Not Your Average Pen Collection
Visit the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library to see a vast collection of presidential signing pens spanning Kennedy to Obama.
Holiday Shipping Recommendations
Well, my friends. We are less than a week from the start of Hanukkah and…
Dive Deep into Sheaffer Pencils (and Pens)
Learn why we give 5 stars out of 5 to Jonathan Veley’s book “A Field Guide to Sheaffer’s Pencils” in this comprehensive book review.
Reflections on 50
Mr. Gelz was old. Mr. Gelz (G like gills; rhymes with bells) was mostly bald.…
Inktober Wrapping Up Our Noodler’s Ink Tests
I can barely draw a stick figure, so for our contribution to Inktober, I thought I would share the last of the results from our deep dive into testing Noodler’s Inks. These are the final 22 inks from our big haul several years ago.
Pres. Truman Writes with Sheaffer & Esterbrook
Thanks to a wonderful conversation with a man named Brad P., we received a great…
Welcome to the New & Improving ThePenMarket.com
Regulars to ThePenMarket.com have seen some pretty big changes around here! From our new logo…
Don’t Be Fooled by Fake Parker Sonnets
A couple weeks ago a person reached out asking how to identify fake Parker Sonnet…
Examining Noodler’s Ink Part III
A new year means a new look at different inks. As such, here are 11…
Holiday Shipping Schedule
These are the United States Postal Service’s recommendations for timely holiday shipping inside the United…
How Do I Polish a Pen? Celluloid Edition
EDITOR’S NOTE: Polishing a vintage pen can be a surprisingly dangerous exercise in vintage pen…
Westenra Memorial: Stave II
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is chapter 2 of my on-again-off-again novel “Westenra Memorial.” You can read…
How Do I Restore A Parker Vacumatic
This is a new old stock Parker Vacumatic Maxima in the “Golden Pearl” design. Check…
Don’t Get Fooled by Fake Montblancs: Greta Garbo
One of the greatest screen beauties in golden-era Hollywood was Swedish-born Greta Garbo. She expressed…
Parker Pen Heists
It has been a little while, but I have a new story in Pen World…
Examining Noodler’s Ink Part II
For your writing pleasure, we have tested 10 more Noodler’s-brand inks. In Part I we…
Mark Twain’s Conklin Crescent
Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, owned this house with his wife Livy in…
How Do I Restore a Sheaffer TouchDown
Fixing a Sheaffer TouchDown filler can be easy with a little practice. Personally, I love…
How Do I Write an Interview Thank You Note?
Sending a thank you note after a job interview is an excellent way to help…
Holiday Shipping Deadlines
A field of wild blue camas in Montana springtime has nothing to do with postal…
Westenra Memorial: Stave I
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the first chapter to a book I have not completed.…
Examining Noodler’s Ink Part 1
The one ink brand everyone is always talking about is Noodler’s Inks. People either love…
Don’t Get Fooled by Fake Montblancs: Metamorphosis
When I first saw the Montblanc Rouge et Noir Metamorphosis pens, I was confused by…
Welcome to Our New Home Page
This is what the new home page looked like on Day 1 of our refresh.…
When Pelikan Tried to Level Up
Here stands a blue Pelikan Level 5 fountain pen in its inkwell egg filling unit.…
Don’t Get Fooled By Fake Montblancs: JFK
This is an authentic Mont Blanc JFK ballpoint pen with its original boxes and papers.…
Resurrecting Vintage Pen Brands
When I first started ThePenMarket.com, I also worked part-time at a brick-and-mortar pen shop in…
Loose Ends Ink Test
While wrapping up our ink tests in 2021, we had a bunch of loose bottles…
Grab Some Popcorn: It’s Podcast Time
Since moving to Connecticut, I’ve befriended the artist and painter Jonathan Weinberg, who also happens…
A Nib by Any Other Number…Is Still Confusing
Even for experienced professionals, it is really difficult to gauge a nib by its number.…
Don’t Get Fooled by Fake Montblancs: The Fauxeme
Is she? Or isn’t she? Can you pick out the real Montblanc Boheme in this…
Shopping for a Sheaffer PFM
The Sheaffer Pen for Men, more commonly known as the Sheaffer PFM, was a luxury…
Reading ‘100 Years of Sheaffer’
One might think that a book written by the Sheaffer corporation about the Sheaffer corporation…
De Atramentis Starts Rich and Fades
Happy New Year! Let’s start the year right with a fresh look at some lesser…
Merry Christmas…but just in case
Everyone involved with ThePenMarket.com wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah. However,…
Pen World: Sheaffer’s Future in India
Cross sold the Sheaffer Pen Company to a company in India called William Penn. “Pen…
Fake Mont Blanc Pens Part IV
Some days you just never know what you will find. Someone reached out to me…
Apologies to a Parker 51
Time and again, I’ve mentioned the fountain pen that got me hooked into this crazy…
How Do I Start Collecting Pens: Why Are Some Pens More than Others?
