Hey Chris, your progress reports are always interesting. For an update on the pen front. Ever since I saw you use that Serendipity pen some months back for the first time, I've been wanting one. Unfortunately the maker was out of the business so I missed my opportunity. Well, I had not given up, and was planning to make one of my own!! Well, early this evening everything came together and I successfully achieved my goal. What I did earlier this evening, I got my parts together and went to work. What I did was I got one of the cheap Chinese dip pen holders for the pen body, and used a 7.5 mm drill bit to drill out the glued in plastic nib holder insert to the right depth. Then I took an extra Bock nib with feed in a regular Bock nib housing and was able to firmly seat it in the holder. Since it was a completely dry nib, I had to coax it into writing after dipping it in ink - Success!!! I did a double test, one of the pen, the other of the ink I used. I tested with Sheaffer's Skrip 232 Permanent Blue Black ink that was still in a vintage ink bottle I found at an antique store. It's not a real strong or dark blue, but more pale and looks sort of faded, but interesting none the less. I also found and interesting new Robert Oster ink. It's a Pen Chalet exclusive and the ink is called "Monsoon Sky". Check it out if you ever get a chance.
Hi @zeus52452 -- wow what a great idea to make your own hybrid dip pens! Yes, I was very sad when they retired making the Serendipity and closed Pensive Pens. I noticed that River City Pens is making some beautiful nib holders not quite like the Serendipity as far as holding a feed too but I keep thinking maybe one day!!! I'll definitely check out Monsoon Sky!!!! Thanks!
Hi Chris, glad to hear the weather is getting cooler, here (Quebec) it’s definitely getting colder! I love fall but the older i get the less i like the coming winter. I become a house bound recluse!. Love what you were saying about writing your memoirs. When my mom died in 2000, i went through a rough patch were i saw a psychologist a few times and she suggested writing my memoir or at least a book on my experiences. At the time i had 3 teenage boys, i worked and was actually in burnout but didn’t know it at the time,so i didn’t get far. Now at 75 soon , I’m rethinking that idea. So I’m happy for the book references! Thanks a lot for those. I’m thinking of doing research on how to go about it. But that would mean dropping many occupations i have already. I guess deciding priorities is the first step! I like the comparison of inks you’ve been doing, they are quick but enough for good information. Thanks for your videos they are always interesting! Have a good week✋
Hi Ann-Ingrid -- it's so true that it's important to decide priorities. I've struggled with trying to juggle too many things here lately. Nothing quite gets full attention in such a mode as that. :)
Hi @StaticCling99 -- he is a sweet boy for sure and spends a lot of time with me so I think he believes he's a writer too lol ... he does the same thing with my husband Manuel ... any project that he starts he is right there to "help". We love him to pieces. :)
I've been journaling in this Walmart Pen and Gear Heavyweight notebook its A4 its so big but I love it I've found lately that I rarely write more than a page but in A5 I have to write double space cause I have this whole ick about ascenders touching descenders so I like it and its only 1.92 so you cant beat that with a 10 foot pole.. and I was gifted this A5 Emshoi 120gsm notebook from a pen friend and I think that is what I will do my bullet journal in next year so I'm trying my best to use up the things I have and not buy anything next year i need to get my credit card down so I can make my yearly payments wish me luck :)
Hi Marilyn -- the subject of credit and spending is still so big on my mind ... how to stay active and relevant in the hobby without being ridiculous .... I think about it ALL the time. It's easy to go bat sh*t crazy spending OR to close off and stop ALL spending ... what is really tricky is sensible, reasonable, healthy spending right ... ! I love that Pen + Gear has some really great products.
LOVE pens & inks... still LOL. Hey Chris - EVERYONE has a story. I've been working on several Memoirs, one my life adventures and one my work adventures (oh yes, work was a total adventure!)! So have fun writing and putting down things - it's fun!
Hi -- oh that's fantastic! I know that I enjoyed writing about my military years ... and the younger folks in the family always want to know about that. Mostly, my service was routine, stateside, peace time but there were still some interesting factors. I'm so glad you're writing your memoirs too! :)
I hope you finish writing your memoir and publish it! I’d love to read it! I have 2 Benu Briolette pens with medium nibs, but one writes more smoothly than the other. They are both inked up with straight (no shimmer or sheening) Diamine inks so I don’t know what’s going on. But I love them both and use them when I journal-I can write fast with them with very little effort.
