Love in the long arc
As my years in the hobby progressed and my likes and passions became more refined, I began to notice a reluctance to let go of certain pens — even when I used them less than I wanted to. I’ve been curious, and often frustrated, with the friction between wanting to keep these pens and my self-imposed 20-ish pen guardrail.
The pleasure of craftsmanship: the Alfie tray
I review the Alfie tray from the Stationery Stack, and have all kinds of thoughts about craftsmanship.
Minimalism by any other name
I haven’t yet found the right word to describe my approach to collecting. It’s more of a vibe than principle.
Teranishi Traveling Sepia and Antique Black; and a meditation on brown
Trends are a social phenomenon - when we care about our communities, we are influenced by them, we want to belong by sharing experiences and acquisitions. But after all the reviewing, the sharing, the comparing, and the swapping is done, the things that remain in use are the things that please you.
January-April 2025 in Stationery
A retrospective of my stationery discoveries of the first four months of the year :)
Montegrappa Venetia vs Scribo Piuma
i review two Italian beauties in my collection - the Montegrappa Venetia and the Scribo Piuma.
Tariffs, a vibe
Many people wrote about going on a buying hiatus, or starting a low buy. I don’t know if people will actually slow down or stop buying, but the vibe has definitely soured.
Pavlov’s Stationery Dog
Analog notetaking provides a tangible trace, a proof, of my life. Like other vestiges of life, a paper note is present; it is mine; it is ephemeral, but carries within it a possibility of future archeology; it can be destroyed or discarded, forgotten and found. An analog notetaking habit is a tool, and also a philosophy. It is an embodied practice.