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The modern Kaweco Dia2 is a medium-sized pen made from high-quality black resin that epitomises a retro style quality and class that echoes the company’s traditions and innovation.* It is somewhat incredible to think that the Kaweco Dia has been around for almost nine decades; albeit in a variety of forms. However, notwithstanding the variations,Continue reading “Tradition and Innovation: the Kaweco Dia2, a classy renewal of a classic”

Here we have a limited edition pocket pen made in a very special and hard-wearing material: bronze. Bronze shares with brass and copper the very welcome property of being anti-microbial at a time when such might seem quite a boon in an age of plague. Heidelberg to Nuremberg Kaweco is a German pen manufacturer thatContinue reading “Very Special Pocket Pen: the Kaweco Bronze Sport”

Stipula Etruria Magnifica Miele Selvatico 1.1 Stipula derives its name from the Roman tradition of breaking a straw to symbolise agreement of a contract and commitment to do something. This notion and metaphor of sticking to a contract is ‘synonymous with commitment to creating the best of the best’ and the culture of a companyContinue reading “The Stipulated Stub”

The first thing that strikes you about this pen is its beauty and closely associated with that: the colour and texture. The second thing is its weight. The former is the product of the skill of an urushi lacquer expert: Ruth Bolton, who has been developing her skills over almost two decades in Japan andContinue reading “The Shibui Kibo Prototype: A Copper Behemoth”

A bit of a long-winded review of the Pineider Arco Blue Bee Pineider has been a legend in stationery since 1774 supplying popes, princes and heads of state with the finest of paper and letters for correspondence and note-taking, as well as the luxury leather cases to carry such materials. In the late twenty centuryContinue reading “The Renaissance of Pineider, a Swerve Forward?*”

In the pen community we seem to be socialised into a pattern where our initial cheap pen purchases become mere milestones of angst and utility on the gathering gaderene gallop to grail pens and probable penury. Along the way we seem to also accumulate various prejudices and elitist preferences for precious resins and esoteric mixesContinue reading “Dodec a way to start and continue…”

The Esterbrook Cobalt Blue is a beautifully made and finished acrylic pen that is a pleasure to hold and to use. It is deceptively large pen, but in most hands should not strike the user as too large in length or girth. It is certainly a great (in all sorts of ways) departure from theContinue reading “The Esterbrook Cobalt Blue (in chrome)”

A versatile, modern fountain pen for every-day use and life Headline: The Kaweco Supra stainless steel is a well-made, ultra-functional fountain pen (that can be adapted to a mini-pocket mode) and boasting a #6 steel nib that writes wet and fluently in medium, fine, titanium fine and double broad versions. The pen reviewed here wasContinue reading “Kaweco Supra Stainless Steel”

Diamine is an old (1864) and well-established Liverpool-based ink maker with a reputation for innovation and creating distinctive coloured inks. So, it was perhaps of little surprise, but certainly a brilliant gambit, that Diamnine released 25 inks to celebrate the 2019 Advent season in the form of an Inkvent calendar. It certainly caught the moodContinue reading “10 Diamine Inkvent Inks Considered”