FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Late Night Edition

A photo posted by Christine Darling (@pentulant) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:40am PST

'Tis the season, friends.  Work is super-swamped in a fabulous way, Thanksgiving is mere days away, and I'm happily losing track of the hours.

And yet, I've been doing a good job of keeping up with my reading.  Here we go . . .


Have you seen Serious Nibbage from Gourmet Pens and SBRE Brown? You should. Fun video reviews of some fantastic pens.  Serious Nibbage, indeed!

I need a Chop.

Penucopia talks about TWSBI, their history, some issues, and why they are so popular. A good read.

A look at the Levenger True Writer from The Pen Addict. This isn't a pen I've given much consideration - maybe time to think again.

There's not much time left to get in on the KarasKustoms and Mr. Mike Dudek Kickstarter. I'm in. Are you?

Speaking of Mr. Mike, Dudek Modern Goods recently released The Daily.  I'm a fan.

Folks over on FPN are pondering the imponderables.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Mr. Pentulant and I are putting up our Christmas tree and getting ready for Thanksgiving festivities.

xoxo

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY

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True fact. Written with Montblanc Heritage 1912 and Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo ink.

View on Instagram

You know how some of us binge-watch television series? I binge read blogs to get caught up with everyone and everything.

Some of what I've been reading (in no particular order at all) . . .

Noodler's announced a new ink. I think I need this.

Goulet Pens got in a supply of J Herbin's Stormy Grey. It was sold out within an hour. I found it on Amazon, but it looks like the vendor raise the price shortly after I placed my order. Arrrgh. Where did you find it?

"Embrace the Neon." Pens and Art

"It's the end of an era." Gizmodo

I have the purple. Not sure I want this one. Do you?

Now, this! I want!

It posts now! I heard it has other issues, though? A leaky issue? Uggg. I have the original, I hope the promised kit to fix it is available soon.

"Let it go, let it go."  The Impulsive Buy

Thinking these chefs wouldn't approve of the above link!

". . . wonderful assortment of gold accoutrements . . ." The Well-Appointed Desk

"It's like watching a great choreography." Sandglaz Blog

"It's a solid, bold blue that works great and draws the writer and reader to the page." The Pen Addict

Road Trip!

"I spent several hours pouring through Edison's extensive materials galleries and settled on . . . " My Coffee Pot

"This is one of those inks that is legendary in the FP world." The Fountain Pen Physicist

Dude! Lifehacker


Finally, my friend, artist Chrissy Sparks, sells these in her Etsy shop. She is so talented.

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View on Instagram

That's it from me this week.  Hope you all have a good weekend.

xox

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Where I've Been Edition

Nibbages. 😃

A photo posted by Christine Darling (@pentulant) on Oct 10, 2014 at 3:31pm PDT

I've been quiet here lately. It's a super-duper busy time of year at work. My boy is also here with his girl (they're getting married in December). It's a happy kind of busy.

I'm still posting regularly over on the 'Gram and feel strongly that you should follow me there.

I've also been keeping up (mostly) with my reading.  Here are some of the interesting bits . . .

Have you seen Will Letter for Lunch?  I love this on so many different levels.

Do you read Reverenced Writing? I think you should.

New forever stamps. Prettttty.

Reviews of all of the fancy new Caran D'Ache inks from Inklode.

She loves (loves!!) disc system notebooks. I don't know. What do you think? I'm tempted to try again. I don't know. Blingtacular!  

I love Ed Jelley's photography.

Yoga Larva asks if it's the pen, ink, or paper that you love. Easy answer - all three!

Dear Mr. Pentulant. This is the one. After this one, I won't want or need any others.

Ink!

I might have a girl crush on Gourmet Pens. Or at least on her handwriting.

Finally, have you seen this video? Mr. Pentulant and I watched it. He was shocked. I was not. It made both of us sad.

