Update! The Nock Co. Kickstarter Has Arrived!

I have just discovered that, while the official announcement has not yet been made on the Nock Co. website, their Kickstarter campaign is indeed live and ready to go! Check it out, here. (Edit: Nock Co. posted their announcement, as I was writing this post!) The tagline for their project reads, "You have backed every pen project launched on Kickstarter. Time to protect your purchases with a Nock Co. pen case." For some (myself not included...I missed the Vissionaire, and I tend to overlook non-fountain pen projects), this truism should be enough to drive backing Nock Co. and their grand schemes efforts plots plans designs!

While I highly urge you to go and take a look at the Kickstarter, I also wanted to share some more photos of the cases, which Nock Co. is offering!

The "Chimneytop" zipper-closed pen case

The "Maryapple" two-notebook holder

The "Lookout" three-pen holster

The "Hightower" three-pen case and notebook holder

The "Sassafras" five-pen (or tool!) bi-fold case

The "Brasstown" six-pen roll-in-a-case

In addition to the three color schemes available at launch, there is a special Hightower case being offered only as a part of the Kickstarter campaign, which comes in a Peacock-colored exterior and Midnight interior! Great color combination, Nock Co.

I look forward to seeing Nock Co.'s progress, as this Kickstarter campaign "kicks" into full-gear. I promise, full reviews shall be posted, when these ship!


This post was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Photo credit to Nock Co.

Nock Co. Kickstarter Coming (Very) Soon!

The awesomeness embodied in Nock Co.'s pen(cil) cases, as I had mentioned at the end of last month, is at last going to be unleashed on the world in the form of a Kickstarter campaign! According to Nock Co.'s post from yesterday...today should be the day.

The "Hightower" three-pen, plus notebook, case

I know that I am eagerly awaiting its release - the preview photos (which I have reposted, here) are tantalizing! (And they have fun names. Well done, Nock Co.!)

The "Lookout" three-pen holster

While the Lookout has the easy slip-close design and looks quite sturdy, the Hightower has fully captured my attention, especially with my recent foray into the world of Field Notes. (A post on that is forthcoming.) In fact, some of the prior promotional photos from Nock Co. showed that the notebook slot in the Hightower was the perfect size for a Field Notes notebook. Again, I must say, well done, Nock Co.!

If you are unfamiliar with Nock Co. and their goal, I highly recommend checking out their website, here, and give their About page a quick read.


This post was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Photo credit to Nock Co.

Stained Fingers on Saturday - A Special Review of Montblanc "Ink of Friendship" Turquoise Ink (Update: Not "Ink of Friendship")

Today is simply a day for special posts! I want to provide a bit of a shameless plug for all of you to visit your local Montblanc store, this weekend! At participating boutiques in North America, any customer who makes a purchase, this weekend, will be gifted with a sample of Montblanc's "Legend" cologne. Sounds like a great reason to restock some ink...

This ink sample came from a friend, who was wise to purchase a bottle, when they were readily available! While a bit too light for my daily writing, I have enjoyed using this for letter-writing and accenting my note-taking.

This post was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Update, April 9, 2014: Unfortunately, I learned that this ink is in fact not the Montblanc Ink of Friendship. Rather, it is simply the no-longer-produced Montblanc Turquoise. I am still thrilled to have gotten the opportunity to try this ink, and I have updated the review sheet, accordingly.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Stained Fingers on Saturday - A Special Review of Organics Studios Manganate V Ink

While this post comes outside of the normal posting schedule, there is a good reason! Those of you, who follow Organics Studio, may already know that Tyler, the owner, is running a contest toward winning the full Organics Studio ink lineup (and a free pen). The deadline is October 1, so, if you have samples or bottles of Organics Studio ink waiting to be reviewed, I highly recommend doing so! Full details on how to enter are located here on the Fountain Pen Network.

Many of you know my love for blue-black inks, and it just so happens that a blue-black is exactly what I am reviewing today from Organics Studio:

The water test was performed down the middle of the writing and ink blots in the water test section.
What is your favorite Organics Studio ink?

Edit 10/2/13: Re-scanned and added more comparisons.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Pilot Black (Cartridge) Ink

Eventually, I will be posting a review that I did of the Pilot Black ink that is within Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. This is not that ink, and I think the inks actually look different.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Canton Tea Co's 2004 Ji Xing Yi Wu Raw Beeng Cha

I have actually reviewed this tea on two separate occasions, so I am going to post both reviews here for your comparison and perusal.

