Nakaya Piccolo II Update

I can't believe I forgot to post this, but the Nakaya website has been updated with the details of the Special Order Piccolo I received in October!

Special Order » Original Color » Olive Green Tamenuri.

Sailor Pro Gear SE

In my last post I mentioned my latest Sailor - a Professional Gear Special Edition produced for the Japanese market.
I wrote a little about this pen over at the Fountain Pen Network when I first received it, and I've been using it ever since. When I bought this pen, I was concerned about the F nib (having only ever used modern Sailor EF nibs in the past), but I was lucky enough to have gotten a very EF-like F nib.

The white trim is perfect, even though I am normally a fan of gold trim, and the nib is very attractive. PR Fiesta Red has turned out to be the perfect colour for this pen, and now I can't think of inking it with anything else. This is really a very striking pen, and I'm so pleased that I paid a little extra to acquire it. :)

Happy, happy, happy!

Special Japanese Pens

November has been a fruitful month for Japanese pens. In a very short period I have acquired several pens I have wanted for some time now! Most of these are stainless steel Sailor pens which are not too common.

The most magnificent pen of them all is the Sailor Egyptian Hieroglyphs model.
I was very lucky to be able to add the Hieroglyphs pen to my collection, and once again, such a thing was made possible by the wonderful Stan Klemanowicz, who has provided me with some of my best-loved Japanese pens.

Another interesting pen heading my way is a Limited Edition Sailor Professional Gear - in a Red Metallic lacquer finish!

More about the Sailor LE later... ;)

A Quiet Day...

Life in pendom has been quiet of late, but I have a couple of small pen and ink notes to report:

• I've ordered two bottles of the FPN Dumas Tulipe Noire ink, which is a dark red-violet shade possibly resembling a mixture of Noodler's Red Black and PR Burgundy Mist.
• I recently acquired a vintage Sailor 'Egyptian Hieroglyphs' pen, which is a model from the mid 1970's or so. Striking design! It is a rare short-long version of the full-size Hieroglyphs pen. (Picture to come.)

More news next time, I hope!

Lovely Paper

This morning I discovered the online store of a Melbourne-based retailer which carries my favourite paper, Original Crown Mill! The store is called The Source Online.

This is exciting stuff - The Source have a good range of OCM products, especially concerning the Pure Cotton items which I could previously only mail-order from Monograms in Brisbane.

Nakaya Piccolo II

Earlier this week my spectacular Special Order Nakaya Piccolo arrived! It is gorgeous.

A full Review has been posted over at the Fountain Pen Network. :)

Pens Arrived

My Aurora Fuoco Mini arrived today, and it's GORGEOUS! Here it is posing with some Mini siblings:
In addition, I have also received my Pelikan M400 Tortoise & Dark Brown, as well as my Pelikan M450 Tortoise & Vermeil!
And last but certainly not least, a beautiful 1976 Platinum pen made from solid Silver with Silver/Vermeil relief - the workmanship is beautiful, and this is quite a special pen.
I'm a lucky girl. :)

Aurora and Pelikans Incoming!

As is always the case, weeks pass with no sign of any interesting pens, and then suddenly all the pens I'd like to buy pop up at once! I really hate when that happens...

Anyway, the following pens will soon be arriving:

• Aurora Fuoco Aurea Minima LE
  
  This will arrive next week - maybe even by Tuesday! My preference is usually toward gold trim, but this particular intense red is perfectly offset by the white trim.
  
  Proposed Ink: Levenger Fireball.
  

  Pelikan Souverän M450 Tortoise-Vermeil
  

  I really love my modern M400 in Tortoise-White, so of course I have been eyeing off the M450 for some time. The M400 and M450 use different Tortoise celluloids, with the M450 celluloid being slightly greener.
  

  Proposed Ink: Stipula Verde Muschiato.
  

  Pelikan Souverän M400 Tortoise-Brown
  Another Pelikan! This pen completes my Souverän 400-series mini-collection of the modern Tortoise celluloids, as I have all three now!
  

