Fountain Pen Friday - Maped Tatoo Soft fountain pen review

It's Fountain Pen Friday today so I want to share a couple of reviews with you, the first is for this funky Maped Tatoo Soft fountain pen. 

Maped Tatoo Soft Fountain Pen

When I opened the box of stationery supplies I was sent from National Stationery Week and Small Man Media my husband spotted this pen straight away and picked it up for a closer look.  He was definitely drawn to the fun comic book/pop art design on it and so was I!  It reminds me of the Batman TV show that used to be on in the 60's (which I watched as repeats in the 80's!) when the fight scenes were intersected with flashes of cartoon POW!!'s and BOOOOM!!'s. 

Pow! Boooom!

The pen comes with a standard cartridge of blue ink so you can use it straight away, I popped it into the pen and tried it out.

Iridium nib

The nib is a little finer than I am used to using but it still writes well and the triangular comfort soft grip feels nice and, well, comfortable in my hand!

Handwritten review

This pen retails for around £5 which makes it a great starter fountain pen for children or if you haven't used one in a while and want to try again without splashing out too much cash.  

Fountain Pen Day

Overall I really like this pen, the design is fun and colourful and it passes my main test which is good ink flow so it doesn't feel scratchy when I write with it.  

I will be back with a second pen review later on today and you will have the chance to win your own shiny new fountain pen to play with!

World Stationery Day! Why writing matters to me...

Happy World Stationery Day!  I love the fact that there are people all over the world celebrating their love of stationery today, it is fantastic!    Are you doing anything special to mark the day?  I wrote a letter using my favourite pen and ink, decorated the envelope with washi tape and popped it into the postbox this morning and later on I will be testing some pens for reviews which is always fun.

World Stationery Day 2016

I wanted to spend some time today to tell you why I think writing matters, why it is important to me to encourage people to pick up a pen and use it, to make their mark.  When I was at school we learned how to write using a pencil, once that was mastered we moved onto cursive handwriting and then when our writing was neat enough we graduated onto a pen.  The day you got your pen was a big thing, it was an achievement and you felt proud.  I think the day I was given a pen at school was the day I fell in love with stationery a little and that love has grown over the years.  

Pen and paper

I think that one of the problems we have now is that more and more parts of our lives have become digital, work and play both involve computers, tablets and mobile phones.  There seems to be an app for everything and we don't even have to sign our names when we pay by card any more, it is all chip and pin or contactless payments.  I want people to pick up a pen and feel the joy of writing again!    

The right tools for the job

Nothing I can do on my iPad can compare with putting pen to paper when it comes to organising my life or recording memories.  Things just feel more permanent to me when they on paper instead of in an app or computer file. 

Finding a smooth writing pen, a pretty coloured ink or the perfect paper ignites a spark of creativity inside me that sitting in front of a computer never has, that is why I always plan my blog posts on paper before I start to write them on my laptop.  Holding a pen in my hand is the first step I take in many of my endeavours, the pen and paper inspire my imagination whether I am trying to create something or problem solving.  They are the tools I use, the foundation I start with and so far they have always gotten the job done!  

Why does writing matter to you?