#8 of 53: Anniversaries, Weddings and the Birmingham Pen Company

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birmingham pen company, franklin christoph, jinhao 140, royal wedding, waterfront dusk

WordPress tells me six years ago this month, I started this blog, and they sincerely encourage me to continue. That’s nice. I guess I will.

On May 19 I got up super early and stationed myself in front of the tv downstairs. I didn’t want to wake David up, so me and the cats were as quiet as possible, watching the royal wedding unfold. I am a long-time royalist and this was a big deal for me. I remember watching Lady Diana Spencer marry Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, with my mother, in the early hours once again. We did the same for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson on July 23, 1986. And when Prince William married Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011 I was watching, lying prone on the floor, trying to ignore the pain of yet another back episode. This year I was in pain once again because of my back, but luckily this time I was able to sit in a chair, table in front of me, drinking tea and writing in my Franklin Christoph journal with a new fountain pen, a Jinhao 140 from the Birmingham Pen Company. As I watched beautiful people in beautiful outfits amid  beautiful flowers in St. George’s Chapel I wrote my thoughts (loved the Most Reverend Michael Curry’s sermon!!) and wishes for the new couple (love and laughter always).

The pens I used during the wedding came to me from The Birmingham Pen Company. I’m a sucker for a gift set (Lamy gift set, Parker gift set) so when I saw the Starter Pack Gift Set, Jinhao 140 Shell Diamond I couldn’t resist. I’m on a bit of a Jinhao roll I guess but I love them.

I’ve been trying to remember when I first heard about or stumbled upon the Birmingham Pen Company and I can’t. It must have been a youtube video or another blogger but whatever, I subscribed to their newsletter and now I regularly get tempted by their offerings. I am in love with their Model-A Fountain Pen in Jurassic Amber; they are turned by the man behind the Birmingham Pen Company, Nick, and his father, and they sell out as soon as any are in stock.

Anyway the Jinhao 140 set arrived, in beautiful packaging. In addition to the pen I received five paperclips in the shape of nibs (so cute), two converters, a small notebook of Tomoe River paper, a faux leather box and a free bottle of Birmingham Pen Company ink (I chose Waterfront Dusk because I liked the name).

The ink is more blue than what is showing in the photo.

The company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and all of their inks (there are 40 to choose from) are named after unique events in the history of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. The ink comes in 30 mL ($7.99) and 60 mL ($11.99). The free bottles are 30 mL.

I also received a personalized note signed by Nick himself, thanking me for my first order from his shop and for giving him the opportunity to earn my business. He described how he does “everything from packing orders and answering emails to filling the ink bottles. My site has been operating for about a year and a half, and I still get excited to watch each order come through.” I’m sure he’s a busy guy but taking the time to write that note meant a lot to me. He ended the note by asking me to let him know “if there’s anything I can do for you in the meantime.” Unfortunately I had to take him up on his offer. Everything in the package was intact and exactly as advertised, except for the pen.

I couldn’t open it.

I tried to be gentle, then I tried being rough. I had some co-workers try (it was sent to my office). Nothing worked. Because of the design of the pen at first I wasn’t sure which end opened, but I did a little research and realized we were doing everything right to gain access to the converter. In desperation I sent Nick an email describing my embarrassing situation. I couldn’t believe how stubborn this little pen was proving to be.

Two days later I received an order confirmation from the Birmingham Pen Company. It was for a Jinhao 140 and a 30 mL bottle of ink. Cost was zero. Shipping was zero. Then I received an email from Nick, apologizing for the uncooperative pen and letting me know a replacement had already been dispatched to me, inspected by him, free of charge, with another bottle of free ink, with no expectation of return of the first pen. We exchanged emails to the effect of: You sure? followed by Absolutely! I was delighted and stunned by his generosity. Even when I told him I had managed to get it open, he still insisted I did not have to return it (a co-worker gingerly took the pen in her specialized work gloves and, after asking my permission, really leaned into the twist and finally coaxed the pen to open up, amid cheers from workmates. She is my hero). About a week later I had a second Diamond Shell (which opened like a dream) and a second bottle of free ink. Exceptional customer service. And I’m not the only one who thinks so; I googled the company and found half a dozen testimonials on Fountain Pen Network alone attesting to Nick’s commitment to customer satisfaction. I will definitely be buying from Nick again.

The second bottle of ink is Southside Park Fern Moss. It’s hard to tell the difference between the two inks but the Fern Moss is a deep grey-green.

The ink dries more grey than green and I really like it.

I was thrilled with the customer service and how it all turned out, but there was one weird thing: for both pens, the converter that it shipped with did not work. I tried repeatedly to get the converter to suck up some ink but nothing worked. So I used the extra converters and they worked perfectly. All’s well that ends well.

The pen is quite different from the other Jinhaos I’ve seen; that was one of the reasons I bought it. The inlaid shell catches the light with shades of green and yellow. The nib is considered fine but writes more like a fine medium.

