Statement of Ethics

As I was starting to write a post about equipment, I realized I should probably write up a quick statement of ethics for my site. All public sites which end up reviewing or talking about commercially available products or services should have one. So, this is mine.

I don’t accept free or discounted products or services. All products, services, sites, etc… I mention on my blog are there because I value them and use them myself.

Should anyone care to send me new products, highly unlikely and there wouldn’t be much I’d be interested in, if I wanted to keep it I would pay for it.

Vintage objects are in a different category because these are not, generally, commercially available objects and I doubt that sending me a box of Turner & Harrison pens, as an example, would corrupt me or enrich anyone else. I would only accept such objects if they contributed to the historical understanding and mission of this blog.

I may, rarely, place a link to an item on Amazon or another commercial site as part of their affiliate program. I will only link to items I use and recommend, and the pitiful amount of money this may or may not bring in will help defray the minimal costs of this blog. I send you to a useful item, I may get a few cents back. That works for me and it will be obvious when it happens. This site is not about modern items being sold today, so this will be a very rare occasion when or if it happens.

Why am I writing this? Mainly because these days it’s difficult to know to whom you should listen. I’m just a guy with a strange hobby who likes to share information. The opportunity for me to be corrupted by Big Steel Pen, and sell my soul for a slice of their riches is, um, less than likely. But I also want the readers of this blog to feel comfortable should I ever recommend someone or something. I want you all to know that I do it because I truly believe it’s the right thing, a good thing, and for no other reason.

Hopefully that’s the last I have to say about that.

Welcome to the Steel Pen

I’m researching the history of the steel pen (dip pens, to most of you), especially as they were made in the United States. As I research through old sources I find bits and bobs of things I find interesting, sometimes about steel pens, sometimes about other topics.

I decided I needed a place to capture some of these. Some will make it into my research, some won’t, but if I find it interesting, there may be someone else who may enjoy it as well.

So, be prepared for the trivial, the obscure, the odd and an occasional interesting bit.