The Manila Pen Show is happening again! This is our 5th year, and this time, we’re at The Peninsula Manila hotel, running from March 15 to 16, 2025.
That the local nickname for the hotel is “the Manila Pen” is perfection, isn’t it?
Visit our (new!) website at manilapenshow.org or get tickets now.
#manilapenshowatmanilapen
Ferris Wheel Press chooses the loveliest names for their products- as in the case of their refillable rollerball pen, the Roundabout. Here, refillable means with fountain pen ink– a delightful prospect for anyone who loves fountain pen inks, but can’t always use fountain pens.
The rollerball tip means more compatibility with non-coated paper- it glides smoothly and doesn’t pick up as many fibers as a sharp nib would- although take note that the ink you fill it with will make a difference.
I purchased the pen in the gorgeous French Vanilla colour, because I’m still not over my white-pen phase- and its body is very similar to their Carousel pen (which I’ve talked about before here and here). Watch a side by side comparison video here:
I mentioned choosing the right ink earlier, and I’ve found- for my pen anyway- that when it comes to filling the Roundabout, the wetter the better. You want to use a very flowy ink with this one, such as one of Pilot’s Iroshizukus, some of Ferris Wheel Press’ own inks (I highly recommend something like Poison Envy), or- as I’ve done with mine- a Noodler’s, in this case Red-Black.
If you like writing with rollerballs, you’ll probably enjoy this one. It took me some doing to find the “sweet spot” on the nib, but once I did, everything flowed nicely.
Note: I purchased this pen myself from Ferris Wheel Press. I am always completely honest about what I like / dislike about all products, whether I paid for them or not.
The last time I played DnD before this year was in 1984. Yes, I’m that old. These last few months, I’ve played with two different groups- and loved it so much that today I took the time to write out my character description with a dip pen.
Her name is Luna.
A friend I played with showed me one of her “character journals”- written in character. It’s absolutely brilliant, and definitely something I’m going to try.
These two inks, and a fountain pen, were in my latest package from Ferris Wheel Press.
Yes, a red and a green- absolutely perfect for someone who starts feeling Christmassy way too early (but this is a Filipino thing).
I’ve talked about the Carousel fountain pen in a previous review. It’s only of my favorite “grab and go, and don’t worry about scratching it up” pens- and am thrilled to have it in another color.
But these inks!
Cabernet on the Lake, one of their new “regular collection” inks, is so wonderfully pigmented, a gorgeous red wine color that’s easy to dip into, and is especially good for for those of us who like finer nibs. It is a shimmer ink- with rose gold particles that add just the right amount of subtle shine- but as in all Ferris Wheel Press shimmer inks I’ve tried so far, the shimmer particles are very fine, and have not clogged my pens.
The second ink is a Ferritales release, coming in one of their adorably small round bottles. It’s named Brilliant Beanstalk, and it’s a dark sage with high shading and champagne shimmer. In this one, the shimmer talks– I have trouble photographing it because sometimes on camera, it’s All Champagne.
Of course I love it.
And of course, given the fairytale theme of the ink, I had to write the lyrics to a song from Into the Woods.
Disclaimer: Ferris Wheel Press sent the pen and ink set to me for review. I am always completely honest about what I like / dislike about all products, whether I paid for them or not.
Like many old-timer fountain pen users, I’ve learned to be careful with shimmer inks. They’re beautiful, yes- especially on certain types of paper- but they can also clog a feed. I’ve filled several pens with shimmer ink in excitement, only to have them stop writing after a word or two- or worse, never write at all.
But I still love shimmer inks- I just usually reserve them for dip pens (of which I am also quite fond of), glass pens, or TWSBIs with stub nibs (which take them wonderfully!).
Imagine my delight, then, when I inked up the Poison Envy pen (with a fine nib!) with its accompanying Poison Envy ink, which contains both green and pink shimmer, to find that it wrote beautifully!
The Carousel pen is made of light, but sturdy, plastic- and feels like a “starter” pen, but I love the nib performance so much that I’ve added it to my EveryDayCarry. Having a pen I’m not afraid to break that gives me reliability and beautiful shimmer? A dream come true.
The ink, like all Ferris Wheel Press inks, comes in the most beautiful box, with design details such as these (description from FWP’s website):
At the centre, the magic mirror cracked but still functioning gives vision to your deepest desires. Cathedral rose windows hide the secrets of Ferris Wheel Press icons, such as nibs, and the iconic hex nut.
Doesn’t that sound magical?
And now for my writing sample:
Disclaimer: Ferris Wheel Press sent the pen and ink set to me for review. I am always completely honest about what I like / dislike about all products, whether I paid for them or not.
Like most beautiful things, the Universal Line of Beauty is best seen, rather than explained in words.
There’s something about this curved line that appeals to our eyes, a theory originated by Hogarth’s Analysis of Beauty in 1753. The Universal Line of Beauty can be seen and used in many different letterforms and flourishing techniques.
Try to identify the Universal Line of Beauty in objects and art around you. Learn to master this stroke- it’s not quite a curvy letter “s”, nor a straight line, but what Hogarth called a “serpentine” line.
Read more about the line:
The Line of Beauty: Refiguring the Serpentine Line from Drawing into Photography – Princeton University Art Museum
Line of Beauty – Wikipedia
Tapping on keyboards, swiping on screens, dictating to our devices… why write at all? Studies have shown that writing by hand helps memory and cognitive function, but it’s more than that; when you write with your hand, forming letters with your own fingers, you are expressing yourself in a way no one else in the world can. It’s you, on paper.
The question changes. Not why write at all, but why do YOU write? More specifically, why are you writing right now? Are you sending a note to a loved one? Writing out a grocery list? Taking notes for a class? Journaling your day?
There are no right or wrong answers- and you don’t need to share them with anyone. I’m happy that you are writing at all. But knowing the answers for yourself is something I want you to keep in mind every time you pick up a pen to write. Being aware of your goals puts you in the correct mindset for penmanship mastery: writing intentionally, making deliberate strokes, in control of exactly what you want on paper, of the message you want to impart.
Before even picking up a pen, you need to realize that your hand is unique; that’s what makes it beautiful. There may be messy, illegible penmanship- but there is no ugly handwriting. Merely by writing with your hand, you already have a headstart on “beautiful”.