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In April I had the pleasure of meeting Kirk Speer during his stop at The Paper Mouse in Newton, MA.
Kirk's workspace at Paper Mouse.
I had two pens with me, a Montblanc 144 and a Pilot Custom K500. Both have medium points and I asked Kirk if one was a better candidate for a cursive italic grind. He felt it would work well for either pen but noted he typically finds Montblanc nibs respond quite well to that kind of work. That was enough for me so the Montblanc went under the knife, or griding wheel in this case. Kirk also put the same grind on my mom’s Montegrappa Zero. Both pens were already nice writers but now they are elevated to a higher level.
Kirk also had a selection of engraved nibs to buy (mostly Jowo #6) and I found one with a seigaiha wave pattern. It will be an excellent match for my Spoke Icon in black & silver.
More than all of that, though, it was great to talk with Kirk. He’s very welcoming and had nice fellowship with everyone at his table. If he’s coming through your area at a show or a shop, I strongly recommend taking the time to go see him.
My other pickups included some Blackwing reporter notepads, gift tags, a small notebook, and a Lechtturm Drehgriffel pen. The Drehgriffel is a nice design and this one was done up for Paper Mouse’s 10th anniversary.
Last but not least, thanks to the folks at The Paper Mouse. It’s always a wonderful store to visit with friendly and helpful people. Their commitment to hosting events like this for the stationery community is very much appreciated. I am grateful to have such a place local to me. They also have a new bag design depicting their storefront.
Can you spot the easter egg on there?
