Shibui.North profile

Profile,

We catch up with up-and-coming urushi master, Ruth Bolton…

Tell us about Shibui!  It’s a tricky term to translate into English, but can mean the way that objects obtain an accidental beauty over time; it’s random, so it’s unique, and improves as it gets older. The ‘north’ bit of the name is because I’m based in sunny Tyneside.

So how did you end up getting into the ancient art of urushi? It wasn’t planned, but I lived in Japan for six years and in an attempt to learn the language I thought I’d give night classes a try. Getting to grips with urushi varnishing techniques looked like a good way to go in at the deep end, and one thing led to another.

Was it about pens right from the start? Not really – that was another benign accident! I inherited a lathe from my grandfather, and although turning wood was hard work I found I got on very well with ebonite. It’s smelly stuff to work with, but the results are worth it. Then, having seen urushi-finished pens in Japan, I put two and two together. It’s been a busy time ever since…

How complex is the process? Very! Turning the pen in ebonite is one of the fastest parts , really – that and adding a Bock nib at the end. But urushi is all about the finish, and that can take up to fifty coats for each piece. The coats have to dry slowly, in a humid atmosphere to avoid cracking; I use an old cigar humidor to regulate that, but it can still take up to three months overall.

What’s next? More textures and finishes. My urushi designs are selling well through Kickstarter, I’m working on a shark-skin texture next, and prototyping a maki-e finish too. It’s a long learning process, but a fascinating one. It’s amazing the things that can make the key difference, too – I’m using a sea sponge to create the coral negoro effect of my latest design.

You can see more of Ruth’s remarkable designs on her Instagram page, and we’re planning to put one of her pens through the legendary United Inkdom meta-review process later in the year.

Manuscript Lettering Pencil

Meta-review,

A little bit of history:  The Manuscript Pen Co Ltd are based in Shropshire, where they have been producing nibs and calligraphy pens since 1856. Despite their vintage they evidently love coming up with new products and this holder with interchangeable leads set is one of their latest.

manuscript pack

How it looks:  The big pack arrives in one of those tricksy-to-open plastic blisters, packed with everything that you need to get cracking on your pencil calligraphy; a lead-holder, five different lead colours (including graphite) for you to play with and a nifty glass ‘sharpener’ to help you keep a good edge on your leads. There’s also a more select pack for those who just want a lead-holder and some italic graphite.

Crucially, how it writes:  Uniquely! When have you ever seen big wide italic lead before? It takes some getting used to, and perhaps as a factor of the rectangular manufacturing  process the graphite/crayon is remarkably hard. While our reviewers had fun with it and it DOES work, some felt that their own calligraphy skills were not good enough to show the product off to its best advantage. The coloured lines produced were quite faint. So, while it could be fun for kids, a concern might be whether the results will look smart enough to encourage them to take calligraphy further. However, a good calligrapher could create something special with this.

scribble.jpg

Lead! What is it good for? It’s an innovative product that offers a less messy way for beginners to try their hand at calligraphy. It could be especially fun for children and using the coloured leads instead of inks means that parents can relax without worrying about their soft furnishings being ruined.  In the hands of a good calligrapher, the results from this pack could be a contemporary blend of the rustic and the stylish.

manuscript colour

VFM: At the moment, a version of this product can be purchased from John Lewis for £20.00. We think that’s quite steep for a pencil, but also not crazy money for a product as unusual as this.

If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, but almost: then why not try calligraphy with an ordinary pencil? Any pencil that is blacker, rather than harder (ie B rather than H) will be fun to try calligraphy with. Try anything from 2B to 5B or maybe 6B. But watch out for smudges! The softer the lead, the more smudges you can make, so protect your paper as you work. Or just let the kids go crazy – the choice is yours!

Alternatively, it is possible to buy the italic leads on their own from Manuscript direct, and they should work with any 5.6mm lead-holder you already have.

Our overall recommendation:  The Manuscript Calligraphy Lettering Pencil is a fun and innovative product for a style of writing that has remained popular for hundreds of years.  In the hands of a good calligrapher it could perform marvels – but we think caution is advised for beginners, as if your lettering skills aren’t that wonderful, the initial results may leave you less than enthusiastic to pursue calligraphy further.

See our reviewers’ individual reviews:

Diamine Shimmers – new colours for 2018

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A little bit of history This is a festive tradition now, so the British ink legends Diamine  strike the market again with another of eight Shimmering inks, which complement the 32 inks in the series already released over last three years (we reviewed them here and here). This makes an impressive family of 40 shimmering inks in total, covering a wide palette of base colours combined with either gold or silver flecks suspended in their depths.