A good friend recently asked me why some pens cost more than others. The cheeky,…
Caran D’Ache Chromatics Face the UV-pH Challenge
Swiss pen maker Caran D’Ache is most famous for its precision engineering on its line…
Fun with Refills
You can see a Pilot G2 refill next to a Pelikan standard rollerball refill in…
Pen Books: Waterman Past & Present
Staring at a shelf full of pen books, it struck me that I ought to…
Plenty of Good ‘Ink’
I am happy to announce that “Ink CT” magazine just profiled ThePenMarket.com and my friend and…
Iroshizuku Ink Gets UV & pH Tested
No one should be surprised by the meteoric rise of Iroshizuku inks on the fountain…
Happy Memorial Day
Norwich’s largest Civil War memorial can be found on the Chelsea Parade of the “Millionaires’…
J. Herbin Ink Goes Under the Sun
French inks haven’t previously undergone our rigorous testing, and we were excited to give them…
Pen World: Defining Vintage Part 2
The sequel to my story in Pen World Magazine is now on news stands. Click…
Front Page News
News about ThePenMarket.com is spreading. I was lucky enough to be honored by a front-page…
How Do I Buy a Used Car?
Crocuses. Our first flowers of spring. Spring is here, and, traditionally, this is a time…
A Potpourri of Ink Tests
As we have been conducting our ink tests, we ran into a grouping of mostly…
Pen World: Defining Vintage Part 1
Just what is it that makes a pen vintage? Many people are asking that question…
Decameron 2020: The Headsman
EDITOR’S NOTE: I wrote this story in 1995, at the age of 19, for my…
Whoa! Montblanc Inks…Beware!
Happy New Year, everybody! Sorry for the long absence. December and early 2022 have been…
Holiday Slowdown
Due to forces outside our control, we will not be able to ship any packages…
Levenger’s Ink Kicks Ass!
Mathematical and computer genius Alan Turing famously said, “Sometimes it is the people who no…
Another Fine Story in ‘Pen World’
October has another sizzling story by your’s truly in Pen World. In it, I delve…
Decameron 2020: Mr. Hobbs Revisited (Finalé)
Preston, Connecticut, is home to several abandoned asylums for the mentally deranged. They make Arkham…
Diamine Versus the Sun & a pH Test
People often ask what my favorite ink brand is, and, more-and-more it is Diamine. Just…
Changes at The United States Postal Service
We love the United States Postal Service. It is cheaper and faster at sending pens…
Strong Enough for a Man; pH Balanced for a Fountain Pen?
