A belated but hearfelt happy birthday. I hope the year ahead is filled with health, happiness, and success. Great video, as ever. I always look forward to your best of the year videos and hope you may post some more about your conway stewart pens, and perhaps favourite books, if you were able to read for pleasure this year.
Many thanks, John - sadly I've done very little reading this year, apart from rereading a couple of Tom Sharpe's books and some Victorian short stories. It's been a year of research, really, but I intend reading much more next year, once I've caught up with the present workload!
A belated birthday wish to you, Michael. This past August was my 70th birthday and I treated myself to a new old stock Platinum President. I don't know if you have one but the nib, the largest made by Platinum, is incredibly smooth. As for Christmas I have provided hints to the family of another pen, though I fear I will have to purchase it myself 😢. As for pocket pens, the closest I have is the Pilot Prera. The steel nib is wonderful and you can eyedropper fill the barrel. I like your other suggestions. The index card tab is a great idea. I will have to look for it.
Many thanks, Paul. Yes, when I suggested a Pineider for my birthday, I got some strange looks from wife and family, as if they felt I may already have enough pens. How crazy is that? Congratulations on your birthday - and I'm jealous of your Platinum. No, I've never even seen one, let alone tested the nib!
@writerlywitterings Amazon has them for a reasonable price. They are not forgeries and come directly from Japan. Going through Amazon, you do not have to pay outrageous shipping costs, either.
Definitely interesting. Nice to see things up close that I might not otherwise see. I was using shorter notebooks - A6 of late, then I came upon a bargain basement priced A5 Smythson Soho notebook. My first impression picking it up was that it was just airmail paper between flexible A5 covers; boy, was I wrong. I love writing in the Soho with fountain pens, Fisher Space Pen and, most recently, a bolt action pen with G2 quick drying gel ink. No ghosting, bleeding, etc. (For me the only negative is the staggering full retail price.)
Ah, yes - the retail prices of some of these things are quite alarming - or terrifying to an author! I may have to have a look for one. Thanks for that!
The pressure from my gel pen use does impress on the page and I can see it when I write on the reverse but I don't believe it to have any ghosting for me. My fountain pens use a carbon black ink and are wet but not gushers.
Not half! But the Preppy has proved the concept of my taking a pen to sketch daily, and the Pineider was really good value at the offered Black Friday price of £40. Of course then there was another £20 for postage, and I confidently expect a charge from customs, so less of a bargain than I had hoped ...!
as a postie, believe me if you saw the nonsense posties are expected to put up with, you’d be amazed you got anything thro’ the post and we’re about to start the ‘Xmas Pressure’ where all the other logistics providers dump everything they can’t cope with on us: see when it says ‘delivered by Amazon’: oh no it wasn’t, most of the time it was actually delivered by us so the next time you feel like criticising, just don’t!:(; know I’ve said this before, just get a traveler’s notebook passport sized brown with whichever accessories you particularly like: mine’s got the DesignPhil lightweight paper notebook which is perforated and thread bound and unlined, also like the waxed cotton zipper pocket and the ‘Kraft file’, absolutely could not do without my pencil boards/grids as cannot write in a straight line to save my life plus you can get any notebook you need: there’s even a watercolour insert; I even got a brass charm just because there is literally an infinite choice: if you can’t find a charm you like, you’re just not looking hard enough - thought it would make my notebook easy to find if I ever went to a traveler’s caravan’:)
Ah, Angus, I didn't mean to be rude to posties, mate. Our first postie here, Perry, was a brilliant guy who came for toast and Marmite plus tea or coffee every morning and he and his family are still friends. Then there was Matt, a lovely guy, and now it's another Matt and a lady from Poland (who never stops) and Heidi (who never stops either). I know what pressures you guys work under, and most of them imposed from stupid levels of overwork because there aren't enough of you. I think out local mail office is at fifty percent of target headcount. It's mad, and there's no way the posties can get round their patches - this is rural England, and you need time to be able to get round. Seriously, deepest sympathy. Like most customers, I know it's not you guys who're responsible.
Hope you had a spiffing birthday, and that the year ahead brings much joy
Many thanks! Just now all it's likely to bring is more and more work, but I will certainly try to fit in as much pleasure as possible along the way!
A belated but hearfelt happy birthday. I hope the year ahead is filled with health, happiness, and success. Great video, as ever. I always look forward to your best of the year videos and hope you may post some more about your conway stewart pens, and perhaps favourite books, if you were able to read for pleasure this year.
