09 Friday Sep 2022
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It has been over two years since I last posted about the pens I was taking to work. February 2020. Not long before the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread with the inevitable restrictions and lock downs we still see in many parts of the world. Times changes. I went from working from home several days a week to full time with the result my pen cases went in to a drawer.
Continue reading22 Friday Jul 2022
This is not the first Stipula I have tried, after all I reviewed my personal Etruria Faceted a couple of years back. Their lack of presence is noticeable, not only in the UK, but do a search and you will struggle to find any of their present range of pens available to buy in Europe as well. So what has happened to this Italian pen maker and why am I reviewing one of their present models of fountain pen.
Continue reading15 Friday Jul 2022
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OK, let’s be honest. Most of us have pens in our collection that we know we should really get rid of, but which visually appeal too much. The works of art, the bright coloured ones, fountain pens with glitter and glow. We are all guilty of this, so when I grabbed a number of pens I keep out but use little, little did I realise quite how many pens I have that can fall in to this bracket.
Continue reading08 Friday Jul 2022
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The era of the high end Sheaffer fountain pen being supported by the white dot mark of excellence are long gone. These days, having been sold then sold again, the brand now produces a range of solid low and mid level priced writing implements with even the most expensive barely exceeding $100. At the entry point you have two models. The cheap plastic Pop and for the same price the metal VFM. Thing is for just £18/$18 is this a bargain pen or something for the waste basket. Note this model was launched under BIC ownership, before the brand was sold (in 2014) to Cross.
Continue reading01 Friday Jul 2022
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No one can accuse BENU of producing boring pens. From the start they showed you can add sparkle and glitter in ways that can appeal to those who like subtlety as well as the ‘bling brigade’. Bright strong colours and bold designs help their produce stand out in a world of repetition. BENU was started in 2016, however it was not until 2020 that they finally produced a pen with a #6 nib. The Euphoria is the third model in their range to come with this sized nib, following on from the Grand Sceptre and Supreme.
Continue reading13 Friday May 2022
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Confession time. I should have written this review almost three years ago when I started to use this pen. This particular version is also no longer available so while Graf von Faber Castell do make a range of Classic Anello fountain pens, the ebony version has not been on their list for four years. This did result in my having to buy this pen earlier than anticipated and required, but more on that in a bit.
Continue reading06 Friday May 2022
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My last ‘in-use’ post was four months back at the start of January. Since then we’ve had a London Pen Show and I’ve started to look at inks, so what has changed in the pens at my desk.
Continue reading29 Friday Apr 2022
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Confession time. My paternal great grandfather (edit – picture at the bottom) was born in Smyrna (now Izmir) in Turkey, coming over and settling in the UK near the end of 19th century. I do not remember my grandfather (and certainly not my father) maintaining any Turkish traditions or heritage, yet when I see a product from the country of my ancestors I feel a tug to the heart strings. So when a small pen maker pops up in Istanbul my attention is grabbed. Problem was the costs of getting a pen over to the UK were comparatively high due to taxes, duty, etc, so when I heard rumours Kilk were going to be at the 2022 Spring London Pen Show my interest and attention was alerted.
Continue reading08 Friday Apr 2022
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In many respects I am late to the party. The Diplomat Aero has been out for a good few years in an ever expanding number of colours and finishes. I have tried a few over time, but it was only on the last International Fountain Pen Day (2021) that I finally pulled the trigger and bought one. Was it worth it, am I glad, and is the cap snap action as sexy as many a reviewer has made it out to be.
Continue reading25 Friday Mar 2022
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A few weeks before the Spring 2022 London Pen Show I heard Onoto were working on a new lower cost model. An entry point to their range and heirloom ownership ethos. Little did I know that when I asked Feng Li of Onoto on the day, instead of being given snippets of information he rushed off and returned with a tray full of the first batch which they were selling pre-launch at the show. If these were numbered or came with ownership cards like their other models, I would now have number #1. Monday this week (the 21st of March 2022) the pen went live on their website.
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