Three Questions With Ed Jelley

I forget the first time I ran across Ed Jelley’s blog but I knew he was on to something right away. The style, the quality, the imagery - oh the pics! - all of it is makes for smart and interesting reading. My thanks to Ed for answering Three Questions.

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

I think that any notes that need to be recorded are best done with pen and paper. I have yet to find any digital note taking app or system that makes more sense / is easier to use than a pen and paper. In addition to work notes, I tend to doodle a lot. I find the process is much more enjoyable with a fountain pen and some nice paper and I find the activity to be a great stress reliever and an even better chance to let your mind go and put some thoughts on paper. On top of that, I write a fountain pen, ink, and paper review blog that a lot of my pen and paper activities are directed towards.

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

My favorite products that I have been using recently are the Omas Ogiva Albas that are in for review, the Quo Vadis Habana Journal, and my Nikon Df. The Omas pens are excellent writers, I especially love the standard medium nib. The colors are great and the vintage-inspired body shape is comfortable in the hand and a pleasure to write with. I'm really enjoying the size and construction of the Habana. The cover isn't as thick as that on the Rhodia Webnotebook and the 6.25 x 9.25" size is great to keep on my desk or throw in bag without taking up too much room. I've been using my Nikon Df since early August and I absolutely LOVE it. It looks like an old film camera, but has an incredible full-frame sensor. I usually have a 50mm f/1.4 lens on it. The photos are incredible and I love the classic styling.

3. What post are you the most proud of on your blog?

I'm most proud of my “Buying a Grail Pen” post. I put a lot of thought into it, and I love how the photos came out. I got a ton of positive feedback and I definitely think that it helped a few people realize that something they may have their eye on is not unobtainable. Also, I had a great time doing the podcast with you on how to start blogging. The response was great to that as well and it was super cool to see some new blogs pop up after the show.

Mythgard Institute

If you are a fan of fantasy and science fiction then you must check out The Mythgard Institute. Founded on the study of J.R.R Tolkien, and with course offerings ranging from free and open to the public to a Masters program in Literature and Languages, Mythgard is the place for considered study of the likes of Neil Gaiman and Richard Adams.

My thanks to The Mythgard Institute for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

This post is sponsored via Syndicate Ads.

Pelikan M215 Blue Stripe XXXXF Waverly Nib Review

The Waverly nib is a special nib grind designed to make the tip of the nib smoother and more comfortable to write with. There is a slight upturn at the end of the nib, which hopefully you can see in the image above, and turning a standard Pelikan XF nib into something ultra fine with a Waverly grind should provide an excellent result. But it's not for me.

As my possibly flawed logic told me before even putting nib to paper, a Waverly grind should be worse in an XXXXF nib, especially on the horizontal strokes. At least with the way I grip and write with fountain pens. With the nib turned up, the sides of the nib will have a larger contact area on the page than a standard, straight XXXXF grind. Right? Writing with this nib grind confirmed just that.

If I am getting this fine of a nib grind done I want the resulting lines to be fine, sharp, and consistent. None of that happened with this nib. It wrote perfectly fine and was smooth, but the consistency was not there and it seems better suited for wider nib pens. My stock Pilot Vanishing Point EF nib fits my style more by a long shot.

My enabler Thomas loaned me this nib last year and feels similarly. I'd love to hear from anyone else with a Waverly nib grind to get another opinion and see if I am missing something. As it stands now, a standard ultra fine grind is the winner in this scenario.