So Much to be Grateful For

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Knowing that this post is going up on Black Friday meant that I could devote an entire article to a bunch of places that are vying for your post-turkey dollars. Instead, I decided to reflect on and share some of the little (and not so little) things that I’m grateful for this season, and really all year long. These aren’t in any particular order because it’s kind of impossible to rank them so here goes:

Pen Stores - Whether brick and mortar or online only, there are so many wonderful pen stores all around the world that we can shop from. It used to be much harder to buy from other countries and even with the pandemic, many shops still ship worldwide, making it easier than ever to get things that may not be offered in your country.

Ink Miser - Do you know how hard it is to get the last little bit of an ink sample from a vial? Especially when the ink level is below where the nib can get any ink and where the converter is likely to get dropped into the vial? I love that this little Ink Miser makes it easier for me to get the most out of ink samples. And even if there’s plenty of ink in the vial, I put the vial in the Ink Miser, which in turns goes into a holder made from my son’s LEGO pieces (sssh, don’t tell him) and it prevents me from knocking it over even though it’s pretty stable on its own.

Ink Miser with a couple ml of Van Dieman’s Hastings Cave (a really fun shimmer ink).

A sample vial in my Ink Miser inside my LEGO holder.

Fountain Pen Companion - I already waxed poetic (or not so poetic) about how much I love FPC but it really deserves another mention because I use it pretty much every day and often, multiple times a day. Tracking my pen/ink usage as well as my inventory gives this inkophile and pen addict a little more sanity.

Col-O-Ring ink swatch cards - You know what else saves my sanity? Having swatch cards for my inks. II started swatching my inks on these Col-O-Ring Ink Testing Cards shortly after getting my first ink samples 4+ years ago and umpteen rings later, I’m still not done. They’ve held up great (though I did upgrade all my rings to 2” ones so I can put 200 cards per ring) and are super useful at pen meetups and pen shows, and yes, also at my desk, while I figure out what the perfect matchy match ink is going to be.

I make two swatches for each color so I can sort them by brand (which makes them easy to find) and by color (which is great for matching inks to pens).

The top ones are sorted by brand and the bottom are sorted by color. I told you I have a lot of these! Ana, I’m going to need to place another order soon!

I love looking at all these different colors!

Instagram - I know it can be a time sink and who can figure out their algorithm, but I love scrolling through my IG feed, seeing people’s pens/inks/stationery and how they use them. Sometimes I get inspired by posts to do something similar, other times, I just marvel at people’s creativity, humor, handwriting, photography, or collections. The IG pen community has also been very encouraging, helpful and supportive regardless of what pens you write with or how much they cost. I am so grateful to have pen friends scattered all over the world that I hope to meet some day.

Scientists/Medical Professionals/Vaccines/Boosters - Without them, things would be so much worse and it would be longer before I got to see pen friends again. Because of all their efforts, meetups and pen shows are happening again. If you haven’t yet gotten vaccinated/boosted, please do so we can all get this pandemic behind us. And if you have, thank you! ❤️

Pen Shows - I was so lucky to find out that the SF Pen Show was happening just a couple months after I got my first fountain pen. Little did I know that I would get the opportunity to go to more shows after that and even get to work behind the table too. But it’s the pen shows after dark, where folks are gathered around playing with pens, hanging out with pen friends and just enjoying each other’s company, that really make me love pen shows. And being able to go to 3 shows this year after the last 18+ months and seeing my pen friends was really special and truly lifted my spirits.

Zoom - Ok, I know what you’re thinking. Zoom (and others) are the worst and we’re all tired of Zoom meetings. But, they’ve really been a saving grace during this pandemic. I was able to join and meet folks from pen groups in DC, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, Southern California and yes, even my own local pen posse. Being able to connect with pen people and see their faces and hear their voices was something I really needed. So, while I’d much rather see people in person, I’m so glad this technology exists to keep us connected.

Pilot Metropolitan/Lamy Safari/Platinum Preppy - I will forever be grateful that these were my first fountain pens (yes, they all arrived on the same day) because they were all wonderful pens that I enjoyed from day one and still often have at least one inked up. If I didn’t have such good experiences with them, I might not have fallen down the rabbit hole and only my wallet would be happier for that.

I still use a Metro nearly every day and there is always a Preppy (or Plaisir) inked up and often a Safari too (even though I’m on Team #AlStarAlways).

Ink Samples - I am so glad ink samples are a thing because while I do have a stupid number of bottles, it would be even stupider if ink samples didn’t exist and I had to buy full bottles. I love having samples to try new inks and also making samples for friends too.

Rock Your Handwriting - I had discovered fountain pens after joining a Facebook group called Rock Your Handwriting, where people posted pictures of their handwritten responses to daily prompts. I saw these pretty pens and inks and promptly spent the next two nights reading everything I could and starting my first (of many) order for fountain pens. I probably spent the next two years following the RYH prompts and posting them on Instagram and Facebook. If it wasn’t for RYH, I don’t know if I would have ever discovered FPs and by extension, everything else on this list.

