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What makes a notebook stand out is its paper. Yes, the cover's sort of important, but it's what's sandwiched in between them that really cuts the mustard. And that's why Rhodia notebooks are so loved. The paper is, quite simply, superb. There's a Rhodia notebook ......Read More
Blackstone inks began in quite a roundabout way, coming from a discussion on Fountain Pen Network, but we'll come back to that. It's an interesting story, but you may just want to know what they're doing now. Well, they're making inks in Australia, with colours based ......Read More
Spring has sprung, the grass is riz. Or so that peculiar poem goes. Having just experienced a very spring-like warmest February ever, we're definitely looking forward to 'proper' springtime, and possibly the loveliest months of the year: March, April and May. And what do you ......Read More
When you're looking for a marker that will do exactly what you want it to do, it's an edding that you'll need. It's a proper marker. It doesn't matter what you want to mark, or how (or even why), it'll perform just as you want ......Read More
If you have a fountain pen, and you use bottled ink, you haven't been short of choices for inks to use. From old classics like Parker Quink, Waterman and Pelikan 4001, to interesting Japanese inks from Sailor, Pilot and Platinum. From the vast selection of ......Read More
We have two new exclusive inks, made by Diamine, with lots of sheen. If you just want to buy them, you can go and get them here. If you want to know more about how this happened, and perhaps the bigger question, how they ended ......Read More
If you were to slice Christine Joynson open, she'd probably bleed Dragon Blood Shimmer ink. Bit of a macabre start to a blog post, I fear, so I should apologise - sorry. There. Now that’s out of the way, I'll explain… Christine is one half of ......Read More
Generally TWSBI pens are aimed squarely at pen geeks. And we love that about them. Well, we would, we are pen geeks. 'Normal' for TWSBI is still bottle-fed pens, with transparent barrels so you can watch the ink slosh about inside; often supplied with the ......Read More
Field Notes was a simple idea. Designer Aaron Draplin had developed a bit of a fascination with old farmer's notebooks. Companies that made seed, sold parts for tractors, or fertiliser, would make little books. Sometimes they were printed, with information about their products and how ......Read More
Manuscript - the word alone conjures up one of two things: either a thick pile of A4 sheets with double-spaced type representing a hopeful author's literary debut; or - if you're more of a romantic bent - a scroll-like piece of parchment covered with curly ......Read More
I've been tempted by the idea of a 'Traveler's Notebook' for a long time. They always look beautiful, and it's a nice simple idea. I'd drifted away from using notebooks much in the last few years, which reduced the temptation a bit, and each version ......Read More
Your sense of smell is incredibly evocative, probably more so than any of the other four senses. Random scents can conjure up long-buried memories; they can make you smile with pleasure (newly-baked bread, fresh coffee), or wrinkle your nose in disgust. Some - like petrol, ......Read More
Cult Pens Get Inktensely Messy! We don't just sit around answering the phone or writing newsletters or wandering around the warehouse picking orders, you know. Oh no. Sometimes we spread the Tiverton Gazette over the meeting room table, dish out some Derwent and get arty (well ......Read More
What do Dolly Parton, Joanna Lumley and Steven Spielberg have in common? Well not a great deal, it must be said, apart from the fact that they are the same age - yes, 70! - as Pentel, one of the most recognisable pen brands in ......Read More
"Beep, beep." For those of you old enough to remember, ACME featured heavily in Wile E Coyote's arsenal in his ongoing battle against the Road Runner, usually featuring some device that didn't work, or did work, but not in the way he wanted. Ironically, 'acme' ......Read More
Start Bay notebook covers - as the names suggests if you're familiar with the West Country - are made on the south coast of Devon. They're leathery (very leathery) and tough (very tough) and really nice. They are the vision of Peter Cattermole, and are hand-made ......Read More
The #3776 from Platinum is a longstanding classic among fountain pens, though still not as well known as it should be outside its native Japan. With its traditional and simple styling, comfortable shape to hold, and legendary nib quality, the #3776 has long been a ......Read More
Googling 'Koh-i-Noor' frequently results in either listings of Indian restaurants or references to the famous diamond that adorns the Queen's crown. But look a little further and you will see that Koh-i-Noor is also a rather good manufacturer of pencils, pens and general art supplies; ......Read More
KUM’s Memory Point brushes solve, or at least help with, three of the biggest problems artists face with existing brushes. If you use paint brushes, and have any of these problems, you’ll want to try them: Most brushes lose their shape easily, and don’t spring back ......Read More
Tomoe River paper has been long-awaited. Many people in the UK have already used it, by ordering it in from other countries, with the delays and import duties that can involve. It’s famous around the world among those a little obsessed with this sort of ......Read More
There's really only one word for e+m's products, and that word is 'gorgeous'. Yes, they make pens, and we at Cult Pens like pens, which is why we sell them, and I suppose we're biased, but the pens (and everything else) from e+m are just, ......Read More
Hello! I’m Johanna Basford, ink evangelist, illustrator and creator of Secret Garden, a colouring book published by Laurence King that has now sold 1 million copies worldwide! This month I’m launching my new book, Enchanted Forest and to celebrate I’ve teamed up with the good ......Read More
Learn more about Caran d’Ache, their history, and their anniversary celebrations; then enter our competition to win some special anniversary goodies!Caran d’AcheTo many of us, a good set of coloured pencils means a nice set in a tin, with a picture of Swiss Alpine scenery ......Read More
This post appeared in January's issue of our Penorama newsletter. If you don’t already receive Penorama, you can subscribe here. You'll get more articles like this one, most of which don't appear anywhere else, and it's only sent once a month, so we won't over-fill ......Read More
Nuremberg – a picturesque city in the heart of Bavaria, Germany. Thanks to its position on the important trade routes between Italy and Northern Europe, Nuremberg’s craftsmen had a good view of the developments happening all over Europe for hundreds of years. One of these ......Read More
A beautiful handmade German Limited Edition pen; a tribute to classic rangefinder cameras, especially Leicas. Made from the same materials used for these classic cameras, the Fotografica-Pen is also made with amazing attention to detail. There's even an actual Stanhope 'optical bijou' lens from the ......Read More
Diamine is Cult Pens’ favourite ink brand, and we’ve had the privilege of working with the company for many years. After all, it was thanks to their expertise that Cult Pens’ own range of six Deep Dark Inks exist! It’s family-owned and offers a fabulous array of ......Read More
Our brains are amazing things, capable of countless thoughts and instructions. With so much information we have to take in during our day to day lives, we can improve our memory by organising our thoughts using various methods. This post provides a brief introduction to ......Read More
The name Staedtler is already associated with quality writing and drawing tools. Almost all of us will have used a Staedtler pencil at some point, with their Noris and Tradition ranges being classics. They’re the black and red or black and yellow striped pencils you ......Read More