Does 'objective sight' even exist in mammals? Surely everything that passes through our sense organs is turned into electrical signals interpreted by our brains. Our brains learned that light shines down same as they learned what vertical lines are so we don't walk into trees.

I have the A1 and A2, and had the Jinhao 20 before giving it to a friend. The A1 and J20 were similar in the hand, J20 a lot wetter to write with. A1 and A2 had finer nibs with an average flow. All good pens. The A2 is lighter and thinner if you do a lot of writing. A1 feels just like Pilot VP.

It’s quite a light ink, so I’d pair it with a good wet writing nib, not too fine.

Lovely! I got my first PGS this summer. I love nibs that feel interesting to write with. I’m using a Yu-Sari journal currently. Really enjoying it.

It feels like we’re in a golden age of fountain pen inks. Journaling and commonplace books are making a comeback. Even greetings cards makers are catching on and starting to label cards as ‘fountain pen friendly’. It’s become a hobby, a pleasure, a desk-based meditation. It’s calming.

Mine too. Tell us about your pens! Do you have a favourite ink/pen/paper combo yet?

Yessss there are so many good, inexpensive FPs these days. I picked up a Jinhao 65 for sketching and it goes everywhere with me. Comes with a converter too so you can use whatever fancy FP ink you like. Cost me £3 but I've seen them sold for under £2.

Nothing at all? I want to meet him now so I can understand how he holds a pen. Though I'd probably start someone out with a Pilot V-pen just making marks on paper, not writing, so they can get a feel for it. Someone only used to ball-pens I imagine might hold a pen nearly vertical.

Interesting. I learned to over-write to get the angle for italic calligraphy with a fountain pen. I have recently learned to under-write so I can use flex nibs. Some nibs definitely work better pulled rather than pushed (dry upstrokes), maybe it's the pen not your DH's hand position?

I'm a left handed side-writer, so I have optimum ink smearing potential. It's amazing what a piece of scrap paper or an artist's glove can do to prevent that.

There are ink and paper combos out there that are just Smudge Onna Stick, like Sheen Machine and Tomoe River paper. I just avoid 'em!

Yikes! That's some impressive feathering and bleedthrough. I've only had that happen with some scented inks. I love the colour but the bad behaviour would discourage me from using this ink.

(Looking forward to the report on the pen, too!)

Oxford Optik paper (used in their Campus and Red & Black notebooks) is a good budget option. The Optik copier paper isn't much good for FP ink though.

They've not been the same since they were bought by a private equity firm back in 2017. Ours just has disposable Pilots and the occasional Parker Vector.

Resolve to draw all three, and put off the decision until later? If the worst happens and you still can't choose, you can then make a poll! #helping #okaysonotreallyhelping

I have so much fancy letter paper and ink waiting for me to write letters with it. And the stickers! Oh my. I need to write more letters.

I'm one of those 'writes twice a year' pen pals.