How it looks  

Mystique

Dragon Blood

Neon Lime

Peacock Flare

Pink Champagne

Razzmatazz

Rockin’ Rio

Starlit Sea

Crucially, how it writes… Diamine inks are very good indeed. This company has a long tradition (over 150 years!) and knows clearly  how to make good-quality and well-saturated ink which flows. Shimmering inks are no exception here, however due to their specific nature some precautions have to be taken. Because shimmering inks are in fact suspensions, before filling the bottle should be shaken so the glittery particles will be evenly distributed. The same rule applies once your fountain pen is filled; gently agitate the pen before you use it (read it the economic news, or twiddle it between your fingers, whichever you prefer). It may not be a bad idea to prime the feed before writing. To get the full effect, a broad and ‘juicy’ nib is often a good choice, although the shimmering effect can be achieved using finer nibs as well.  To get the best results then good, smooth and fountain-pen-friendly paper is a must!

Ink! What is it good for? These are not ‘standard’ inks by any means, but Shimmering inks are in fact suitable for use in almost any modern fountain pen. However, suspended particles can potentially clog your precious feed, so our recommendation is to use inexpensive fountain pens which are easy to dismantle and clean. Glass pens or dip pens may be a good alternative here. We also do not recommend leaving pens filled with this type of ink for a prolonged period of time since it may leave deposits and dry out between the fins of the feeder – and it can then take some hard work to clean it up properly.   Diamine Shimmer ink can be used on daily basis, but it may look a little unusual on business or legal documents (unless you work for Santa), so we would not recommend use for these purposes.  Diamine Shimmering inks are, however, absolutely ideal for all festive occasions including wedding invitations or Christmas cards (yes, be quick Christmas is coming very soon!).  If you wish to practice fancy Copperplate or Spencerian calligraphy,  these inks are perfect for it. They will definitely add a ‘shiny’ dimension to your hand-writing and lift it up to higher level.  We have also seen shimmering inks regularly used in personal diaries or journals. The possibilities may be endless, depending upon how creative or adventurous you are.

VFM  Considering the fact that Diamine inks are well made and the writing experience is generally very positive, a 50ml bottle filled with beautiful glittery ink for less than £10 is very good value for money (the official price is £9.95 at Diamine’s own web shop). Some UK retailers are selling it for even less (£ 8.95). ‘Sounds good… and it is!

If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, but almost…  If you feel uncomfortable using this type of inks with your fountain pen, you can always try them out with glass pens. It is definitely a safe alternative and the effects are still very good. If you’d prefer to try pearlescent inks from a different manufacturer, then J. Herbin, De Atramentis and more recently Robert Oster all have alternatives worth considering – albeit at significantly higher prices.

Our overall recommendation These inks are really fun to use and the shimmering effects are extremely pleasing. Diamine have proved again that they can deliver affordable, great-quality products, and with a broad selection of 40 colours there is plenty to play with. An unqualified thumbs-up from us!

Where to get hold of some  Diamine Shimmering inks are available directly from the Diamine web-shop, or all the usual retailers including Cult Pens, Pure Pens, The Writing Desk or Bureau Direct.

This meta-review references:

Thanks to Diamine for the samples.

Yule Giveaway | BeNu Friendly Chameleon Fountain Pen

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Can you believe it? It’s December ALREADY! This year has flown by. I don’t know where it’s vanished to at all; possibly down the side of the sofa with all my pound coins!

We are at the last United Inkdom giveaway of 2018.  So, ladies and gentlemen (and all shades in between), the United Inkdom review team present to you… the BeNu Friendly Chameleon!

Let me tell you a little bit about this pen. She’s a VERY attractive Russian pen, part of the BeNu range (all hand-made and equally strikingly coloured) and retails for $90 (converter extra). Read what the United Inkdom reviewers said about it HERE.

What do you think? Isn’t it just the best-looking pen?

This lovely creature could be delivered to your door by Hogmanay! Just think, you can start your 2019 journalling with this classy fountain pen and it won’t cost you a bean!

Interested? To take part this month, you should be resident in the UK and sign up to receive updates for the United Inkdom blog by email (hit that red ‘ink me up’ button). And that’s it!

The giveaway closes on 22 December, with a winner drawn before 24 December. And providing we get the winner’s address details in good time, the BeNu Friendly Chameleon will be with you before 31 December.

And if you’re not the lucky winner, why not visit the BeNu site and check out their whole range – that Christmas present money isn’t going to spend itself!

