The Nib Section

Latest Episodes:

18 - Battle of the Triple-Decker Nibs Apr 26, 2018

Show notes

This episode Tav and Angela review the Regalia Writing Labs Trilogy Nib and compare it to the Sailor Nagahara King Eagle, and then Diana chats with Brian Saputro about how the monthly Sydney fountain pen meetups got started.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

Featured in this episode are Tav (@nunc_est_scribendi), Angela (@crafty_rufus_), Brian (@briansaputro), and Diana (@thegrynne).

FORMAT

03:10—Review: Regalia Writing Labs Trilogy Nib

Ralph Reyes aka Regalia Writing Labs

Episode 13 - Try To Break This Pen...For Science

Angela’s photos of the Trilogy and King Eagle (1, 2, 3)

Diamine Marine

23:33—Interview: Brian Saputro and the Sydney FPO Meet-ups

Brian was previously a guest on Episode 16 - Paint with All the Colours of the Wind and Episode 7 - QC Controversies

Dymocks

Mark Hopson (@_markhopson) and Jonathan Teo (@the_beautiful_brain)

TWSBI Eco

40:44—Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Taveet Sinanian, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Recording and editing: Taveet Sinanian, Diana Dai, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Music: Michael Pearce.

Logo: Will H. Smith.

Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

17 - Buy Now, Regret Later (Tokyo Edition) Apr 13, 2018

Show notes

Taking over the microphone this episode are Sharyn and Leo, both freshly back from vacation and here to provide you with the Definitive (!!!) Pen-Lover’s Travel Guide to Japan.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

The hosts were Sharyn (@sharynzha) and Leo (@inquisitivequill).

FORMAT

01:14—Japan Pen Fairs 2018

Leo Travels: Tokyo Pen Extravaganza (2017)

Maruzen Nihonbashi World of Fountain Pen (7-13 March)

Mitsukoshi Fountain Pens of the World Festival (14-19 March)

Tokyo Pen Shop Quill

09:07—Special Japan Edition Pens and Inks

Mitsukoshi Decimo Pink & Blue

Nagasawa Emerald Green Decimo

Sankodo Zodiac Decimo

Kyo-iro Stone Road of Gion

21:56—Places to Visit

Shinjuku

Ginza

Yodobashi Camera

Shibuya

Nihonbashi

Kansai

Ameyoko Markets

49:27—What We Are Writing With

Sharyn: Mitsukoshi Platinum 3776 2018 “Kanzemizu” Limited Edition (Medium nib)

Leo: Aurora Sun Moon Lake silver trim Optima Limited Edition (BB, almost italic) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

51:03—Recommendations

Leo: BUY ALL THE THINGS IN JAPAN

Sharyn: MinaLima

Thanks and Credits

Producers: Sharyn Zha, Diana Dai, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Recording and editing: Leo Fok, Denise Tang.

Music: Michael Pearce.

Logo: Will H. Smith.

Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

16 - Paint With All the Colours of the Wind Mar 28, 2018

Show notes

Fountain pens are not just for writing with - we also use them for doodling, sketching, colouring-in, and all kinds of art-making. Chuck, Brian, Melissa and Diana discuss their own (mostly modest) creative attempts, while Diana sits down with the illustrious Liz Steel to chat about the urban sketching movement, working in line and wash, and why she loves sketching with fountain pens.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

The hosts were Chuck Montano (@entree3000_), Brian Saputro (@briansaputro), Melissa Graf (@grafrell) and Diana Dai (@thegrynne).

FORMAT

01:38—What We Are Writing With

Melissa: Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight

Brian: Sailor Sapporo Four Seasons Meigetsu Autumn Moon Ivory Lame

Diana: Graf von Faber-Castell Intuition Platino Ebony

Chuck: Conid Minimalistica

07:00—Art-Making with Fountain Pens

Cadmium: The rare paint pigment faces a Europe-wide ban and artists are seeing red

Stippling

Melissa’s website

Noodler's Black

De Atramentis Permanent Document Inks

Sailor Kiwa-guro

Platinum Carbon Black

Katsushika Hokusai

Okiyo "floating world"

