The Well-Appointed Desk

When I saw Ana’s post last Friday including #21PenQuestions, I knew I had to do my own since my answers are different. So here we go!

1: What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?

My Vanness Exclusive Franklin Christoph Pocket 45. It’s the perfect color to fill with all kinds of teal and mint inks, and that nib is perfection. I had mine tuned by the late Jim Rouse, and then Audrey Matteson, the Nib Doctor, added her own magic touch and it is my favorite nib I own.

2: What’s your guilty pleasure pen?

Probably my Kaweco x Hello Kitty AL Sports (Sakura Pink & Opal Green). They were very expensive, but I love them so much!

3: What’s the pen you wish existed?

I’m not sure I have one?

4: What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?

There are quite a few actually. I would share Pilot’s Metroplitans, TWSBI Ecos or Kaweco Sports. All write well and are fun, relatively inexpensive pens if you’re looking to try out the new hobby. If you’re not into fountain pens, then a rollerball from Retro 51 is always fun!

5: What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?

This is me and Lamy Safaris (and AL-Stars) to a tee. I love that they come in so many fun colors, but gosh darn it I hate that grip. It’s uncomfortable to hold and I won’t do it.

6: What pen do you only keep only because it’s pretty?

I do have a few pens that are so pretty that I keep them even though they’re a bit big for my hands. But I don’t think I have any that I keep JUST because they are pretty.

7: What pen (or stationery product) did you buy because everyone else did?

If I’m being honest, Franklin Christoph Pocket 45’s. I have one that I absolutely adore, but I have purchased and re-homed quite a few. I love the way they look, and I’m fine with the way they write, and somehow they just aren’t meant to stay in my home.

8: What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?

CONIDs. They’re a fiercely loyal community (meaning everyone adores them), they hold a TON of ink. And I could never find writing with one to be balanced.

9: What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?

My Effin’ Birds planner. I didn’t expect much of anything from the paper and it surprised me by being delightfully fountain pen friendly.

10: What pen doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?

My Pilot Vanishing Point with Raden Stripe. It’s a stunning pen that I bought for myself for my 40th birthday and I got a great deal on it. And if I’m 100% honest, it’s too big for my hand to use comfortably for any length of time. But it’s not leaving.

11: What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?

For my pen it’s a toss up between my super sparkly Carolina Pen Co. pen or my Sailor ProGear Slim in Starburst Galaxy (the one time I’m twinning with Ana.)

12: Which nib do you love – but hate the pen?

I don’t think I have one of these! I did once buy a pen based on the buttery soft nib on Ana’s, but I was disappointed because my nib didn’t feel as good as hers.

13: What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?

The only aversion I have is to Noodler’s Inks, but not because it gives me the willies. I once tried Cactus Fruit Eel and after 3 days it still wasn’t dry. That was it for me.

14: What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?

It’s going to be a thinner pen, with a fine or medium nib that’s lovely to hold in my hand. Maybe my Diplomat Traveler?

15: What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?

In general, I always love seeing that Opus is up to. The Koloro? Heck yeah. Jazz, Demonstrators, and have you seen what Les Steely of Stylosuite is up to? And my tiny baby hands can’t hold them for any length of time comfortably.

17: What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?

Sadly, Hobonichi. The planners are amazing and I always feel the siren call of FOMO. And the paper is just too thin for me. I hate the see through on every page.

18: What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?

I really love the look of Nakayas but so far I just can’t justify spending that much for a pen. Don’t get me wrong – I think they’re worth every penny for the craftsmanship that goes into making them. I just can’t pull the trigger no matter how pretty they are!

19: What’s your favorite vintage pen?

Generally I don’t write with vintage pens, but if we’re talking collectibles I love looking at Parker Vacuumatics. I have two, but I haven’t really dug into using them.

20: What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?

I have a think for Kaweco AL Sports and I might have… erm five.

Platinum 3776 Kumpoo UEF

21: What’s the pen (or stationery product) that got away?

Three words. Platinum 3776 Kumpoo.

If you want to answer the 21 questions, leave a comment with a link to your post – I’d love to read it!