Happy Halloween!   We are celebrating a mini-Christmas tonight! What are you doing?

xoxo

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: What What I Read Edition

just a little something i posted on instagram earlier this week

"Each print is a beautiful recreation of the original label and ink it represents." Noodler's Ink


"This pen boasts a bold sleek industrial design that will stand out from the crowd." Ed Jelley

"It's not exactly the west coast but it is the other side of the Mississippi." FP Quest

"I went through the first handle bag looking for the little brown bag holding my Akkerman boxes." From The Pen Cup



"There's something unsettling about buying unrefrigerated milk." The Impulsive Buy

"Should I negotiate a lower salary?" Ask a Manager

"It has all the rich flavor of ketchup with a hint of smoky BBQ and a boozy undertone." Minimalist Baker


What are your plans for the weekend? We have a long list of things that need to be done around the house. Pretty sure we'll be able to squeeze some fun in along the way, too.

xox

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: The Quick Version

I've been struggling with my Midori and talk about it a little on Instagram. 

Fountain Pen Physicist got all geeky with cartridges.

I'm a Pilot Vanishing Point addict and proud. Totally getting the new Limited Edition in Copper.

What Weird Things Do You and Your Partner Always Argue About? Mr. Pentulant and I argue about how to load the dishwasher. I "let" him win and now he loads the dishwasher all of the time. (The comments are just as funny as the video!)

7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose it's full of . . . uh . . . colorful language, but there are some good points and questions here.

Did you see that Laurie Huff of Plannerisms is blogging for Quo Vadis? She's going to be great!

What are your plans for the weekend?  We're visiting with friends and celebrating Mr. Pentulant's birthday. Woooo!

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Winner Winner Edition

I'm happy to say that Francesca is the big winner of the bottle of Diamine Sepia ink pictured above. Francesca was randomly chosen from all of the entrants and I've already contacted her to arrange getting the bottle of ink off to her.  Yaay!


Here's some of what I've been reading this week . . .


Well Appointed Desk and how Crayons are Made. I love crayons. The smell.

Fountain Pen Physicist unboxed her Hobonichi. I did, too, I just didn't get pictures ;)

Inkdependence reviewed Caran d'Ache Ultra Violet ink. I'd expect SCREAMING color with that name, yes?

Inklode showed us Pelikan Edelstein Turmaline. Not really a color I'd considered before seeing this review.

Pen Addict took a close look at the Sailor Lecoule. I have one of these and had it inked last week - it was a terrible writing experience. Maybe I'll have a look at the nib and see if I can do anything about that.

The Unroyal Warrant had a paper review for us. I think paper isn't given nearly the attention it deserves in the pen community. Oh..and did you get your Unexposed Field Notes?

The Clicky Post asked Hobby or Obsession?  Yes.


Hope you all have a great weekend!

xo

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Instagram Version

You all know I'm a huge fan of Instagram and think you should follow me there, right?





I post all kinds of things that never make itthere.











Today, I'd like to introduce you to some of the people I've met on Instagram.



There is GourmetPens





And wetheppil





That's It Really is on Instagram.




You can find Anderson Pens . . .






And Ed Jelley.




And here are some more. Just click to go to their profile and follow them . . .

















Are you on Instagram? If you're posting on Instagram about pens and paper and other fun stuff, I'd love to follow you. Just leave your user name in the comments and I'll see you there.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

xoox

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner Edition

Waterman Expert c.1980s

After tossing all of the wonderful entries up into the air, Onder C was randomly selected as the big winner of the $50 gift certificate. As you probably remember, Onder can choose a $50 gift certificate from either Amazon or Goulet Pens.  Thank you for playing and keep an eye out for future giveaways!

Some small news items for you . . .

I've owned Pentulant.com for quite sometime, but only recently got it set up. This means that instead of going to the Blogger URL, you can just come directly to Pentulant.com and see everything. Go ahead, check it out, click the link. Fun, right? My hope is to have a redesigned site sometime around the beginning of January - we'll see how that goes ;)

I'm listed on Pennaquod. It's a search thingy powered by Google just for pen nerds and their blogs. My stuff doesn't come up very often - sounds like it's a Blogger thing and hopefully that will be fixed when I move to my own site.

TWSBI has re-released their Classic Fountain Pen. Gorgeous pens and now able to be posted. I asked on Instagram and I'm told that there will be a kit available for those of us who bought the unpostable (it's a word!) version. I'll be first in line for that kit, yo.

