Fountain Pen Review: Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya V1 Chrome Flex (Peacock Aqua)

Fountain Pen Review: Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya V1 Chrome Flex (Peacock Aqua)

I confess that I’ve had this pen in my queue for a long time. When I received it from Fountain Pen Revolution to write my review, I immediately filled it with ink. What I hadn’t expected was the RED ink that I used immediately stained the pale blue pen. What to do? So, I buried…

Art Supplies Review: Rikagaku Kitpas Wet-Erase Crayons

Art Supplies Review: Rikagaku Kitpas Wet-Erase Crayons

Review by Tina Koyama Years ago when I was making abstract, mixed-media collages, one of my favorite media was Caran d’Ache Neocolor II water-soluble wax pastels. I don’t use them for urban sketching because the broad crayon sticks require larger paper than I want to carry, but I remember the fun of making huge scribbles,…

Fountain Pen Review: Hero 330 with Fude Nib

Fountain Pen Review: Hero 330 with Fude Nib

Review by Tina Koyama Around the time that I had discovered the reasonably priced Moonman S1 fountain pen with a fude nib, I noticed another, even less expensive fude: the Hero 330 ($4; available in dark red, dark green and black). After some so-so experiences with other inexpensive Heroes years ago, I have hesitated about…

Fountain Pen Review: Ranga Abhimanyu Premium Ebonite

Fountain Pen Review: Ranga Abhimanyu Premium Ebonite

Every time I have a Ranga pen in my hand, I am reminded how much I like them. The Ranga Abhimanyu Fountain Pen (starting at $72) is no different. This cigar-shaped pen is available in both brilliant acrylics and subtle ebonite colors. The pen has a long, tapered grip section which is very comfortable in…

Fountain Pen Review: Moonman S1 with Fude Nib

Review by Tina Koyama Readers of the Desk may associate me more with pencils, erasers, sharpeners and brush pens and less with fountain pens. Several years ago, however, I took myself on an epic journey to find my ideal fountain pen for drawing – one that would give me variable line widths. Although I tried…

Notebook Review: Lamy Notebook (Notizbuch) A5

Notebook Review: Lamy Notebook (Notizbuch) A5

The Lamy Notebook (Notizbuch in German) A5 (€13.97, the color I got for review does not appear to be available at present but other color options are available) is a hardcover notebook with a brushed silver cover and features a contrasting elastic closure, built-in elastic pen loop, and interior back pocket (with gusset) and two…