Rock Your Handwriting, Day 1

Yes, your handwriting can change with lots of regular practice! And I have 3 years of doing RYH prompts to thank for that!

Bullet Journaling - Wait a second, what does this have to with pens? Prior to 2017, I had been on a quest to find a planner that had a layout I liked and stumbled upon bullet journaling, which led to a random post about improving your handwriting and as you just read, the rest is history. And yes, I still bullet journal on a regular basis and am extremely unproductive whenever I’ve fallen off the wagon.

Good paper - I am so thankful that there is a plethora of good stationery that is fountain pen-friendly! From Tomoe River to Midori, to Cosmo Air Light, Black n Red/Optik paper, Clairefontaine, Ayush Paper and more, there’s just so much variety out there that one can take advantage of.

The beginnings of a notebook fort (don’t worry, there were many more notebooks after I unpacked more boxes, lol).

Pen Friends - I’ve mentioned them several times throughout this post but this hobby wouldn’t be the same without pen friends. Whether real-life friends or online friends from another state or halfway around the world, I couldn’t imagine feeling the same sense of community without them. Thank you for sharing my excitement of pens/inks/all things stationery, being helpful and supportive, sharing of your knowledge and of yourself in your posts and being a part of this community.

Brad - Without him, I wouldn’t be writing for the Pen Addict, nor would I have ever discovered the Pen Addict Slack and by extension, many of the pen friends I call family. Ok, this one might be one of the bigger things that I’m grateful for. ;-)

Thanks for taking a chance on me, Bossman. Can’t wait to see you at a pen show soon and give you a proper hug to thank you! <3

There’s so much more to be thankful for, not just during this time of year, but all year long when I look around at this amazing community and how lucky I am to have found my way into this rabbit hole. Thank you for being there with me.

(Disclaimer: All products pictured were purchased by my own funds. No compensation was given for including product links or pictures.)

Saying Goodbye to The Pen Addict

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Back in April, I emailed Brad to let him know about a major life change. As many of you know, I was a professor at a university for 28 years. In February 2020, I was issued a terminal contract, and I finished teaching my final class in May 2021.

As a consequence of my termination, I embarked on an unexpected journey. I've attended an Episcopal church for fifteen years, and during those years I always felt a tugging towards something--the diaconate, the priesthood--I wasn't sure. Three years ago, I started asking serious questions about the priesthood, and last fall, I began the process of discernment. In April I was admitted as a postulant for Holy Orders.

This means I will enter the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, as a full-time student in the Anglican Studies program this fall. When I say "full-time" I really mean it. I'll be taking 12 graduate hours per semester, working 8-10 hours a week on campus, and doing 10 hours a week of field education.

When I realized how intensive this academic year will be, I decided I needed to give up some things. One of those things is writing weekly reviews for The Pen Addict. This was a difficult decision to make. I love writing here. It has been a weekly respite from the many toxic things I endured at my university over the past six years. I'm crazy about fountain pens, inks, and paper, so being a writer for The Pen Addict was a dream come true.

My first review (on the Zebra Sharbo X LT3) was published on March 20, 2015. I remember how utterly nervous I was writing that review. Would it be good enough? Did I know enough about pens to write weekly for the blog? Could I keep up with the schedule while working full time? How often could I slip in pictures of my cats? (Turns out, not very often!)

Writing for The Pen Addict has been a complete joy. I've learned so much as a writer and as a pen addict. I had the pleasure of trying out new products--things I might never have considered using. I developed better clarity about what I love about fountain pens and what I don't. I gained exposure to the wonderful, world-wide pen community. I learned how to test inks and do chromatography. I discovered how much I adore different kinds of paper.

One of my favorite things about writing for The Pen Addict was when Brad would send a Box o' Review Stuff to each of the writers. I got such a kick out of opening those boxes, not knowing what I would find inside. It was a little Pen Addict Christmas every other month or so.

For this, my last post, I decided to reflect on some of my favorite reviews and what made them special to me.

Favorite Fountain Pen Review

Hands down, my all-time favorite review of a fountain pen was the Pelikan M600 Pink Special Edition. I purchased the Pink Pelikan on a whim after maligning the ridiculous "ladies Pelikan" marketing. What made this review special was (a) having to eat crow because it turned out that I loved this pen and (b) taking boudoir pictures of the pen. I think this was my best pen portraiture ever, and I had a blast using lingerie as the background for some of the pictures.

My biggest regret? I sold my Pink Pelikan for a song before I knew it would be one of those Pelikans that are in high demand and command ridiculous prices now. I wish I'd never sold it. I still miss that glorious "Victoria's Secret" pen in a color I thought I hated.

