Sunday, March 7, 2021

Scriptorium Pens

 There area lot of pen manufacturer's out in the world. Some are big business and big brands such as Pelikan, Visconti and the like. There are also some pen makers that are not as large but still make a quality pen. Today I would like to talk about Scriptorium Pens.

I have seen some of Renee's work online and yes, Renee is the person behind the Scriptorium Pens brand. I would check out her website and browse the models available to commission but never pulled the trigger. 

One day, I open Instagram and there is a post from Scriptorium Pens and it is for a pen that is available for purchase. It was a medium sized Idyll in a gorgeous material named Tortoise from Bob Dupras. The Idyll was one of my favorite looking pen models from the website. I sent a PM to Renee and was able to purchase this pen. It was fate. I had seen other pens for sale on Instagram posts from Scriptorium Pens but they were always sold by the time I saw them.


The Idyll's shape is what I really like. It is cylindrical with a slight taper to the base of the pen and then these little points on both the base and cap. 


The Tortoise material from Bob Dupras is stunning and really pops in the light. I spent some time trying to match an ink with it that had the same richness and color profile. I chose Montblanc James Purdey and Sons Single Malt and it is a great pairing.


The nib I chose is a broad as I do love a thick, wet line. This is a Jowo steel nib with a gold plating, which really matches the pen material. A very smooth writing nib that never disappoints. 



After using the Idyll, I just needed to get another one of Renee's pens. My second favorite pen model was the Zephyr and the real task at hand was to pick a suitable material to have the pen made from. 


I wanted to choose something from Jonathan Brooks. I was torn between Fubuki Koi and Calico Koi. I sent a PM to Renee and mentioned that I wanted to commission a Zephyr but was torn between the materials. She wrote back and stated she has a rod of the Fubuki Koi and had never made a pen from it. Sold. This is a lot lighter than the Fubuki Koi that Jonathan Brooks makes now and I actually like the subtlety of this version.


The nib is a broad Jowo steel nib and once again is a great smooth writer. 


I now am the proud owner of two Scriptorium Pens and I love them. They are machined perfectly and the part that I love the most is that the caps are snug and I have never had a problem with a dried out nib. Great quality pens and Renee at Scriptorium Pens is a delight to work with. 

This review is based off of my personal experiences and opinion. I do not represent Scriptorium Pens nor am I being compensated in any way.

Friday, February 26, 2021

Visconti Homo Sapiens Blizzard Fountain Pen

 In 2020, Visconti made some changes to the lava based Homo Sapiens pen and added 3 colors to the line where it was a darker gray before. The material is still made from lava rock from Mount Etna but now can come in Blizzard (White), Inferno (Red) and Sandstorm (Tan). I purchased the Blizzard and let's delve into what I think about it.



One of the new changes to this pen is the nib. Previously, these pens came with a 23kt Palladium nib that they termed the Dreamtouch nib. The new Lava Color Homo Sapiens features a new 14kt gold nib that is manufactured in house. It has a new scroll design on the nib and overall, it is a lovely writer.



Traditionally, the Homo Sapiens pens had some distinct features with the easy cap locking system being one of them. The new Homo Sapiens Lava Color pens now feature a magnetic cap closure which is fun but I am not really a fan. My previous experience with a magnetic cap was that the seal is not that great and the ink will dry out and it makes writing a bit difficult. This pen is no different and it is saddening. If I let it sit 1 day alone then try writing first thing the next day it would take a bit for the ink to start flowing again. Please bring back the cap lock system.




The clip is a little different as well. It has the same curved shape but the writing is much cleaner. It is no longer filled in with a lacquer like substance around the letters. Sometimes the little things can make all the difference.



I have always loved the Home Sapiens lava pens and how they feel in the hand. The material was always really interesting to look at. These Lava Color versions really bring out the texture of the material in a new light. It is mesmerizing and the Blizzard is my favorite to look at. It is a very pretty pen.


Overall, I like the pen but I would love it if it had the cap lock system that make the Homo Sapiens pens so easy to use. 

This review is based off of my personal experiences and opinion. I do not represent Visconti nor am I being compensated in any way.

Monday, February 15, 2021

Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 - Is It Worth It?

 Of all of the pen brands out there in the wild, Montblanc seems to be one of the most recognizable and most heard of. I will tell people that I am a fountain pen enthusiast and usually the first name out of their mouth's is Montblanc. 

Montblanc is definitely a luxury brand but are their pens really worth their prices?

I was able to write with several before finally getting one of my very own. The Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 finally found a way into my collection and I was ready to answer the question for myself.




I found a deal on my 149. I found it for sale on VirtualPenShow on Instagram. I contacted the seller and was curious as to why he was selling this beauty. He was needing to finance other pen purchases and needed to part with the 149. Here was a pen that is iconic to the brand and one that I had been drooling over. This pen was listed at $650 and also came with a Oblique Broad gold nib. I pulled the trigger. 