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki

Nakaya Decapod

Waterman 12

25:50 —Interview with Liz Steel

Liz Steel

@lizsteelart

SketchingNow Watercolours Course

Danny Gregory's Everyday Matters

Urban Sketchers

Gabi Campanario

Urban Sketchers Facebook Group

Urban Sketchers Sydney

@paulwang_sg

Teoh Yi Chie on Youtube, Parkablogs and @parkablogs

@kiahkiean ("KK")

Daniel Smith Cerulean Blue (Chromium)

Liz's watercolour palette

Liz's Lamy Joy and other sketching pens

Sailor Fude de Mannen

Pilot Custom 742 FA (falcon) nib

Pilot Prera

Mixing colours with De Atramentis CMYK Permanent Document Inks

Sailor Storia Mixable Pigment Inks

Super5 Waterproof Ink

Platinum Desk Pen

Goulet Guests Spotlight on Liz Steel

Lost and found edges in watercolour

Fountain Pen Sketching Series at Liz’s blog

Platinum Preppy

Pilot Kakuno

Pilot Metropolitan

Goulet Pens’ Liz Steel Package Set

01:10:00 —Recommendations

SquarePeg Studios Jewellery Courses

Mare Internum

Festival in the Desert

01:14:00 —Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Chuck Montano, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Special thanks to Liz Steel for talking to us.

Music: Michael Pearce.

Logo: Will H. Smith.

Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

15 - Collectors Series Part 2: "Handle Carefully Or Else It Explodes" Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

Continuing with our series of interviews with fountain pen collectors, Sharyn and Diana sat down with Costa for a dive deep into his single-brand obsession: OMAS.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

The hosts were Sharyn Zha (@sharynzha) and Diana Dai (@thegrynne), with special guest Costa Koutsis.

FORMAT

01:17—Interview with Costa Koutsis

Peters of Kensington

ASC (Armando Simoni Club)

OMAS (1997) by Emilio Dolcini

Novelli Pens & Pipes

Joon Pens (closed)

Fountain Pen Hospital

Visit our Facebook photo album to see photos of some of the OMAS pens we mention in this episode.

32:34—Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Sharyn Zha, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Special thanks to Costa Koutsis for talking to us.

Music: Michael Pearce.

Logo: Will H. Smith.

Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

14 - Analog Strikes Back Feb 27, 2018

Show notes

Which is better: analog or digital? Our hosts, along with special guest Joanne, weigh in on the debate, while Sophia speaks to former optometrist Jenny Saunders about the health benefits of taking it slow and writing by hand.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

The hosts were Chuck Montano (@entree3000_), Sharyn Zha (@sharynzha) and Diana Dai (@thegrynne), with special guest, Joanne Pham (@the.waffle.enthusiast).

FORMAT

02:10—What We Are Writing With

Diana: Sailor King of Pen Profit Ebonite w/ Nagahara King Eagle 21kt

Chuck: Classic Fountain Pens 22nd Anniversary Sailor Pro Gear Realo Yellow and Black Limited Edition w/ Masuyama rounded-nose cursive italic

Sharyn: Pilot Vanishing Point 2014 Copper Limited Edition w/ M architect

Joanne: Pilot Custom 92 w/ B stub

Visit our Facebook or Instagram for photos of What We Are Writing With.

06:05—Handwriting and memory retention

Mueller, Pam A. and Oppenheimer, Daniel M. (2014), “The Pen Is Mightier Than The Keyboard,” Psychological Science, Vol. 25 (6), pp.1159-1168

11:44—Blending digital and analog tools

Electron pushing

Prezi Presentation Software

Mangen, A., Anda, L.G., Oxborough, and G.H., & Brønnick, K. (2015), “Handwriting versus Keyboard Writing: Effect on Word Recall,” Journal of Writing Research, Vol. 7 (2), pp.227-247

Park, Seyong and Shin, Donghee (2015), “Effects of text input system on learner’s memory: Handwriting versus typing on tablet PC,” INCOM ‘15: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication

28:50—Interview: Jenny Saunders on the health benefits of analog tools

Jen is owner of LarryPOST

TNS Episode 8 - Holiday Gift Guide 2017, LarryPOST

Bowden, Tracey (2017), “Short-sightedness, or myopia, a global epidemic as children spend less time outdoors,” ABC News, 2 March 2017

