FPGeeks did a comprehensive write-up about the changes and improvements in the TWSBI Diamond 580, the successor to the wildly popular Diamond 540 which was discontinued.

If you already own a 540, are you going to buy a 580?

(via FPGeeks)

After lampooning the Pilot Varsity, I got a lot of feedback from readers that they had a good experience with the pen and that it helped to inspire them to try fountain pens. While I am still not over the bruising experience of the Pilot Varisty, I was willing to try some other sub-$5 fountain pens. I did like the Zebra V-301 that I’m willing to admit that not all entry-level fountain pens are cheap. So I ordered a Platinum Preppy 03 ($3.30) and a Pilot Petit 1 (fine) ($3.80) from JetPens in hopes of finding a gem or two.

The most notable difference between these two pens is the length. The Platinum Preppy is a full-length pen (5.5″ closed) while the Pilot Petit 1 is a tiny pocket-sized pen. The Pilot Petit 1 is about the same length as a Kaweco Sport when closed at 4.25″ long. It’s 3.75″ uncapped and 5.25″ with the capped posted. The Preppy is 5″ uncapped and 6″ with the cap posted. If small pens are uncomfortable in your hands, then the Preppy will definitely be better suited than the Pilot Petit.

Both nibs seem similar in width. The Pilot Petit actually has a longer nib-to-grip ratio and the Preppy nib is tinted to match the cap and ink color chosen at purchase. Both pens are cartridge-filled and use a proprietary cartridge style. Preppy cartridges refills are available in packs of two for $1.65 and the inks work in both the fountain pens and their line of Preppy sign markers. The Pilot Petit 1 cartridges work with the fountain pen and their two other pen styles — the marker and brush pen. Their cartridges come in sets of three for $1.90.

In writing tests, they both preformed really well. For me, surprisingly well. The Preppy had a little bit of friction on the paper but no more than a pencil would have — I never felt like the pen was moving without my control. The Pilot Petit 1 was silkier on the paper but I think the grassy green ink is much wetter than the red in the Preppy.

I will probably refill the ink cartridges in both these pens with my syringe method to see if they behave differently with other inks. In general though, I am quite satisfied with the results of these pens. If I had to pick one, I like the way the Preppy writes a little better than the Petit 1 but I think both are great options if you are just getting into fountain pens or are looking for pens you wouldn’t be heartbroken to lose in the office or while traveling.

Lefty-approved. Recommended for anyone.

(This pen was tested on the Miquelrius medium flexible 300 grid paper book purchased from B+N.)

Last week, I posted a link to Richard’s Pens informative article about the difference between stub and italic nibs. As I own a few fountain pens that fit this description, I thought I’d put them altogether to see the differences. I own a Lamy Studio with a 1.1 mm italic nib, a Kaweco Sport with a 1.1mm italic nib and a vintage Esterbrook with a # 2442 nib known as the fine stub.

In the close-up above you can see that the Esterbrook nib is much narrowe than the 1.1mm nibs that flank it. If I had to guess, I’d say that the Esterbrook is half the width of the other two.

In the writing samples at the beginning of the post (or click on the photo to see a larger version on Flickr), you can see that the character of the writing is different with the italic nibs versus the stub. The italic nibs create much sharper angles between its wide lines and its fine lines — it could almost be described as crispier. The stub softens the variation of the line widths but still allows the shading from the ink to show.

All three of these pen models easily allow you to swap out the nibs at a fairliy reasonable price. Have you considered a stub or italic nib? Do you like it?

I’ve had the TWSBI Mini ($50-$55) since Christmas but I haven’t reviewed it because I’ve been waiting for a new EF nib unit. Initially, I got it with the F nib thinking I’d like to be able to compare the F nib with the EF nib I have on my TWSBI Diamond 540*. What I discovered is the F nib is quite broad and made me quite sad — I tend to prefer either razor fine or italic/stub nibs, no in-between. So, in order to give a fair and balanced review of the new Mini, I decided to wait until I could swap out the nib unit with the EF and compare apples to apples.

