#WriteitWednesday Where in the World?

With Memorial Day in the rearview, many of us here in the US are beginning to hit the road on vacation (or "holiday" to our international friends). As we take to the skies, head toward open waters and accelerate to highway speed, our #WriteitWednesday challenge is to share your journey this year. Where are you headed this summer? Maybe you've already taken your big trip earlier this year. Where in the world did you go? If a stay-cation is in order, where do you want to go?

Written with a TWSBI 530 1.5mm Stub with J Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite

Share the pic of your entry on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #writeitwednesday and mention @goldspotpens to make sure we see it! You may also opt to e-mail us the picture at social@goldspot.com.

Deadline for entries will be Thursday at 10:00am Eastern US Time. We will randomly select a winner on Thursday at 12 Noon.

This Week's Prize

Our giveaway item this week is also our Weekly Dip that is currently on special with a twist - every sale of this item donates a $1 toward the Red Nose Day Fund. This is the Cross Click in matte red - a very striking pen that has a modern appeal with convenient click-action for one-handed deployment. The smooth-writing gel ink refill is a delight to write with.

About #WriteitWednesday

Each Wednesday, we run a new social giveaway challenge with a different giveaway prize every week. Anyone around the world with an Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or E-mail account can enter. Once the entries have been collected and the deadline has passed, we randomly select one of the entries as the winner of the giveaway and send the prize accordingly.

No purchase is necessary to enter the #writeitwednesday giveaway. Those who enter the contest via social media may have their images shared by Goldspot on this blog or on Goldspot's Social media accounts. The winner will have 1 week to contact us by e-mail to claim their prize. If the prize is unclaimed, it will be used in a future giveaway.

Voting is Now Open for Pen of the Year 2014

So, now that we got that business of the midterm elections over with, here comes the fun part : voting for your favorite pen released in 2014! We asked for your nominations and received a great response to put together a solid list of nominees that all deserve to be considered for this prestigious honor.

Please take a look at the nominees below. They are sorted in randomized order not to show any priority or preference. Please feel free to cast your vote and share this post with your friends so they may vote as well. Remember, this is all in fun!

Voting is open until Friday, November 14th at 2pm Eastern US time. We will announce the winner Friday afternoon.

Call for Nominations - 2014 Pen of the Year

Today is Election Day here in America. The American public is called upon to exercise our right to vote, upholding the core values of democracy. 

No matter where you are in the world today, we invite you to please join us in voicing your opinion on a different, yet significantly important topic - the 2014 Pen of the Year!



We need nominees from you, the pen-loving public, for your favorite choice of pen that was released in 2014. That could also include new finishes or colors of a pen model that has been around longer than the last year.

We'll sort through your comments to compile a list of nominees to vote on starting Tuesday, November 11th. Voting will last one week and will conclude with the official crowning of this year's winner. The Poll & Results will be posted here and on our social media accounts. So, please give us your suggestions and remember, it's all in good fun!

Here are some examples of pens that have made their debut in 2014 : Pilot Vanishing Point Metallic Colors, Lamy Studio Wild Rubin, Delta Unica, Pilot Copper Vanishing Point, TWSBI Diamond 580 USA, Parker Duofold Historical Colors, Montegrappa Miya Carbon, Visconti Homo Sapiens Crystal Swirl, Visconti Divina Elegance, Cross Peerless 125, Cross Year of the Goat, Waterford Beaumont, Platinum 3776 Century Nice Pur, OMAS William Shakespeare Ltd Ed., Pelikan M101N Tortoiseshell Red, Pelikan M600 Vibrant Green, the list goes on!

Remember, these are examples meant to get the brain juices flowing. Feel free to suggest any other pen, even if you aren't 100% positive it was made this year.

Past winners include:

• Edison Menlo Fountain Pen (2013)
• Edison Beaumont & Conid's Fountainbel Bulkfillder Demonstrator (2012)
• Edison Collier Fountain Pen (2011)
• TWSBI Diamond 530 Fountain Pen (2010)
• Pelikan m205 Blue Transparent Fountain Pen (2009)
• Online Newood Fountain Pen Calligraphy Set (2008)

Chat about the Pen of the Year Voting on social media using the hashtag #POTY2014

Vote for the 2013 Pen of the Year

Now that we've voted all the politicians to office, here comes the fun part : voting for your favorite pen released in 2013! We asked for your nominations and received an outstanding response to put together a solid list of nominees that all deserve to be considered for this prestigious honor.

The images below are a reference for each nominee. You may find more information about each pen by clicking the name of the pen.. Click here to cast your vote (via SurveyMonkey).

