Tesori is a small maker based in Italy, recently rebranded from Hello Tello. The Tesori rebrand was more than just a new name and logo: it included new models and a stronger social mission. The company gives 25% of sales to organisations that help victims of sex trafficking and exploitation, a huge commitment to a … Continue reading Tesori Venezia: fresh and vibrant
Review: the Galen Leather Sketch Box
The Galen Sketch Box is really intended for artists. I'm certainly no artist, of any stripe. But I do frequently write away from my desk, and not always in notebooks. When writing with loose sheets of Tomoe, especially using guide sheets, I have often been frustrated trying to keep them in place on a normal … Continue reading Review: the Galen Leather Sketch Box
Flying high with the Onoto Spitfire
A 'tribute' pen is a dangerous thing. Look at something like Montegrappa's Apollo 11 moon landing pens: I confess that I quite want one, but nevertheless they come across like cheap toys, even when the top-tier edition costs an eye-watering £6,000. Image credit: Iguanasell It's not just Montegrappa's usual over-the-top style, either. Platinum and Cross … Continue reading Flying high with the Onoto Spitfire
Snippets: Covid, BAMF, William Hannah and more
Covid strikes On a personal note, this week has been an absolute shocker for me. My daughter tested positive for Covid, so we're all in isolation for two weeks, and I'm feeling rough as hell (my daughter feels right as rain now, though!). Leaving aside the enormous impact this is having on mental health, work, … Continue reading Snippets: Covid, BAMF, William Hannah and more
The first UKFP fountain pen community survey
Designing a good survey is HARD. I have done enough market research theory and practice as part of my dayjob to respect those that do it really well, and I am sure beyond all doubt that I am merely an enthusiastic amateur. I also know that market research as absolutely essential to keeping our world … Continue reading The first UKFP fountain pen community survey
For sale
Righto, some pens for sale. All great pens, but I am out of space and I need to cut down. Contact me ukfountainpens@gmail.com to buy — see terms and conditions at the end of this post. Mythic Prime, Brooks Red, M, £150Esterbrook J, 2048 nib, £30Pelikan M205 Moonstone, F, £75 SPFScriveiner black and gold, M, … Continue reading For sale
The super-slim tm2 from Gazing Far
It's amazing how different the Gazing Far tm2 feels from its pocket-pen cousin, the tmX (previously reviewed here). While the tmX feels wooden and soft and chunky, the tm2 feels like a metal scalpel, thin and light and precise. Compare it to a bigger pen like the Penlux Masterpiece and the difference is even more … Continue reading The super-slim tm2 from Gazing Far
The UKFP 2020 recap
2020 was a strange year in many ways, but it was a great year for fountain pens. As I sat down to prepare to write this post, scanning back over my Instagram feed and blog to refresh my memory, I was struck by, well, just how many great pens landed on my desk — even … Continue reading The UKFP 2020 recap
A quick, no-nonsense gift guide for 2020
I promised myself I wouldn't do a gift guide for this year. But here goes. If you're looking to buy some presents for the fountain pen lover in your life, and you have no idea where to start, let me try to help. The rules are simple: No pens. (Apart from a couple of cheats … Continue reading A quick, no-nonsense gift guide for 2020
Penlux Masterpiece Grande: a big in-house piston filler for £150
You might not have heard of Penlux. I bought a couple of its inks from Anderson about a year ago, but at that point I didn't know it made pens. And those pens are not widely distributed here in the UK: as far as I know, only the Northumbrian Pen Company sells them. Which is … Continue reading Penlux Masterpiece Grande: a big in-house piston filler for £150
