TWSBI Precision Fountain Pen

We just launched the TWSBI Precision - a pen a lot of people have been looking forward to since TWSBI's announcement of its release. It's similar in styling to the Classic, with TWSBI's iconic piston filling mechanism, but the real excitement about the pen is that it's made of brushed aluminum - the cap, grip and barrel are all made from metal, with a clear window so you can see how much ink you have left. It's a bit of a weighty pen, being made of aluminum, but not so much that it's tiring to write with, even for me. The o-rings at the threads help the cap close nicely, sort of like IKEA drawers, and you can also push to post the cap on the back, although it becomes quite long. The barrel and cap are distinctively faceted, meaning it won't roll off your table, but it's also appeals to a certain aesthetic of clean lines and metal and an industrial sort of look and feel. Sometimes grip sections can get a bit slick, making it hard to hold onto, but there's a bit of texture to the metal that makes it quite grippy. This is a fine nib, and it writes slightly on the finer side as compared to European brands, like Lamy or Pelikan. I would normally go for something a bit broader, but with pens that I plan to toss around (gently) and use for notes and whip out to impress people in public (but on various types of recycled paper) I like to stick with something finer. Ink is Kyo No Oto Nurebairo (No. 1, the black), and the paper is a Life Stenographer pad. As far as TWSBIs go, if you already have one, you know the basics and you probably already know if you're sold or not on the Precision based on your personal taste for aesthetics or material - although of all TWSBI's pens, this might be one that's nice to hold in the hand first. I don't write about every pen that comes into our shop (nor do I keep one of every pen), mostly because I don't have enough time, but I can't resist sharing more photos and details about some of my favourites, and I love this new model to the line. Like everyone else, I can't wait for the new bamboo pen TWSBI has given us hints of, but the Precision is certainly fitting in nicely in our shop's offerings - the level just above beginner pens like the Safari or ECO. It's incredible to think of an aluminum, piston-filling fountain pen at this price point, just over $100. It looks terrific, and would make a pretty great workhorse pen - huge capacity, strong body material, easy to grip. It's a good option for folks who have dipped their toes into the fountain pen world with an ECO or a Safari, and are looking for what's next, but it's also just a good everyday pen. I always love seeing what TWSBI puts out because I love the philosophy of having pens for everyday use without breaking the bank. I know that as far as pens go, fountain pens are a luxury, and if you're buying a fountain pen and ink and stationery, you may be pretty fortunate in life, but I love that for a reasonable amount, a TWSBI pen and a bottle of ink could last pages and pages and years and years of writing.

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In other news, we're making progress with our new west end main shop. The days are ticking away, and I'm mostly just looking around wide-eyed, holding onto the baby, wondering if things are going to go up in flames. Wires are being put in for the overnight alarm system, internet is being routed, we're hoping for a few warm and dry days to paint the outside. Stay tuned for the big announcement on the new address in this week's email newsletter (and in various other places, don't worry if you're not signed up).* Here in our current location, we continue onward with rummaging through things and attempting to declutter in the warehouse. Jon has stated that in our division of labour, I'm responsible for the packing and he's responsible for the moving, which I think is a bit of a scam, because his job is two or three admittedly very intense and physically grueling and stressful days, but mine is months of hoarding cardboard boxes and combing through shelves and piles and harassing Jon to make decisions on whether or not we need to keep this or that. I've been trying to declutter, having read Marie Kondo, but the whole concept of sparking joy is a bit different when it comes to a warehouse - keeping boxes of receipts in case we're audited, or a box of labels that I bought for shipping back when we were at 906 and I had no idea how to print shipping labels or old Lamy posters. Luckily for us, there's been a dumpster parked in our courtyard for the last year and a half, so it's all really been worth the months of having contractors dumping roofing material next to our windows and trucks beeping and dropping off the dumpsters and a smashed window and detritus strewn about outside our doors. Just today, Jon broke a chair by sitting on it, so there's one piece of furniture down. Interesting things we've found in the warehouse so far include: two rolls of Santa washi tape, Caleb's rainbow xylophone, a long, long overdue library book and keys to our old, mighty Honda Civic, given up years ago - all very tame so far. People keep offering to help, but the truth of the matter is I'm a bit worried about what else we might unearth.    

Currently reading: Margaret Atwood's The Heart Goes Last

Currently eating: roasted pumpkin seeds

Currently trying to hunt down: reusable bamboo coffee mugs

Currently writing with: Aurora Duocart, with Sailor Epinard, Lamy All-Black with Plains of Abraham, Pelikan M600 White Transparent with Sailor Bungubox 4B, Mitsubishi 9000 HB pencil

Currently celebrating: Naomi turns six months and the fact that we're all still alive           *If you'd like to sign up, you can do so here, but don't feel any pressure to. We send out email newsletters once every week or two, and it's generally just newsy stuff like new releases, re-stocking, what we're expecting soon, events, calligraphy classes, and sometimes the weather, specifically in Toronto, you know, in case you don't live here and want to know how we're doing.