21 Pen Questions

Here are my answers to the 21 questions started by The Well Appointed Desk

1: What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?

This is an interesting question, since I’d be dead and probably wouldn’t care. But for the sake of argument, I’d say the Schon DSGN x Custom Nib Studio Sashiko. This pen was created by two amazing people, Ian Schon and Gena Salorino. It’s a black Delrin pen engraved with a tiny sashiko-inspired pattern across the entire barrel, based on the traditional Japanese stitching and embroidery technique. Ian programmed the machine to introduce subtle random inconsistencies into the pattern, making each pen unique. I later added a multicolored Monoc nib to complete the pen. Only 100 were made, and I was lucky enough to get one.

2. What is your guilty pleasure pen?

My guilty pleasure pen would have to be my fountain pens from Rockster Pens. I just love what Ash Lawrence does with his pens. Of these, my Rascal in twice-dyed maple stands out. It's a beautiful orange and red maple burr with Orange acrylic accents on the finials and section. It is fitted with an incredible architect grind from Kirk Speer. By my standards, it was outrageously expensive, but the craftsmanship that goes into making a pen like this makes it easy to appreciate every time I use it,

3: What’s the pen you wish existed?

It’s not that there aren’t enough pens to experience but maybe something that a manufacturer doesn’t want or feel the need to make. I’m thinking of the Lamy 2000 specifically. There have been some special editions but I would like to see more colors that aren’t SE’s. How about creating an acrylic version?

4: What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?

I would probably suggest a Lamy Safari. For a couple reasons. First, It’s a great pen. It’s durable, well made and comes in a variety of colors. Second, It helps a new user learn to write with a fountain pen based on the section. Yes, I understand the section is a hot topic to hate on but for someones who has never used a fountain pen, it makes it very easy to understand how the nib should be put to the paper.  And third, the nib. It’s easy to swap and pretty hardy. You’re probably not going to bend the tines on a Safari very easily.

5: What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?

Anything from Pilot. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I can’t get into using a pilot pen. I’ve owned pretty much all of them. The Elite, Vanishing Point, Custom 74, 92, and 743. Who knows, maybe someday I will. 

6: What pen do you only keep only because it’s pretty?

I don’t think in this way. If I did it would have been my River City Pens Oparex. But I typically don’t think of my pens as pretty. I see them as tools. Do I have some nice looking pens? Absolultey.

7: What pen (or stationery product) did you buy because everyone else did?

My Plotter (Personal Size)

I know this might be a controversial take, but hear me out—it’s a bit of a Goldilocks story.

When Plotter first came out, it seemed like everyone had one. They were all over Instagram, and the FOMO was real. At the time, though, I was fully committed to my Hobonichi Weeks. Like most planning systems, what works best tends to shift over time depending on your needs, and I wasn’t ready to invest a significant amount in a cover and inserts when the Weeks was still doing everything I needed.

Eventually, I came across a mini-size Plotter for sale and decided to take a chance. As soon as it arrived, I knew it wasn’t the right fit. I gave it a week, but I never felt comfortable working in such a small format.

Fast forward two years, and I found myself using the Hobonichi Weeks less and less. I started looking for a replacement and tried the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, but for me, it was simply too large.

That’s when I reached out to the The Pen Addict community to see if anyone had a personal-size Plotter they were willing to sell. Fortunately, I found one at a fair price. Once I sorted out the insert setup and figured out how I wanted to use it, everything clicked—and the rest is history.

8: What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?

TBD

9: What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?

Leonardo Magico - Pink Salt 

Serendipity

There is no way I would have ever bought this pen on my own. I never imagined I’d own a pink pen — and yet, here we are.

At one of our pen meetups, another member was showing me his collection. It’s an impressive one, filled with several truly grail-worthy pens. But tucked among all the Pelikans and Pilots was something unexpected: a pen from Relic Pens. It wasn’t flashy, but it caught my attention. The shape was appealing, and the barrel had been laser engraved with stars. It was understated, but beautiful.

That evening, I looked up the pens available from Relic. One in particular immediately hooked me: the Dragon Scale model in green. After exchanging a few messages with the maker, I ordered it. I was genuinely excited.

A week later it arrived, and I inked it with a matching green ink, ready to put it to use. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t going to work for me. The shape just didn’t fit the way I hold a pen, and it actually became uncomfortable to write with. It’s not the first time that’s happened. (I’m looking at you, Pelikan M800.)

So I decided to sell it. Before that happened, though, someone reached out and offered a trade: the Relic Dragon Scale for a Leonardo Momento Magico Pink Salt.

I hesitated at first because… it was pink. That alone made it something I never would have chosen for myself.

But when it arrived, that hesitation disappeared almost immediately. It felt fantastic in hand — comfortable, balanced, easy to write with. I filled it with Teranishi Opera Rose, which turned out to be a perfect match, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since.

Will I sell it someday? Possibly. But not because it’s pink.

10: What pen doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?

11: What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?

Sparkle is not my jam. I tried to live the fanciful life but failed miserably at it. I love Benu pens but sold the ones I had. The sparkliest pen I own is my Robs Pen Works Bioluminescent Crystal Jellyfish. Same thing can be said of my shimmer inks of which I own 4: Diamine Winter Spice, Papier Plume The Faceless Lady, Dominant Industry Autumn Forrest and Robert Oster Fire on Fire on Fire. 

12: Which nib do you love – but hate the pen?

The Pelikan M800. While I don’t have a pen I hate. This one disappointed me. It was my grail pen. But as soon as I wrote with it, I knew it wasn’t a relationship that would last. The nib was awesome, but the barrel didn’t work for me. And I decided that if a pen wasn’t working for me that I would sell it. This has kept the number of pens I own down to a reasonable number less than 50. I have had pens less than a day based on how they felt in my hand. Even ones that are considered grail worthy. 

13: What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?

Currently anything that’s an extreme sheener. I had a bad experience with Vinta Sandugo and ever since, I steer clear. While I used to love inks like these, times change, and so did I. 

14: What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?

Rockster Daydreamer

15: What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?

Shimmer inks - I live how shimmer looks on swatches (see my post on swatches). They look fabulous. But in reality, I can’t live with the knowledge that at some point, when I go to write something, the feed is going to be clogged. It has always happened, at least to me. 

16: What pen (or stationery product) would you never let someone else use?

Noodlers

17: What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?

Platinum Curidas - I’ve tried the better version of this pen in the Pilot Vanishing point and struggled using it. I’m pretty sure this iteration will not be any better. 

18: What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?

Any pen over $500. The desire is there but I just can’t justify spending that much money on a pen (right now) 

19: What’s your favorite vintage pen?

I don’t own a vintage pen

20: What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?

My current favorite EDC pen would be my Esterbrook Raven with Platinum Carbon Black ink. I bought this pen because I liked how it looked but never thought of it as an EDC. However, I soon realized its usefulness. I’ve carried it in a single pen sleeve that is attached to my lanyard now for 4 months. Every time I go to use it, it works. The slip and seal cap is great and the EF nib is smooth. 

21: What is the pen (or stationery product) that got away?

It was Mothers Day 2026. There was a beautiful pen on the Scriptorium web site. I think it was a teal green ebonite that just looked amazing. When I read the description it said it was a large version of the model so I put it out of my mind. But I kept thinking about it. Later, I saw the same pen on Instagram but in the description it said it was a medium.(Which I prefer). I sent a message to the maker asking about the pen. Later when she responded, she apologized about the confusion and that the pen just sold to a person in Switzerland. When I asked her about the material she said she didn’t have anymore.