It belonged to my mom when she was 12 or 13. Apparently, it was all the rage to seal your letters with some red sealing wax and send them off when she was a kid.

What’s funny is where she found this.

She told me it was stashed in one of the drawers in the bathroom. No idea how it got there, or for how long its been there either.

It’s funny that a treasure like this moved with my Mom from her childhood home, to her first apartment, to her second, to my parent’s first apartment together, then their first house and now where they live today.

I used this seal last night on a couple letters that went out this morning and it gave me goosebumps. I love knowing that the last time it was in commission was when my Mom was younger than I am now.

Well, I thought I’d share this little story with you. Do any of you have unique stories behind your seals?

The main reason I ordered this is because I thought it might be a good tool for use in my etegami endeavors. Etegami is a traditional Japanese art form that has captured my heart. I’ve spent more than 11 months trying to locate the right kind of paper here in the US for etegami and was only successful last week thanks to Jet Pens. Here’s a link to my favorite etegami website so you can get a feel for what it is.

This pen is slithery-smooth to write with and lets me achieve the desired effect when I had a go at an etegami of my own. The ink came out swiftly and is super saturated.

The name says it’s refillable, but I have no idea how. There’s also virtually no information on the Jet Pens website and I wasn’t able to locate any on the internet after a quick search either.

My husband uses this pen to sketch little doodles and drawings and it produces a neat effect thanks to the brush tip. It’s so much fun to write/draw with.

You’ll see in the next few photos I snapped some writing and line work. This was all done on a Strathmore #110 Cover Stock in Arctic White. I’m a big paper nerd so I’m pretty sure none of you will have this paper on hand. It’s a really solid paper and is very porous–you’ll see the ink didn’t bleed even as I slowly dragged the pen along the paper.

This brush pen makes your artistic skills improve immediately. ;)

Does anyone else have any information about this pen? If you do, please share it with me! (and the other readers!)

This pen is definitely not suited for normal writing, but I bet it’s a whiz at kanji.

So there you have it! My new toy and a fun little writing tool.

I needed something to double-check my postage estimating abilities; see, I’m someone who writes lengthy letters and someone who sticks little goodies inside as well. Most of the time, I only need a single stamp but I’m guilty of having letters returned to me with red letters declaring that there was not enough postage. I picked this up at Target (in the kitchen section; it’s a food scale) and figured while it might not be able to tell me with 100% accuracy how much something weighs, for my needs, it should do fine.

And you know what? I’m pleasantly surprised. Under the black scale part, there’s a nob that lets you set the red line wherever it needs to be and it comes with a plastic bin you can place on top as well. If you need to store it, it fits inside the bin and comes with a lid that locks too. I ‘tested’ this scale and it’s more than accurate for the needs of a letter-writer.

Here are some details taken off the box:

• 1 year warranty
• dishwasher safe, removable top container with clear lid
• 16 oz. capacity
• measures in 1/4 oz. increments

I’m glad I didn’t purchase a fancy scale and instead went with this one. This one is much smaller and requires no battery or power source, plus it’s nowhere near the $30 or $40 I was considering spending. However, I was searching for ‘postal scales’ which are really the same as kitchen scales when you think of it, just not as costly.

The stationery above is some recent cat stationery I found in the basement. I smeared out what I wrote because, like I’ve said before, letters are secrets! And if I told you, I wouldn’t be a very good secret-keeper, now would I?

Here’s why I write letters, and some of these reasons may match up with your own personal reasons too:

I Feel Challenged.
I’m very fortunate that my life stays pretty busy and writing letters forces me to carve in real downtime. Time where my only task at hand is to write out a thoughtful response.
Sometimes, I am actually ‘challenged’ by the letters I receive. Conversations can turn somewhat heated when the topic turns to politics or religion and I relish the chance to draft a succinct, straightforward response that summarizes my viewpoints. Letter writing, at least when you get past the first few introductory letters with a correspondent, is something that can (and should!) offer up a challenge of some kind.

