The art of writing - writing culture - or simply: a thread about pens

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Bumping this thread (which I am really enjoying) to ask: apart from pens (I have a Montblanc and a small Montegrappa Felicità which is a dream, apart from a few lovely Chinese and Spanish Toledo-crafted ones, and a few Greek wood ones), do you ladies and gents also have a weakness for luscious agendas/planners/organizers?

My trusty old Filofax Calipso has literally burst at the rings (a terminal case of overstuffing), and I´m in the market for a new personal sized planner. Just discovered the Van der Spek agendas, and I´m falling deep into the rabbit hole.

What´s your experience with quality agendas/planners, preferably all-leather ones? :smile:

I bujo, so instead of a ring system, I like a bound book. Right now, I am really love the Leuchtturm1917 - the paper is amazing, and it actually has a built in TOC area and bookmarks.
 
Bumping this thread (which I am really enjoying) to ask: apart from pens (I have a Montblanc and a small Montegrappa Felicità which is a dream, apart from a few lovely Chinese and Spanish Toledo-crafted ones, and a few Greek wood ones), do you ladies and gents also have a weakness for luscious agendas/planners/organizers?

My trusty old Filofax Calipso has literally burst at the rings (a terminal case of overstuffing), and I´m in the market for a new personal sized planner. Just discovered the Van der Spek agendas, and I´m falling deep into the rabbit hole.

What´s your experience with quality agendas/planners, preferably all-leather ones? :smile:
I have Filofax planners and love them too. I acquired several fun colors and am done adding them, thankfully! You might appreciate the Filofax Malden for stuffing. My favorites are the Malden and Lockwood. They both have great leather, but the Malden is floppy and the Lockwood is structured. I also like the Original because they are simple and come in great colors. ;) Have fun! Which are your favorites so far?
 
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I have Filofax planners and love them too. I acquired several fun colors and am done adding them, thankfully! You might appreciate the Filofax Malden for stuffing. My favorites are the Malden and Lockwood. They both have great leather, but the Malden is floppy and the Lockwood is structured. I also like the Original because they are simple and come in great colors. ;) Have fun! Which are your favorites so far?

For years, I´ve only had the Calipso slim (13 mm rings, I think) and I was happy with it, so I tried to replace it with the same model (but 25 mm, preferably 30 mm), yet it was long discontinued. I do like the Malden, but the zip compartment (where I keep money bills) is too narrow and the bills catch in the zipper, so I´m exploring other options now.

I´ve just touched (smooooth!), smelled (pure leather yumminess) and tried (sturdy, very well stitched, many nifty compartments) the Van Der Spek Luigi Raphael compact planner in brown, and I´m in love. I´ve checked their website and they have also a 100% customized option where you can choose leather, colour, stitching, width, ring colour, compartments and extra pockets of all kinds inside and outside, etc. They even have ostrich and croc print! Problem is, as it´s handmade from scratch it takes them a few weeks for them to make and deliver it - and I need it immediately, LOL. I might just buy this VdS and take my time ordering my HG agenda with them!
 
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For years, I´ve only had the Calipso slim (13 mm rings, I think) and I was happy with it, so I tried to replace it with the same model (but 25 mm, preferably 30 mm), yet it was long discontinued. I do like the Malden, but the zip compartment (where I keep money bills) is too narrow and the bills catch in the zipper, so I´m exploring other options now.

I´ve just touched (smooooth!), smelled (pure leather yumminess) and tried (sturdy, very well stitched, many nifty compartments) the Van Der Spek Luigi Raphael compact planner in brown, and I´m in love. I´ve checked their website and they have also a 100% customized option where you can choose leather, colour, stitching, width, ring colour, compartments and extra pockets of all kinds inside and outside, etc. They even have ostrich and croc print! Problem is, as it´s handmade from scratch it takes them a few weeks for them to make and deliver it - and I need it immediately, LOL. I might just buy this VdS and take my time ordering my HG agenda with them!
The leather sounds amazing! Did you decide to order one? I'm sorry I wasn't any help. If you haven't gotten one yet and plan to do the special order now, I would go for that, and stick with the Calypso for the weeks while you wait. Have fun picking out your new planner. I would love to see it when you get it. What color was your Calypso? I know it came in some really beautiful vibrant colors!
 
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The leather sounds amazing! Did you decide to order one? I'm sorry I wasn't any help. If you haven't gotten one yet and plan to do the special order now, I would go for that, and stick with the Calypso for the weeks while you wait. Have fun picking out your new planner. I would love to see it when you get it. What color was your Calypso? I know it came in some really beautiful vibrant colors!
Hello! I bought a VdS stat for 125 Euro (yearly complete calendar, lots of extra dividers and stuff included), because I really need to use it about 20 times everyday, and the Calypso (in pebbled classic red) had literally fallen apart, with no way to fix it.
So I'll use and thoroughly abuse my new, luscious chocolate brown VdS Raphaël Grigio, and in a year, if it's held up well, I'll upgrade to a custom order one with the giant back pocket (which mine doesn't have, otherwise it'd be perfect!)
 
Bumping this thread (which I am really enjoying) to ask: apart from pens (I have a Montblanc and a small Montegrappa Felicità which is a dream, apart from a few lovely Chinese and Spanish Toledo-crafted ones, and a few Greek wood ones), do you ladies and gents also have a weakness for luscious agendas/planners/organizers?

