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A Brief History of Victorian Era Gold Pens (Gold Nib Dip Pens) — Part II
A Brief History of Victorian Era Gold Pens (Gold Nib Dip Pens) — Part II

Continue from my previous article, when I discussed how the predecessor of fountain pen was gold nib dip pens of the Victorian era. In this article, I want to introduce a couple more gold nib dip pen manufacturers from the 1800s, including Albert G. Bagley, Edward Todd, Mabie Todd, E. S. Johnson, A. Morton and Aikin Lambert. Particularly, I am interested in exploring development of their business and those intricate relationships among these pen makers. If you are also interested in these fine writing instruments back in 1800s, this blog post is for you. ;)

A Brief History of Victorian Era Gold Pens (Gold Nib Dip Pens) — Part I
Flex Review
A Brief History of Victorian Era Gold Pens (Gold Nib Dip Pens) — Part I
Flex Review

Gold nib dip pens from the Victorian era (referred to as "gold pens”), have disappeared completely within less than 200 years. Apart from dedicated pre-war pen collectors, few are familiar with this category of writing instrument. As an enthusiast of gold nib dip pens, I couldn't bear to see such a glorious era forgotten, hence I've penned this informative piece to shed light on a lesser-known past.

Flex Review
Best Modern Flex Fountain Pen Nibs (2026) — 18 Flex Nibs Compared
Flex Review
Best Modern Flex Fountain Pen Nibs (2026) — 18 Flex Nibs Compared
Flex Review

The most comprehensive modern flex nib review and comparison you can ever find on the internet! This post aims to provide comparison between different parameters of 18 modern flex nibs, including Magna Carta Mag 600 flex fountain pen, FPR #6 steel and 14k gold ultra flex, Pilot 912 FA, Pilot 743 FA, FPnibs steel and 14k gold semi flex, Bluedew flex, Secretary of de flex, Majohn steel flex nib, nibmeister-modified flex nibs, and more. [Updated in 2026]

Flex Review

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How I Practice Calligraphy with Flex Nib Fountain Pens
Ink Flexibilities Ink Flexibilities

How I Practice Calligraphy with Flex Nib Fountain Pens

When I bought my first flex nib fountain pen, I thought the line variation would naturally make my handwriting look more like calligraphy. Over time, I learned that the pen was only one part of the process. This post is a personal account of how I practiced, what helped me improve, the mistakes I made, and the supplies that worked for me.

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The Turquoise Guilloche is probably my favorite Graf von Faber-Castell fountain pen. The shade of blue-green is just perfect, and paired with Graf‘s beautifully rhodium-plated clip and the 18k nib engraved with the family crest, I honestly str
Only 2 out of 34 people correctly identified the OG Machine 7 Tomoe River Paper in my blind Instagram poll. That honestly surprised me. The 4 paper samples I tested are Machine 7 Tomoe River Paper, Sanzen Tomoe River Paper, Mark’s EDiT Notebo
One thing about modern steel flex nibs is that they always come with some kind of compromise. I’ve been testing Majohn’s new stainless steel flex nib for a bit, and I think I finally understand where it fits. It’s not really a &ld
I haven’t taken too many pen pictures lately, but I did find some pictures that I never posted before. Like this one with a collection of fexy long-tine vintage gold dip nibs. 💕 . . . #fountainpen #canada #fountainpens #stationery #stationer
Using a soft nib to write very fine lines is probably the greatest challenge in writing for me. That requires a lot of precision in motor control. However, it’s also rewarding as this process ruthlessly exposes any shakiness or imperfections fo