I ordered a Hobonichi 2015 Planner and cover earlier this week. I'm not 100% sure it's going to work for me - doesn't the show-through of Tomoe River Paper make it difficult to use? Brush Dance Planners (120 gsm paper!) and Date Books (not as fountain pen friendly) are super-nice and I use them all day, everyday. (I'm the president of Brush Dance, but they are really terrific items.)


Annnnnd here's what I've been reading this week . . .

Mr. Mike Dudek of The Clicky Post shows us the Pilot Murex with an integrated nib.  Love.

FP Physicist reviewed a Quiver - she wasn't crazy about it.

Gourmet Pens took an in-depth look at the Taccia Savanna. It's made of BUFFALO HORN! Who knew!

Inkdependence shows off the Franklin-Christoph music nib. I want. I don't like stubs. I want. I really thought it would be more - it's $35.

Annnnnnd....I'm still fascinated with The Impulsive Buy. It's just so...wrong.

Some of my most recent posts over on Instragram for your viewing pleasure . . .




Noodler's Liberty's Elysium . . . 


Montblanc's newest inky release - Daniel Defoe - Palm Green . . . 





Hanging on to summer with some sweet Lamy Safari Fountain Pens . . . 



That's it from me this week!

What have you been reading?

Happy Labor Day!

It's Labor Day here in the US and like many Americans, Mr. Pentulant and I have the day off. 

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, as a tribute to the many contributions workers have made to our country.

Labor Day has also become the unofficial end to summer.  It's been a nice summer here - we had visits from out-of-town friends and family members, a few lazy days, I traveled to New York, Mr. Pentulant started his fancy new job, and we've resolved to enjoy a slower-paced, more mindful life.

Today, picture me kicking back with fresh-squeezed lemonade.

How are you celebrating today? And what was the best part of your summer?

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Leisurely Stroll Edition

Did you see the giveaway?  

There's still time to enter right here.

I mentioned in the giveaway post that we should take a leisurely stroll through some older posts and then ended up just getting right to the point of the giveaway - ha!

So, let's take that stroll through some posts of yore now . . .

I wrote about J Herbin Gris Nuage way back in 2012. I finally got my bottle of it a couple of months ago.

My first Lamy Safari.

I loved this now-discontinued ink.

One of my most-read posts was this review of Diamine Grey. It was also the beginning of spam posts for me. I saw it as a positive thing - at least someone was reading!

Swoooooooooon.

I'm so glad that this post about fake Montblanc Starwalker Fountain Pens at Costco has seen so much traffic. Buyer beware!

I love this pen. Seriously.

I didn't think I'd like Noodler's Liberty's Elysium, but I ended up loving it.

Earlier this year, I met Susan Wirth at the LA Pen Show. She complimented my handwriting!

Diamine Flamingo Pink shades from pink to orange. How do they do that?

I sometimes look at this post and even pull the original sheet of Tomoe River Paper because it makes me that happy.



And finally, one post from Instagram . . .



In closing, I want to thank you. These last two years of blogging have been wonnnnderful. I've made some good friends and have learned so much.  Thank you. Thank you.

I hope you have a wonderfully lazy weekend filled with lots of things you want to do.

xoxo

TWO YEARS of POSTS & A PENTASTIC GIVEAWAY!

Today is my two-year blogiversary!  

Let's celebrate with a leisurely stroll down memory lane and a fantastic giveaway . . . 

Have you read the story about my first fountain pen? That's it above. The Waterman Expert. Swoon!

OK, that's enough strolling for one day - let's get right to the giveaway!

Here's the scoop . . . 

One randomly chosen reader can choose either a $50 gift certificate from either Amazon.com or GouletPens.com.

Use the Rafflecopter widget thing below to enter. 

Follow me on Instagram for an additional entry.  (If you're already following, that counts - just be sure to enter your user name below.)

And for an additional extra entry, post a picture of one of your favorite pens on Instagram, tag @pentulant and use #pentulantgiveaway. Whew...that's a lot. 

This giveaway isn't sponsored by anyone. Amazon doesn't know who I am and Goulet Pens didn't know I had this up my sleeve.

I'm trying out Rafflecopter (see below) for contests because I hear it works great.  (If the widget below isn't visible, please be patient while it loads.)