Oh My!! I so loved this new video. And I so loved that new Birmingham Firebox ink! I guess it is because I am a major SF Giants fan and their colors are Orange & Black. Thanx for a great video!!
Just back from the London pen show. I bought two pens, a bottle of ink and picked up some free paper clips! The pens are: 1. Onoto - The Neko Pen, gold edition 2. Conklin 1898 Misto Green 'Neko' is the Japanese for cat and the pen has a cat silhouette on the finial and in Japanese the name Natsume Soseki, who wrote the book "I Am A Cat". I couldn't pass that one up! The ink was Diamine Autumn Oak, which I had in a sample and wanted to get more but was unsure if any of the vendors at the show would have a full bottle of it, but Cult Pens did, to my surprise! The paper clips I also got at the Cult Pens stand: they are coloured smiley emojis and really useful for pinning blank writing paper to a lined sheet underneath so that you have a guide for straight lines when writing. They slip on more easily than standard wire paper clips. Finally, I am now convinced I really need to follow your example, Chris, and keep a journal where I try out different inks in different pens and see which suit each other best. Thanks for your good ideas!
Hi Christopher -- oh what fun!!! :) I love the book, I am a Cat!!!!! I can see how you'd want the cat pen that sounds awesome! Happy pen and ink journaling!!!!
I sure do like that Benu pink pen.....really lovely 👍 . Hope that you do get back into writing your memoir. I keep meaning to write mine, but never get around to starting.....maybe I'll include mine in with the family history book that I've been writing for years, and still haven't finished 😂. I'd have like my parents and some other relatives (who had interesting lives) to have written their memoirs, but they are no longer with us.
Hi Annie -- oh you should definitely write your memoirs ... the book that inspired me was: Old Friend from Far Away ~ the practice of writing Memoir ...by Natalie Goldberg! I think everyone's life is interesting ... we tend to think of our lives as boring but especially as we get older we experienced things that the next generations won't and it's good to preserve the memories.
I have been obsessing over my opus 88 picnics (blue and brown) and also over Birmingham pen co sugar kelp! I looooove the prototype pen you showed in this video! Curious if they’d ever release any for sale- the texture seems so cool. As always thank you for your thoughts and perspective! Glad you’re feeling better💕
Sometimes I think I’d like to ink up all of my pens but that would really be going off the deep end for me! That Standard Monarch was so pretty, I love KWZ inks, they are my favorites right now. I’m doing real good at not buying inks or pens but I just bought some new journals. Well at least I’m helping our economy!
Thank you for the video update. The pens and ink combinations are interesting. I like your ink journal. Have you made a video on how you make your ink swatch cards and the chromatography strips? I would like to see how it is done by you. Thanks again.
I love Monteverde Copper Noir, I have just used it up in my TWSBI D580 Smoke/RG with a medium nib. Unfortunately I only had a sample of that ink… I might have to get a bottle. ;)
Kaweco nibs are so inconsistent. I have 5 and I have 3 nibs I like and 2 nibs I don't. But they all slflow and work a little differently. They are as inconsistent as a Jinhao I would say! 😂
Hi @marjoriebd3326 -- I'm so sad that they are so inconsistent because I really love the little Kaweco Sport pen body and all that remains is trying to get a few of them that will write to my satisfaction ... the newer BB nibs seem better but don't really fully earn my trust for reliable yet. :)
Hi Courtney -- Happy Birthday whenever it is lol -- oh wow dusty sky blue isn't a color that brings any suggestions to mind, I'm almost always going for the bright turquoise almost neon blue. :) I will keep my eyes open for an ink that fits that description though. :)
My pen friend from the UK sent the sample of Conway Stewart Tavy and another pen friend send the sample of Birthday Cake ... I feel very blessed. I'm trying to find out if Conway Stewart inks are sold in the US ... as of now I'm still not sure.
I’m in Florida. It was very ugly. Very scary. I’m from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷. I was not there for Hurricane Maria but it caused me a lot of fear for Hurricane Milton.
Oh I just want this hurricane season to be over! It has been a stressful one and these storms rightfully do cause a lot of fear even when we're fully prepared ... they are causing more damage and flooding than I've ever seen before.
Youll have to let me know how you like the GLP creations The Author I love them their great their a little expensive but it doesnt ghost as bad as 52gsm :)
Hi Marilyn - I really like it so far ... the first one I had had dot grid and I didn't like that ... this one has a line grid and it's a big improvement for a daily journal. The dot grid makes me go crazy trying to write the size I like to write ... I just can't figure out where to write ... I'm still using the first one for a book notes notebook but it looks crazy inside because of my confusion over where to put my writing. LOL
You sound like a very interesting person. Go ahead and write the memoir. Idea… The pandemic cause a lot of people start suffering from Mental Health. You should really look into that for information for the book.
