2024 Atlanta Pen Show Highlights (via Olive Octopus). Sounds like Lisa had a great Atlanta Pen Show! I was sorry to miss this show, especially given all the different makers who were there. What Am I Talking About When I Talk About Paper? (via The Poor Penman). For fountain pen and paper newbies, some of the terms thrown around can be baffling. Posts like this one are incredibly helpful! Best Kaweco Ever? The Kaweco Art Sport (via Figboot on Pens). While there are seemingly endless versions of the Kaweco Sport out there, this year’s Art Sport might be my favorite, at least aesthetically ..read more

Well, it's here! After years of speculation, and much anticipation, Kaweco has released the piston filler version of the Kaweco Sport. Rather than design a completely new pen, Kaweco adapted the existing AL Sport fountain pen by adding an integrated clip and, of course, the piston filler. What are my initial thoughts? Let's take a closer look. The pen ships in this commemorative tin, complete with a vintage-style bottle of ink. Initial Impressions of the Design From the moment you open the box, there's no confusing this pen with anything other than a modern Kaweco Sport fountain pen. As ment ..read more

You all know I’m a sucker for anything red, black and grey, right? Well, now we have Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters in both a leather and sued and a vegan-friendly “danceflooring” option. This week we received a restock of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter organizers, which included several old favorites such as the recycled leather “LB_23” organizer, a four-clip limited edition (the LTD_020), as well as new colors and layouts. We have all sizes available, ranging from A6 (Roterfaden Small), to A5 (Roterfaden Medium) to A4 (Roterfaden Large). I ran an Instagram poll the other day asking you all to g ..read more

Over the years when evaluating the latest releases from Lamy (and most other brands), my default has been to review the fountain pen and, occasionally, the ballpoint. But what about the rollerball? As I was writing last week's review on the Tom's Studio Lumos fineliner, I was struck by the simplicity of writing with basic black ink, and the focus it allowed in terms of not being distracted by all the various elements that go into writing with a fountain pen. When I decided to do my initial review of the new Lamy AL-Star pens that arrived last week, I pulled one of the Fiery AL-Star Rollerball ..read more

I absolutely love these colors: “Mimosa Yellow” (a muted gold/saffron) was the one I picked for myself. As a self-proclaimed multi pen connoisseur, it was only a matter of time before I really began building out our own multi pen offerings here in the shop. One of my personal favorites is the Uni Mitsubishi Jetstream “4&1” pen, which features a textured (yet still smooth) bamboo grip section, four different Jetstream .5mm refills, and a .5mm mechanical pencil option. The Uni-ball “One” gel pen showcases Uni’s latest gel pen technology - a new smooth, dark ink formulation in both .38mm and ..read more

Atlanta Pen Show Recap (via Figboot on Pens). A great video recap of the recent Atlanta Pen Show, which I unfortunately was sad to miss! Method and Mayhem: Digging Myself Out with Plotter Lists (via A Gathering of Curiosities). The Plotter system, with it’s specialized refills, lends itself well to list-based project management and triage when you feel overwhelmed. Leonardo Momento Zero #8 La Fenice Nib Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). If you’re going to make larger pens, use the larger No. 8 nibs! While the Momento Zero Grande is a bit large for me, I’m a huge fan of No. 8 ..read more

I joked last week in my Patreon newsletter that April can feel like the holiday season for stationery nerds, with a seemingly endless stream of limited and special edition releases hitting the market every week. As of today, we have the new Kaweco Sport Piston Filler in stock, as well as the new Lamy AL-Star pens, a restock of the new Lamy Safari pens, and the Kaweco Collection Apricot Sport. We are also fully reloaded on the Lamy 2000, and now offer the “Blackwood” and “Taxus” ballpoints in two beautiful woodgrain finishes. Tom’s Studio “Studio Pocket” fountain pens! The second wave of big ..read more

So far, the answer is a resounding "Yes". Though most of my everyday non-fountain pen writing is done with a ballpoint or a pencil, fineliners are a long-time favorite, especially in terms of how they feel putting ink on the page. Fineliners and other fibre-tipped pens require less pressure and allow you to get line variation that’s typically only achievable with a fountain pen. The downside? Generally speaking, fibre tips don't last very long (especially if you write with a heavier hand), are not replaceable, and you can't change the ink color. Enter the Tom's Studio "Lumos" Series, which I ..read more

While this year’s Lamy Safari special editions landed last month, members of Team AL-Star were waiting on this next release. Well, the wait is over and the pens are in stock and available to ship immediately! This year’s AL-Star pens come in two different finishes: “Fiery” (a cool metallic red) and “Aquatic” (a cool metallic blue). Lamy has paired each metal finish with a matching translucent grip section - red for the Fiery and blue for the Aquatic - as well as matching cap finials. The Aquatic finish comes in a .5mm mechanical pencil version, which is what caught my fancy from this batch ..read more

Vanness Pens - Ink Heaven and More! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I love my trips to Vanness Pens! It was fun to hang out after-hours during my trip to the Arkansas Pen Show. Ink Swatching Tools (via Olive Octopus). Lisa walks us through the tools that she regularly uses to make a LOT of ink samples. Best Architect Grind? Tom’s Studio - Studio Fountain Pen (via Figboot on Pens). Tom’s Studio has been new to me as well, and I agree that the Architect’s nib is excellent. I’m testing this brand in the shop and will have some of their fountain pens and other products listed in the coming day ..read more