“It’s not you, it’s me.” That statement has justified the ending of a thousand relationships. In my case, it signified a beginning. I put up my bronze celluloid Moore 94-A for sale last year. It’s a good-looking pen, around the size of a Pelikan M400. I didn’t bond with it as I’d hoped. The Maniflex …
There’s something about ink that’s not quite this or that color. Greenish-grayish is delish. That’s Noodler’s Zhivago; it is not straightforward black, or dark gray, or dark green. It is blackish-greenish-grayish, and delightful because of it. I must say I was underwhelmed by it at first. I used it in a plain fine-nibbed pen, and …
I bought this pen from Jonathan Donahaye on eBay, during my vintage Conway Stewart phase. I took it out today, toying with the idea of selling it, and decided to rinse and ink it. As usual, I convinced myself to keep the pen. Jonathan’s Book of Numbers is THE vintage Conway Stewart resource, and here …
Oh brown, downtrodden, touted as the new black every three years but never given the uptown crown, you are my favorite ink color, if that counts for anything. Noodler’s Walnut is a blackish brown, Golden Brown is similar to Kiowa Pecan but a touch more brown than gold, Beaver is Pelikan Brilliant Brown with less …
This time, it’s two dip pens, folded tissue and a blatant disregard for ink stains.
Noodler’s Baystate Blue stains skin, sinks, pens, everything. I was foolhardy and loaded it into one of my Danitrios, and now I have very subtle spots of blue on once-pristine beige lacquer. Let’s just call them spots of honor – I have used Baystate Blue and survived. Waterman’s Florida Blue is brilliant wet, but dries …
I am fascinated by the Noodler’s line of inks because I never thought the bottled ink market could be segmented even further, small as it already is. Within the line, there are inks that highlight, appear only under black light, and prevent forgery. Noodler’s X-Feather is for those who write on cheap paper – where …
Thanks to Sketchbooks, I discovered Fabriano. They make paper for artists; toothy for pastels and pencils, faintly textured for watercolors, in blocks and sheets. Two years ago, Sketchbooks featured a Fabriano journal, which I bought and set aside for future playtime. I am delighted to report that the paper inside is exceptional, and to have …