I liked the overall looks of the clear demonstrator model of the TWSBI 540 so I purchased the clear demonstrator Mini as well. The clip shape is ever so slightly different (I think the new 580 uses the same clip design) and TWSBI added threads to the end of the pen so that the cap will post snugly. The silver band at the base of the cap is narrower as well. Otherwise, the size is the only visible difference between the 540 and the Mini.

The 540 is about an inch longer than the Mini which measures about 4.5″ capped which is about half an inch longer than a Kaweco Sport. The barrels on the 540 and the Mini are the same diameter. Uncapped, the Mini is about 4.25″ long and with the cap posted its 5.5″ long which is comparable to most full-sized pens. The Mini weighs 20gms (full of ink and capped) which is 7gms heavier than a Kaweco sport but 8gms lighter than the full-sized 540. In my current pen collection, the TWSBI 540 is as weighty as my Lamy Studio which has an all-metal body.

The nib of the Mini is more slender than the 540 nib but the same length with the sample decorative filigree and logo.

As expected, in writing tests, the Mini performed exactly the same as the full-sized 540 but was more comfortable in my hands for long writing sessions. The nib is smooth on the paper and writes continuously without any need to prime it. (If pausing while writing, some other fountain pens will dry out requiring that I scratch on a scrap of paper to get it going again which is often referred to as “priming.”)

The ink capacity is not as large as the 540 but both use the same built-in piston filler which is easy to use. The Mini has held enough ink to keep me writing for about a week without needing to refill so it definitely hold more ink than the standard European cartridge.

If you are looking for an upgrade to the Kaweco-sized pens or want to use a lot of bottled inks, I recommend the Mini.

*The TWSBI 540 has been discontinued and replaced by the upgraded Diamond 580.

(This pen was tested on the Miquelrius medium flexible 300 grid paper book purchased from B+N.)

On Friday, I helped two of my co-workers set up a display in our gallery area of fountain pens. I didn’t have nearly as many to add to the collection as they did but it was fun to see all the pens and touch them. There are vintage hard rubber pens, a TON of Esterbrooks, Parker, Sheaffer and many others. I have one case filled with modern fountain pens (most featured here on the blog).

The show will be in the gallery at Hallmark HQ for the month of March. If you are in the KC area and would like to see the show during regular business hours, let me know and I can give you a tour. If not, I’ll be posting photos soon of the show once it’s all set up.

I may have a less-than-loving relationship with the Pilot Varisty pen but my friend Flora loves hers so much she drew a darling picture of it.

(via Happy Doodle Land)

Downloadable headers for your Facebook page (via How About Orange)

Pens and Pencils

• Basement Pencil Sharpener (via Pencil Revolution)
• Bic Atlantis and the publicly lambasted Bic For Her pen reviews (via Economy Pens)
• Sailor Sapporo Mini with Music Nib (via Inktronics)
• Uni-Ball Signo RT1 0.38 review (via From the Pen Cup)
• Glass Pencil Dispenser (via Pencil Revolution)
• Noodlers 54th Massachusetts Ink Review (via Inkdependence)

Notebooks

• If we made a sketchbook (via Rhodia Drive)
• What’s in the back of the notebook (via Notebook Stories)
• Canson XL Mix Media Sketchbook Review (via Notebook Stories)

Georges & Co stationery shop in Paris features a fountain pen ink bar where inks can be custom mixed. (via Felt & Wire)

Reader Phil asks:

Can you recommend five or so “razor fine” nibs/pens? I am always looking for a good razor fine nib. Is the TWSBI one of them?

The first thing to know is that European and American pen manufacturers use a different criteria for nib widths than the Japanese manufacturers. A Lamy pen labelled as a fine nib is going to create a wider stroke than a Pilot pen that is also labelled as a fine nib.