  Proposed Ink: Pelikan Brilliant Brown.

Once again, I am building up a number of pens which will require nib modifications. I think the two Pelikans above bring the total to seven... :)

Pilot Goodies

Today I finally ordered a few Pilot pens I have been meaning to buy for some time. I'm always apprehensive of buying pens with Fine nibs instead of Extra Fine nibs, but the general consensus is that these Pilot F nibs write like an EF nib does.

If that's the case, great! If not... well, they'll end up on eBay at some point.

1. Pilot Prera - Lime Green, F nib.
The Prera has been recommended to me by more than a few people, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I had a tough time deciding between the Ivory and the Lime Green, but in the end my love of the colour green won out over good taste. ;)
Pilot Legno 89s - Deep Red Cherry Wood, 14K F nib.
This pens looks soooo cute! Like the Prera, it's a very small pen with the flat-top styling that I love.
Pilot Desk Pen - Red, EF nib.
I have a couple of these pens already, but the EF nibs are just so amazing that I had to have another - the line these pens lay down rivals that of my 0.2mm/XXXF Needlepoints.

Now, what colour ink do you fill a Lime Green pen with...?

The Waiting Game

I think the waiting does it. I mean, I don't mind the waiting for my FPs to arrive in AU - the postal system always take ages, but this is more about waiting for ordered pens, or to be able to order certain pens. Too much waiting makes my interest fade...

• Example 1: The Aurora Fuoco Mini. I ordered one over eight weeks ago, but now my order is not able to be confirmed and I don't know why – it’s probably because there are no EF nibs available... Sigh.
• Example 2: My second Nakaya Piccolo. The wait for this has been considerable.
• Example 3: I have a few inexpensive Pilot pens on my wish list that I haven't bought because I only want to order from one place - I don't like having to use three separate vendors to acquire four simple pens.

In the midst of all this waiting, I did try to amuse myself by buying another Omas Princess in Senape (Saffron) Blue, but of course I forgot that the pen will be unusable until it goes to a nibmeister. So, I *was* enthused about this pen, but now it has arrived, I have admired it and soon I'll put it away unused... what a shame.

The one bright spot of interest is two Platinum pens from the 70s which are on their way to me - these I am looking forward to, as I will be able to use each one immediately.

A very big thank you goes to Nikolaos for helping me acquire these excellent Japanese pens. :)

New Astura, New Sailor

Two nice pens arrived in the mail this week!

The first was a NOS 1970's Sailor with a neat chequered motif around the cap. This is a stainless steel short-long pen with a very smooth 14K F nib.


Next is a little Italian button-filler made by Astura. This is such a gorgeous little pen - M300 size, and with the original Astura 14K XF nib! This pen was also NOS, and remarkably, the sac was still good!


The photo above doesn't do justice to the celluloid, which is a marbled blue-green with a beautiful metallic shimmer. I've inked this pen with Diamine Umber - a near-perfect match for the celluloid.

Delicious. :)

OMAS Disappointment

I heard back from The Pen Shoppe today, as my Omas Dama has returned from Italy. No paperwork was included by Omas, but it seems that they have replaced the clip.

Unfortunately, they have also sent a bill for US$75. The Pen Shoppe seems to think I'll be paying that bill - but since the pen is still under warranty, I'll disagree.

I'm really quite unimpressed with Omas and this whole fiasco. The clip developed hairline cracks in the gold plating after the pen was *casually* used over a six month period. The clip plating was inferior, and the problem isn't a new one, so I can't believe they actually charge people for the clip replacement! :(

Urushi Eyedropper

Some photos of my lovely 1950's Eyedropper:



This pen is big and beautiful! The coppery-red colour is especially nice.

Incoming Pens!

It's been awhile since my last posting, so today's entry will be a large one - I have lots of nice pen news to share. :)

Last month I acquired some unusual Japanese pens, and while I promised some photos, I didn't get around to posting any. However, they are here now!