In Pencil Review

Pencil Review: Tombow Irotijen Colored Pencil Set

AnaMay 8, 2023May 7, 20231 Comment

The Tombow Irojiten Color Dictionary colored pencils sets have always been a curiosity to me. The pencils are sold in sets of 30 pencils ($40.50 per set, $1.35 per pencil), grouped into sets of ten colors per “book”. There are three sets of 30 pencils available so in order to have the full range of colors all three sets would need to be purchased. No color is duplicated from set to set.

(There is also a 36-color set ($59.50, $1.65 per pencil) that contains a selection of 28 colors from the original Color Dictionary sets plus eight additional colors. )

The name Irojiten means “Color Dictionary”. Iro means “color” and Jiten means “dictionary”. Pretty clever.

While I love the packaging and aesthetic of the Irotijen sets, I could never rationalize buying another set of colored pencils. Then curiosity got the best of me and I finally caved. The packaging alone is a thing of beauty. I don’t usually like excessive packaging but Tombow did this beautifully. Each set of 10 pencils comes in a paperboard box that opens like a book and is held closed with an elastic band. Then all three boxes slide into a slipcase that keeps everything organized and contained and ready for your bookshelf or desktop. For as lovely as the packaging is, all the boxes are uncoated paperboard so its recyclable (just snip off the elastics) if you are a “store all your pencils in a cup” person like me.

I only purchased the first set which contains volumes 1, 2, and 3 — Pale I, Vivid I, Deep I. If I end up being madly in love with these pencils, I can purchase the others but I decided to err on the side of frugality.

Pricewise, this set of Irojiten seemed most comparable to a Prismacolor or Polychromos sets with a similar number of pencils. Both Prismacolor ($o.85-0.88 per pencil in set, $1.39 individually) and Polychromos (about $1.24 per pencil in set, $2.65 individually) pencils come is sets of 24 or 36, and work out to be only slightly cheaper than the Irojiten sets per pencil (according to my quick peek at the Blick web site).

The pencils come pre-sharpened but the ends are pretty blunt. The advantage of having pre-sharpened pencils is you can just jump right in and start using them. I did find that after I did my first swatches, I really wanted to sharpen these.

Irojiten colored pencils, straight out of the boxes.

The color swatches above were organized by set: Vol. 1 Pale Tone 1, Vol. 2 Vivid Tone 1 and Vol. 3 Deep Tone 1. My first experience with the pencils felt a bit harder than the colored pencils I usually lean towards. The colors were well-pigmented but felt like they required more effort to get the color onto the paper.

Once I did these color swatches, I realized that my brain doesn’t work like this — organized by saturation level. I tend to sort my colored pencils into warm colors and cool colors and like having all my yellows (or blues or purples) out and available at the same time. So, as much as I appreciate the aesthetics of the packaging, I am not inclined to keep the pencils in the boxes. My pencils ALWAYS end up living in cups and jars because they are quick and easy to access.

I sharpened the Irojtien pencils with my Dahle 133 Pencil Tabletop Manual Sharpener ($19.99) dialed to a medium-sharp point. I also wanted to see if sharpening the pencils might also help with the hardness. Sometimes, c0l0red pencils can feel a bit dry if they’ve been sharpened for a long time (I think the oil or wax dries out a bit) so I thought sharpening them would be worth a try. Also, since the pencils seemed harder, a sharper point would be easier to accomplish.

The Irojiten pencils did sharpen very well but did not feel any softer after being sharpened. This would make these pencils good for detail work and small drawings. I also re-swatched the colors, organized by hue. What I think is most notable about the set is that there is really only one red pencil. The Crimson (D-1) felt more like a warm brown than a red to me. There also seemed to be a surprising number of green colors (6 or 7, depending on whether you think Ice Green P-6 is more green or more blue).

My last round of tests was to verify if the Irojiten pencils were really harder than my beloved Prismacolors. The short answer is yes. It did not require as much pressure to apply a rich layer of the Prismacolor pencils. I know a lot of people have issues with the Prismacolors for being too soft, breaking easily, uncentered cores, etc. they pay dividends in sheer pigment load and range of colors available for the price.

