While the gel pen doesn’t have the storied history of the ballpoint, it’s still quite interesting. The gel pen’s history is much briefer and clearer, so read on to learn all about the origins of one of the best pen types sold today.
Within most families of Japanese pens there is usually a premium model. It might be called the “Premier” or “Executive” or “Prime” but the goal is always the same: a nicer version of a pen that you use every day.
Continue reading “Premium Japanese Pens: What Is An Executive Pen And Which Should You Choose?”
Fountain pens are sensitive things. It’s all too easy to break, snap, bend, or tweak one just a bit too far, leaving your favorite pen broken. And nib replacements from the manufacturer can be expensive, nearly the price of the pen itself (much more if you bought the pen used), so they aren’t always the best option.
Luckily some fountain pen nibs are interchangeable.
If you have been buying pens online, at Amazon in particular, then you’ve probably spotted Arteza’s affordable pens. What’s the deal with this popular, but lesser known company?
When discussing fountain pen ink people will often talk about “sheen” and how desirable it is. But what is sheen? What causes it? Which inks have the best sheen?
Read on to find out.
It’s a popular question: Can I refill a fountain pen cartridge? The answer is a firm yes! You can, and you should. This reduced your use of plastic and can save you lots of money.
If you are shopping for a very affordable — as in sub-$30, sub-$20, or even sub-$5 — fountain pen and you want high-end features like screw-on cap, included converter, or piston-filling mechanism then you are shopping for a Chinese fountain pen. Brands like Wing Sung and Jinhao offer incredible value for the money, but they might have some shortcomings that we don’t expect from standard fountain pen purchases.
The Rotring 600 is a wonderful pen and an icon of writing instrument design. That said, it’s not for everyone. So if you want a pen like the Rotring 600 but different, what should you get?
If you really get down to it, what is the beating heart of a high-end pen? Most people would agree that it’s the ink. While that’s not generally the feeling here at Unsharpen — we are pen geeks after all — it’s hard to argue that point if you aren’t as into pens.
With this thinking in mind, here is how you can get a top-notch Montblanc rollerball refill into a highly affordable pen body, like the Pilot G2. That’s the heart of a $200+ pen but with a total cost of about $97.
Paper sizes are an unfortunately confusing thing. You just want some printer paper or a notebook and instead you are choosing between “A4” and “B5” and other unhelpful options. Maybe you are better off when switching to numbers, like “8.5 by 11” but we’ve all made the mistake of ordering legal paper when we meant to get normal.
This guide should help you sort out all your paper size problems.
The phrase “student fountain pen” doesn’t get thrown around as much as it once did, but there still exists a whole class of fountain pens known as “student” pens.
What is a student pen? What makes one good? What are the best student fountain pens today, at a time when much fewer people are actually learning to write using a fountain pen.
Tru Red (often written as TRU RED) is a stationery brand that you might have seen come up recently. They company makes surprisingly nice products, but sales are largely limited to Staples stores.
Who is Tru Red? What products do the make? Is this a pen brand worth paying attention to?
One of the main reasons to get a Fisher Space Pen is the company’s lifetime guarantee of its pen. This is an impressive offering given just how long these pens tend to stick around.
Still, we had questions. For instance, what is the warranty and does it cover? If a Space Pen was to break, what should you do?
Continue reading “Fisher Space Pen Broke? How To Use The Lifetime Guarantee”
Fountain pens can be filled with a number of different mechanisms. These not only fill the pen, but go a long way in placing it within the pen world and then determining its size, price, and other qualities. While no filling mechanism is the best, there are reasons to by one or another each time you get a new pen.
Continue reading “Fountain Pen Filling Systems: Pros and Cons”
Planning on visiting Portland, Oregon in the coming days? Think you’ll have a few minutes to step away from the city’s incredible food, coffee, and nature to do a little pen and paper shopping? If so, here are the best stationery shops in the city.
Continue reading “The Best Stationery Shops in Portland, Oregon”