I've always liked the idea of a pocket fountain pen, but I've never managed to find one that I actually carry on a daily basis. The Kaweco Liliput and Milim Pocket Pen are marvels of miniaturisation, but they're just too narrow to use for more than a few sentences. The Kaweco Sport is famously the … Continue reading The TARDIS-like Schon DSGN fountain pen
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The small and sparkly Pelikan M205 Star Ruby
One of my earlier 'proper' pen purchases was a Pelikan M205 in the Aquamarine colour, a tie-in to the Edelstein ink of the year for 2016. It was a sweet little writer, packing a proper piston filler into a tiny package. This M205 Star Ruby is much the same recipe, following on from the Smoky … Continue reading The small and sparkly Pelikan M205 Star Ruby
State of the collection: October 2019. Fit to burst
I didn't do a SotC post in September. It felt like things were changing too much in my collection. And they're still changing, but this is long overdue. So much has changed, in fact, that I'm not going to do my usual what's in/what's out: I'm going to start from scratch. My collection has outgrown … Continue reading State of the collection: October 2019. Fit to burst
Annoyingly good: the Lamy Studio Aquamarine
It's been a long time since I used a Lamy Studio. It was back in early 2016 that I bought my last one, the brushed steel with the rubberised grip. I remember being intensely irritated by the sharp little step at the end of the section, and finding the section's convex taper made my fingers … Continue reading Annoyingly good: the Lamy Studio Aquamarine
Italy’s diamond in the rough: Santini
Only two Italian pen makers actually make their own nibs, in house, from start to finish. One of them is Aurora, as you might have guessed. The other is Santini. You'd be forgiven for not having heard of Santini. It has one tenth the followers on Instagram as Aurora, and you'd have to work very … Continue reading Italy’s diamond in the rough: Santini
Light and white: Tactile Turn Gist V2 in Delrin
I knew in my mind exactly what I'd be getting from the Gist V2 in Delrin — I own an earlier Gist in brass, and I've had experience with Delrin in the past. But the combination of the material and the design still surprised me when I had it in my hand. Described in broad … Continue reading Light and white: Tactile Turn Gist V2 in Delrin
Gorgeous in grey: the Pelikan M1005 Stresemann
A long road led to the Fedex man knocking at my door this week with a package from Pelikan, containing the M1005 Stresemann special edition. To understand why this was a big event for me, we have to go back to July 2017, when I picked up an M1000 in classic black, with a super-juicy, … Continue reading Gorgeous in grey: the Pelikan M1005 Stresemann
Should I have stopped buying pens in November 2016? Thoughts on the Lamy 2000 Bauhaus
In November 2016 I bought a Lamy 2000, with medium nib, on sale at WH Smith. I think it cost me £90, which seemed like a lot at the time. That pen is still with me today. It has seen heavy use, although less now that I have 30 other pens -- some ten times … Continue reading Should I have stopped buying pens in November 2016? Thoughts on the Lamy 2000 Bauhaus
Going against the grain: Leonard Slattery Pens “A Haon”
Until a few weeks ago I'd not heard of Leonard Slattery Pens, but I'm glad I stumbled across his work. Leonard's a craftsman based in Ireland creating wooden pens in unusual designs. Wooden pens are not that common anyway (Graf, Ryan Krusac, Desiderata...?), but here the sections are wooden too. Wood is a uniquely tactile … Continue reading Going against the grain: Leonard Slattery Pens “A Haon”
Franklin-Christoph makes me happy on a Friday
On Wednesday evening Franklin-Christoph sent me an email announcing the beta test of its new Shopify-based website. I quickly take a look on my phone and see a short run of the Pocket 66 model in solid ice. Since I'd been mulling ordering another F-C pen anyway, and the Pocket 66 is no longer a … Continue reading Franklin-Christoph makes me happy on a Friday