Platinum 'Zogan' (1970's)
Initially, I didn't know what to make of this pen, as it was much larger than I had anticipated it would be. I pondered it for a couple of hours, and debated whether it should remain in my collection or not. Eventually, I decided I did like the 'Zogan' and upon inking it with R&K Sepia, I found I liked it even more.

Pilot Etched Floral (1970's)
I saw a couple of these pens sell on eBay earlier this year, but they sold for more than I was prepared to pay (and more than they were worth). Stan had one for sale recently, and I managed to snag my first colour choice at a great price. This is a gorgeous pen, and the photo doesn't do it justice. The metallic enamel inside the deep etching changes under different lighting conditions - really pretty.

Pilot-Namiki Black Red Celluloid (1930's)
I was really pleased to acquire this pen as a NOS item with its box, papers, barrel label etc. It is in great condition, and the dark celluloid and black urushi jewels make a very nice contrast with the nickel trim.

Well Black Urushi Eyedropper (1930's)
Another nice one! The black urushi coating on this pen is perfect, and quite thick. The urushi-clad clip is most sexy, in my opinion. The nib is a nice one, with a cut-out on either side to increase flexibility. I have a Nakaya with an Elastic nib which features similar cut-outs. It's nice to have an early example of such a nib, as well as a modern one.

* * *

In other news, I have several exciting new pens winging their way to me as I type! July has been another good month for interesting pens. A brief summary:

• Platinum PKH-2500. I have one of these cute short-long pens already, as shown here. My current short has a Clover motif, the new short has a Maple Leaf motif.


• Platinum Ivory Celluloid. I’m looking forward to this one. A 1950's Platinum 10 Year model in a lever-fill configuration.


• Well Eyedropper. Yep, another Well... but not quite as old as the first one. This one has a very interesting nib also - instead of a traditional round or heart-shaped vent hole, this Well has the letter W instead. Nifty!


• Yotsubishi Eyedropper. My first Yotsubishi, and hopefully not my last. What makes this 1950's example nice is that it has been finished with a Red Urushi coating.

Lastly, I have my eye on a couple of brand new modern pens. The first is a delicious new Aurora, the Fuoco Minima. I think this Aurora series is based on natural elements, as the Fuoco features a flame motif, just as the Sole Aurea Minima features a sun motif. The colour is beautiful!

The other modern pen I am considering is a Danitrio maki-e pen. I've not yet decided exactly what to purchase though... decisions, decisions!

Ink Capacity

On Friday I had a startling experience - a co-worker approached me, and wanted to know if I could recommend a quality fountain pen with two specific requirements: that it is heavy, and short. I couldn't actually think of any pens to suggest to him (I think I was still in shock from actually discussing fountain pens in my daily life instead of FPN), but I promised I would gather bring some catalogues and recommendations to him on Monday. He also mentioned that price was no object. This makes me wonder if he has any idea of what one could spend on a fountain pen if money were no object...

But I digress...onto the subject of this post - ink capacity!

Ink capacity concerns many people; however, I am not one of them. I actually prefer to use cartridge/converter pens, because with piston-fillers you are stuck with one ink colour for awhile, which is boring. :) Anyway, I decided to find out how much a few of my most commonly used pens differ in regard to ink their capacity:

Brand / Model	Type	Capacity
Parker	Cartridge	~1.3ml
Pelikan M2xx & M4xx	Piston-Filler	~1.5ml
Pilot	Cartridge	~1.1ml
Pilot	Converter (CON20)	~0.8ml
Platinum	Cartridge	~1.1ml
Platinum	Converter	~0.6ml
Sailor	Cartridge	~1.1ml
Sailor	Converter	~0.6ml
Sheaffer	Cartridge	~1.3ml
Other	'Short' Cartridge	~0.8ml

(The above volumes are approximate.)

Looks like I'm on the right track in just refilling my cartridges with a syringe.

More Japanese Pens + Fascinating Facts!