Yes, I agree. I have done quite a bit of writing and even videos about it but I think on that list I was referring to the experiences I had with a family members mental health (although I didn't specify) and maybe I was feeling afraid to visit those memories.
Coco looked very pleased with himself. 😊😻 I've found the Fluffy Cats pen on their site so I will try it sometime. When I've watched other pen channels, their Indigo Bronze Eco's looked much lighter in colour from what I've seen on online shops and in your videos. I guess it could be the lighting and cameras. 🤔 I'm looking forward to the new Eco in light blue and I'm hoping to get that as my first TWSBI. 🩵😊
Oh how fun @sushanart ... I'm excited for you getting your first TWSBI!!! I'm not sure, maybe my lighting darkened the Indigo/Bronze Eco ... I see it as pretty dark but not black at all just a nice blue. Hard to describe. :)
Hey Chris, your progress reports are always interesting. For an update on the pen front. Ever since I saw you use that Serendipity pen some months back for the first time, I've been wanting one. Unfortunately the maker was out of the business so I missed my opportunity. Well, I had not given up, and was planning to make one of my own!! Well, early this evening everything came together and I successfully achieved my goal. What I did earlier this evening, I got my parts together and went to work. What I did was I got one of the cheap Chinese dip pen holders for the pen body, and used a 7.5 mm drill bit to drill out the glued in plastic nib holder insert to the right depth. Then I took an extra Bock nib with feed in a regular Bock nib housing and was able to firmly seat it in the holder. Since it was a completely dry nib, I had to coax it into writing after dipping it in ink - Success!!! I did a double test, one of the pen, the other of the ink I used. I tested with Sheaffer's Skrip 232 Permanent Blue Black ink that was still in a vintage ink bottle I found at an antique store. It's not a real strong or dark blue, but more pale and looks sort of faded, but interesting none the less. I also found and interesting new Robert Oster ink. It's a Pen Chalet exclusive and the ink is called "Monsoon Sky". Check it out if you ever get a chance.
Hi @zeus52452 -- wow what a great idea to make your own hybrid dip pens! Yes, I was very sad when they retired making the Serendipity and closed Pensive Pens. I noticed that River City Pens is making some beautiful nib holders not quite like the Serendipity as far as holding a feed too but I keep thinking maybe one day!!! I'll definitely check out Monsoon Sky!!!! Thanks!
Hi Chris, glad to hear the weather is getting cooler, here (Quebec) it’s definitely getting colder! I love fall but the older i get the less i like the coming winter. I become a house bound recluse!. Love what you were saying about writing your memoirs. When my mom died in 2000, i went through a rough patch were i saw a psychologist a few times and she suggested writing my memoir or at least a book on my experiences. At the time i had 3 teenage boys, i worked and was actually in burnout but didn’t know it at the time,so i didn’t get far. Now at 75 soon , I’m rethinking that idea. So I’m happy for the book references! Thanks a lot for those. I’m thinking of doing research on how to go about it. But that would mean dropping many occupations i have already. I guess deciding priorities is the first step!
I like the comparison of inks you’ve been doing, they are quick but enough for good information. Thanks for your videos they are always interesting! Have a good week✋
Hi Ann-Ingrid -- it's so true that it's important to decide priorities. I've struggled with trying to juggle too many things here lately. Nothing quite gets full attention in such a mode as that. :)
Coco is such a magnificent cat: please let him know and give him lots of pets. 🖋
Hi @StaticCling99 -- he is a sweet boy for sure and spends a lot of time with me so I think he believes he's a writer too lol ... he does the same thing with my husband Manuel ... any project that he starts he is right there to "help". We love him to pieces. :)
I've been journaling in this Walmart Pen and Gear Heavyweight notebook its A4 its so big but I love it I've found lately that I rarely write more than a page but in A5 I have to write double space cause I have this whole ick about ascenders touching descenders so I like it and its only 1.92 so you cant beat that with a 10 foot pole.. and I was gifted this A5 Emshoi 120gsm notebook from a pen friend and I think that is what I will do my bullet journal in next year so I'm trying my best to use up the things I have and not buy anything next year i need to get my credit card down so I can make my yearly payments wish me luck :)
Hi Marilyn -- the subject of credit and spending is still so big on my mind ... how to stay active and relevant in the hobby without being ridiculous .... I think about it ALL the time. It's easy to go bat sh*t crazy spending OR to close off and stop ALL spending ... what is really tricky is sensible, reasonable, healthy spending right ... ! I love that Pen + Gear has some really great products.
