The holidays are the perfect time to give the gift of fine writing…at the very least you can expect a hand written thank you from your friend, colleague or loved one! We’ve been emphasizing both classic and contemporary pens & pencils at Wet Paint all this year…Scott and I have searched the world over to provide a fun, comprehensive selection for you. We brought that emphasis to our Holiday Catalog, where we’re featuring a bunch of our favorite utensils…let’s turn the spotlight on a few of them:
It hardly gets more classic than Manuscript’s “1856” resin barreled fountain pens. The translucent resin almost seems to glow from inside, with pattern and light ebbing & flowing as the pen moves. The medium-sized, steel handwriting nib glides smoothly over the page, applying ink from either a universal cartridge or a converter (both included). We brought in our three favorite colors: “Northern Lights” – a deep pearlescent blue with yellow marbled stripes…it reminded us of the Wet Paint colors; “Red Storm” – a fiery red with swirling white patterns; and “Oyster Mist” – a handsome ivory colored pen with striations that look like a museum-quality geological discovery. The person that gets one of these is gonna smile every time they use their pen! Each 1856 comes packaged in a gift box. And – did I mention they’re on sale?
If the “1856” is a little too formal, may I suggest Caran d’Ache’s “849 Series” metal barreled fountain pens? The bold, rounded-edge hexagonal barrels are made of aluminum…they look heavier than they actually are. Both the barrel and the stainless steel nib are super durable; the pens boast a lifetime warranty for a reason! The calling card of the “849,” though, is the barrel colors: a range of “can’t miss ‘em” fluorescents; sleek, glossy, contemporary white; and matte, industrial-looking black or blue. The decision to get one is easy, deciding which one to get is the hard part. To make it easier, they’re on sale – so you can get more than one.
Blackwing Pencils continue to be hugely popular at Wet Paint. The smooth, dark graphite lines…the distinctive square ferrule that holds the distinctive (and refillable!) square eraser…the unique, “blink & you’ll miss them” limited edition themed pencils…dreamy! With this in mind, we brought in two great gift ideas for the Blackwing enthusiast: the Pencil Roll and the Desk Set. The former is a durable, waxed canvas roll that comes with five pencils and has space for a pad and a sharpener (not included). (Speaking of pads…we just received some brand new blank and dot grid books from Blackwing…just sayin’.) The Desk Set comes with eight of each “standard style” Blackwing pencil – 24 pencils in all – plus a coveted long-point sharpener. This bounty is packaged in the most handsome pear wood box that you’ve ever seen. Wow, would that box look nice on somebody’s desk.
Lamy Gift Sets aren’t in the catalog…but they’re a super good deal, so I will tell you about them. These sets pair a dashing Filofax notebook with a Lamy fountain pen: choose a red notebook with White Safari (extra fine nib); a magenta notebook with a Black Purple Safari (fine nib); or a lime green notebook with a super rare Charged Green Al Star (extra fine nib). They’re already in a box appropriate for gifting…your work is done!
Also not in our catalog, but really new and really cool, is the William Mitchell Mapping & Drawing pen with reversible nib. The short, plastic quill-style nib holder conceals a hidden super-fine metal nib…flip it around when you’re ready to write or draw; flip it back when you’re done. No more broken nibs or poked fingers! Now you just need a bottle of ink to dip the pen in…
Oh, look at that: it’s Herbin’s new “1798” Amethyste De L’Oural ink…right on cue! This deep, rich purple ink has an appealing silvery lustre…perfect for shimmery, hand-lettered highlights or penning your Minnesota Vikings dream season remembrances. “Amethyste” is the first in a series of new ink colors that will make up the Jacques Herbin 1798 Collection…get in at the beginning! The jars themselves are as beautiful as the ink.
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