So you have bought your first fountain pen? In this post, I share my tips for (re)discovering the joy of writing by hand. With your newly acquired fountain pen, the stage is set for you to find this joy. Whereas in the past you may have primarily written by hand because you had to, and with a bad ballpoint pen or pencil, with a fountain pen you may find that you actually want to write. The pen itself inspires to put nib to paper. Why…
This is a blog post about National Novel Writing Month. If you don’t know what that is, you might find it useful to read my post “Nibby Sunday – Write a novel in a month!” first. This year will be my fourth time writing National Novel Writing Month by hand. The first time was in 2016. I started the month with a trip abroad, and didn’t really have time to write much the first couple of weeks, which led to…
Us fountain pen enthusiasts have a small tendency to look down on ballpoint pens, but personally, I’ve found that both pen types have their uses. The fountain pen isn’t always the best tool, and in some situations the ballpoint pen is just better. In any case, there’s no reason to pit the two against each other. On the contrary, they actually complement each other quite well. When the ballpoint pen came on the market after the war, it was quickly able to replace the…
Fountain pens are amazing writing instruments, and as pen enthusiasts, we know that a good pen can be a powerful tool. But with great power comes great responsibility. You have to take good care of your pen, be kind to it, treat it well. If you do, it will in return give you years of writing joy. But if you’re mean to it, the retaliation can be swift and merciless: ink leaks, scratchy nibs, bad ink flow and much more….
It’s bothered me a little in recent years how the focus in the pen hobby is very often on constantly acquiring new pens and inks. This can make the hobby unsustainable over time, both for the wallet and for the environment. The eagerness to test new things can quickly lead to losing control over your spending. I have definitely experienced that myself. Many of the most famous and popular blogs, YouTube channels, and others within the pen community probably also contribute to reinforcing…