Happy Thanksgiving!

For all of my readers, I am very grateful to have you!

Happy Thanksgiving, especially to those of you in the United States. I look forward to bringing you new content, soon!

Pens: TWSBI Diamond 540, Pendleton Good Guy nib & Manuscript Calligraphy Pen
Inks: Diamine Peach Haze & Montblanc Midnight Blue (respectively)
Tea: Twining's of London Lady Grey

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of De Atramentis Tchaikovsky Ink

Since it has been a few weeks since our last grey ink review, here is another for your viewing pleasure.

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 2005 Xing Hai Cooked Loose Pu'erh

Well, the notes on the website state that this tea will hit maturity in 2010 and peak in 2015. I have enough to try it now, and then hopefully remember to try this four years from now. The dry leaves smell creamy and smooth (I love the smell of cooked Pu'erh), and they have a bit of spice in the aroma. I notice a few stems in among the leaves, but the leaves are quite prettily twisted and twirled.

Rinsed, then steeped in a gaiwan for 30 seconds, the wet leaves smell even more creamy, still with a bit of spice, a bit like a nice brandy in a way. The liquor is a very bright and clear amber color. For what it is worth, this tea looks great. I pour the first cup and sip...and sip...and sip. This tea is great. The flavor profile is not very bold, but it is delicious in its own simple way. There is even a strange hint of sweetness in the background.

The second and third infusions go by quickly as I thoroughly enjoy the simplistic wonder of this tea. I highly recommend it and give it an 87/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

This tea is no longer available for purchase.

Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Hero Blue-black Ink

Continuing with Hero ink, after last week's Stained Fingers on Thursday, this week we have the nicely shaded Hero Blue-black.

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 Bai Lin Gong Fu Black Tea

The initial scent I get from this tea reminds me of a darjeeling...light and a bit spicy. In fact, this almost seems light enough to be a bit reminiscent of some green teas that I have had. Steeping it for three minutes with just-boiled water, I'm greeted with creamy aromas from the golden-brown liquor. Despite being a little too eager to try it, and burning my lip on the first sip, once I wait and get in a (safe) first sip, I am delighted by the result. This tea is indeed creamy, just as the Canton Tea Co website describes. I am not so sure about the caramel notes, but I suppose I could see where one might pick up hints of those. To me, this tea has just the slightest bit of a malty aftertaste, creating an impeccable flavor.

A resteep of this tea brings about a much-subdued, yet still flavorful  brew. This is most definitely one of the best black teas I have ever tasted. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it 90/100. On top of that, I would definitely recommend this as one of the must-try teas for lovers of black teas.


This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Canton Tea Co's Bai Lin Gong Fu has now been replaced with their Superior Bai Lin Gong Fu, which is available from their website, here.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Hero Black Ink

Possibly one of the least expensive black inks I have ever used (and sadly not available in the United States), Hero Black was nonetheless a joy with which to write. (I greatly appreciate deep blacks.)

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.

An Unexpected Review of Amodex Ink and Stain Remover

I never thought I would need to use it.

All the same, I was quite appreciative, when I was given a small tube of Amodex Ink and Stain Remover, during my last visit to my local Montblanc boutique. This ink and stain remover advertised being able to remove stains from permanent markers to wine to blood to - most importantly - fountain pen ink. Upon returning home, I put away the tiny tube in a drawer with my inks, hoping that I would never need it. Then came the unfortunate stain (see the photo, below).

I dropped one of my fountain pens. Not only did I drop it, I dropped the pen, while it was not capped. To make matters worse, it landed first on the crotch of my pants, leaving several spatters of Noodler's Golden Brown ink, before dropping to the floor. Right away, I knew I had a use and a test for the stain remover.

When I returned home, that day, I dug out the tube of Amodex, eagerly reading the instructions...and then proceeded to follow them as best as possible. Spreading some of the gel over the stain (as in the below picture), rubbing it with a brush (a toothbrush worked well), while holding a paper towel on the other side of the cloth to catch the removed ink. Through doing so, I was able to remove most of the ink. However, some of the stain still remained.

Before washing the pants, I spread more Amodex on the stain and laundered them as usual. See the photo, below, for the results.

While it took a good amount of time, rubbing the Amodex into the stain, to remove a majority, it was entirely worth the effort, as you can see, above. (And the pen is fine.)

Well done, Montblanc, for distributing such a good product. I can absolutely recommend Amodex Ink and Stain Remover.