One of the many great aspects of marrying a scientist is the gadgetry. Intrigued by…
Decameron 2020: God of Carnage
Peanut Scurrying into the town of Mouseville, a little grey traveler named Erasmus visited in…
Decameron 2020: Bad Blood
Bad Blood by Art Cerf Spring Peepers have nothing to do with this story, but…
Pelikan Edelstein Inks Go Under the Sun
I feel that the harsh news must be tempered. I LOVE Pelikan pens. It is…
How Do I Start Collecting Pens: Fake Montblanc Serial Numbers
This is one of the most convincing fake Montblanc fountain pens we have ever seen.…
Decameron 2020: Invasion
Invasion by Art Cerf Emerging from a fog, the New London Lighthouse symbolizes all of…
Pen Collecting Time Capsule
Here are two 5″ X 7″ pen catalogs from 1994! I was intrigued by the…
Decameron 2020: Cheating Fate
Cheating Fate by Art Cerf Fate travels on the wind and a whim. Birds are…
Bic Cristal Inks Get Testing
We tested these 8 Bic Cristal pens to see how ballpoint ink holds up to…
Introducing Adventure Pens
Click this photo for one of the most beautiful images of a sunrise you’ve ever…
Our Latest Story in ‘Pen World’
I wrote a story featured in the February 2021 issue of Pen World Magazine. We…
Decameron 2020: Four Guys Walk into a Bar
Four Guys Walk into a Bar by Art Cerf Sunset au Groton…Connecticut. As usual just…
A New Dream for MLK Day: Reuniting America
We need more serenity in our lives. Enjoy this sunset over the Thames River in…
Decameron 2020: The Price of Guilt
The Price of Guilt By Art Cerf Here’s the first snowfall of the year in…
Holiday Shipping 2020
The holiday postal rush is on! Our primary postal service remains the United States Postal…
A Very Parker Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving from the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in Groton, Conn. Thanksgiving hasn’t been this…
Lamy Crystal Inks Undergo Light-Fast Testing
With four moves in 2 years and a ton of other life changes, we were…
Decameron 2020: The Hit Business
The Hit Business By Art Cerf Here’s a tufted titmouse on my roof. It has…
Decameron 2020: Where did Janey Go?
There are so many beautiful scenes to photograph in Connecticut in the fall…especially a stone…
Decameron 2020: The Pickerel Witch
Here’s a Fowler’s toad lurking in the grass…or is it? Enjoy our modern fairytale. Ilke…
Decameron 2020: Halloween Movie Night
Autumn is our favorite time of year. Even if you can’t party or trick ‘r…
Decameron 2020: Big Bad Ed
Big Bad Ed By Art Cerf From here to eternity. Autumn closes in on Covid…
Decameron 2020: From Zoom to Eternity
From Zoom to Eternity By Art Cerf What type of mushroom is this? We found…
Decameron 2020: Death and Mrs. Brock
Death & Mrs. Brock by Art Cerf Who knows what lurks just outside your door?…
Decameron 2020: The God-like Surgeon
The God-like Surgeon By Art Cerf Here’s a photo of a barn before a rainstorm.…
International Mail Update…Again
Our new international insured rates from FedEx are about as bad as finding a dead…
Decameron 2020: Saturday Matinee II
Greetings from Gales Ferry, home of the Yale Regatta. Here’s hoping you have a funny,…
Decameron 2020: The Undertaker
The Undertaker By Art Cerf Having nothing to do with this story, here’s a Revolutionary…
More COVID-19 Postal Updates: Central Europe Edition
Time seems to drag on forever when waiting for a pen in the mail. Packages…
We’ve Moved…Again…& Whatever Happened to the Great American Motel?
We have a guard toad, so watch out. He might spray you with toxins. Nature…
Time Out
Howdy, Gang! We’re taking a bit of a holiday and will be mostly out of…
Decameron 2020: Queeg the Insidious
Queeg the Insidious by Art Cerf This is a pretty yellow flower I shot on…
International Shipping Delays
International Shipping has seen significant delays due to the lack of international air travel. Several…
Decameron 2020: Gladys & Cora
Gladys & Cora By Art Cerf Just a great spring photo to share. It has…
How Do I Restore a Conklin Crescent
We are by no means done with the Decameron 2020 Project. However, I felt like…
Decameron 2020: Pestilence
Pestilence by Art Cerf If statuary can wear a mask, so can you. This pandemic…
Decameron 2020: Leo Ledbetter
Leo Ledbetter by Art Cerf This is a chipmunk, not a squirrel, but it is…
Decameron 2020: Elementary Human Nature
Nope, again this has nothing to do with the story, but it is a beautiful…
Decameron 2020: The Story of Job—Part 2
The Story of Job: Part 2 by Art Cerf Here’s a photo of a birch…
Decameron 2020: Caleb Connor
Caleb Connor by Art Cerf Just another bird photo that has nothing to do with…