That said, my best recommendation for razor fine fountain pens are all Japanese made. Pilot makes an XF nib that is very fine. My Pilot Prera is a fine nib as is my Pilot FP 78g and they both create the finest line widths of all the pens in my collection. I’d compare it to a sub-0.5mm (0.38, etc) stroke if you want to compare it to a gel or rollerball measurement.

The TWSBI 540/580 and the Mini both use a European nib. When I initially purchased my TWSBI Mini, I ordered it with a fine nib instead of an XF nib and it was too wide for my taste. Luckily, TWSBI nibs can be swapped out. The XF nib on a TWSBI is comparable to a 0.5mm gel pen to my eyes.

Sailor may be another brand worth checking for a fine width nib on their fountain pens. I have the Sailor Clear Candy in the medium nib which is comparable to a Lamy fine nib in terms of width so the Sailor fine is going to give a fine line for sure.

In the European pens, Lamy, Kaweco and TWSBI all offer XF nib widths which give a fairly fine line but I wouldn’t describe them as “razor fine” as I would the Uni-Ball Signo Bit gel pen.

Other factors can contribute to how bold or fine your lines look with a fountain pen. Paper quality can affect how thick your lines look. Good paper will keep the ink from seeping into the paper and bleeding the line widths. Also, the viscosity of the ink you are using can contribute to your line widths and overall ink flow. Some fountain pen inks are more liquid-y than others. I find that De Atramentis inks do very well in my finer nib pens as the inks feel more liquid-y. Diamine inks seem a bit stiffer which is great for stub nibs and wider widths but sometimes clog up my razor fine pens.

Did that help or just confuse the issue?

More desktop wallpaper options from How About Orange

Pens and Pencils:

• Lamy 2000 Review (via From the Pen Cup)
• Pentel EnerGize X (via Pencil Revolution)
• Currently Inked (via East West Everywhere)
• A new pen blog from the genius behind Pencil Revolution
• Cigar Box Pen Storage
• The Bolt (Kickstarter pen) Review (via From the Pen Cup)

Paper:

• Calepino Notebook Review (via Notebook Stories)

Follow-up about Google Reader:

• The saddest countdown clock of all time (via Digg)
• Which Google Reader Will You Use (via Technology Review)

Vintage office supplies for sale at Saturday Morning Vintage

A collection of clips from Present & Correct. (via Twitter @PresentCorrect)

Pens and Pencils:

• TWSBI Diamond 50 ink bottle now comes with a plastic cap (via TWSBI)
• Make a Pencil from old Paper (via Rad + Hungry)
• The Pilot Metropolitan (via Inkdependence)

Paper:

• Understanding the Moleskine IPO (via A Dog’s Garden of Versus)
• Word Notebook review (via Pencil Revolution)

Misc:

• Kathy and Donovan from 16 Sparrows and LWA were featured on the JetPens Blog this week! (via JetPens)
• How to Handle Conflict at Work (via Medium)

DeAtramentis Unicorn Brown ink with Unicorn scent. Wonder what unicorns smells like? (via Gourmet Pens on Instagram)

Digitial:

• Why Its Hard to Give Up Google Reader (via Medium/Tech Talk)
• Uses for the DayOne App (via Shawn Blanc)

The Sailor Desk Pen EF doesn’t look like much with its fleshy-colored, plastic cap but under that cap is what makes this sub-$20 pen such a little gem. It does not have any fancy packaging and even the two black cartridges that came with the pen came in a plain plastic bag but for less than $20, I do hope more effort is put into the nib than the packaging. Its a simple, black plastic body with a white plastic dot on the end. Its a long tapered pen designed to fit into a desk pen holder (imagine the registry desk of a fine hotel).

The gold tone F-4 EF Sailoir nib is the smoothest, finest nib I’ve used.

