The original reborn: hands-on with the new Esterbrook Estie

Guess what showed up today? The new Esterbrook Estie. In case you're not up to speed: the revived Esterbrook brand was recently bought by Kenro, the US distributor of Montegrappa and Aurora. Kenro has created an all-new pen: it's resin, cartridge-converter, made in Taiwan, and featuring a steel Jowo nib plus silver- or gold-coloured trim. …

The UKFP holiday gift guide 2018

What do you get for the fountain pen lover who has everything? It can be tricky. Your first thought might be... well, a pen. But if they're a hobbyist, they're probably past the 20-quid Parkers and Lamys from your local Rymans, Smiths or Paperchase. And you probably don't want to spend 500 quid buying them …

The Graf Classic exudes quality

I thought the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic was very overpriced. Comparing it against my other (and only) Graf, the Intuition Platino Ebony, it's tiny, skinny, more conventional — a separate section, a standard converter, a tiny nib. The family resemblance is unmistakable, of course. The metal flared cap, the curving clip, the fluted wood barrel, …

Pocket essentials: Milim fountain pen first impressions

Think of a pocket fountain pen and you'll probably think of the Kaweco Al Sport, or maybe the Liliput. Well, with the Milim pocket fountain pen you've now got another option. Milim is a one-man-band based in Poland and selling on Etsy. Bartosz's store showcases not only the pocket fountain pens in brass, black, aluminium …

2018 London Writing Equipment Show: success!

I nearly didn't make it to the London Pen Show this year. After being in my calendar for months, a family situation threatened to derail plans. But I made it — and it was a great show. What was different this year? Well, for me, it was having my six-year-old daughter along. Crazy idea? Well, …

The great uninking

I'll admit it. Things had got a little out of control. I had eighteen inked pens this morning. It's not the first time I've had more pens inked than I know what to do with (when new inks and new pens turn up, they get added to the pile), but I don't think I've ever had quite …