This week, I was very pleased to add a few more nifty Japanese pens to my collection. Here's a summary - I will add some nicer photos when they arrive:

• Platinum 'Zogan'. This is a 1970's Platinum with interesting Lamy 2000-esque styling. The cap band has a floral motif in the decorative zogan technique, which is the inlaying of gold into a surface. Platinum revisited the 'Zogan' in the 1990's, this time styling the pen on their classic #3776 model.
  I dislike using other peoples images, but for now here is the 'Zogan':
  The top image is from Stan Klemanowicz, and shows the 1970's model. The bottom image is from the Internet, and shows the 1990's model.


• Pilot Etched Floral. This is a 1970's stainless steel Pilot with gold trim and deep floral sprigs etched into the body. The etchings are filled with a green-gold reflective lacquer. Pretty!


• Pilot 'L'. Someone on eBay advertises these under the name of "Lex" or the more ridiculous "Mysterious Reflections". The other name for this model is simply the "Lady" - however, while browsing Yahoo! Japan one day, I found one of these pens marked "Laureat":
  My "L" fountain pen is on the left, the Yahoo "L" ballpoint pen is on the right. I wonder what Waterman thought of Pilot using the name Laureat?! Ah, the oddities of the pen world...


• Pilot-Namiki Celluloid. This is a nice, red-black mottled celluloid lever filler which is stickered, and has the original box and instructions. I was especially pleased to find this pen, as it is a prewar model bearing a "N" (Namiki) logo on the barrel. In 1938 the logo letter changed from "N" to "P" for Pilot, so I would put my pen as being from 1936/1937. The pen has a steel 'Shiro' nib.
  Pilot fountain pens from the 1930's to 1960's had a couple of different barrel stamps, as shown below:
  The first two lines of text are the standard imprint - sometimes model names or patent info is present, but that's the basic text. The central round 'lifebuoy' is depicted as one of the above three logos, of which the dates concerning the later two are approximate.


• Well Eyedropper. The Well Fountain Pen Company was founded in the 1920's and was a popular prewar manufacturer. However, after the war, the company had a short lifespan and eventually closed in the 1950's. The pen I bought is an Ebonite (hard rubber) eyedropper, coated with black Urushi lacquer - even the clip is lacquered black! This pen also has a steel 'Shiro' nib.

I'll have these pens in a week or two, so look out for some photos then - this is an interesting group! :)

Ho Hum...

So far, June has not been a good month.

I have tonsillitis at the moment, so I'm at home this week. I'm not happy, because I have a very important deadline next Friday and another deadline at the end of the month! If I keep getting sick, how the hell am I supposed to get any work done?

Anyway... in the more pleasant world of pens I have some nice updates:

• My special Urushi Nakaya Cigar Piccolo will be ready in the next couple of weeks! I've decided to ink it with Stipula Verde Muschiato when it arrives.


• A couple of weeks back I ordered a pen from WTM Pens, which should arrive sometime soon. I ordered an 'El Toro' because I liked its chunky shape, which is actually a little bit like one of my JP Lepine pens. Wayne kindly ground down the F nib to an XF for me, which was very nice of him! :)


• I'm looking forward to Stan K's Japanese pen sale which happens this weekend. I was very lucky to get some wonderful pens from the last two sales, so I hope my luck holds again.


• I'm downsizing my collection a little bit, so in a couple of weeks after work has slowed down, I'm sending a few pens to eBay. My collection is finally finding a focus! :)

Good Reading

The Spring issue of The PENnant arrived in the mail yesterday, so this morning I made some very good coffee and spent an enjoyable couple of hours reading. In particular, I found Daniel Kirchheimer's articles in this issue really interesting! Unfortunately, I now feel the urge to add a couple more early Sheaffer radite ring tops to my collection - particularly those with 'C' and 'F' stamped barrels to keep my 'D' stamped 46 Special company...

May Collection Updates

I've been somewhat slack about posting of late, so let us see what updates we have for May...

