Link Love: For CW

News dropped this week that CW Pencils would be closing up shop for good by the end of 2021. Caroline Weaver and her devoted team of pencil enthusiasts have been an inspiration to the stationery community. Caroline launched a beloved stationery subscription service, published an amazing book on the history of the pencil and appeared in dozens of publications (“A store that sells pencils?!?!” often being the some variation of the headline). If you ever set foot in CW Pencil Enterprise, Caroline was gracious and knowledgeable and ready to share her enthusiasm with you.

While my heart is breaking that the pandemic has broken yet another small business, I know Caroline is smart, talented and passionate. Whatever she does next will be amazing. Send your best wishes to Caroline and her employees. Next year will be a mix of exciting, bittersweet, scary, and sad for them all and even they will need our support and good wishes.

Links of the Week:

On closing (via CW Pencil Enterprise)

Shop Closing FAQ (via CW Pencil Enterprise)

Pens:

• Introducing Susan: the Penquisition Tornado Exclusive Retro 51 Rollerball (via Penquisition)
• Vintage Pen Primer, Part V: What About Just Opting for a Vintage Nib? (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• Going for gold (via Pens Pencils Plus)
• Kaweco Perkeo new flavours (via United Inkdom)

Ink:

• Organics Studio Inks Comparison #1 (via Penultimate Dave)
• Kobe Fountain Pen Inks 1-9 swatch tests (via FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART)
• Ink Review #609: Color Traveler Ninoshima Baumkuchen (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
• Ink Review #608: Color Traveler Oyster Silver (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
• Birmingham Independence Grey on Tomoe River (via Inkcredible Colours)

Pencils:

• Review: U.S.A. Gold Pencil (via Comfortable Shoes Studio)

Notebooks & Paper:

• Diary Inserts 2022 and beyond… (via Philofaxy)
• Go Girl Budget Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough) (via All About Planners)
• Ask TGS: Comparing Popular Paper Sizes (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• How to Use the Kokuyo Jibun Techo (via JetPens)
• Monk Manual Review (via Original Content Books)
• A planner as a pocket notebook (via mnmlscholar)

Other Interesting Things:

• A ‘time capsule’ of lost photographs of the Black Panthers, found 50 years later (via Creative Boom)

We need each other. Please support our sponsors and affiliates. Your patronage will let them know you appreciate their support of the pen community. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!