I was stunned at how smoothly the Sailor Desk Pen writes on paper. From the minute I put the Sailor cartridge into it, it wrote. Perfectly. For such a fine nib, I expected it to be scratchier but its not. Compared to my Pilot Prera, this is much smoother! I don’t feel like I’m stabbing the paper or catching fibers as I write. Sadly, my Prera is still in the exhibit at work so I couldn’t do a side-by-side comparison.

The long slender shaping makes it easy to hold and write. The length gives it a nice balance and weight in the hand.

I did compare it to my EF nib Kaweco and the Sailor is noticeably finer. The closest comparison to the fineness I could find was a 0.38 gel pen like the Uni-Ball Style Fit in blue-black.

If you have been looking for a FINE fountain pen, this is the best I’ve found at a very low, low price.

($16.50 from JetPens)

Once again, I am woefully behind on posting the Goulet Pens Ink Drop reveals. At least, I’m not spoiling the surprise for anyone who is waiting for their colors to arrive in the post this way.

This month was the darkest of the darks, called Fade to Black, to go along with everyone’s murky feeling about the gray, slushy March we faced. Hopefully, as it is now April, we can all look at these dark colors as sharp and crispy and not sad and depressing.

I’m always so surprised how different each shade of black can be. This month included three blacks: Pilot Namiki, Monteverde and Lamy, each with its own subtle color difference. The Pilot Namiki black seems to be the most neutral black of the three with the Monteverde having a purplish cast and the Lamy black being more of a dark gray. There are dozens upon dozens of other black inks on the market so it could take a lifetime to find the one that is “just right” but these are definitely a nice range. The Pilot Namiki black was the most water-resistant of the three if that’s a factor for you.

The other inks included were the De Atramentis Silver Grey which is a cool neutral gray and the Diamine Graphite which is a greenish gray in the Q-tip smudge but looks like a green-black in the writing sample.

If you are looking for a smart, professional ink for your fountain pen, any one of these would be appropriate.

(photo via Flickr, by Everyday Correspondence)

The big news this week is that Moleskine launched their IPO. Several of the links below are as a result of all the attention Moleskine is getting this week.

There is an assortment of goodies from Brad Dowdy over at Pen Addict including his Tools and Toys Guide to Fountain Pens which I’m willing to debate with him. There’s also a mix of new and vintage fountain pen reviews. Finishing up the Link Love this week are a couple ink reviews, some digital goodies and tips on writing a good thank you note. Enjoy!

Pens and Ink

• Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen Review (via Pen Addict)
• Pilot Juice 0.5 Black Review (via Pen Addict)
• Vintage Parker 51 Review (via Pen Addict)
• Vintage Waterman 32A Pen (via Everyday Correspondence)
• When a Pilot meets a Falcon (via Inkophile)
• Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün Ink Review (via Pen Addict)
• Noodler’s Rome Burning Ink Review (via Pen Addict)
• Sailor Lecoule (via East West Everywhere)
• Tools & Toys Guide to Fountain Pens (via Tools & Toys)

Paper

• How to Write a Thank You Note (via Lifehack)
• Word Notebook Review (via Pencil Revolution)
• Moleskine in the Digital Age (via NPR, tip from Notebookism)
• Kevin Barry on Keeping Notebooks (via Notebook Stories)

Digital

• Moleskine is shaping virtual notebooks (via Japan Times)
• Mailbox for iOS (via Lifehack)
• How to register a disposable email account (via Lifehack)

(image from Casa Brutus, via Present + Correct)

Normally, I don’t get all googly about fountain pens that cost over $100 but, of course, there is always an exception to the rule and leave it to Kaweco to tap all my damn buttons at once. JetPens are currently offering limited edition Kaweco 1910 Guilloch Eyedropper pen. I’ve already waxed poetic about the standard Kaweco Student and my not-so-limited-edition Guilloch 1930. This is a Guilloch-engraved body (swoon!) with a 14K gold nib. But its not actually an eyedropper filler. Rather, it utilizes the standard Kaweco (European short) cartridges or a converter. JetPens specifically states in the description not to convert the pen into an eyedropper.