My final impression of the Irojiten colored pencils is that it is a lovely set with pencils that are harder than other pencils. If you have a heavy hand or are looking for a colored pencil set for detail work, the Irojiten is a good option. If you are looking for colored pencils that are creamy and have a dense pigment load, then I recommend trying Prismacolors instead. The packaging is not as cool but if you’re like me, your colored pencils will end up in a cup anyway so the packaging doesn’t really matter.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

#21PenQuestions

AnaMay 5, 2023May 10, 202324 Comments

Inspired by a tag challenge I found on TarotTube (yes, that’s a thing), I decided to modify the questions a bit and turn it in to a pen community tag. If you would like to participate as well, copy and paste the questions at the bottom of the post and add your answers into the comments. Fellow bloggers and content creators, send me a link if you decide to do this challenge as well.

Okay, let’s go!

From left to right: Sailor Pro Gear Slim Starburst Galaxy, Platinum Carbon Desk Pen, Kaweco Sport, TWSBI 580, 18111 Cherry Blossom, Sailor Pro Gear Slim Bungubox Pink Love, Pilot Decimo, Caran d’Ache 849, Uni Kuratoga, Sheaffer Lady Sheaffer Skripsert, Kaweco AL-Sport.

1: What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?

My Sailor ProGear Slim in Starburst Galaxy. Its got an awesome nib and it’s black and sparkly! It touches my inner goth girl.

2: What’s your guilty pleasure pen?

The old, ridiculous Platinum (Carbon) Desk Pens. They are too long to fit in most pen cases so I hack the ends off with a Dremel tool. The old models had those weird little rubbery, plastic caps. But damn if I don’t love these stupid pens. Platinum has since changed the pens and don’t ship with Carbon ink cartridges, but have real snap caps. The nibs are different and I just don’t love them as much. I love the old ones in their weird, ugly bodies with their amazing extra fine nibs.

3: What’s the pen you wish existed?

A Platinum 3776 in a glittery material with silver hardware. I almost don’t care what color material I just want it glittery. Platinum, embrace the glitter. Take some cues from Sailor and make all the sparkly, colorful beautiful things. Call me if you need suggestions. I have my Pantone book ready and waiting.

4: What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?

Kaweco Sport. Its inexpensive, easy to use and pocketable so a new user might be compelled to take it with them rather than keeping it “safe” on a desk.

5: What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?

TWSBI. Anyone who knows me well knows that TWSBI pens (ECOs, 580s, Mini, Swipe, whatever) never seem to perform for me the way they do for other people. I think I may have had a couple bad experiences early on and now I just have a TWSBI curse. Most of the TWSBI reviews on the site were done by other people because me and TWSBI just don’t see eye to eye.

6: What pen do you only keep only because its pretty?

My 18111.com Cherry Blossom with twig roll stop. It was a pricey pen and then I put a fancy modified nib on it too so I made it even more expensive and fancy. Its beautiful but is definitely a pen I keep safe in its case and don’t take it around with me much. It’s also a bit too big for my hands so its not something I would use regularly anyway. But its SOOOO pretty.

7: What pen (or stationery item) did you buy because everyone else did?

Musubi notebooks. They are gorgeous. I love what Musubi is doing creating jobs for people but they are too precious for me to use. I have bought several and good friends have gotten them as gifts because I couldn’t bring myself to use them.

8: What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?

What baffles me is how much people love the Plotter. Every time I see one I flash back to my Filofax which I love. And so many people complained about how expensive Filofaxes were so I am a bit baffled how people are spending WAY more for Plotter covers. The Plotter papers are really nice but if you already have a Filofax or other ringbound planner, I don’t understand investing in a Plotter. YMMV.

9: What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?

Because I am not a big Tomoe River 52gsm fan, I put off buying a Stalogy Notebook because everyone said it was basically Tomoe River paper. I was so sure I wouldn’t like it that I asked Laura to review it knowing she liked Tomoe River paper more than I did.

What makes it such a surprise for me is that the Stalogy paper is lightweight like Tomoe and shows a lot of ink properties (maybe not as many as Tomoe River) but it also dries much faster. I have gone through a whole A5 365 notebook and am working through an A6 365 as my daily journal. Surprised? You betcha! Happy about it? Yup.

