Category: Fountain Pens

Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Penguins

August 22, 2025

Rachel

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Penguins

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 high-quality pen porn. 😉

Having shared my three Intwana pens — Chameleon, Seahorse, and Kitten — it’s time to share the pen Jim ordered, Renée Gerstner’s Penguins.

Before I get started, I want to make sure you know that, while the Koi, Phoenix, and Seahorse designs are not currently listed on the SPS website, the Chameleon, Dragon, Giraffe, Kitten, Llama, and Penguins designs are all still available.

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Nib Design Appreciation Post

July 30, 2025

Rachel

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Nib Design Appreciation Post

Posted in Fountain Pens

While I write a lot about fountain pens, and even have 72 pen porn posts, I don’t feel I give enough credit and attention to nibs. They are, after all, the most important part of a pen. Without a nib, a fountain pen is just a stick of material — granted, possibly a very pretty stick of material.

That said, it’s long past time I dedicate a post to nibs and the beautiful designs they can carry.

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for nib 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 high-quality pen porn. 😉

I have to start with the nib that means the most to me. This nib features Bumbledore’s ears, nose, mouth, fangs, and whiskers. It is the nib on The Right Royal Pen, my tribute pen to Bumbledore by Marian Binder and Stanford Pen Studio. I cut and smoothed it to a cursive oblique.

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Never Buying These Again

July 18, 2025

Rachel

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Never Buying These Again

Posted in Fountain Pens

If you’ve been here for a while, you know I like to keep this space as positive as possible. But, every once in a while, I let in some snark. Today is one of those posts, which you probably already knew from the title.

I’m sure some, or all, of these will be unpopular opinions. However, I have valid-to-me reasons for my opinions. So, I hope you enjoy the honesty and sprinkles of snark I chose to indulge in for this post.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s most of it.

Aurora

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Kitten

July 11, 2025

Rachel

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Kitten

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 high-quality pen porn. 😉

When we backed the Stanford Pen Studio (SPS) crowdfunder last year, I ordered two pens, and Jim ordered one. Imagine my surprise when Jim’s pen arrived with a stowaway! I’m honored to have been gifted one of the Intwana Kitten models with Brandon Lodewyk‘s art on it. Thank you so much to Di, Dave, and Brandon.

Not only is it a great fit for me — as a cat-themed pen — but it also means I have a pen with Brandon’s art now, putting me one step closer to having a pen with each partner artist’s work.

Before I get started, I want to make sure you know that, while the Koi and Seahorse designs are not currently listed on the SPS website, the Chameleon, Dragon, Giraffe, Kitten, Llama, Penguins, and Phoenix designs are all still available.

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2025 Mid-Year Check-In

July 2, 2025

Rachel

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2025 Mid-Year Check-In

Posted in Fountain Pens

After how slowly the first quarter of the year went by, it’s almost incomprehensible to me that we’re already half-way through 2025. But, here we are on day 183 of 2025, and that means it’s time for a mid-year check-in on my purchasing resolutions and wish list.

Purchasing

My rules for this year are:

Pens
- Add 30 pens max to my collection (including non-fountain pens and gifts).
- Limit mainstream brand acquisitions to 14.
- Don’t buy pretty ink sticks unless it’s a friend’s collaboration.
- Save up for pens rather than buying on credit and paying them off.
- Sell at least 10 pens.
Inks
- Don’t buy any bottles without trying a sample first, or at least seeing a swatch in person when it’s not possible to get a sample.
- Get rid of inks I’m not using.
- Use every “for use” ink sample at least once.

So, how am I doing?

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Stationery For Your Worst Enemy

June 20, 2025

Rachel

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Stationery For Your Worst Enemy

Posted in Fountain Pens

This post is inspired by Angelica Nyqvist‘s video Products I Would Recommend To My WORST ENEMY… 😈. In that video, they credit Kelly Gooch and Kackie Reviews Beauty with coming up with the idea.

In looking through my notes on blog post ideas, I almost discounted this one because I was certain I’d already written it. But, there wasn’t a post on my blog, and I couldn’t find notes anywhere in my binders or a draft post. So, I’m finally writing this post I’ve been planning on for at least a year.