The pen is engraved with its limited edition number (numbers go to 850 but only 800 pens were made available for sale). It was available in fine, medium and broad nibs but JetPens is already sold out of the broad.

The box set includes one box of each color of the available ink cartridges and the leather carrying case which are all available elsewhere in a limited edition book-shaped box with vintage pen graphics all over it.

The really un-swoony-y part? The pen costs $487. Despite how much I like the look of this pen, I don’t like it that much. Maybe they’ll do a similar design with their gold-tone standard nib in an open edition I can actually afford?

I have been collecting more and more great links from other bloggers so I thought I’d double-up this week to get caught up.

HONDURAS mini blank notebook jotter pack from Etsy . Set of 3 for $15.50 from Khristian A. Howell

Miscellany

• Better Penmanship, Less Pain: An article about playwright Jon Robin Baitz’s love for Kaweco fountain pens (via NY Times)
• Customized Wax Seal Stamps from Old School Seals
• Definitve Guide to Eaiting Lunch at Your Desk (via Atlantic Wire)

Pens and Pencils

• Platinum Preppy Highlighter (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Recent Acquistions, Massive Edition (via A Penchant for Paper)

If you are interested in fountain pens, you may already know about Fountain Pen Network. If not, FPN is a chat forum and shop-and-swap for all sorts of fountain pens. The forums are hugely helpful in learning about different vintage and modern fountain pens and inks. Some of the posts I found helpful today were:

• Greatest Underappreciated Vintage Pens
• Fountain Pen Use in the Golden Era
• You’ve Got Your First Found In The Wild Parker 51 In Your Hand, Now What?

I spend a lot of time leafing through all the ink reviews as well which is a great way to get a comparison of different inks from lots of different users, on a lot of different paper stocks, from everyday writing to people who do spectacular calligraphy.

And not to be forum-ist, another great resource is the FPGeeks forum. Enjoy!

Loyal reader Randy posed this question to me this week following my post about the Kaweco Limited Edition Eyedropper 1910 and wanted to know what my recommendations would be for a first-time fountain pen user:

I bet I can tell which fountain pen recommendation you would debate with His Bradness. My guess is that you’d go with a Kaweco Sport over the Safari for beginners. In the my last year of following pen blogs, this comparison has taken on the qualities of the Microsoft/Apple argument; the pen world seems to be divided between Kaweco and Safari camps. (Alas, I am in the latter; the Kaweco is just too small for my hands.) I can’t see much argument with the TWSBI 580. I own a 540, and I can’t imagine a better pen in the $50 range. I got my TWSBI for $40, and it’s a dream. I don’t know enough to comment on Brad’s  Expert category, other than to say I’ve never heard a bad word about the Vanishing Point. I wonder, though, how this category is defined. (Does it include, for example, vintage and luxury pens that are valued for criteria other than performance.) It would seem to me that there would have to be a price limit. I’m thinking that if I pay $500 for a pen, it had better cure all that ails me.

In recommending fountain pens to first time users, I try to keep my recommendations to pens in the $25 to $50 range. I don’t think the super-budget fountain pens like the Platinum Preppy, Zebra V301 and Pilot Varsity are best for new fountain pen users because these low end pens do not have consistent quality control. My reaction to the Varsity is as much a result of poor quality control as my general preference to fine nib pens and the same can be said for my positive reactions to the Platinum Preppy and Zebra V301 — I got lucky.

So, what do I recommend?

