Chris, it's always a good morning when I can start with one of your videos and a cup of coffee! I love seeing Coco, too. Keeping your mom and your family in my thoughts.
Hi Chris! Nice to see you! I love the last orange ink, the Scribo Arancio di Sicilia. So vibrant! I haven't done much exciting with inks lately. Life has been a bit full (work, home maintenance, taking care of elderly parent, etc. - all good, but very, very busy!). I'm finally treating myself to some pen fun again. Current pens in use are a couple LAMYs, a Platinum Plaisir, and a bunch of Pilot Varsity pens at work. I'm cleaning out some others now, and look forward to inking them up again! 🙂
Hi Liz -- I'm glad you're treating yourself to some pen fun!!! Caregiving can be incredibly demanding all on it's own then adding in work and home life ... whew. I hope you enjoy the pens and inks you're writing with!!!! :)
Hi Manda!!!!! :) I wish I could live in the show right now lol ... life has been so stressful outside the pen hobby world!!!! Thank goodness for pens and cats.
I'm pleased to have found a couple of folks to trade pens with. Getting rid of pricy pens I don't like in favor of a couple I like is so satisfying that it feels like cheating. I still can't be bothered to sell anything yet, but maybe some day.
Hi Ichiro -- I see lots of people selling pens but that idea scares me ... I'd have to know exactly what I did to the nib and I'd feel totally liable until the person liked the pen ... ugh ... not for me the selling. Trading seems somewhat less threatening as does flat out gifting pens out. If I had this hobby to do all over again I'd not accumulate so many pens but hindsight it always clearer right!!!! :)
Chris, I'm amazed at your enterprise. You're doing so many things I didn't think there were as many hours in the day. Thank you for your detailed pen report; I always find them interesting. I'm keen to see if you can identify the problem with the Moomman/majohn mini. I looked at the Birmingham pen company and their #5 Nemosine nib deal. Unfortunately they're not shipping internationally. Oh well. Thank you once again.
Hi @raybuck it has seemed like a crazy circus around here lately and of course I wouldn't have taken on certain projects if I had known how busy I'd be with my Mom's paperwork and care coordination but in a way it's good I didn't know because Toby needed a home. :) I just cleaned out the little Moonman Mini and now I have Pilot Azalea in it with no problems so far. It took a long soak to get all the ink and sheen out of the feed. The water turned really pink even though I had already flushed the pen with 8 or 10 syringes of water (bulb syringe). I may have to part ways with Vinta Makopa ink. :) I'm sorry to hear they don't ship the Nemosine nibs out of Birmingham Pens internationally that's disappointing I'm sure.
Just bought an Aurora Ipsilon which is one of Auroras moderately priced pens. It’s very plain but is a good writer. It’s a #5 nib M but it’s almost between a M/F I guess because of the smaller #5. I’m used to 6. I have a few books on Stoicism too which I love and I think you’ll really love The Grapes of Wrath…hard to stay our of some of the Utube rabbit holes!
Hi @lju5001 I've still been book bouncing somewhat, trying to finish some books I started and looking at some non-fiction too ... my mind has been so scattered but now with Mom on the mend more I think I may be able to settle into one book for fiction ... I sure hope so!!! :) Congratulations on your Aurora pen purchase!!!!!! :)
Yes would love to see reviews on your pen cases! Love the orange Eco and ink: it’s so cheery! I laughed out loud at the tip to keep the kitchen sink clear: mine is full at the moment and I’ll have to force myself to wash up later 😂❤ Glad your Mom is recovering.
Hi @wildwolf3343 -- I have some pen case reviews ... I did the purple splash Rickshaw Sinclaire-R, and one where I compared 3 small pen cases: Galen Leather, Ashton and another one, plus the Rickshaw coozy case and the Rickshaw 8 pen pen roll/coozy. I probably need to make a playlist for those. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 - I've already enjoyed your Rickshaw videos :-) I just go to my happy place watching your channel - I'm going to find the Galen/Ashton one too. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us. I have to say it makes my day brighter when there's a new video from your channel. I don't have many pens myself, but have just started an ink journal and am going to enjoy the ones I have by getting samples.
A really nice and vibrant selection of inks! No excitement in my inks in February. The Platinum pocket pen with Carbon Black, still. It's probably going to be my "water resistant ink" pen combo for a while. My '37 Parker Challenger has a "belly full " of Waterman Mysterious Blue (the inks are all what I've gotten since my health issues recently, for use at my sister's house whilst I recuperate). And I bought one of the newer Jinhao biggies with their heartbeat nib. So I got 2 bottles of KWZ for it. Too lazy to get up and check, but one is Cappuccino and the other is a nice, darker, yet not too dark, green. Something with an evergreen in the name, I think. 😁 Great to hear from you, and what you've been up to!
Hi Paul!!! I hope you're recovering well and I'm glad you can be at your sisters to get back fully to health!!!!! :) I really love KWZ inks -- I forget sometimes how wonderfully they flow ... I found Pilot inks and all but abandoned so many of the other old favorite inks but it was great using Thief's Red and Monarch this month!!!!
