You may remember I reviewed the Esterbrook Estie way back in October last year. It was a strong entry to the pen market from the reborn Esterbrook brand, and I was impressed not only by its clean and comfortable design, but practical features like the sealed cap and vintage nib adaptor. The pen I reviewed … Continue reading The prettiest Estie yet?
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The Kasama Una isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly different
I'm always on the lookout for something new. That's why I got so excited by the Karas Vertex recently — it went back to the drawing board and gave us a design different to any other pen on the market. It's the same reason I just plonked down £400 to import a Kasama Una from the … Continue reading The Kasama Una isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly different
A personal journey with the Montblanc Agatha Christie Writer’s Edition
I had high expectations coming to the Montblanc Agatha Christie. Over the past 25 years it has gained an almost legendary status (and associated price tag) even among Montblanc Writer's Editions, surpassed perhaps by the Hemingway only. But for me the expectations came from something rather more personal. My daughter is named Agatha, and specifically … Continue reading A personal journey with the Montblanc Agatha Christie Writer’s Edition
The Karas Vertex is a breath of fresh air
You know how sometimes you get a new pen and it's just so fresh and clever that you immediately love it and just want to rave about it to everyone? Well, that's me with the Karas Pens Vertex. I'm so blown away by this pen that they should have called it "vortex". (And I promise that's the last dad-joke … Continue reading The Karas Vertex is a breath of fresh air
Time for a new buyer’s guide? Part one: pens under £50
My UKFP buyer's guide page gets consistent traffic — clearly a lot of you out there are looking for recommendations as to which fountain pens are worth spending your money on. It's been a while since I wrote it, and I think it might be time for a new list. Let me know what you … Continue reading Time for a new buyer’s guide? Part one: pens under £50
State of the collection: August 2019
OK folks, that time of the month again (well, near enough). Let's see what's in my tray for August. Left to right: Montegrappa Extra, Visconti London Fog, Visconti Medici, Aurora 88 Nettuno, Aurora Duo-Cart, Montblanc Agatha Christie, Montblanc Geometry Solitaire, Montblanc 1912, Lamy 2000, Kaweco Art Sport Alabaster, Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl, Geha 760, Graf … Continue reading State of the collection: August 2019
The Aurora Duo-Cart could just be a modern classic
I have a fresh appreciation for Aurora's pens. The 88 Nettuno has wormed its way into my heart, and I not only love the way it writes (which I take credit for) but the way it looks and feels in the hand. But that's a £500 special edition. Would I be equally enamored of a … Continue reading The Aurora Duo-Cart could just be a modern classic
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
The Aurora 88 Nettuno has beauty and brains
I really took a chance buying this Aurora 88 Nettuno. I haven't quite gelled with the last couple of Auroras I've bought, and what's more I've had less than perfect luck with the quality of its nibs and pens. But for months and months I've been unable to get this pen out of my head, … Continue reading The Aurora 88 Nettuno has beauty and brains
Quantifying greatness: going deep down the rabbit hole
A while back I made an attempt at a scoring methodology for pens. It was a way for me to take a bottom-up, step-by-step approach to working out what I liked and disliked about the pens I owned, and to see whether the cumulative total resulted in a ranking that actually reflected my gut preferences. … Continue reading Quantifying greatness: going deep down the rabbit hole