Luv Coco!! Your Cat is beautiful!😊😊
Benu Euphoria Pink Champagne is such a lovely pen!
Hard agree-- so sparkly and such a color!
I do love it ... I have some thoughts about the long term with my blingy Benu pens ... which I will save for my review.
Hello Chris, thanks for the update, and I’m happy you referenced Sailor 50 States Illinois, my favorite ink!
Hi Mike - that's such a beautiful ink!!!!! Sailor Illinois!!!!!
Love burned orange inks so I really appreciate the comparisons! I’ve used both the R Oster and Graf VFC burned oranges. Sailor Koiame too. 🧡
Lately I've been appreciating my $8 Sailor Candy maybe from the 70's. It proves that any pen that is reliable, even, and decently wet can be a joy.
Oh gosh that's awesome! I love when a pen is inexpensive AND writes great!!!!!
Yes, loving that Pink Benu !!
LOVE pens & inks... still LOL. Hey Chris - EVERYONE has a story. I've been working on several Memoirs, one my life adventures and one my work adventures (oh yes, work was a total adventure!)! So have fun writing and putting down things - it's fun!
Hi -- oh that's fantastic! I know that I enjoyed writing about my military years ... and the younger folks in the family always want to know about that. Mostly, my service was routine, stateside, peace time but there were still some interesting factors. I'm so glad you're writing your memoirs too! :)
I hope you finish writing your memoir and publish it! I’d love to read it! I have 2 Benu Briolette pens with medium nibs, but one writes more smoothly than the other. They are both inked up with straight (no shimmer or sheening) Diamine inks so I don’t know what’s going on. But I love them both and use them when I journal-I can write fast with them with very little effort.
Oh My!! I so loved this new video. And I so loved that new Birmingham Firebox ink! I guess it is because I am a major SF Giants fan and their colors are Orange & Black. Thanx for a great video!!
Just back from the London pen show. I bought two pens, a bottle of ink and picked up some free paper clips!
The pens are:
1. Onoto - The Neko Pen, gold edition
2. Conklin 1898 Misto Green
'Neko' is the Japanese for cat and the pen has a cat silhouette on the finial and in Japanese the name Natsume Soseki, who wrote the book "I Am A Cat". I couldn't pass that one up!
The ink was Diamine Autumn Oak, which I had in a sample and wanted to get more but was unsure if any of the vendors at the show would have a full bottle of it, but Cult Pens did, to my surprise!
The paper clips I also got at the Cult Pens stand: they are coloured smiley emojis and really useful for pinning blank writing paper to a lined sheet underneath so that you have a guide for straight lines when writing. They slip on more easily than standard wire paper clips.
Finally, I am now convinced I really need to follow your example, Chris, and keep a journal where I try out different inks in different pens and see which suit each other best. Thanks for your good ideas!
Hi Christopher -- oh what fun!!! :) I love the book, I am a Cat!!!!! I can see how you'd want the cat pen that sounds awesome! Happy pen and ink journaling!!!!
I sure do like that Benu pink pen.....really lovely 👍 . Hope that you do get back into writing your memoir. I keep meaning to write mine, but never get around to starting.....maybe I'll include mine in with the family history book that I've been writing for years, and still haven't finished 😂. I'd have like my parents and some other relatives (who had interesting lives) to have written their memoirs, but they are no longer with us.
Hi Annie -- oh you should definitely write your memoirs ... the book that inspired me was: Old Friend from Far Away ~ the practice of writing Memoir ...by Natalie Goldberg! I think everyone's life is interesting ... we tend to think of our lives as boring but especially as we get older we experienced things that the next generations won't and it's good to preserve the memories.
I have been obsessing over my opus 88 picnics (blue and brown) and also over Birmingham pen co sugar kelp! I looooove the prototype pen you showed in this video! Curious if they’d ever release any for sale- the texture seems so cool. As always thank you for your thoughts and perspective! Glad you’re feeling better💕
Hi Catherine -- I will be writing and finding out about that to see if the maker plans on having an Etsy shop or anything.