Many thanks, John - sadly I've done very little reading this year, apart from rereading a couple of Tom Sharpe's books and some Victorian short stories. It's been a year of research, really, but I intend reading much more next year, once I've caught up with the present workload!
A belated birthday wish to you, Michael.
This past August was my 70th birthday and I treated myself to a new old stock Platinum President. I don't know if you have one but the nib, the largest made by Platinum, is incredibly smooth.
As for Christmas I have provided hints to the family of another pen, though I fear I will have to purchase it myself 😢.
As for pocket pens, the closest I have is the Pilot Prera. The steel nib is wonderful and you can eyedropper fill the barrel.
I like your other suggestions. The index card tab is a great idea. I will have to look for it.
Many thanks, Paul. Yes, when I suggested a Pineider for my birthday, I got some strange looks from wife and family, as if they felt I may already have enough pens. How crazy is that? Congratulations on your birthday - and I'm jealous of your Platinum. No, I've never even seen one, let alone tested the nib!
@writerlywitterings Amazon has them for a reasonable price. They are not forgeries and come directly from Japan. Going through Amazon, you do not have to pay outrageous shipping costs, either.
@writerlywitterings my family says the same thing to me. I have gotten an agreement that they will support my hobby with one at Christmas.
Belated birthday wishes to you.
Cheers, Robert, and thanks!
Happy belated birthday, Michael. As always, wishing you all the best.
Thank you very much!
Definitely interesting. Nice to see things up close that I might not otherwise see. I was using shorter notebooks - A6 of late, then I came upon a bargain basement priced A5 Smythson Soho notebook. My first impression picking it up was that it was just airmail paper between flexible A5 covers; boy, was I wrong. I love writing in the Soho with fountain pens, Fisher Space Pen and, most recently, a bolt action pen with G2 quick drying gel ink. No ghosting, bleeding, etc. (For me the only negative is the staggering full retail price.)
And belated Happy Birthday from me too.
Cheers!
Ah, yes - the retail prices of some of these things are quite alarming - or terrifying to an author! I may have to have a look for one. Thanks for that!
The pressure from my gel pen use does impress on the page and I can see it when I write on the reverse but I don't believe it to have any ghosting for me. My fountain pens use a carbon black ink and are wet but not gushers.
Preppy to Pineider, bit of a quantum leap?
Not half! But the Preppy has proved the concept of my taking a pen to sketch daily, and the Pineider was really good value at the offered Black Friday price of £40. Of course then there was another £20 for postage, and I confidently expect a charge from customs, so less of a bargain than I had hoped ...!
Happy birthday Michael! I do love my Tom's Studio Pocket (v2), in Wisteria (so pretty).
Ah, a good choice. I still carry my own one in my pocket every day - never leaks, never gives any trouble, and always works.
as a postie, believe me if you saw the nonsense posties are expected to put up with, you’d be amazed you got anything thro’ the post and we’re about to start the ‘Xmas Pressure’ where all the other logistics providers dump everything they can’t cope with on us: see when it says ‘delivered by Amazon’: oh no it wasn’t, most of the time it was actually delivered by us so the next time you feel like criticising, just don’t!:(; know I’ve said this before, just get a traveler’s notebook passport sized brown with whichever accessories you particularly like: mine’s got the DesignPhil lightweight paper notebook which is perforated and thread bound and unlined, also like the waxed cotton zipper pocket and the ‘Kraft file’, absolutely could not do without my pencil boards/grids as cannot write in a straight line to save my life plus you can get any notebook you need: there’s even a watercolour insert; I even got a brass charm just because there is literally an infinite choice: if you can’t find a charm you like, you’re just not looking hard enough - thought it would make my notebook easy to find if I ever went to a traveler’s caravan’:)
Ah, Angus, I didn't mean to be rude to posties, mate.
Our first postie here, Perry, was a brilliant guy who came for toast and Marmite plus tea or coffee every morning and he and his family are still friends. Then there was Matt, a lovely guy, and now it's another Matt and a lady from Poland (who never stops) and Heidi (who never stops either).
I know what pressures you guys work under, and most of them imposed from stupid levels of overwork because there aren't enough of you. I think out local mail office is at fifty percent of target headcount. It's mad, and there's no way the posties can get round their patches - this is rural England, and you need time to be able to get round.
Seriously, deepest sympathy. Like most customers, I know it's not you guys who're responsible.
@ thanks, Michael:)