Parker 51 Fountain Pen – A classic reimagined

The legend of the Blackwing exceeds the reputation of any other pencil. Its exceptional balance of softness, darkness, and sharpness, set off by an elegant ferrule and replaceable eraser, makes it instantly recognizable and highly addictive. Celebrated authors, musicians, and artists declared that they could not work without the original Blackwing after it was discontinued in 1998. The revived family of Blackwing pencils and companion products... read more

As a huge lover of Christmas and festive tidings, every Christmas, I take great pleasure in ensuring a Christmas-appropriate ink is in situ in one of my fountain pens. Last year, it was De Atramentis Santa (which confusingly smells of chocolate) and this year, I've opted for a personal favourite within the collection: J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor. My full review of it from 2018 can be seen here. I... read more

Fountain pens are simply unlike other writing instruments. Their vintage appeal and distinctive nibs already set them apart, but many manufacturers have taken the opportunity to make their fountain pens stand out from the rest of the pack. In this guide, we shine a spotlight on unique fountain pens that have noteworthy materials and nibs. read more

If you're a long-time reader of The Pencilcase Blog, you may remember a review I did about five years ago, of a product from a new South African company called Frara Road. Back then, I reviewed their Pen Roll (find the original review HERE): a cleanly-executed, well-thought-out leather pen roll made from a beautifully soft brown distressed leather. In the years that followed, it remained a bit silent from the... read more

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With the new year quickly approaching, it’s time to break into a new planner. But with so many out there, it’s hard to find one that’s perfect for the way you plan. In this guide, we’ll compare our dated, undated, and long-term planners to save you from the guesswork. We even include illustrations of each planner's signature layout so you can easily compare every detail. Are... read more

Yesterday we took a look at the Momento Zero Grande 2020 (review HERE) from Leonardo Officina Italiana, and today I have somewhat of a world-premiere (nothing short of a miracle, given how terribly slow I usually am at publishing reviews!): a first quick look at the all-new Leonardo MZ Grande 'Pura' collection! If you follow Leonardo on Instagram, you may have already caught a glimpse of the Pura in his stories. It certainly didn't get past me... read more

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In December 2020, I decided to start running regularly. Having been a keen sportswomen prior to that (regular netball, the odd game of squash, basketball, etc), I had a good basic level of fitness but for some reason, could never get into running and actually loathed it a bit!However, lockdown changed things. Team sports were not allowed, meet ups were not allowed and most recreational grounds/gyms/fitness centres were closed.... read more

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