It’s very comfortable in the hand and the nibs are super smooth. The graduated section is not as awkward as I first thought. I’m very, very happy with my new purchases.

Happy journaling.

#5 of 53 File Index Sneak Peek and A Carousel of Ink

Tags

diamine, diamine 150 anniversary, index, wonder pens

I’ve been thinking for some time about changing the way I record the details of my pens and inks, as discussed in this post. I love having lots of room to write about each pen or ink, but inevitably I found the binder too large and heavy to be practical and portable. So I’ve made the move to index cards.

I’ve made a list of all the pens I have, as well as a list of all the inks. I’ve noted down the colour of pen, the size of bottle, where each was purchased and when. Then each pen and each ink has it’s own index card under the corresponding letter (J for Jinhao and D for Diamine). It’s compact and alphabetical. It’s still a work in progress as I haven’t found a proper file drawer for it; I would love to purchase a real library file drawer (with the steel rod and everything!!) but my budget doesn’t allow it at this time. I plan on doing a full post on it when it is finished.

But in working on transferring the contents of the binder to the cards I have found gaps in my inventory, and one such obvious gap is a set of inks I bought after the binder was set up but still packed away: 8 of the Diamine 150 Anniversary Inks. To mark the 150th anniversary of its brand, Diamine released 16 40 ml bottles in a unique triangular shape that, when arranged, form a beautiful carousel of ink.

There are 16 colours in the anniversary line:

1. Burgundy Royale
2. Carnival
3. Blood Orange
4. Golden Honey
5. Safari
6. Tropical Green
7. Dark Forest
8. Blue Velvet
9. Tudor Blue
10. Lilac Night
11. Regency Blue
12. Purple Dream
13. Terracotta
14. Espresso
15. Silver Fox
16. 1864 Blue Black

I have eight of these, and I actually didn’t realize there were eight more until I did the research for this post. I bought the set from WonderPens.ca and they gave me a deal because I bought a set of eight. Now that I know there are eight more, I might ask them if they would offer me the deal again! When I have a few pennies to spare maybe. You can buy them on the Wonderpens site for $15 each.

The labels are very distinctive, with the swirly 150 and the vintage feel. And the inks themselves, as with all Diamine inks, are bright and eye catching.

Here is the Blue Velvet. The blue handwriting in the photo above is from my journal, made with a Jinhao 992 pen inked with Blue Velvet.

Here is Carnival, which is more of a true red than what is coming through in the photo.

Here the red writing is in Carnival.

Here is the 1864 Blue Black above with a writing sample below.

 

Above is the Safari green, with a writing sample below.

The next four inks.

Here is the Tropical Green with a writing sample below. Love this green.

Here is the Regency Blue followed by a writing sample. I like all three but this is my favourite of the blue inks in this set.

Here is the Silver Fox with a writing sample following. This is my least favourite of this set. I have never come across a grey ink that I like; they all seem to be too light. You can barely read this one.

And finally here is the Terracotta, with the writing sample following.

That’s it for the Diamine 150 inks, or at least half of them.

I also came across a few more new inks that need to be reviewed but this post is certainly long enough so I won’t inflict them on you. Yet.

Happy journaling.

 

Sheaffer Skrip Ink

Tags

brooklyn office supplies ltd., glass dip pen, sheaffer skrip

A couple of dear friends were in town this past week and one day we found ourselves in Windsor, Nova Scotia. We had amazing fish and chips at Frydaddy’s and then wandered up and down the main street. I found myself drawn to a small stationery store called Brooklyn Office Supplies Ltd. I hoped for a fountain pen or two, since a nib is featured in their logo. Unfortunately they no longer carry fountain pens. The proprietor told me they can no longer order them, which is a shame. They do still carry cartridges and bottled ink, so I picked up two bottles of Sheaffer Skrip, one in black and one in blue.

You’ll notice some tape on the cap of the black ink. I didn’t notice when I bought it that the cap was broken. I taped it up but it is not an airtight seal so not sure if the ink is ok. Above you can see a writing sample using both inks, written with my glass pen. Both ink colours are vibrant and true. Unfortunately that black ink is stuck onto my glass pen now. I can scrape some of it off with my fingernail but it is a slow process. Keep in mind the black remained even after the blue test. Perhaps the broken cap has allowed air to impact the black ink somehow. Lesson learned: examine ink bottles before buying them, especially in independent stores with low traffic.

I am happy to add two new inks to my collection, from a brand I have never tried before. At this point though I would not put the black ink in any pen that might show a stain. Both inks showed mild feathering in my Eccolo notebook.

I will always try to support independent stationers and if you are in the neighborhood visit Brooklyn Office Supplies Ltd. as they have a charming shop with knowledgeable staff. Just make sure any ink bottles you buy are intact!

A Glass Pen and Ocean Ink to be Thankful for

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glass dip pen, gypsy road glass silver and stone, into the mystic folklore, janelle tyler

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and I wanted to share a new pen I recently acquired. A friend was in town and we went to a local shop called Into the Mystic Folklore. It’s a beautiful space in Dartmouth that sells crystals, jewelry, tarot cards, tea, etc., along with psychic readings and singing water bowls. It’s a magical place and I am thrilled my friend introduced me to it.

