Homeschooling

Podcast Episode: Why Fountain Pens Matter in a Digital World

Pip: The Fabulous Scientist is a site run by someone who spends their days wrangling machine learning models and subsurface data โ€” and also, apparently, a growing collection of fountain pens.Mara: That's fabulousgrass, and today we're looking at a post that asks why analog tools are making a comeback in a world that has already… Continue reading Podcast Episode: Why Fountain Pens Matter in a Digital World

fountain-pen, Geology, Geology Data Science, Homeschooling, photography

Why Fountain Pens Matter in a Digital World

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

Uni-ball One F with taupe leather notebook
Geology, reviews

Uni-ball One F Review: The Perfect Gel Pen for On-the-Go Writers

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

fountain-pen, reviews, Shopping

Jinhao X169: The New Pen in Town People Are Now Raving About and For Very Good Reasons

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 Jinhaoโ€™s newest oversized fountain pensโ€”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

fountain-pen, Homeschooling, Life, Shopping

My Personal List of 5 Amazing Fountain Pens That Cost Less Than $50 Each

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

Group of people examining and discussing fountain pens around a table
fountain-pen, Life, Local Travel, reviews, Shopping, travel blog

If I could bring just five pens on a pen meet, which ones would make the cut?

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist If you asked me a year ago whether I could attend a pen meet with only five fountain pens, I would have laughed nervously while quietly stuffing fifteen pens into my bag "just in case." Yet here I am. I'm attending a local pen meet later this month and,… Continue reading If I could bring just five pens on a pen meet, which ones would make the cut?

fountain-pen, Geology Data Science, Homeschooling, Life, research, reviews, Shopping

Jacques Herbin Emerald of Chivor: The Ink That Got Away (Until It Didn’t)

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)

fountain-pen, Homeschooling, Life, reviews, Shopping

Why the Majohn P140 is a Must-Have for Pen Collectors

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

Homeschooling

Podcast Episode: Affordable Luxury Fountain Pens

Pip: The Fabulous Scientist is back, and apparently the magpie instinct is fully operational โ€” 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

Coping with Depression, fountain-pen, reviews, Shopping, Wellness Journey

The Majohn P139 Endurance: The Luxurious Pen for People on the Budget

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