Guides
Free lessons on paper and ink: a beginner project
Recorded museum lectures, an open university study and public databases give you free paper and ink lessons — plus a beginner project you can run at home.
Archive
September 2026
Reviews
Writing a dated record instead of a review: a method for pen and paper
A method page, not a set of reviewed products: how to date a record, state conditions and limits, run a drying test, and keep observations a review cannot check.
Industry
Worth the trip: a collectors' project in visiting museums and libraries
A working list of museums, university centers and library collections where collectors can handle paper and book arts material in person, plus travel tips.
Guides
Recording a paper collection: a small project done properly
Setting up a record of your own collection that lasts: the practical setup for documenting a paper and pen collection, what to photograph, what to record.
Industry
Real paper collection surveys teach lessons private collectors miss
No invented case studies here. What published surveys of real archives found, why condition varies inside one collection, and how to apply it at home.
Costs
What to Look for in Pen Storage Products
Pen storage products cost money, but lining, retention, repairability, and DIY options matter more than appearance; check lead times before buying.
Reviews
Pen storage in order of need: tray, sleeve, drawer, case
Pen storage by type, in the order you need it: what a tray, a sleeve, a drawer and a case each solve, the linings to want, and six checks for build quality.
Industry
Building pen storage by hand, the simple guide small workshops use
Pen storage products makers: what a maker decides before cutting, material, closure, how the pen is held, and why the cheapest construction choices are the ones.
Reviews
Where should pen storage actually sit in a room?
Where pen storage should sit, and what it should sit on: location beats container. Which rooms and surfaces suit stored pens and paper, why depots are monitored.
Features
An Illustrative Cost Example for US Fountain Pen Ink Imports
A worked illustration shows how assumed duty, a carrier fee and other charges can change the landed cost of a fountain pen ink import for a US buyer.
Features
Importing fountain pen ink to the US: wording invoice and HTS lines
Importing fountain pen ink to the US with pens and notebooks in the parcel: how to word the customs invoice, match HTS lines and state the country of origin.
Maintenance
Seven pen storage habits that quietly damage your pens
The storage habits that damage pens: over-drying with desiccant, crumbling foam, tight elastic, and the drawer that seemed like the safe option.
Reviews
Pen storage: what it must do before you trust a pen to it
Pen storage has four jobs, and materials that emit or migrate are the common failure. Check materials, lining and fit before you trust a pen to a case.
Reviews
How to specify and test materials for a small stationery run
For independent stationery makers: how to write a materials spec you can reorder from, why the glue matters most, and a one-month test with pass-fail checks.
Features
Which small-batch stationery formats are actually worth trying?
Independent stationery ideas worth trying yourself: six formats small makers use that anyone can try at home, from mail art exchanges to short editions.
Guides
Alberta fountain pen ink and paper: what to buy and sample in dry air
Choosing fountain pen ink and paper for Alberta's dry climate: wetter dye inks, paper that resists curl, and where to sample both in Calgary and Edmonton.
Guides
Halifax and St. John's, where fog and damp decide which paper writers can use
Atlantic Canada fountain pen paper in damp climate: how Halifax and St. John's humidity causes cockling and smudging, plus fast inks and shops.
Industry
Is your Canadian stationery order taxed and protected the same in every province?
Canadian stationery consumer protection varies by province: sales tax, returns law, chargebacks and Canada Post delivery all change with your address.
Maintenance
Why Canadian winters and indoor heating change your ink flow and paper storage
Fountain pen ink drying in Canadian winter comes from heated indoor air, so learn humidity checks, rehydration, storage and paper flattening.
Reviews
Independent stationery brands reviewed: prices and storage
Independent stationery brands storage notes and buying verdicts: seven makers, what each makes, who it suits, and what its notebooks, pens and paper cost.
Guides
How CBSA duty, GST and the $20 exemption work when you import a fountain pen into Canada
Importing a fountain pen into Canada means CBSA assessment, the $20 mail exemption, GST or HST by province, duty on pens and ink, and carrier brokerage fees.
Maintenance
Ink and paper storage in Manitoba and Saskatchewan: seals, silica and swap dates
Ink and paper storage in Manitoba and Saskatchewan: what to look for in a box seal, how much silica to use and when to swap it through prairie humidity swings.
Industry
French-language stationery in Quebec, from notebook brands to OQLF labelling rules
Quebec French stationery brands sit inside OQLF labelling rules, standard paper sizes and a distinct tax picture for buyers and for sellers in the province.
