Review: the quietly brilliant JG5 and JG6 by John Garnham Pens

This may be the most frustrating review you read of a new pen today. The two pens I'm covering here are by a UK-based maker called John Garnham. He doesn't have a website or an Instagram profile. He doesn't have stock or take orders or commissions. The only way to get hold of one of …

Personal loyalties

I have encountered a lot of retailers and brands in the past three and a half years running this blog. Many amazing products, plenty of great service (and a few problems, too, of course). I'm looking, as many of us are, for more simplicity in my life, and I was inspired by a post that …

Incoming!

Heads up, dear readers: the review queue is looking flush. In the past seven days, in case you missed it, I: Reappraised Benu pens from RussiaFound myself getting hate mail after critiquing the Venvstas MagnaEnjoyed the relatively budget Narwhal Original (wherever its nib comes from)Gave you some tips on checking your own nibs when they …

Cleo’s Classic is fantastic value

Where else can you get a brand new, German-made, gold-nibbed piston filler for £129? On these attributes, the Cleo Skribent Classic's core value proposition is pretty unassailable. And it has a lot else going for it, too. Comfort-wise, there's a long, long section with plenty of room for your fingers. If you hold really far …

How do you spot a ‘bad’ nib?

It occurs to me that I have written a lot recently about 'bad' nibs, and it may not be completely clear what I mean by that. Here's what I look for when I get a straightforward F or M or B nib — one with a round ball of tipping that's designed for general use. …

The Narwhal Original is a great budget piston filler

Something about the Narwhal Original just feels really right. It's just the right size: not too long or short, not too thin or fat (good thing too: it doesn't post). It just sits naturally in the hand. The section is long and free of extremes; add to that the almost imperceptible square-cut threads and cap …

The frustration of innovation with the VENVSTAS Magna

I’ve never used a pen like the Venvstas Magna before, and you probably haven’t either. (That’s a clue that this may be a long review...) My first minutes with the pen were a rollercoaster of ups and downs, as again and again I discovered interesting innovations in materials and construction, combined with frustrating execution. In …

I’m seeing Benu Pens in a new light

I confess: I'm a pen snob, and over the past couple of years it was easy for me to dismiss Benu from Russia as, well, naff. Why? Collectively, they press a lot of my buttons. Over-the-top resins packed with glitter. Crazy faceted shapes that often result in enormous barrel-to-section stepdowns. Marketing speak about being 'premium', …

Schon DSGN keeps the good stuff coming

The Pocket Six (which I first reviewed last October) is one of the most exciting new pen designs I've seen in years. It manages to pack a full-size #6 nib and a comfortable full-size grip into a pen that makes the Kaweco Sport look chunky. It's fair to say that the Pocket Six has revolutionised …

State of the collection: July 2020

Hi all. It's been a month since my last SotC and I have a lot to report. First up, thanks to so many of you for following me on Instagram. I blasted past 2,000 followers at the weekend. If you're new to the blog, reading through my backlog of reviews and getting some value from …