2023 was a memorable year -- for the world and for Pure Pens. Here is a look back at the highlights.
The World in 2023
2023 saw the Coronation of King Charles III in May -- the first UK coronation since 1953 -- with a procession through central London culminating at Westminster Abbey. Disney turned 100. Twitter became X. And the summer belonged to Barbie and Oppenheimer in equal measure.
New Brands at Pure Pens
2023 brought several exciting new brands to the shop:
Notable Releases
January kicked off with the launch of our Dragon pen pouches with Rickshaw Bags, alongside our Retro 51 x Pure Pens Exclusive Dragon pen series.
To mark the Coronation, we released our own Coronation Blue fountain pen ink -- a blue ink with a suitably royal red sheen. Retro 51 also produced a UK exclusive of just 500 pieces: a King Charles III Coronation rollerball pen featuring St Edward's Crown.
TWSBI delivered a strong year of new releases, including the Eco in Creme and Rose Gold, new Eco colours in Heat, Indigo Blue, and Persian Green, plus the distinctive Kai fountain pen in marbled blue and black resin with a gold-plated nib.
Retro 51 had another exceptional year, with the Dino Smash Tornado Popper, the UK exclusive War of the Roses, and the Halloween Special Edition Frankenstein -- an instant sell-out.
Pelikan's Pen and Ink of the Year was the Rose Quartz M205, alongside the long-awaited M600 Red White and M800 Green Demonstrator.
Ferris Wheel Press released their spectacular FerriTales Collection, and Van Dieman's brought us their Birds of a Feather and Voyagers ink collections.
Best Sellers of 2023
The best sellers remained largely consistent with previous years: Noodler's Bulletproof Black, De Atramentis Document Black, and several Pure Pens inks all featured strongly. New arrival Legami made an immediate impact, with their animal-themed erasable gel pens proving a surprise hit. Diamine Alexandrite continued its reign as one of our most popular inks.
Our Favourites from 2023
In pens, the Retro 51 Halloween Frankenstein was an instant favourite -- and an instant sell-out. The Nahvalur Voyage series, particularly Tromso, was another highlight, as were the dazzling Benu Bora Bora fountain pens.
In inks, Wearingeul's The Phantom of the Opera and Dracula were standouts, alongside Ferris Wheel Press's FerriTales favourites Brilliant Beanstalk and Sugar and Spite.
Pen Shows
As always, attending the London Pen Show was a highlight of the year -- catching up with customers old and new, and comparing notes with fellow retailers. A reminder of what a wonderful community surrounds this hobby.