@@ChrisSaenz13 The green is Pine Green. Looks like a lot of the vintage greens, kind of an emerald green. The similarity to vintage was what drew me to it.
Hi Kathy -- I honestly can not think of a better tv series ever than This is Us. The writers did a mind blowingly great job on it as did the actors and directors!
Anytime I deal with a sheeny ink I always add bottled distilled water to the at least a few drops cause those sheeners dry out and become gummy and the only way to bring them back is boatloads of water its the only way :)
Hi Chris! I’m surprised that the little moonman blocked, i have 2 , one that stays in my purse so i don’t write often with, and it usually writes straight away. I don’t put “shimmer” inks as they would settle too much, 🤷♀. I heard you say that you still have a carbon ink to finish? I use that ink in my drawings & watercolors, isn't that a pigment ink? Or maybe they have one for fountain Pens. I’ll need to look into that! I received a benu euphoria (B) for valentines day and am so excited, but have not inked it yet, as i expect i won’t want to put it down , so I’m waiting for one of my other pens to be empty! This is us was my favourite program , waiting every week to watch. Yes i laughed and cried through out. I have not had tv since last October but I’m getting way more done in my reading and when i need to “get out of my head” i listen to an audio book as I’m doing a chore or something else that requires no attention! Keeping you and your mom in my prayers, so happy to hear things are going well for her! Take care
Hi Ann-Ingrid -- I just filled the little pink Moonman Mini with Pilot Azalea and I'm writing in my journal ... so far it's perfect. It must have been that Vinta Makopa ink was too heavy on sheen. :) I have Platinum Carbon Black ink in a sample to finish. It's permanent ink but it has been okay in my fountain pens. Oh that's super exciting that you got a Benu Euphoria!!!!!! I think you'll enjoy it so much! They have such beautiful pens! Which color did you get?
I dont know if you still have it but I think I sent you a bottle of sailor vermont I dont know if you got it or if you liked it its ok if you didnt some of those sailor inks are so dry and some are just wonderful :) I would be curious to see what you think of it :)
Hi Marilyn -- I like it very much it's very dark and saturated ... I need to ink up with it again to refresh my memory completely but I think as long as I put it in a Broad nib I loved it. :)
Chris, it's always a good morning when I can start with one of your videos and a cup of coffee! I love seeing Coco, too. Keeping your mom and your family in my thoughts.
Hi Jessica!!! :) I just wrote a letter to you I need to get to the post office!!!!!
Hi Chris! Nice to see you! I love the last orange ink, the Scribo Arancio di Sicilia. So vibrant!
I haven't done much exciting with inks lately. Life has been a bit full (work, home maintenance, taking care of elderly parent, etc. - all good, but very, very busy!).
I'm finally treating myself to some pen fun again. Current pens in use are a couple LAMYs, a Platinum Plaisir, and a bunch of Pilot Varsity pens at work. I'm cleaning out some others now, and look forward to inking them up again! 🙂
Hi Liz -- I'm glad you're treating yourself to some pen fun!!! Caregiving can be incredibly demanding all on it's own then adding in work and home life ... whew. I hope you enjoy the pens and inks you're writing with!!!! :)
This Is Us is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen! I still need to watch the last couple episodes because I didn’t want it to end. 😂
Hi Manda!!!!! :) I wish I could live in the show right now lol ... life has been so stressful outside the pen hobby world!!!! Thank goodness for pens and cats.
"Far from the Madding Crowd" is not a lazy read :-) "How to be a Stoic" is my favorite, read it a couple of times. I will look into the Salzberg book.
I'm pleased to have found a couple of folks to trade pens with. Getting rid of pricy pens I don't like in favor of a couple I like is so satisfying that it feels like cheating. I still can't be bothered to sell anything yet, but maybe some day.
Hi Ichiro -- I see lots of people selling pens but that idea scares me ... I'd have to know exactly what I did to the nib and I'd feel totally liable until the person liked the pen ... ugh ... not for me the selling. Trading seems somewhat less threatening as does flat out gifting pens out. If I had this hobby to do all over again I'd not accumulate so many pens but hindsight it always clearer right!!!! :)
Chris, I'm amazed at your enterprise. You're doing so many things I didn't think there were as many hours in the day. Thank you for your detailed pen report; I always find them interesting. I'm keen to see if you can identify the problem with the Moomman/majohn mini.
I looked at the Birmingham pen company and their #5 Nemosine nib deal. Unfortunately they're not shipping internationally. Oh well.
Thank you once again.
Hi @raybuck it has seemed like a crazy circus around here lately and of course I wouldn't have taken on certain projects if I had known how busy I'd be with my Mom's paperwork and care coordination but in a way it's good I didn't know because Toby needed a home. :) I just cleaned out the little Moonman Mini and now I have Pilot Azalea in it with no problems so far. It took a long soak to get all the ink and sheen out of the feed. The water turned really pink even though I had already flushed the pen with 8 or 10 syringes of water (bulb syringe). I may have to part ways with Vinta Makopa ink. :)
I'm sorry to hear they don't ship the Nemosine nibs out of Birmingham Pens internationally that's disappointing I'm sure.
