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?
review
Anderillium Inks: the Cephalopod series
I already posted a quick introduction to Anderillium Inks, but here's a bit more detail about each of the colours, and most importantly, a few comparisons so you can judge what you're getting against some more familiar inks. Each of the inks is pH neutral, water-based and water-soluble, and hand-made in-house in Florida. The colours … Continue reading Anderillium Inks: the Cephalopod series
Esterbrook Pen Nooks: bringing some pizzazz to pen storage
I was really excited about the Pen Nooks when Esterbrook parent company Kenro shared images of them with me a while ago. It's always good to see a new entry to any market, and I hoped these products would be a fresh competitor to cases from the likes of Nock, Hurlestone and Franklin-Christoph. And phwoar, … Continue reading Esterbrook Pen Nooks: bringing some pizzazz to pen storage
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
A new notebook option: GoodINKPressions for Tomoe and SplendorGel (?!)
I'm always on the lookout for new notebook makers who offer something different, and ideally that use my preferred Tomoe River paper. Today I'm sharing my thoughts on two B5 handmade notebooks from a Spain-based company called GoodINKPressions, available on Etsy. I bought these for full retail price, which was £19 each plus £4 shipping. … Continue reading A new notebook option: GoodINKPressions for Tomoe and SplendorGel (?!)
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
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