Nick Stewart’s CMYK fountain pen ink blending kit

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A little bit of history  Nick Stewart is a creative designer, artist, calligrapher and educator from historic Rochester, on the Thames estuary in Kent. Nick also actively contributes to United Inkdom. As an artist he is very passionate about inks, especially their chromatic properties, breaking down all possible hues and tonal ranges present in any ink he works with. He has tested hundreds and hundreds of inks which allowed him to understand how they are made and what factors are affecting specific properties. There is a hint of alchemy in his work, especially when Nick experiments with bleach to test how the destructive process which results can create something new and exciting.

Nick has been working closely with Britain’s best-known fountain pen ink manufacturer to design his own custom-made inks, and we have already reviewed the first result, the beautiful Randall Blue-Black ink. Recently, he also came up with set of four mixable inks which mimic the CMYK colour model which many of us know better from printers. By blending them together, with specific ratios, the whole range of secondary and tertiary colours can be obtained. The idea was to create inks which generate a wide enough palette of colours that anyone can simply take them for a journey in a rucksack along with an art journal or watercolour paper pad. In principle it works in the same way as the simple watercolour sets you can find in any art shop and blend together using water. Because the majority of inks are made using dyes, the properties and final effects are different from those which pigment-based paints generate and are an interesting alternative to them.

How it looks  Nick’s set contains four independent 30ml inks. The intended purpose is to blend them together to obtain new colours, but each ink can be used separately as a stand-alone fountain pen ink. The colours available in the set are: Berber Blue (C), Desert Rose (M), Yellow Dune (Y) and Twilight Black (K). These are not ‘pure’ CMYK colours, and each ink has its own unique characteristics. However, when mixed together they still create a full range of secondary and tertiary colours.

How it mixes For drawing, probably the best way to mix and blend inks together would be to use small portable paint trays, as  employed by artists for watercolour or acrylic paints. The only problem is to figure out the best way of taking small amounts (or even drops) of each ink from the set bottles and transferring these to the mixing tray. With watercolour and acrylic paints it’s easy enough, since these are often available in small tubes or as solid blocks. Picking the ink directly from the bottle using a brush might not be the best idea; it would be very easy to cross-contaminate (unless you use several brushes).  Pouring inks directly from the bottle may be risky, and cause splattery surprises. Plastic pipettes (or little eyedroppers) seem to be ideal for this, although you’ll need to carry a few of them. In future, we think it might be a good idea to make the set available with small eyedroppers mounted directly on the cap.

All four inks mix nicely together, and if necessary they can be easily diluted with water. For watercolour paper it’s helpful to apply thin layer of water as a medium, so the inks will flow better on the paper. Water brushes are also good for blending and washes.

Crucially, how it writes…  All four inks are very good quality. They flow well in fountain pens and the overall writing experience is pleasant. We have not noticed any unnecessary bleeding through, ghosting or feathering. As expected, the same observations apply for custom-mixed inks made with this set.

Ink! What is it good for?  These are multi-purpose inks. The primary purpose of any fountain pen ink is writing, of course; all four base colours are nice on their own, but why not to create your unique combination of colours simply by experimenting and mixing base inks together as you like? However, the secret trick this set has appears as soon as they are diverted to use in painting and illustration – they blend well and the resulting colours are well-saturated and vivid. These inks are also water-soluble, so can be used for washes too.

VFM  The set is available for £20, which looks like decent value to us. You get four 30ml inks which are high quality in their own right and work very well with fountain pens, brushes and almost any other media you can find. Once you figure out how to mix them to obtain your preferred custom colours, this much ink should last quite a while.

If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, but almost…  Blending colours is great fun and even if you don’t feel you have bags of artistic skill or unsure about the theory of colour mixing, you should definitely give it a go.  Experimenting with colours is fascinating and maybe accidentally (magically) you will create the favourite ink colour you have always been searching for. Who knows? Try it and let the magic happen!

Our overall recommendation If you are illustrating, journalling or drawing when travelling and if you like different mixed-media to create art, then Nick’s ‘CMYK’ set is designed for you. If mixing colours doesn’t immediately sound like your cup of tea, we’d say you’re missing out. Take a leap and try it!

Where to get hold of some  The set of CMYK inks is available directly from Nick Stewart’s website where you can find all the details. 

This meta-review references:

Thanks to  Nick himself for getting some samples out to us.

Newsnibs special – Made For Ink!

News,

Hot news – well, as hot as it can reasonably get in this unseasonably frosty weather… Rutland’s very own stationery supremo, known to us all for his previous exploits as the provider of Personalised Stationery, has just branched-out into a line of notebooks specifically crafted for fountain pens and tested by several members of the Fountain Pens UK Facebook group.  Logically enough, it’s called madefor.ink!