Costs
How Canada Post rates and packaging rules affect selling or trading pens and ink
Shipping fountain pens within Canada depends on Canada Post rates, liquid packaging rules, tracking choices and regional delivery times that vary by province.
Features
Toronto pen club meetings, stationery shops and left-handed ink picks for a local setup
Toronto fountain pen and stationery shops plus the Toronto Pen Club anchor a local setup: named stores, meeting formats, left-handed ink picks and a winter kit.
Guides
Vancouver rain and Pacific Northwest humidity, and what they do to ink drying time
Vancouver rain and Pacific Northwest humidity extend fountain pen ink drying time, so match quick-setting ink to the right paper and store both sealed.
Industry
Independent stationery brands companies: questions to ask
Use these questions to assess independent stationery brands companies: who makes a product, where it is made, what it uses, and what the maker documents.
Guides
5 things to weigh up on fountain pen mistakes
Five fountain pen mistakes that cause most faults: wrong paper, too much pressure, skipped flushing, bad storage, and guessing before testing.
Guides
Canadian Fountain Pen Retailers Online: A Province-by-Province Comparison
Canadian fountain pen retailers online differ by province in shipping, pickup and tax, so compare landed costs in CAD before you order from a Canadian store.
Reviews
Best Fast-Drying Fountain Pen Ink for Left-Handed Writers in the US
The best fast-drying fountain pen ink for left-handed writers in the US, with US prices, what to skip, and how to tell when a finer nib pays off.
Guides
How Long Does Fountain Pen Ink Take to Dry on Cheap Notebook Paper?
Fountain pen ink drying time on cheap notebook paper runs 8 to 45 seconds. Here is how to measure your own paper and stop smearing the page.
Costs
What Import Charges Does a Fountain Pen Ink Order Into Canada Carry?
A breakdown of what a fountain pen ink order into Canada costs, including GST or HST, carrier handling fees, and per bottle examples for small and bulk orders.
Guides
Fountain Pen Nib Size Comparison: Japanese vs Western
A fountain pen nib size comparison for US buyers: Japanese fine and medium nibs run about one step narrower than Western grades, and here is how to choose.
Guides
How to Ship Fountain Pens Safely with USPS
Shipping fountain pens with USPS comes down to a dry fill, a rigid box, and enough cushioning. Coverage tops out at $100, so declare the full value.
Reviews
Which Target Notebooks Handle Fountain Pen Ink Without Bleeding?
Fountain pen friendly notebooks at Target: we tested store-brand journals, up&up and Moleskine, to see which ones hold ink without bleed-through or feathering.
Reviews
Top fountain pen maintenance tools for 2027, reviewed
A reviewed short list of the fountain pen maintenance tools worth owning in 2027, and why the two most popular buys are the likeliest to ruin a nib.
Guides
Photographing a fountain pen fault so someone can help
What a useful nib photograph looks like, the three shots that answer most questions, and the capture notes that turn a picture into evidence.
Industry
Fountain pen mistakes: companies, guilds and shows
The fountain pen mistakes companies and guilds can help with: pen shows with nib specialists on site, maker service centers, and how to describe a fault.
Guides
A small-desk setup guide for avoiding common pen mistakes
Desk setup that prevents the usual pen problems: most pen faults come down to where things sit. How to arrange a small desk so that capping, storage.
Maintenance
Do these eight fountain pen faults have real fixes?
The eight faults that account for nearly every fountain pen complaint, what causes each one, and the fixes to try, in the order you should try them.
Costs
Ink testing supplies compared: cheap tier versus expensive tier
Cheap and costly ink testing supplies compared side by side, covering named papers, light boxes, cards and viewers and what each tier actually buys you.
Reviews
What to buy first for testing ink at home: a closer look
A short list of testing equipment that earns its place, what a flatbed scanner adds, and the line beyond which home testing stops being possible.
Industry
How ink makers and conservators test ink: two very different goals
How ink makers and conservators test ink: what a formulator and a conservator each want to know about an ink, the iron gall case that shows why.
Reviews
Building an Ink Testing Bench: Washable Surface, Fixed Light and Spill Tray
What an ink testing bench needs: a washable surface, fixed 5000 K light and camera, a spill tray, handling rules and improvised gear options.
Maintenance
Seven mistakes that ruin home ink tests and how to fix each one
Seven mistakes that ruin home ink tests, why each one breaks the result, and the small habit that turns a nice looking page into usable notes.