2022 state of the scholar, the fourth and final tray
I review my pen collection every year or two. The goal is to ensure that all of the pens in my case remain interesting enough to me that they make me want to write.
We have reached the end of my collection reflection. The fourth and final 13-pen tray. Populated with one-offs from small makers and small one-or-two-pen collections. Chaos. A tray I lovingly call the “Tray of Unreasoned Un-order.”
Basic is the new special edition, a mnml digest
singing the glories of no-nonsense stationery basics. Simplicity is its own flashy when inks, papers and pens simply work well together. There’s happiness to be had in a simple gray or sepia or blue or teal. Or black notebook-lette.
Smoothing out the crispy edges
Four of this week’s nibs rock their writing with crisp, edgy tippings. A 1.1 mm stub nib and an architect grind require proper writing angles for enjoyable ink flow. Both Montblanc’s EF nib and Dan Smith’s lovely CI grind also have narrow preferred writing angles.
Lubricated inks can take a bit of the edge off — so to speak. I’ve chosen a cadre of my wetter inks to bring my quartet of crispy nibs to heel. Balance is the way.
Where is the line between iteration and imitation?
Majohn (aka. MoonMan) evokes strong reactions from those who are familiar with their products. Reactions to their products’ resemblances to the pen designs of other established companies.
I received my new Majohn A1 this week. Majohn’s clipless model. And I like it. A lot.