The Italian brand Leonardo has received a lot of attention over the last year or so and also earned a meaningful place in my own pen collection. Over the last several months, another Italian brand Maiora has entered the market. In a year without pen shows, this new release stayed a little more under my…
Tibaldi is a name spoken in reverence among the fountain pen community. The original Tibaldi brand existed from 1916 to 1965 and were known for beautiful resin material that glowed with its depth of color. Now, having relocated to Bassano del Grappa and come under the direction of the Aquina Family that also owns the…
When I first picked up the Metaxas & Sins pen, I had two thoughts. First, I immediately noticed the weight of the pen. It’s hefty for its size. Secondly, the shape and size of the pen remind me of mascara. Yes, mascara. I am learning that one of the interesting things about reviewing pens is…
Ever since I discovered fountain pens, my use of ballpoint pens has been minimal. I love my Retro 51’s, and an impressive collection of gel pens and fine liners, but I’m mostly done with ballpoints. When I saw the Caran d’Ache Nespresso (3rd edition, $45.00), I felt a pang of longing though. For starters, it’s…
I remember vividly the first pen show that the Nibsmith had Leonardo pens stocked at his table. The Momento Zero model caught a lot of people’s attention at that show, and for good reason. I was not immune. It’s one of the only pens I can think of that I purchased immediately when seeing a brand…
I took fourteen of the most popular micro tip gel pens and tried to figure out which one is the “right one” for you. Some are hybrid ink, liquid ink or other modifications but I’m not a chemist so, from a layperson’s perspective, they are all appealing to the same consumer — someone looking for…
I’ve been carrying the Platinum Procyon around for almost an entire week trying to figure out what to make of it. Let’s start from the beginning, which is well before the Procyon showed up in my mailbox. Pre-Procyon, my experience with Platinum was limited to my Platinum Preppies ($4 pen) and my Platinum 3776s (nearly…
