InCoWriMo is Coming!

Last post was all about writing letters and a great organization aimed at doing just that. Who's heard of InCoWriMo? Anyone?

InCoWriMo stands for International Correspondence Writing Month and takes place during February. The goal or challenge, if you will, is to write to 1 person per day for the 28 days of the month. Ready for the challenge?

There is a great website devoted to InCoWriMo. It has a lot of great information and even has a list of 28 people who would love some correspondence if you would like to use. Do you have to write to a different person every day? No, not at all. You can write to whomever as often as you choose. It doesn't have to be a letter either. This correspondence can be a letter, postcard, greeting card, note or whatever the only rule is it has to be hand written. This is an analog based endeavor after all.

I will be participating and I sure hope you are inspired to try it too. I will write to at least one person per day but knowing me, it will be multiple people per day. I do like to write letters and make connections around the globe. What a better way to use your fountain pens, ink and paper? Heck, it can be any pen or a pencil even. Want to write in crayon, do it! Color a picture while you are at it. The recipient will enjoy the surprise and hopefully there will be 28 smiles or more during February's writing extravaganza!

Would you like to receive some mail during InCoWriMo? Eric at InCoWriMo.org has a forum on his blog where you can post your address for other participants can write you. The post is the InCoWriMo Address Exchange.

There is also a participation map on the site where you can place a pin on the location you will be writing from. It is all in good fun so try it. Write someone and make their day. There is nothing quite like getting some mail you actually want to read rather than bills and ads. Give it a try and have some fun!

The Letter Writer's Alliance

With InCoWriMo (International Correspondence Writing Month) starting up in February, it seems fitting to focus on a worthy activity to put those pens to paper and make someone's day. Writing letters seems to be a lost art in this digital age, much like fountain pens, but the Letter Writers Alliance (LWA) formed to change that.

I became a member early on in 2016 and a lifetime membership is a whopping $5, how can you say no to that? I made a personal goal in 2016 and that was to become better connected to my fellow humans on this planet we call home. This blog sprouted from that goal, but so did my love of writing letters. The LWA supported my goal through their pen pal match program and I have a hefty pen pal list that is ever growing.

The LWA was formed in 2007 by Kathy Zadrosny and Donovan Beeson and these two ambitious women run this endeavor from a passion of mail and the art of letters. I have to admit, I love the feeling I get when I come home after a long work day and see a letter has arrived. It is an excitement that us analog people understand. These two women started this alliance and have seen it grow to over 11,000 members worldwide. I find that to be impressive.

Donovan and Kathy also work to make the LWA more interactive through social events throughout the year. Whether it be a virtual letter social, a mail art class or even their book club, members have some time to engage with other like minded individuals and "geek out" as it were.

I have met many people through the LWA and fulfilled my goal in 2016. That goal continues here in 2017 and I love writing letters and meeting new people. Donovan has become one of my pen pals and I always look forward to her letters. Her mail art and her wit always make me smile.

So grab some paper and your favorite pen and ink! Sit down and write a letter. I bet you will feel rewarded for doing so and whomever is lucky enough to receive that letter will have a smile on their face. A letter is a small thing with a huge impact. Make someone's day.

Diamine Deep Dark Ink Collection

Previously, I compared some of these inks to the Ebony Ink series from Private Reserve but that was only 4 of the inks. I now have the set of the Diamine Deep Dark Inks that are exclusive to Cult Pens and now we can look at all 6 ink colors.

Deep Dark Brown is a nice brown ink with decent shading. The saturation is rather dull on the writing compared to the swab. The shading really makes the deep dark portion of the ink come to life. Without it, the brown is a tad bland and unexciting.

Deep Dark Blue is a dark blue I really like. It really looks like a nice dark denim color and dries the same color unlike the Deep Dark Brown. This blue has decent flow, decent shading for a dark ink and good saturation. Overall, it is a solid dark blue color.

Deep Dark Purple is a nice purple if you like a purple based more off of the reddish side of purple. It is another example of shading saving this ink color. Without the shading, the red value of purple bleeds out the life in this color and the lightens it dramatically. The shading saves this ink and adds some dimension to the color.