Urban Sketchers

Memory encoding

Bullet Journalling

53:45—Recommendations

God’s Own Country

Jazz Liberatorz, “Clin d’oeil”

Arnott’s Milk Arrowroot sandwich with pomegranate turkish delight

The anti-rec: weak almond latte with honey

MIDORI MD 10th Anniversary

59:05—Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Chuck Montano, Sophia Le, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Special thanks to Jenny Saunders and Alisdair Daws.
Music: Michael Pearce.
Logo: Will H. Smith.
Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

13 - Try To Break This Pen...For Science Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

Diana talks with Tav and special guest, Ralph from BYOB Pen Club, about nib grinding and modifications, how they each got into nib work, and what it takes to be worthy of the title “nibmeister”. They also discuss fountain pen customisation and DIY in general.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

The hosts were Diana Dai and Taveet Sinanian (@nunc_est_scribendi), with special guest, Ralph Reyes (@reachingralph).

FORMAT

01:45—What We Are Writing With

Ralph: Red Dragon Pen Co Prototype w/ Richard Binder 2° Left Oblique Professional Italic grind

Tav: Lotus Shikhar B and Lotus “Duofold” B

Diana: ST Dupont Olympio Vertigo XL Stub

Visit our Facebook or Instagram for photos of What We Are Writing With.

05:36—Mailbag/Reviews

If you want to make your podcasters happy, leave us a comment or review on our iTunes, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

07:25—Japanese pen companies and the US market redux

16:10—Interview: Ralph Reyes

Ralph’s IG: @reachingralph

BYOB Pen Club

Kingdom Note

Regalia Writing Lab Trilogy Nib

Sailor Nagahara King Eagle

Leigh Reyes

Sailor “Shiro” steel nibs

InCoWriMo

Regalia Writing Lab Steel Flex Nib

Jowo steel nib units

Sailor Specialty Nibs including Nagahara King Eagle Concord

Noodler's Fountain Pens

Fountain Pen Revolution

Jinhao x750 w/ Zebra G nib

Philadelphia Pen Show

Desiderata Pen Company

Sailor Nagahara King Cobra

The “Leviathan” prototype

Gourmet Pens

SBREBrown

@penproclivities (John Lim)

Sailor Nagahara Cross Concord Emperor

Mike Masuyama

Richard Binder

John Mottishaw

1:04:07—Customisation, Modification, and DIY

Grinding Your Own Nibs - Ludwig Tan

Sydney Pen Show

1:23:45—Recommendations

The Lettering Tribe Calligraphy Kit

Colorverse

The Left Hand of Darkness

The Dispossessed

1:29:24—Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Taveet Sinanian, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Special thanks to Ralph Reyes.

Music: Michael Pearce.
Logo: Will H. Smith.
Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

12 - We Can’t All Be Montblanc, Some of Us Are Lego Jan 30, 2018

Show notes

The hosts look at fountain pen marketing in the present day: who does it well, why it’s mostly word of mouth, Conid’s marketing misstep, and what puts Montblanc in a class of its own.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

The hosts were Chuck Montano, Sharyn Zha, Sophia Le, Mark Hopson, and Diana Dai.

FORMAT

01:00—What We Are Writing With

Chuck: Pilot 823 clear
Sharyn: Pelikan M605 White Stripe M, Graf von Faber-Castell Annello Titanium
Sophia: Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Pernambuco
Mark: Sheaffer Targa vintage

Visit our Facebook or Instagram for photos of What We Are Writing With.

04:18—Mailbag/Reviews

Pjotr Spica Virginis Fountain Pen (3D Print - Limited Edition)

If you want to make your podcasters happy, leave us a comment or review on our iTunes, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

06:14—The presence of the Japanese Big 3 in US market

08:12—Branding and marketing

Conid Gentleman’s Pen

Conid’s Instagram post

Conid...Made in Movember

17:47—The secret of Montblanc’s success

Montblanc On How To Be A Luxury Brand For Many (interview with Montblanc CEO Lutz Bethge)