We’ll get a meta-review of some of these products together as soon as testing schedules allow, but in the meantime there’s a quick review of the EDC pocket notebook already up and, more importantly, the site is celebrating World Fountain Pen Day with a handy discount: use the code PENSAREGREAT to get 20% off. Well, that’s a message we can all agree with.

Inventery modular fountain pen review

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A little bit of history  No-one’s quite sure when and where the concept of modular design first arose. Architecture has a fairly strong claim to being the founding school, and Brunel’s prefabricated hospitals created for despatch to the Crimea get frequent mentions, but the Norman prefabricated castles shipped over the Channel in 1066 shared many characteristics and, as you won’t be surprised to hear that the Romans had thought of something similar, the essentials of the concept are there in Vitruvius too. What perhaps is surprising is that it’s taken this long to take hold in the fountain pen world. So American firm The Inventery got on with making up for lost time, and sent us one or two to check out.

How it looks  Like a short plain tube or a slightly longer plain tube, depending upon whether you choose to install the extender section. The shape is otherwise fairly featureless, but there’s a fair range of materials and finishes, from plain aluminium and matt black to shiny brass.

How it feels  Small, to be direct about it.  Unextended, it’s just about long enough for brief use as long as the cap is posted. With the extender fitted, it’s long enough to use like a standard pen, but a little top-heavy with the cap posted.How it fills The ‘pocket’ configuration will fit only a small international cartridge, but the extended version has space for a proper twist converter.

Crucially, how it writes…  Tolerably. The small steel Schmidt nib is nothing fancy, but does the job adequately enough as long as you’re not after flex or flair. There is also a rollerball tip in the pack, if you’re into that sort of thing –  which, seeing as you’re reading a fountain pen website, is less than guaranteed, but moving swiftly on…Pen! What is it good for?  It’s good for, depending upon your point of view, customisers who like to regularly reconfigure and re-invent their pocket pen, or for terminally indecisive fidgets!

VFM  This is probably not Inventery’s strongest point, at least when it comes to fountain pens. There are plenty of surplus attachments in the kit to play with, but once you have found the formula which works for you the chances are that you’ll stick with it – and that inevitably means that there will be waste. Waste can be expensive, too; for what this admittedly curious and interesting combo costs, you could get one of the solid metal versions of Kaweco’s proven Sport and be most of the way to acquiring a high-quality gold nib for it too.

If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, but almost…  Try some different shapes and sizes of fountain pen and, when you find one which you like enough to put it in your pocket straight away, buy that.

Our overall recommendation Is to think carefully about why you’re contemplating buying this. If it’s a present for someone who perhaps isn’t a huge pen addict but really enjoys dismantling and rebuilding things, it might go down very well. If you’re a fountain pen aficionado, though, we’d say that this is fun and interesting, but maybe not a high-priority purchase.

Where to get hold of one  Direct from Inventery is simplest. Alternatively, we’ll be giving away one of the kits we tested as part of our Yule frenzy, which is only a few months away after all – so keep watching!

This meta-review references:

Thanks to  Inventery for sending us some samples to test.

 

 

Hallowe’en Give Away | Paper Republic | Grand Voyager Notebook

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Our next give-away is a classy leather (sniffs appreciatively) journal cover, replete with Grand Voyager Notebook, kindly donated by the manufacturer, Paper Republic.

To take part in the give-away, you must be within the UK, have the right answers to this handful of questions and send those answers to unitedinkdomprizes@gmail.com by 31 October. The winner will be notified in the following week and the journal cover sent out thereafter.

As ever, the answers to our questions are all to be found on United Inkdom website or on the Paper Republic website.

They also do amazing kits too!

Ready?  Let’s go!

1 In which city is Paper Republic based?

2 How many colours does the Grand Voyager XL Notebook cover come in?

3 What price does the Grand Voyager XL Notebook retail at on the Paper Republic website?

4 How many pages does the insert notebook have?

5 How many suppliers does Paper Republic have in the UK?

6 Who are the 3 United Inkdom reviewers for the XL?

And that’s it!

Happy hunting for the answers!

United Inkdom Team.

BeNu Friendly Chameleon fountain pen review

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A little bit of history  Based in Moscow, Benu burst into the pen scene last year with a range of striking designs. When they offered us one to try, we said да!

