Happy New Year & I'm Back!

January 09, 2017 by Kate W. in General

Hello Pen Friends! Happy New Year to all!

December went by in a flash and we're already more than a week into 2017. Apologies for dropping off suddenly for the past few weeks. It was unintended for sure. Things just got super hairy with work and the holidays, out-of-town visitors and some travelling of my own. If I was better at planning, I would have seen the busy period coming and prepared blog posts in advance.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to visit the blog. This will just be a short post to let you know that I'm back and will ease into a regular posting routine.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Fountain Pen Addicts

November 23, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Pen friends in the US are celebrating Thanksgiving this week and the countdown to Black Friday begins! It got me thinking that a holiday gift guide would be helpful. This guide is primarily intended for the non-pen person looking for a gift for the fountain pen aficionado, whether newbie or seasoned, in his or her life.

Instagram Giveaway

November 17, 2016 by Kate W. in General

I became active on Instagram soon after this blog started. Yesterday my feed reached 1000 followers. I've not done any social media campaigns so the growth has been gradual and steady. Instragram is a great medium for sharing pen related posts. The community there is warm and supportive.

So, to celebrate 1000 followers, I decided to run an giveaway contest...

A Closer Look at the Lamy Lx Pen Case

November 15, 2016 by Kate W. in General, Pen Reviews

Soon after I posted my review of the Lamy Lx (which admittedly was quite a few weeks now), my friend Dries from the Pencilcase Blog asked me:

How's the inside of the case, does it hug the pen or does the Lx sit loosely inside?

It’s a very good question that led me to realize that I should have spent a little more time looking at the case itself in the original review.

Fountain Pen Day 2016

November 04, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Happy Fountain Pen Day to pen friends everywhere!

The first Friday in November is Fountain Pen Day. This is a worldwide movement that was started 5 years ago by Cary Yeager, aka Fountain Pen Day on [Instagram][1] and [Twitter][2]. I’m amazed at how this thing has grown exponentially over the past few years, no doubt due to Cary’s enthusiasm and the awesomeness that is comprises the pen community. According to the Fountain Pen Day website, in 2012 (Year 1) there were 49 participating vendors and 600 people celebrating. Based on my rough count, there is approximately 110 vendors this year and I read/heard somewhere that 20,000 people are participating!

So today, I plan on fully enjoying my fountain pens by writing lots starting with this little entry in my Hobonichi Techo.

Scriptus 2016 - Toronto's Pen & Writing Show

October 24, 2016 by Kate W. in General, Pen Shows

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.

12-Step Process to Clean Fountain Pens Without Losing Nibs and Other Parts

October 16, 2016 by Kate W. in General

I wrote a [distressing post during the summer about losing a nib down the drain while cleaning pens. Specifically, the lovely gold nib from my Platinum 3776 Century Sai. I ended that post with a comment I would get some tools to try to open up the drain pipe and *hopefully* retrieve the nib.

Pendorasbox.com is back up!

October 11, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Just a quick post to report that the Website is back up and alive again. Those of you who visited during the past day likely saw a blank page with the message “Can’t verify domain ownership.”

Summer Lovin' + Fountain Pen Life

August 31, 2016 by Kate W. in Wordless Wednesday, General

Reflecting on a beautiful summer of fountain pen life.

Pen Cleaning Disaster! (Again...)

August 30, 2016 by Kate W. in General

I'm taking a pause from normally semi-fun pen cleaning to report a sad tale.

The nib from my Platinum 3776 Century Sai went bye-bye down the bathroom sink. This is the second nib to leave me for the journey to Lake Ontario.

Analog + Stationery Walking Tour of Historic Philadelphia

August 27, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Early in August I had a short trip to Philadelphia. Being the pen addict that I am, I looked into pen shops to visit while in town by checking out the Stationery Shops Map on All Things Stationery as well as just plain old Googling.

Fountain Pen Wish List Updated

August 26, 2016 by Kate W. in General

It's been 3 months since I posted my fountain pen wish list as a means to keep me focused. Since then some pens have been acquired and others have come into my pen radar. I've made some updates to the list.

Momentum and Six Months of Pendora's Box

August 23, 2016 by Kate W. in General

The end of July marked 6 months since the launch of Pendora's Box. Back at the 1 month mark I had done a post with a story on launching the blog along with some highlights. I wasn't planning to do 6 months "anniversary" post per se, but I did want to reflect on these few months of running the blog and maintaining the momentum.

Platinum 3776 Century and My Lucky Pen Day

August 16, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Those of you tapped into the pen and stationery blogosphere have likely come across the Pencilcase Blog run by Dries, a Belgian student. Somehow between his busy schedule of exams, projects and studies he has managed to become a seasoned pen collector and writer-extraordinaire. The Pencilcase Blog turned 3 years old this summer which makes Pendora's Box's 6 months of existence seem rather infantile. As a veteran blogger, Dries was kind enough to offer this rooky some encouragement and advice.

July Long Weekend Getaway EDC

July 11, 2016 by Kate W. in General, Currently Inked

To celebrate Canada Day, we decided on a weekend getaway to wine country at Niagara-on-the-Lake. I had a June 30th project deadline at work so I was going all-out the day before the trip. Still, I managed to get most of my pens inked for July and select my stationery and pens for the road trip. So, what made the cut?

Lamy 2000 M Black Amber 50th Anniversary Limited Edition - YouTube →

July 03, 2016 by Kate W. in General

(Image credit to: http://www.bbblogr.com/lamy-2000-black-amber-news/)

Okay, so I don't usually write about upcoming releases, except in passing, but the 50th anniversary edition of the Lamy 2000 has finally been revealed!

Appelboom, a luxury pen retailer based in the Netherlands, posted a video on it's YouTube channel which highlights the history of this storied pen before revealing the 50th anniversary edition.

Fountain Pen Wish List →

May 29, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Recently I have been obsessed with the idea of adding to my pen collection and working towards a so-called Grail pen.

Another Pendora's Box: Making of a Grail Pen - Hakumin Urushi Kobo Edison Skinny Pearl Kyokko · Penucopia →

April 13, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Recently I've been having recurring thoughts about having a custom pen made. I've generally put them aside with the thinking that there are still plenty of pens and pen brands out there that I haven't yet seen, touched or tried.

Then, a couple days ago, I read a post by Thomas Hall on the making of his grail pen. His pen, without a doubt, is **stunning**. I love looking at demonstrators, the bling of raden and the depth of urushi...but to combine them all into one pen is simply breathtaking.

Another Pendora's Box: Fosfor Bangalore | Dot Cross Dot →

April 12, 2016 by Kate W. in General

Rob Smith over at Dot Cross Dot has posted an interesting review of the Fosfor Bangalore - a custom handcrafted pen with a super value proposition.

Big Apple Fountain Pen Loadout

April 10, 2016 by Kate W. in Currently Inked, General

Recently I had an one-day trip to New York City for a series of meetings. I didn't have to worry too much about packing luggage but I thought long and hard about what fountain pens and stationary to pack. After much deliberation, I settled on the Namiki Vanishing Point Raden Galaxy (M), Lamy Studio (14k EF) and Platinum 3776 Sai (M).