You know, my last pen purchase cost four figures. You could literally buy 300 Platinum Preppys for the price of that one pen. And there are several very good arguments for why that would be the right thing to do. For as much as I love the TWSBI Eco as an incredible example of value … Continue reading You need a Platinum Preppy Wa. Or six.
japan
What you need to know about the Eboya Kobue
There's not a lot of talk in the English-speaking pen world about Tokyo-based manufacturer Eboya, and even less about its 'Flute' design, the Kobue, which is a special edition model originally created for pen shows. Although you can buy Eboya pens from retailers like Inktraveler and Sakura, as far as I know the Kobue is … Continue reading What you need to know about the Eboya Kobue
Midori MD fountain pen: cute with some retro vibes
You may know Midori as the Japanese brand behind the traveller's notebooks, and the well-regarded MD paper. But they also sell fountain pens, including the quirky bullet pen, and this, the MD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_uwWt8vJOE At £40, this model is pushing out of the true 'affordables' tier against the Preppies, Prefountes, Ecos and plastic Sports. You can … Continue reading Midori MD fountain pen: cute with some retro vibes
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
Is a Sailor Special Nib worth it? Hands on with the Naginata Cross Concord
Sailor's so-called Special Nibs -- ranging from the subtle Naginata-Togi to the absurd King Eagle -- have a storied history. They were unavailable for a few years, and relaunched just a couple of years ago with much higher prices and a new pen body format. Only recently has it been possible to buy one online; … Continue reading Is a Sailor Special Nib worth it? Hands on with the Naginata Cross Concord
Nakaya’s big brother: the 17mm
It won't be a surprise to you that I'm a Nakaya fan. I think I've made my feelings about Nakaya pretty clear already. When I wrote that post I owned two Nakayas: a Decapod Writer in Heki-Tamenuri, and a Long Cigar in Kuro-Tamenuri. I recently bought a third, and it's a rare beast. It's a Portable … Continue reading Nakaya’s big brother: the 17mm
Pilot Murex: a usable Myu
Remember my review of the Pilot Myu? I admired the design, but sadly as a usable pen the Myu fell woefully short for me. Literally, it's a short pen, but the slippery and sloped section was a killer too. Enter the Murex, a pen that promised to fix the Myu for me, with a longer … Continue reading Pilot Murex: a usable Myu
“Optimal stopping” and the Namiki Urushi 20 / Yukari Royale
I read a book recently on algorithms, and it discussed a category of problems called "optimal stopping". Optimal stopping is all about finding out when to, well, stop in a pursuit. How many candidates do you interview for a job before making an offer? How many new restaurants in a city do you try before … Continue reading “Optimal stopping” and the Namiki Urushi 20 / Yukari Royale
The magic of Nakaya
Spend any time on pen blogs and forums and you'll find someone mention "Nakaya" and "grail pen" in the same sentence. There's something about this Japanese brand that really gets people by the soul and won't let go, in a way that Sailor and Pilot don't. Maybe it's the mystique around the brand itself: staffed … Continue reading The magic of Nakaya
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
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