Currently Inked: Loadout for Weekend Hockey Tournament

in , ,

October has been fairly light in terms of travel but duty called. This time the duties as a hockey mom which involved going with my son and his team to the city of Kitchener for a hockey tournament. Originally this was supposed to be a 3 day trip but cut short by the sad reality that our team did not make it into the final day of the tournament. On a positive note, it gave me an opportunity to plan another pen + ink load out.

Apart from my must-bring Hobo and TN, I wanted to bring whatever pens and paper I could fit inside a larger case. The case I had in mind was the A5 sized Lihit Lab Teffa Bag in Bag. I was expecting to travel a lot from rink to rink and I wanted a self-contained writing tool kit that I could bring along.

Read More

Scriptus 2016 - Toronto's Pen & Writing Show

in ,

I'm planning to attend the Scriptus 2016 Pen Show in Toronto this coming Sunday, October 30th. I'm putting this on the blog before I have a chance to change my mind.  You see, I've never been to a pen show before and the thought of seeing throngs of vendors and attendees both frightens and excites me.  

Read More

Lamy Lx vs. Lamy Al-Star

in

The Lamy Al-Star and it’s entry-level sibling, the Lamy Safari are part of most fountain pen users' pen journeys. If you’ve followed my blog for some time, you may have noticed that [two Lamy Al-Stars][0] frequently make appearances: 2014 Special Edition Blue Green and the 2015 Special Edition Copper Orange.

 

I have yet to do reviews for the Al-Stars but they are on the list. Straight-up, I love them. I find the moulded grip comfortable. The shape of the barrel is sleek and modern. I love the way they write.

 

With this being the 50th anniversary of Lamy Bauhaus design, and being a Lamy aficionado, I was excited to see what Lamy had in store for us. Prior to the reveal, I had put the Lamy 2000 50th anniversary pen on my [wish list][0]. After the reveal I adopted a “wait and see” approach on the Lamy 2000. I was, however, attracted to the Lamy Lx.

 

So, when the pens hit the shelves at [Wonder Pens][1], I think 1-2 weeks before our friends to the south, I put an order in for the rose gold version of the Lamy Lx. They also come in ruthenium, palladium and gold colours.

 

This is not intended to be a detailed review of the Lamy Lx but rather, a quick comparison of the Lamy Lx with the Al-Star.

Read More

Throwback Thursday: Quick Look at Platinum 3776 Century Sai + Bungbox Kotohogi Kurenai (New Year Red)

in ,

We’ve had a couple of unseasonably warm days here.  So for this weeks’ Throwback Thursday, I revisit a hot red pen + ink combo from my July line-up.

Handwritten Review

Pen: Platinum 3776 Century Sai F

Ink: Bungbox Kotohogi Kurenai(New Year Red)

Paper: Rhodia No. 16 Grid

> I mean, this is not a dark red.  It’s bright.  Kind of a water colour type look when it dries.  But it doesn’t look at all pink.  I didn’t think this ink would be good for writing but it’s OK.  Even in this Platinum medium nib.  I’m not sure I would go with a narrower nib than this one though.  I did enjoy having this ink in the line-up just to have something very bright.  Sunny.  I could actually live with this as a daily writer.  Of course, it works for emphasis, accents, etc.  This ink flows well.  It’s lubricated just right.  Well-behaved on Rhoda.  I don’t think I have many red inks so this is something a bit different for me.


**Closing Comments**

On a sad note, this review was one of the last things I wrote with this Platinum 3776 Century Sai before it’s nib made a break for freedom [down the drain][2] whilst I was cleaning it.  I miss using that crystal clear pen and that sweet nib!!

[2]: http://pendorasbox.com/blog/2016/8/30/pen-cleaning-disaster-again

This red ink is hard to miss.  I enjoy using it for annotations or editing.  Is it the perfect teacher’s red?

Read More

Throwback Thursday: Quick Look at Franklin-Christoph Pocket 40 Blue-Violet and Ice + Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao

in ,

For this weeks’ Throwback Thursday, we take a look at another pen and ink combination from my July line-up.

Handwritten Review

Pen: Franklin-Christoph Pocket 40 Blue-Violet and Ice 1.1
Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao
Paper: Rhodia No. 16 Grid


 

Read More

Currently Inked: Loadout for Short Cottage Escape

in ,

Last Wednesday, I posted some picturesI took on a recent hike. In fact, I went on a 1 night, 1 day get away trip to the cottage with the family. To be precise, we headed up on Friday night, September 30th. And headed back home on October 1st. I pondered a bit on what pens I should take seeing as I still had a couple of September inked pens to use up and my planned pens for October were only partially inked up. So, I did what any rational pen addict would do for a 1 day trip that starts at the last day of one month and ends on the first day of the next month: I took all pens in sight! 

Read More

Currently Inked: October 2016

in

I’m posting my pen & ink line-up a later than originally planned.  I had hoped that a new pen that shipped out at the end of September would have arrived in time to join the October line-up.  I decided to go ahead and post my Currently Inked for October and do an addendum for the new pen.

Read More

Currently Inked: Loadout for Ottawa Conference

in

One week after returning from my trip to Philly, I was off to Canada’s capital, Ottawa, for a conference.  I barely unpacked but gave some thought to my pen and stationery carry for this 2 day trip.  Once again, I dipped into my September pen & ink line-up for this outing. This is what I brought.

Read More

Pen Review: Tactile Turn Gist

in

There was lots of Internet buzz when Will Hodges's was running his Kickstartercampaign for the Tactile Turn Gist ("TTG").  Yes, there have been a few CNC machined fountain pens from other small shop producers too.  What sets the Tactile Turn Gist apart is Hodges' design choices for the Gist as well as the ability to mix and match components to build a pen suited to one's needs and tastes.

Read More