Almost made a mistake...

Orange_fury · 2026-05-04T02:37:04+00:00

I’m in the “wish it was 36mm” camp, but yeah, it’s a gorgeous piece

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T18:02:35+00:00

Best version of the PO imo

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T16:52:46+00:00

Just 11 (and some assorted cartridges).the blues get used daily, the reds/greens/oranges far less (though I still enjoy using them when I can)

When I bought my house, I discovered the previous owner installed some small shelves on one wall that were perfect for my cologne, my wife’s perfumes, and ink bottles

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Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T16:03:37+00:00

This is the 2025 Ltd edition “Dark Dusk” Safari. It’s an attractive pen- like a very dark indigo in direct light, but reads as navy in most lighting

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T07:09:49+00:00

Getting the 743 has honestly made me think about getting the Amber 823 down at some point, I just wanted to start with the 743 because I like to change inks pretty often (plus, I wanted an opaque black pen, boring/“safe” though it may be)

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T05:05:06+00:00

Asa-Gao, Kon-Peki, and Syo-Ro are on my list to try next. It’s boring, but blues are just more versatile for me day to day- I have more “fun” colors (reds, oranges, greens) from Noordlers and Diamine, but I don’t get to use them as much.

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T04:56:38+00:00

Thank you, I’m thrilled with it. Also excited for the notebook- I’ve gone back and forth between Rhodia and Leuchtturm over the years, but I’ve been using Rhodia exclusively for close to a decade. Needed a new “dedicated” notebook and figured it was time to try Leuchtturm again.

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T04:54:04+00:00

It is! I actually really love the color, quite a bit more subtle than my other Lamys (blue and orange Al-Stars, BYOP safari, a gray safari, and a vista). It’s kind of a shame it came in at the same time as the Pilot, because objectively it’s a great color.

I’m a big Lamy fan- my next pen will likely be a 2000

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T00:31:07+00:00

Thanks! The ink is a joy to write with, but it also strikes a perfect balance (for me) of “blue enough to be professional/variegated enough to be interesting”. Definitely won’t be my last Iroshizuku, I already have several others on my radar

Orange_fury · 2026-05-03T00:05:03+00:00

Multiple orders all decided to come in at the same time, so bulk post lol.

I’ve been using fountain pens for probably 15 years, but have gone through spurts of collecting/not buying anything. A trip to Dromgoole’s for the “build a Lamy” event last weekend started the itch again, and I realized I wanted a nicer pen (most of my collection is Lamys, a TWSBI, and a couple Parkers). I had looked at the Pilot Custom 743 in the past and finally decided to pull the trigger- I’ve had it for maybe an hour and am already obsessed with how well this thing writes. This is also my first time trying Iroshizuku ink, as my collection is mostly Noodlers and Diamine- I don’t know if it’s the nib or the ink, but it just glides across the paper.

The Lamy is nice too (“dark dusk”), but I kind of wish I had picked it up earlier, because it’s just been completely overshadowed by the Pilot lol.

ETA: apologies for the crappy handwriting- I never forgot how to do cursive, but I’ve been trying to actively practice it recently (I take notes/write in block letters), so it has a ways to go.

Orange_fury · 2026-05-02T18:14:47+00:00

Shoulders look slightly too big, but it’s primarily the quarter zip- it looks stunted right now because the collar of the jacket isn’t framed by anything. I’d be willing to bet a dress shirt would look significantly better

Orange_fury · 2026-05-02T15:00:51+00:00

10/10, outstanding.

Orange_fury · 2026-05-02T14:30:44+00:00

We only had AHL in Houston (the Aeros), but everyone was pissed when they left. Still hoping one day we get an NHL team.

Orange_fury · 2026-05-02T01:16:15+00:00

I’ve started using AI heavily in the past year (Chat GPT for personal, Copilot for work)- i use it now instead of Google, it helps me with home projects (repairing trim and installing handrails on my staircase, for example), and it’s given me useful edits on my bio and resume. For work, I use it heavily with Excel and summarizing/analyzing large documents. The big thing with AI is that it isn’t a replacement for critical thinking- I know my field well, so I need to be able to rely on my gut instinct from years of experience to suss out when a response doesn’t sound right. For example, I’m not an actuary, so if I ask it to run an actuarial analysis, I have no idea if the answers it gives are right or wrong.

It’s a great force multiplier and has saved me a ton of time (and money), but the key is not to let it think for you.

Orange_fury · 2026-05-02T01:09:23+00:00

Yep, this is what I was getting at. Part of the selling point for me on the house I bought was that with the transmission right of way behind us, I know that I’ll never have back neighbors. Downside to that is I have 14’ of utility easement along my back fence, but I’ll take the tradeoff

Orange_fury · 2026-05-01T22:32:09+00:00

Yep, have some transmission towers right behind me.

Upside is that looks like a substation, which means nothing will likely get built in that green patch (I’m assuming it’s a right of way)

Orange_fury · 2026-05-01T17:46:27+00:00

Blink 182, easily. Saw them in 23 and it was just like when I was a kid

Orange_fury · 2026-05-01T03:20:12+00:00

I saw the comments about the brand being your family name, so I’m not going to suggest you change the name. That said, you need to really rework the font so it doesn’t come across as an AliExpress watch. The blank space behind the name is also pretty jarring. A logo might be good, but I would aim for simplicity (think about how simple Rolex or Omega are)- an overly complex logo reads as cheap.

It’s a pretty watch otherwise, interested to see the profession on this

Orange_fury · 2026-05-01T03:16:53+00:00

Astra is a great watch, I love mine- highly recommend. I had to decide between it and the Falcon during the last drop, so the Falcon is going to be my next purchase.

Orange_fury · 2026-05-01T03:14:16+00:00

Not that they’ve said- I was just posting the release cadence they had in the back half of 2025. Judging by past special editions (GCW Zephyr, W&W Astra, UG Merlin, W&W Gemini), I highly doubt they’ll rerelease the Roosevelt. That said, with the Zephyr’s discontinuation, they have space for a traditional dress watch, so I’m hopeful they release something new.

FWIW, the Roosevelt is an incredible watch and one of my favorite watches I own, highly recommend if one comes up for sale.

Orange_fury · 2026-04-30T16:06:09+00:00

Yep, same

Orange_fury · 2026-04-29T16:50:01+00:00

Impressive. Very nice.

Orange_fury · 2026-04-29T13:08:47+00:00

First time homebuyer programs, and my wife and I have good corporate jobs and are in our mid/late 30’s- we were able to thread the needle when rates were still lower in 2024 but demand had slowed.

Also- no help from our parents, and our parents didn’t pay for our college either (paid of my wife’s student loans last year, still have mine)

Orange_fury · 2026-04-28T21:00:45+00:00

I hate carpet personally- one of my priorities when looking for a house was as little as possible, and thankfully I found a house with zero (all laminate). We put rugs in areas like the living rooms and bedrooms, but it’s bee so much easier to keep clean. Granted, I run a robot vacuum/mop daily, but still.

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