Anderson Pens Top Pen-Related Resolutions for 2017

It’s officially 2017!! Many of you have probably used this beginning of the New Year to set resolutions or goals to accomplish in 2017. They might be to lose weight, quit a bad habit, or get your finances in order. However, do you have any pen related resolutions on your list?

2017 Resolutions for Pen Lovers

The Anderson Pens team compiled a list of our top pen related resolutions for 2017 and we are sharing them with you today. Feel free to copy and paste these into your 2017 Official Resolutions list!

1. Try a new nib size. Do you currently have a collection of pens, all with the letter “M” on the nib? Why not venture out and try an Extra Fine, Broad or maybe even a Stub? Keep an open mind and try something new! If you are looking to try a Fine, Medium or 1.0mm Stub, the Pilot Metropolitan is a great choice. Lamy Al Star pens offer Extra Fine, Fine, Medium and Broad, and additional Lamy replacement nibs in 1.1mm, 1.54mm, and 1.9mm are also available. Branching out by trying a new nib size or two is a fun resolution.

Pilot Metropolitan

2. Try a new pen brand/style. Does your brand loyalty run deep when it comes to pens? I don’t blame you, I have my favorite also! It wasn’t until I tried a new brand in the store, that I realized maybe there are other great options out there. If you are faithful only to Visconti, or Sailor, or Pilot, you’re missing out on several other great pens! If your pen collection only consists of fountain pens, why not throw a fun Retro 51 Rollerball  into the mix or maybe a Pilot Metropolitan Ballpoint ? It’s a new year and a new you, and this new you is ready to venture out of your comfort zone! Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can be hard, but making a resolution to at least look into a new brand, or style of pen might have some surprising results!

Retro 51 Terabyte Tornado by Box

Retro 51 Terabyte Tornado

3. Consistently write in your journal. This resolution is two-fold. First, when you write in your journal, you get to use your pens, paper and inks in a creative way. Win! Second, this is a great way to tie in your pen resolutions with your other 2017 Resolutions. Why not track your weight loss or how many days you’ve gone without your bad habit in your journal? Visually seeing your progress will help you stay on the straight and narrow. For journals, I love Paperblanks  because they’re just so pretty! Clairefontaine also offers stationery, notepads, and hardcover notebooks in bright and fun colors. Or if you are more into a stealth look, Zequenz offer great solid color journals that will pair nicely with your pen and ink.

Sheaffer 300 and Paperblanks

Sheaffer 300 and Paperblanks

4. Improve your handwriting. If you have great pens, beautiful ink, lovely paper yet poor handwriting, you might not be inclined or as excited to write. Luckily for you, there’s a new way to learn or re-learn cursive. Grab a copy of Cursive Logic and your handwriting will be superb by Valentine’s Day! Maybe you already have cursive locked down and are ready to take the plunge into calligraphy. If so, 2017 is the year to do so! There are several books out there to help you learn, such as Calligraphy in Ten Easy Lessons or Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy: A Step-by-Step Manual. Brian and Lisa have made (and broken) the resolution to improve their handwriting several times, but 2017 might be different. In fact, it might become a fun company challenge!

Cursive Logic Handwriting Workbook

Cursive Logic Handwriting Workbook

Calligraphy in 10 Easy Lessons

Calligraphy in 10 Easy Lessons

5. Thoroughly clean your pen before each ink change. This is an important resolution but also an easy one to follow through on! Just be sure to take a couple extra minutes to clean out your pen before putting in a new ink. To help with the process, we highly recommend J.B.’s Perfect Pen Flush to get your pen squeaky clean. While Lisa admits that she sometimes takes the easy way out and just gives her pens to Brian to clean while he is doing repairs, she also says that she enjoys her Sunday afternoon pen cleaning and refilling ritual.

J. B.'s Pen Flush

J. B.’s Pen Flush

6. Become more knowledgeable about all things pens, papers and inks. While this is a great resolution to have, it is important to check all sources when you are doing any research. Unfortunately, false information does exist out there on the internet. We have several bloggers we highly recommend as resources. Azizah of Gourmet Pens is the Queen of Calligraphy and not only is she very knowledgeable, but the videos of her writing are truly mesmerizing. Brad from The Pen Addict is brilliant and brings several other pen lovers on to review various pens, inks and papers. He’s also a co-founder of the Nock Co. line of products. Ana of The Well-Appointed desk is lovely and her blog is fun to read. If you are more into the art aspect of pens and inks, Ana is your go-to girl! Joe from The Gentlemen Stationer consistently reviews pens, inks and papers and is a great resource for guides, such as his “Best Of” lists. And lastly but never least, our friend Mike at Inkdependence does some really awesome reviews, and now also includes his wife as well, who has her own blog, Right on The Nail. Ink and nail polish, how cool is that?

7. Attend one Pen Show – or visit a pen store in person! If you live in the Midwest, we’ve got you covered for seeing a store in person! If you aren’t in the Midwest, and not making any plans to visit this region, we still recommend you try to make a trip to a physical pen store! Nothing beats having an in-person experience when looking for a new pen. Or being able to talk to a knowledgeable employee face-to-face! Maybe you don’t live within a reasonable driving distance of a pen store, but could make it to a Pen Show.

Brian and Lisa Anderson

Here’s a list of the show’s we will be at in 2017:
Philadelphia (January 13th-15th)
Los Angeles (February 16th- 19th)
Baltimore (March 3rd- 5th)
Long Island (April 1st -2nd)
Atlanta (April 21st-23rd)
Chicago (May 4th-7th)
Raleigh (June 1st-4th)
Washington D.C. (August 10th-13th)
San Francisco (August 24th-27th)
Dallas (September 7th-10th)
Denver (October 5th-8th)
Detroit (TBA)
Columbus (November 2nd-5th)

If you are interested in attending a pen show, but a little intimidated because you aren’t sure what is involved in such an event, have no fear! We will be posting a Reference Guide for Pen Shows shortly.

And those are our Anderson Pens 2017 Pen Related Resolutions! Which one(s) will you be adding to your list?

Ink It Up!

Kim