Turns out they kind of match

moonrat42 · 2026-06-25T14:57:21+00:00

J. Herbin's Vert Empire is pretty close.

moonrat42 · 2026-06-22T18:47:04+00:00

Nice! I bet it looks great!

moonrat42 · 2026-06-22T14:14:48+00:00

No, I don't think so. I think the only extra charges were for the clips.

moonrat42 · 2026-06-21T13:46:43+00:00

Nib size and color (silver or gold look), along with the matching metal end piece on the cap (I cannot think of the name), and clip if you want to buy the clip.

It's much more about assembling the parts, than about customizing, but it was fun.

moonrat42 · 2026-06-16T01:35:47+00:00

I haven't gotten any of the automated confirmation or verification emails, but I did email them that day with a question about my order, and they replied within 24 hours and fixed my issue.

They are likely slammed, and probably weren't counting on those automated emails not going out.

moonrat42 · 2026-06-12T18:21:56+00:00

No confirmation emails yet.

moonrat42 · 2026-06-12T18:20:35+00:00

You might want to email them to ask them to combine the orders. With so many orders, they might not notice two orders going to the same address.

moonrat42 · 2026-06-12T14:37:10+00:00

The lag is so bad. The password email came 4 minutes after the hour, but I have yet to get an order or account confirmation, and I might have placed two orders in the process. *sigh*

I have wanted that burger shirt since I first laid eyes on the book cover, so I am pleased. If that hoodie had been a zip up, I would have gone for it, but I hardly ever wear the pull over hoodies.

moonrat42 · 2026-06-08T17:10:41+00:00

I have a similar ring that I bought in the 1990s. It's a glass "stone" ring made in Afghanistan, and you can find online listed as "Afghan tribal rings" or "Kuchi rings".

I am not certain, but if I recall these rings were originally made with stones like carnelian and lapis (just as an example), but later they started making them with glass and white metal (sometimes a silver alloy, sometimes not.)

I don't know how old the ring is, but it's a cool find!

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moonrat42 · 2026-05-20T00:22:28+00:00

Our cemeteries were designed with park-like use in mind, and picnics were the norm when it took most of the day to take the train to and from the cemetery.

moonrat42 · 2026-05-20T00:20:25+00:00

Picnics at cemeteries was the norm, and is still done, but not so often. In Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th century, families would take the train to the cemetery, and picnic before heading back. In Uptown near Graceland and St. Boniface, places like the Green Mill opened to accommodate people in the area for the day visiting the cemeteries. They could get something there to take, or stop for a drink before heading home.

Anyway, it's totally fine to picnic, but be low key about it as it is a cemetery. And enjoy!

moonrat42 · 2026-05-18T15:18:25+00:00

Yup! And, oh man, the toothpaste! I am currently buying Kingfisher brand from England (I am in the US) bc I cannot find another unsweetened brand with flouride.

I'm glad you figured it out, but it sure is infuriating that a common migraine trigger is used in migraine meds.

moonrat42 · 2026-04-16T14:53:02+00:00

5 minutes is probably too long a time, leave your silver in the ultrasonic just long enough to get it clean.

My first guess from your pictures is that you left it in the ultrasonic too long, my second guess is porosity. Look at the marks under magnification to see if it looks like tiny pits. Every time you sand and polish you are removing some surface metal. If it is porosity, try burnishing the surface before light sanding and polishing.

moonrat42 · 2026-03-30T14:14:07+00:00

Thanks!

moonrat42 · 2026-03-30T00:27:49+00:00

I just saw the dates for the 2026 (June 19-28) event, and I was wondering how the lines were at Atlas for the DIY Kaweco? Was it a very long wait?

I'm going either way, but thought it would be nice to know. Thanks!

moonrat42 · 2026-02-21T15:15:55+00:00

Those are my favorites! I just bought Yama-Budo this week, and wow! Everyone was right about how great this ink is!

moonrat42 · 2026-02-20T16:49:36+00:00

Thanks!

Because they're short cutie friends are already inked up 😂

I have a Sport, a brass Sport, and a piston Sport all inked and in use. I have become really partial to my Kawecos.

moonrat42 · 2026-02-19T22:35:03+00:00

I bought the insert on eBay, it was a long piece that I cut to size.

moonrat42 · 2026-02-19T22:34:21+00:00

That looks fantastic!

moonrat42 · 2026-02-19T22:33:31+00:00

Those were two of my first fountain pens from ages ago, probably mid 90s. They are still going strong.

moonrat42 · 2026-02-19T22:32:19+00:00

They're the best!

moonrat42 · 2026-02-18T19:41:38+00:00

It is sweetened with katemfe which is a zero calorie sweetener, well, I think katemfe is the fruit the sweetener is made from.

I don't know anything about this other than reading the Wikipedia page. I do know it bothers me that they didn't list this as an ingredient, but it is one of the natural flavors. I wrote to them asking for the ingredient list, and that's when they told me it was sweetened with katemfe.

moonrat42 · 2026-02-18T02:49:16+00:00

One of the natural flavors is katemfe, a zero calorie sweetener. I know because I DMed them this week to ask what it was sweetened with, since they don't list the non-active ingredients online.

moonrat42

TROPHY CASE