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The story behind the Memo bottles is quite fascinating, and inspirational. Co-Founders Jesse Leeworthy and Jonathan Bryt were born and raised in a small coastal town in Melbourne, Australia. Over the last 60 years plastic has become a huge part of life. Water bottles, food packaging, toys, the list goes on. Jesse and Jonathan began to notice the impact this had on the environment. This inspired them to make a change.

Jesse and Jonathan realised people are detrimental to the environment because of the single use habits we have for the plastics we buy, use and throw away. One of these products most commonly being, water bottles. Single use water bottles can be found on any beach, on every continent, all over the world. The childhood friends needed to create a product that was convenient, beautiful and sustainable.

The Innovation, determination and love for the environment were the driving factors for creating “The Memo Bottle Series”. The Memobottle is a premium, reusable, flat water bottle designed to neatly slide into carry bags alongside computers and other valuables. The Memo Bottle comes in 4 sizes. The A5, the A6, the A7, and the Slim. Each bottle has optional extras. For example, Leather sleeves, with a carry pocket for pens, phones and credit cards. These features give the bottle a sleek and sophisticated feel.

The Memo team describe today’s society as the “throw away” culture. For me this perfectly captures the attitude people have towards the plastics we use. If you think about it, in the last week how many water bottles have you bought? How many in the last month?, or even the last year?


In a recent study, they found 9 million tons of plastic will enter the world’s oceans every year. At the rate we are polluting our oceans, these numbers will double every eleven years. By 2026 this will be 18 million tons, every year. From 2018 to 2026 there will be over 115 million metric tons of plastics in our ocean, in only eleven years. You probably use your recycle bins to make sure these plastics are dealt with. But did you know only 7% of overall recycled plastic is actually reused. That means if you buy and “recycle” 10,000 plastic bottles a year, only 700 are actually recycled. Leaving the rest to wander the oceans.

The Memo team are also associated with Water.org to help children in need. Water.org is a non-profit organisation that provides water to families all over the world. With every bottle sold the Memo team provides one person with a two months access to a clean water supply.

This is quoted from their website.
“The path to breaking the poverty cycle starts at access to safe water. Together with water.org, memobottle™ has provided 2,247,992 days of clean drinking water to people in need. At memobottle™ we understand that we are a part of something bigger. We have a responsibility to use our potential to solve the social and environmental challenges facing humanity.”

Personally, at first i was pessimistic about the bottle. I questioned, why would i buy this bottle when i can get a £1 bottle from the shop. But after reading into the company and understanding their philosophy and realising how beneficial this is for myself, the environment and people in need.  It made a lot of sense. Let’s face it, the design is beautiful. I know i will be buying one.

The Memo Bottle allows us to look at these issues, consider our actions and make us think every time we pick up a single use water bottle. All of the environmental issues can be resolved. The oceans are not too far gone and they can be recovered. But that change needs to begin today, and thanks to companies like the Memo Bottle, we have the opportunity to save our oceans, animal life and our humanity.

Top 5 Most Affordable Fountain Pens

Having a fountain pen looks classy because it makes a statement. Writing is considered an art form and has been for many generations. With the technology we have today, there are some incredible pens out there which are worth millions. The choices which are available can be quite overwhelming. e.g. Wood, graphite, metals, and resins to name a few.

Let’s direct you towards 5 great Fountain pens!

Parker IM Cocoa Brown Fountain Pen with Chrome Trim

Described by Parker as “ready to accompany you anywhere” and “smart, polished and established”. This timeless and contemporary styled writing instrument features a sophisticated deep cocoa brown finish, with styled chrome trims: A nice weight, a brushed stainless steel grip and a high quality medium nib: This fountain pen ensures an enjoyable writing experience for both left and right handed writers.

RRP £18.99

Parker Premium Pearl & Chrome Urban Fountain Pen

The curvy, refined and incredibly exquisite Parker Urban Premium pen is now available in sophisticated glossy pearl. Featuring a stunning asymmetric chiselled line design along the body and lid, this luxury fountain pen features a high quality medium width and stainless steel design. With a slightly chunky design, a balanced weight and ergonomic form, the Urban is a comfortable and luxurious writing instrument, designed to suit both left and right handed people.

RRP £45

Sheaffer Ferrari Intensity Satin Red Fountain Pen with Chrome Trims

For those driven to perform at high speed and quality we introduce to you the beautiful and luxurious Ferrari Intensity fountain pen manufactured by Sheaffer. With a stunning deep Ferrari red body and polished chrome trims, this luxurious writing instrument performs on the page like Ferraris do on the race track. Each pen is branded with the “Prancing Horse” Ferrari logo and finished with the recognisable Sheaffer “White Dot”.

