For Pain and Pleasure
I have been lucky enough to have had—for some while now—a few fountain pens that are both beautiful to look at, and a truly beautiful writing experience. My favorite in both of these categories is, by the slimmest of margins, my Edison Collier in Burnished Gold, with a 1.1mm steel stub nib that I smoothed … Continue reading Waterman Carène in Marine Amber… That’s It, I Need No More Pens
There were a lot of titles suggested for this post, mostly reminiscent of some 1970s British comedy films that were heavy on the double entendres and the sexism. A lady, who I'll do the favour of not naming, suggested something that involved falling in love with a broad Sailor endowed with an impressive custom grind. … Continue reading A Nibmeister Adjustment—Yes or No?
Do lightweight, motivational messages, on internet memes irritate you? Just a bit? They kind of do that to me. A few months ago I could have used a motivational message or two, and frankly, was about ready to give up on a lot of things... PhD., research, writing, you name it; anything but family. I … Continue reading You’re Never Too Old To Listen To Your Mother
On the night of the 21st June this year, running into the early hours of the 22nd, while I was in Canada, so many miles away, and so preoccupied with PhD work, posts about my latest fountain pen, and deep discussions with friends, my mum passed away, very peacefully, whilst sleeping on her couch back … Continue reading Taking a Break
Until recently, I've been using my old dissection kit carry case as a perfectly acceptable leather pen case. I say perfectly accessible, this I suppose is defined by what you find perfectly acceptable. The case dates back to my biology degree in the 1990s, and there are slots that will hold 12 large pens with … Continue reading Galen Leather 10-Pen Case in Crazy Horse Brown
Well, it may all have been said before, but not by me, so I'm going to say it anyway; and besides, what's old news for some of us, can still be useful to others. The Pilot Metropolitan seems to have been around forever. Anyone who has ever commented on fountain pens, has had something to … Continue reading Is there Anything New to Say About the Pilot Metropolitan?
Recently, I have had a number of small parcels wing their way to me from the only Ontario-based, online fountain pen and stationery specialists, the Wonder-People in Toronto (soon to be relocating, but staying in Toronto)... Jon and Liz 250 Carlaw Avenue Unit 105 Toronto, ON M4M 3L1 Tel. 1 416 799 5935 General Email: … Continue reading Nothing wrong there is, in being small and green: The Pilot 78G
In one of my previous posts, I said that I wasn't going to get into any kind of debate... "regarding the price of some supposedly prestigious, brand-name inks. I actually think that semi-luxury products such as these are simply worth the price that the market will bear. If buyers are willing to pay $30.00 or … Continue reading Premium Ink Prices: A Penny for Your Thoughts
Not that long ago, I reviewed the little cousin of the Pro Gear Special Edition (SE) Earth, the Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo (the Slim version; 2018-03-05), and in the few short weeks since then, it's become one of my firm favorites, despite a couple of criticisms. The first caveat, was that I wasn't keen on … Continue reading Sailor 1911 Pro Gear Special Edition Earth… Simply Stunning
I like to write out of doors. Sometimes I write when I'm sitting down by the lake, sometimes just out on the deck. I occasionally address correspondence to friends and family in fountain pen ink, and strangely, the weather is not always on my side with some of these endeavors. Children—and some of you without … Continue reading Ink: Water-Resistant ain’t Waterproof