Just bought an Aurora Ipsilon which is one of Auroras moderately priced pens. It’s very plain but is a good writer. It’s a #5 nib M but it’s almost between a M/F I guess because of the smaller #5. I’m used to 6. I have a few books on Stoicism too which I love and I think you’ll really love The Grapes of Wrath…hard to stay our of some of the Utube rabbit holes!
Hi @lju5001 I've still been book bouncing somewhat, trying to finish some books I started and looking at some non-fiction too ... my mind has been so scattered but now with Mom on the mend more I think I may be able to settle into one book for fiction ... I sure hope so!!! :) Congratulations on your Aurora pen purchase!!!!!! :)
Yes would love to see reviews on your pen cases! Love the orange Eco and ink: it’s so cheery! I laughed out loud at the tip to keep the kitchen sink clear: mine is full at the moment and I’ll have to force myself to wash up later 😂❤ Glad your Mom is recovering.
Hi @wildwolf3343 -- I have some pen case reviews ... I did the purple splash Rickshaw Sinclaire-R, and one where I compared 3 small pen cases: Galen Leather, Ashton and another one, plus the Rickshaw coozy case and the Rickshaw 8 pen pen roll/coozy. I probably need to make a playlist for those. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 - I've already enjoyed your Rickshaw videos :-) I just go to my happy place watching your channel - I'm going to find the Galen/Ashton one too. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us. I have to say it makes my day brighter when there's a new video from your channel. I don't have many pens myself, but have just started an ink journal and am going to enjoy the ones I have by getting samples.
A really nice and vibrant selection of inks!
No excitement in my inks in February. The Platinum pocket pen with Carbon Black, still. It's probably going to be my "water resistant ink" pen combo for a while.
My '37 Parker Challenger has a "belly full " of Waterman Mysterious Blue (the inks are all what I've gotten since my health issues recently, for use at my sister's house whilst I recuperate). And I bought one of the newer Jinhao biggies with their heartbeat nib. So I got 2 bottles of KWZ for it. Too lazy to get up and check, but one is Cappuccino and the other is a nice, darker, yet not too dark, green. Something with an evergreen in the name, I think. 😁
Great to hear from you, and what you've been up to!
Hi Paul!!! I hope you're recovering well and I'm glad you can be at your sisters to get back fully to health!!!!! :) I really love KWZ inks -- I forget sometimes how wonderfully they flow ... I found Pilot inks and all but abandoned so many of the other old favorite inks but it was great using Thief's Red and Monarch this month!!!!
@@ChrisSaenz13 The green is Pine Green. Looks like a lot of the vintage greens, kind of an emerald green. The similarity to vintage was what drew me to it.
Glad you enjoyed This Is Us. I watched it when it was new on NBC. One of my favorite shows.
Hi Kathy -- I honestly can not think of a better tv series ever than This is Us. The writers did a mind blowingly great job on it as did the actors and directors!
Anytime I deal with a sheeny ink I always add bottled distilled water to the at least a few drops cause those sheeners dry out and become gummy and the only way to bring them back is boatloads of water its the only way :)
Hi Marilyn -- I thought must be it was the sheen giving me the trouble!!!! :) Thanks! I'm cleaning that pen out today!!!!
Hi Chris! I’m surprised that the little moonman blocked, i have 2 , one that stays in my purse so i don’t write often with, and it usually writes straight away. I don’t put “shimmer” inks as they would settle too much, 🤷♀. I heard you say that you still have a carbon ink to finish? I use that ink in my drawings & watercolors, isn't that a pigment ink? Or maybe they have one for fountain Pens. I’ll need to look into that!
I received a benu euphoria (B) for valentines day and am so excited, but have not inked it yet, as i expect i won’t want to put it down , so I’m waiting for one of my other pens to be empty!
This is us was my favourite program , waiting every week to watch. Yes i laughed and cried through out. I have not had tv since last October but I’m getting way more done in my reading and when i need to “get out of my head” i listen to an audio book as I’m doing a chore or something else that requires no attention!
Keeping you and your mom in my prayers, so happy to hear things are going well for her! Take care
Hi Ann-Ingrid -- I just filled the little pink Moonman Mini with Pilot Azalea and I'm writing in my journal ... so far it's perfect. It must have been that Vinta Makopa ink was too heavy on sheen. :) I have Platinum Carbon Black ink in a sample to finish. It's permanent ink but it has been okay in my fountain pens.
Oh that's super exciting that you got a Benu Euphoria!!!!!! I think you'll enjoy it so much! They have such beautiful pens! Which color did you get?
Hi, it’s Bora Bors, a nice blue with gold & silver sparkles. And the broad nib writes beautifully! 👌
I dont know if you still have it but I think I sent you a bottle of sailor vermont I dont know if you got it or if you liked it its ok if you didnt some of those sailor inks are so dry and some are just wonderful :) I would be curious to see what you think of it :)
Hi Marilyn -- I like it very much it's very dark and saturated ... I need to ink up with it again to refresh my memory completely but I think as long as I put it in a Broad nib I loved it. :)