Confession: I can’t use a BIC without feeling like I’m slumming. Am I a snob?
Favorite traveling companions…
Interested in a vintage Esterbrook fountain pen? Anderson Pens has a wide selection, serviced and ready to write.
Watch through to the end.
I thought I had a lot of ink samples until I saw Nick Stewart’s collection…
From the archives, a Nemosine Singularity 0.6mm italic nib
It was a hectic and eclectic week so my links have no common thread. However, I did come across a video about keeping a commonplace journal that rekindled my interest in that genre. If regular journaling lacks appeal, a commonplace book might be just the right rhythm for you…
A Paperblanks journal that has been languishing in my collection for years and would make a beautiful home for a commonplace book.
Available at Amazon through my affiliate link.
While sorting through some old posts, I ran across a wishlist from two years ago. Of the ten items on the list, only two were purchased: a small packet of Tomoe River paper and a Robert Oster ink. The ink went to a friend and the paper is on my desk as yet unused. Wishful thinking on the other items. I don’t miss them. There are other pens, paper, and ink on hand to keep me content.
Had I acquired all of the products, would I still be using them or would I have lost interest? Mostly the latter. It’s a lesson in buying stuff. So many items are unnecessary if gorgeous and satisfying to own. Regardless, there are essentials and of those, I have an abundance. Who really needs anything more?
In the future, I intend to keep a more regularly updated, dated wishlist. Reviewing past iterations is amusing in a “what was I thinking” sort of way.
Do you keep old versions of your wishlist? Does it include things you would/could never purchase or is your list comprised of items you might truly acquire?
My favorite stock-nibbed pens list has remained the same for years. The only one I would add today is the Pilot Metropolitan medium. Which just proves I can be happy with what I have even if my wishlist is everchanging.
As I became unenamoured with lever fillers, Esterbrooks took a backseat to piston fillers and converters in my rotation. However, I missed their vintage nibs that were produced in great variety including italic and flexible models. Quite a few can still be found on eBay though from reading descriptions, many of those pens will need professional maintenance to regain the capacity to write well. Look for a pen with a new sac if you decide to grab one and it should provide years of good use.
The Esterbrook brand was resurrected a few years ago to the delight of many FP aficionados. I haven’t used one of the new pens so I cannot speak from experience. However, they do offer a Modern to Vintage nib adapter for combining a vintage Estie nib and feed with the modern pen body.
Think about that. A vintage Estie nib can be fitted to a newly manufactured pen body. My old nibs are begging to try out a posh, new home. One of these days…
Sonal Kalra has some excellent tips for dealing with pen borrowers…
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Inkophile
