New on my desk are Monteverde Rose Noir ink and a seashell Jinhao 58. They weren’t purchased to be mates but they certainly look right together. Sometimes you just get lucky.
A Unique Cover for a Notebook
03/24/2026A passport cover makes the perfect home for a small Traveler’s notebook. Search “passport holder” at Amazon for what is currently available. Prices range from $5 to $25.
Avocado And Teal Make A Dynamic Duo
03/11/2026
A little color invaded the pen selection on my desk courtesy of Private Reserve Avocado in an avocado green Jinhao 82 and Iroshizuku syo-ro in a teal Hongdian N2. These pens and inks make journal writing appealing and aesthetic. Which ink duos make you want to write?
The Inks In My Pens Today
03/04/2026The inks in my pens come from six different manufacturers and comprise a comfortable group for writing in my journal.
Off to the side and out of view are swatches for developing a mostly pastel spring rotation though frankly I could be happy limiting my desk mates to just two of the Jinhao clickable pens given their smooth nibs and convenient form. Not all of them are great but three of the four I have are. One only misses because it dries out too fast. Or maybe I just write too much with it.
Jinhao 10 Writing Sample
02/26/2026
This Jinhao 10 clickable fountain pen with its smooth fine nib is a keeper. Waterman Mysterious Blue ink is perfect for this Taja A5 lined notebook. No bleed through or show through and the letters have very clean outlines. This sample was written on the back of a full page so there’s the proof.
Some users have had complaints about hard starts and skipping but there were no skips here though there were a couple elsewhere. Not letting the J10 run even close to dry solved the problem. It is a tad finicky in that regard.
Jinhao Click Pens
02/17/2026
Yes, those are fountain pens. They are click versions from Jinhao that are similar to the Pilot Vanishing Point. The nibs are surprisingly good, smooth with good flow. More about these babies in the near future.
Sailor Shikiori Inks
02/12/2026Ink acquisitions from 2025 make a colorful and harmonious palette. All are from the Sailor Shikiori line. The coordination was unplanned but rather a happy accident. The pen is a Jinhao that works well with all of the colors. Could this become my spring rotation?
An Inkophile's Blog 