Thursday, September 4 is the last day to enter.  Go, go, go!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SAN FRANCISCO PEN SHOW 2014: Review and Haul

Mr. Pentulant and I decided to head down to the SF Pen Show over the weekend (Saturday) and I thought you'd like to hear all about it.

The show was held at the Sofitel Hotel in Redwood City. It was a bit south of SFO, but easy enough to find - just look for the Oracle campus and take a right on Twin Dolphin Drive.

There were probably 50-60 vendors. I'm wondering if some who were expected didn't show up? There was a large empty area to the right as soon as we entered - as in about 10-15% of the floor space.

I wasn't too surprised at the small size of the show. The DC Pen Show was just two weeks ago, after all. The crowd was decent Saturday morning (we arrived around 11:00) and it looked like money was changing hands - all good news.

The SF Pen Show is a on/off thing - meaning that some years there isn't a show.   I'm so glad it was on this year and definitely wanted to support the vendors who showed up to sell.

There were many familiar names and faces. Susan Wirth was there, Franklin-Christoph, Nibs.com, Mike it Work, Wahl-Eversharp, Bittner, Arizona Pens, Carmen Rivera, Steve Curnow, and many familiar faces even though I don't know all of the names.

Here's what I ended up with . . .

I'm a huge fan of my friend Steve Curnow, what he does, and how he does it. These handy notebooks (think Field Notes, but better) are filled with Tomoe River Paper.  Three notebooks for ten bucks, yo.

Steve also had a sample of ink waiting for me. It seems he found a GALLON of vintage Skrip Washable Blue.

1. How does someone "find" a gallon of ink? (Maybe he wasn't being literal?)
2. Do I trust this old old ink in one of my fancy pens?

Mr. Pentulant scored this sweet Sailor Pro Gear Mini. He loves a cap that screws to post and this one has been on his wish list for quite awhile.

At the LA Pen Show earlier this year, I was so tempted by George Butcher's Arizona Pens, but ultimately decided to pass.  I didn't pass this time!

I want to tell you all about George and his pens, but will save that for when I review the pen. I can't wait.

Carmen Rivera has very good taste in pens. This is the smaller and slimmer version of the Pilot Vanishing Point - called the Sesenta.

I don't know much about this pen, but I'm definitely willing to learn. I love the pattern - it almost reminds me of a leopard print, but not nearly as tacky as that could be on a pen ;)

Wahl-Eversharp has an interesting history and it was difficult to choose just one.  I'm really excited about this pen - and so many others in line.  Can't wait to talk more about them and Syd Saperstein.

I ultimately decided on the clear demonstrator (look at that packaging!).

I picked up two bottles of ink.  Above - Sailor Jentle Grenade

Below - J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage

Lierre Sauvage (and Lily Tomlin) is responsible for one of my most popular Instagram posts ever. At the time of that writing, I only had a sample. Excited about writing a complete review of this one for you.

Rhodia makes yellow paper! I'm oddly excited about this because I've never seen it available.

Annnnd....I have no idea what I'm going to do with the paper below, but I had to have it. It's huuuuuge - that's a box of J Herbin ink sitting on top of the paper.

So! That's it.

Bottom Line:  It was a good time, lots of super-friendly people selling some really beautiful items. I only wish the show was bigger.

Were you there?

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: What I'm Reading and Instagram Edition

Earlier this week, I reached a whopping 900 Followers on Instagram.  I hope you're one of them. I usually just have a list of links for you on Friday mornings. I'm going to sprinkle in some images this time.  Oh yeah, it's getting wild and crazy here, people. You never know what I'll do next ;)

On with the show . . .

Last night, Edison Pen Company announced their 2014 Limited Edition. Are you in? I'm a maybe.

Inkophile has the cutest watercolor paint tin!

Fountain Pen Physicist reviewed Leuchttrum's Journal.  I have a couple of their products, but have never tried them - crazy. I need to get on that!  And I can't even talk about this.

Gourmet Pens reviews the Pilot Knight.  And..this.

I have a review coming soon - DeAtramentis Jasmine. Have you tried it?

I ordered mine.  And...omg. And...a new gray/grey ink!

Fun from Inkdependence.  I've played with doing this - just not like this.

