Pen shows offer the opportunity for highlight after highlight, and one of my favorite highlights is what I call “The Handoff.”
Most times, The Handoff takes place randomly at the show. A friend has brought some ink samples and a notebook for me checkout. A vendor has a new pen they want to get into my hands. Cookies, candy, and coffee, too. Things of that nature.
Other times, The Handoff involves advance scouting and coordination. For example, when Azizah from Gourmet Pens texts me ahead of the Philadelphia Pen Show and asks “are you checking luggage?” you know things are about to go down. Reader, things did in fact go down, in the form of around a dozen bottles of ink from the Gourmet Pens Shop that she handed off to me. Taped, sealed, and packaged for air travel, to boot.
Post-show, I opened all of the bottles and did a quick sample of each ink. I’m not going to go through them all today, and I’ve already given some away, but I do plan on reviewing a few that specifically caught my eye. Choosing which ink to use first was an easy choice, with the Gourmet Pens x Ink Institute Saskatoon Berry Pie checking all of my boxes.
Saskatoon Berry Pie is a traditional Canadian dessert made from, you guessed it - Saskatoon berries. The fruit features purple and red tones, which when formed as an ink, turn into a stunning Magenta shade. It’s downright perfect for my use.
Since The Handoff, it has been inked in my Nahvalur Plongeur, which I also picked up at the Philadelphia Pen Show. It’s more difficult to pick a match for an all-titanium pen given that any color will do, but I’m thrilled with this matchup. The Plonguer is fitted with a Broad Steel nib, and while I had a moment of thinking I’d get it modified, it’s great as-is. It has a bit of a naturally blocky shape and is not too wide for my handwriting style. It is complimentary, and paired with Saskatoon Berry Pie, it’s as sweet as it gets.
I have yet to try this ink in a fine nib, but given the shade I think it will do well. It’s a character-filled color, and while the Broad nib shows off all of the properties, the base color will fit as an everyday writer.
Gourmet Pens x Ink Institute Saskatoon Berry Pie is $28 CAD for a 30 ml bottle at the Gourmet Pens Shop, which converts to around $19.50 USD. A great ink made by a great person, what’s not to like? Well, it doesn’t ship with a slice of pie, for starters. Can you work on that please, Azizah?
(Gourmet Pens Shop provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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