Monde des Stylos

While I have not been updating this blog much recently due to a heavier than expected workload in my day job, much has been happening in my journaling activities as well as in the wider community. For a start, Pelikan Hub 2025 was on 24th October 2025, a little over two weeks ago. In the South East Asia region where I live, we had the inaugural Malaysia International Pen Show (MIPS) held on 27th and 28th September in Petaling Jaya , just next to Kuala Lumpur . The first ever Singapore Pen Show will be happening on the last weekend of November, but I will have to skip this event in my home city because I will be overseas during that weekend. In addition, the Tokyo International Pen Show (TIPS) is currently happening this weekend, 1st to 3rd November 2025. I attended last year's edition of TIPS and it was my first time attending a pen show. What an eye opener! On a personal note, despite a promise to myself to buy less and instead spend more time enjoying the writing instruments t...

This Montblanc Orient Express fountain pen was my first ever Montblanc pen which I purchased in June 2023, slightly more than 2 years ago.  Limited to an edition size of 1883 worldwide, this pen was released on the 140th anniversary of the celebrated luxury train service, the Orient Express in the year 1883. Part of Montblanc's High Artistry series , the pen comes in a beautiful box set that includes a bottle of similarly coloured ink and an A4-sized notebook. Montblanc Meisterstück Fountain Pen, (18K) Medium Nib,  High Artistry A Journey on the Orient Express Limited Edition 1883 Coffret Set Using the base body of the Montblanc M eisterstuck 149, the blue coloured  resin was a delight to behold when held in my hand. The nib is large and produces a constant flow of ink as it glided across my journal. What a delightful tool to write with!  The large 18K gold nib is engraved with an Orient Express emblem while the cap bore a laser-engraved of another Orient Express e...

My fountain pen journey has taken me from a few entry-level pens to pens that cost a lot more money to buy. Cost is of course relative and when I mention the term "cost a lot more money", I am referring to myself and my pens and stationery budget. Thus, while I may consider a certain pen to be very expensive, it may be considered just an entry-level pen to others. Similarly, a pen whose cost I consider to be entry-level may instead be a grail pen for others. Thus, depending on our personal budgets, cost is rather relative. Every year, I set aside a small amount of money to fund my pens and stationery hobby. This is my so-called pens and stationery budget. Of course, I must admit that I have consistently broken this budget by spending more than the amount of funds I had initially allocated for the year. That being said, being over budget had often resulted in me pulling back on more purchases for the year and that I think, at least indicated that the pre-set budget had done it...