Aside from a long queue of reviews I have in draft form, I am due to receive many exciting products in the mail soon for review! Stay tuned because there is going to be a steady stream of reviews on the way.

Thank you for your continued support in reading La Plume Etoile.

La Plume Etoile is now on Twitter.  Please follow me at @laplumeetoile and I look forward to following you.

Finally, here is a good use for those cheap ballpoints:  http://www.designboom.com/shop/daisyvase.html

Aside from this, you should donate all your unwanted ballpoints and other pens to www.pensforkids.com.

I just packed a box of ballpoints I do not use. I am sending them to help kids in Africa with their education. So can you.

There is a charity called Pens for Kids. They accept new and used pens in good, working condition. They take these pens and give them to kids in Africa to assist them in furthering their education. You can either send the pens to PFK’s U.S. branch and then they will ship them to Africa, or you can ship the pens directly to their branch in Africa.  If you don’t have any pens to donate, you can send them a monetary donation, which helps them pay shipping costs for the pens going to Africa.

I think education is extremely important and rather than letting those crappy pens from meetings and conventions sit in a drawer, I’m helping kids in Africa increase their knowledge.   Go to  www.pensforkids.com.

So far, I really like J. Herbin inks. They are gentle on pens and come in a wide variety of colors. My second experience with J. Herbin inks involved Vert Empire, a darker green color.

The Bottle: If you are interested in the bottle’s features, please see my last review of J. Herbin’s Vert Olive.

The Color: The box and ink residue inside the bottle cap indicated it was more of a dark emerald color. However, upon testing the ink, it was duller and more watery than I had expected. It has a faded antique quality, which may match your preference. If you prefer something bolder, this might not be the right ink color for you. For some reason, Vert Empire makes me think of old bank records, although I doubt if banks even used green ink to keep their records.

On Paper: Vert Empire shows up fairly well on paper, but is best on bright white paper. The contrast makes the ink look a bit darker.

Consistency: Unlike the bright Vert Olive, Vert Empire is more of a watery ink. However, it is not like a watercolor or so transparent that it looks watered down.

Other Considerations: J. Herbin inks are from France and were first established in 1670. The subdued aspect of many Herbin colors, including Vert Empire, can take one back to that time. It is easy to imagine that your document was originally written in the late 1600’s and now you are reading it, the green ink faded, but the history still bold.

While blue and black are the standard colors for business, I think one might also use Vert Empire for business notes and comments on documents. It is subdued enough to be appropriate for the business setting.

Office Supply Geek got the color to show up quite well on his writing sample, so you may also want to check his review.

I like J. Herbin’s Vert Empire more each time I use it.

I have reviews of more items that I hope to post soon.

As you may know, I don’t like ballpoint pens.  There are a few that I like, such as the Pentel RSVPs, but they are one of the exceptions.

I received some Softroll refills from the kind folks at Monteverde.  I tried out the blue one  in my vintage Parker Jotter.  One good thing about these refills is that they fit all Parker-style ballpoints, as well as a variety of other brands.  The other good thing is that they don’t act like regular ballpoint points.  Like their name, they roll smoothly and softly across the paper, lessening the normal ballpoint friction and discomfort.  If you like the look of ballpoint ink, you won’t be disappointed.

In short, it still looks like a ballpoint, but flows much better.  I will consider buying these when I need more ballpoint refills.

I don’t like them. They don’t flow well and I think make the hand and arm more apt to fatigue. Sometimes the mood strikes me to use one, but I am picky about the make and feel. Usually I opt for a fountain or rollerball.

I like some rollerballs like the Pliot V-Ball and Pilot Precise. I mostly carry rollerballs with me when I’m out for convenience and also risk-minimization. The risks to which I refer are leakage, loss of a pen, someone else using my pen, taking it or ruining it. Many people do not know how to write with fountain pens and therefore practically no one is allowed to use my prized FPs. I will let others try my Pilot Varsity FPs because at $4 a pop with a fairly sturdy steel nib, there is a low risk of harm.

If you don’t already know, high-end gold nibs will conform to your writing style after a while. If you have a gold-nibbed FP, you might want to think twice about letting others use it, as it may influence the nib.

There is something calming and vintage about a plain yellow pencil.  Just the fact that this style of pencil has been used for decades comforts me.

I do not use pencils very often and I am fortunate to have a few vintage mechanical pencils.  Most of the modern pencils I use are also mechanical.  However, I sharpened a brand new yellow pencil and stuck one of those foam grippers on it yesterday and I am really enjoying its sentimentality.

Sometimes life is most joyous in simple things.

Welcome to my new blog about fountain pens, inks, paper, journals, etc.  I love fountain pens and their associated items for many reasons. Here are some:

– the ease of writing with them; the ink often flows so smoothly from the nib

– the fact that many vintage pens work just as well, if not better than today’s pens

– the quality of craftsmanship

– the beautiful designs and patterns of the pen bodies and engraving on the nibs

– their vintage, yet timeless quality

– the many different ink choices

– the great bottles to house the ink

– the history behind them

I will be writing about pens/inks/paper I like and also reviewing some items. If you have a pen, ink, paper or related item you would like me to review, please contact me at plume dot etoile at gmail dot com.

Thanks for visiting and I look forward to sharing more about pens and ink with you.