It Forces Me To Reflect and Consider.
As I mentioned above, I’m sometimes ‘challenged’ by my correspondents to back up a belief that I have. It’s actually such a welcome thing; how often in life does anyone really care why you believe what you believe? Not so often. When you are writing a letter by hand, and when you are trying to really say something meaningful, you absolutely have to think ahead before you touch pen to paper. Each word should be selected with care and thoughts should be succinct, yet powerful.
Letter writing requires me to reflect on new things I’ve never been exposed to. That’s why in many of my letters I ask people to describe in great detail places they’ve been (and I haven’t) or things they do (and I don’t.) I, in many ways, live through the letters my correspondents write to me. I learn about new places and things through the eyes of another person, a person that I know only through their handwriting.

It Requires Me To Fully Understand My Stances On Things.
Backing up what you believe sometimes results in major realizations. And sometimes, admitting that to a pen pal is a lot easier than admitting it to yourself.

I Enjoy It.
Sometimes, I write my letters in a local tea house. Other times, I am sitting on the living room floor using the coffee table late at night. Wherever I am though, I am relaxed.
Plus, no matter how many letters or postcards I get, there’s always a piercing thrill when you open up your mailbox and find a letter inside. I don’t think any of my other hobbies have the ‘highs and lows’ that letter writing brings.

I Can Put My Treasured Pens, Inks And Papers To Use.
Writing out post-it notes and tapping in calendar info into my iPhone is purely utilitarian. But writing a letter by hand is like dressing for your wedding day. You carefully select your stationery (should I use my monogrammed? Or my Crane? Or my Moleskine paper?), and then select an ink and a pen. Do I want to use my Lamy? Am I feeling like using an extra fine nib or a medium? Should I use my favorite ink (Diamine Damson!) or an ink to complement the season? For non-fountain pen enthusiasts, you still select a pen for the task at hand and it’s really no different.
Oh, but the icing on the cake? The recipient will appreciate it!

My Circle Of Friends Is Not Just Wider, But Like I Have A Whole Extra Road That Others Don’t.
I feel like everyone has different ‘friend nets.’ You have a net you cast out that contains all the friends you know ‘in real life;’ co-workers, neighbors, friends from college, family, etc. You might have a ‘blogger net’ if you blog and regularly communicate with people online.
I feel like I have one of the rarest nets of all, a ‘letter writing net.’ So few people have one of those, and I feel as though I’ve got a great ‘catch.’ ;)

I Have Many People With Whom I Can Share Secrets And Deep Thoughts Instead Of Just One Or Two.
As adults, you naturally become more selective with people in your ‘inner circle.’ For most people, that inner circle is maybe only your spouse. For a letter-writer, it often includes their dearest correspondents. There’s an unwritten code among avid letter writers; you keep the secrets you are told and you protect them.
Writing out deep, sometimes maybe even dark thoughts can be so therapeutic for many writers. But to share that with someone you will likely never meet; and that will not truly not judge you; even more so.

I Get To Work On My Handwriting.
I was always a ‘B’ student in elementary school in handwriting, and I never understood why I could never score an ‘A’. I realize now that I just needed to slow down.
Nowadays, I have to slow my hand down in order to come out with soft, flowing strokes and swashes. I’ve started working on different styles of handwriting; uncial, Spencerian….the list goes on.
One of the biggest rewards of spending time on your penmanship is the comments you receive; people notice fairly decent handwriting nowadays because it’s something that’s not really appreciated anymore!

What about you? Why do you write letters? Or, why do you want to write letters if you aren’t already? And if you aren’t, send me a letter!

I love the black lacquer body, the super fine nib, the elongated and curvy line it possesses. I hold this pen a little differently than my other fountain pens.

This is a great pen for number work, or for writing music or for detailed illustration. It’s comfortable to hold, a nice weight and can take a beating. I ordered this pen from JetPens in California and it cost $15.

It weighs less than a Lamy Safari but the plastic feels about the same texture-wise and grip-wise.

One thing that’s odd is that it really has no cap. It comes with one, but it’s peach-colored and doesn’t look like it belongs. These pens are made to go into a base. Anyway, be aware of the cap situation if you are going to order one for yourself.

