I have a thing for retractable fountain pens, like the Montblanc 1912 and the Lamy Dialog 3 (and yes, the new Curidas). But the king of them all in the market is the Pilot Vanishing Point. I have tried a few Vanishing Points (or 'Capless') over the years. The current 'normal' Vanishing Point first. Then … Continue reading Pilot takes the Vanishing Point to the next level
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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
Friday snippets: Conid, Conway Stewart, Leonardo, Edelstein Star Ruby and more…
It's been a quiet week on the blog, but a busy week in my mailbox. Here're the headlines. The return of the Conid In my review of the Conid Regular you may remember me complaining about the slippery Delrin section. A friend on Instagram recommended that I order a separate titanium section, which would solve … Continue reading Friday snippets: Conid, Conway Stewart, Leonardo, Edelstein Star Ruby and more…
The Pilot Prera kinda makes me wish I had smaller hands
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 The Pilot Prera kinda makes me wish I had smaller hands
Pilot Fermo: the thinking person’s Vanishing Point
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 Pilot Fermo: the thinking person’s Vanishing Point
I’m in love with the Pilot 912
It's very easy to wax lyrical about the Pilot Custom Heritage 912, particularly with the FA (Falcon) nib. Over the past six months, I've mentioned it several times — always favourably. In fact, it might just be my favourite pen. Here are five things I love about it. 1: Modern but classic Glossy piano black. … Continue reading I’m in love with the Pilot 912
Review: Pilot 92 smoke, fine medium
Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm a fan of Pilot pens. Although I recently sold my Elabo and Vanishing Point, my 91 and 912 are in regular rotation. Regular readers will also know that I put a Pilot 92 on my top-five pen wishlist. Well, I'm a man with no self-control, and … Continue reading Review: Pilot 92 smoke, fine medium