From top to bottom: Kaweco Sport Classic 1930 Guilloch, TWSBI Mini, Pilot Prera, TWSBI 540 (now 580) and Lamy AL-Star

European Pens (or at least nibs):

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you’ll know that I have a personal bias towards the Kaweco Sport Classic  line (available from JetPens for $23.50-$26.50). Its about the same length as a Fisher Space Pen so it easily fits in a pocket and can be posted to roughly a full-length pen size. I find the Kaweco gold-tone nibs to be of excellent quality — smooth writers out of the package every time I buy one (and I have three at the moment). The nibs are available in EF, F, M, B and BB. The Sport line is lightweight plastic, though, so they are not heavy, substantial-feeling pens. I tend to recommend these pens to women as anyone with larger hands (men especially) do not find this design comfortable for longer writing sessions.  The downside to the Kaweco Sport line is that they are cartridge only. To a newbie to fountain pens, this is not a big deal though. Kaweco offers about eight colors in the standard European short cartridges. Additionally, cartridges can be purchased from J. Herbin, Pelikan, Montegrappa, Caran D’Ache, Diamine, Rotring, Tombow, Waterman, and others.

If someone wants a fountain pen because they really want to use bottled inks, then I would recommend a pen with a converter option like a Lamy Safari, Vista  or AL-Sport (about $28, $30 and $38.50 respectively at JetPens). The Safari is colored plastic, the Vista is the demonstrator clear and the AL-Star is an aluminum body with a matte metallic sheen. Entry-level Lamy pens are available with a wide-array of nib sizes from EF to calligraphy italics though, for a first-time purchase, I tend to recommend a standard writing nib and save the calligraphy nib for the second pen once you have gotten used to using a fountain pen. The great thing about the Lamy is how easy it is to swap out nibs so if you find that a nib is too fine or too broad, for about $11 you can try a different nib or turn your Safari into a calligraphy italic nib. As a lefty, I find the pre-molded grip area awkward which is why I don’t start with the Lamy in my recommendations. If you are left-handed, the Lamy molded grip may require that you adapt your writing angle but it might not. In order to purchase a Lamy with a smooth grip area, the prices get above the entry-level point. If you are right-handed, then the Lamy Safari or AL-Sport should be an easy first fountain pen and the price is right. BUT Lamy requires a Lamy-specific ink cartridge or a converter for bottled ink. A converter will add a few dollars to the purchase.

Another option for bottled ink lovers is the TWSBI Diamond 540/580 or Mini (from $50 to $55 from Goulet Pens). These are good pens but are definitely at the top end of the price range along with the Pilot Prera. Both the 580 and the Mini are piston filler only and both hold substantial amounts of ink. The exterior finishes are minimal with black plastic and clear demonstrator being the extent of the options available at them moment. Its lots of fun and supremely helpful to be able to see how much ink is left in the reservoir but its very much the Model T school of colors. The TWSBI pens write smoothly right out of the box and nib units can be swapped out if you decide you prefer a wider or thinner nib ($20-$23 from Goulet as well). Once you get the hang of using the piston filler, the TWSBIs are super-easy to refill and clean. My lilliputian hands prefer the Mini over the 540/580 but I often recommend it for its large ink capacity and for those looking for a bigger, weightier pen.

Fine Nib Japanese Pens:

If a beginner fountain pen user’s preference is for super-extra-fine nibs, I am more apt to recommend one of the Japanese entry level pens, Sailor Clear Candy or High Ace Pilot (each $16.50 and available with a Japanese fine nib. The Sailor Desk Pen is a great option for its extra-fine line but not everyone wants to carry a long desk pen with a fleshy-colored cap or keep their pen on their desk in a base. My final recommendation in the fine nib category is the Pilot Prera ($49.50-$58 on JetPens and $56 on Goulet Pens). The Prera exceeds my top end cost by just a hair but if what someone wants is a super-fine line in a good quality pen, the Prera is one of the best options.

Another great option would be a Pilot Metropolitan (currently selling for $14.50 on JetPens, $18 on Goulet Pens), despite the blah response it recently received on the Pen Addict podcast. While I can see how someone who has used many comparable fountain pens and much higher-end pens might not be wow-ed by the Metropolitan, its simple good looks, good performance and great price make is a great first purchase option. The Metropolitan comes with a aeromatic squeeze converter that is definitely not recommended for a newbie. They are iffy to fill and can be a little messy. It will accept either a Pilot cartridge or it will need a CON-50 converter (available for $8.25 from JetPens) which are both much easier to use.

