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Year in Review – 2022 Pens

Instagram 12-29-22

December 29, 2022

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Year in Review – 2022 Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Non-Fountain Pens

While it was difficult to do last year, ranking my pen purchases was a useful exercise. So, I decided to do it again. I have to say, I’m embarrassed by the long list of pens I purchased this year. I was hoping to buy less pens this year, not more. But I’ll discuss that in another post.

I realize that this is a long block of text. But, if I added a photo of each pen, it would take absolutely forever to get through. So, for pens that I’ve already discussed in a dedicated post, I’ve linked to that post (and the photos contained therein). For the rest, where possible, I linked to an Instagram photo from the pen maker or store they collaborated with. When that wasn’t possible, I linked to a good photo on Instagram (consider following those fine folks) or one of my own Instagram posts.

2022 New Pen Releases, The Tag

Instagram 12-28-22

December 28, 2022

2022 New Pen Releases, The Tag

Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, and Non-Fountain Pens

I had fun with this tag last year, so I decided to do it again. This idea was originally based on the “New Makeup Releases | THE TAG” video from Angelica Nyqvist.

This tag is about evaluating the releases — in this case pens & inks — from the past year.

25 Days of Dupes 2022 Wrap-Up

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December 27, 2022

25 Days of Dupes 2022 Wrap-Up

Posted in Ink

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series. If you were unable to purchase the Inkvent Calendar, then this likely helped settle your mind about experiencing the colors. I’m sure that these 2022 colors will eventually be released individually, so hopefully this series helped you decide which ones — if any — to get.

Comparing the Inkvent Calendars

I found this year’s Inkvent calendar disappointing. There were only two inks I couldn’t match perfectly, and I’m certain it comes down to not having the right ink, as opposed to those colors being super unique. This year’s calendar was released later than last year’s, and I didn’t have the time to place additional orders trying to find perfect ink matches.

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 4

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December 26, 2022

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25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 4

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the fourth post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 19-25. 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!

Pens for Sale for Athena

December 24, 2022

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Pens for Sale for Athena

Posted in Cat, and Fountain Pens

Update 12/27/22: Thank you so much to those who have purchased pens! It’s truly appreciated.

I’ve had some pens for sale at Bertram’s Inkwell for a little while. I appreciate how easy Bert makes his consignment process. Under normal circumstances, I’m in no hurry to sell pens. They sell when they sell. That said, we’ve had something come up.

Athena’s Story

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve likely seen posts of our “outdoor” girl, Athena. She was once a feral kitten, and came to us for help when she was about 6 months old. She was outside our garage, meowing at us. And she never really left.

My 2022 Brand “Discoveries”

Instagram 12-23-22

December 23, 2022

My 2022 Brand “Discoveries”

Posted in Fountain Pens

While I didn’t quite buy from 15 new-to-me brands like last year, I did purchase from 9. Now, when I say new-to-me, I don’t mean I’ve never heard of them, just that I’d never before purchased a pen made by that brand.

Nearly all of them are indie brands, which makes me happy as I like supporting indie brands. And my interest continues to be piqued by indie brands more than mainstream brands.

Anyway, let’s start with mainstream brands to get that out of the way, then jump into the indie brands. FYI: The lists are in alphabetical order.

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 3

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December 19, 2022

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 3

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the third post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 12-18. 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!

Ridiculous Pens

Instagram 12-16-22

December 16, 2022

Ridiculous Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens

Today’s post is somewhat inspired by a YouTube video. “Weird pen collabs” seemed like a fun topic, at least until I realized the only one I could find/think of was the Montegrappa & Harry Potter series. And that’s only weird for what Montegrappa chose to draw inspiration from. The Quidditch pitch, really? But I digress.

So, I modified the idea to ridiculous pens. The pens I chose are either ridiculously bad OR ridiculously good. On the bad side of things you have poor design and pricing. On the good side you have amazing showcase of materials and skill. I’m sure there are many other ridiculous pens I’ve missed, but I tried to go for a variety, and I think I succeeded.

Side note before I begin: I’m not judging the artistry or craftsmanship on the “bad” pens, just the decisions.

Now, let’s start small and work our way up, shall we?

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 2

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December 12, 2022

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25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 2

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the second post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 5-11. 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 2022 – Week 1

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December 5, 2022

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 1

Posted in Ink

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

25 days of dupes 2022 Instagram share image.

December 1, 2022

25 Days of Dupes… Differently

Posted in Ink

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

Instagram 11-25-22

November 25, 2022

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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

Instagram 11-23-22

November 23, 2022

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

Instagram 11-21-22

November 21, 2022

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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 high-quality 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.

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

Indie Packaging Influence

Instagram 11-18-22

November 18, 2022

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

Instagram 11-15-22

November 15, 2022

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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 high-quality 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.

Stars on Sapphire Lakes

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

Instagram 11-11-22

November 11, 2022

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

Instagram 11-8-22

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 high-quality 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

Instagram 11-4-22

November 4, 2022

2022 Scriptus Pen and Writing Show

Posted in Pen Shows

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

Instagram 10-12-22

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.

Cypress Eggshell Series Dandelion