Unsharpen

What Fountain Pen Does Neil Gaiman Use?

07/30/19 Unsharpen Team

Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods, Norse Mythology, The Graveyard Book, and many other titles is a dedicated fountain pen user. He’s talked publicly about his love of fountain pens many times, so with some research it wasn’t too hard to figure out what he’s been using over the years. He famously handwrites the first draft of his books using a fountain pen and then later edits them.

Gaiman, in 2012, mentioned that he has had between 40 and 60 pens, so this list will not be in any way complete but we’ll cover the pens he has talked about publicly.

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Fisher AG7 vs CH4 Space Pen: What’s the Difference?

07/22/19 Unsharpen Team

Are you trying to choose between the Fisher AG7 and CH4 space pens? They look so much alike, but there are some differences in shape and price that makes then quite different when in use. So how do you choose? This article will help you tell the difference between these two pens and to find that one that’s right for you.

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The Best Pens and Pencils for Adult Coloring Books – July 2019

07/22/19 Unsharpen Team

Adult coloring books have moved from being a quirky fad to being a real thing. A real, relaxing, nothing-to-be-embarassed about thing… and we fully endorse them. If you want to relax and do some art, with none of the stress of painting or figuring out what to draw, a coloring book can be the perfect way to zone out and destress.

So what are the best pens and pencils, and whatever else, for your coloring book?

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Pen Refills Guide

07/10/19 Unsharpen Team

Pen refills adhere to ISO standard 12757 and the later revision ISO 12757-1:2017. This isn’t something that’s mandatory — custom and proprietary refills certainly aren’t illegal — but for practical purposes if you are making a certain refill type, it makes sense that yours is the same dimensions as that of all the other makers.

The standard has two main components: one for general use and one for “documentary use,” basically a stricter standard. This latter application is ISO 12757-2, and it would cover the legibility of letters as well as writing for archival documents.

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ISO Drafting Pencil Color-Coding Guide

07/08/19 Unsharpen Team

Did you ever notice that your drafting pencils have different color text printed on them? You might not know this, but those colors aren’t randomly assigned. The color-coding applies to mechanical pencils, but also to drafting pens, like the Rotring Isograph/Rapidograph, and was popularly seen on professional tools but not so much on consumer-focused items.

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Fountain Pen Help: What is a Music Nib?

06/10/19 Unsharpen Team

If you have been learning about fountain pens and have dug deep enough to get into the world of specialty nibs, perhaps you have come across the term “music nib.” After some immediate confusion perhaps you took a guess and figured out it’s a nib for writing musical notes… or is it a nib that produces wonderful music as you write? Just kidding — it’s definitely the former — but what does that mean in practice? What is a music nib and why might you want to own one?

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The Best Pens for Writing a Lot

05/28/19 Unsharpen Team

Picking the best pen is never an easy task, but one thing is clear: there is a big difference between a pen that you will use for a few minutes here and there and one that has to be used for sustained periods of time. Just like when you are running and marathon shoes are different from sprinting shoes, pens for writing a lot tend to be very different than other pens.

The thing with pens though, is that there is no category of pens for extended time periods or distance, so we need to come to our own conclusions.

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What Is The Best EDC Pen?

05/16/19 Unsharpen Team

If you are looking for a pen to carry around with you, you want something tough, stylish, versatile, and affordable. You want a pen that’s a tough as your worst day. That’s an “EDC” or everyday carry pen.

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Akkerman Fountain Pen Ink Review

05/13/19 Unsharpen Team

If you are looking for an excellent family of inks, you can’t go wrong with Akkerman. This is an extensive set of inks and its size and language can make it a bit difficult to navigate… but don’t let that stop you! Akkerman inks are too good not to try. Here is our Akkerman ink review after trying a number of samples and buying a few large bottles of this fountain pen ink.

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What is a Tubular Nib Pen?

04/19/19 Unsharpen Team

Have you heard the term “tubular nib” thrown around and have no idea what it means? It’s a rarely used, but poorly defined term. This article will explain the uses of the term and outline a few pens that could be described as having a tubular nib.

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Pilot Custom 74 vs Custom Heritage 912 vs Custom Heritage 92

04/09/19 Unsharpen Team

If you are choosing a higher-end Pilot fountain pen you have a potentially confusing decision to make: do you buy a Custom Heritage 912, a Custom Heritage 92, or a Custom 74? Even the names are alike, how are the pens different from one another?

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Pelikan Pen Naming: M200 vs M400, M205 vs M405

03/28/19 Unsharpen Team

If you are in the market for a Pelikan fountain pen then you are going to want to figure out the company’s naming convention. After all, there is a big difference between an M200 and an M600, so it’ll be worth spending a few minutes to get to know the name schema, even if you don’t commit it to memory.

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Pilot Custom 74 vs Platinum 3776 Century: How Do You Choose?

03/11/19 Unsharpen Team

The Pilot Custom 74 and the Platinum #3776 Century are both excellent fountain pens. They are also shockingly similar — they are clearly direct competitors to one another. But give how similar they are on paper, how do you choose one or the other? And which should you buy, the #3776 Century or the Custom 74?

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What Is a Double-Knock Pencil?

02/27/19 Unsharpen Team

Did you just see a “double-knock” mechanical pencil and have no idea what the name meant? Or why you would want the extra knock? Is this pencil some sort of postman who always knocks twice? (OK, rings, but you get the point.) This article should solve all your double-knock questions.

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What Is A Sign Pen?

02/24/19 Unsharpen Team

If you do any significant amount of pen buying you’ll see the phrase “sign pen” sooner or later. But what is a sign pen? How is a sign pen different from say, a gel pen or a marker… or whatever other kind of pen a sign pen might be like?

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What Fountain Pen Does Neil Gaiman Use?

Fisher AG7 vs CH4 Space Pen: What’s the Difference?

The Best Pens and Pencils for Adult Coloring Books – July 2019

Pen Refills Guide

ISO Drafting Pencil Color-Coding Guide

Fountain Pen Help: What is a Music Nib?

The Best Pens for Writing a Lot

What Is The Best EDC Pen?

Akkerman Fountain Pen Ink Review

What is a Tubular Nib Pen?

Pilot Custom 74 vs Custom Heritage 912 vs Custom Heritage 92

Pelikan Pen Naming: M200 vs M400, M205 vs M405

Pilot Custom 74 vs Platinum 3776 Century: How Do You Choose?

What Is a Double-Knock Pencil?

What Is A Sign Pen?

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