Long-term readers may remember my review last year of the Otto Hutt designC, the German brand's centenary celebration pen made of silver in an edition of 500 pieces, for a price well into four figures. At the time I described the experience as a rollercoaster. I found the designC alien, uncompromising, almost deliberately difficult to … Continue reading Why I bought an Otto Hutt designC
Month: Sep 2021
What’s the fountain pen equivalent of the quartz watch?
If you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen that I’m spending as much time thinking about watches as about pens at the moment. My newest acquisition is a Grand Seiko, quartz. This is a bit of a radical move for me. I always felt the same way about quartz watches as many fountain pen … Continue reading What’s the fountain pen equivalent of the quartz watch?
Gioia Alleria Amaranto and Nuvola — Italian flair on a budget
I reviewed the Gioia Alleria back in January, and since then I've watched this brand start to pick up steam. Gioia now has an excellent UK distributor and retailer, Grandvision Pens, and stockists across the US and Europe. No longer do you have to buy direct. As well as expanding its reach, Gioia has also … Continue reading Gioia Alleria Amaranto and Nuvola — Italian flair on a budget
Scribo Piuma Impressione with EEF nib — three reviews in one
This is a review in three parts. It's my first review of the Scribo Piuma pen, Scribo's newer design with cartridge/converter filler. It's also one of the first reviews out there of the 'Impressione' finish, paired with the 'Levante' (bright orange) to honour Monet's painting Soleil Levant. And the third element is Scribo's EEF nib, … Continue reading Scribo Piuma Impressione with EEF nib — three reviews in one
The three-pen collection for £1,000
There's a series of posts on the watch blog Worn & Wound called the three watch collection for $5,000. Here's one recent example. The premise is simple but I find it fascinating. Give writers and readers a fixed budget and ask them to build a capsule collection of watches. Do they eat up the budget … Continue reading The three-pen collection for £1,000
Snippets: Newcastle, onion-skin, machined pens and pen meets
Newcastle ho This should really have been a 'travels with pens' post, but honestly my holiday last week had very little pen content in it, and precious little holiday, for that matter. 300 miles in the car each way with two young children, various illnesses and injuries, and days out to the beach, aquarium and … Continue reading Snippets: Newcastle, onion-skin, machined pens and pen meets
UK fountain pens 