy, Cross and more
Flex for the masses? The Good Blue R615 flex fountain pen
Isn't it great when a new pen maker appears on the scene, with a design you've never seen before? The Good Blue is a young venture by a chap called Sunil, who I met at the London Pen Show. He has plunged into the world of pens with a combination of infectious enthusiasm and engineering … Continue reading Flex for the masses? The Good Blue R615 flex fountain pen