Art and Earth Science by Grass
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist I work with data. I work with machine learning. I play around with AI and large language models. I spend a good portion of my working life staring at databases, spreadsheets, digital maps, subsurface data, and whatever other collection of zeros and ones has decided to make my day… Continue reading Why Fountain Pens Matter in a Digital World
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist The Uni-ball One is a gel pen designed around one particularly distinctive feature: its ink. Uni developed a pigment-based formulation with relatively large pigment particles that tend to remain closer to the surface of the paper rather than being absorbed deeply into the fibers. The result is unusually dark, crisp black ink and… Continue reading Uni-ball One F Review: The Perfect Gel Pen for On-the-Go Writers
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Just when I thought Jinhao had squeezed every possible variation out of the X159, along comes the Jinhao X169. Released only in June 2026, the X169 is one of Jinhao’s newest oversized fountain pens—and at first glance, it looks very familiar. If you already know the X159, you might… Continue reading Jinhao X169: The New Pen in Town People Are Now Raving About and For Very Good Reasons
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist One of the biggest misconceptions about fountain pens is that you need to spend hundreds of dollars to enjoy a great writing experience. While premium brands certainly have their charm, the truth is that some of the most enjoyable pens in my collection cost less than a family dinner… Continue reading My Personal List of 5 Amazing Fountain Pens That Cost Less Than $50 Each
I've wanted Jacques Herbin's Emerald of Chivor ever since I fell down the fountain pen rabbit hole. You know how it goes. One minute you're buying a perfectly sensible fountain pen for note-taking. The next minute you're staring at ink swatches online at 2:00 in the morning, convincing yourself that your life would be significantly… Continue reading Jacques Herbin Emerald of Chivor: The Ink That Got Away (Until It Didn’t)
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Every fountain pen enthusiast eventually faces a tricky time when they think they have enough pens. I was in that phase when I first encountered the Majohn P140 more than a year ago while browsing Everything Calligraphy's Lazada store. I took one look at it and thought, "That's nice,… Continue reading Why the Majohn P140 is a Must-Have for Pen Collectors
Pip: The Fabulous Scientist is back, and apparently the magpie instinct is fully operational — if it shimmers, shifts color, or evokes a Victorian novelist, it's getting reviewed.Mara: fabulousgrass has been writing about fountain pens that punch well above their price, covering chatoyant resins, piston fillers, and the question of whether affordable really has to… Continue reading Podcast Episode: Affordable Luxury Fountain Pens
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist There are fountain pens that whisper sophistication. Then there are fountain pens that stride confidently into the room wearing a tailored suit, gold cufflinks, and enough presence to make your other pens question their life choices. The Majohn P139 Endurance belongs firmly to the second category. At first glance,… Continue reading The Majohn P139 Endurance: The Luxurious Pen for People on the Budget
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist There comes a point in every fountain pen enthusiast’s life when you realize you may have accidentally developed a “type.” Some people collect understated black cigar-shaped pens. Some gravitate toward vintage flex nibs. Me? Apparently, I collect pens that shimmer, glow, shift colors dramatically, and look like they were… Continue reading Affordable Luxury: Asvine P20 Fountain Pen Overview
by Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist There are fountain pens you buy after hours of research, careful comparisons, and deep contemplation over nib sizes. And then there are fountain pens you buy because your brain immediately goes: “Oh no… it’s tiny and adorable. I need it.” That was exactly my experience with the Wancher PuChiCo Arctic… Continue reading Tiny Pen, Big Personality: My Review of the Wancher PuChiCo Arctic Blue
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