Tomorrow morning I'm off on my next travels: a few days in Miami. Waiting for me there is my new Wahl Decoband Jade and Karas Re-Entry with Ti nib, so I'm travelling pretty light: just three pens, in my Franklin-Christoph "glasses case". Here's what I've picked: Conid Kingsize, F Ti, Graf Burned Orange Conid Regular, … Continue reading Travels with pens: prepping for Miami — and a few fabulous new arrivals
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Karas Pens Ink: worth the wait?
The Karas Ink is one of those pens I kept adding to my cart, for literally years, without pressing the 'buy' button. I was attracted by its design (particularly the clip) and colours, but I guess I wondered whether I needed another fairly generic metal pen in my life, and I also worried about the … Continue reading Karas Pens Ink: worth the wait?
Travels with pens: Washington
I've been spending this week in snowy Pullman, Washington, hanging out with my brother. It's always nice to see him -- we live on separate continents, so it doesn't happen often enough. But really, I came to visit him to pick up my post. I regularly order stuff from US retailers directly to his house … Continue reading Travels with pens: Washington
Snippets: epic mail call and more travel
I haven't posted a blog since 22nd October, 17 days ago. It's been a busy couple of weeks. At the end of October I took a long weekend with the family down to Fowey Hall in Cornwall. It was a chance to get away and unwind from work. I took just four pens with me: … Continue reading Snippets: epic mail call and more travel
The Karas Pens Starliner is ruining my reputation
Blast off I pride myself on my rational thought, my insight, my critical eye and my consistency. The new Reaktor Starliner pens from Karas Pens have made a mockery of that. But let's rewind. The Starliner and Starliner XL are two of the new 'Reaktor' budget pens from Karas Pens, whose Decograph I recently reviewed. … Continue reading The Karas Pens Starliner is ruining my reputation
Smoke and ice: Franklin-Christoph Model 02
Although I couldn't resist snapping up Birmingham Pens' 'Unicorn Barf' beta pen, I'm not a man for loud colours in my pens. Most of my collection is various shades of black and grey. Luckily, Franklin-Christoph caters to colour-minimal buyers like me, and I find their pens irresistible. The model under review here, the Model 02 … Continue reading Smoke and ice: Franklin-Christoph Model 02
Suited and booted: Franklin-Christoph Penvelope 6
Most "fancy" pen cases are leather. I get that. Leather is durable, attractive, and has a premium reputation. But for whatever reason, some of us want an alternative: something made of non-leather material that still protects our precious pens and that looks great, too. There are plenty of fabric cases out there, but few of … Continue reading Suited and booted: Franklin-Christoph Penvelope 6
I’m confused as hell why I like the Edison Beaumont so much
Here's the backstory. I've wanted an Edison Collier for a long time, but never quite got around to pulling the trigger before the gold nib frenzy stole me away. A guy on Facebook (hi Nick!) posted an Edison Beaumont for sale for £75 (about half retail) a month or so back. I jumped on it, … Continue reading I’m confused as hell why I like the Edison Beaumont so much
Karas Kustoms Decograph 1801: plastic fantastic
History repeating I feel like I go back a long way with Karas Kustoms. I backed their Render K machined ballpoint pen way back in 2011 (although it's long-since sold). Yet despite many hours spent configuring colour combinations, I've never actually pulled the trigger on one of their fountain pens. Partly that's because I've drifted … Continue reading Karas Kustoms Decograph 1801: plastic fantastic
Eight different notebooks put through the wringer
I write a lot about pens and ink, but I've not blogged much about paper recently. Of course, I've been writing as much as ever: journalling in my Hobonichi, keeping lists and notes in my pocket notebooks, and ploughing through nine work notebooks in the past nine months. There are brands here from Japan (Life, … Continue reading Eight different notebooks put through the wringer