The nib is the best part of this pen. I am a sucker for a broad and wet writer. The nib is everything one would expect from a luxury brand. It is smooth like butter and a joy to write with.


Now the question here is whether the pen is worth the price. After using this 149 thoroughly, I can say that the MSRP of $950 is not worth it, in my opinion. The price I paid for the pen was well worth it and I would say that is a great selling price for the 149. It is a larger pen, which I prefer, and is made with "precious" resin. From my research, there is a coating on the resin that is to be scratch resistant. Not sure how that translates to precious but it is what it is. 

Overall, I love the pen and how it writes but it would not be in my collection were it not for a lucky find and a great price. 

This review is based off of my personal experiences and opinion. I do not represent Montblanc nor am I being compensated in any way.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

The Visconti Homosapiens Lava Pen - Rock Solid?

Some people know this story but I figured it could potentially be entertaining to others on how durable are the lava rock Visconti Homosapiens really.

I have two of these particular pens. I have a maxi Bronze Age and a midi Steel Age. The Steel Age had an accident due to my lack of focus and having an "oh look, shiny!" moment.

I was going about my typical morning routine before heading to work and I placed my Traveler's Notebook on the trunk lid of my car. All of my other items made it safely within the car but not the notebook with my Steel Age attached. I proceed to back out of the driveway, drive to my favorite coffee shop and then head to the office. After rescuing my coffee from its pot at the store, I realized that my notebook and pen were not in the seat next to me as they should be. Panic set in and I started to freak out a bit. I immediately then saw me placing the pen and book on the trunk and saw the folly I had performed. I started to drive back the path I had driven earlier and then I saw it in the middle of a small intersection. 



I quickly saw the notebook and then I saw the pen. It was obviously driven over by a vehicle as it sat neglected in the street. To my amazement, the clip is the only thing that saw any damage. It is scratched up and dinged a bit but mostly it is flat rather than the curved clip they are known for. 


The pen is otherwise completely intact and free from damage. That is simply incredible. I understand that the material is a lava rock based resin from Mt. Etna but to have a vehicle run it over and the clip is the only damaged item on a pen is wondrous. I even rather like the clip straight rather than curved. 


That is my story. The pen still writes wonderfully and is now rather unique in the pen world. I am not condoning people to go out and run over their own lava Visconti's, mind you. Just know that this pen can really handle what you throw at it and is truly rock solid.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Kunisawa Notebooks

I received a shipment from Kunisawa in Japan that contained several notebook samples to try and review. It was a very generous shipment and I did not expect to receive so many but it has been a lot of fun using these. I was also sent a prototype sample that contains some new paper. How are they with fountain pens? Let me show you.




I was blown away by the generosity here. I was sent 5 notebooks, a catalog of all their products and a small desk calendar. 

Here is what was sent.


This is the Find Slim Note with the Midnight Blue cover. It is A5 sized and has 40 pages with a 5mm grid. The cover is stiff but semi-flexible and has a nice tactile feel. 


Here is the Find Note Hard with a Grey colored cover. This is also A5 sized with 192 pages with a 5mm grid. Much like the Slim Note, the cover is stiff but semi-flexible and has a nice tactile feel. 


This is the Find Ring Note with a Grey colored cover. A5 sized notebook with 80 pages and a 5mm grid. The cover is more of a cardstock and is ring bound rather than sewn for the binding.


This is the Find Note Soft with a Grey colored cover. This is measured at 120x210mm, has 192 pages and has a 5mm grid. Definitely a more flexible cover compared to the other notebooks. 


This is the notebook prototype that contains the new paper formulation. 


The Find Note Slim and the Find Note Hard have a copper gilding to the edges, which adds a classy feel to the notebooks.

So What do I think? These notebooks are made quite well. The bindings are sewn, the paper feels nice and the books themselves look professional with a touch of class. I am really enjoying using these. 

The paper is overall fountain pen friendly but there are some caveats. I tried to test the papers with a varied vendor selection of inks and my preferred nib width on pens is broad. Most inks were fine and behaved well. There are some inks that did not behave the best but I have had issues with these on other papers as well. 





There is some ghosting but the bleed through was from Papier Plume ink. I have seen feathering and bleed with Papier Plume in the past with other paper so I am not concerned and I love Papier Plume inks. I also noticed that heavily saturated inks tend to feather a bit as well here. 



Overall, the paper behaves quite well. 



So I tried the new prototype paper with the same inks and there is a noticeable improvement. 





The new paper has a heavier feel and is smoother to the touch. As you can see, there is less ghosting and the bleed is almost nil. The prototype is blank but I would expect that when this paper is fully tested and rolled out, the standard ruling will be used on the paper. 

I have been using these notebooks now for approx 30 days and I love them, I really do. These are well made and the majority of ink that I own behaves quite well in these notebooks. I use them daily for both work and personal use and I will be purchasing this brand of notebooks for years to come.

Give them a try, I doubt you will be disappointed.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Handwriting with Fountain Pens

It is a new year and I need to approach it in that manner. 2018 was very difficult for my family and I will admit that this blog had to take a backseat. January 2019 is nearly over and I need to get back to making regular content.