The Nominees Are :

Pilot Metropolitan

 Edison Menlo Pump Filler

Lamy Safari Neon Yellow

Pilot Justus 95

Pelikan Souveran M800 Tortoiseshell Brown

TWSBI 580

Please note that you can click on any of the nominees to find a larger pic or more information to help you decide. There is also a write-in option if your choice is not present on the list (Please keep it clean, folks.) Voting will be open until Monday, November 18th at 11:59pm Pacific US Standard time. The winner will be announced next Tuesday, the 19th.

Have fun and cheer on your favorite pen from this year!

Diamine Apple Glory Ink Review

Apple Glory is among the new hues (debut in summer 2012) for renown British ink manufacturer Diamine. It matches nicely with the Lamy Safari Apple Green, which also hit the fine writing market around the same time last year. Bright, medium toned with sufficient saturation, Apple Glory is what I was looking for in a green that spreads Christmas cheer.

Diamine Apple Glory written with TWSBI 1.5mm Stub on InkJournal Paper

A Lamy Safari in Apple Green - 2012 Special Edition Color

The TWSBI Stub nib produces a significant amount of shading with this ink, especially when writing on Rhodia paper. The ink's consistency flows nicely (saw that before writing when it went all over the carpet...woops) and dries reasonably quick. Looking forward to trying this ink in a medium or a fine nib next. This may be an "evergreen" ink to use all year long. *Snicker*

Announcing the Monthly Newsletter Giveaway

We're Giving Away a TWSBI.

Need we say more?

Well, obviously, if we've piqued your interest, you may be asking yourself, "How do I get my name into the metaphorical hat?" Good news is, you may already be entered to win!

We are sponsoring a monthly giveaway to all of our faithful e-mail newsletter subscribers. To enter, simply make sure you are signed up for our e-mail newsletter. If you are already subscribed, you're all set! Please make sure to include your e-mail and first name (so we know what name to call you when you win). At the end of the month, a winner will be randomly chosen from the masses. The following week, we will send an e-mail announcing the winner. You must open and check this e-mail to see if you have been picked and then send us an e-mail with your desired nib size and mailing address.

For those of you that are leery about giving your e-mail address - We do not sell your information to any other companies or third parties. Your information is totally private and secure. You will have the option of selecting from various interests that pertain to your pen-loving personality and there is no obligation to stay on the list. You can opt-out and unsubscribe at any time. We normally send out 2 to 3 e-mails per month, as opposed to the dozens of e-mails that some retailers *ahem* Amazon *ahem* barrage you with. Plus, all of the e-mails are about pens, special buys on pens, exclusive discount codes to use on the site and gift suggestions for when you're stuck on what to buy for Aunt Sue (hint: She already has the Fifty Shades of Grey series).

Plus, we've added a newsletter list specifically for our Daily Dip shoppers. For those of your who are new to our site, the Daily Dip is a pen that we put on extra discount for 1 day, changing them every weekday at 2pm Eastern Time. We've had a swell response from our customers, but we wanted to make it easier for them so that they don't have to check the site every day to see when the new Dip is posted. Starting this week, we've begun to e-mail our Daily Dip around the 2 o'clock hour.  Never miss a great pen bargain again and SIGN UP FOR THE DIP!

The January Carnival of Pen Pencil and Paper

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Welcome to the January 2012 edition of carnival of pen, pencil and paper. The first one of our brand New Year, we hope to kick things off right and feature some of the best pen-related articles that the internet has to offer, collected all here for your exploring curiosity.

pens

Eric Schneider presents The Known TWSBI System, A Timeline posted at FPGeeks.

Alex Witte presents Pilot Bravo posted at Economy Pens.

Alex Witte presents Sharpie Pen Grip posted at Economy Pens.

Steven Horvat presents TWSBI 540 Fountain Pen Review posted at The Original Steven H, saying, "TWSBI 540 Fountain Pen Review"

Brian G. presents the Noodler's Ahab Flex Nib Fountain Pen Review posted at Office Supply Geek.
Elizabeth presents the Sheaffer VFM Matte Black Fountain Pen Review posted at No Pen Intended.

notebooks

Steven Horvat presents Clairefontaine Staplebound Notebook - 3.5" x 5.5" - Orange posted at The Original Steven H, saying, "This is my little staple-bound notebook. It goes everywhere with me."


Cheryl from Writer's Bloc presents What is Fountain Pen Friendly Paper? posted at Writer's Bloc Blog.

