One of my favorite things about attending pen shows is getting to meet new makers, and hear their ideas for the products they are producing. I’ve been able to talk to Em and Logan, the makers behind Little Hollow Customs (and their awesome daughters as well!) a couple of times over the past year, and getting to see their work grow in that short amount of time has been fun to see.
At the 2025 Washington D.C. Fountain Pen SUPERSHOW last month, I couldn’t help but be taken by the variety of pens I saw at their table. The beautifully crafted, polished, and finished acrylic pens are merely the start, with various sections, barrel bands, and metal finishes - even full metal options - make you stop, pick up, and then ask “tell me about this one.”
Hearing how makers describe what they do gives me life. And I’m not just talking about pen makers. People who are the most passionate about what they make - stickers, notebooks, inks, pens, any and all stationery - make the best products. It’s obvious, right?
It’s obvious to me with the Mistress, the uniquely named fountain pen that I’m reviewing today (read more about the name here), that details matter to Little Hollow Customs. With acrylic pens, I’m looking for a consistent polish, smooth threading, and a few “extras” that can set one pen apart from the other. For example, the little dimple on the end of the barrel is a nice touch. It changes nothing about the performance of the pen, and if it wasn’t there it would be a non-issue, but is one of those extras I notice, and enjoy.
SQUIRREL!
The dimple discussion is burying the lede on what I like the most about this pen: the metal grip section. The material is Nickel Silver, and provides the exact feel I’m looking for in a pen. I like front-weighted pens, so metal sections are my jam, and this one is shaped perfectly. There is a moderate concave into a flared out section before the nib, allowing my fingers to settle in to write.
The barrel band is a nice added touch, in matching Nickel Silver, along with a finial disc with their SQUIRREL! logo. Another small detail, often overlooked, is a ledge cut inside the cap to rest against the grip section when capping the pen to help keep extra air out around the nib. In addition, the cap only takes a half-turn to uncap, so those who need quick access will be happy.
The barrel material is Carolina Pen Company Primary Manipulation 5, and the sparkles in the acrylic pop against the metal accents. I chose Bungubox Sanctuary Blue to ink up the Jowo #6 1.1 mm stub nib, which features a second SQUIRREL! The Mistress is as nice to write with as it is to look at.
The highest compliment I can pay makers is that they “get it.” I think Em and Logan, and Little Hollow Customs, certainly do, and I can wait to see what they come up with next. Like a piston-filler.
(Little Hollow Customs provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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