The first:

My preference when it comes to pu’erh is certainly for a nice cooked and aged pu, but all the same, this 2004 Ji Xing Yi Wu sheng pu’erh was a gift from a friend and came highly recommended. So I decided to first give it a shot in my gaiwan and take it through it’s fragrant paces.
After the first infusion, the wet leaves smell a bit smoky, like burning logs, and quite musty. The infused liquor is a lot lighter, still with mustiness. My first cup left my mouth with a distinctive dry feeling. The earthy, vegetal taste is quite full and leaves a lasting impression on the tongue. Quite frankly, this pu’erh has the biggest aftertaste of any pu’erh I have ever had.
For the second infusion, I let it steep for 30 seconds, which I found to be a bit too long for this tea, when using the recommended amount of 3-4 grams. 20 seconds will be certainly sufficient for the first few infusions. This second, strong infusion very much emphasizes the dry notes of this tea. As I finish this infusion, I very much enjoy how robust the flavor of this uncooked pu’erh is.
After five additional steepings, these leaves were beginning to lose much of their robustness. Canton Tea Co.‘s website does recommend at least six infusions for this tea. Overall, this tea was an excellently smooth example of a tasty raw pu’erh. My rating for this tea is 85/100.

The second:

The smell of this tea is delectable to those, such as myself, who love pu’erh. I boil the water, rinse the leaves, and breath in the aroma of the Chinese black tea. Even the dry leaves have a dark, incredibly earthy scent. It smells as strong as if the leaves were already wet. After being rinsed, the leaves release an aroma that is moist, damp, mossy, and still dark.
I must pause here to make a note. The package of tea contained some loose leaves, most likely broken from the cake, and a small chunk of a cake. I had used most of these loose leaves in my gaiwan, and, after having rinsed the leaves, I noticed a hair within the wet leaves. Knowing that it was not mine, certainly (it was a far different color than my own), I looked at the cake and loose leaves remaining in my sample package. In the cake itself, I saw embedded another hair, much like the first. I was truly surprised. I have never encountered this in anything from Canton Tea Company before. This is why it is important to inspect and rinse tea before drinking.
I performed a series of thirty-second steeps with this tea. In the first steep, the tea smelled soft and earthy, a bit loamy. The word “dark” continues to come to mind. The taste is one part smoky, one part earthy, one part awesome, and just a tad vegetal. The flavor is intense but not deep. After the second steep, the flavor is less bold and slightly more astringent. There seems to be more notes of earth and smoke. By the third steeping, the flavors are much the same, but they are smoother. It is quite tasty. Steepings four and five follow suit with very little change. The sixth steeping contains a flavor that is lessened and the strength of the tea is diminished. I put the leaves in hot water to sit for a while in order to draw out as much of their remaining strength as possible.
This tea was thoroughly enjoyable to drink, and it was certainly one of the best pu’erh I have ever tried, despite the discouraging hairs found in the leaves. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea a 93/100.

I leave it for you to try and determine what you make of this pu'erh! The time has definitely been kind to it. (And yes, a tea can be made of awesome.)


This pu'erh is no longer available from Canton Tea Co.
Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Yet Another Writing Sample (YAWS) - An Update!

Hello everyone! Check out this week's YAWS for a writing sample AND an update!

The pen used was a TWSBI Diamond 540 with a Pendleton Point Good Guy nib and Organics Studio Manganate V ink!

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Montblanc Irish Green Ink

One of my all-time favorite green inks...

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Canton Tea Co's Anxi Rou Gui

Utilizing one of my larger gaiwans and about a tablespoon of this tea, I rinsed the tea and got right down to the first infusion of 30 seconds.
First impressions:
Smells a bit fruity, a bit sweet, yet mellow and slightly grassy at the same time.
The liquor is very clear and bright.
The taste is a bit darker and more woody than I expected from the smell. Also, I noted the taste to be a bit more watery than expected Perhaps more than 30 seconds are necessary for the second infusion.
Continuing impressions:
The 45 seconds I gave the second infusion brought about a darker hue, perhaps not as bright, yet still clear.

It definitely improved the flavor.
Over the next three or so infusions I put these leaves through, this tea never grew very strong, but sipping it truly was a delight. The aftertaste of this tea is stronger than expected, composed of floral and fruity notes.
Overall, a thoroughly pleasant oolong that I would definitely recommend. On my personal scale, I give it an 85/100.

This tea is sadly no longer available from Canton Tea Co's website.
Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Private Reserve Ebony Green Ink

This was a fun, dark ink with which to write. I definitely enjoyed using it at work, as an alternative to my typical array of blacks and blues.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of TeaFrog's Fireside Flavored Rooibos

I was really excited to taste this tea. The ingredients of orange peel, cinnamon and cloves sounded wonderfully delicious. The directions recommended steeping 1.5 tsp per cup of water for 5-6 minutes. I was using a 2-cup teapot, so I doubled my amount of tea and steeped it, using boiling water, for five minutes. The smell of cloves and cinnamon wafted from the pot to my nose, enticingly. This tea is aptly named, as it reminds me of sitting next to a fire, perhaps during the Christmas season, where these smells were often common around my home, during my childhood.