INK - I can't believe I didn't post about my new inks. I recently ordered Noodler's Nightshade, Private Reserve Gray Flannel, Rohrer & Klingner Sepia and Rohrer & Klingner Smaragdgrün from The Inked Nib, with wonderful service from Natalie as per usual.

• Noodler's Nightshade: This is a dark red-violet, almost like a mixture of Noodler's Red Black and J. Herbin Moondust. Moderate shading, very well behaved. (Thank you to Gary for getting me interested in this ink. :)


• Private Reserve Gray Flannel: This is a medium gray, quite neutral, with perhaps a hint of a green undertone. Moderate shading, very well behaved, perfect flow.


• R&K Sepia: I recently finished a half-bottle of this ink which I traded for last year, so when I ordered a fresh bottle, I wondered if the colour would differ at all. I was glad to find that it didn't, because this ink is the closest replacement for Parker Penman Mocha that I have found. It's very slightly lighter than Mocha, but the colour is so close... that completely neutral, true brown with no red, orange or yellow undertones. Lovely! Rather strong shading, no feathering, quite free-flowing.


• R&K Smaragdgrün (Viridian Green): Initially, this was an odd colour for me to buy, but my collection was lacking a pure blue-green (not to be confused with green-blue / turquoise). This ink colour has grown on me, and is very reminiscent of Sheaffer Emerald, though the colour is slightly deeper and more intense - a great ink. Moderate shading, very well behaved, perfect flow.

NIBS - I completed a more comprehensive review of my Richard Binder Needlepoint nibs! I uploaded several pages of writing samples on different papers, as well as some close-up shots of those beautiful nibs. Read on... XXXF and XXXXF Round and Italic Points.

PENS - I picked up two more Japanese fountain pens last week, both Platinum brand, and both 1970's Sterling Silver models. The first is a Riviere model with small inlaid red accents on the cap, while the second model is unknown, with red urushi accents on the cap. Both are high-quality pens, and from what I can gather, they were originally sold in the ~15,000 ¥en range.

The Platinums should arrive next week, and I will definitely be photographing them and preparing a write-up. Not much product information for older Platinum models exists out there on the WWW, so unfortunately I will be limited to discussing the design and showing off pretty pictures! :)

Sexy Weblog

Well, it took a whole day, but I finally migrated my blog into a new template - and I think it looks pretty snazzy. ;)

XXXF Nibs!

Just after 4PM yesterday afternoon, my long-awaited package from Richard Binder was finally in my hands! My ten pens were back - with freshly customized nibs!

I had forgotten that I had originally sent all but one my pens away in little black slipcases, and when I unpacked the pens it was actually great not knowing what pen each case held!

The included writing samples from Richard looked perfect, and my opinion didn't change when I dip-tested each nib. Each nib performs perfectly, and the feedback and flow is exactly as I required - Richard has done a fantastic job, and these nibs were worth the wait! Each pen is now inked up, and being put to use!

• Jean-Pierre Lepine Attila, J.Herbin Indien Orange.
• Jean-Pierre Lepine Indigo, Pelikan Brilliant Brown.
• Lamy Lady, Noodler's Golden Brown.
• Omas Saft Green Princess, Stipula Moss Green.
• Omas Blue La Royal Princess, custom mix.
• Omas Scarlet Red Princess, Noodler's Tiananmen.
• Pelikan M400 White Honey, R&K Alt-Goldgrün.
• Pelikan M300 Green, Montblanc Racing Green.
• Pelikan M201 Clear, J.Herbin Poussiere de Lune.

Earlier today I put some time aside, selected pens with tiny nibs, and created a document which shows writing samples from 22 pens in my collection:

(Note: The image linked below is 1400x2135 and 2MB in size.)

I wasn't sure of the best way to present such a nib comparison, but I think that by viewing the high-resolution scan at 100%, you can form a clear opinion about the nibs shown. The graph paper used has 5mm squares - so that gives an idea about how small my writing is, and why I use such tiny nibs!

Very Exciting Pen News!

Well, exciting for me at least! Here is a summary of pens I am expecting...