This is, of course, all in fun. I thought it would be a good laugh. If you love any of the products mentioned, that’s great. It means you didn’t waste money like I did.

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025, Bi Edition

Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025 Bi Flag edition

June 17, 2025

Rachel

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025, Bi Edition

Posted in Fountain Pens

I hope you’re enjoying Pride Month! Since I didn’t get to a bisexual (bi) pride flag rainbow last year, I’m making sure to do one this year. Depending on which definitions you go with, bi and pansexual could both apply to me, but the bi flag has prettier colors.

I’ve done my best to not include any pens that were in either of my previous pen rainbows.

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Pen Porn: Cypress Maki-e Goldfish

June 13, 2025

Rachel

2 Comments

Pen Porn: Cypress Maki-e Goldfish

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 high-quality pen porn. 😉

I don’t know if the first post I saw of the Maki-e Goldfish was the first time Cypress posted it, but I knew, instantly, I needed it, and left a comment to that effect. I received a message with an offer to hold one for me, at which point I discovered it wasn’t as expensive as I thought, and bought it. I have zero regrets.

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Stanford Pen Studio Model Comparison

June 6, 2025

Rachel

4 Comments

Stanford Pen Studio Model Comparison

Posted in Fountain Pens

Today’s post is a bit different for me, but I’ve been planning it since my first Intwana pens arrived in mid-March. Since the size of the Intwana surprised me, I wanted to share a comparison between Stanford Pen Studio‘s (SPS) original painted pen model, the Jabulani, and their new painted pen offering, the Intwana. But, life got in the way, like it does. Better late than never, though, right?

The models

For those completely unfamiliar with SPS’s pen models the two I’m comparing today are the Jabulani and the Intwana. They are the two models SPS offers with hand-painted and/or hand-drawn art on them. Allow me to share SPS’ own words on each model.

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025

June 2, 2025

Rachel

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025

Posted in Fountain Pens

Happy Pride Month! It’s time for another pen rainbow. I made sure to only choose pens that weren’t in last year’s pen rainbow, which was difficult for the black pen. Would you be interested in seeing another post later in the month with the Bi flag colors? I didn’t get to that last year, but I could do it this year.

Like last year, I’ve included plenty of pen pictures, so this is a bit of a pen porn post, too. I kept the brown, black, and white pens, because who doesn’t want more pen pictures?

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Seahorse

May 16, 2025

Rachel

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Seahorse

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 high-quality pen porn. 😉

And now it’s time to share the second Intwana pen I ordered, Lisa Strachan‘s Seahorse.

Rachel

A Quick Reflection

Posted in Fountain Pens

Work has been intense lately, leaving me without much brain power to work on my blog in the evenings. I’m hoping that will change soon. But, for now, I give you this quick look back at the pens I’ve owned the longest.

Lamy Safari Dark Lilac

Of the pens still in my possession, the Lamy Safari Dark Lilac — Lamy’s 2016 special edition — is the one I’ve owned the longest.

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And Now For Something Completely Different

April 18, 2025

Rachel

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And Now For Something Completely Different

Posted in Fountain Pens

OK, only partially different, but I couldn’t resist.

My new pen collection rotation starts on Sunday, and I’m doing something significantly different than my previous rotations.

In the past, I’ve used a randomizer to go through my entire active collection, inking five pens each week. It’s been a great way to use my pens, but as my collection has grown, I’ve been using each individual pen less and less. I’m down to only twice a year. And sometimes I don’t get to use my pens much, which can mean I ink a pen and only use it to record work tasks for the day.

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Chameleon

April 11, 2025

Rachel

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Chameleon

Posted in Fountain Pens

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

Per usual, with a couple of exceptions, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

You may recall that my wrap-up post of the Stanford Pen Studio (SPS) series featured the crowdfunder they had going at the time. Well, here we are at their promised delivery time and the pens Jim and I ordered have arrived!

I must mention that, while the Koi and Seahorse designs are not currently listed on the SPS website, the Chameleon, Dragon, Giraffe, Kitten, Llama, Penguins, and Phoenix designs are all still available.

