Monk Paper Buffalo Leather Journal with "Look for the Good in Everything" painted rock

Artisanal Monk Papers from Nepal - Our Store Exclusive

Lokta Paper - the Paper Lovers' Paper Last week, Pen Boutique owner Leena and I brainstormed some ideas for the blog, and we both got very excited when she suggested I write about our store exclus...
Common Fountain Pen Terms Explained (Part Two)

Common Fountain Pen Terms Explained (Part Two)

In my last article, I picked seven commonly used fountain pen terms to discuss and demystify, and now I'm back for Part Two!  As before, these are all words or phrases that you're likely to encoun...
Common Fountain Pen Terms Explained (Part One)

Common Fountain Pen Terms Explained (Part One)

Inspired by conversations I've had in many different settings in my role as "penabler," I decided to get creative this week and explain some terms commonly used in the fountain pen community.  Thes...
Laura's Top 10 Fountain Pen User Mistakes

Laura's Top 10 Fountain Pen User Mistakes

Do you make any fountain pen user "mistakes"?  I know I do!  When Pen Boutique owner Leena asked me to write this article, I was surprised, because it's very different from my usual topics, which ...
Attainable Urushi - Pilot's Urushi Lacquer Pens Under $1,000

Attainable Urushi - Pilot's Urushi Lacquer Pens Under $1,000

I'm very excited to be writing this article, because it's about something I especially love. When I first learned about Urushi lacquer pens, they were something I never thought I would actually own...
The Big Three:  Comparing Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor Nibs

The Big Three: Comparing Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor Nibs

For my article this week, I decided to do something I've never done before:  choose comparable pens from three different brands and compare them, focusing on the nibs and the writing experience.  T...
Blue-Black: the Best of Both Worlds

Blue-Black: the Best of Both Worlds

What is Blue-Black? The idea for this article popped into my head a few weeks ago, and I couldn't shake it.  Blue-Black.  It didn't sound very exciting at first, but, the more I thought about it, t...
Polished Perfection with Graf von Faber-Castell

Polished Perfection with Graf von Faber-Castell

What do you know about the brand Faber-Castell? You're likely most familiar with its art supplies, office supplies, and, especially, its famous #2 yellow pencils, but Faber-Castell is globally este...
Otto Hutt - For Individualists With Style

Otto Hutt - For Individualists With Style

[An earlier version of this article was published in February, 2022, and it was updated to include more models on December 5, 2024.]    You May Not Know This Brand, But You Should! It all started w...