As another year approaches, this is an opportunity to look back at where the fountain pen hobby has brought me and what I’ve accomplished over the year. Once again, the hobby has provided me with a real, fascinating source of relaxation. I spend a lot of my spare time journaling, writing letters, trying out fountain pens, ink and paper combinations and other pen-related activities.
I also discovered the Montblanc Ever Blue. I use it with my Platinum Procyon because it has a good non-slip sealed inner lid that prevents it from drying out. I also put it in my Cross Bailey lamp.
The permanent blue impressed me. For Christmas, my kind man gave me the A5 Soft Cover Diary, taken from ” Agenzio of Paperchase”. As is my custom, I first tried a variety of inks on the back (from the ink pen cup I currently use) to find the best one for the job. Montblanc Meisterstück Doué Geometry Champagne Gold-Coated Classique Fountain Pen The paper was a pleasure to write on, but many of my inks bleed through easily. However, I found that the Montblanc Permanent Blue did not bleed and had little to no bleed or ghosting. Again, for the Sailor Kiwa-guro Permanent Black, these would be my choice in this notebook.
As well as enjoying new fountain pens, the London Fountain Pen Club also meets monthly, although this year it became fragmented, but the move to another location has spread the numbers so it is no longer the case that numbers have dwindled. . Nonetheless, the get-togethers are still enjoyable, and we get to gossip with each other for hours each month.
In March, I attended a pen show in London, but there were only two pens: Diplomat Excellence with gold nib and Leonardo Furore in vibrant orange and number 001 of that colour.
I like to spend a couple of pens on holidays to Dubai, Italy and Menorca in my yearly diary. I’ve established a new tradition of using the Montblanc Classic as a travel pen for any overseas trip. Another of my habits is keeping an eye out for foreign pen stores.
In September, the Pelikan Hub reappeared as an extended version of our pen club meetings, but with more visitors from further afield. We all had to take home a bottle of Pelikan Edelstein Star Ruby, and a Pelikan magazine was a writing pad that once again evoked our appreciation of all things Pelikan. It’s fun to read the Hubs all over the world on social media.