Alex Witte presents Doane Paper Leather Works Utility Notebook Cover posted at Economy Pens.

Katie Sorene presents 10 Beautiful Journals to Inspire Your Travel Writing posted at Travel Blog - Tripbase, saying, "Travel journal recommendations for aspiring writers. From the decadence of Smythson of Bond Street to the simplicity of Moleskin's classic pads, water resistent journals, recycled leather and more."

miscellaneous

Steven Horvat presents Custom Made Desk Organizer posted at The Original Steven H, saying, "Custom Made Desk Organizer"

office supplies

Steven Horvat presents TWSBI Inkwells Purple, Green, & Blue! posted at The Original Steven H, saying, "TWSBI Inkwells Purple, Green, & Blue!"

Brian G. presents Best Office Supplies of 2011 posted at Office Supply Geek.


That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pen, pencil and paper
using the carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.

How to use a TWSBI Diamond 50 Ink Bottle

The other day, I was trying to explain to my Dad why I was so excited that we were getting the new TWSBI Diamond 50 Ink Bottles. He owns a Diamond 540 fountain pen, but he didn't quite get it. In his words, "Wait, a $25 ink bottle and it doesn't come with any ink!?"

So I had to demonstrate why this bottle is so cool, yet functional, especially for someone that owns a TWSBI Diamond 530/540 pen.

Highlights from the video:

• Taking apart the Diamond 50 ink bottle and explain the idea behind the design.
• Filling the ink bottle with your choice of fountain pen ink.
• Filling your fountain pen the conventional way, using either a converter or piston mechanism.
• Filling your TWSBI fountain pen using what I refer to as the "express method."

This is my first full "pen demo" video, and I did shoot (& edit) it at 2am this morning. Please be kind. :-) We hope to do many more of these in the future, especially short (1-2 minute) videos for RefillFinder.com. If you like this and would like to see more videos, please feel free to request a specific pen or topic.

Happy St. Pattys Day Update

Dearest Pen Enthusiasts,

First-off, lets wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day 2011. Whether your attending a parade or tending to the stool in your local pub, stay safe and celebrate responsibly.

I haven't had much time recently to write posts since catalog production is in full-swing. In the spirit of the holiday, I'm taking a short break to write you about some news in the Goldspot pen universe.

Tons of new product are slated to hit the shelves in the ensuing weeks. One particular advantage about working on the catalog is that we get to see images of new products before they're even available for sale. We know there have been many people eagerly awaiting the Beatles limited editions from ACME and we'll be working on getting those items available for pre-sale shortly. Delivery of the very first shipments should be coming in mid-to-late-May. When we have them up on the site to reserve, I will let everyone know.

White is going to be a huge color trend this year for pens. With the black on black style being a popular hit last year, white pens are going to be hitting the market from Waterman, Parker, and Montegrappa, to name a few.

Some of the more well-established and renown brands are getting in touch with their roots by offering "new vintage" pens. Pelikan, for example, will be launching a reproduction of the historic M100N in tortoise shell with a traditional 14kt nib. OMAS is producing a couple limited production pens, including a Arte Italiana Paragon that will be fitted with an "extra-flexible" nib. We already signed on for a few of the OMAS 360 Vintage that are made from transparent blue cotton resin. The 360 can suck up some mean amounts of ink with its internal piston-filling system.

Speaking of piston-fillers - Almost all of our color TWSBI pens are sold out and will be backordered until new shipment arrives from Taiwan. Fear not, we will still have ample stock of the clear demonstrators for the time being. If you have an order pending, we have contacted you by e-mail to check if there is another point-size or color you would be interested in having. Otherwise, your order will be on reserve for when the new shipments arrive.

That's all for now. I will be in touch soon to drop a few new pen topics, along with a review or two in the coming weeks. Keep on writing!

TWSBI Diamond 530 Nibs Now on Sale

With the successful debut of the TWSBI Diamond 530 fountain pens on our website several weeks ago, we've been asked a few times if replacement nibs will be available. Your wishes have been granted! We now offer the steel nib replacement units in Extra-Fine, Fine and Medium point sizes. These points are compatible with the clear and colored Diamond 530 piston-filling fountain pens.  This is a great opportunity to give your writing instrument additional flexibility when you want to write a bit broader or if you want to switch to meticulously small note-taking.

They are currently on their way to our office and will arrive by early next week. Price is $27 per nib.

