The lovely people at Cult Pens recently sent me a bottle of ink to review. I asked to try one of the new inks by Straits Pen (new because although they've been around since 2018, Cult has just started to stock them), and didn't specify which colour from the range. My mistake. Cult sent me … Continue reading Straits Pen Honest Inks: come for the bottle and the sense of humour, stay for the ink
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Wearingeul: high-concept inks from Korea
Inks may have become an overwhelming torrent in 2021, but Wearingeul are proving that if you do something really, really well, there’s still room to stand out and delight. This Korean brand has come out of nowhere and hit with a bang. What do I mean? Well. Here’s just one example. They’ve created a boxed … Continue reading Wearingeul: high-concept inks from Korea
Dominant Industry inks make a splash
This review has been a long time coming. I first reached out to Dominant Industry on Instagram in August 2020, and — once we broke the language barrier — it was clear they weren’t ready for a review until they got their international expansion underway. But I didn’t forget, and this September I followed up. … Continue reading Dominant Industry inks make a splash
Vinta Ulap: an exclusive worth having
I was destined to fall for this ink, for three reasons. First, I'm a fan of Vinta, the young ink brand from the Philippines. Since I first discovered them 18 months ago, its bottles have quietly become a presence in my core ink box, with inks like the bright Android Teal and the murky Kelp … Continue reading Vinta Ulap: an exclusive worth having
Ten inks for 2020
I bought a lot of ink in 2020, and sold a lot, too. I've just pulled aside another batch to sell, leaving me with 67 distinct bottles of ink — a good ratio to the 27 pens I have left. From the survivors, I've picked out ten inks that really brought me joy in 2020, … Continue reading Ten inks for 2020
Craving the simple again: another ink purge
I was surprised to find that over the past five months — since I made my 'ink menu' back in June — I'd accumulated around 40 new bottles of ink. I knew I'd been splashing out (not literally), but I hadn't realised quite how much. Since my ink collection was now bursting out of the … Continue reading Craving the simple again: another ink purge
Roundup: Otto Hutt inks
If I were a pen manufacturer, I would dread thinking about inks. After you reach a certain size, it's kinda expected that you offer a range of branded ink, and you know that there's potential for revenue there. But ink has the potential to be a huge ball-ache. Do you try to compete with Diamine … Continue reading Roundup: Otto Hutt inks
Benu, cartridges, interviews, queues and more
A few days ago I started writing a September 'State of the Collection' post. But the scale of the task has overwhelmed me. With more than 20 posts since the August SotC, and at least as many pens in and out... well, I figured nobody would want to read a post that long. But I … Continue reading Benu, cartridges, interviews, queues and more
Finding joy in black ink
Since I found myself getting into fountain pens, I've never really used black inks. Grey inks, sure: a good grey can be as expressive as any other colour, ranging from a clean crisp silver to the colour of 2B pencil, and with an infinity of tints, from almost lavender purple, to murky fog-brown. But the … Continue reading Finding joy in black ink
Diving in to the world of Ferris Wheel Press
I'm a closet (graphic) design lover. I will stop in the street to admire a carefully chosen colour palette, and I mentally applaud when I see evidence of good typography practices in an advert or on packaging. So Canadian brand Ferris Wheel Press is kinda like catnip to me. As they'll proudly tell you, they … Continue reading Diving in to the world of Ferris Wheel Press
UK fountain pens 