Pouring myself a cup of this dark, red-orange tisane, cloves take the greatest part of its aroma, with edgings of cinnamon in that scent. Sipping this tea, it goes down smooth, the biggest flavor being the cinnamon and the rooibos (which is pleasantly not overpowered as in many rooibos blends I have tried). The orange aftertaste is quite appealing.

My overall impressions were that this tea has very well-balanced flavors and really does make for a very soothing beverage. I certainly enjoyed it and would rate it a 90/100.

This tasty rooibos is available from the TeaFrog website, here.
Photo credit to TeaFrog.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of a Custom Blend, 1:1 - Noodler's Dragon's Napalm and Noolder's Red-black Ink

This custom, 1:1 ratio blend was mixed by a member on the Fountain Pen Network forums. I thought that it made for a nice, dark red blend with some solid tones and nice shading.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - Canton Tea Co's Lapsang Souchong

Steeping these leaves in a small, ceramic teapot, I would love to say that the smell conjured up old memories of camping trips and the like...but it did not. It was, however, a delightful aroma that wafted from my teapot to my nose. I steeped the leaves for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, a happy compromise when the website suggested 2-3 minutes. Based on my initial impressions of the tea, if you use the correct amount, then 2 minutes is good for a very light tea, and 3 minutes is good if you like your black tea stronger (as I do). Canton Tea Co's website says that they stored this tea for an extra year to enhance the smokiness and fruit flavors  and I would certainly agree that this has been successful.

The post-steeped leaves are twisted and curly, reddish brown in color  When I take my first sip, I notice that the smokiness of the tea has a certain subtlety, and the aroma is not overwhelming, as it can be at times with Lapsang Souchong. The tea has brewed a golden brown color  The forward taste of this tea is light and smooth, while the smokiness dwells in the aftertaste. The aftertaste also contains almost-fruity notes, following the smokiness. These then meld back into a mellow smoked black tea flavor, which is light, almost like a darjeeling.

I would give this tea an 85/100 on my personal enjoyment scale. It was truly a delectable treat.

This delicious black tea is available from the Canton Tea Co website, here.
Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

A Review of the Bülow X450 "Wald" Fountain Pen

First Impressions (8)
From a distance, this pen actually looks black and gold, but upon closer inspection the deep, dark green swirl is evident and beautiful. Picking it up, it is hefty! This is not another cheap plastic fountain pen.

Appearance (9)
The Bülow X450 is such a classy-looking pen! I do not prefer gold trim on my pens (or pens in general), but on this pen I do not mind in the least. (There are only a few other pens for which that could be said, such as the Parker Urban - which I own and use frequently - or the Montblanc Meisterstück series - which I do not own but love using.) The gold trim rings and clip are mostly flawless, though after several months of use, I have seen the gold plating start to fade off/away, revealing a silver below it. It has also worn away on the section ring over which the cap snaps. As I mentioned, the green finish is quite striking and beautiful. Even though the grip is plastic, it too looks quite solid and not cheap.

Design/Size/Weight (8)
Like other Jinhao and Bülow pens I have used, this one has significant heft, which makes the writing experience heavy yet solid in feel. Despite the short length of the pen (not entirely short, just moderate), the nib is long and extends a good deal past the section. The moderate length means this pen just verges on being too short for my large hands, but it does fit, even without posting the cap. That said, the cap is postable, though not the most solid hold. Speaking of the cap, it snaps onto the section quite firmly, but it seems to be a bit difficult to remove. (It took a bit of effort to pull it off the pen.)

Nib (7)
The suspicion among many in the fountain pen community is that Bülow pens are rebranded Jinhao pens, and one of the primary differences in my experience is the nib. The Bülow pens are a good deal smoother than their Jinhao counterparts. They are by no means perfect or “glassy,” but the writing experience is pleasant. With a bit of smoothing, my Bülow is now a fabulous writer and does not sing, as it did (a bit) when I first got it.

Filling System (7)
The filling system for the X450 is the standard cartridge converter type, accepting standard international short or long cartridges. Mine came with a converter, for which I am pleased, as the use of bottled ink is far more cost effective.

Cost and Value (8)
I mentioned rebranded Jinhaos. To my knowledge, the rebranding and reselling is done exclusively by xFountainPens.com. Their website states that the list price for this pen is 49.99 USD, marked down to 12.99 USD. While that deal sounds great, I have never seen the pen being sold at the higher price point, and it is probably a marketing ploy. However, as the cost of Jinhaos and the rebranded Bülows is the same or nearly so, the Bülow pens are a much better deal. In fact, I think that for the cost, their price is fabulous, as one is purchasing an unpresumtuous, solidly-constructed, and decently-writing fountain pen.

Conclusion (8)
In conclusion, I think that there are many other pens with which a user could go wrong in searching for something inexpensive. While I personally would prefer to go for a pen, such as the Pilot Metropolitan, with a longer section and slimmer profile, the colors, weight, and feel of this pen may appeal to many. For the cost, it is a good purchase.