RRP £79

2012 Limited Edition Pilot Capless Fountain

The Pilot Capless range combines mechanics and aesthetics which create expertly and well-designed fountain pens. This particular pen is on the list because it has been widely regarded for its smooth writing capabilities: Its Brown and Grey Marbled effect with Lacquer body helps contrast its chrome trims and medium nib.

RRP £149

Parker Sonnet Cecile Fountain Pen in Sterling Silver and Gold

The Parker Sonnet Cecile is a beautiful pen. A testament to its design, the Sonnet Cecile fountain pen still looks modern and contemporary despite it being almost 20 years old. The pen has precision made cross hatches with a sterling silver finish, filled with black lacquer for a truly luxurious and elegant writing experience.

RRP £250

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog. Pens etc and I hope that you enjoyed your time

If you have any queries or questions about any of the pens listed please visit our website on https://www.pens-etc.co.uk . All of these pens are accessible on our website.

I’ll be back!

Writernator

What is writing?

Writing is the art form used to express and structure, using symbols within languages in a readable form. A set of visible, tactile units in a systemic way used for the purpose of creating messages. The beauty of writing can be retrieved by everyone and anyone, whether you can understand the language or not. Ancient scrolls in Greece or chiselled stories on the walls of the pyramids in Egypt, All have stories to tell, regardless of time. The interpretations are individual and personal, which is why it’s such a beautiful part of life. But are we becoming disconnected from the art of writing?

The History of Writing

Believe it or not, writing has been invented two or three times, according to records!

As far as we know writing was developed by pictographs which are pictures that resemble what they signify. E.g. a picture of a bird represents a bird. This was a much easier method to tell stories in comparison to writing individual letters to create a story. Ideographs are symbols which represent ideas, they are meant to convey a meaning without the use of words. E.g. a modern day ideograph would be a smiley face emoji which represents happiness. This all began roughly 40,000 years ago. The SW Africans (South West Africans), Australian’s Aborigine and the southwest European Cro Magnon were the generations that used this form of communication; they all have something in common: The need to tell a story.

Why is writing becoming less common?

Over the last 20 to 30 years we have all seen incredible technological advancements which have gone beyond what we thought was once possible. Mobile phones, computers and television have become a huge part of people’s lives because they offer so much within the social networks that have been created. E.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. However the problem with all communication being on an illusory based form, we’ve lost our love for written word. We don’t need to write a letter and send it through the post in order to communicate anymore. The simplicity of being able to instantly send and receive messages on these platforms makes it logical to do so. But is that such a good thing?

The Authenticity of a Written Letter

Before the internet and mobile phones were a popular thing within society, everybody would have to send letters/notes through the post in order to communicate. Then type-writers came along for commercial use, and then soon came computers. Yes things became easier; However we now miss such a crucial element that made writing letters so great: The personality of that letter.

Everybody has their own unique hand-writing style, the expressions they use within the written language and also the authenticity of it, being directly from another person who has actually touched the paper and taken the time to write it in the first place was what made written letters so special. But now we have commercial machines printing something that is created by a robotic form. There is nothing beautiful or authentic about that.

I have a girlfriend who lives in Australia (I live in the UK), and we have a long distance relationship so the personal contact comes few and far between. However the one thing that allows us a personal/physical connection are the letters we write and send to each other. We speak on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat but it doesn’t seem personal and we become easily complacent and unappreciative. It has little meaning and feeling.  One of the things I look forward to most is getting a text off my mum to say that I’ve received a letter from her. Knowing that she touched the paper and took the time out of her day to write it means a lot to me. She even sprays it with her perfume, which for me is a very nice touch. This is something that you never get from a computer.

The people who remain to send hand written letters are generally with the generation it was popular and common with. Now the new generation will most likely never send a hand written letter to anyone. It’s important to keep this art form alive, it is an integral part of human history which may soon be at an end.

I’ll be back!

Writernator

Pens have come a long way over the years. What initially started as sticks cavemen would use to mark a rock or draw in dirt has developed into the pen we know – a product used worldwide on a daily basis. A fairly recent development – Smart pens, offer the additional functionality of converting your writing into a digital form you can use on a computer.

Pen Ideas and Concepts

Searching the internet returned numerous pen ideas and concepts of varying ingenuity and inventiveness. We have chosen the pen concepts we hope become a reality in the future which you can find below.