My trusty old Filofax Calipso has literally burst at the rings (a terminal case of overstuffing), and I´m in the market for a new personal sized planner. Just discovered the Van der Spek agendas, and I´m falling deep into the rabbit hole.

What´s your experience with quality agendas/planners, preferably all-leather ones? :smile:
I LOVE agendas and journals. I’ve been using Traveler’s Company Traveler’s Notebook for the last three years and I’m still obsessed!

Last summer we went into the Fabriano store in Milan and it was heaven.

I am a pen and paper freak!
 
Hi,

I hope it's ok to start this thread here in the jewelry box - I couldn't find any better suited sub-forum.

Fellow pen aficionados, please share your pens & accessories I'd love to see your pictures.

I'll start with 2 of my Montblancs

Meisterstück LeGrand ballpoint pen, platinum hardware.

View attachment 3502501

Bohème fountain pen (retractable tip), platinum hardware.

View attachment 3502502

Kind regards,
Oliver

Sorry, not too sure how this was posted.
 
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I know this is an old thread, but I had to reply to it given the subject matter. There’s nothing quite like a fountain or cartridge pen, is there? We had to have them in school, we weren’t allowed to write with ballpoint pens, and I’ve loved them ever since. Mine is nowhere near as nice as yours. It’s only a Parker, but I love it! I’ve had it for years and it never lets me down.
 

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Hello! I bought a VdS stat for 125 Euro (yearly complete calendar, lots of extra dividers and stuff included), because I really need to use it about 20 times everyday, and the Calypso (in pebbled classic red) had literally fallen apart, with no way to fix it.
So I'll use and thoroughly abuse my new, luscious chocolate brown VdS Raphaël Grigio, and in a year, if it's held up well, I'll upgrade to a custom order one with the giant back pocket (which mine doesn't have, otherwise it'd be perfect!)
That red Calypso sounds beautiful. I'm sorry to hear it fell apart. I have a red planner with all the Christmas lists. :biggrin: Congrats on your new planner! I would love to see pics if you take them. It sounds very luxurious! It sounds like you are loving it!
 
I know this is an old thread, but I had to reply to it given the subject matter. There’s nothing quite like a fountain or cartridge pen, is there? We had to have them in school, we weren’t allowed to write with ballpoint pens, and I’ve loved them ever since. Mine is nowhere near as nice as yours. It’s only a Parker, but I love it! I’ve had it for years and it never lets me down.
Your Parker is gorgeous! I love that red or pink/red? Is it red or hot pink? I love both shades. :lol: That is interesting to hear you had to use them and still love them now. I have heard from many who had to use them in school that they threw their fountain pens away as soon as they got their hands on a ball point pen. They think it is ridiculous anyone would choose to write with them. ;) I have had my share of messes...inky fingers and a ruined pen from Noodler's Baystate Blue ink. Yet, I love the smoothness of writing with a fountain pen, and a little simple pleasure that makes the day feel a little more luxurious. I need to write with them more.
 
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Your Parker is gorgeous! I love that red or pink/red? Is it red or hot pink? I love both shades. :lol: That is interesting to hear you had to use them and still love them now. I have heard from many who had to use them in school that they threw their fountain pens away as soon as they got their hands on a ball point pen. They think it is ridiculous anyone would choose to write with them. ;) I have had my share of messes...inky fingers and a ruined pen from Noodler's Baystate Blue ink. Yet, I love the smoothness of writing with a fountain pen, and a little simple pleasure that makes the day feel a little more luxurious. I need to write with them more.

Thank you! The pen is deep pink, almost magenta in colour, I love it. I’m English, and most schools back when I was at school made you use cartridge or fountains pens to write. I think they believed ballpoints made for lazy penmanship, whereas you had to concentrate harder on your writing skills when writing with a cartridge pen. Regardless of the reasons, I always loved writing with them. They’re so smooth, and the writing looks so much more tasteful than when written with a ballpoint! As you can tell, I agree with my teachers on these types on pens. Like you said, it really does make writing feel more luxurious, and makes it an enjoyable experience.
 
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Thank you! The pen is deep pink, almost magenta in colour, I love it. I’m English, and most schools back when I was at school made you use cartridge or fountains pens to write. I think they believed ballpoints made for lazy penmanship, whereas you had to concentrate harder on your writing skills when writing with a cartridge pen. Regardless of the reasons, I always loved writing with them. They’re so smooth, and the writing looks so much more tasteful than when written with a ballpoint! As you can tell, I agree with my teachers on these types on pens. Like you said, it really does make writing feel more luxurious, and makes it an enjoyable experience.

It must be a European thing then because we were also required to use ink cartridge pens (I guess they did not want first formers messing with ink bottles in school even though some of the old desks still had those ink well openings). No ballpoints allowed until 5th grade. But the cheap school pens did kind of scratch the paper though.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I had to reply to it given the subject matter. There’s nothing quite like a fountain or cartridge pen, is there? We had to have them in school, we weren’t allowed to write with ballpoint pens, and I’ve loved them ever since. Mine is nowhere near as nice as yours. It’s only a Parker, but I love it! I’ve had it for years and it never lets me down.

That's a nice Parker! :smile: Love the shape!

I dreaded the fountain pen in elementary school. We had to have one of these: https://www.lamyshop.com/fuellhalter-lamy-abc.html and when you advanced, you had to get one of these: https://www.lamyshop.com/fuellhalter-lamy-safari.html

I hated them. Ditched them the second we were allowed to use ballpoint pens.

Only much later I got back into fountain pens and writing with them.

Kind regards,
Oliver