Inklode is killing me.  I have around half a bottle left.

Kaweco review from MyCoffeePot.

Peninkcillin talks about a stained Kaweco and the DC Pen Show.

Pens! Paper! Pencils! reviews a Diplomat fountain pen. I once had a well-known person in the pen world try to tell me that within a few years, Diplomat would overtake Montblanc as the finest pen maker in the world.  Yeah, ok. That was 5+ years ago.

Mr. Mike Dudek of ClickyPost shows off his new Pelikan. I need it.

Quick fact for you:  Alexander Hamilton was not a president, but his ink sure is pretty.

The Pen Addict reviews a glorious thing. (I agree.)

Unroyal Warrant fills a new Penvelope. And this!


In other and unrelated news, I've started reading this blog.  I'm fascinated - not in a good way.

Have a great weekend, friends!

xo

INTERNET FAMOUS!!

You guys!!!

I had no idea they were going to, but Goulet Pens mentioned me in The Goulet Communique today!

I am thrilled. And honored!  In fact, I texted Mr. Pentulant with something like the following:

omg omg omg

omg omg omg 

OMG OMG OMG

I'm Internet Famous!
Gotta go. Bye!

Their shout-out is sending a bit of traffic this way (so appreciative!) and I thought it would be fun to post a little something about who I am and what I do here.

Let's see . . . my name is Christine and I love all things pen-related. 

I think that sums it up!  I hope you poke around a little, like what you see, and stick around.

xoxo


P.S. Follow me on Instagram - you won't be disappointed.

P.P.S. The Goulets were kind enough to send me the following items in exchange for my honest opinion.

Edison Nouveau Premiere Summer Edition (swooon!)

Apica Premium C.D. Notebook (loved it!)

Monteverde 36-Pen Case (mixed feelings)

P.P.P.S.  What? You don't know about The Goulet Pen Company?  I'll do a full post about them sometime soon, but really, go buy some ink samples, ok?

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Catching Up Edition

You guys. It's August. Where did July go?

I was so far behind on my blog reading, but I'm all caught up now.  Check it out . . .


Inkophile reviewed an ink I have, but haven't gotten to yet. I like the color!

Unroyal Warrant has a CRAZY Field Notes thing going on.

My Instagram buddy, Fountain Pen Physicist, is working on an epic ink test and a different sort of test for her students. (Pretty sure the answer is either 42 or yes.)

Peninkcillin has a detailed (in a good way) review of the Pilot Metropolitan. Check it out here.

Do you read Inklode? I'm gonna start.

MyCoffeePot looks at the Parker Duofold Centennial. He says it's his most favorite pen and I can certainly see why. My goodness. (Watch the video - pretty sure I can hear him about to burst with giddiness.)

Office Supply Geek bought a Poppin notebook from Staples. After my other Poppin experiences, I'm going to pass. (Though I still have, use, and love the ruler!)

I've been excited about Kaweco lately. Check this one out from The Pen Cup. That milky color. I loves it.

New ink from J Herbin?  That's what Inkophile tells us! I won't be at the DC Pen Show - will you?

Oh my. A Colorado Pen Show. I love it there. I have good friends there. Hm.


And, finally, over on Instagram, I was getting ready to mail out some ink samples . . .






Do tell. Which blogs should I be reading?

Have a good weekend!
xo

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY

Another week in the books!

First thing's first....the Winner of the Apica Notebooks is Pikamookie. I've already sent you an email.

Here's what I've been reading this week.

Inkophile talks palettes this week.

FPQuest reviewed the Sheaffer 300.  I'm kind of meh on this design. What do you think?

Gourmet Pens reviewed Rhodia Ice. It's good paper, it's her handwriting that I love!

Ink Nouveau (Goulet Pen Company) talked about Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses. Yikes! Most people don't seem happy, but I actually like the look of the new.

MyCoffeePot reviewed a Bexley Tuck-Away. Even though I was raised right there in Ohio, I knew so little about this pen company before reading this review and watching the video. It's a BEAUTIFUL pen.

Office Supply Geek had a close look at Caran d'Ache Ifinite Grey - totally need to get my hands on this.