Compose Concept Pen

Photo credit – techfresh.net

Convert audio/singing recorded with the pen into “digital” sheet music

The compose pen concept allows you to record audio via the pen, whether that be actual music or singing. You then dock the pen, allowing the device to transcribe the audio into sheet music on the digital display. You can then modify the sheet music directly on the display using the pen. This pen would be ideal for both music beginners and enthusiasts. It can turn that random jingle you come up with whilst on the move into a digital melody.

Recorder Pen Concept

Photo credit – thecoolgadgets.com

Convert text as you write to digital form for processing via a computer

This beautiful concept allows you to take notes the traditional way (good ol’ pen and paper) whilst creating a digital “backup”. The digital backup can later be modified via computer. Words are converted whilst you write and sent to a connected digital device, such as a smartphone or laptop. You can then use your handwritten notes in digital form to send as a an email, add to your favourite note taking app or edit in a word processor. This device would be a great tool for those who prefer to take notes via pen and paper. It takes away the distraction of using a smartphone, tablet or laptop.

Technically, this product already exists in the form of a Smart Pen – and so isn’t a concept anymore but a reality. However, these products at the moment, do not work as intended or don’t work as optimally as they could. Words can be distorted, written incorrectly or missed completely. Voice recognition was invented in the 1970s. Over 40 years later the technology still leaves me shouting furiously at my smart phone after it’s tried to call “Brad” and not “Dad”. If this device worked consistently and was priced correctly, I personally believe it would become a worldwide game changer. It could become as common as a smart phone or a wallet.

Pendragon Multi functional Pen Concept

Photo credit – lostateminor.com

The bluetooth and wifi enabled ballpoint, fountain pen and mechanical pencil

The Pendragon concept is an amazing idea. Firstly, it’s called Pendragon – stop talking and take my money already. Secondly it’s modular unlike other multifunctional pens on the market. Thirdly it features both several types of pen and various digital functions, combining them into one product. The Pendragon features:

• ballpoint pen
• fountain pen
• mechanical pencil
• stylus
• LED light
• music player
• charger input
• memory card slot
• camera
• laser pointer
• microphone
• WiFi enabled

You simply choose your feature by connecting the desired module. This concept not only looks great but if put into production would offer nearly as many features as a smartphone plus combine the latest technology with the ancient art of writing.

Pen Projector Concept

Photo credit – coroflot.com

The Pen that converts any flat surface into your own personal cinema

The function of this product is fairly self explanatory – it is both a writing instrument and a projector. Projectors are a costly investment and generally more expensive than pens; disguising your pocket cinema as a pen can prevent theft and replace your current pen, meaning you don’t have to carry any additional items in your pockets.

Emotion Reactive Pen Concept

The pen that adjusts to your mood

Phillips, the technology giants, filed a patent for a pen that could record your temperature, how firmly you’re gripping the pen and your heart beat. The pen will then react to your mood, making a number of adjustments such as changing the flow of ink, adjusting the flexibility of the nib, modifying the colour of ink and changing how consistently the ink flows to create a more loose writing style. Phillips believes your mood will be further expressed through your writing, transforming the look of love letters, thank you letters and stories.

Fingerprint Enabled Concept Pen

The pen that only you can write with

Everyone likes personalised products, whether it’s an embroidered towel with your name on or a phone case featuring your favourite picture. What’s not to like about a pen that only you can use? A fingerprint enabled pen would use bio-metric technology to only allow ink to flow if the user’s fingerprint can be verified. Such a feature would help prevent theft as there’s no point in stealing a pen you can’t use. Plus it could be used for enhanced security such as for ensuring the correct person is signing an important document.

Self refilling pen concept

The pen that refills itself as you use it

One of the annoying features of using a pen is that eventually you either need to refill the ink or dispose of it. Ink refills are far more convenient than the tedious process of constantly refilling a quill or dip pen. However, imagine how convenient not having to refill your pen again would be. This concept, and let me stress this is a concept, would extract moisture and pigments naturally occurring in the air around us, convert it to ink and store it within the barrel of the pen. In a world with an increasing focus on recycling and where, according to the EPA, Americans throw away 1.6 billion disposable pens every year, this pen could also help reduce global plastic waste.

A drawback I can foresee is the ink would have to be water based plus extracting colour pigments from the air isn’t something I would have thought is possible. Nonetheless, a pen that never runs out would be a game changer in the writing instrument market.

Our shop offers a wide choice of refills for a range of popular pens and brands.

