Looking ahead to 2021

This is not my review of 2020. I published my end of year wrap-up back at the very end of November, and December has been fairly quiet, with only a few notable exceptions: ASC sent me over its latest Studio line, five pens in all, which has rather swamped my desk. It was an unexpected …

Visconti Lava Color: a new era for Homo Sapiens?

My relationship to the Visconti Homo Sapiens has always felt quite... personal. It was a grail pen for a long time, and arguably my first high-end purchase: when I bought a Steel Age for £350 from the London pen show I remember feeling sick and giddy from spending so much money, and just incredibly excited …

Snap decisions

I take pens with me practically everywhere. Even when there's little likelihood that I'll actually write anything, I still like to have a case with multiple pens on my person or in my bag. As I've written in my 'travels with pens' series over the years, I plan the selection of pens I take when …

Ten inks for 2020

I bought a lot of ink in 2020, and sold a lot, too. I've just pulled aside another batch to sell, leaving me with 67 distinct bottles of ink — a good ratio to the 27 pens I have left. From the survivors, I've picked out ten inks that really brought me joy in 2020, …

Onoto’s Mammoth Magna #8: masterpiece or mistake?

I've dragged my feet about writing this review for a couple of reasons. First, I've published quite a few Onoto reviews this year: the Pinstripes, British Museum, Sequoyah, Spitfire... with this, I'll have covered Onoto more than any other brand. Second, this Blue Stripe Magna #8 is not a standard production pen. I bought it …

Tesori Venezia: fresh and vibrant

Tesori is a small maker based in Italy, recently rebranded from Hello Tello. The Tesori rebrand was more than just a new name and logo: it included new models and a stronger social mission. The company gives 25% of sales to organisations that help victims of sex trafficking and exploitation, a huge commitment to a …