Why I’m Re-Starting Minabeko
“Spring is like a perhaps hand (which comes carefully out of Nowhere)”
- e.e. cummings
Why there was a Hiatus:
As the astute reader of this blog may have noticed this blog has been on somewhat of a hiatus. I thought I should provide some context for the pause and how I plan to come back better than ever.
My first mistake was assuming I could maintain a once-a-week, decently researched, and (somewhat) well executed blog. Over the past two years, I moved most of my experiments to my Instagram page (plug: @minabeko_), where I could take advantage of the fact that I didn’t need to write exhaustive(ish) articles to go with every post. Couple that with an inherent laziness and you get a nearly 2-year break in articles.
Now I’m attempting to restart this blog with more reasonable expectations. Once a month rather than once a week (with the occasional blog/review) seems like a more sustainable endeavor. But why am I choosing now to restart? For three reasons:
One:
There’s so much depth to this hobby and this community. In the time since I last posted, there have been so many new and interesting prototypes, experiments, and brands. I’m amazed all the time by what the community gets up to. People are just so inventive and it's absolutely magnetic.
@nib.lab’s stacked nib experiments
@sophmky.notes’ lacquer work
@thegoodblue’s/https://thegoodblue.co.uk/ 3D printed polymer feeds
to name a few of the interesting projects fountain pen people have created. Of all of the online communities I’ve ever been a part of the fountain pen/stationary corner of the internet is one of the best. I want to be a part of what we’re doing here. It's building knowledge and a community and I want to have a role to play in that project (bleh, sappy part over).
Two:
For the first time in 50 years, it's not entirely clear if the age of fountain pen research and development are over. Fountain pens have been fairly stable in design and technology for many years without any major shakeups. Injection-molded and turned pens with traditional filling systems have been the norm for many years now. I think there is a chance that we could have something of a revival of fountain pen design and engineering. The environment of 1930s-1960s fountain pen development occurred without access to modern materials and manufacturing methods. Many of the constraints that fountain pens were created under no longer exist and to me that’s an exciting prospect. I hope soon we will have fountain pens that are a radical departure from what came before.
I’m hoping that nano pigmented inks, 3D printed feeds, and the myriad of flex pens are just the beginning.
3D printed feed I am developing for Platinum 3776 pens
Three:
This blog costs money to keep going so might as well do something with it XD.
Where I go from here:
I’m reorienting what the project of this blog is. Before I was just trying to provide some advice for anyone interested in tinkering with fountain pens. Recently, I’ve been thinking about what this is all leading to. I believe the natural conclusion is to make my own fountain pen. So that’s what I’m going to do.
Until I’ve made my own fountain pen, from scratch, I’ll release installments relating my research and experiments along the way. For every part of the pen, I will go as far back in the manufacturing process as possible and create my own pen body, filling system, feed, nib, ink, and paper if I can manage. I will attempt to be as wildly experimental as possible along the way. New filling systems, new types of ink properties, and new materials are all on the table. Plastic nibs? Piston-straw fillers? Copper gall inks? Honestly, I don’t know what's possible and that's the most exciting part.
I hope I’m able to provide clear information and some entertainment along the way. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
-Minabeko
Special thanks to those who let me include some of their posts!
