I've had a few requests recently for ink-related posts. Despite my mediocre photography, I thought I'd share a few inks that I'm really enjoying at the moment — and a few that disappointed. Winners Edelstein Star Ruby After the faded sadness that was Edelstein Ruby, Star Ruby is simply fantastic. Vibrant, well-behaved, non-staining, and a … Continue reading Inky fingers, June 2019
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My Japan haul: ink, paper and more
As is my way, I went to Japan with an exhaustively researched shopping list. I knew which items I wanted to investigate, I knew where was likely to stock them, and I knew roughly how much they were going to cost. But I still gave myself a few surprises. Inks Tokyo is the home of … Continue reading My Japan haul: ink, paper and more
Travels with pens: prepping for Miami — and a few fabulous new arrivals
Tomorrow morning I'm off on my next travels: a few days in Miami. Waiting for me there is my new Wahl Decoband Jade and Karas Re-Entry with Ti nib, so I'm travelling pretty light: just three pens, in my Franklin-Christoph "glasses case". Here's what I've picked: Conid Kingsize, F Ti, Graf Burned Orange Conid Regular, … Continue reading Travels with pens: prepping for Miami — and a few fabulous new arrivals
12 inks for 2019: progress report and substitutions
If you remember way back to the start of the year, I set myself a challenge of using only 12 inks for my daily use in 2019. My only exceptions were to be for reviews and other 'one off' uses. So, three months in, how am I getting on? In short: much better than I … Continue reading 12 inks for 2019: progress report and substitutions
Friday snippets: Conid, Conway Stewart, Leonardo, Edelstein Star Ruby and more…
It's been a quiet week on the blog, but a busy week in my mailbox. Here're the headlines. The return of the Conid In my review of the Conid Regular you may remember me complaining about the slippery Delrin section. A friend on Instagram recommended that I order a separate titanium section, which would solve … Continue reading Friday snippets: Conid, Conway Stewart, Leonardo, Edelstein Star Ruby and more…
12 inks for 2019
What does an empty ink bottle look like? I watched in amazement in 2018 as people on my Instagram feed actually finished bottles of ink. The #emptyinkbottlechallenge seemed to me as crazy, admirable and impossible as running an ultramarathon. As of today, I have 166 full-size bottles of ink (excluding sample vials and duplicates), and … Continue reading 12 inks for 2019
Magnificent seven: Black Friday edition
I swore to myself: no new pens before Christmas. But (predictably) I failed. The Black Friday discounts got the better of me. I'm undecided how I feel about this ultimately consumerist holiday, and what it means for the small retailers and brands that I try to support. But my actions speak louder than my words. … Continue reading Magnificent seven: Black Friday edition
A very special blue-black: “Randall” by Nick Stewart
I'm a sucker for blue-black inks. So when Nick Stewart offered me the chance to try a sample of his new ink, Randall (named after one of Nick's aquatic adventurer friends), I jumped at it. I don't claim to the mastery of ink and lettering that Nick has, but even I can see that Randall … Continue reading A very special blue-black: “Randall” by Nick Stewart
New arrivals: Sheaffer Legacy, Montblanc Red Fox, Galen Writing Box and more
It's been a truly wonderful week for new arrivals landing on my desk. Sheaffer Legacy Heritage I'll review this separately in due course, but I wanted to get some of my excitement out before I burst. I've always thought that Sheaffer's inlaid nibs were pretty, but never picked one up. I'm kicking myself now. The … Continue reading New arrivals: Sheaffer Legacy, Montblanc Red Fox, Galen Writing Box and more
Pure Pens inks: Celtic colours
In the UK we're blessed with a number of wonderful stationery shops. Pure Pens, based in Wales, is one of them. They're a fixture at pen shows and a stockist of unusual Noodler's inks (I bought my bottle of Tianenmen from them back at the LWES). And, like me, they're Pelikan addicts. Pure Pens has … Continue reading Pure Pens inks: Celtic colours