Down below is a writing sample:

I wrote normally with the Sailor Desk Pen using Aurora’s black ink (my favorite black ink!) in a Moleskine notebook. I detected no bleed and the extra fine nib didn’t tear up or snag the paper either, and I’m a pretty aggressive writer.

First, you should know that this is extremely lightweight. I can not think of another pen that is lighter. I believe the Varsity weighs more than this pen. (The Varsity is a disposable fountain pen at about $3).

We ordered the HighAce from JetPens in California as I’ve not found anyone remotely nearby in Cincinnati who carries Sailor anything.

My husband wanted this pen to fall somewhere in between his Varsity disposables, which he uses when he’s out and about, and his Cross Affinity, which he uses to journal and write letters with, mostly. I’d say the HighAce does fall in between those two pens, but it leans more towards the Varsity end of the spectrum.

I tend to be an aggressive writer and I am afraid I’ll break this pen with my writing. It’s just so lightweight.

However, at $15, I can tell you it’s not a pen I’d cry over if it did break.

In a way, this pen reminds me of the Parker Jotter, which happens to be my husbands favorite ballpoint. The texture and feel is very similar.

Below is a sample of me writing with it in a Moleskine notebook. I used J. Herbin’s Ambre De Birmanie and wrote as I normally would.

I would still choose my Lamy Safari’s over the HighAce, but if you want a lightweight, less-expensive pen, then the HighAce should be an option. The HighAce would also be excellent to travel with because it’s not super valuable and wouldn’t be something to worry about.

The print on the luxury boxes that Rossi’s Medioevalis Paper comes in is beautiful and I am enamored with the combination of the fiery orange and warm greys.

I have a box of envelopes and cards from Rossi’s Medioevalis collection. According to the Rossi Website, the Medioevalis Collection is a:

Fine selection of cards with deckle edge. Recommended for all writing applications as well as letterpress printing and engraving. Excellent for announcements, invitations or any kind of correspondence.

The feathery edge is the result of sheets being naturally and carefully torn according to the ancient tradition of ‘Amalfi’ paper making, dating back to the XIV century.

The cards are very firm and there’s a noticeable difference in texture on the front and back. One side is smoother. This is due to the manufacturing process and really makes the experience of writing so much better.

In the photo above I wrote with a Lamy Al-Star using Diamine ink in Damson. While it takes a few seconds for the ink to absorb and dry, there is no feathering.

And really, the presentation is just lovely. You can’t find things like this today.

Here’s a look at the Mediovalis seal on the packaging. These are certainly boxes one would keep around for other uses long after the paper and envelopes have been used up.

Here’s the embossed Medioevalis seal:

And a closeup of Rossi’s Medioevalis Stationery Envelopes:

Overall, the paper is wonderful and something you’ll want to save for special occasions. The envelopes had a texture and weight very similar to Crane Paper. If you can only afford to get the cards or the envelopes, go with the cards.

Writing is easy and enjoyable on the cards. There was no feathering and it took about 15 seconds for the ink to fully absorb and dry.

They’re red!

What a lovely shade! I’ve got the perfect red Diamine ink and my Gold Sheaffer Agio would compliment this Moleskine so perfectly. Glorious!

What a lovely color!

Ambre De Birmanie

It certainly matches the lovely hue of this ink.

Here’s a page from a Moleskine. You’ll see I wrote in many different styles and even doodles. You can get a good sense for how the ink looks and behaves.

All the testing in these photos was done with a Lamy Safari Medium Nib.

This will be a really fun color to doodle with. And a great ink to accent the right piece of correspondence.

I picked up a great little postcard featuring a farm in the state of Ohio, and this color matched the haystacks featured on the front beautifully.

I, personally, like inks that have variation in shading. You’ll see how the color is deeper at the bottom of my strokes.

The paper used below is a Neenah 25% Cotton Arctic White. I didn’t get a bleed or smudge on the Moleskine or the Neenah stock.

Happy little yellow lines.

When I think of Valentine’s Day (just around the corner!) I think of pinks, reds and yellows; like the one below.

