Good old plain and simple steel wool isn’t actually as plain and simple as you might think. For a start, it’s quite a complicated product to make, although I realise that’s not especially important from the end user’s point of view. What is important however is that there is no level playing field when it comes to grading steel wool, so you aren’t necessarily getting what you think you’re getting, and I’ll explain why not in just a moment. As blogs go, ...

Pen turning is a popular hobby amongst many, and a legitimate means of earning or supplementing a living for others. It has now found its way onto no lesser platform than the world political stage, and you know you’ve arrived when it’s you who’s been asked to make the pens. As part of the program to involve local and regional artisans to provide a range of products for the G7 Summit, from the chairs they'll be sitting on, to the coffee they’ll be drinking, David ...

As we near the end of this challenging, trying, saddest and oddest of years, I'd like to take this opportuninty on behalf of Beaufort Ink to thank everyone for your friendship and support thoughout 2020. As we all keenly await a brighter future, I hope that everyone is able to their uplift their spirits a little over the festive period, however curtailed your festivities might now be. Wishing you a happy, enjoyable and peaceful Christmas - myself and the team at Beaufort Ink look forward ...

There are choices to be made when you're buying thread taps for making custom pens, or so called kitless pens or bespoke pens. Unless you have a little engineering experience, it can be difficult to know the differences between each type of thread tap and what they're used for, so below is a simple explanation of each one, to help you decide which type or types you need. Essentially, there are three main types - the underlying tool is the same thing in each case, but some of the ...

From time to time I spot ill informed and sometimes frankly misleading explanations of so called IPG nibs on line, including on occasions, on websites run by people selling pens and nibs. It seems it's high time then, that one of the most widely perpetuated myths about fountain pen nibs is dispelled. If you’re new to fountain pens, or pen making, or you’ve never looked into nibs very much, the following might come as a surprising revelation to you, and if you already have an ...

It’s always rewarding to work with up and coming professional pen makers, several of whom go on to the giddy heights of commercial production. And so it is with the totally affable and multi talented Charles Lethaby, who is already well known in certain circles for his unique ranges of electric lighting, which take centre stage in many a posh hotel, designer shop and exclusive home throughout the land, and far beyond. Charles has now also applied his creative mind to fountain pens, and ...

Whether you’re happy about Brexit or sad, for it or against, cheering from the rooftops or crying into your beer, the immutable fact is that the UK is leaving the EU this coming Friday. So what are the implications for our many, many customers who live in the EU? What is going to change when you buy from Beaufort Ink? Err, well, nothing actually. The situation is that when we leave the EU at midnight on 31st January, the UK will immediately enter into a transition period for the ...

A bit of downtime for us as we stop for a few days over the festive period. It's been quite a year - we've moved premises  - twice, and we've had our busiest year ever. Our website will be open for business as usual over the festive period, and we'll be back to work on 2nd January. It's you, our customers who've given us our busiest year ever though, and we'd like to take this opporunity to thank you for all the support you've given us, and to wish you ...

Take a look at Garcia-Deschacht and the amazing handmade fountain pens they produce. We’ve been working with Laura and Andy since the start of their journey, supplying them with tooling, fountain pen nibs, pen blanks, ink converters etc. We came across an interview the other day, which we thought you may like to read too - what absolutely beautiful pens they produce (and not a bad showcase for some of our products either, it has to be said). Without a doubt, one of a kind, ...

Having been spoiled with the scenic value of the Highlands of Scotland for the past several yeras, do we miss it? Yes, of course we do. But when you have this view to feast your eyes on every time you look up from your computer screen, life can't be too bad can it! Exmoor is beautiful, and our little part of it, looking straight down the Exe Valley, frankly takes a lot of beating.   Exmoor in late winter. The view from our office ...