Marketing Lessons from Montblanc

Montblanc Boheme

25:26—Reaching customers, tastemakers

Pelikan Hubs

Sharyn's Lamy AL-Star print ad from 2008

Pilot Custom 823

Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl

Pilot Custom Urushi

Leo Fok’s photos of the Pilot Custom Urushi

Pilot Custom 845

Brian Goulet’s videos

SBREBrown

SBREBrown ink

Diamine Earl Grey

32:56—Recommendations

Big Thief, ”Paul”

The Little Book of Hygge

Hela Curry Ketchup

Touloulou Bondamanjak French Creole Chili Sauce

Pandemic: Reign of Cthulu

38:21—Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Chuck Montano, Sharyn Zha, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Music: Michael Pearce.
Logo: Will H. Smith.
Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

11 - Collectors Series Part 1: “An Accumulation of Fountain Pens” Jan 16, 2018

Show notes

We’re back! Kicking off the new year with the start of a new series of interviews with fountain pen collectors (loosely defined). We’ll delve into their habits, the histories of their collections, try to work out if there is method to the madness. All in pursuit of an answer to the eternal question: Can users and collectors peacefully co-exist?

The first guest for the Collectors Series is Mr. Nicholas Gold. Keep an eye out for further interviews in the series as we head into the 2018.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

The hosts were Chuck Montano, Christina Kowalin and Aidan O’Brien. The guest was Nicholas Gold.

FORMAT

00:55—What We Are Writing With

Christina: Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Age, Pilot Vanishing Point Matte Black, Pilot Custom Heritage 92

Aidan: Visconti Homo Sapiens Caput Mundi, Pelikan M805 Stresemann
Chuck: Pilot Custom Heritage 92

Visit our Facebook or Instagram for photos of What We Are Writing With.

02:11—Mailbag/Reviews

If you want to make your podcasters happy, leave us a comment or review on our iTunes, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

03:33—Choose Your Side: Users vs Collectors

An inspiration for the series, though not mentioned in the episode, was Ed Jelley’s blog post: Bloggers Weigh In: Collecting Fountain Pens vs Using Fountain Pens.

09:23—Interview: Nicholas Gold

Montblanc Hemingway Writers Edition

OMAS 360

Pictures of Nicholas' fountain pens, including the stunning OMAS celluloids

OMAS Filarmonica

Montblanc Heritage 1914

Melbourne Pen Show

Sydney Pen Show
CalliCon 2017
Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book
Field Notes

OMAS 360 Arco Bronze
John Mottishaw

Pilot Vanishing Point Raden Minamo “Water Surface”

Sailor Profit 1911 Large Aqua Blue

Montblanc Meisterstuck 146 90th Anniversary

Armando Simoni Club
AJOTO Pen

Nicholas’ blog: Quillidyllic

IG: @quillidyllic

Twitter: @youstruckgold

54:07—News

Pelikan Edelstein Ink of the Year Olivine

Lamy LE Vibrant Pink Ink

Platinum 3776 Oshino
Unknown new Visconti Homo Sapiens model

55:18—Recommendations

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Luxumbra

58:09—Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Chuck Montano, Sharyn Zha, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Special thanks to Nicholas Gold.

Music: Michael Pearce.
Logo: Will H. Smith.
Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

10 - End-of-Year Roundup 2017 Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

It’s time to finish up the year (and celebrate our 5-month anniversary) by answering your lingering questions and reminisce on the events of 2017. The hosts also discuss what paper planners they’ll be using in the new year, and Diana hints at what’s to come on the podcast.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook!

Follow our Instagram

Twitter: @thenibsection

The hosts were Chuck Montano, Max Schumacher, Sharyn Zha, Patrick Antolovich and Diana Dai.

FORMAT

00:40—What We Are Writing With

Sharyn: ST Dupont Fidelio Interentielle

Max: Pilot Custom Heritage 92 MF Cursive Italic, Sailor Yama-dori

Patrick: Lamy Vista 1.1mm, Lamy Neon Coral

Chuck: Omas Ogiva Vodka Lemon, Akkerman Dutch Masters 03

05:45—Mailbag/Reviews

08:00—Memorable Moments of 2017

Fountain Pens Oceania

Regal Pens

Pelikan Hubs 2017

Inquisitive Quill

13:10—Q&A

How to convert non-FP users
Reactions to ‘fancy pens’
Buyer’s remorse
Top 5 inks
What makes a vintage pen?
Pilot 100th anniversary
Best ‘cheapies’
Matching ink to pens

