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
Tag: ink (Page 3 of 4)
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
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
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
I’m a terrible ink reviewer. There, I’ve said it. Because ink reviewing is all about two things: consistent methodology and fabulous photography. I can’t be bothered with the first, and I lack the skill for the second.
What I have plenty of is opinions (not so good) and experience (more useful). I’ve used about 100… Continue reading
The end of a year is a great time to reflect. I thought it would be fun to give some playful awards based on my experiences of a LOT of money spent in 2017.
The Inky Fingers award for best ink brand goes to… Birmingham
I have 10 bottles of Birmingham inks and I turn… Continue reading
I like discovering new brands, particularly ones that approach well-trodden ground from a whole new angle. Colorverse is a Korean ink manufacturer that I encountered on Instagram a couple of weeks ago. I immediately got in touch to ask for some review samples. What caught my eye?
Space theme — done thoroughly
All of Colorverse’s… Continue reading
For a pen geek like me, few things are as agonising as choosing between inks. Picking one means consigning a dozen others to the shelf for weeks. I can prevaricate for a ludicrous amount of time choosing inks.
So I thought it would be a good test of my decisiveness to pick 10 inks from… Continue reading
I’ve got 11 inked pens. Right now, that’s feeling like an achievement. With new pens and new inks to try, I’m fighting to keep to a manageable number. But I’m pretty happy with this loadout.
Not quite my usual loadout. Where’s the turquoise?!
1: Visconti Homo Sapiens — Aurora Black
I admit, I’m struggling to… Continue reading
I’ve been on a buying spree lately (when am I not?). Here’s my quick-hit initial verdict on a few products to cross my desk.
Field Notes Dime Novel
I subscribed to Field Notes for a few years, but as I got more into fountain pens I grew more and more frustrated by the lousy paper.… Continue reading