An Inkophile's Blog
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My first memory of a fountain pen is of the classic green binde (striped) Pelikan casually resting on the massive oak desk of my father’s best friend. Of course, the friend was an attorney and the fountain pen a requisite status symbol. But it was also a very well-used fountain pen and I learned a valuable lesson about quality and style.
Later in life I rediscovered those lessons while collecting a few fountain pens of my own. Keeping a blog will be my running record of successes as well as disappointments in searching for quality balanced with style and functionality in pens and all things related especially ink. The amazing variety of colors as well as key characteristics can bring as much delight to using a great fountain pen as the pen itself. Add just the right paper and writing becomes a joy rather than a chore. Even testing various combinations for that ideal match is part of the charm especially when things come together just right.
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| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesGen Z Is Handwriting Letters
Gen Z Is Handwriting Letters 08/25/2026 Taking a break from the digital world is sparking a resurgence of handwriting letters according to an editorial at Townhall.com. Does that make you trendy if you already write letters? If so, what’s your preferred stationery, pen and ink for the task? Posted in Handwriting, Ink, Pen Use | Tagged correspondence, handwriting, letter writing |
Green and Blue This Week
Unplanned but harmonious colors joined together for the week ahead. Not seasonal but they are favorites. Do you play favorites, too? I highly recommend it for a very enjoyable writing experience. Handmade Traveler’s notebook A6 Soft Cover Notebook Pilot Kakuno Madoromi Cumulus Fountain Pen with Waterman Black Dark Green EnerGel 0.7 Sailor Ink swatches on A5 paper. Tokiwa Matsu at the bottom right is my favorite green ink.
Waterman Encre Black and Three Pens
Waterman Encre Black and Three Pens 08/10/2026 It’s summer and the living is easy especially with one ink in three pens. Lazy? You betcha. The Pilot Kakuno in medium and extra fine nibs is for comparison testing. The Jinhao 82 medium is a mainstay in my rotation and always filled with Waterman Encre Noir. All three benefit from a light touch. True for most fountain pens though really smooth nibs can be more tolerant of a heavy hand. The ink and pens can each be found for less than $15 USD.
Rosa Gallery Monopigmented Watercolors
Digging into my paint stash produced a box of Rosa Gallery Monopigmented watercolors. It took hours to carefully unwrap them and set up the card with the labels but I think it was worth the effort. A mono pigment is essentially a single color and in this case a single pigment per pan. Two or sometimes three colors can be mixed without creating dull or muddy colors. Vibrancy and clarity are intact.
Summer Watercolor Supplies
Summer Watercolor Supplies 06/08/2026 My summer watercolor kit came together over the weekend. Landscapes and abstracts are on the menu along with exploring a couple of new paints and mixes. The travel brush is an Isabey 6202 mop. A curated Japanese palette is lurking about hoping for a shot at a dark abstract. Wishful thinking? Posted in Watercolor Supplies | Tagged Meeden, watercolor palette, watercolor supplies |
Inks And Pens On My Desk Today
Inks And Pens On My Desk Today 05/20/2026 On my desk today is a simple group of fountain pens. Only three colors of ink plus black. Off-camera is a mechanical pencil but that’s a different story. Pelikan Violet and Waterman Intense Black Ink are getting the most use but Monteverde Capri Blue and Waterman Inspired Blue are called to duty when a bolder look is in order. Two of the pens are Jinhao 82 models. The others are a Pilot Metropolitan and a Hongdian 620. Now to get to work.
A Few Grey Inks
A few grey inks for a grey day. The paper is from Tomoe River. Which ink do you prefer?
Two Pens, One Ink
One ink, two pens with very different results. It’s like having two inks for the price of one. Sailor Shikiori Fuji-sugata in a Conklin Duragraph 1.1 stub and a Jinhao 10 extra fine.
New Pen and a Matching Journal
It was a new pen day but also a new journal day. The Ice Blue Jinhao 20 with Iroshizuku Syo-ro looks perfect for the Zotia journal. Ink and pen tests for entertainment over the weekend.
Pink Pen and Ink for Spring
Is it spring yet? A Jinhao 82 pink pen with Private Reserve Ink Shell Pink seem to think so. It’s a first time pairing that worked out well. What will make it into your spring rotation?