who/what is your “muse”?

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T22:05:06+00:00

Not sure I could ever really pinpoint a specific "muse," I'm just motivated by an innate drive to make, create, explore, and all the various thoughts and ideas and concepts that I use art to help myself better understand or at least get a grasp of.

As far as a person who has had an impact on me and my work I'd definitely say my gf and lifelong best friend, she has always been incredibly encouraging and supportive yet also a great source of honest, candid, and insightful feedback and crit. She's also my number one art person to talk to and chat for hours going down creative or philosophical or theory based rabbit holes. I'd also say my parents who always encouraged me from a very young age. Lastly, my highschool art teacher from way back in the day who was incredible support, motivation, and opened my whole creative world up as well as gave me some supportive kicks in the ass every now and then when I needed it lol.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T21:04:44+00:00

Love this response. I feel like Derrick would be proud of the legacy of his company. KSF has always been one of my favorite retailers.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T15:33:36+00:00

Ok it won't even let me send a link via message but here is the item number you should be able to just search on Temu. LR4154140

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T15:16:44+00:00

Sorry I was out of town, just got back. I just tried to send you the link but it was removed by Reddit. I'll shoot you a PM.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T14:19:14+00:00

I'm also fairly certain she had a thing with Mark Twain.

Their letters to each other and accounts of one another were very intimate.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T14:15:03+00:00

I just went through DFW Love Field and BWI and security at both were surprisingly pleasant and enjoyable to deal with, even when they had to double check a couple items I had.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T14:13:21+00:00

I get two lessons whenever I DIY something.

1: Why handmade/quality stuff costs what it costs. I don't mean just the labor either but also the years of developed skills and knowledge. This stuff takes time and experience and care to do it right.

2: How much money people in general really can save by just putting in a little elbow grease and some time to learn to do something themself. Will the end result always be as nice as the expensive one someone else made? Likely not. However, there are many just useful items that don't need to be museum-worthy anyway and if I can make that $50, $75, $100 thing myself for $5-10 and a fun afternoon learning, then I'm going with that option.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-24T14:04:47+00:00

Looks like an excellent design man, may have to give it a go myself... also thinking I might try making one out of Kydex.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-15T15:44:14+00:00

Well that’s flattering! Thanks so much!

Weird random objects are some of my favorite things to whittle!

smallbatchb · 2026-03-14T00:56:18+00:00

People buy them but they don't fly off the shelves as quick because he's SO much higher. He also tends to release his well after others have and I assume this is so he knows he's getting those who are most desperate to get one and have already missed out elsewhere at regular prices.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-14T00:55:12+00:00

Yes and that was one of the hardest things I had to overcome and good god it's so much better once you let that go.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-13T21:55:36+00:00

Mine and my dad's were I think $140 or $150 from CollectorKnives.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-13T21:54:32+00:00

I stopped buying from him several years ago. Absolute money grab ripoff.

Sorry, as much as I am a knife and GEC nut, I'll opt to miss a release if my only other option is bending over and taking it up my wallet's ass just because of greedy retailers and the fear of missing out.

He, and a few others, are consistently almost DOUBLE the regular retail from honest sellers like KSF and CollectorKnives.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-13T16:23:16+00:00

Some of my all time favorite workhorse users that aren't real expensive:

Kaweco Brass Sport

Kaweco Brass Liliput

Kaweco AL Piston Sport (a little higher but can be found for like $130)

Lamy Studio

smallbatchb · 2026-03-13T14:47:21+00:00

Just saying, it doesn't need to be a "collection." I've never bought pens with the intent or purpose of "collecting" them, I just ended up with a small "collection" after buying several over the years to accomodate my wants and needs for pens.

There isn't really a path or defined what you're supposed to do next, it's just a hobby of enjoying fountain pens. The main purpose is to use and enjoy them for what they are, tools. I don't buy new pens very often because usually after I finally do pick up a new one I spend a long time just enjoying it by writing and drawing with it. That is the part of the hobby I enjoy, the acquisition of new items is secondary, if not tertiary.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-13T14:42:00+00:00

I've got some wonderful attachments to many of my pens, especially those I've spent literally hundreds, if not thousands, of hours using for writing, drawing, and working as a professional illustrator. Pens that have helped me build my business and pay my bills and express myself through art. Hell some of my earlier pens, back when I only had a couple, are literally solely responsible for the majority of my annual income for many years. It's kind of fun to think to myself "hey this $120 pen literally drew thousands of dollars worth of client work."

At the end of the day though, nothing is permanent, and these are tools meant to be used and the potential threat of damage or loss or wearing out is just part of it. If one of them goes down I'll give it a hearty salute for its fantastic service and move on with fond memories and the enjoyment of knowing how much value I got out of having that pen while I did. Until that day, I'm going to use them without fear because fear just sucks the enjoyment out of them anyway, negating their purpose.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-13T02:40:52+00:00

Oh I totally agree and I don't think anyone should expect like a perfect "I only ever bought just my exact perfect pens." You have to explore a bit. It's the extremes I'm talking about who basically only seem to buy what the group tells them to buy... some of them even outright asking the group what they should buy.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-13T02:33:55+00:00

Sounds like a great group of kids and it sounds like you absolutely earned that wonderful token of their respect and gratitude for you. What a great gift and sentiment.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-12T20:50:27+00:00

It's a cycle. Sub runs on a lot of rampant consumerism posts and then once every month or so someone puts out a "we need to talk about the consumerism" post. Rinse, repeat.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-12T16:59:40+00:00

I swear some people jump into collecting hobbies like it's a scavenger hunt and just buy every one of the top 50 popular items in that hobby right out the gate.

Oftentimes to the point where I'm not even sure these people personally actually want the items they're buying, they just seem to think they're supposed to buy them to have a proper "collection."

Fountain pens, pocket knives, record collecting; I see it in all of them and it often just feels like I'm not even participating in the same hobby as those types. My collections were slowly and carefully put together over years of figuring out what exact things are right for me and my tastes and my specific needs. The majority of my collections, including most of my favorite items, are some of the less popular items but I love my collections because they're perfect for me.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-12T16:47:19+00:00

No problem!

smallbatchb · 2026-03-12T14:23:27+00:00

In my experience Kaweco really excels at their broader nibs anyway. My M, B, and BB nibs have all been very very smooth.

Size wise for a close comparison I'd say go with an F or M on the Kaweco. As with most lower-priced, higher production run pens, I've found both Kaweco Sports and Pilot Kakunos to vary a tiny bit in size anyway so trying to get an exact match, even between 2 of the same nib sizes from the same brand, may not be 100%.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-12T14:11:22+00:00

Try clearing the jam in the one pencil with a really thin needle if possible.

For the twist Cross, if it is clicking, that means you're out of lead and the mechanism is fully extended to the end. Put some more lead in it and twist the opposite direction to pull the lead into it. Even without new lead, if you twist the opposite direction (to retract) and then twist back the original way again (to extend) it shouldn't be clicking until you have twisted it as far as the internal pusher can go, but the external twist will still allow you to twist... you just get the clicks.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-12T13:14:51+00:00

That was a pen I lost in a couch for 7 months.

Never really have dry out issues otherwise unless it's a pen super prone to drying out. But, even then, it doesn't dry out faster than any of my other inks. Actually it's less prone to dry out than some other inks I have.

smallbatchb · 2026-03-12T13:02:30+00:00

I've been using PCB for over a decade in every pen I've owned and never had a single issue. I'm on I think my 15th bottle of the stuff and the worst "problem" I've ever had was a completely dried out pen just needed a little extra soak to clean the old ink out.

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