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Is that the Van Gogh homage ink? I just looked that one up and it's definitely an interesting color.... Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Yeah, me too! Now I expect I'll be earworming that song for the rest of the night.... Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

The Pacific Northwest Pen Show in Portland in July. It will be fun! My first show, ever. And arrived today: J. Herbin Rouge Hematite Diamine Chocolate Brown Diamine Earl Grey Diamine Havasu Turquoise Wearingeul Wayfarer (your fault!) Wearingeul Cheshire Cat And a spring converter for a TWSBI pen and some Wearingeul "Smile Cat" sample cards.

A blue Lorelei 667 filled with MontBlanc's Vincent ink.

It's a real beauty! Here it is next to my Admok M800.

Thanks! I really like Leuchtturm dotted journals. I also have some knockoff versions from AliExpress that are 1/3 the price or less and 95% as good (the pages don't have the slickness the L does). I just found this on AliExpress: $23.86 | Leather Covered BUJO PlannerJournal dots grid pages A5 size 80 sheets 100 GSM ivory white paper Notebook dotted https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrev4Z1

Today it's been the Harry Potter "Ravenclaw al-Star", M nib, still with Lamy Vibrant Pink (for today's journal entry); and the purple Pilot Falcon, SF nib, still with Sailor Souboku (because I had to sign some paperwork). Tomorrow and Saturday, of course, are likely going to be something of a free-for-all usage-wise, because of being at the B/W Pen Show (yay!). Hoping to get some pens repaired this weekend -- which means getting them inked up as well.... Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Hmmm. Like the color. The dry time though? Not so much.... But thanks as usual for the comprehensive review. Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

PS @Super Dave, I just re-read your message. EuroBox does a great job with repairs, but they usually take a week If I recall. Their hours are quite infrequent. Check the website. He specializes in European pens. The building itself is fun too (historic) with many small galleries and ateliers. I don't know if Platinum has a repair facility in Tokyo. I visited Pilot and was able to get some work done on a Capless. I am not sure if they usually deal with tourists, especially if a pen was purchased overseas. Vintage pens are often more problematic as parts are in short supply. They might usually have you get work done at the shop where you bought it. I don't think Lichtope does pen repair per se, but this might be a nib issue. She apprenticed for years under a master of nibwork. I have cards of two other people who do pen repair, but think they were in Chiba or Saitama, which presumably is out of your way.

Have a fun trip! You might want to check out this list that Fudefan created https://www.fudefan.com/buy-from-jp/ or https://estilofilos.blogspot.com/p/tokyo-pen-shops.html (which is by the author of the Chronicas Estilographicas blog, which you will enjoy and find a great resource). It's a bit older, but includes the discount shops in Tokyo's Ueno-Ameyokocho market (cash only). Tokyo Inklings is a podcast you might enjoy for more info on Japanese pens and stationery world. Check out old episodes to find things of most interest. I also suggest the video series that the Wet Pen created on YouTube about searching for custom inks in Japan. Of course many of those shops sell fountain pens. He also has reviews of papers, as does Blake's Broadcast. More fun informative videos on shops and the like with https://www.youtube.com/c/InkyRocks. If you don't speak Japanese, you are more likely to be able to have more support with trying different nibs in a shop at large stores or airport shops. Depending on where you will travel (and your Japanese ability), I found that you can get more help at smaller locations. The Itoya HQ in Ginza is wall to wall people these days, but I was able to spend a lot of time at Itoya's Yokohama branch which was in the Takashimaya Department Store at Yokohama Station. It is quite small, but was more relaxed. I don't recall if anyone spoke English though. If you do duty free, I think you have to get that handled at the main Duty Free office in the basement. I am happy that you have Lichtope on your list. It is a bit hard to find unless you use Google Maps, but the woman who works there is a wonderful nibmeister who speaks English very well. It is a nice walk to Daikanyama, which is also home to the Tsutaya T-shop, which is an amazing bookstore/office goods shop. Fun neighborhood with many places to eat too. You might call to make an appointment and make sure Lichtope is open. The same goes with Eurobox too. For vintage pens, it is a bit harder to find at brick and mortar shops. Kingdom Note in Shinjuku has several, but I imagine they get raided online quickly. Since you are quite interested in Japanese pens, you might enjoy browsing 趣味の文具箱. My library gets the magazine via the Libby app. With the online version you can try using a translation application. It has reviews, news, info on shops, nibs, papers, inks and the like. It is a bit of work, but is an interesting Mook (book/magazine) and shows the passion of Japanese fountain pen fans. Speaking of Japanese fans, there is a fun YouTube series by Penguindo in Japanese, but you can create subtitles in English using the settings option. She shares trends like the upcoming price increase, but more fun things too. Paper is a big topic. I like writing lots of notes, so I'm a big fan of getting sets at MUJI. Doodlebud has reviews (like this one), but beware that MUJI has different paper options and labels are not always helpful. Different locations also have different stocks. I picked up a set of something like 5 notebooks for less than $10. I use them all the time, but I use an EF nib and sensible ink. Kokuyo's CAMPUS notes are also good and affordable. You can have fun visiting their CAMPUS shop in Shinjuku if you have time. They also have airport branches. Even their basic paper is good for me. Your mileage may vary. Nemosyne and Tsubame and others are great. Most lines have grids and different size rules and blank papers so do try them out. You can also find nice Bank paper and Iroful and the like. Even some of the notebooks at Daiso/100 yen shops are not too bad. Some are bad though. One can spend a fortune on notebooks if price is no limit. I love the APICA CD notebooks for more serious writing. OK, that should give you enough things to explore before you go. Have fun. Enjoy exploring nibs. I also like the FA and SU and EF nibs. (I imagine you like EF nibs, so if you want to try something American I suggest the Esterbrook with cool independent nibmeister special grinds, like the Journaler. You can also get their adapter to use their vintage nibs. I just ordered their MiniStub and am looking forward to how it works. Aloha!

Hello and welcome!

Claus Indiana where

Hey, at least Welsh is easier to pronounce than, say Irish Gaelic. Welsh stuff I can generally get them to sound right (even when I have zero Idea as to the grammar). Irish/Scots Gaelic? I look at those words and go, "Yeah, whatever...." Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

working for Santa

Seconded, though I think it only comes in 1.3mm

They’re expanding really fast, keep an eye out!

packed by elves

Doesn’t look like I posted these here already.

Gorgeous pens. Especially the gold ones. But I do love that shade of blue…

Noted. 🧐 Now I understand why everyone is afraid to talk to dragons - it's not fear of the dragon, it's fear of choking to death on their own tongue whilst trying to speak Welsh!

I agree, Paulo's Pen Blog is a wealth of information!

Well, I got the M670 (found a good sale), and I really like it. The grey is light, with a hint of creamy brown to soften it, and the black trim sets it off nicely. And the M6xx chassis has always been my favorite size. The EF nib seems to write a little broader than my other Pelikan EF's, which I'd suspected might be the case. I've inked it up with Edelstein Onyx and it's a very pleasant writing experience.

Nice haul. No Daiso here. Alas! 😭 😉