I love the J. Herbin bottle. The top of the bottle has a notch which, I assume, is for resting your pen? No? I mean, what else is it for?

My Sheaffer Agio is featured below.

Oooo la la I just love the label and the bottle.

And, one requisite artsy-fartsy shot. The plant in the back is a desert rose sorbet….the actual name escapes me.

All in all, a great ink. I’ve noticed no clogging in my pens, really no bleed and very little smudge. The color is consistent and the ink is high quality.

I purchased this bottle from Poeme in Hyde Park.

I have several Safari fountain pens. This is my first Al-Star.

The Al-Star is basically the same as the Safari except the body is made of aluminum whereas the Safari body is durable plastic. The Al-Stars also have a translucent base whereas the Safari fountain pens have a base that is the same color as the body.

This purple LAMY Al-Star is the newest color available. It sports a fine nib, which is my favorite nib size. I have a medium nib, and I find that it just pours out too much ink for me.

I wish you could see the barrel in person. It’s beautiful. The color is rich and changes slightly in different light. It’s a color that I think could easily be unisex. I have a thing for confident men sporting manly purples. ;)

The Al-Star is a great pen. If you’re looking for more weight, go for the Al-Star. I’d say the Safari and the Al-Star are equally as durable and are affordable in the $30-$40 range.

This Al-Star was purchased from Appointments in downtown Cincinnati.

Diamine is my favorite brand of ink. It’s a brand I wouldn’t have tried unless Doug Kennedy at Appointments in Cincinnati had recommended it to me. Appointments is a little shop downtown and they’ve determined, through trial and error, that Diamine is truly outstanding.

Most people have not heard of it.

I received Monaco Red as a gift this year from a family member and it’s just lovely. I would say it’s more of a red with brown undertones. I also use Poppy Red (a chipper red) and Saddle Brown (a calm brown). In certain light, I see more browns in the Monaco Red (like the brown in Saddle Brown) but in others, the red is very clear and bright (like the Poppy Red.)

Here, I suppose, is my verdict:

• Monaco Red is the red I would write with
• Poppy Red is a color I would edit with

In the photos below, I used a LAMY Al-Star with a fine nib. The paper I used was of very high quality. It’s a Strathmore Arctic White Cover Stock. This is not a paper I would write a letter on, but I wanted to do it on the Strathmore because this stock would be more absorbant than probably most standard papers used for letter writing. You’ll be able to see some bleed in the samples below, and I got nearly zero bleed on my Moleskine Volant paper and my Neenah Letterhead Stock.

Below is a smudge test after 10, 15 and 20 seconds. On my Moleskine Volant and Neenah stock, I had smudging only after the 10 second and just a tiny hair at the 15 second.

I love this color.

Lovely.

And I really like taking photographs of handwritten words on paper.

Edit:
Here are a couple photos for InkyJournal ;)

The Monaco Red was written with a medium nib.

The Diamine Blue was written with a fine nib.

This is a new model, out only since September 2009, but it’s a great little fountain pen. Cross’ fountain pens have vastly improved over the years and Pelikan makes some of their nibs.

He uses a fine nib.

And he keeps it stocked with Diamine Saddle Brown ink.

A man who uses a fountain pen is incredibly sexy. A man who uses a fountain pen and keeps it stocked with a signature color is even sexier. Don’t you think?

The Moleskine Volant is a recent discovery of mine. I have a bunch of other Moleskines, but I think the Volant is my new favorite, mainly because it comes in a bunch of colors and sizes.

I have the pink ones right now, and I’m going to get the green when I fill these up.

I really love how closely the darker pink Volant matches the LAMY Safari in magenta.

For me, the Moleskine Volant is a nice signature notebook. There’s no brand name plastered loudly anywhere, the colors are nice and fresh and they’re very portable. The paper is smooth and has just a touch of ’scratch.’ My inks don’t bleed through and there’s enough pages inside but not so much that you feel like it will be impossible to fill it all the way up.

Do you have a signature notebook? What do you journal in? What do you write in?

I use a few inks by Diamine, a British ink manufacturer.

