Posts by Tim Hofmann
I like this Pilot Prera.
It’s no secret I like the Pilot Pens. Their stuff just kinda hits with me. I use a lot of Pilots, they’re probably the best represented brand in my kinda sprawling quiver. An often overlooked and consistently underrated Pilot is the Prera. It’s not an elegant gold nibbed pen that will have the other C-suite…
Read MoreGo-to Inks. Some Thoughts
For the bulk of my fountain pen career, I’ve been a single-ink guy. My first fountain pen (circa 1992 or so) came with a bottle of Waterman South Sea Blue (scandalously renamed Inspired Blue a few years back.) I used that ink and some long cartridges forever. Later I got a Lamy Al-Star and a…
Read MoreThe Lamy 2000s. Time for a review.
These are the Lamy 2000s . Is there much left to say about the iconic Bahaus juggernaught that is the Lamy Mozzerfunkin 2000? We’re all about to find out. The 2000 is a modern classic in every sense of the word, but you already knew that. What’s a little more interesting are the few (very…
Read MoreKaweco Steel Sport. A pen that I like, reviewed.
I picked this one up from Dan Smith in San Francisco. I’d been eyeing the Steel Sport for about a year maybe, which is how long I like to think about pens in that price range. I have all the pens I need so before I scratch the new pen itch I like to make…
Read MoreGirologio Pen Cases- I like these, a lot.
To understand these Girologio cases, it helps to know Mario. Mario Campa is a regular find at pen shows nationwide, owner of Toys From the Attic and a partner in the company that brings us Girologio pen cases, which Mario designs himself. I first met Mario when I started going to pen shows in 2011…
Read MoreThe Pilot Kakuno. A pen review.
This is my right-pocket pen. I keep it inked with Noodler’s X-Feather for everyday writing tasks. In any given day I’ll use this pen to sign my kid into school, write some checks, jot notes or whatever. It’s important for FP users to keep a pen with a permanent ink in it on hand if…
Read MoreThe Pilot Justus 95, which I like. A pen review.
The Justus 95 is a big black Pilot. This is one of my favorite pens ever, and has been since I first laid eyes on it. My first experience with the Justus 95 was when I was writing for Fountain Pen Geeks back in 2012 or 2013. Dan Smith sent me some pens to write…
Read MoreI Really Like This Franklin-Christoph Model 20. A Pen Review.
This is a special pen for me. I first got wind of the 20 at the Ohio show, it might have been 2013. Maybe 2014. In a slow moment, probably on Sunday, I was hanging out at the Franklin Christoph table with the singular Jim Rouse. He was telling me about a new pen they’d…
Read MoreI like this Pilot Custom 912. A pen review.
This was an unexpected grab. In February 2017 I spent a week in New York City studying risk and unlikely events with Nassim Taleb and others at the Real World Risk Institute. It was a hell of a week, with fun in class eight hours a day and a bit of solo flaneuring around New…
Read MoreNudie Banana!!! A Pen Review.
I like carrying a shirt pen. It used to be a shirt pocket pen, back in the day when my uniform was jeans and a black Oxford button-down. Now that I respect myself and others considerably less, I’ve downgraded to jeans and a black t-shirt. Don’t take it personally. I still like being prepared with…
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