27 Friday Aug 2021
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It has only been four months since I last did an update, a remarkably short period for me. There have been some changes since my last pen list from back in April. This was partly a result of the football related England v Italy piece which did result in a couple being kept in use, a number of new pens claiming their place or presently being tested, and a number that should be in my work carry case.
Continue reading20 Friday Aug 2021
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Demonstrator, Demonstrator Fountain Pen, fountain pen, German, kaweco, Kaweco Perkeo, Perkeo, Perkeo Demonstrator
It is no secret that I have a thing for cheap fountain pens. Sure I have more than a few that many would consider to be expensive (though none with costs in the four figure range) but there is something about those at the sub £30 or even sub £20 price point that I find appealing. I’m not quite sure what it is but the reason may be that many are designed for younger people or students from countries where fountain pens still must be used at least some of the time in school. I think it is a mixture of the interesting colour combinations and the general toughness of the designs and materials you find in this sector that I like.
Kaweco have several ranges which fit under this grouping and while most people will be aware of the Sport and even probably own one or more of those in the plethora of finishes and colours with which they are available, it is the Perkeo which is the brand’s starter pen. A full sized fountain pen made of tough plastic with a reasonable selection of colours and colour combinations it certainly peaks my interest.
Continue reading13 Friday Aug 2021
Posted in Pens
Originally I was just going to list the ‘one man band’ makers with links to their sites, but then decided, why not expand it to include the larger companies. Note the lists are not comprehensive and I will add new makers as I am told about or discover them.
Continue reading06 Friday Aug 2021
Posted in Pens
While I had previously planned to review this pen it was for further down the line, partly due to a side project connected with the fountain pens for a fiver article, and partly due to other pens I wished to cover first. Spotting that the Helix Oxford is presently on sale at Asda (on the UK high street) for just £4.50 I felt now was the time to cover this pen while it can still be bought at the reduced price.
Continue reading31 Saturday Jul 2021
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Urushi pens are very much in vogue at the moment and there are more than a few artists using this as an excuse to move in a new direction and experiment. Some people like this, some people scream ‘cultural appropriation’, however what happens when a westerner has spent 20 years in Japan studying and working with this lacquer? Enter Ruth Bolton.
Continue reading27 Tuesday Jul 2021
Posted in Pens
A few months later than planned and in its new location, we finally had our first pen show for around a year and a half. Now migrated from the Holiday Inn near Russell Square to the Hammersmith Novotel, there must have been uncertainty over how the show would go. Less so over the new location and more down to the personal comfort factor now we’ve just come out of lock down and entering what is considered the ‘new norm’.
Continue reading24 Saturday Jul 2021
Posted in Pens
Just a late reminder to all that the spring London Pen Show will be held tomorrow, Sunday the 25th of July 2021.
For those not aware it is at a new location:
Novotel London West
Hammersmith
London, W6 8DR
For the regular tickets (£5 per person) the show hours are 10:00-16:00, early bird is still available (£10 per person) which will give you access from 09:00. Note kids under 13 have free entry.
There is limited parking at the hotel though I would recommend pre-booking, I’ve personally used JustPark, else it is within comfortable walking distance of the Hammersmith underground station.
10 Saturday Jul 2021
Posted in Pens
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Conway Stewart, Delta, fountain pen, Helix Oxford, John Twiss, leonardo officiano italliana, musings, Nettuno, onoto, SCRIBO, visconti, Yard-o-Led
You would have thought there was an important football coming up tomorrow (soccer to those of you from across the Atlantic), so for a bit of fun I gathered together a handful of pens to represent each side, along with suitable inks (with caveats). Some of these pens were already in my daily rotation/desk set, and some were an excuse to use up some samples I have taking up space.
Continue reading28 Monday Jun 2021
Posted in Pens
Shiny rainbow colours have always appealed to me. Be it looking through the coloured cellophane outer wrappers of Quality Street as a kid, Cokin coloured diffuser filter sheets (082A) (see pictures at the end) when I was experimenting with photography as a student, the TWSBI VAC 700R Iris from a few months back, and now the Gravitas Skittle. To be honest the first time I saw a picture of Ben Walsh’s multicoloured creation I felt the pangs of want. The inner Gollum in me whispered ‘my precious’. Sure it was available in both matt and shiny forms, but to me those rainbow colours must cry out loud, not stay muted. Just a shame he sold out quickly. Very quickly.
Continue reading25 Friday Jun 2021
Posted in Pens
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fountain pen, Indian Made, Magna Carta, Magna Carta Elements, Magna Carta Elements Water, Magna Carta Pen, Magna Carta Pens
I like pens with uniqueness and character, especially when coming from countries with reputations for living in the past and blatant copying, and as such the produce of the Mumbai based family business Magna Carta Pen have been on my radar for quite a while. With an ever expanding range Hiren Kanakhara has been bringing his own style and design language to the fountain pen world. With most being metal bodied and using cartridges/converters, it was his Elements range that caught my eye. Not just because of appearing to be longer and sleeker, but more due to the filling system, for the Sky, Water, and Earth Elements pens use a pneumatic filling system. With Magna Carta also producing their own nibs and ebonite feeds, this means this pen is produced near entirely in-house, with the one possible exception being the sac used in the filling mechanism.
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