oliveoctopus.inkadded August 2026
Olive Octopus1d ago
August is pretty packed on the pen and stationery events calendar in the US and my schedule includes attending two big ones, starting with the Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow, which I attended...
Olive Octopus17 Jul 2026
My Ten Pens List In no particular order, these are my choices. - Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e Kachimushi (03 Fine) Among the entry-level fountain pens the Preppy remains my go-to, especially the fun Wa...
Olive Octopus3 Jul 2026
Last weekend I visited the St. Louis Pen Show for the first time. This show has been on my list in large part to catch a different group of people and vendors, so I was planning on a quick trip to...
Olive Octopus1 May 2026
I've been intending to write an update about this project for <checks watch> over a year. Part of what's held me back was self-imposed pressure to do a thorough audit and pull together stats about...
Olive Octopus10 Apr 2026
The first pen show I ever attended was the Atlanta Pen Show in 2023, and I've gone back every year since.
Olive Octopus3 Apr 2026
There were at least five major pen or stationery events in the U.S. in March, and I attended two of them.
Olive Octopus25 Jan 2026
This year I visited the first pen show of the year in the US—the Philly Pen Show. Since I have family in the area I combined this trip with a delayed holiday visit, and invited them to come check...
Olive Octopus18 Jan 2026
With this annual series of posts I give myself one more slot each year for a memorable ink, but with over 300 entries added to my Fountain Pen Companion ink collection list in 2025, it's still not...
Olive Octopus2 Jan 2026
I really appreciate the prompt questions that circle around the pen community, get me out of my comfort zone, and challenge me to reflect on things with a different perspective.
Olive Octopus26 Dec 2025
I reside in both digital and analog worlds. I've been glued to a computer since the 90s but have always taken notes, made lists, etc. on paper.
Olive Octopus14 Dec 2025
About a year ago I shared 10 Useful Things that have become a regular (often daily) part of how I use my pens and ink.
Olive Octopus14 Nov 2025
After becoming aware that "modern" fountain pens exist and weren't just for calligraphy (or Very Fancy Business People), then absorbing information about pens and inks like a sponge for several...
Olive Octopus26 Sept 2025
I wrote a post about testing different fountain pen ink swatching tools over a year ago. My main conclusion at the time was that a variety of non-porous (metal, glass, silicone, plastic, etc.)
Olive Octopus29 Aug 2025
Background September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. After raising more than $4 million dollars since 2019, the Relay community is joining together for a seventh year to support St.
Olive Octopus22 Aug 2025
A lot has been swirling around in my thoughts for the past few months—my relationship with journaling, interview questions and answers, the nature of the audio and video content being created in...
Olive Octopus8 Aug 2025
I spent this last weekend at what is probably the largest pen show in the US—the Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow.
Olive Octopus12 Jul 2025
Earlier this year, the second edition of the Dominant Industry Ink Archiving book, A Log of Elixir, was released.
Olive Octopus27 May 2025
As much as I wanted Inkpire, Vinkpire, Vampinkre... to work for this post title, I'll take the L with that portmanteau attempt. (Don't drink the ink!) But how would I describe myself?
Olive Octopus18 Apr 2025
So much has happened since I attended my first fountain pen show in Atlanta in 2023, it's hard to believe it's only been two years.
Olive Octopus30 Mar 2025
My second pen show trip of the year was about a 5 hour drive down to Little Rock, Arkansas for the 2025 Arkansas Pen Show.
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