TWSBI Diamond 530 Fountain Pen Review

The heralded TWSBI Diamond 530 is a fountain pen born out of input of the Fountain Pen Network community. The Taiwanese manufacturers aimed their design as a pen for fountain pen enthusiasts. And their aim was true, as the Diamond 530 demonstrator was voted as the Goldspot Pen of the Year for 2010.

The one question on many pen enthusiasts may be, "what is a TWSBI?" Sure, it's not a brand name like Parker or Waterman, but was able to best every established competitor by staying true to the needs of writers. TWSBI has 50 years of manufacturing experience in metal-stamping, metal-turning and plastic injection molding. For 25 years, they have been making OEM writing instruments for well-known brands. Now, their aim is to make their own products under the name TWSBI, starting about a year ago.

The Diamond 530 is certainly a great first endeavor for TWSBI. It is a piston-filling fountain pen, offered in a stainless steel nib in Extra-Fine, Fine or Medium point sizes. The most unique concept about this project is the encouragement to disassemble and reassemble the pen. Fully-illustrated instructions, a wrench and a bottle of silicone grease is included with every pen to give you the knowledge and tools necessary to do your own pen maintenance.

When I first heard of the Diamond 530 piston-filling fountain pen, it was a knee-jerk decision to get it. Piston-filling fountain pens are hard to come by at such an affordable price. I would not have high expectations on the nib, but was pleasantly surprised at the writing quality and smoothness. The piston mechanism works perfectly, smoothly drawing up the ink through the nib without much loss of suction. The tank holds about 2 1/2 weeks worth of writing ink. Since the pen can be completely disassembled, thorough cleaning between fills is easy.

My only criticism of the pen is that writing with the cap posted is not an option (at least for me). The length of the pen with cap posted is just about 7" long, which throws off the balance of writing with the pen and makes my hand more tired after writing.

Summary:

• Writing Quality : Stainless Steel nib delivers with smoothness, even wet flow. (grade A-)
• Aesthetic Quality : Injection mold plastic is crystal clear. The diamond pattern body interacts beautifully with the ink inside the tank. (grade A)
• Utility : Unique ability to take apart and put back together is very useful for minor repairs and cleanings. Cap does post well, but becomes a bit too long to write with. (grade B+)
• Price : Available in extra-fine, fine or broad nib sizes for $59.95 at Goldspot Pens. If this pen had "Pelikan" on the cap ring, it would easily be sold for twice the price. (grade A-)

Final Grade : A-
After hearing all the fan fare, TWSBI Diamond 530 is certainly worth the buzz and the title of Pen of the Year. You can read up on other reviews of the Diamond 530 at the following sites :

• Fountain Pen Network
• Dizzy Pen
• Fountain Pen Geeks

Pen Spotlight - Holiday Edition

Holey Moley, has it been a crazy December! Our day-to-day work has consisted of picking, packing, express, overnight, engraving, giftwrap, rush orders, bulk orders and phone calls non-stop from Black Friday Weekend. It's a double edged sword - you nearly go crazy with all the work, but everyone gets their gifts in-time and our company benefits from the business.

We'll be enjoying a well-deserved break this weekend and will close the office from Friday, Dec 24th to re-open on Monday, Dec 27th. The Website will be OPEN 24/7 and we will have FREE SHIPPING on orders of $75 or more throughout the end of the year.

Although we've been running ourselves ragged processing orders this December, we have added a few new products and brands to the site that we would like to share:

• TWSBI (Goldspot's Pen of the Year 2010) - The fans have spoken! Due to the great response on the voting of Pen of the Year, we have acquired these TWSBI pens to sell direct through Goldspot.com.
• Visconti Opera Club Limited Edition - Only limited to a mere 40 to 70 pieces per writing style, these rare colors of Visconti's popular Opera pen are sure to sell fast.
• J Herbin - We really haven't talked much about the French ink-maker, but we've started selling Herbin in the last month or so and I personally look forward to trying out a few of their inks in my fountain pens.
• Sailor, Japan - Yes, it's so new that we don't even have it up on the site yet. We're still in the process of getting the photography together, but we will be able to offer the fantastic writing quality of Sailor pens in a few short weeks.

And now, for some Link Sharing -

• Although it may have been more helpful a few weeks ago, you may be able to see where you went wrong in giving your office gift by reading Monster's the Do's and Dont's of Exchanging Gifts at Work. 
• Pen & Paper connoisseur Pocket Blonde does a helpful, side-by-side comparison of fountain pens that write with a "fine line." This is great if you have a pen in one of the brands that is listed and was always wondering how the line would compare in a different pen model.
• Lady Dandelion does a similar comparison using italic and oblique nibs in her post titled "Width Matters."