Deep Dark Green is a lovely shade of green. It flows well, shades well and has a nice balanced saturation. It is very reminiscent of a Hunter Green and could pass for an everyday writing ink color rather than a green ink outside of the office.

Deep Dark Red has quickly become my red ink of choice. It is a very dark red offering that really embodies the color of blood. It is even darker than Diamine Oxblood and it doesn't seem to stain the converters I have tried it in. Great flow, saturation and shading. A great dark red ink color.

Deep Dark Orange is a pleasant surprise as I was very hesitant to order this ink color. I was very wrong and love this color. I assumed it would be bright and quite impractical to use but it is a decently dark shade of orange with lovely shading, and saturation. It is much darker than Noodler's Apache Sunset and it does not have the red/yellow shading elements.

There they are, all 6 of the Diamine Deep Dark Ink colors. I really enjoy 4 of them immensely whereas the brown and purple are not really my type of color. They are exclusive to the UK based Cult Pens but they ship internationally and they deliver very quickly. I am impressed. Enjoy the ink and keep writing!

This review is based off of my experience and opinion. I do not represent Cult Pens nor Diamine and I am not being compensated in any way.

Northbound Notebook Review

I came across this notebook company earlier this month and really liked what I saw. Today I opened a present for Christmas and there was a Northbound Notebook for me to use. So allow me to share what I think about this new notebook.

Northbound Notebooks is based out of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. They have a simple business model and philosophy of using quality products from local sources and making the products by hand.  This notebook uses buffalo leather and it is hand cut and assembled.

What I really like is how a little bit of the profit from each notebook goes into a payout pool and the payout goes to someone that has a passion for creating, like an artist or artisan. I love how this company retains their roots and is wanting to help out others that share a creative passion.

On the website and with the notebook itself, Han Solo is mentioned and I am a huge Star Wars geek (I am wearing stormtrooper socks right now). Embracing the inner geek is always a plus with me.

This notebook is using brown buffalo leather in A5 size. The binding is rather unique here as it is refillable through the use of screws. How simple and smart is that idea? This is a refillable notebook and the user gets to decide how much paper to place inside.

The paper is A5 and is 80# and 100% recycled. Due to the weight of the paper here, it should be fountain pen friendly and it is. I used a variety of nib sizes and inks on the paper and this paper took it like a champ. There was a slight bleed through in 2 spots from very broad nibs and Diamine Deep Dark inks. These spots are very small and barely show through. I take that as a success.

Overall, I really like the design of this notebook. I like that it is refillable, sturdy and well made. I also like how flexible it is to help facilitate different writing situations and needs. That front cover can easily fold back and add some support to the writing surface, if need be. I really like the versatility here.

I love the notebook and I cannot wait to use it everyday. Today was a great day of testing this book out and I look forward to using it on a daily basis. A great gift to receive and I highly recommend this notebook to you. It is classy yet extremely functional plus you are helping out your fellow humans. I will definitely be purchasing more in the future.

This review is based off of my experiences and opinions. I do not represent Northbound Notebooks in any way nor am I being compensated.

Pelikan Souveran M800 Fountain Pen Review

The grail has landed! This pen has been my grail pen for a good long time and I was finally able to make it happen. Was the wait worth it, oh yes!

There are times we place something up on a pedestal and when we finally are able to get that special something in our grasp, well, it did not live up to our expectations. That is not the case here. This Pelikan lived up to my expectations and surpassed them actually. I have always heard Pelikan placed into such high praise and regard. Now I understand why.

Green has always been a favorite color of mine and I do love how well green looks next to black. The body material on the barrel is transparent between the green lines so you can somewhat see the piston mechanism and ink inside. This is also the smoothest piston mechanism I have ever used.

The M800 is a good size pen which is wonderful for large handed people. The M800 is the first model in the Souveran line to have a metal based body which adds some nice weight to the entire pen, which I also prefer. The pen is classic in form and the overall look of the pen is very elegant. It is quite nice to actually see the iconic pelican billed clip in person as well as the Pelikan logo on the finial.

