It’s undeniable that the 149 is what made Montblanc great, but it was never what made the brand. That would be the second and third-tier Montblancs: the 042G, 344, 24, and countless others.

In a hobby where possessions can quickly become objects of admiration or desk ornaments, the M800 remains a tool. A very personal one.

I'd taken full advantage of the cheap beer and chicken skin skewers at the Shinjidai near Yurakucho Station before I realized I was close to Tokyo Station.

As with any writing instrument, the writing itself is the most important aspect. This is the area in which the 001 could most improve.

The Apollo 11 landed on the moon. The Beatles recorded Abbey Road. The first message was sent over the internet. Sailor introduced the Mini with a 21 karat nib.

I've used multiple pen cases over the years. What qualifies as 'ideal' is entirely a matter of preference. Here’s what I have in mind.

The shitajiki will never take center stage in your everyday writing. But it is one of those things you take for granted until it's gone.

Whenever an expensive fountain pen employs a cartridge/converter (C/C) system, criticism tends to follow. It is an understandable sentiment. Whether it is actually a failure is another matter.

For many people, these qualities are what make the King Profit great. For me, it is what made it the pen that haunted my collection.

I love Komeda's Coffee. It is one of the places I most reach for my fountain pen.

Kiyoshi Kato started his career digging up his backyard. He ended it having ascended heights few ever will. He’s a Spaceman.

To experience more, you acquire more. It is a logic that is hard to argue with. The Pelikan 400NN taught me there is another way. Ironically, it did so by being a purchase.

The advantages of ebonite feeds are real, but so are their demands. It is worth being honest about what exactly is being admired.

From what I've observed, manufacturers work from one of three philosophies when designing ink bottles.

I imagine that when my parents explained the stationery was for their child, the staff pictured an actual child. Not a grown adult with opinions about optimal paper texture.

If I received a note written on this memo pad, I'd probably hesitate before discarding it, even after the information stopped being useful.

It’s hard to tell which part is most implausible: the years-long queue, the nitrocellulose, the true sepia ink, or the fact that one of the world’s largest companies made room for him.

There’s a certain appeal to Nakaya that’s hard to describe. At its essence, a Nakaya is a Platinum 3776. But far from it, it is.

Those of us who had years to accumulate our gold nibs should be careful not to develop the posture of boomer homeowners: confusing “I bought early” with “I earned it.”

As the anecdote goes, the scene takes place inside Pilot’s headquarters in Tokyo. A meeting of executives. A new Capless model being introduced.