1. A second Nakaya Piccolo Cigar! Special Urushi finish, 14K SEF nib.


2. A stainless steel Platinum, exactly like the one shown in this post.


3. A cute Waterman Lady Charlotte.


4. The Fountain Pen Network 'Limited Edition' Bexley.


5. TEN (10) pens from Richard Binder, which I sent to him for nib customizations - I may have them by the end of this week!

Last week I also received two beautiful Japanese pens from the lovely Mr. K. The first was a small Pilot lever-filler, in a gorgeous red celluloid with a firm XF 14K nib. The second was more special... an unusual stainless steel Sailor with a rather exquisite arabesque-like motif. The motif is machined(?) all over the cap, barrel and section. The detail is quite incredible and perfect, and the nib is a 18K White Gold F.

Nib News!

This is the best thing I've read in ages...

"I can grind a nib of any size down to XXXXF. That's a line 0.004" (0.1 mm) wide. One of Phthalo's pens just got that treatment today, and four others were taken down to XXXF. Two more are now 0.3-mm stubs. Who knows what's in store for the rest of the clutch she sent me?"

- Richard Binder commenting on nib customizations I requested.

How exciting! Seven of my ten pens are done!

Fantastic!

Long Time, No Pens...

...well, not really. Some very nice pens arrived in April, and it looks like May will bring more of the same.

The above image shows a few nice Japanese pens I acquired last month. From the top:

• Platinum. White enamel with clover motif. 18K Fine.
• Platinum. Pale gold arabesque motif. C/C. 18K Fine.
• Platinum. Stainless steel. C/C. 18K White Fine.
• Pilot. Black with stainless cap. Lever. 'Hardgilt' Steel Flexible Fine.

Also, I received an Aurora 14K EF nib which had been reground to an XF Stub.

OT: The Wedgwood House

This is completely unrelated to fountain pens, but it’s an interesting tale which I thought I would share.

I collect Wedgwood Jasperware, and I maintain a small website about it. A fellow Wedgwood collector contacted me recently, wondering if I could advise paint colours which matched the colours Wedgwood have used in the Jasper range. The reason? They wish to paint the interior of their house in those colours.

A modern-day redux perhaps of the work of Scottish architect Robert Adam, amongst others, who inspired Josiah Wedgwood with their lavish Neoclassical interiors in the first place...Luckily, I could assist, and have provided the most accurate colour information that I could determine, based upon the PANTONE® system.
I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product. :)

Japanese Pens

Picked up a couple of nice Japanese pens recently - three Platinum pens from the 1970's, and one Pilot pen from the 1950's.

I am particularly interested in the Pilot, which is a lever-filler with a flexible steel nib. My Sailor eyedropper has a flexible steel 'Shiro' nib, which is quite wonderful, so I am hoping the Pilot nib will be similar.

Sailor Sapporo!

I finally got a Sailor Sapporo! Well, I got two actually, a Sapporo and a Sapporo Mini:
Perfect little pens with wonderful 14K EF nibs. :D

Acquisitions!

The drought (of pen buying) has broken. This last week I was up to my old tricks, buying duplicates from collectors, and scouting around eBay. Some nice pens were had:

• Radius - Italian, 1940's ladies button-filler. Brown marbled celluloid, 14K Flexible F nib.
• Sheaffer Valiant - Snorkel. Fern Green, 14K Triumph F nib.
• Pilot Custom 98 - Deep Yellow, 14K EF nib.
• Duchessa (Montegrappa sub-brand) - Italian, 1930's ladies button-filler, NOS. Pink marbled celluloid. 14K Flexible F nib.

An interesting little lot... :)

Nib Customizations

I don't think I've mentioned what work Richard will be doing on the pens I've sent him, so this a breakdown:

Brand	Model	Customization
Jean-Pierre Lepine Jean-Pierre Lepine Lamy Omas Omas Omas Montegrappa Pelikan Pelikan Pelikan	Attila Indigo Lady Celluloid Princess Celluloid Princess Celluloid Princess Micra M400 M300 M250	0.3 Stub XXXF 0.3 Cursive Italic XXXXF 0.3 Stub XXXF XXXF XXXF 0.3 Crisp Italic 0.3 Stub

I can hardly wait to write with them. :)

Ink!!!

