Category: Fountain Pens

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 1

25 days of dupes 2022 Instagram share image.

December 5, 2022

One Comment

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 1

Posted in Fountain Pens

Hello, welcome to the first post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 1-4. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

The first image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and what I feel is the best match, swatched on Tomoe River paper.
The second image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and the different inks I tried matching it to, swatched on Iroful paper.
I swatched ink with a small paintbrush, and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib in the first image.
I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks (sheen, shimmer, scent).

Enjoy, and happy inking!

25 Days of Dupes… Differently

December 1, 2022

25 Days of Dupes… Differently

Posted in Fountain Pens

Thanks to David of the DC Pen Crew, I will once again be duping the Diamine Inkvent calender. This year, however, I’m doing things a little differently. Unlike 2019 and 2021, I won’t be doing a daily post. Instead, I’m going to share a post once a week with all the inks from that week.

Pens Unique to a Brand

November 25, 2022

Pens Unique to a Brand

Posted in Fountain Pens

Part of what I like about indie-made pens is finding models, materials, etc. that are unique to a maker. Obviously, I don’t know every maker. Nor do I even come close to purchasing from every maker I know of. However, I want to dedicate this post to pens I know of that are unique to their respective makers. I’m listing these alphabetically by maker.

Slowing the Shopping

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Personal

If you read my ADHD post, you know I have troubles with purchasing things. As it seemed that at least some of you found that post helpful, I’d like to share one of my biggest weapons in managing my shopping impulses, especially with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday shopping coming up.

For me, the most helpful thing has been what I call anti-shoping mantras. These short phrases and questions let me pause my thinking long enought to reconsider what I’m doing. This extra moment is often enough to allow me to stop myself.

Pen Porn: Benu Minima Feather in the Wind

November 21, 2022

Pen Porn: Benu Minima Feather in the Wind

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with the best pen porn. 😉

I’ve been trying hard to buy less pens, since I over purchased this year. For the most part, I’ve been doing a bit better. But, when I saw the Feather in the Wind, I couldn’t resist. Just look at the gorgeous photos Benu shared.

aesthetically pleasing photo of the Benu Minima Feather in the Wind — These gorgeous photos are from the Benu website.

Indie Packaging Influence

November 18, 2022

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Indie Packaging Influence

Posted in Fountain Pens

I received an interesting question a few weeks ago: who does the best packaging for their pens, and do you think that factors into whether you go back to them as a pen seller?

The question was geared toward indie-made pens, so that’s what I’ll be focusing on today. However, I’m going to ignore the first part of the question as “best” is highly subjective.

Pen Porn: Stars on Sapphire Lakes

November 15, 2022

Pen Porn: Stars on Sapphire Lakes

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with the best pen porn. 😉

If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m not a fan of the Franklin-Christoph models that have threads at the nib end of the section — like this Model 46. But, look at how pretty the Stars on Sapphire Lakes is! It’s well worth it, in my opinion, to try to get used to a different grip to be able to use this pen comfortably. Plus, it’s great supporting my pen friend, Azizah, of Gourmet Pens.

Side note, they’re sold out right now, but more will be coming in the future. Keep an eye on Gourmet Pens Shop.

Fountain Pen Myths

Posted in Fountain Pens

I came across a post a while back where someone was concerned that their nib didn’t have a breather hole. I didn’t bother to comment that a breather hole isn’t necessary for your pen to function because multiple people already had. But, it got me thinking, what other fountain pen myths are there? These are the ones I could think of, with some help from Azizah of Gourmet Pens.

Pen Porn: The Right Royal Pen

November 8, 2022

Pen Porn: The Right Royal Pen

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with the best pen porn. 😉

I hardly know where to start with this treasure. I suppose it makes sense to begin at the beginning.

360 degree view of The Right Royal Pen — I pieced together a 360 degree view of my fantastic new pen.

2022 Scriptus Pen and Writing Show

November 4, 2022

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2022 Scriptus Pen and Writing Show

Posted in Fountain Pens

For those who aren’t familiar with the show, Scriptus is held in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, on the second floor of the Toronto Reference Library, from 10am to 4pm. This year, it was on Sunday, October 30.

When we arrived at the library about five to 10, there was a line wrapped along the Asquith Ave wall of the library, and it was clear that a large number of people had already been allowed in. The line moved quickly, and, once we made it inside, I was amazed at both how fabulous the library is and the length of the line ahead of us.

Cypress Dandelion Construction

October 12, 2022

Cypress Dandelion Construction

Posted in Fountain Pens

No, this isn’t a duplicate post. I find the construction of the Dandelion pen so unique and interesting that I want to give it its own post.

Previous pens I’ve purchased from Cypress (formerly Mr. Cypress) have had a standard cartridge-converter construction (cap, section, and barrel). This Dandelion pen, however, is very different.

Pen Porn: Cypress Eggshell Series Dandelion

October 11, 2022

Pen Porn: Cypress Eggshell Series Dandelion

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with the best pen porn. 😉

As I mentioned in my unboxing reel on Instagram, I’ve wanted this pen since I saw the concept art on April 24. I did my best to wait patiently, but I checked in with Cypress — formerly Mr. Cypress — a couple of times to get status updates.

