If you are based in North West England then Manchester’s first StationeryFest on 1st July 2023 might be of interest to you.
It’s in the Manchester Central Convention Complex (that’s just the new name for what most of us call the GMEX).
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find a lot of information about the companies that will be there, but the website https://stationeryfest.co.uk shows that there will be over 40 stallholders as well as stationery related presentations.
Eagle-eyed Bleistift reader Tomasz Maped [1]I didn’t realise that Maped, the name of a French stationery company, is a surname. from Poland contacted me after he noticed a Lamy Safari in the first episode of the second season of Solar Opposites.
I must have missed that detail when I watched this episode so am especially thankful to Tomasz for pointing this out.
The screenshots in this blog post has been taken from Season 2 Episode 1 of Solar Opposites. I believe that the use of the screenshot shown in this blog post falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.
References
| ↑1 | I didn’t realise that Maped, the name of a French stationery company, is a surname. |
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Lamy Safari in Solar Opposites Read More »
Bleistift reader Robert from Grantham sent me this screenshot from a BBC Radio 5 Live Programme about SATs. Thank you, Robert.
SATs are tests used UK primary schools. With the Noris being the most commonly used pencil in primary schools here, it’s no wonder that the Noris is featured in the photo used for this show.
The Noris is certainly a common occurrence in photos and videos whenever the media report about schools. I wonder if the introduction of the upcycled Noris will change this.
If you want to see more Noris in the wild check out the Noris in the wild page.
The Noris and the SATs Read More »
One of the most helpful stationery companies I came across when it comes to fixing issues is Tactile Turn.
A short explanation why: I had some problems with my Tactile Turn Gist fountain pen and Will Hodges helped me several times, trying to fix the issues that occurred[1]Initially I received a replacement cap because of the marks on the original cap. When the replacement cap failed a few years later (when I clipped the pen the pressure from the clip made the finial … Continue reading.
Below is a video from 2020 showing the final cap [2]If you see any advertising it’s YouTube’s doing. I don’t have video monetization turned on.. You can also see the process of the first cap change in a video from 2017 if that interests you.
Why do I mention all this? It’s because their pens are guaranteed for life, which makes you (or at least me) more likely to part with my money ..thinking I will have a pen I can always send in if there were any issues.
With that in mind their latest Seasonal Release looks very tempting. Yes, not cheap, but if I wanted to convince myself to buy it I could use the lifetime warranty as an argument.
This latest Seasonal Release is called the “8-Bit” and it just looks 8-Bit, too. It is also available in Europe from Kohezi, but I think shipping to the UK will come with a big bill independent of whether you ship from the US or the EU: Even though Kohezi’s web site lists the prices in Pounds the small print states that items are shipped from the Netherlands and that they have no control over customs, which implies they don’t prepay customs etc, it’s up to the customer.
As part of this Seasonal Release you also get to play an 8-Bit like game that reminds me of R-Type on their web site: a game where you shoot other stationery with the 8-Bit pen, including yellow, eraser-tipped pencils.
If you don’t mind shooting (virtual) pencils you can do so at: https://tactileturn.com/products/8-bit
References
| ↑1 | Initially I received a replacement cap because of the marks on the original cap. When the replacement cap failed a few years later (when I clipped the pen the pressure from the clip made the finial pop out) I got another replacement cap, but as material and shape of the pen had changed it didn’t fit. After sending the whole pen in I got a pen back with a cap that works. Unfortunately it is made from another material, with another size of pattern, the finial doesn’t sit right and the cap is very tight to screw on, but given the circumstances this was the best solution possible |
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| ↑2 | If you see any advertising it’s YouTube’s doing. I don’t have video monetization turned on. |
2022 saw the release of the 30th Yoko Tsuno album.
In case you are not familiar with this series [1]I came across this series a few years ago for the first time.: In the Yoko Tsuno comics the main character, an electrical engineer, is taking part in adventures all over the world. Stories are usually technology and Sci-Fi heavy.
The first story appeared in 1970 and more than 50 years later they are still drawn by Roger Leloup, who is now 89 years old. He is still working on creating more adventures and, according to rumours, the 31st album is already half completed.
As can be seen in the this Kaboom video, Roger Leloup is using Pentel’s P205 to draw his comics. The clip has been removed, presumably to more more comfortable to hold and because the pencils are not being used in pockets anyway.
A few years ago I was quite lucky and managed to get a signed print from Roger Leloup that I want so share here with you.
I believe that the use of the images in this blog post fall under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.
References
| ↑1 | I came across this series a few years ago for the first time. |
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Yoko Tsuno and the Pentel P205 Read More »