This week we’re going to take a look at Iroshizuku Murasaki-shikibu. I received this ink as a gift from my wife a few years ago when I really started getting into fountain pens again. At the time I had a lot of vintage fountain pen inks and hadn’t purchased many newer inks. It was actually my first bottle of Iroshizuku …
Kokuyo Campus High Grade (MIO) Notebook Review
Next in the series of Kokuyo Campus notebooks, today we take a look at another High Grade notebook. This particular notebook has Kokuyo’s MIO paper in it. An acronym for Mobile Ideal Original, MIO paper is thin, lightweight and portable. Although it says it is ideal for use with gel ballpoint pens, something tells me it will also work great …
Ink of the Week – Lamy Red
I knew it would happen sooner or later. An ink came up that I am just not excited about. This week we’re going to take a look at Lamy Red. I received this bottle of ink at the 2022 Pelikan Hub. I’m not sure if everyone else around the world got a bottle of this as well, but I know …
Ink of the Week: Jacques Herbin Gris de houle
This week we’re going to take a look at Jacques Herbin Gris de houle. I purchased this ink on a trip to Paris, so it has a good deal of sentimental value for me. It came as part of a 5-pack of 15ml ink bottles. At the time, these were very difficult to find for sale outside of Europe. Fortunately, …
Kokuyo Campus High Grade (CYO-BO) Notebook Review
Kokuyo has an impressive lineup of Campus notebooks, the most popular of which is their inexpensive notebook aimed at students. Look beyond that basic Campus notebook, though, and you’ll find a variety of notebooks with higher-quality paper options. Today we’re going to take a look at one of those notebooks, the Kokuyo Campus High Grade notebook with CYO-BO paper. First …
Ink of the Week – KWZ Old Gold
This week we’re going to take a look at KWZ Old Gold. This was the first bottle of KWZ I ever purchased. If I remember correctly, I thought it looked somewhat similar to Skrip Kings Gold, which I’ve always loved. While there are probably better matches out there, I think I just needed a reason to buy an ink from …
Fountain Pens From My Collection: Pelikan M200/M205
In the world of fountain pens, the pens that usually get the most attention are either expensive, exotic, or some sort of limited edition. While there is definitely a place in this hobby for those pens, some people may want a more simple and inexpensive fountain pen that they feel comfortable using regularly. One of my favorites pens in that …
Ink of the Week – PenBBS #178 Rose Quartz
Next up in my Ink of the Week series is an ink that you probably haven’t seen very often, PenBBS #178 Rose Quartz. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s even made any more. Still, it’s a bottle that’s in my collection and its number came up, so while you may not be able to get a bottle of your own, here …
Ink of the Week – Sailor Rikyu-cha
Kicking off my Ink of the Week series is one of my favorite inks, Sailor Rikyu-cha. For every ink, I’m choosing a random number that corresponds to an ink that I own and this happened to get picked this week. I feel lucky that this ink came up first since it is one that I’m already familiar with. Even so, …
Putting Pen To Paper
If you’ve been a regular follower of this blog for a long time, you may have noticed that I haven’t posted much in the past 6 months. Part of the reason for this is because of my career as a wedding photographer. This year was somewhat unprecedented in the wedding industry and it’s an understatement to say that I was …