Getting to talk to makers and vendors is the one of the best parts of any pen show, and I made that a priority at the 2026 Atlanta Pen Show. That’s where I got to spend time talking to Kristen Brooks of Fountain Telling, and she got to share with me the story of her latest pen design, Willow.
I’ll be the first to admit that when I first laid eyes on this pen I wasn’t sure what to think, but once I heard the story behind it, I couldn’t stop smiling. I firmly believe that the best products have great stories, and Kristen recently shared the impetus for Willow with Caroline Foty in last month’s Meet Your Maker:
“The “Willow” pen is designed to represent Brooks’ dog, Willow, an Australian shepherd. “She’s my entire world wrapped into a dog. She’s my service dog, she’s a competition dog – she does dock diving, barn hunting, and agility – she’s with me wherever I go. I like to say she picked my husband for me.” The pen represents the silhouette of Willow’s body: “She has a narrow nose, a wider face, a narrow neck but broad shoulders, a fluffy butt, and a little nub tail. The nub on the cap is her tail. I looked at her and thought, This is an interesting shape, how would it be as a pen?” It turned out to be not only a striking pen, but also a comfortable one. “It’s beginner friendly. My husband is new to pens and we find that it helps to seat the grip.” Reactions to the pen have been a source of amusement. “It’s designed after a dog, I can’t help where your mind goes!””
Love it!!! 🐶
As a dog person myself, I am way in on this. But as a pen person also, how does it work? Surprisingly well.
I’m historically not a “curves” pen shape person, but the more I try different models in different shapes, the more I am becoming a convert. Many pens such as this are purposefully designed to fit into your hands seamlessly, and that’s what I get from the Willow.
When writing, the Neck of the dog (there’s a description I’ve never used in a pen review!) sits perfectly in the cusp of my hand. Hand sizes are obviously different between each person so your mileage may vary, but this Willow feels like it was made for me. Aside from the Neck, the Tail gives me endless joy just thinking about it. It’s so stubby, and makes me think about its namesake every time I see it.
Kristen gave me this pen, and allowed me to pick out which barrel color I wanted, which is no easy feat. I went with her Three Olive Martini material, which I learned after the fact is another pen makers favorite blank. So yes, I have good taste!
To prove that, I had my choice of inks to match to this pen. Terasnishi Emotional Olive is the perfect choice, right? Wrong! It’s Sailor Manyo Uri. Why the odd choice over the easy choice? With Uri, you never know what color is going to show up on the page.
Whatever color it is going to be, I did know that it would match this pen perfectly. There is a range of Brown and Greens all throughout this pen, and I knew Uri was going to give it the overall feel I was looking for.
The one thing I didn’t know is how the paper in the Nonble A5 Notebook was going to handle this setup. I bought it at Choosing Keeping when I was in London for the Relay 10th Anniversary event, and finally cracked it open this week.
The paper inside is called Galbus COC, and not only have I never heard of it before, I can find absolutely zero information on it online. That said, it’s great for fountain pens in limited testing. Writing with an Extra Fine Jowo #6 Nib and an ink I’m familiar with, it worked perfectly. I’ll spend more time with it in the coming months and put out a full review, but for now, it seems like a good option.
Is the Fountain Telling Willow a good option for you? If you are looking for creativity, whimsy, and storytelling wrapped up in one beautiful package, then I think so. Mix in some fun ink and a fresh page, and you are ready for a Pairings Party of your own!
(Fountain Telling provided this pen at no charge to The Pen Addict.)
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