Last week's Friday Five was a mistake. By Tuesday I found myself bored and looking for different colours, something new, and a different mix of nibs to suit work and journalling. That's what I get for being overconfident. The Estie was doing good duty, and I wrote it dry. The 149 also saw plenty of … Continue reading I got cocky. Sunday Seven. Bonus eight.
magnificent seven
Friday five
Magnificent seven has been going pretty well. Time to take it to the next level: Friday five. Same principle, two fewer pens. Here's week one. Conid Minimalistica Monarch, Sailor Kin-Mokusei I've been persevering with the Conid, and today flushed out the Montblanc UNICEF, tried Montblanc Red Chine, then flushed and inked with this orange, in … Continue reading Friday five
The magnificent seven: week five
My poor pen collection has had a very disruptive week. Two of the pens in my week four selection (the Pineider and Diplomat) went into the 'for sale' pile, so I took them out of rotation. But I wrote the Lamy 2000 dry, and had good runs with the 149 and Optima. And then today … Continue reading The magnificent seven: week five
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
The magnificent seven: week one
Today I laid my collection out, all together. It didn't fit in my pen drawer. I had to leave three pens out of shot. Left to right: Montblanc 1912, Montblanc 149, Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl, Pelikan M400 white tortoiseshell, Visconti Wall Street LE, Visconti Homo Sapiens London Fog, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Visconti Van Gogh Room … Continue reading The magnificent seven: week one
UK fountain pens 