#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.

#7 of 53: Change, Lamy Pens and Mothers

Tags

2017 special edition, from the pen cup, lamy, lamy al-star, pacific, the pen habit, wonder pens

Did you miss me?

You can thank my sister for this post. I have been feeling dramatically uninspired of late, hence the radio silence. And then my sister sent me a lovely email, which included a link to one of my blog posts from 4 years ago, about her trip to Iceland. And somehow it’s inspired me.

There’s alot of change afoot in the stationery/fountain pen world. Wonderpens have closed one shop and opened another; I so love their blog I felt I was saying goodbye too, even though I’ve never set foot in any of their stores to date. Matt Armstrong of The Pen Habit on YouTube has ended his run as fountain pen/ink reviewer extraordinaire. Believe me, I can relate. I seriously considered shutting this whole thing down. Even Mary at From the Pen Cup took a long breather between posts. I’ve set myself the challenge of 53 posts this year, which may or may not happen. And I’ve decided to be at peace with that.

So inspired by my sister I’m going to review the Lamy Al-Star Pacific 2017 Limited Edition fountain pen she gave me for my birthday last year.

It’s my third Lamy; I’ve written about the Safari and my other Al-Star previously. The Safari was one of my first purchases after starting the blog, back in 2012. And the Al-Star was a Christmas present in 2014. This Lamy Al-Star is a gorgeous turquoise blue, called the Pacific, for the colour resembles tropical seas.

I also received a bottle of Lamy Turquoise. It was released with the special edition pen but as far as I can tell it’s the same colour as the old Lamy Turquoise. Either way it’s a glorious colour.

The nib is fine and very smooth. Since last September I’ve had it inked up with the Lamy Turquoise, and it always starts writing the instant the cap comes off, with no skipping or hard starts. The cap posts securely although I would advise caution with posting, as my purple Al-Star is showing signs of wear on the barrel.

The distinctive triangular section, unique to Lamy, creates a strong grip for long writing sessions.

The Al-Star usually retails for just under $40 US. The 2017 special edition is no longer available on Goulet Pens; indeed it has been replaced by the 2018 special edition in Vibrant Pink. I’m told the Al-Star Blue Green is very close in tone to the Pacific. But I did manage to find two on offer on Amazon as used. I highly recommend the Lamy Al-Star, for beginners and pros alike. These special editions are a fun way to expand your Lamy collection – such colours!

And finally today (in North America) is the day we honour our mothers. Today marks my 18th Mother’s Day without mine. I wish I could say it gets easier. But some years are better than others. I have a wonderful mother-in-law who receives our well wishes via video call. And now that I’m back in Nova Scotia I can visit my grandmother’s grave, and honour her memory along with her daughter’s.

Happy Mother’s Day.

 

 

#6 of 53: Here We Jinhao All Over Again

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jinhao 992

On the whole I’ve had very good luck with the Jinhao pens I’ve purchased, either on eBay or from Goulet Pens. From the 126 to the 159 and the 599a I’ve been impressed with how reliable they are, both in writing immediately after being uncapped, and in the uninterrupted flow of ink. They are great writers at very reasonable prices. So when I saw this review of the 992 I had to order myself one. I went on ebay and ended up with six! At $15 Cdn for six I couldn’t say no.

They came with the white tray. Try to ignore the red ink on the side of the tray – that was me, allowing an uncapped red Optiflow to rest for a few hours against it. It looks like a rather alarming blood stain; perhaps I should let the Optiflow loose on it again, transforming the whole tray.

The pens are plastic but it’s thick plastic so the pen feels very sturdy, like a TWSBI or Monteverde. The model is available in 12 colours, half of which are translucent; the solid colours are very nice too. The caps screw on and post very securely. The filling system is cartridge converter, which came with the pens. They also come with a plastic o-ring between the barrel and section. There is a round ball at the end of the pen and it looks like it would be completely sealed, which makes the pen an excellent candidate for making into an eyedropper. I still haven’t made any of my pens into eyedroppers, but with six of these I can afford to take the chance.

The nib is advertised as fine but writes like a wet fine or medium. Very smooth nib with no issues starting or skipping, and moves across the paper with little to no tooth. You can see the famous Jinhao chariot on the nib. All of the writing samples in my last post, #5 of 53, were written with these pens.

Jinhaos all in a row! They certainly do not look like they are all from the same brand. From left: 992, X450, 599a, X750 and 159. In weight and appearance it most closely resembles the 599a.  I’m missing the 126 from the photo as I can’t find one at the moment.

And to give you an idea of its size in relation to other brands. From left: Jinhao 992, TWSBI Vac 700, Lamy Al Star, Waterman Kultur, Pilot Metropolitan, Delta Journal, Monteverde Prima and Parker Urban.

I really enjoy these pens. While the 159 remains my absolute favourite of the Jinhaos, the 992s are a welcome addition and will not disappoint.

Happy journaling.