 

How it looks  The Friendly Chameleon itself is indeed very striking. The barrel is a squared off triangle, with a matching cap. The resin is beautiful with a whole lot of shimmer and sparkle. It truly is chameleon-like, changing appearance as it catches the light at different angles. All our reviewers loved this resin but some felt the overall appearance was let down slightly by the black plastic centre and grip sections. It’s all a matter of taste and a pen with these kinds of looks is bound to provoke a wide range of reactions.

How it feels  Surprisingly comfortable. There’s quite a step down from the barrel to the section but the section’s long and so your fingers are safely out of the way. The pen’s width and light weight mean it’s comfortable to hold for extended periods. The cap is light and so doesn’t throw off the balance when posted. The shape also means the pen won’t roll away – always a plus with a clipless pen.

How it fills  Benu very sensibly use an international standard cartridge or converter.

Crucially, how it writes…  The nib is a generic steel Schmidt #5. The one on our review unit had good flow and behaved itself very well with no skipping or hard starts. It had some feedback which we felt was just the right side of acceptable but might not be for everyone. It isn’t the greatest nib but it works well and is easily replaced.

Pen! What is it good for?  The Friendly Chameleon writes well and is comfortable in the hand and so, fortunately, is an excellent pen for doing lots of writing! It’s also good for just gazing into, while waiting for inspiration to strike.

VFM  At $90 (plus another $5 for a converter) this isn’t a cheap pen but it’s unique in shape and colour. It would be good to see a higher quality nib but if you like the design (and, let’s be honest, you’re going to either love it or hate it!) then a pen that works well and is this unusual is good value at this price.

If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, but almost…  It’s hard to find a pen with these kinds of looks at this price. You’d usually be looking at something bespoke, for a lot more money. So if you almost like this pen but aren’t quite sure then you might be best off looking at the rest of Benu’s range.

Our overall recommendation  The Benu Friendly Chameleon is a good pen and all our reviewers would recommend it, if you’re seduced by its looks!

Where to get hold of one  Benu sell internationally direct from their website.

This meta-review references:

Thanks to  Kate in Moscow for sending us the pen to try out.

Elrohir notebook covers

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A little bit of history  Tolkien left more entertainment for etymologists than anthropologists in his writings, and the latter would probably not be wildly impressed at the idea of a being who was half knight, and half elf. Such, however, was supposedly the provenance of Elrohir, and it’s a fitting name to borrow for a product made in a stable, using saddle-making techniques – although we can confirm that no elves were employed in the making of this review.  The Elrohir operation is in fact run by a very nice human called Mischa, based in Wales rather than Rivendell, and we were encouraged to find out more about what she does by one of our regular readers from Middle Earth (well, Melton Mowbray, but it’s near enough). What came our way were two remarkable notebook covers; an A6 steampunk number and a blue A5 mandala affair, complete with multiple interesting refills.

How they look  Frankly astonishing. Everyone we show these to responds with some variety of ‘wow’. The designs are embossed, so they’re quite tactile too.  The range is quite a challenge to describe, so a quick look at Elrohir’s Etsy page is worthwhile now. No, seriously, right now!

How it feels  Weighty, rugged, and ready to last a life-time – and yet remarkably refined. Like the sort of saddle you’d put on a thoroughbred, probably.

How it fills  With as many simple cahier-style exercise book refills as you care to thread in. The A5 version we tested could take five or six, which did make it a bit tough to hold flat and write in – but of course thinner versions can be made available with a swift email to Mischa. Customisation is very much encouraged.

Crucially, how it copes with a fountain pen…  Mischa’s own inserts come in a variety  of plain and coloured papers, and all we’ve tested so far seem happy making friends with a proper nib. They look the part next to a real pen, too.

Book! What is it good for?  These are built to last, but we think maybe a little too lovely to take to work (unless you work with elves, of course). For a travel journal, recipe collection or grimoire-in-development, though, it’s almost certainly exactly the thing.

VFM  These cost about 30% more than the equivalent standard product from Start Bay – so not cheap, but nevertheless remarkably reasonable for such an unusual product. We certainly couldn’t complain.

If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, but almost…  These are two very fine examples of Mischa’s craft, but if you prefer something a bit different – a cover depicting bats flitting through the night sky, perhaps – it’s worth having a look at the Elrohir range. We’ve yet to come across anything quite comparable from another maker.

Our overall recommendation  Have a browse, save a few pennies, and get one. If you’re after a robustly decorative notebook cover, these will take some beating.

Where to get hold of one  Go straight to the source and talk to Mischa! Her Etsy page is a good place to start.

This meta-review references:

Thanks to  Mischa for getting a couple of amazing samples our way. Most of us didn’t want to let them go, and that’s a recommendation!