Pen Review: Ensso Aria (When A Bic Stic Won’t Do)

Pen Review: Ensso Aria (When A Bic Stic Won’t Do)

Generally speaking, ballpoint pens are a last option for me. As a lefty, oily ballpoint ink often leaves a trail of residue on the heel of my hand and my writing angle can often cause ballpoint roller balls (the ball suspended in the tip that releases ink) to choke up or skip. Left hand writers…

Review and GIVEAWAY: Leuchtturm 1917 Drehgriffel

Do you love ballpoint pens? Then this review and giveaway are for you! Recently we were sent a few Drehgriffel from Leuchtturm (24.95 each) for review. These fun ballpoint pens are made to look sort of like pencils. Drehgriffel is German and loosely translates to “twist stylus.” This pen style is a revival from the…

Ball Point Pen Review: Caran d’Ache Nespresso 3rd Limited Edition

Ever since I discovered fountain pens, my use of ballpoint pens has been minimal. I love my Retro 51’s, and an impressive collection of gel pens and fine liners, but I’m mostly done with ballpoints. When I saw the Caran d’Ache Nespresso (3rd edition, $45.00), I felt a pang of longing though. For starters, it’s…

Sponsored Post: Kickstarter ēnsso Aria, Minimalist metal pen for the BIC ballpoint refill.

Sponsored Post: Kickstarter ēnsso Aria, Minimalist metal pen for the BIC ballpoint refill.

The ubiquitous BIC ballpoint. We all have one, or have used one. Did you know approximately 60 BIC pens are sold every second. Its success relies on its affordable price point, reliable ink refill, and worldwide availability. ēnsso was intrigued by the BIC pen and set about designing a premium, yet affordable pen that accepts…

Ask the Desk: Refills, Sharpeners & Stamp Pads

Ask the Desk: Refills, Sharpeners & Stamp Pads

Kiran asks: I love your blog! I had a pen that used Schneider topball 850 refills. I liked that pen but it has been damaged so I’m looking to replace it with something similar that uses the same refills. Do you know how I would find pens that fit the Schneider topball 850? I tried…

Sponsored Post: Kickstarter Ensso GIRO Titanium Ballpoint

Sponsored Post: Kickstarter Ensso GIRO Titanium Ballpoint

Ensso has designed and developed several different pens through Kickstarter. Their latest release is the GIRO Titanium Ballpoint Pen. The design is reminiscent of the PIUMA Fountain Pen with a cigar shape and similar dimensions. The GIRO features finely grooved, textured, aircraaft-grade titanium body and has a flattened end cap. The pen uses a twist…

Top Ten Pens (Non-Fountain Pens)

With the top ten non-fountain pen list, I decided I needed to break it up into two categories, refillable pens and non-refillable. I didn’t want to call the first group disposable pens because, in some cases, the refill can be replaced, but generally speaking, they are sold to be used until the refill is empty…