Favorite Fountain Pen Ink Review

My favorite ink review was the Diamine Inkvent Calendarin December 2019. What made this review so much fun is that I started working on it in October and produced twenty-five reviews that Brad posted each day in December until the final big reveal on December 25th. This was one of the most difficult reviews I worked on, because I had to find unique things to say about each of the inks.

I saw a post on Instagram that there will be another Inkvent Calendar this year!

Favorite Notebook Review

I reviewed so many notebooks over the years. I probably have enough notebooks on my shelves to last me the rest of my life. But my favorite notebook of all time has to be the William Hannah A5 Leather Notebook. The William Hannah notebook was my first experience with a disc notebook. The leather was luscious and beautiful and the range of notebook inserts on thick, gorgeous paper was impressive. All the special details indicate a product made with love and the best craftsmanship. I still own this notebook and it remains my favorite.

Favorite Paper Review

Brad sent me the Yamamoto Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection in one of those boxes I mentioned earlier. I didn't realize what that pad of paper was, glancing at it only briefly as I put things in my queue. But when I took it out of the plastic and discovered a bunch of different papers with unique textures and characteristics I was giddy. I wound up writing two full posts (second part here) on the collection, detailing each style of paper as thoroughly as possible. I doubt anyone actually read those ridiculously long posts, but I discovered my inner-paper geek and this is partly what led me into bookbinding and paper making. Plus, I heaped praise on Cosmo Air Light paper before it became a thing!

I reviewed many other things over the past six years--pen cases and other accessories, desk supplies, a zillion notebooks, and all sorts of writing instruments. But the posts I enjoyed the most were the ones that diverged from the usual: My interview with Shawn Newton (I sure wish I had done more of these like I intended);

the Penventory post;

and posts discussing my forays into bookbinding and paper making.

I want to thank Brad Dowdy for giving me this wonderful opportunity to be a Pen Addict writer. Brad, you are absolutely the best person to work with. Thanks to my fellow Pen Addict writers, Jeff and Sarah. Although we've never met in person, I think of you as colleagues and friends. Thanks also to you, the readers of Pen Addict. You are gracious and helpful (often adding to the posts with your comments) and supportive. You are the reason we research and write!

I hope to contribute occasional reviews in the future, because, duh! I'm not giving up fountain pens or ink or paper! But this will be my last weekly post. Goodbye for now!

Hello, I’m Brad.

Welcome to The Pen Addict!

Every now and then, I like to share with you all of the fun things I am up to in and around the amazing world of stationery. There are new readers here every day, and long-time readers who may not know all of the shenanigans I am up to. Here we go!

I started The Pen Addict in 2007, with The Pen Addict Podcast following in 2012. As of January 1st, 2016, this became my full-time job. Yes, this is what I do for a living, so all of your clicks and downloads and dollars are important to me, and I want to make sure I’m doing my best work in return.

Each week on the blog, I post 3 to 4 product reviews with the help of an awesome staff of paid Pen Addict writers. We cover everything from your simple $1 wooden pencil, to fountain pens worth hundreds - and everything else in between. We try to keep it fun and loose, while providing you helpful information if you are in the market for new stationery.

Every Wednesday, I jump behind the microphone to talk with my friend Myke about all of the goings on in the stationery world. We discuss new products, how we use the products we own, and answer your questions. With 467 episodes in the can as of this post, you are sure to find some stationery fun along the way. If you have never listened and are interested in jumping in, Myke and I created a new starting point at Episode 400 to catch you up on what you have missed.

One of my latest fascinations has been Twitch.tv. I’ve been streaming for almost three years, but decided to make it a focus in the last year or so. You can catch me discussing stationery live each Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10 a.m. Eastern, and on Wednesday around 11:30 for a post-podcast stream. I hop on at other times randomly as well. If you miss the live stream, all of the replays are uploaded to YouTube to view at your leisure.

I also make stuff! At Nock Co., I make pen cases and paper goods, and at Spoke Design, I partner with my friend Brian to make standard pens, fountain pens, and mechanical pencils. In The Pen Addict Shop I offer all kinds of branded merchandise, ranging from stickers and swag to custom pencils and pens.

Possibly my favorite thing I do is offer a Pen Addict Membership, which is the single best, and most direct, way to support my work here at The Pen Addict. Each week, I send out Refill, the Pen Addict members newsletter. It contains a new article from me on a wide range of topics - mostly stationery, but also life - along with links and commentary on other articles I find interesting, monthly giveaways, discounts to The Pen Addict Shop, and more. I have over five years under my belt in offering this program, and am completely thrilled with how it is progressing.

On the socials, I can be found mostly on Twitter and Instagram. You can email me too, but Twitter is the place if you are looking for a quick response.

What else? I’m sure I’ve missed something. Regardless, thank you all for hanging out with me for all of these years and allowing me to call this my job. I feel very fortunate, and take none of this for granted, so let’s see what the future holds!