That's all I have for you today. Well, except this CRAZY swab that I posted on Instagram.  LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Stay tuned for a full review...

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY

A reminder that I'm giving away a couple of Apica Notebooks.  Go enter to win.


Here's what I've been reading with interest this week . . .

Is your handwriting average?

Rita. Hayworth.

Pen Addict takes a quick look at the Parker Jotter 60th (!!) Anniversary Ballpoint Pen.

Dudek Modern Goods has a Summer Sale going on. Highly recommended.

PenINKcillin shows us how to disassemble a Lamy Z24 Converter. You'll want to bookmark this post if you own a Lamy.

MyCoffeePot started a new pen blog.

I think Mr. Pentulant wants this pencil. He's a mathlete, you know.

Finally, a couple of things from my Instagram.




Terrible little dog bumped my hand . . . .




Celebrating IndePENdence Day . . .

Found Around Friday

Happy Independence Day!

Here's where I've been reading this week . . .


The Pen Addict reviewed Organics Studio Blue Merle Ink. I have some samples of Organics Inks - but haven't used them. They had some problems a couple of years ago and I'm a little shy about them as a brand.

PenInkcillin reviewed Salior Jentle Apricot ink. Totally going to miss that ink!

Haha...look at what Inktronics did.

Inkdependence talked about the Pilot Petit 1.  I have this pen. Somewhere.

Whoa. Gourmet Pens get her hands on two Edison Pen Co. pens.

Fountain Pen Physicist looked at Pilot Iroshizuku's Yu-yake. Is it bright enough?

And Ed Jelley managed to convince me that I need Rhodia Ice.

I talked about sending bits of color out into the world over on Instagram. I'm glad to send you one, too - just email your address to me.  I'm christine (at) christinewitt (dot com).





Finally, July is Sarcoma Awareness Month (a rare sort of cancer). I'm a proud volunteer for Sarcoma Alliance and believe strongly in their mission to improve the lives of those affected by sarcoma.

Have a happy and healthy holiday!

Found Around Friday

Ever wonder how much that converter will hold? Apparently, someone measured and you can read about it here.

Fountain Pen Quest reviews NockCo's Pen Cases. These cases have received so much attention from the fountain pen community - I may need to check them out myself.

The Missive Maven posted about Postcard Happiness Project. I'm in!

Pens! Paper! Pencil! reviewed Sailor Jentle Apricot - a favorite ink of mine. Don't get too attached, though - it's being discontinued.

FP Geeks talks about taking care in how you store your pens.

I'm going to have this pen.


I'm thirsty. Really thirsty.

Have a good weekend! I'll be back next week with a great new review!

xox

Toucan Group Buy

I hadn't heard of Toucan inks before I saw the news of a group buy over on FPN, but I was definitely intrigued.  Ink in a bag instead of a bottle? Say what?

First, I'll apologize for the quality of some of these images - not my best work. Maybe my hands were shaking with excitement ;)

I ordered 16 different ink colors, 30 ml each, for a grand total of around $52 + $13 for shipping. The inks came from Australia and the seller was offering to ship the bulk order to a member of FPN who would then split the orders and ship from her home (that was the $13 part). Minimalist packaging for the win!

The whole thing could not have gone more beautifully from my perspective. My inks arrived sealed (from the seller) in a big bag. Each individual ink had tape placed around the screw top and was in it own individual baggy.  I have no drips, spills, or other damages to report.

I have no idea what the kind of seal below is called, but it was a "break-the-seal" deal to open.

I was definitely a little nervous to start pouring into the bottle.  (This is an empty Noodler's 30ml bottle.)

Someone on Instagram said that milk and wine come packaged like this in Canada.  I'm thinking I need to travel more.

Not a single drop spilled! Yaay!

I've been asked a good number of questions about these bags . . .

...The opening is too small to dip a pen - and even if it wasn't, you'd have to be mighty brave to try it
...I think it would be possible to draw the ink out with a syringe or pipette if you're super-careful
...The cap can be placed back on the bag - I have no idea how well it seals
...I'd buy like this all.the.time - the savings on shipping and packaging make it an easy decision for me
...the group buy is over, but you can find these inks from JustWrite in Australia

I'll be back with reviews of some of the inks soon!