Here’s what the Pumpkin looks like:

For some reason my LAMY Safari in magenta dribbles ink out the front. It doesn’t bother me, but I imagine that would irritate many fountain pen users.

This ink writes really well, doesn’t seem to smear under normal use and is nice and bold. It looks lovely on a white page and I do believe some artists would enjoy drawing in this color.

Here’s what the Damson looks like:
I know, the pen is dirty. I write with it a lot so whatevs.

This is such a nice shade of purple. If you are someone that doesn’t like to use colored ink, this might be a nice option for you because it’s so subtle. This is certainly a more masculine shade of purple. I would love to see a man use this ink as his signature color. I envision he would be tall, dark, handsome and confident. But that’s just me.

Here’s the Ruby:

This is a red you can write with. It’s really and truly lovely. If you need a red-red, one that is like, red pen red, then go with Diamine’s Poppy.

Here’s the Saddle Brown:

Gosh I love this color. Brown is my favorite color after all.
Saddle Brown is my husband’s favorite ink.

What is your favorite fountain pen ink? How about your favorite color of ink?

But do you ever really write anything? When’s the last time you did?

Better yet, do you write well?

This is one of my favorite books: Wiliam Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s The Elements of Style.

It’s a small book and is only about 80 pages long. It’s more of a reference book really and it will help improve your writing. This book was a requirement when I was in journalism school, and it’s one of the few books that continues to teach me lessons even though college is long over.

Like this:

Among. Between. [see page 40]
When more than two things or persons are involved, among is usually called for: “The money was divided among the four player.” When, however, more than two are involved but each is considered individually, between is preferred: “an agreement between the six heirs.”

Man. I know I mess that up a lot, but it’s stuff like this that makes sense. And it’s things like this that make you smart and sexy.

Have you read Elements of Style?

Look at this LAMY Safari in magenta.

She’s pretty, huh? She almost perfectly matches my Moleskine Volants in Pink and Magenta. See?

I love the LAMY Safari. This is a great first fountain pen. Some people don’t appreciate the design, but I think you just have to go with it. It’s a nice everyday pen and allows you to either use cartridges or a converter. I use the converter.

I have two LAMYs; the new magenta Safari and the lime green Safari. You can tell that I use the lime green guy all the time.

I use a medium nib in the lime green and a fine nib in the magenta. There are things I like about each nib, but I think I like the fine a little better.

Here’s a pretty little shot:

In conclusion, the LAMY Safari is a great first fountain pen you’ll probably never completely stop using. Because of the color options, it will likely become a personal signature. I highly recommend them.

What is your favorite pen? [it doesn't have to be a fountain pen!]

I write with a fountain pen about 90% of the time. Why?

• My handwriting looks better
• I don’t have a ‘death grip’ on the pen like I do with a ball point
• It truly is easier to write with
• It makes writing more enjoyable

It seems that in the pen aisles (my favorite aisle) of today’s office supply stores the focus is on ink. Do you want ball point? Do you want gel? Do you want colored ink? Do you want black? There are so many pens in those aisles; does it have to be that complicated?

With a fountain pen, you basically just need to find the type of pen you like and then you can pick your ink. A bottle of ink will cost you about $6-$10 and will last for a really, really long time. The first photo is of a Lamy Safari (about $30). It is a great first fountain pen and one of my favorites. You can really beat it up.

Many fountain pen retailers are incredibly helpful. I shop at Appointments in Cincinnati, OH, and the owner has a book with a swash of EACH ink color available. And, he’ll let you test any ink you fancy. Try before you buy! Try pulling that off in the pen aisle!

Places to buy fountain pens + ink:

1. Appointments
Carew Tower
441 Vine St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 421-7430

2. Spitzfaden Office Supplies
629 Main St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 721-1886

3. Pens and Watches
www.pensandwatches.com

4. Jet Pens
www.jetpens.com

5. The Writing Desk
www.thewritingdesk.co.uk

A great resource for anyone that’s even minutely serious about fountain pens is The Fountain Pen Network:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com

Where do you buy your fountain pens? Let me know in a comment and I’ll keep this list updated!