Sharyn: Montblanc Saint-Exupery Encre du Desert, Sailor Mitsukoshi Hana-Hiraku (discontinued), Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu, Monteverde Olivine, Sailor Kobe #17 Shioya Blue

Max: Diamine Autumn Oak, Sailor Yama-dori, Sailor Souten, Aurora Blue, Caran d’Ache Vibrant Green

Patrick: Diamine Steel Blue, Edelstein Tanzanite, Montblanc BMW Blue, Kaweco Red, Bookbinders Red Belly Black (discontinued)

Chuck: Akkerman Dutch Masters 03 Gele Oker van Frans "French Yellow Ochre”, Iroshizuku Syo-ro

34:43—Planning and Goals

Hobonichi Techo Weeks

Amazon Echo and Alexa

Hobonichi 5-Year Techo

40:20—Coming Soon in 2018 on the Nib Section

Aussie fountain pen ink makers: Robert Oster Signature, Bookbinders Snake Ink (sadly discontinued), Toucan, Van Diemans, Blackstone.

If you have any suggestions for future episodes, write to us!

43:36—Recommendations

Fractal Dreamers

Rintattoo (Rin Lu)

Max wants you to learn a hands-on skill

Big Mouth on Netflex

American Vandal on Netflix

46:39—Thanks and Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Chuck Montano, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Music: Michael Pearce.
Logo: Will H. Smith.
Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.

9 - Nibs 101 Dec 06, 2017

Show notes

Our hosts tackle your questions about fountain pen nibs - what they are, what we love about them, and why they (sometimes) give us so much trouble.

The Nib Section is the official podcast of Fountain Pens Oceania.
You can always email us at thenibsection@gmail.com

Go like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/TheNibSection/

Twitter: @thenibsection

Instagram: thenibsection

The hosts were Diana Dai, Taveet Sinanian, Sharyn Zha and Patrick Antolovich.

FORMAT

02:12—What We Are Writing With

Tav: Visconti Homosapiens Dark Ages, Edelstein Smokey Quartz

Sharyn: Caran d’Ache Hexagonal Carbon Fibre, Sailor Penlux Cobalt Blue

Patrick: Lamy Joy 1.9mm, Bookbinders Red Belly Black

Diana: Aurora Optima Black Pearl EF, Kobe Tao Black

08:27—The Basics

Nib shapes, materials, and the grinds they come in, both the mundane and the exotic.

Resources:

Pictures and writing sample of a Spors glass-nibbed pen at Leigh Reyes’ blog.
Sailor Specialty Nibs reference page at Nibs.com.
Teoh also has great reviews and photos of Sailor specialty nibs at ParkaBlogs.
Mike Matteson also has a YouTube video that provides a good overview of the different nib grinds.

36:55—Reviews/Mailbag

38:52—Let’s Talk About Flex, Baby!

A reminder to flex with caution!

David Nishimura’s posts on nibs at The Vintage Pens Blog

47:47—News

TNS now has an Instagram

BYOB Pen Club Podcast

49:16—Nib FAQs

How would you make a nib wetter or dryer? (Quentin)
Are there people who can retip nibs? (Maria)
Have you used any of the Sailor specialty nibs? How easily can we get our hands on them? (Maria)
Is the cost of warranty the only thing stopping modern penmakers from making vintage wet noodle nibs? (David Brennan)
Which companies should you try before you buy due to QC issues? (Sunelle)
Which non-branded nibs would you recommended? And which pens can you swap out the nibs on? (Sunelle)

Goldnibs.com and Greg Minuskin can retip a nib. Despite the mention in the episode, it appears that John Mottishaw no longer offers retipping services over at Classic Fountain Pens.

The Desiderata Pen Company make hand-turned pens that will take a calligraphy dip nib.

1:01:26—Recommendations

Blade Runner (Director’s Cut)

Chuck (NBC)

Thingiverse

Edith Rewa

1:15:24—Credits

Producers: Diana Dai, Taveet Sinanian, Max Schumacher, Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.

Recording and editing: Patrick Antolovich, Denise Tang.
Music: Michael Pearce.
Logo: Will H. Smith.
Logo artwork: Melissa Graf.