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
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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
Powering up my desk game with Dudek and Off.Lines
At last, desk accessories for fountain pen geeks... Desk accessories have, until now, passed me by. I mean, I've watched over the years with interest as companies like Grovemade have built out their ranges of gorgeous minimalist laptop stands, plant pots and the like — but they've always seemed like they'd take up valuable space … Continue reading Powering up my desk game with Dudek and Off.Lines