Sometimes I think I’d like to ink up all of my pens but that would really be going off the deep end for me! That Standard Monarch was so pretty, I love KWZ inks, they are my favorites right now. I’m doing real good at not buying inks or pens but I just bought some new journals. Well at least I’m helping our economy!
Hi @lju5001 lol it's true when we are able to buy we are helping the makers out there and the econony! :)
Thank you for the video update. The pens and ink combinations are interesting. I like your ink journal.
Have you made a video on how you make your ink swatch cards and the chromatography strips? I would like to see how it is done by you.
Thanks again.
Here is my chromatography video from 5 years ago! th-cam.com/video/A_MPgaDy5NQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you
I love Monteverde Copper Noir, I have just used it up in my TWSBI D580 Smoke/RG with a medium nib. Unfortunately I only had a sample of that ink… I might have to get a bottle. ;)
Hi Heide - it is such a beautiful ink!
Kaweco nibs are so inconsistent. I have 5 and I have 3 nibs I like and 2 nibs I don't. But they all slflow and work a little differently. They are as inconsistent as a Jinhao I would say! 😂
Hi @marjoriebd3326 -- I'm so sad that they are so inconsistent because I really love the little Kaweco Sport pen body and all that remains is trying to get a few of them that will write to my satisfaction ... the newer BB nibs seem better but don't really fully earn my trust for reliable yet. :)
I really enjoyed the video Chris. I'm starting to shop around for my Birthday pen & ink, looking for a nice dusty sky blue ink, any recommendations?
Hi Courtney -- Happy Birthday whenever it is lol -- oh wow dusty sky blue isn't a color that brings any suggestions to mind, I'm almost always going for the bright turquoise almost neon blue. :) I will keep my eyes open for an ink that fits that description though. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 thanks 😊 it's been a hard color to nail down. I'm definitely looking forward to a Birthday ink sample haul!
OMG!!! Where did you find the Monteverde Sweet Life Birthday Cake ink and the blue ink listed as Stewart Tavi? I need them!!!
My pen friend from the UK sent the sample of Conway Stewart Tavy and another pen friend send the sample of Birthday Cake ... I feel very blessed. I'm trying to find out if Conway Stewart inks are sold in the US ... as of now I'm still not sure.
@@ChrisSaenz13 Thanks!
I’m in Florida. It was very ugly. Very scary. I’m from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷. I was not there for Hurricane Maria but it caused me a lot of fear for Hurricane Milton.
Oh I just want this hurricane season to be over! It has been a stressful one and these storms rightfully do cause a lot of fear even when we're fully prepared ... they are causing more damage and flooding than I've ever seen before.
Youll have to let me know how you like the GLP creations The Author I love them their great their a little expensive but it doesnt ghost as bad as 52gsm :)
Hi Marilyn - I really like it so far ... the first one I had had dot grid and I didn't like that ... this one has a line grid and it's a big improvement for a daily journal. The dot grid makes me go crazy trying to write the size I like to write ... I just can't figure out where to write ... I'm still using the first one for a book notes notebook but it looks crazy inside because of my confusion over where to put my writing. LOL
You sound like a very interesting person. Go ahead and write the memoir. Idea… The pandemic cause a lot of people start suffering from Mental Health. You should really look into that for information for the book.
I hate mention this, but the MS pen needs to be a different color. That pink and wide shape makes me "see" a male anatomical shape.😮
Oh wow -- even upon close examination I fail to see male parts lol. I guess I'm old.
Why not write about Mental Health? It needs to be talked about much more. The STIGMA has to stop. 😢
Yes, I agree. I have done quite a bit of writing and even videos about it but I think on that list I was referring to the experiences I had with a family members mental health (although I didn't specify) and maybe I was feeling afraid to visit those memories.
@@ChrisSaenz13 It’s very hard. All my diagnosis are labeled as severe. When in a family on non believers it is much harder.
Coco looked very pleased with himself. 😊😻 I've found the Fluffy Cats pen on their site so I will try it sometime. When I've watched other pen channels, their Indigo Bronze Eco's looked much lighter in colour from what I've seen on online shops and in your videos. I guess it could be the lighting and cameras. 🤔 I'm looking forward to the new Eco in light blue and I'm hoping to get that as my first TWSBI. 🩵😊
Oh how fun @sushanart ... I'm excited for you getting your first TWSBI!!! I'm not sure, maybe my lighting darkened the Indigo/Bronze Eco ... I see it as pretty dark but not black at all just a nice blue. Hard to describe. :)