Writing At The Bottom

Something kind of neat that a lot of fountain pen users tend to do with written correspondence is to write the name of the pen (with nib type), the type of ink, and paper used at the bottom of the letter. There's no particular order, you're really just sharing the information with your recipient so they have 'samples' of the products you prefer to use. Since most of us pen fanatics tend to be spread far and wide, this kind of 'in your hands' example is a great way to share with your friends the products that inspire you while you write. Try it next time you write a letter!

How Many Seals From One Herbin Wax Stick?

On J. Herbin's literature, they state 7 seals per stick of supple wax, but I noticed I was getting more than that. I'm using a J. Herbin brass letter "G" (for Goulet!), which is probably average-small for all of the seals out there. I had a bunch of letters I was writing and I thought I'd grab the camera and time lapse the sealing I was doing to prove how many I could do.

Fountain Pen 101

I've gotten several requests to do a video for the fountain pen novice. So, finally, here it is - Fountain Pen 101. I cover the basics...what is a fountain pen and its components, how does it work, and how do you fill/use it.

Making A Wax Seal

Making a wax seal for your envelopes is pretty easy and a ton of fun if you have a couple of simple tools. All you need is sealing wax, a stamp (usually brass) with a handle, and a heat source (butane lighter works well). My source is J. Herbin, the French company owned by Clairefontaine. They've been making wax continually since the 1600's, and they have a neat product called supple wax that's flexible when hardened and can withstand going through today's mail system. 

Flushing a Fountain Pen with a Bulb Syringe

If you own a cartridge/converter pen, then I don't have to tell you that one of the most tedious tasks is cleaning it out. You're sitting there, twisting and untwisting that stupid little converter over, and over, and over, and over....it's enough to drive you nuts. Well, there is an easier way!! Get yourself a $5 ear bulb syringe from your local drug store, and flush that bad boy out, just like I do in the video. It'll cut your cleaning time waaaay down, and bring your enjoyment level waaaaay up!!

Salvaging a Wax Seal Stick End

Ever wonder how to use that last little stub from a stick of sealing wax? It's pretty simple really....melt the end of it and adhere it to the next wax stick! Watch the vid, it's short ;)

Intro to Ink Blots

I'm introducing my new Ink Blots! They're short videos with topics that aren't robust enough to make into a formal 'review'. They'll be more conversational, with more of a focus on the ideas I have than the 'production' of the video. I tend to overthink quite a bit when I'm doing videos, especially on product reviews. It usually generates a very thorough and well-thought-out end result, but it's very time consuming and often results in procrastination. With shorter and more informal videos, I will be able to share much more about everything I have going on, and keep the information more up-to-date.