The third pen in the Izumo line, with maki-e work meant to depict heavenly clouds. via Flickr http://flic.kr/p/eUj8zt
Old meets rusty. via Flickr http://flic.kr/p/eTt2ji
It is a loud world. So we carry talismans of quiet with us. Tamenuri is pools of urushi. I find the Portable Writer in shiro tamenuri, above, relaxing to look at. Perhaps because it looks like a sunset melted all over it. Inhale, exhale. Be at peace.
From no Imperials, now I have three. Bexley’s Imperial is a homage to Japanese pens. This explains a lot. The burgundy FPN-P pen is made of resin, and the other two are modern ebonite in purple and raspberry. I appreciate the simple lines and the undecorated clip. The nibs are workhorses. Most Bexleys I’ve owned …
It’s as long as its name implies, and the box is grand and as commemorative as can be. The elder Nagahara boldly went where no nibmeister had gone before. He was the architect of masterful nibs such as the Naginata Togi, the Naginata Concord, the King Eagle Emperor, and more. He retired last year, and …
Chances are you like taking pictures of your pens almost as much as writing with them. I do. I even choose cameras based on how well they can take pen pictures and shoot pen video. There is a wealth of references out there on how to take better pictures in general. Think of this guide …
You have animated wallpaper! I look at my iPhone 5 and become very sad that the wallpaper doesn’t shoot sparks or ripple with dancing koi. Your keyboard can learn your typing style. Not only that. SwiftKey lets you customize the height of the keys, save thousands of keystrokes, and change themes to suit your mood. …
They say a twist keeps things interesting. “They crash landed on…Earth.” “He was dead all along.” “The dolphins did it.” If it works for stories, it works for pens. Nakaya’s Decapod Twist displays the kind of craftsmanship that makes eyes widen in wonder. How did they do that? Does it hurt? Can you eat it? …
Inevitably, the pen case collection grows along with the pens. I prefer cloth and leather, lined. Wraps feel cosier than briefcases or zipped folders reminiscent of school binders. My old 40-pen case, after a good run, now rests in a drawer, several elastic loops stretched to unusability. None of the cloth cases has escaped ink …
It took me a long time between liking the Decapod and getting the Decapod. Much of that hesitation had to do with the initial discomfort my hand felt when I tried one for the first time. The facets were distracting. Misgivings quieted when I saw the AO tamenuri finish. It was like arguing myself into …