10: What pen (or stationery product) doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?

I dug through my pen collection and realized that I keep pens for sentimental reasons way more than because they are collectible. Many “collectible” pens have been re-homed. The pens I tend to collect aren’t very expensive — like new colors or the Kawceo Sport or Lamy Al-Star/Safari. I probably have more “collectible” inks than “collectible” pens like pedestal bottles of Bungubox inks and vintage bottles of Montblanc inks.

11: What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?

For sparkly pens, I would probably have to pick my first ever sparkly fountain pen: the Bungubox Sailor Pro Gear Slim Pink Love. As for inks, I like the PenBBS shimmer inks best and will always choose them over other brands.

12: Which nib do you love – but hate the pen? (or vice versa)?

See Monday’s post about the Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pens. Love the pen, hated the nib.

13: What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?

Any pen with a GIANT logo on it. I don’t want to wear a giant logo on my shirt or printed on my handbag so why would I want a BIG logo on my pen. I won’t name names but if I want something from a fancy brand, bury that logo.

14: What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?

Any of my Sailor Pro Gear Slim fountain pens. They are light, small and easy for me to use for long writing sessions.

15: What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?

The Kurutoga mechanical pencils. This might also be more of a product that baffles me because I don’t get the benefit from the rotating lead.

Also, the Pilot Vanishing Point or Decimo. I like the idea of the retractable fountain pen but I have never used one that was actually comfortable for any length of time.

16: What pen (or stationery product) would you never let someone else use?

There is no pen I wouldn’t let someone use, or at least try. As for stationery, I would be hesitant to let someone use my journals because there is some personal info in them but I’d probably let someone flip to a blank page and test out the paper. Pretty much, my stationery cabinet is full access.

17: What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?

I know this will come as a shock to many people but I don’t really love Tomoe River 52gsm. So, all the hullballoo about the change in the paper was interesting to me and I cared for other people but, for me, it wasn’t a big deal.

18: What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?

I love the Minä Perhonen Hobonichi covers but they are so expensive. I look at them every year and lust after them but I cannot justify spending the money for these covers, especially since I don’t use a Hobonichi for my planner.

19: What’s your favorite vintage pen?

I am Lady Sheaffer — I mean I love Lady Sheaffer Skripserts. I think there are several other people vying for this title but I’m willing to fight for the title.

20: What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?

Kaweco AL-Sport. ‘Nuff said.

21: What’s the pen (or stationery product) that got away?

I can’t believe I have missed both the original release AND the follow-up releases of the Blackwing Red and Blue Pencils. I love red/blue pencils but both releases landed at times when I was either very cost-conscious or crazy busy and lost track of the release schedule.

That’s my list. If you’d like to try this yourself, the questions are posted below. Remember to use the hashtag #21PenQuestions if you post this on social media. Thanks for playing along!

The questions:

1: What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?
2: What’s your guilty pleasure pen?
3: What’s the pen you wish existed?
4: What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?
5: What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?
6: What pen do you only keep only because its pretty?
7: What pen (or stationery product) did you buy because everyone else did?
8: What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?
9: What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?
10: What pen doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?
11: What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?
12: Which nib do you love – but hate the pen?
13: What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?
14: What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?
15: What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?
16: What pen (or stationery product) would you never let someone else use?
17: What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?
18: What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?
19: What’s your favorite vintage pen?
20: What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?
21: What’s the pen (or stationery product) that got away?

Updated: 05.10.23. A kind reader pointed out that I forgot to include #16 so I’ve added it. Sorry for the oversight!

In feature, Ink Review

Ink Review: Ferris Wheel Press New York Set

Jessica ColesMay 4, 2023May 4, 20231 Comment

Ferris Wheel Press is a company that releases a large number of new inks throughout the year. Usually their inks are released in 38mL bottles, however, this is a bit too much for individuals who only need sample sizes of the ink to test. I appreciate that Ferris Wheel Press offers smaller doses of their newest inks in ink charger sets. These sets include three inks but in a 5mL bottle.

