Yogo Magpie

I have fallen down the fountain pen rabbit hole and now know way too much about fountain pens, inks, and paper. I have, however, managed to restrain myself from buying every pen in existence, although the temptation is high. I have to slap sense back into myself whenever I'm window shopping. I currently own seven pens, listed below from oldest to newest.

Lamy Safari

Color: Dark Lilac (2016 Limited Edition)
Nib: F (originally EF)
Country: Germany
Acquired: May 2016

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I first became interested in fountain pens in 2016 when I saw an artist posting sketches drawn with a Lamy Safari and Noodler's Black ink. I began shopping around and learned that Lamy's limited edition color that year was a deep purple (my favorite color). I ordered one from Goulet Pens with an extra fine nib. Unfortunately, the EF was way too scratchy and didn't leave a good first impression. I later learned that you can buy replacement nibs for the Safari so I ordered a fine nib to swap out. It made a huge difference. The ink flow is so much smoother with the F nib and the writing experience became much more pleasant. The line is still fine enough to use even on cheap, crappy copy paper without bleeding (too much). My Lamy Safari is my workhorse that I use every day for writing and sketching.

Benu Briolette

Color: Storm
Nib: M
Country: Armenia (formerly Russia)
Acquired: January 2021

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After a few years of using my Lamy Safari exclusively, I wanted to have a pen with a thicker nib to use alongside it. I have been eyeing Benu pens for a while because... their designs are so gaudy, how can you not look at them? I love them all. I opted for Storm, arguably their most subtle pen. It has chunky holographic glitter scattered across a solid, shiny black body. It's a great writer. Very reliable. It never skips although I notice that it does have a bit more resistance/feedback while writing compared to my other pens. Since getting this pen I use this pen interchangably with my Lamy. I never have one without the other. I'm currently debating whether to purchase a replacement nib unit to bring this pen up to a broad or to purchase another pen altogether with a broad nib...

TWSBI Diamond

Color: Clear
Nib: 1.1mm Stub
Country: Taiwan
Acquired: January 2023

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Couple years after getting Storm, I began pining for fat, wet pens. I spent hours trying to figure out which pen had the most dramatic stub nib without breaking the bank. The TWSBI Eco, a similar and less expensive pen, also has a 1.1mm stub, but it is apparently shaped slightly rounder than the TWSBI Diamond. The line variations are more dramatic with the Diamond so I decided to pay the extra cost for it. I think it was worth it. It is an absolute delight writing with this pen. It's so smooth and the stub gives my writing so much flair with no added effort. This pen is mostly used for writing out dates and headings in my bullet journal or long-form letter writing or diary entries. I write quite slowly and deliberately with it, so it's not the best pen for quick notes.

Jinhao Shark

Color: Purple
Nib: Extra Fine
Country: China
Acquired: January 2023

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I bought four of these in different colors to gift to friends (to introduce them to fountain pens hehe). The Shark is the cheapest pen in my collection, but it is the smoothest, juciest pen of them all. It may be a QC issue that makes it a firehose. I wouldn't consider it an extra fine writer at all. Because it gushes out ink, I think a drier ink would be best for this particular pen.

Sailor Pro Gear Slim

Color: Shikiori Ryu Miyagi (Dragon Palace)
Nib: Medium Fine
Country: Japan
Acquired: November 2023

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[description here]

Kaweco Sport

Color: Light Lavender (2021 Limited Edition)
Nib: Broad
Country: Germany
Acquired: April 2024

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[description here]

Kaweco Sport

Color: Apricot Pearl (2024 Limited Edition)
Nib: Medium
Country: Germany
Acquired: April 2024

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[description here] This one was a gift!!!

Inks

I also have a nice little collection of inks and want to share them, too. Especially my rotten seaweed ink because I think there are only like two reviews about it on the entire internet.

1. Birmingham Pen Co. - Rotten Seaweed
2. Birmingham Pen Co. - Pennsylvania Slate
3. Birmingham Pen Co. - Mountain Laurel
4. Diamine - Aurora Borealis
5. Diamine - Oxblood
6. Diamine - Soft Mint
7. Ferris Wheel Press - Autumn in Auburn
8. Ferris Wheel Press - Pumpkin Patch
9. Ferris Wheel Press - Purple Jade Rabbit
10. J. Herbin - Gris Nuage
11. J. Herin - Rose Tendresse
12. Noodler's - Black
13. Noodler's - Polar Purple
14. Pilot Iroshizuku - asa-gao
15. Pilot Iroshizuku - shin-kai
16. Pilot Iroshizuku - yama-buso

Ink wishlist:

1. KWZ - Gummiberry
2. Vinta Inks
3. Troublemaker Inks