I was on another podcast this week talking stationery, this time with my friend Jay Miller of Conduit. While Kathy was away, Jay and I talked about what makes stationery so magical. I hope you check it out!
The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 721 - A Pen of All Time
How many fountain pens does one really need? If you are a regular listener of this show, the answer is “a lot,” but Myke and I were proposed something different. I talk about one of my newest acquisitions, the Delta DV Original Midsize Orange/Primary Manipulation 4.5, but that’s not what you will hear me call it.
This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:
Pen Chalet: Check out this week's special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.
Pens on the Move
(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
Have you ever been asked what pens you would bring with you if you were stuck on a desert island? Was the choice impossible? Were you stricken with indecision, but then pointed out that you have no intention of ever being stuck on a desert island, so thank goodness, you'll never have to actually decide?
Well, it turns out that whatever your answer is for the desert island pen, is also your "I'm selling my house and moving and apparently my stationery collection is 'clutter' and must be packed away out of sight for possibly months" answer. So maybe think about it a little bit, because this scenario is far more likely than being stranded on a desert island. In fact, I think I'd rather be stranded on a desert island. Chilling on a beach sounds so much nicer than packing and cleaning the floors four times a day.
I can't complain too much. This is a good move and will put us much closer to my work. My commute time will go from an hour to ten minutes. I might even experience free time again. But if there's anything that makes you face the reality of the scope of your collection, it's having to go through it all and pack it up. I will never take back my statement that one can never have too many notebooks, but I definitely have too much ink. And I only made it partway through my pen-purge before it was time to stow them away.
This isn't just about my separation anxiety, though. What did I keep out of the boxes? I kept my Esterbrook Back to the Lands, my Kaweco Sport Piston filler, my Spoke Roady, and my Tactile Turn Buccaneer. I kept all my active notebooks out, as well (let us not talk numbers at this time and just say the number rhymes with 'fate'). For ink, I only kept out the bottles that I'm currently reviewing.
That's all! It's barely anything! I mean, it's a good selection, but so minimal. If I think about all the pens I want to be writing with, I'll get sad. But not too sad, and not for long, because a new box from Brad just arrived, and now there are NEW pens to try, to write with, to review...and then, to pack. It's the circle of life, and it's a good life.
If I was actually going to a desert island, I'd bring all my pens. Just for the record.