Ferris Wheel Press’s newest set is themed around New York – Lights on Broadway, Grand Central Skies, and Central Park Greens.

The three colors are quite eye-catching and bright.

The first color in this set, Grand Central Skies, is a sparkling ink with a base color of a minty green. Private Reserve DC Supershow Green is a close match but lacks the sparkle.

The silver sparkle in Grand Central Skies shows up in writing as well as the ink swatch.

Ferris Wheel Press Grand Central Skies on Tomoe River 52gsm (TR7) paper:

And the sparkle shot on Tomoe River paper:

Ferris Wheel Press Grand Central Skies on Midori MD paper:

Ferris Wheel Press Grand Central Skies on Cosmo Air Light 83gsm paper. Notice that the sparkle does spread easily on this paper.

The next ink in this set, Central Park Greens, is a bit less saturated than Diamine Light Green but very close. I’ve found it to be perfectly legible on any paper, even with an extra fine nib.

Ferris Wheel Press Central Park Greens on Tomoe River 52gsm (TR7) paper:

Ferris Wheel Press Central Park Greens on Midori MD paper:

Ferris Wheel Press Central Park Greens on Cosmo Air Light 83gsm paper:

The final ink in the New York set is Lights on Broadway. This color is a less saturated version of Diamine Deep Magenta – an eye-searing ink. Lights on Broadway, however, is a gentler pink-purple ink that stays bright but not annoyingly so.

Ferris Wheel Press Lights on Broadway on Tomoe River 52gsm (TR7) paper:

Ferris Wheel Press Lights on Broadway on Midori MD paper:

Ferris Wheel Press Lights on Broadway on Cosmo Air Light 83gsm paper:

While this set does come at a higher price – about $15 for 15mL total (full sized bottles of each are $22 for 38mL) – you do get a chance to try out all three New York inks for the price. If you would like to have a few pen fills of each ink, this is a great way to do so! Be warned, though, that the tiny bottles do not accommodate any pen nib that I know about. You can fill a converter directly from the bottle or use a syringe to fill an eye dropper. For me, the small annoyance is well worth it.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided by Dromgoole’s for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Twitter Status

AnaMay 3, 2023May 3, 20236 Comments

As of April 30, WordPress is no longer able to auto-post to Twitter. According to correspondence from WordPress, they worked to renegotiate the API access with Twitter but were unable to come to an agreement. I know many of you have been following the Twitter downfall and, for the most part, I have avoided any involvement in all the hullaballoo as I am not a heavy user of Twitter. I read a bit and make sure that blog content auto-posts for those who use Twitter to track new pen content. But, alas, I can no longer keep my head in the sand about the changing tides at Twitter.

While it serves no real purpose any longer, I am not quite ready to delete and close the Desk Twitter account but I suspect that it will be on the horizon.

Are there social media services you think the Desk should be participating in or that would make finding new Desk content convenient for you? Let me know in the comments.

We Love Animals:

In honor of the one-year birthday and “forever home” anniversary of Zoey and her kittens, I made a special section for animal posts this week. I also wanted to include a photo of Zoey and her kittens from one-year ago today and a HUGE THANKS to everyone who made donations and purchased our special cat-themed prints to help support the cat rescue here including their vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries. We adopted out three of the kittens last year but three have stayed with us — Pepper, Apple and Cooper– as well as Mama Zoey (Bob spells her name Zowie like Bowie).

One year ago today, Zoey and her kitten zoo!

The kittens, all grown up and Zoey, healthy and happy and safe.

JoJo’s Hilarious Cat Illustrations: A Feast for the Eyes and Funny Bone (via Design You Trust)
Dog Owner Makes a Tennis Ball Catapult for His Pup to Play Fetch (via My Modern Met)
Watch a Freshly Groomed Dog Go Into a Puddle of Mud (via My Modern Met)
Parrots Learn to Video Call Each Other and Forge Incredible Friendships (via My Modern Met)
Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos of Audrey Hepburn With Orangey the Cat in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ in 1961 (via Design You Trust)

We need each other. Please support our sponsors, affiliates or join our Patreon. Your patronage supports this site. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: Pilot Explorer

Laura CameronMay 2, 2023May 2, 20238 Comments

A few weeks ago when I was browsing JetPens, I came across a new-to-me pen, the Pilot Explorer ($25). I decided to pick one up and see what it was all about.

