oliveoctopus.inkadded August 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 Octopus17 Jul 202651 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus3 Jul 202651 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus1 May 202651 human-writing confidence
The first pen show I ever attended was the Atlanta Pen Show in 2023, and I've gone back every year since.
Olive Octopus10 Apr 202651 human-writing confidence
There were at least five major pen or stationery events in the U.S. in March, and I attended two of them.
Olive Octopus3 Apr 202651 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus25 Jan 202651 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus18 Jan 202651 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus2 Jan 202651 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus26 Dec 202551 human-writing confidence
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 Dec 202551 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus14 Nov 202551 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus26 Sept 202551 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus29 Aug 202551 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus22 Aug 202551 human-writing confidence
I spent this last weekend at what is probably the largest pen show in the US—the Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow.
Olive Octopus8 Aug 202551 human-writing confidence
Earlier this year, the second edition of the Dominant Industry Ink Archiving book, A Log of Elixir, was released.
Olive Octopus12 Jul 202551 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus27 May 202551 human-writing confidence
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 Octopus18 Apr 202551 human-writing confidence
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.
Olive Octopus30 Mar 202551 human-writing confidence
I'm not a tea expert but over the past several years I've leveled up my XP enough to be able to try and enjoy a much wider variety of tea.
Olive Octopus8 Mar 202551 human-writing confidence
As much as I was looking forward to some time away, including attending The California Pen Show, I can't say I wasn't nervous about travel or feeling guilty about wanting to enjoy a trip with...
Olive Octopus22 Feb 202551 human-writing confidence
Ok, hide your wallets (or don't, I'm not your financial advisor)—it's time for me to recount the most memorable inks I encountered in 2024.
Olive Octopus19 Jan 202551 human-writing confidence
The Dominant Industry Ink Archiving Book: A Log of Atlantis is a hardcover B6 coloring book for fountain pen inks, and hands-down one of the products I have enjoyed most this year.
Olive Octopus19 Dec 202451 human-writing confidence
Several months ago I shared a "pouch dump" post of my to-go kit for pen meetups and shows, but most of those items are sold by pen vendors and likely already familiar to pen people.
Olive Octopus22 Nov 202451 human-writing confidence
No, this is not a scary spooky season post! It's just a thought experiment, I promise. Back in April, the "you can only keep one from each brand" question was applied to fountain pens by Rachel at...
Olive Octopus1 Nov 202451 human-writing confidence
I am fortunate to have a relatively large amount of control over my living environment, and I have chosen to surround myself with color.
Olive Octopus4 Oct 202451 human-writing confidence
There's less than a week left to support St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital during the month of September! The 12 hour Relay "Podcastathon" stream from a studio at St.
Olive Octopus26 Sept 202451 human-writing confidence
I decided to attend one of the large U.S. pen shows this year. Although the D.C. Pen Show is much closer (even driveable), the mix of vendors, likely attendees, and general vibes of "The Fun Pen...
Olive Octopus20 Sept 202451 human-writing confidence
It's September again, and I'm joining the Relay podcast network (home of the Pen Addict podcast) community to support the life-saving work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Olive Octopus10 Sept 202451 human-writing confidence
This pen show weekend, April 4th - 7th, was a lot of fun and flew by so quickly! Most of these highlights are about the "haul" because I didn't take a lot of pictures at the show and mostly want to...
Olive Octopus16 Apr 202451 human-writing confidence