My inks finally arrived from Pendemonium! Nine delicious colours:

- Diamine Umber
- Noodler's Russian Chekhov
- Noodler's Russian Dostoyevsky
- Noodler's Russian Pushkin
- Noodler's Apache Sunset
- Noodler's Golden Brown
- Private Reserve Burgundy Mist
- Rohrer & Klingner Fernambuk
- Rohrer & Klingner Morinda

...plus some Red Platinum cartridges and some silicon grease to use on my Sailor Eyedropper, which has a point-section leak.

Very pleased with all the colours except Diamine Umber and Noodler's Dostoyevsky. Umber was touted as a Pelikan Moss Green alternative, which is so not true. Moss Green was a yummy olive shade, while Umber is just a forest green. Meanwhile, Dostoyevsky looks like a slightly faded Sheaffer Turquoise. Boring.

Rohrer & Klingner Morinda and Private Reserve Burgundy Mist are my favourites from the bunch. :)

Samples and such posted here (FPN).

More Paper

A couple of weeks ago I posted about Original Crown Mill Stationery, an extremely nice paper I was able to buy locally. The quality is comparable with G. Lalo, which is great; because that was the paper I most wished I could buy here in AU. While I can buy Crane & Co., it's very expensive.

I ordered a couple more OCM A5 pads in Cream today, and some C6 Cream envelopes with different tissue linings - Chocolate, Bordeaux, Kraft, Bamboo and Navy. Yummy!

Pen & Ink Updates

I have been advised by Pendemonium that the Diamine Umber shipment may finally be arriving. It's been a few months now, nearly four, I think. Damn Diamine.

I've rationalised the number of pens I had inked, and I'm down to eight. Once the Pendemonium inks arrive that amount will easily double, so I might have to trim the current number to five or so...

My writing box restoration is going splendidly. The box has cleaned up very well and I'm in the middle of re-papering the inside compartments with a sedate charcoal-coloured paper. It’s looking really neat and tidy now. :)

Lastly, I've ordered another two Pilot 78Gs from HisNibs, as well as two Hero 329s. I love those F nibs on the Pilot 78G - they are perfection. I'll have every colour now: Teal, Red, Dark Green and Black. :)

A Writing Box

I recently picked up a small ladies writing box, which I plan to restore a little so that it displays nicely. It’s not the type of writing box which opens back to create a sloped surface, but rather one which opens to a small tablet for writing which then folds back into the lid to reveal the compartments beneath.

The box is from around 1840, appears to be made from mahogany and the top of the box is inset with a floral tooled leather design. It’s not a valuable item, and has certainly seen better days. All the compartments are present, though a couple of dividers have come loose. The compartments are lined with an unattractive paper, which I hope to remove or replace. The glass inkwell with a brass cap is present. The bottom compartment is a correspondence drawer divided in two, with one side marked Answered and the other side marked Unanswered.


Now, to read up on how to safely clean leather, and find out what type of paper is best to line the compartments with...

OMG 2007 !!!

Yes, 2007 is upon us.

(How horrifying! Where have the years gone?!? My life is passing me by at a great rate of knots! I remember my 21st like it was yesterday, dammit!)

But, enough panicking. What's new in pendom?

1. Original Crown Mill Stationery. I picked up a pad and envelope set from this Belgium paperier just before Christmas and I love it. It is cream laid paper with a beautiful texture and feel. Currently I have the classic correspondence set in Grey. OCM is also available in A5 pads, which is what I prefer, because pads vs. sheets are much better value. Also, they offer C6 envelopes in Cream with your choice of 21 different coloured linings. Excellent stuff.
2. Richard Binder. I have finally sent my 10 pens to Richard for nib customizations. The wait will be awhile, but it will be so worth it. :)