Find out what others have to say:

JetPens has a great Guide to Buying a Fountain Pen which offers a different but equally valid point of view. Goulet Pens does a great video for the Pilot Metropolitan which includes his other beginner recommendations. And of course, Brad has his own opinions about the best fountain pens too. You’ll notice its a pretty similar list albeit in a slightly different order.

When I first got interested in fountain pens, I wanted nothing to do with blue or black ink which was so readily available in the average American ballpoint or rollerball pen. I wanted the unique and uncommon colors found in fountain pen inks like greys, browns, purples and pinks. Over time though, I’ve discovered the vast array of subtle hues in blues and blacks and this month’s Ink Drop subscription from Goulet Pens is no exception. The collection is actually titled “Under The Sea” but, since it was raining, I mistakenly wrote “April Showers” which was the title of last year’s Ink Drop for April.

This month, from lightest to darkest:

• Diamine Soft Mint: this is a lovely aqua color and surprisingly usable. I was concerned it might be too light but it showed up well on the paper. ($12.75 per bottle)
• Lamy Turquoise: The Lamy Turquoise is brighter and more vivid than the Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise. I find it to be a really pretty blue color. And if you haven’t purchased a bottle of Lamy, I love the blotter paper built-in to the bottle. Super handy. ($8.50 per bottle)
• Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise: The Sheaffer Turquoise is a bit more of a true blue turquoise. Its darker and richer in color than the Lamy Turquoise. Its also the most “out there” color that Sheaffer makes. I want to heartily support their forays into less traditional colors! ($9 per bottle)
• Pilot Namiki Blue: The Pilot Namiki blue reminds me a rinsed denim blue. Its a classic blue color and the bottle is gorgeous. I know I shouldn’t be inclined to buy an ink just for the bottle but I might for the PIlot Namiki inks. ($12 per bottle)
• DeAtramentis Indigo Blue: Last, but certainly not least, the DeAtramentis Indigo Blue moves into one of my favorite color categories — the blue-blacks. Its a lovely deep midnight blue and a definite strong contender if you’re looking for a blue-black. ($12.50 per bottle)

All the inks performed well on my stock paper (Miquelrius grid) using my vintage Easterbrook with a #9788 nib (shaded writing) which is a slightly flexible medium nib. There was no bleeding or feathering of any other issues. Anyone one or all of the colors would be a great addition to your ink collection. Yeah, ink!

While out antiquing this weekend, I found this ad for Sheaffer’s 14K gold nibs that included a range of all the nib widths that were available in 1950 when this ad was published. Quite a variety was available and I’m curious what exactly a “Flexible coarse” and a “Coarse” nib were. Any ideas?

Happy (belated) Eraser Day from Present + Correct.

For me, the big news this week was The Pen Addict’s trip to the Atlanta Pen Show so if you read nothing else, check out both of his recaps from the show.

• Atlanta Pen Show Recap, Part 1 (via Pen Addict)
• Atlanta Pen Show Recap, Part 2 (via Pen Addict)

Pens and Pencils

• Pens and Inks for March (via Rants of the Archer)
• Kaweco Ice Sport Fine Nib Pen review (via Delectable Pens)
• Pilot Hi-Tec C Maica Review (via Addicted to Pens and Paper)
• USA Silver Pencils Review (via Pencil Revolution)

Notebooks

• No Way to Treat a Notebook! (via Recording Thoughts)
• Reporter Notebooks are perfect for EDC (via Tiger Pens blog)

Misc. goodies

• Acorn Clips? (via Rhodia Drive)
• Travel Kit (via East… West… Everywhere)
• Watercolor Desktop Patterns for FREE (via Design Love Fest)