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.
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Guides
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Guides
5 things nobody tells you about ink testing methods
The order a real ink test runs in, from stating one question to recording a result, and the difference between what you can measure and what you can only observe.
Guides
Building a writing setup: what to spend on, what to improvise, and what to skip
A practical guide to setting up a writing desk: what to spend on, what to improvise, what to skip, how to check your position, and an hour of free setup steps.
Guides
Fountain pens setup: fitting everything onto one shelf
Build a fountain pens setup on one shelf with a Pilot Metropolitan, Iroshizuku ink, a Rhodia notebook, covered bottle storage and a rinse station.
Guides
What does a weekend really cost you in fountain pen habits?
A weekend audit of what writing by hand costs, with real prices, a cost-per-page method and the ink bottle outlay most people forget to count.
Guides
A weekend practice plan for learning fountain pens in 2027
Fountain pens learning plan: two days of short, structured drills for pressure, angle and letter shape, with the checks that tell you whether the practice is doing.
Guides
How to keep a fountain pen purchase log and disclose gifts
How to log fountain pen purchases: date every price you paid, keep gifts and loaners out of your total, photograph honestly and disclose free items clearly.
Guides
Fountain pen photography: lighting and backgrounds that work
Lighting, backgrounds and color control for photographing pens and writing samples, plus the reference targets that make one shot comparable to the next.
Guides
How to plan a stationery collection: purpose, inventory, buying order and review
Set a purpose for your paper and pen collection, inventory what you own, buy paper, ink and envelopes in order, and review the drawers twice a year.
Guides
How fountain pen ink reaches the paper: a beginner's guide
How a fountain pen moves ink, what dye and pigment inks do differently, why paper changes the line, and the two habits that prevent most first-pen trouble.