It was a rainy weekend lacking any charm until a long ignored Pilot Kaküno crept onto my desk where it joined a collage in a Traveler’s Notebook. Someday I will find an ink to match the cap and give it the attention it is due. Honestly, who can resist a nib like this?
Happy Fountain Pen Day! On my desk to mark the occasion are Delike New Moon 2 pens with Diamine Ink. Two have fude (bent) nibs while the third has a fine nib. The variety of line widths will cover all of my writing needs. The inks aren’t showy but suited to general writing tasks, and of course Diamine is always reliable. Funny how I picked the colors and then realized they were all from Diamine. We are very old friends to be sure.
What’s on your desk today?
The esterbrook_official account on Instagram has posted some videos of fountain pens used in journals that have been embellished with ephemera. Also known as scrapbooking, this method of decorating a journal employs colors and shapes to make appealing designs using stickers, stamps and seals.
Fountain pen writing is not required when creating a layout. Here are two of mine that didn’t need words.
Although I used a Traveler’s Notebook, any journal will do including those that did not take well to fountain pen ink. You don’t have notebooks with less than stellar paper do you? Ha!
For years my planner has been divided into sections defined by washi tape and often stickers. Full-page layouts are a natural extension of that and are very satisfying to make. If there is interest, I will write a post about a few techniques, tools and products.
Very highly recommended activity if you need/want/crave another hobby.
What prompts you to purchase yet another pen? That’s a legitimate question that I examined recently as my online wanderings took me into learning about a line of pens about which I knew nothing. For a few hours, it seemed that a new pen was in my immediate future. Eventually, it struck me as it has many times before, that I did not need another pen. There are pens in my collection that I love but purchases that have thrilled me have been rare. Hey, I can only write with one at a time so why have a hundred of them and want even more?
I grew up in the home of collectors who loved the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of bagging anything from fine paintings to tchotchkes. With the exception of a dozen art books, I did not own multiples of anything until I discovered the ease with which a collection could be amassed buying stuff on eBay. From then on, I was doomed.
Using a fountain pen daily prompted me to upgrade from an uninspired modern pen to a vintage Parker ’51’ aerometric with a medium-fine nib. After that I was hooked. When at work, an Esterbrook in a pen holder on my desk was my weapon of choice. When writing for pleasure, either the ’51’ or an even older Vacumatic helped me fill page after page in journals. But why acquire a hundred more? I’ve sold at least fifty to get down to that hundred and that is crazy. True, many were gifts or the spoils from writing reviews. Thus my investment is nowhere near what it could have been. However, storage space is at a premium here and yet my collection grows.
Are you a collector? What makes fountain pens such an easy target of affection?
On my desk today are two fountain pens, two gel pens, one mechanical pencil and various other tools. It isn’t exactly a lean kit, but neither is it excessive. The A5 journal is one of four currently in use. The others include an A6 loose leaf, a Traveler’s 019, and a Traveler’s 013. A large box of washi tape is always nearby.
Which tools have the honor of gracing your desk at the moment?
Today I updated my lists of favorite pens, inks and paper plus some of the best combinations I have used. Some items are vintage and others have been discontinued so you might not find them at your local retailer.
What are some of your favorites? Is your list subject to frequent changes or is it stable?
Are you interested in a pen world controversy? This excellent video lays it out nicely and some of the comments add to the tale. If nothing else, it is a distraction from world events and the political posturing the media serves us.
Full disclosure: I am months into writing an extensive review of converter pens offered by Moonman, Delike and Majohn. A Delike New Moon 2 fude has been my #1 pen for over a year while the TWSBI 580 hasn’t been filled once. The Delike is a better fit in my hand, is very attractive and its nib is perfect for my journal paper and line-spacing. It’s my if-you-could-only-choose-one pen.
Knockoffs are a frustrating and regrettable hazard these days and certainly China is the worst offender. TWSBI considers Moonman and others to be selling copies of some of their models. Basically, TWSBI has told retailers if they sell Moonman and related pens, they can no longer sell TWSBIs. If TWSBI had a patent on their piston-filler mechanism, I would support enforcing it, but they don’t. If they haven’t filed for one, why not?
Business is business you say? Well, I don’t have to give TWSBI my business or anyone else for that matter. Make a good product and offer it at a fair, dollar-for-value price, and people will come. That’s the best way to beat the competition.
Delike New Moon 2 with a fine fude nib.
An Inkophile's Blog 
