If you remember from my last post, I’ve spent the past week in Tokyo for work. The schedule has been punishing at times, but I’ve had a blast.
What’s really stuck with me has been the hospitality of the people and the amazing service, the great food, and just how incredibly clean and well-kept everything… Continue reading
Tag: japan (Page 2 of 3)
Edit: if you’ve arrived directly here from a link (eg Pen Addict), you might be interested in the second part of the trip report, here!
Sometimes, the pen gods smile upon me. This is one such time. I write this from my usual haunt in Heathrow Terminal 3, shortly before boarding a Japan Air flight… Continue reading
I adore Muji. The lack of branding. The simple designs. The functional materials. Just walking around its stores is a calming experience, everything just so, everything essential.
It’s a dose of simplicity that I think we all crave right now — the same appeal that Marie Kondo tapped into when she taught us to let… Continue reading
The Platinum President (PTB-20000P) is one of those pens that nobody knows about. Its value proposition is simple: it’s a slightly fancier, larger version of the 3776, with a more western-tuned nib, now in 18k gold. The only downside, on paper, is that it lacks the 3776’s wonderful sealing cap, but in all other respects… Continue reading
I knew from the moment I opened the box that the Pilot Prera was way too small for me. This is not a big pen. It’s not heavy either. It’s all plastic, and with the included Pilot Black cartridge inserted, there’s not even the extra couple of grams of a converter to help add a… Continue reading
To me, Pilot is a little bit like the Mafia. You try to escape, but they reel you back in.
I have written at length about my love affair with the 912 FA, then reluctantly sold it when I admitted to myself that my grip doesn’t suit flex. I bought, sold, bought and sold the… Continue reading
I really wanted to like this pen — for a while I had it fairly near the top of my affordable pen wishlist — but on balance it left me cold, consistent with my first impressions. I just didn’t click with it.
Here’s what’s good.
The clamshell packaging makes it suitable for a gift. This… Continue reading
Oh most blessed of days — the New Pen Day — thrice visited me today! Rejoice!
Today I took delivery of three pens, all of which I immediately inked and had a good play with. Look out for reviews to come, but here are my first thoughts…
Opus 88 Koloro
I was intrigued by this… Continue reading
I write a lot about pens and ink, but I’ve not blogged much about paper recently. Of course, I’ve been writing as much as ever: journalling in my Hobonichi, keeping lists and notes in my pocket notebooks, and ploughing through nine work notebooks in the past nine months.
There are brands here from Japan (Life,… Continue reading
I have a sneaking adoration of orange inks, partly because they’re so different from the dark, heavy colours I normally write with; they’re like a palate-cleanser.
It’s also that they typically shade wonderfully, and are dark enough to use for writing (which yellow inks often aren’t).
So of my nearly 80 bottles of ink, I’ve… Continue reading