1. What is the pen they'll have to pry from your cold, dead hands?
The Nahvalur Horizon – Glacier renewed my love of fountain pens. It’s so different from the rest of my collection, but I was drawn in by the way it so closely resembled the texture of an arctic landscape. I couldn't stop talking about it from the moment it was announced. Bury me with that beauty.
2. What's your guilty pleasure pen?
No guilt. I reach for my Lamy AL-Star more quite regularly, but that just taught me that I default to more Bauhaus-styled pens.
3. What's the pen you wish existed?
As a kid, I was obsessed with Y2K-themed anything. Everything was chrome and futuristic and glowed in the dark. A Y2K-style pen could have a semi-opaque glow-in-the-dark body, transparent enough to see the inner workings, but not enough to be considered a demonstrator. And sleek metal trim.
4. What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?
A Lamy AL-Star is a solid, affordable pen that's decent to write with. A great starting point.
5. What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?
My first. The Pilot Metropolitan. It's a great pen by all accounts, so I think mine might have a nib issue, but I could never get it to write smoothly. Every once in a while, I pull it back out and see what I can do with it, but no luck yet.
6. What pen do you keep only because it's pretty?
I picked up a pen by 1893 Woodcrafts at the Maryland Renaissance Faire. It's a slick gray acrylic with black metal accents. Very sharp. I didn't, however, anticipate how I would feel about writing with such a hefty pen. It's just a little too heavy to write for long with it. It's become more of a shelf beauty over time.
7. What pen (or stationery product) did you buy because everyone else did?
The Levenger Circa Foldover. I wanted something with fountain pen-friendly paper and this disc-bound system seemed quite popular. They were having a 30% off sale so I hopped on the bandwagon. I now understand why there's a bandwagon — great system!
8. What pen is over your head or just baffles you?
Demonstrator pens. I just don't see the appeal in a transparent fountain pen.
9. What pen surprised you?
The Monteverde Ritma. It’s about the same price as the Lamy AL-Star but writes like a far more expensive pen.
10. What pen doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?
I don't have one like this. But that could change.
11. What is your favorite sparkly pen?
My Nahvalur Horizon – Glacier has just the right amount of shimmer without veering into "sparkly." It’s also my only “sparkly” pen.
12. Which pen do you love, but hate the nib?
That 1893 Woodworks is a stunner with a mediocre nib. I haven't felt moved to replace it yet, though.
13. What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?
Squeeze converters. Screw squeeze converters.
14. What’s your favorite pen for long-form writing?
My Monteverde Ritma, typically. It has just the right amount of heft to keep it moving without tiring out my hand over time.
15. What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?
I want to adore Traveler's Notebooks. They're very much my aesthetic. But after several attempts, I just can't get the system to work for me. This is where the Levenger Circa came with a new advantage: you can reshuffle pages, not just inserts. That's a level of customization I can't get from TN. Also being able to have the notebook lie flat.
16. What pen would you never let someone else use?
My Nahvalur Horizon – Glacier. Seriously, don't even ask.
17. What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?
Glittery inks or anything really bright in color. Hard pass.
18. What pen can you not bring yourself to buy?
My grail pen — Otto Hutt design 04 in black metal guilloche — simply because of price point. I think I’ll fret too much about something happening to it.
19. What’s your favorite vintage pen?
I've not yet explored vintage pens. One day.
20. What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?
The Kaweco Liliput is the size of a cigarette and fits perfectly in my pocket. It also writes great. I have long fingers that are prone to hand cramps, though, so I have to take breaks if I’m writing a lot with it as it’s so tiny.
21. What’s the pen that got away?
Probably that Otto Hutt, in the end. We shall see.