In this issue

On our cover: Celebrate 18 years of maki-e beauty with the AP Limited Editions Dragon of Good Fortune and a slew of other refined compositions. Florida's Divine Pens Plus showcases the potential of resin, from fantastic fountain pens to unique desk accessories to stunning jewelry. Armenia's BENU plays on the theme of snake pens with the new Viper collection. Sam Flax Orlando pen and art supplies store provides a magic kingdom for the pen enthusiast. Plus, the third chapter in our series on vintage dip-less inkwells. Also, get creative: Hemingway and the typewriter, inkwells and the imagination, and introducing "craft:" our new department for creative work.

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part III

Once dip-less desk sets became entrenched in the business world, they naturally proliferated as more companies got into the game.

6 mins

The Inkwell and the Imagination

A history of the inkwell as a source of inspiration.

6 mins

From EDC to OMG!

The Visconti Year of the Dragon limited edition collection pays tribute to the Chinese five-clawed dragon, which was reserved solely as representative of the Emperor and nobility.

7 mins

Love Story

AP Limited Editions celebrates its 10th anniversary with pens in honor of its deep U.S. connection. Originally published in Vol. 29, No. 2 (February 2016).

5 mins

The Magic Kingdom at Orlando's Sam Flax

In central Florida, a writing instruments and art supplies store carries on the Flax pen shop legacy.

5 mins

Piloting My Way To Dromgoole's

Rice Village in Houston, Texas, is always buzzing with holiday shoppers in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so it was no surprise to me that not a single parking spot was available in front of family-owned Dromgoole's Fine Writing Instruments and Stationery store for its holiday shopping event on December 9, 2023.

1 min

The Ohio Pen Show

Begun more than 25 years ago, the Columbus, Ohio, Pen Show is one of the most respected among all North American pen shows.

1 min

These Snakes Don't Bite

The new BENU Viper Collection finds inspiration in the sinuous bodies of three snakes.

5 mins

A Fountain Pen Scribe's Ode to a Typewriter

I stood there, just 15, clutching a $30 check from a magazine for something I'd written, the first ever for my writing, growing dizzy with images in my head of where I needed to be.

5 mins

Introducing LeatherLuxePH

Raymund Nino Bumatay creates high-end leather pen cases with Filipino pride.

4 mins

Crafting the Divine

What's in a name? Paradise, when the name is Divine Pens Plus.

5 mins

Fortunately, AP Limited Editions

Eighteen years on, this artisanal brand remains dedicated to preserving and promoting the maki-e arts.

8 mins

Atelier Lusso and the Borchard Center on Literary Arts

On May 26, PW received an email from Eric Sands, the artisan pen maker behind the California-based brand Atelier Lusso, along with a photograph. \"You see the amazing people in this photo?\" begins Sands's email. \"All are recipients of the coveted Borchard Prize for literature, and each of these wonderfully talented writers is a part of the Atelier Lusso family.\"

3 mins

Sailor Iro-Miyabi Fountain Pens Presented to G7 Leaders

From May 19 to 21, heads of state traveled to Hiroshima, Japan, for the G7 Hiroshima Summit, hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

1 min

Jeanne's Ohana Designs: Take Notes, Send Notes, Create 'Ohana

For some companies, it's all about the product and the purchase. Then there's Jeanne's Ohana Designs, which offers not only items and assistance but genuine connection.

2 mins

Parker Pen's EP Point: Smoother Writing Through Chemistry

Throughout its history, the success of the Parker Pen Co. was largely the result of a commitment to innovation through research and development.

2 mins

Written in History

The Scranton Penmanship Collection gives us insights into the rich heritage of American cursive.

6 mins

Anderillium Flies on Gossamer Wings

This family-run ink brand proves you don't have to be big to have a big impact.

6 mins

Flax Pen to Paper: The Next Generation

Outside its home area of Southern California, Flax Pen to Paper flew under the radar for decades. Now under new ownership, this is about to change.

5 mins

Santini Italia Slays the Giant

With the new No. 8 Giant nib, this artisanal Italian pen company is making its largest mark yet.

5 mins

Fountain Pen Hospital and the End of an Era

The Wiederlight brothers have sold their business to The Pen Family, marking the most significant change this landmark shop has ever seen.

5 mins

Apprentice to Journeyman to Master

Since the turn of the century, Penlux's Kevin Hsu has been mastering his craft.

6 mins

Like a Phoenix, BENU Rises

First, a move from Russia to Armenia. Now, this young company is challenging our conceptions of the hand-painted fountain pen.

8 mins

A Consumer's Guide to Paper From Vol. 22, No. 4 (April 2009)

On average, the American consumer uses nearly 700 pounds of paper yearly. A portion of that is attributed to newspapers, phone books, product packaging, and other uses where quality is of little importance, but when it comes to writing paper, it can be useful to know a bit about the various options-from the basic to the most luxurious.

4 mins

TANSTAAFL

Looking for a jewel of a fountain pen at a bargain basement price? Then get ready for a long hunt.

4 mins

Paul Fisher's Mission

The Fisher Space Pen is inarguably the most well-traveled pen in the galaxy, invented in the middle of the last century by a man of great determination and vision.

6 mins

Testing the New Tomoe River

When production of this beloved Japanese paper moved to a new company, fans worried it wouldn't be the same, and they were right: it might be even better now.

5 mins

Leuchtturm 1917 and stilform: Learning, Sketching, and Infinite Writing

The parent group of the beloved German notebook brand doubles down on cognitive note-taking and adds its first-ever fine writing instruments brand to its family: stilform.

6 mins

This Is Your Pilot Speaking...

The venerated Japanese pen and accessories company shows its appreciation for its U.S. fan base with a slew of new products.

5 mins

A Carousel of Color and Form

Thanks to a 45-year family legacy in pen making, Leonardo Officina Italiana has exploded in popularity and changed the face of fountain pens.

6 mins

Read all stories from PEN WORLD

PEN WORLD Magazine Description:

Founded in 1987, Pen World is the premier niche luxury magazine of fine writing instruments and handwriting culture. Based in Houston, Texas and issued bi-monthly, Pen World entices both new and experienced pen connoisseurs to look at writing instruments in an unconventional way. In our pages, you will find contemporary fountain pens and other writing instruments at all price points, fine papers, inks, and desk accessories. Our long-form articles cover leading brands, vintage pens, pen-and-ink artists, how-to guides, and much more. If you love pens, then Pen World is the magazine for you.