Pen Economics

The Grail Pen

by The Economist
January 23, 2016April 16, 2022

At a pen meet in Manila, I finally got to see my grail pen with my own eyes and hold it in my hand. It… Read More »The Grail Pen

Capping Your Collection

by The Economist
January 11, 2016February 27, 2022

There has been some discussion in the community recently by a few bloggers who have been reflecting on the time and expense of buying new… Read More »Capping Your Collection

What is utility?

by The Economist
October 9, 2015February 27, 2022

I had an email from a reader after last week’s post, thanking me for the Economics of Limited Editions posts but mentioned that they didn’t quite grasp… Read More »What is utility?

Has Bungbox Blundered?

by The Economist
September 4, 2015February 27, 2022

As you may have heard, Bungbox inks blew up in 2015, taking our community by storm and overwhelming the business. The amount of bottles being… Read More »Has Bungbox Blundered?

The Field Notes Bubble

by The Economist
August 28, 2015February 27, 2022

If you do a quick search of eBay, you’ll find a surprising thing: packs of limited edition Field Notes notebooks that once retailed for $20,… Read More »The Field Notes Bubble

Brand Analysis: Staedtler

by The Economist
July 6, 2015January 4, 2024

Some readers might recall a post that I published early on in the blog’s history, where I categorized all of the fountain pen brands according to how… Read More »Brand Analysis: Staedtler

Fountain Pen Aesthetics

by The Economist
June 22, 2015February 27, 2022

Part 1: A Problem with Pelikan Some of you will be aware that I reserved one of the new, limited edition Pelikan M805 demonstrators a… Read More »Fountain Pen Aesthetics

Brand Analysis: Noodlers Ink

by The Economist
May 29, 2015November 5, 2022

Anyone who has been involved with the online FP community has heard of Noodlers Ink and will have some idea of just how different they are to… Read More »Brand Analysis: Noodlers Ink

How does China make such cheap fountain pens?

by The Economist
May 8, 2015April 17, 2022

The topic of cheap Chinese fountain pens comes up regularly on reddit, as I’m sure it does at FPN/FP Geeks, blogs, and in the minds of… Read More »How does China make such cheap fountain pens?

Retailer Analysis: MassDrop

by The Economist
March 16, 2015February 27, 2022

I’ve seen a lot of links to MassDrop sales over the last few months, offering substantial discounts on fountain pens (amongst other things) that seem almost too… Read More »Retailer Analysis: MassDrop