This post is unsolicited and uncompensated. I am only a satisfied and stain-free customer.
The website for Amodex, here, provides information about locations, where it may be purchased.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Canton Tea Co's Snow Buds (Xue Ya) Green Tea

Wow. The aroma of the dry leaves, an intensely sweet and grassy smell, was incredible. I opened the package and it wafted instantly to my nose from a foot away. That, I must say, was impressive. I went ahead and steeped two teaspoons in one cup for a little over 2 minutes.

The aroma of the steeped liquor retains some of the same sweetness, but it is also much more mellow. The flavour suprises me. It comes out much more light and subdued that I had expected. I think that perhaps the second steeping I shall try for three minutes to see how it changes the flavour. There is not much aftertaste, but the small amount that lingers on the tongue is soft, and not overly vegetal at all. Traces of the original aroma of the dry leaves hang for a moment in the throat before they are gone. It is time for the second steeping.

The leaves dance about in the tiny glass pitcher for three minutes more. These leaves are beautiful, tiny buds with the slightest small hairs. The aroma of this second steep seems to be thicker, somehow, yet not stronger. The flavours remain much the same as they were in the first steeping.

While this tea was good, I am left with the impression that my taste buds missed something significant that this tea had to offer. It certainly is a tasty green tea, and I would recommend it for fans of more delicate greens. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it an 80/100.


This post was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Canton Tea Co's Snow Buds is no longer available, but their website can be visited, here.
Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Montblanc Albert Einstein Ink

There are far too few reviews of grey ink on this blog. Here is another one to vary things a bit!

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 & Unconventional Tea Reviews - A Review of Chocolate by Tea and All Its Splendour

Chocolate with tea in it...it is a delicious concept. Much better than most tea with chocolate in it, as my past experiences have told me. Before I started reviewing this chocolate by Tea and All Its Splendour, I "cleansed" my palate with a sip of some Fujian black tea. I then tasted each of the various chocolates, giving a bit of time in between each one to allow my taste buds to clear a bit. 

The first chocolate was Milk Chocolate Passionfruit Green Tea. This chocolate was very fruity tasting. I did not noticed much tea flavor  but I do think that chocolate and passionfruit is an excellent combination. 

Next up was the Milk Chocolate Earl Grey Tea. It certainly had more tea flavor than the Passionfruit chocolate. The typical Earl Grey bergamot flavour was not heavily present, nor overwhelming, for which I was grateful. I have tried other Earl Grey milk chocolates, and they all seemed to have far too much bergamot in them. 

The third chocolate I tried was the Milk Chocolate Chai Tea. The flavor of this chocolate was very creamy, but not very chai-tasting. The tastes of cloves and peppers, especially, were fairly prominent. 

Dark Chocolate Ginger Black Tea was next. Wow. I could taste the flavor of ginger before even biting into it. The flavors of ginger and dark chocolate combined to create a very sharp taste with a ginger-like lasting burn at the back of the throat. Surprisingly though, despite the description I just offered, this chocolate really was quite tasty. 

The last chocolate included was Dark Chocolate Raspberry Black Tea. This one was very smooth and creamy in texture and in flavor  The fruit flavor was not as strong as the passionfruit chocolate. However, the subtle raspberry flavor complemented the dark chocolate quite well. 

I would definitely recommend these chocolates to any chocolate or tea lover. These are delicious treats and the tea added to them complements them excellently.

Other chocolate in this line includes a White Belgian Chocolate with Matcha and Sencha.


These chocolates are available from various confectioners. You can visit the website of Tea and All Its Splendour, here, to find more information on acquiring these sweets.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated. 
Photo credit to Tea and All Its Splendour

A Word to the Wise...

Bringing back some of that Lego and fountain pen combination love!

"A word to the wise...if you steal nibs, a ninja will stab you with a fountain pen."

Happy Fountain Pen Day 2013!

A very happy Fountain Pen Day to all of you! I hope that you are all enjoying this day of embracing fountain pens and the handwritten arts. I, myself, am having a good time, utilizing a Pilot Vanishing Point Decimo, Noodler's Konrad, and TWSBI Diamond 580, while taking notes at work.

In case you missed the special offer from European Paper Company, here it is again. Simply click the picture below to be taken to European Paper Company's website, then utilize the coupon code, when you check out, to gain 5% off your order of anything in their store!

Plus, this coupon is good through the 10th of November for all of your post-Fountain Pen Day shopping, too.

Uncertain as to what Fountain Pen Day is? Visit the official Fountain Pen Day website to learn more and see who else is celebrating, including what other companies are sponsoring Fountain Pen Day with special offers!