A new pen and notebook from Amazon

Tags

blue myosotis, blue upon the plains of abraham, clairefontaine, fuliwen, j. herbin, lamy blue, noodler's, paradise blue, parker blue quink, straffen, valery, waterman serenity blue, x-fountain pens

Last week an Amazon package was delivered to my door, which is always exciting. I had ordered a Fuliwen pen after seeing a Youtube video, and a Valery refillable notebook which I had found when browsing notebooks.

I am unfamiliar with the Fuliwen brand. Amazon says this pen was made by a “famous company in China called Fuliwen”. I thought the barrel and hardware was very pretty, although now that I see it in person I am not a fan of the pearl bead on the clip.

The section is an interesting shape, one which I have not seen before. The material is advertised as celluloid but I would be surprised at this price point: $19 Cdn.

The medium nib is on the small side for the size of the section I feel. It is stamped Straffen, which I read are made by X-Fountain Pens. I cleaned it and tried to find a blue ink that would match the barrel.

Clockwise from top: Noodler’s Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham, Parker Blue Quink, Paradise Pen Blue, Waterman Serenity Blue, J. Herbin Blue Myosotis, and Lamy Blue. I chose Parker Blue as the best match to the barrel.

And here’s the writing sample. I chose a Clairefontaine notebook. The pen is very smooth with no skips or hard starts, and it started writing as soon as it hit the paper. I was using it in my regular journal later on that day, and it suddenly went dry. I shook it a few times and it resumed writing. But it will never be a favorite pen of mine. That pearl bead is ugly, as I mentioned before, and the pen can’t be posted, which this pen needs, due to it being super light. It just doesn’t fit well in my hand either. But I can’t fault it’s performance, other than running dry once, which was soon fixed.

I also purchased this notebook and cover, made by Valery.

It’s not leather but a very nice imitation. I really like the white stitching and the tree motif on the cover and in the charm bookmark. There is another charm on the spine of an eagle with wings unfurled. It doesn’t seem to fit in with the tree motif; kind of sinister really. But luckily it can be removed.

Here is the inside of the notebook cover. The cords could easily be loosened to release one or both of the charms if needed.

The notebook is pretty standard, lined with very thin paper. I do not know the gsm. I didn’t have high hopes for the pen test but it stood up fairly well.

I’m just realizing now I deleted the photo of the opposite page. Oh well there was no bleed through and just a touch of ghosting. And very little feathering. Safe for our fountain pens.

Overall I am happy with the pen and notebook. Taking a chance on unknown products can be fun.

Happy writing everyone.

A Glass Pen and Ocean Ink to be Thankful for

Tags

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!

Cross Botanica in Green Daylily

Tags

cross botanica, green daylily, scottsdale pen and knife, waterman inspired blue

My sister and I spent a wonderful day at Scottsdale Pen and Knife when I visited her in Phoenix earlier this month. It was our second visit to Jay’s amazing store; read about our first visit in 2014 here and here. I will write a full account of this year’s visit, but for today I want to focus on one of my sister’s purchases that day, a breathtaking Cross Botanica in the Green Daylily pattern. She graciously allowed me to photograph it and play with it for this post.

The finish on the Botanica pens is inspired by the floral patterns used in henna designs. According to the Cross website, the Daylily pattern has “a radiant green and ivory palette that sparkles with 23KT gold plate inlays and appointments.” My sister said she wanted a “pretty” pen and we both feel she chose the prettiest one in the store.

Here’s the box it came in.

And inside the box. The Cross warranty and information, as well as cartridges, are included underneath the pen bed.

Isn’t it gorgeous? So ornate and very feminine. My sister first spotted this beautiful pen at home in Calgary at Reid’s so it’s been calling to her for a while. Who could resist?

A close up of that beautiful finish.

It came with a medium nib, which was a change for her, but a happy one. My sister is very particular in her writing instruments (as am I) and really enjoys a snap cap as opposed to a screw cap. She likes her sections as smooth as possible and this model fits that criteria. The cap is what I call a “soft snap”: there is extra padding inside so that the cap gently slides into place when engaged. That padding protects the barrel when posted as well.

And here is the nib. Gold, to match the rest of the pen. Just stunning.

The section is black and slightly striated. So comfortable in the hand, although a tad thin for me. At it’s widest point the pen is only 10.9 mm wide. It is 155 mm long. The website doesn’t list the weight but it feels super light. The nib is unbelievably smooth. There’s just nothing like writing with a gold nib. We inked it up with Waterman Inspired Blue and it had great flow, with no skips or hard starts.

And here’s the writing sample. I think Inspired Blue was the perfect choice.

And here’s a shot of the pen posted. As I said before, the extra padding inside the cap would protect the barrel from posting but perhaps posting is not recommended, as you wouldn’t want anything marring that exceptional finish. My sister is not a poster and I promise I only posted it for the shot; 30 seconds tops, sis!

Beautiful and elegant, the Cross Botanica is an excellent writer and I would recommend it, especially as a gift for the pen lover in your life this Christmas. Thanks to Jay at Scottsdale Pen and Knife and to my sister, for lending it to me for this post. 🙂