It’s National Stationery Week! Aren’t we lucky. Today I’ll talk about two of my most recent stationery acquisitions:

Pen: Lamy Safari in Charcoal, EF nib

I started with the Lamy Vista, then bought a Lamy Safari in white not long after. They’re great knockaround pens. The Charcoal Safari is something else, though–it’s textured and feels slightly more grown up and less like Lego. It feels incredibly solid and there’s something about the profile of the pen that really suits me.

I bought it with an EF nib and it lays a very fine line, just right for small annotations and small notebooks. Nib is pretty rigid, no spring. Some people find the nib a bit scratchy, and it is a bit if you apply any pressure (and it’s sharp enough that you can spear yourself if you’re not careful–I got myself just under a fingernail, don’t ask). It needs a light touch. Generally it’s one of the better Lamy nibs I own though. If you fancy one and can get to a bricks and mortar shop where you can test the nibs before you buy, do that–Lamy QC is a bit haphazard.

Ink: Binder Burgundy

This is Binder Burgundy (much better scans there…). Looks good, but probably deserves a fatter nib. Richard Binder apparently consulted with Diamine thereafter, and Diamine Syrah was the result. Diamine do a whole range of reds though, including the Oxblood and Red Dragon.

Paper: Field Notes

These continue to be handy. This book has my play notes for Dominion.