Pam Alison Knits

So, I went to the London Autumn Pen Show 2024 and I bought my G.O.A.T. and I would be happy if you thought the story ended there. However, I actually bought two pens at the show and now it is time to introduce you to “the other pen”.

I have been longing to introduce some resin pens into my collection and I had two alternative purchase plans in mind prior to the pen show. Either I would buy a pen from a heritage brand such as Onoto or Conway Stewart, or I would buy a fancy resin – potentially from a small independent maker. I saw some knockout resins and the craftsmanship of these artisans is outstanding – I definitely have Silverburl Pens on my watch-list for a future purchase.

On my initial overview circuit of the show the plan was not to buy anything, but to chat with the vendors, work out what I was seriously interested in, then return with my decision-making hat on. I achieved that in every way except for purchasing this pen and I’m going to put what might seem a temporary aberration down to the skills of the salesman at the Manuscript Pens table. This vendor wasn’t even on my “must-see” list prior to the show because I mainly recognise them as calligraphy specialists which isn’t my area of interest, although they also act as importers and distributors for some well-known pen brands coming into the UK.

Tom Hessin is a brand name which has its origins in Birmingham back in the Victorian nib-manufacturing heyday. Manuscript are using this heritage to launch a range of fountain pens to appeal to calligraphers but also to expand beyond the calligraphy community. They are dipping their toe in the water with a single design available in plain black, the burgundy/rose which I bought, and an equally lovely blue. Their table was well-stocked with pens from the brands they import, and amongst these were examples of the burgundy and blue Tom Hessin pens. When I stopped at the table my eye was immediately caught by the resin used for these pens and then the salesman started telling me about them…

I was going to walk away, honest, but the price was exceptionally sound (for the pen show, Manuscript were selling everything at their table at trade price which is an incredible bargain) and there were only two of each colour which does make the option of coming back later less appealing.

I was drawn in by the depth of the resin and the play of light on the gleaming swirls, then I tested the nib and it was an impressively smooth experience. One potential down-side is that the pens are only available with a medium nib or caligraphy nibs and we all know that I favour fine or extra-fine nibs. Or do we? I haven’t mentioned this, but I’ve been enjoying using medium nibs over the past couple of months and that definitely opens up more options when buying pens. I use this model unposted which makes it a nice size in my hand, and the section diameter gives a very comfortable writing experience. There’s a step from the section to the barrel, but I don’t notice it holding the pen to write – there certainly isn’t any hint of sharpness to the step, or to the threads for the screw-on cap. There seems to be a good seal as I haven’t noticed the pen drying out even if unused for a couple of days. In fact, this is a relatively wet-writing nib and I definitely like it best when paired with a paper such as the William Hannah sheets which rein things in and make sure the writing is a nice medium. On some paper it can run a little broad for my liking.

I’m particularly taken with this pen as a match for my William Hannah notebook. It has been apparent to me when I’ve been using the notebook with the matching pen holder that you really need to pair this with a screw-cap pen. So often I’ve pulled a pen out of the sleeve to find I’m only holding the cap which is far from ideal. In fact, I’m approaching this pen as rather a forward-thinking purchase – it may not be constantly in rotation in the immediate future, but the time will come when it will be a solid, everyday companion.

Since I came home from the pen show, I’ve had a lot of “show and tell” opportunities where I’ve been able to gauge the reaction of people who aren’t fountain pen enthusiasts to my two pen purchases. Whilst my lovely Onoto pen commands and receives a respectful appreciation, it is the Tom Hessin pen which gets the most admiration. Those who have tried out writing with the pens have unanimously been in favour of the Hessin nib which isn’t surprising – I chose the Onoto’s oblique nib fully recongising that it was going to challenge me. The Hessin gives just the type of experience which can help people who don’t generally use fountain pens to understand why some of us love them. That feeling you get when you’re using something far better than the office ballpoint. And everyone loves watching the light playing on that swirling resin. This may have been a case of purchasing on a whim, and it wasn’t in line with my intentions, but it’s a lovely pen and I’m so happy that I have added it to my collection.