There is a topic that I hear come up quite often. Does writing with a fountain pen improve your handwriting? Well, does it? I have found that this is not a yes or no answer and it really depends on your perspective and point of view.

I have been using fountain pens for over 5 years now and I have noticed an improvement in my writing but I didn't realize how much it has improved until I found my very first journal written with a fountain pen. Wow! what a difference a few years can make. Was it because of the use of a fountain pen?


Yes and no is my best answer. I used to only hand write things when I felt I needed to as ball point pens were not fun to use. I would hurry and rush whatever I was writing to really get the experience over with and write what needed written. 


Fountain pens, for me, really changed my thought process and right from the beginning. The effortless writing experience was just what I was looking for and it spoke to me. Obviously I was hooked and I fell down the rabbit hole here. My writing looks so much better but was it really because of the pen? Well, it is more the experience of the pen that made me write more often as it was more pleasurable to do. Practice is truly what improved my handwriting but the inspiration was due to the love I had for the writing experience that a fountain pen afforded me. 



It is truly amazing what regular practice can do and what rewards come from the diligence. My handwriting is nothing to write home about but the difference between the two scripts here is staggering and really looks like it is the result of two completely different people. Amazing.


Keep writing, keep practicing and keep enjoying the process that a fountain pen affords you. Handwriting is truly a lost art and is often referred to as a hobby, which is sad in its own right but your practicing will inspire others through your efforts. My script gets complimented from time to time and usually I see those individuals writing more, later on. That is a great inspiration there. Keep writing!

Monday, November 5, 2018

The Ohio Pen Show 2018

The 24th Annual Ohio Pen Show was this past weekend (Nov 1 - 4) and it was the first time I had attended this show as it is a 10 hour drive for me. I decided to suck it up and make the show this year and I was not disappointed. If you have never attended a pen show before, here are some reasons to go.

You can try products before you buy them to make sure it is really what you are wanting, since that cannot be done online. You can interact with the vendors and most importantly, the pen community itself. I believe the people you meet at a show are the best part of a pen show. The pen community is truly amazing.

@Allthehobbies and Pen Pal Amy

I arrived at the hotel on Thursday night, November 1, and it was late. I immediately ran into Ralph Reyes and he gave me a hug as he remembered me from the Chicago show. I found some dinner and called it a day.

Ralph Reyes

Friday was when the show opened to the public and I was excited. What would I find that needed to be brought home? Who would I see? Who would I meet?

I met a pen pal in person and it made my day. It is always nice to put a face with a name. Thanks Amy! I then made the rounds and immediately found my first purchase of the day as the deal was too good to pass on. I found a Pelikan M815 LE Metal Stripe at a phenomenal price. Bam! mine!



Anderson Pens is always a stop for me as they have a great selection and Lisa Anderson cracks me up. Brian is nice too but Lisa is a riot and so fun to be around. Here I fell victim to the Anderson's selection and bought the new Esterbrook Estie.

Lisa Anderson



After some lunch, I made it to the large ballroom and began browsing. So much selection here and many familiar faces. I was able to meet @Allthehobbies and @Penguintreats as well as Richard Binder. Jerry with Laban, The legendary Wahl-nut and many others. Here I purchased a Laban pen that really caught my eye and had to pull the trigger. I actually didn't make any other purchases this day. After the show, there was a pizza party and I was able to meet some members of the Ohio Pen Club and made some new friends.

Cary with Fountain Pen Day and Kenro

Darla with Private Reserve

Federalist Pens

Hall View

Edison Pen Co

Large Ballroom

Nibsmith Table


Saturday started with a bang! I had been pondering this purchase all evening and decided to pull the trigger. I went up to Syd Saperstein, The Wahl-Nut, and purchased the Wahl Eversharp Decoband with the Gatsby design. My mother was a skilled quilter and all of her designs were so symmetrical and geometric that the pen reminded me of her.

The Wahl-nut



Then I ran into Ryan Krusac's table and had to buy another scrimshaw pen. This one is a Legend 15 with a Dragon etched onto the moose antler barrel. His skills are truly amazing and he makes such a quality product. I was also able to meet Jake Weidemann and see their artist proof for their pen collaboration. It is stunning.

Ryan Krusac



Well, what do pens need? Yep, ink. So after some pondering and browsing I purchased some ink from Anderson Pens, Lemur Ink, Papier Plume and Opus. My wallet was on fire at this point.

Patrick with Papier Plume


Laura with the Chicago Pen Show

At 12:30p, we had a meet-up in the lobby for members of a facebook pen pal group to meet. Several showed up and we went to a local deli and had a lunch filled with stories, laughs and of course, pen fondling.

Friendly Meet-Up

The days were packed with activity and everyone was just so friendly and energetic. I had a great time but sadly had to make the 10 hour journey back home on Sunday so i wasn't out too late.

I loved the Ohio Pen Show and I believe I will go again next year.