It is the final day of 2024 and so time for a wrap up of the year, something I have only done once before. I will also cover my pen of the year.

By design I was always going to be a slow down on purchases compared to previous years, also it has been really quiet on the United Inkdom front, so while some meta-reviews have been posted, those were really catching up on the previous year. Please bare in mind the group organiser got married early in the year and then started a PhD!

At the Spring London Pen Show I decided at the last moment to try another table. This was very much a risk as I was mainly bringing pens I had failed to sell the previous time. Still I did reasonably well (though I came back with 26 pens). I also purchased three new pens, though none particularly expensive. Of those one I reviewed, one I had previously reviewed when I was leant an example through United Inkdom, and the third, well I did previously post I’ve been a bit lazy and it is on my to do list.

Come September I found myself running the Fleet, Hampshire, UK Pelikan Hub and forgetting to take any photos. Still it went well and we potentially have some new members for the regular pen meet.

October saw the London Pen Show. I always have a clash for this one and so I attended just for a couple of hours, but enough time to catch up with various people and to try and see what was new. My only purchase this time was a Toyooka Craft pen rest.

My plans for next year? Well to try and attend both London Pen Shows and carry on attending the Fleet Pen Club (and if that’s not on maybe try the reformed London Club which now meets on the same day (the old London club met on a different Saturday). I am unlikely to make the Pelikan Hub this year as I have a clash that takes priority. Pens to purchase, not sure. There have been rumours of new ScriBo models so that would be tempting. Also who knows what I will see or be tempted by (if I ever see the green Lamy 2000 going for half price I’ll jump at that).

So on to my pen of the year. Well I am going to split this in to pen purchased this year and preferred over all pen of the year. Partly due to not buying many pens but also a little to my surprise based on previous experiences with the brand my new pen of the year is the Namisu Nova Titanium Pocket Pen in Ultem.

As to my actual pen of the year, that is a bit more complicated. It would have been my Gravitas Ultimate Vac which I still regularly use, however due to a design decision the plunger ring can come off and it has with mine several times. I am also tempted to say the Gravitas Piston Filler, though that is a prototype/test bench and also not mine. In the end I have decided to give it to a pen I do not use that much but every time I do I really enjoy it. Part of the lack of use is I leave this one at home. So my overall winner – my Hakase NJ15A.

Here is to a great 2025 for all my readers.