My Google-fu tells me that the Pilot Explorer debuted in 2019 and I’m not quite sure how I missed it. Well, I have a few guesses. My first Pilot love was actually the Pilot Metropolitan series. When I first started getting into fountain pens, the Metropolitans were in the “under $20 crowd” which meant they were easily obtainable for me. They came in a variety of fun colors, an array of nib sizes, and were lightweight and felt good in my hand. I may still have several (I can find at least 3 sitting right near me!)

So back to the Explorer. The Explorer is an odd little pen. It’s now priced in the same range as the Pilot Metropolitan (as of writing this the Explorer is $25 and the Metropolitan is $25.42 at JetPens), but it’s a plastic body. Yes, even though it looks like a metallic finish that’s all plastic baby! It comes standard with a steel nib in either Fine or Medium, and a black clip. I also think it looks a lot like the Lamy Safari or AL-Star – doesn’t it remind you of the Vibrant Pink edition?

Then pen comes with a snap cap that is postable, and a proprietary cartridge and converter. (It’s one of the squeeze-y ones so make of that what you will.) The pen is around 5″ uncapped (12.5 cm and 4.8″ to be precise) and 5.5″ capped (14cm and 5.6″). It weighs in at a cool 14g which makes it about the same as the Platinum Preppy that I reviewed a few weeks ago.

pen weight comparison chart

L to R: Platinum Preppy Maki-e, Pilot Kakuno, Pilot Explorer, Pilot Metropolitan

All of this is to say that this pen looks and feels like other pens I’ve written with. And while it is perfectly serviceable and nice enough to write with, there’s nothing in it that grabs me and makes me say “Gosh I LOVE this pen.”

Have you tried the Explorer? What do you think?

In feature

I Modded My 849s!

AnaMay 1, 2023May 1, 20232 Comments

While in the throes of COVID, I did not have a lot of energy to write, swatch inks or even sit up straight. In the few moments of energy and coherent thought, I decided to mess around with swapping nibs.

I have loved using my Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pens but ever since the very first nib housing broke and I had to replace it, I have had issues with the actual nibs. I have two Cd’A 849s: one hot pink and one fluorescent green (my signature colors!) and have had them tuned repeatedly because the nibs were not performing properly. I was getting hard starts and weird nib scratchiness. I didn’t know what was up.

So, this weekend, after cleaning and trying to use these pens again with a great deal of frustration, I decided to see if any of the random nibs I had laying around might fit into the feed housing. At this point, I wasn’t going to make my situation any worse since the pens weren’t writing with any consistency.

I started rooting around in my junk pen drawer looking for a small, No. 5-ish sized nib. Despite the odd shape of the Cd’A nibs, they have a standard arc at the end that fits into the feed and housing so it was worth a shot. I had several Chinese pens I purchased years ago in an effort to see what they were like. And while the nibs were smooth and wrote well, the cheap plastic barrels were not particularly interesting to me so the pens never got much use except when I needed to do comparisons. Well, it turned out that the Chinese No. 5 nibs fit perfectly. I had two Dlike nibs in slightly different nib sizes that I slotted into the Cd’A housing and VOILA! no more hard starts or weird scratching, angle issues.

I think the biggest advantage that the Dlike nibs have over the Cd’A is the breather hole. I could be wrong. the Cd’A nibs might just be garbage or I may have exceeded 100K miles on both of them (I got these back in 2017). But because these two pens are my absolute everyday go-to pens for work, I didn’t want to give them up just because the nibs weren’t working for me. These pens have features that make them my prized office pens: snap caps and room for TWO standard international cartridges. They are also eye searingly bright so I know where they are at any given moment.

Ignore where I wrote “PENBBS” in the written example above. It was all a fever dream and the nibs are both Dlike!

Do you have any pens that you love but don’t love the nibs? Have you tried swapping out the nib, getting it tuned or buying a new nib? Tell me your nib stories in the comments!

The questions:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

We Love Animals: