Here are the donation links that I’ve seen recommended by folks I trust who are affiliated with the industry — https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-wajima-lacquerware-from-the-recent-disaster (from Senshudo) https://donation.yahoo.co.jp/promo/20240101.html?cpt_n=noto2024_20240101&cpt_s=yj_news&cpt_m=feature&cpt_c=noto2024_20240101_yj_news_feature_%E3%80%80 (might be a little more complicated for us foreigners…) https://www.gofundme.com/f/japanese-craft-revival-after-earthquake (recommended by Stylo Art) https://bungubox.shop/en/pages/%e3%81%94%e6%94%af%e6%8f%b4%e3%81%ae%e3%81%8a%e9%a1%9 ..read more

My MPS 2023 haul: pens, inks & notebook covers It’s been been 3 and a half years since the last in-person Manila Pen Show, and it was totally worth the wait. As with 2019, there was no shortage of interesting pens, new & exclusive inks (even Sailor’s custom ink mixing!) and lots of fountain pen-adjacent goodies (notebook covers, storage, stamps etc). And of course, a chance to see friends and penable each other! This year’s vendor list The MPS team (lead by the amazing Leigh Reyes) pulled in a fantastic set of vendors — there was a selection of local retailers & brands as well as a ..read more

As some of you know, I spent some of my formative years in Manila — so I was really excited to be home for the Manila Pen Show. (In reality I was home for some family reasons, but the timing was perfect!) I didn’t stay at the show hotel, but before the show opened, I had breakfast with friends at the hotel. They had a nice selection of local and international breakfast options, and Philippine mangos, but only if you ask for them. First stop was, of course, Kasama! I own three Kasama pens and was excited to see what they had to offer. I had heard that they were taking sign ups for custom order ..read more

Woof, woof woof. Sniff, sniff. I thought Melon Tea would be tastier than it is… But I guess at the end of the day, it’s just ink. It is a nice brown though, not too red — it leans a little green/grey. (But hey, aren’t dogs colorblind? Why are you asking me…) It flows well in different pens, and has no issues with flexing — I had it in my Pilot FA for a few weeks and it kept up well and had no flow issues. Like most inks, it does smudge after drying. I really like the color though — it feels different from most of the brown inks I’ve tried. Many of the brown inks I’ve seen and used have tend ..read more

Disclaimer: Katherine has published a partial review — but not all of Franz’s reviews are complete. If you have small hands, we hope this review will be helpful anyway & Franz will catch up when he has time! (But life comes first, sorry!) Hand Over That Pen, please! Katherine: The Lamy Nexx ain’t my thing. It looks like a cheap disposable pen to me… and while it’s relatively cheap for this “hobby”, I think most of the “uninitiated” would still think $10+ (depending on the source) is pretty steep for the pen. But… I guess if you think of it as a cute school pen, maaaaaybe? Pam: The Lamy Ne ..read more