The modern ballpoint, which has a long and fascinating history, is still quite relevant. While many other pen types have come about and fountain pens have seen a serious resurgence, ballpoints have gotten much better as well.
Ballpoints are no longer the default writing utensil they once were, but they are still useful and pretty great.
You might not have guessed it, but vintage mechanical pens are incredibly collectible and can get incredibly expensive… much more so than most pens!
Continue reading “The Most Expensive, Most Collectible Vintage Mechanical Pencils”
One of the most popular questions we get asked here at Unsharpen.com is which pens people should buy, specifically which fountain pens under $100. This guide will attempt to help people with this popular problem.
2021 might feel off, but it’s September which means it’s just a third of the year away. Our 2020 Hobonichi Techo explainer was quite popular so we are following it up with a look at the Hobonichi Techo 2021 lineup.
This year is quite auspicious as it’s the 20th anniversary of the Hobonichi Techo lineup!
Continue reading “Hobonichi Techo 2021: The Information You Need”
There are few writing experiences that are more satisfying than a great gel pen. The right gel pen is buttery smooth, has an ink color that really pops, and is a pleasure to write with on all sorts of different paper. Gel pens are truly one of the best and most versatile ways to write on almost all paper types.
Mobile phones and laptops are great at a lot of things, but they have yet to surpass pen and paper for quick note taking. For that task you’ll want a notebook that is small, light, and readily available. We call those pocket notebooks.
Here at Unsharpen we talk about pen cases fairly regularly, but what about pencil cases? These are their own thing, with unique sizes and needs.
Ever seen a picture of ink that looks like it’s been stretched out and separated into its component colors in the process? That’s fountain pen ink chromatography, and not only is it surprisingly easy to do yourself, it’s also quite informative.
Continue reading “Fountain Pen Ink Chromatography: What Is It And How Do You Do It?”
Buying a Moleskine is no longer harder than it has to be! This guide will run through the available Moleskine sizes.
When you are buying a pen you might noticed that there are a number of different ink types that manufacturers use. Ballpoint, rollerball, gel, hybrid, and so on… but what’s the difference from one to the next?
In this article we’ll explain the difference between ballpoint and rollerball pens.
Continue reading “Ballpoint vs. Rollerball – What’s The Difference?”
Are you looking for an affordable, high quality black fountain pen ink? Have you settled on Noodler’s, but can’t figure out which black ink to get? It’s more popular of a problem than you might have thought.
Continue reading “Noodler’s Black Fountain Pen Inks Explained”
It might seem obvious that a nib holder is designed to hold a nib, but what makes it a nib holder and not a fountain pen? After all, isn’t a fountain pen just a nib holding barrel with some ink and a cap?
Let’s dig into nib holders and their place in the world in 2020.
Continue reading “What Is A Nib Holder And How Are They Used?”
Have a mechanical pencil whose lead won’t come out? There is a good chance that your pencil is jammed! This can be annoying, but it’s usually easy to fix.
This guide will help clear that jam and get your pencil back in working order.
Continue reading “Pencil Lead Won’t Come Out? How to Fix a Jammed Mechanical Pencil”
If you are in the market for blue black fountain pen ink then be prepared for a wide, wonderful selection of inks. The issue is that the array of inks you will soon find ahead of you is almost too wide and too wonderful.
This guide will help you narrow down the selection to a manageable number of inks for you to consider and ultimately purchase.
Continue reading “The Best Blue Black Fountain Pen Ink of 2020”
Multi-pens are great, but their pencil part can be fragile and prone to breaking. Don’t worry, the part is replaceable on most quality multi-pens. Here’s what you need to fix your multi-pen’s broken mechanical pencil.
Continue reading “Multi-pen Pencil Empty Or Broken? How To Fix It”