Nestled between healing bracelets and gargoyle bookends were glass dip pens. A local artisan, Janelle Tyler, makes and sells them through her company Gypsy Road Glass, Silver & Stone. To my delight she also makes ink in the cutest bottles, so I grabbed a couple of those too.

There were multi-coloured pens with different types of nibs, from broad to fine. I chose a clear one with a medium-fine nib.

The pen comes with a pamphlet that talks about the history of glass pens. I did not know that in the 17th century there was a shortage of feather quills for writing. The average London banker would use up to 20 feather quills a day – can you imagine?! And the average goose was only capable of producing 8 to 10 good feathers for quills. Through trial and error German glass blowers perfected the spiral nib seen on glass pens today. The original ones would have been brittle and fragile but the pens made by contemporary glass artisans like Janelle Tyler are made from a harder material, the same glass that modern cookware is made from.

I also bought two bottles of ink, both with the colour Deep Ocean. I do not know if she offers any other colours. The appeal of the glass pen to me is the fearlessness you can have with new inks – there is no chance that a questionable ink could muck up the mechanism, because there is no mechanism to muck up! And you could write a letter with a different ink for each sentence. The nib wipes clean quickly with water and a paper towel. And you are not limited to fountain pen ink – any ink will do. So much fun!

Here you can see both the ink colour and the nib. I wrote in my Things Remembered Engraved Journal with stone paper. I love this journal but have read with misgiving the fibres can sometimes clog up the works in traditional fountain pens. So the glass pen was perfect for this writing session.

I love the ink colour. It’s a rich blue green perfectly named. The actual writing experience was a little challenging. The paper is a little toothy and on the upstroke the nib would sometimes catch and stop moving. But you can see there was no skipping and one dip would last for almost three sentences.

This little ledge is the perfect resting spot for my glass pen. I haven’t photographed this desk before but as I unpack my office there are only so many clear spots available to shoot! I will do a proper room tour when I am all set up.

So if you are wondering about glass pens I would recommend one, for their beauty and versatility with ink. I can’t believe I have waited this long to buy one. And if you are in the Dartmouth area check out Into the Mystic Folklore. You will find something that catches your eye, I guarantee it!

Mystery Ink #6

Tags

fpgeeks forum, monteverde artista crystal demonstrator, monteverde prima, mystery ink, rhodia, visconti rembrandt

I mentioned MI6 in this post, earlier this week. I was thrilled to be chosen to participate in this round of reviewing a mystery ink. Go to this link to check out the Fountain Pen Geeks forums and read the threads for MI1 through 5.

My sample arrived on April 1 and I couldn’t wait to ink up a few pens with this gorgeous purple ink and get going.

I chose my Visconti Rembrandt with a 0.5 nib, my Monteverde Artista Crystal with a medium nib and my Monteverde Prima in Purple Swirl with a 1.1 italic nib. I flushed all of them and put some of the mystery ink in them.

I used a syringe to fill each of the converters, as I didn’t think the nibs would fit into the sample vial. The Rembrandt and Artista took the ink just fine, but the Prima had an air bubble in the top that I could not get rid of. I spilled ink everywhere and didn’t end up getting much ink into the Prima at all. But I got enough to do this review.

I found this Ink Sampler & Review form online; not sure who to accredit it to but it is not my own design. I apologize for the images; I should have scanned the form in but the camera was all I had to hand.

Each pen started up quite quickly with the new ink, which is impressive. I was surprised how each nib delivered quite a different shade. The colour is a rich dark purple that reminds me of blueberries and lupins. The Antarctica quote (yes I just realized I spelled Antarctica with only one c on the form – horror!!) is an homage to the theme of MI6, as chosen by the organizers.

I do not have a lot of purple inks to compare it to, but I put 3 swabs on the form anyway. I probably could have identified them (one of the rules of the mystery ink game is not to guess what the ink is before it is revealed) as none of them would be a serious contender for an exact match to the mystery ink, but I kept their identity a secret too, at least for now. When the ink brand and name is revealed I will do another post, and reveal my comparison inks as well.

I wasn’t sure what “Spread” referred to in relation to ink so I left it blank. Please enlighten me if you know. I messed up the 3 sec dry time so I repeated the exercise. It is a pretty fast drying ink. Not especially waterproof but not too bad either.

It really is a beautiful ink.

The Andrew Denton quote was written using my Monteverde Prima with a 1.1 italic nib. It may be hard to see in the photo but there is some shading.

The Jon Krakauer quote was written with my Visconti Rembrandt with a 0.5 nib. Both of these quotes are written on the same page in the same Rhodia notebook, with the same lighting conditions. I do not know why one looks yellow and the other doesn’t. Thank my camera phone for having an attitude.

This was fun. I will probably do more ink reviews. And I will probably buy a bottle when the identify is revealed. Any guesses?