While many of us may think of fountain pens as residing in some stuffy library of a gentleman, there is just as much appreciation for this writing utensil for women as well. The fountain pen transcends gendered norms and is a great equalizer in the world of craftsmanship. While watches […]
Author: Brett F. Braley-Palko
Why Owning a Quality Pen Matters More Now Than Ever
Today, two years in the pandemic, I think it is safe to say that we are all craving small pleasures. While nothing will be able to replace the time lost, there is something to be said about being able to appreciate things a little more now than pre-Covid. That’s actually […]
What Pen Would Have Fitted Virgil Abloh Best?
In late November, the fashion world lost a beloved designer. Virgil Abloh was the most recent artistic director of Louis Vuitton and, later, LVMH. His groundbreaking career allowed for new voices – and faces – to be recognized in the high fashion world and, because of this, his influence will […]
Ignite Your Inner Adventurer with Montegrappa Age of Discovery
In a period where the global economy flowed on the backbone of the spice trade, the world began to expand in the imaginations of the kingdoms of Europe. It was this vast wealth and unimaginable courage that a few explorers were able to redefine the boundaries of the continents. Magellan […]
Build connections, Write a letter
At this very moment, Reader, I have exactly 61 unanswered text messages. That does not include what’s left unanswered on Whatsapp, emails, and (shudder) voicemails from my mother. I ignore them. They’re easy to forget – just a small red bubble on a screen. I’m inundated with reminders, alerts, alarms, […]
Ten Pens that Will Stand Out Under the Christmas Tree
I don’t know about you, but the holidays seem to be approaching much faster this year. Perhaps it has something to do with now being vaccinated, so I am antsy to travel. Perhaps it is simply something to look forward to in the doldrums of winter. In any case, Hanukkah […]
Will Pens have some kind of importance in the digital Age?
One wouldn’t be mistaken to say that there is a direct correlation with digital progress and the decline of pen sales. It makes sense, in a way. One didn’t expect a boom in iPods when Spotify got on the scene. Technology – both analog and digital – has a Darwinism […]
Sailor’s Wabi-Sabi and the Philosophy of Embracing Imperfection
Oftentimes, when talking about craftsmanship, we are talking about precision, exactitude, and a balance of aesthetic and function. It’s really a Western standard of design that most pen brands are held up to. But what if this was not the only standard of design that should be introduced within the […]
Leading men and Elegant Pens: A Match Made for Hollywood
My grandfather was a farmer by birth and a woodworker by trade. Because of this, one of his favorite sayings was, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” I can still hear him say this in the background of many of my childhood memories on his farm, Tanglewood. For […]
Five Pens matched to five cities
Having now worked in the fountain pen industry for just under two months, I have had a reconnection with design that I had lacked in previous roles. I look at the merits of pens and find the subtlety of the designers’ inspiration in the craftmanship of each piece. But I […]