It only took me a couple of minutes to place my order when I saw the post announcing it on Monday (10/2). And it showed up early on Thursday!

Now, enough story, I know you’re here for the photos.

Pen Porn: Platinum Izumo Kurikara-Ken

October 4, 2022

Pen Porn: Platinum Izumo Kurikara-Ken

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with the best pen porn. 😉

I haven’t created a pen porn post on a non-new pen in quite a while. So, today I present to you my glorious Platinum Izumo Kurikara-ken. It depicts a scene of the epic battle between Fudo Myo-o — whose name means the immovable or unshakable one — one of the Five Great Wisdom Kings of Japanese Buddhism, and a threatening dark demon. As the struggle progresses, Fudo Myo-o transforms himself into Kurikara, his own sword, in order to do battle with the demon. When the demon also transforms into a sword, Fudo Myo-o then transforms into a dragon to swallow and destroy him. It is this conclusion that the pen shows.

The True Value of Indie Pens

September 23, 2022

5 Comments

The True Value of Indie Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens

Jim and I have given a seminar we call “The True Value of Indie Pens” at our last two pen shows — Baltimore and DC. Both sessions were well received, and we’ve been asked if the information was available anywhere for reference. At the DC show, I promised I’d create a blog post, so that’s what I’m doing — perhaps a bit late. If you’re interested int eh actual presentation, I’ve made it available on Google Drive. Be aware, I removed the examples, as I didn’t ask permission to make that information available in such a way.

Background

So, where did the class originate? Jim and I heard one to many conversations along the lines of, “For that price I can get [insert mainstream brand name here],” or “I don’t think it’s worth it,” with regards to indie pens. We want to help spread awareness of how special indie-made pens are, just how much you’re actually getting for the price.

Gourmet Pens Be Brave

September 20, 2022

Gourmet Pens Be Brave

Posted in Fountain Pens

I have something a little different for you today. Usually when I share pen porn, it’s a pen I own. This pen, however, belongs to my husband Jim (AKA Pensloth). He picked up the Be Brave pen last week, and — points to Gourmet Pens Shop for super-speedy international shipping — it arrived yesterday (9/19).

Pen Porn: Sailor Profit Maki-e Maiko

September 9, 2022

Pen Porn: Sailor Profit Maki-e Maiko

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with the best pen porn. 😉

On September 1st, Goulet Pen Co. sent out an email announcing their Sailor “Don’t Miss the Boat” sale. I’m assuming it has something to do with Sailor’s upcoming price increase, but I digress. I wasn’t looking for any Sailor pens, but I decided to take a look and see what was on offer.

To my surprise, I found a pen I wanted. I’ve really been enjoying urushi art pens, and the Maiko caught my eye, especially considering it was approximately half price. The sale price put it at just a bit higher than a standard Pro Gear pen, so I bought another pen that I shouldn’t have. I’m not doing well at all in my quest to buy less pens this year.

Making Pen Shows Accessible

August 26, 2022

5 Comments

Making Pen Shows Accessible

Posted in Fountain Pens

When I shared my 2022 DC Pen Show Part 2 post, I received some comments about accessibility that made me start thinking. The pen shows I’ve been to range from just passable for physical disability accessibility to barely accessible for non-disabled persons. As such, I’m dedicating a post to some thoughts on pen show accessibility.

Please be aware, I’m by not even close to an expert here. I’m 100% certain there are accessibility issues I don’t know about and accommodations I’ve never thought of. I would just like to help get a discussion going in the pen world. For the most part, the pen community is inclusive and welcoming, and it’s a shame our shows don’t reflect that.

Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Four Leaf Clover

August 23, 2022

Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Four Leaf Clover

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with the best pen porn. 😉

A couple of weeks ago, when Ink Journal announced that Benu would be implementing a price increase, I knew it was time to pick up the Four Leaf Clover. As I’ve said before, I intend to collect the Talisman series pens that have shaped confetti — like the Wild Rose and Shooting Star.

As with other Talisman model pens, the Four Leaf Clover has its namesake infused into the resin. It’s a bit unclear from the pamphlet, however, if Benu actually managed to get a hold of a ton of four leaf clovers to powder, or if they simply used the powder from the clover plant.

2022 DC Pen Show, Part 6

Instagram image for 2022 DC Pen Show posts

August 19, 2022

2022 DC Pen Show, Part 6

Posted in Fountain Pens

A New Noodler’s

I’ve decided to end my 2022 DC Pen Show series here. While I have a couple more posts peripherally related to the DC show, I’m going to post them as “stand-alone” entries.

Straight up, this post has caused me some trouble. First, I wasn’t sure it was something I should write. Then, I didn’t like how I’d written it. Then I questioned if I should post it. Now, well, I think it’s about as good as it’s going to get.

Because this is a contentious topic, I’d like to remind everyone reading that all comments on my blog go through manual review and approval. That isn’t unique to this post.