Cupid's Favorite Pens & Ink!

Valentine's Gifts for your Special Pen Friend!

    Hey everyone, it's Kyle and in this Valentine's Day themed blog I'm going to be going over some of my favorite items that fall into the lovely Valentine's day color scheme. There isn't necessarily one direction or price range I want to go with but I'll try my best to include something for every price range to get you in the giving spirit. I always liked Valentine's Day and the colors, hearts, decorations and now that I have a hobby in which I can express that through creative writing, colorful inks and fun things that I can theme, I find I enjoy holidays even more. Also, every good Valentine's day has a Valentine's card to go with it so without further ado, lets take a look at how to give a spectacular V-day gift or maybe take those Valentine's cards to the next level!

Inks Worth Adoring!

Graf von Faber-Castell, Yozakura, 75ml- This wonderful pink was released last year and is a very well behaved ink from GVFC. The pink is fairly light but not overly so which makes it nice and legible, great for everyday writing or writing cards. Since this is a lighter shade of pink I would suggest a broader nib size but that's just what I prefer, you do you!

Diamine, Electric Pink, 50ml- This is part of Diamine's wonderful line of shimmer inks and this particular color has a silver sheen in it as opposed to a gold. This pink is very bold and legible which makes it a good option for any nib size however, since it is a shimmer ink you want to be careful about putting it in smaller sizes because of clogging but if you use and clean regularly you shouldn't have a problem. The shimmer also adds an extra festive touch if you are going to use this to write or sign some fun Valentine's day cards, I think actually that I am going to award this ink the most festive because the pink shimmer really does scream valentines day, cupid, love vibes!

Sailor, Ink Studio #131, 20ml- This is a true, popping, vibrant, pink and it is extra nice because it is part of the ink studio line. This means two things, you are getting a smaller bottle but I find I don't use pinks crazy often so I can stretch the 20ml a long way, the second thing it means is that is a delight to write with and is perfectly behaved as well as having spectacular shading. This is what I would describe as unapologetically pink and will really set your Valentine's cards aside, I really recommend any ink studio ink and this is NO exception!

Diamine, Candy Cane, 50ml- Surprisingly enough I think more of pink than red when it comes to Valentine's Day, which I feel is maybe the opposite of most people, but either way this is my obligatory red ink choice. It is a nice, mid-tone red that is not eye-shatteringly bright but also not too dark for V-day, the perfect cartoon heart colored red which in my eyes makes it the only correct shade to commemorate the day of love!

Pens Sweeter than Candy!

Aurora, Optima, Pink Kaleidoscope, $715.50- I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is a pen that packs a big punch in a smaller package, Aurora's in-house nibs are a big part of this. The piston mechanism combined with the wonderfully clear ink window making it a great option for being so practical. The brand new pink color way is one that's perfect for Valentine's Day but it's very limited so grab it at retail price while you still can!

Graf von Faber-Castell, Guilloche, Yozakura, $385- This is the pen that was released in conjunction with the earlier mentioned Yozakura ink and is a lighter, more understated look than the Aurora. This pen gives me sleek, professional, elegant vibes and is really in the high caliber of gift giving whether you buy for a loved one or yourself. The pen also has a very nice weight to it and the guilloche texture is very interesting to the touch when compared to a regular smooth pen, overall a very strong and elegant pen to add to any collection!

Visconti, Van Gogh, Souvenir de Mauve, $239- This pen is what I believe to be the perfect V-day color way and mixes pinks from dark to light along with the whites which make a delightful pink mist effect. The color is based on a famous painting by the Dutch post-impressionist but the pen reminds me of a delectable raspberry ice cream with white chocolate which is what I imagine is the perfect Valentine's Day dessert. The price point also puts it in a fair gift price range and its not surprise that this pen writes beautifully, especially with thicker nib sizes the steel nib feels like butter. 

Esterbrook, Estie, Maraschino, $156 Regular or $200 Oversized- Again, here we have my obligatory red pen and is one that came out pretty recently, I chose this because I think its quite a good match to the candy cane color of the ink mentioned earlier. The Estie is a great pen and I prefer the oversize but both sizes take the same Jowo #6 sized nib which can make it a very versatile option if you have a lot of custom grinds. The Estie is also a very solid feeling pen that, despite being the least expensive pen on this list, holds up and maybe even surpasses a lot of pens in its price range!

I hope this list is helpful or can give you ideas on how to get festive this holiday season, Remember to Enjoy & Keep writing! 

さようなら、Kyle