Now you may be asking or wondering, how does it write? well, it is a pen after all and let me describe the experience in a single word, butter. This nib is the smoothest nib I own, hands down, no exceptions. The line is made without any effort and I have not had a single hard start nor any skipping. The nib here is a medium and the M800 features a tow-toned 18kt gold #6 nib here. The Pelikan brand is German and this nib is a beautiful work of art.

The nib writes moderately wet, definitely not like some of the other German based nibs that are gushers. This medium is as expected from a medium and it puts down the right amount of ink.

I love this pen, but I think that might be obvious. Now let me tell you the best part readers in the United States. I purchased this pen from Cult Pens and they are located in the UK. Why? It was so much more affordable than what it sells for here in the US. Should I spend $600 or $360, yeah, a no brainer. I ordered this on a Thursday morning and it was in my hand Monday afternoon which is simply amazing. My experience with Cult Pens was very positive and I will order from them again.

If you ever get a chance to try one of these lovely writers, you will understand what I am saying. It is an amazing writing experience from a very elegant looking pen.

This review is based off of my own experiences and opinion. I do not represent Cult Pens nor Pelikan and I am not being compensated from either company in any way.

Pilot Vanishing Point Review

The Pilot Vanishing Point pen is not new, by any means. This pen has been around and is quite functional in purpose with a clever design. This pen is a great starter for a gold nib and is a wonderful value for the price.

A capless fountain pen? What? Clever design here. It works like a ballpoint pen with a “clicky top” action to extend and retract the nib. There is a small door mechanism that closes when the nib is retracted to keep it from drying out. It is angled so when the nib is extending, the nib tip opens the door to allow the nib to come out and write. This design allows this pen to be a wonderful choice for the user who needs a quick note to be taken.

When I was first looking at the Vanishing Point, I was concerned about the clip design being an issue since it is part of the section. I could see it being an issue depending on how you grip the pen. For me, it does not get in the way and I don’t even notice it is there.

The pen unscrews from the mid-section, much like a ballpoint does and the nib unit looks much like a refill. It has a Pilot Con-50 converter included and that really is the only down side that I can see. The Con-50 holds a tad under 0.5mL of ink which is not a lot. Ink capacity is an issue here.

The nib is a 18kt gold nib which is amazing for the $148 price tag. Depending on the finish of the pen, the nib can come in gold, rhodium or a black coated finish on the nib. Additional nib units can be ordered separately, which I did so I could try out the Pilot stub nib. The Pilot 1.0mm stub is subtle in the line variation but is noticeable from the medium nib I purchased the pen with originally.

All in all, the pen is sleek, balanced and very functional as an everyday carry pen. Aside from the ink capacity, this pen is a solid purchase and great writing pen. Give it a try, you may love it as much as I do.

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

Twsbi Diamond 580 RB Edition Review

I have mentioned Twsbi on this blog before and I have 2 of their pens. After a surprise gift this morning, I now have 3 Twsbi pens and the new one I received is not seen often, so let’s have a look.

This is the Twsbi Diamond 580 RB edition. The RB, I believe, is for red/blue? As a demonstrator pen, the coloring makes it look red, white and blue which could evoke patriotism for both France and the US. When filled with ink, however, the red and blue is more prominent and are also colors on the Taiwan flag which is where the Twsbi company calls home.

To further drive the Taiwan theme, the sun from the Taiwanese flag is featured on the finial of the pen. The cap is red, the section is red and the knob on the end of the pen is blue.

As all of Twsbi’s pens, this is a piston filler based pen and for the price of $55 is a great value. The nibs are super buttery smooth as is this 1.5mm steel stub. It is a nice, juicy, wet nib with great line variation and so effortless to use.

The pen itself is light and well balanced. The RB edition is fun and I appreciate receiving it as a gift from a great friend. Twsbi makes wonder and affordable piston filling pens. If you haven’t already done so, give them a try.

This review is based off of my experience and opinion. I am not representing Twsbi nor being compensated in any way.