Off-topic: a look at a Bulova model 96A189 automatic watch.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
1w ago
On 9 January 2024, I wrote about my brief ownership of a Lorus automatic watch. The episode concluded with me taking it back to the shop, which was rather a down-beat ending. But in case I misled anyone into thinking that I was left sad and watch-less, here is What Happened Next. So this happened. I do not buy a new automatic watch very often: aside from the Lorus, I had not done so since 1999. After the Lorus episode, I next took a renewed interest in the Seiko ranges of automatics, the “5” series and the Prospex. To do so is to dive down another enjoyable rabbit hole. For instance, I read th ..read more
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The London Spring Pen Show 2024: my haul.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
2w ago
Well, what a great day that was! I felt like there was nowhere I would rather be, and nothing that I would rather spend my money on: the London Spring Pen Show at Novotel, Hammersmith, on Sunday 3rd March 2024. This time, my wife Ling accompanied me. She enjoyed meeting all my pen club friends and a big group of us had arranged to meet for a lunch break at nearby Latymers. Almost everyone to whom I introduced her, joked that I was a bad influence in my penabling, particularly with regard to vintage Parkers! I do tend to gush about Parkers but I make the case that buying these actually saves yo ..read more
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Some overdue love for the Parker 75 Laque fountain pen.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
1M ago
I have had this pen since 27 December 1986, bought at WHSmiths, Uxbridge. I know this because I still have the box with the Access card sales voucher, with the guarantee and care guide, folded up beneath the pen tray. So, that’s 37 years. Parker 75 Laque fountain pen. I wish I could say that during that time, the pen has been a constant companion, always to hand, faithful and dependable, travelling with me everywhere. But that would not be true. Certainly, that was the aim, but for some reason things did not work out and I never gelled with the pen. A New Pen Day for me on 27/12/86. As I still ..read more
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Inky pursuits: January 2024 round-up.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
1M ago
Inky pursuits is my series of occasional posts, gathering together some of my recent pen-related shenanigans which might not otherwise be blog-worthy stories on their own. Duke 551 Confucius update. This was my only new fountain pen acquisition in an otherwise dry January. I am enjoying it immensely although it takes a bit of getting used to. The size and weight are like nothing else in my pen cup. I love the look and feel of the natural bamboo wood of its barrel. I read in the Amazon description that this is Golden Silk Bamboo, whereas the Duke 552 is said to use Golden Stripe Bamboo which lo ..read more
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Early thoughts on the Duke 551 Confucius bamboo fude nib pen.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
2M ago
As early thoughts go, today’s are even earlier than usual as this lovely pen has been with me for barely 24 hours. However, my first impressions are very favourable: the quality and finish and the sheer fun that you can have with it, exceeded my expectations. Duke 551 Confucius, bamboo fude nib pen. This model has been around for several years now and I am informed by artist Terry Christopherson (Instagram @theTravelSketcher) and of peninkandpaint.com that it is big in the urban sketching community. I was already familiar with another model that I reviewed previously called the Duke 552, also ..read more
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Off topic: a brief romance with a Lorus automatic wristwatch.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
2M ago
This blog is generally about fountain pens as the name suggests, but I write to relate a recent tale in the world of watches. My excuse for this digression is that many people who enjoy fountain pens feel the same way about mechanical watches. Whilst I have more than my fair share of high quality fountain pens, I do also enjoy seeing how good a writing experience can be had for minimal outlay. I regularly use a Cross Bailey Light which cost about £20.00 and various inexpensive pens from China. To a lesser extent, this curiosity sometimes spills over to watches. Having owned several high-end wa ..read more
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The new year diary, 2024.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
2M ago
Last year, my daily journaling was done in a page a day, Moleskine 18 month volume. I bought it too late to make use of the pages for July to December 2022, but was happy to have them as a sort of bonus notebook. I persevered with the book although it was not particularly enjoyable to use. This was not, as you might think, due to paper quality which was actually quite pleasant and fountain pen friendly, but rather because I did not like the line spacing of only 6mm row height. Added to this, I found the width of the pages, at 130mm, a bit narrow. An A5 page is 148mm wide and losing 18mm makes ..read more
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2023: some of my fountain pen highlights.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
3M ago
I usually start this exercise by looking at how many pens I acquired over the year and how much I spent on the hobby. 2023 saw me acquire 39 fountain pens, of which four were gifts for others, so 35 for me. The total spent was £1,676.19: not too terrible. A strong theme throughout the year was vintage Parkers, mostly bought on eBay plus a small number at the London Pen Shows. Always late to the party, this was really the first year in which I started looking for and buying vintage pens on eBay. Of the pens acquired in 2023, 15 were vintage Parkers and the remaining 24 a mix of other brands. I ..read more
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Remembering my dad, Manouk Sarkis Arzeian, (1929 – 1983).
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
3M ago
In normal daily life it is rare that anyone asks me about my late father. To be fair, I do not often ask other people about theirs. We are too busy, caught up in our own lives. Yet I think about him often. Today, 9 December 2023, marks the 40th anniversary of his death. He was aged only 54 and had been admitted to hospital for a coronary by-pass operation, but passed away before the surgery took place. He had been fit and active all his life. He was born in 1929 to an Armenian father and English mother and grew up near Ealing, west London. He worked for a time in his father’s antiques and carp ..read more
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Early thoughts on the Hongdian N23 Year of the Rabbit fountain pen.
Fountain Pen Blog | Pens, inks, notebooks and other accessories
by rupertarzeian
4M ago
I am lucky to belong to a fountain pen club that meets once a month in the convivial surroundings of a pub in London’s Spitalfields market. This is where I can spend three hours thinking and talking about pens in the company of equally enthusiastic pen people. At our latest meet, as my notebook reminds me, I had enjoyed trying out a variety of fountain pens, including Bryan’s Pilot Custom Urushi, a Hakase ebony, and a special Platinum 3776 in briarwood and then a few of Peter’s vintage Kingswood pens with Swan nibs. I then picked up one of Baran’s pens in what appeared to my untrained eye to b ..read more
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