Because I knew instantly that I wanted to get Carla Nel‘s Chameleon, I’m starting with it.

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Tag Questions Revisited

March 21, 2025

Rachel

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Tag Questions Revisited

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Ink

My original thought with this post was to revisit a single tag post and answer all of the questions a second time. But, as I looked through the various posts, I realized that many of my answers haven’t changed.

So, instead, I pulled out questions where my answers actually have changed from a variety of posts I hope you like this little redux.

The Fountain Pens Tag (9/14/21)

This post was based on The Eyeshadow Tag from the beauty side of YouTube.

1. What is your newest fountain pen?

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Stationery Wishlist Tag

February 21, 2025

Rachel

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Stationery Wishlist Tag

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Stationery

It’s been over a month since my last tag post, almost 2 months if you don’t count my resolutions post from January. Which means it’s definitely time for another. Per usual, I adapted this tag from the makeup world. This post is inspired by Angelica Nyqvist‘s video The Makeup Wishlist Tag | Indie Palettes & Boujee Gems. In that video, they credit Drea CN with creating the tag.

1. What is the next stationery item you’re planning to buy?

This is difficult. I currently have three commissions in the works, one pen on hold with a good friend, and a commission I want to get started. I don’t know when to expect any of the commissions to be ready. That said, BWIPS is only 2 weekends away, and I have 2 nib appointments already scheduled. So, I’m assuming my next purchased will be a nib grind, a nib to grind, or ink.

Rachel

Pen Rotation Changes

Posted in Fountain Pens

I mentioned in my Pen Resolutions Tag 2025 post that I’d “made some major changes this November,” referring to Nov. 2024. While I’m rather behind in sharing them, better late than never, right?

Standard Rotation Changes

The biggest change was to my standard pen rotation and storage. Remember less expensive, more expensive, and indie-made? Well, no more of that. While I still have 3 groupings, they are now:

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My Current Pen Wish List – Jan. 2025

January 10, 2025

Rachel

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My Current Pen Wish List – Jan. 2025

Posted in Fountain Pens

NOTE: This post closes out my 2024 end-of-year and 2025 start-of-year series, and I’m looking forward to a break. I will likely post once a week at most through the end of February.

I think my wish list this year is the smallest it has ever been. But, before I jump in, I will acknowledge that I didn’t, technically, cross anything off of last year’s list. I received the three pens I’d commissioned at the beginning of the year: the 3D scrollwork sleeve, the Eowyn, and the Pride and Prejudice pen. And I commissioned, but haven’t yet received, the Tailored Pen Co. Trekker.

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Pen Resolutions Tag 2025

January 8, 2025

Rachel

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Pen Resolutions Tag 2025

Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, Paper, and Stationery

This is the fourth time I’m posting under this tag. You can see the previous years’ answers on the “start of year” tag page. This idea was originally adapted from Theresa is Dead’s video: OH 2021… | BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS TAG video. The Beauty Resolutions Tag originated with Mel Thompson.

With each year I’ve answered these questions, I’ve found some of them harder to answer. While I originally tried to stick as close to the original makeup version as possible, I need to make some drastic changes to some of these questions. I tried to choose questions that will work for many years moving forward so I don’t have to keep changing them.

1. What is something you do regularly in your pen routine that you will try to stop?

Answer from 2024: I’m pretty happy with my pen routine for now, especially after the changes I made in November. I think I need to come up with a new question for next year. Clearly, there’s nothing to comment on from last year’s answer. Funnily enough, though, I made some major changes this November, too. I’ll try to post about it soon.

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Reviewing My 2024 Purchasing Habits

January 3, 2025

Rachel

6 Comments

Reviewing My 2024 Purchasing Habits

Posted in Fountain Pens

I’m not sure I’m going to continue this post in future years. I cover my purchases in my pen collection stats post, and I go over my purchasing goals in my pen resolutions post (coming Wednesday). That means the only truly unique information in this post is the purchases by month table. Is that enough to keep this post going?

Moving on… how did I do last year? If you saw my stats or collection posts, you know I actually came in under my 36-pen goal!! Go me!!!

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