Power Bank Pen

The pen that keeps your mobile phone charged

Mobile phones are at a stage in their evolution where parts and features use more power than a typical battery can provide over the course of the day. In fact, 90% of people suffer from “Low Battery Anxiety”, worrying about their phone running out of battery. Portable chargers are becoming increasingly popular, but why carry an extra product in your bag/pocket than you need to? The Power Bank Pen would, as the name suggests, combine a power bank with a pen to give your phone that extra bit of juice in an emergency. Fine writing enthusiasts might be perturbed by the additional weight in the barrel but a small multi functional power bank that fits in a pocket would be appealing to most smartphone users.

Conclusion – The Future is Already Here

The pen has remained a popular everyday product over the last 100 years. In this time inventions such as typewriters, MySpace and fax machines have come and gone, but the humble pen has remained. The fact that the pen is so common, popular and portable will always make the pen susceptible to a redesign or renovation. After much research on the internet it quickly became apparent that most of the decent concept ideas for pens were in fact already a reality. Pens of note which have achieved their goal of going from concept to reality are:

• “Colour Picker Pen” – this pen lets you digitally scan any colour and then write in that colour
• “Dictionary Pen” – this pen scans any written word and then gives you the definition on a built in display
• “Prison Pen” – a pen bends under slight pressure ensuring prisoners can’t use it as a weapon
• “LongPen” – using a series of sensors and mechanisms, the “LongPen” replicates a signature in one location whilst the person writes in another location. This enables celebrities to sign autographs from across the world

What pen would you like to see make it into production? Leave your comments below…

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Often when faced with mountains of paperwork, homework or even just sketching, your hands will undoubtedly start to ache. Here are some useful everyday tips you can use to stop this from happening.

1)Take Breaks

Taking small frequent breaks in a long session of writing or sketching will most definitely help reduce the amount your hand will ache. This is due to relaxing the muscles which will help prevent a repetitive strain injury in your wrist and fingers. Taking frequent breaks will also help you focus when you return from a break due to refreshing your mind and having a clear vision of what must be done. The time you take your breaks will depend on how long you plan to work on a task. For example, if you plan on working on a task for an hour, you should take a 5 minute beak every 15 minutes.

2)Improving your posture

Practising good posture when holding your pen will dramatically have an impact on how long you can write for without your hand hurting. By having a comfortable grip on your pen or pencil, you find yourself gaining some rhythm and flow whilst writing. People commonly hold their pen incorrectly (find out how to hold your pen correctly), this will often strain parts of their hand and cause the individual to stop midway through a task.

3)Stretch your hands

Before starting a long period of writing or sketching, it is recommended that you stretch your fingers and warm your hands. This stimulates blood flow improving flexibility and reducing stiffness.

With both hands, grab each finger one by one and bend upwards so the tip is facing up. Do this twice for each finger.  You then interlock each finger and push forward until you feel a slight strain.

View the Video

4)Shake it out

After stretching each individual finger, it is vital to shake the tension out. This will help relieve any existing pain or irritation and help increase blood circulation, resulting in a more relaxed hand and therefore better posture.

5)What pen do you use?

If you are using a pen for a long period of time, it is vital that you have a pen with a comfy grip and a sturdy barrel. My preference is the Pilot Capless. This pen gives you an unusual yet extremely comfortable grip due to the clip being in the same place as your figures should be. The creators have cleverly designed the sophisticated pen to look the part and to also perform to its best ability. Choosing the right pen mainly depends on the individual’s hand.

6)Staying Hydrated

Dehydration is usually the common cause of musculature cramps and pain. Muscle cramps can also be caused by lack of potassium and vitamin D. Increasing the intake of these vital vitamins in your diet can have a positive impact on your hands cramping in the future. Drinking water plays a significant part in helping all aspects of your body to function properly.

7)Angle of the paper

Getting the correct positioning of the paper is vital for avoiding arm or hand pains and cramps. Each person is different and has different opinions of how they should position paper on the table. As I am right handed, I’d have the paper angled to the left (angled right for lefthanders).

Having another piece of paper underneath the one you are writing on, will help grip and will also heighten the overall sensation and experience. You won’t be able to feel the wood grains through the paper. When writing with a single sheet of paper, there is a chance that you can rip through and ruin any work you have already done.

8)Using the right pen for you

Everyone has a different opinion of what feels comfortable and what doesn’t. When selecting the right pen, you must keep in mind: budget, size of pen, nib size and cartridge capacity. Visit our blog on How to Hold a Pen Correctly. Using a decent pen rather than a free promotional pen really helps. Promotional pens are designed to only last a short period of time whereas pens that cost money are more than likely going to last for a long time.

Conclusion

Some individuals think the best way to prevent their hands and wrists from aching is by taking long breaks, others say stretching their figures and wrist is better. I think by trying all tips provided, will give you a better idea of what works and what doesn’t. When I attempted to try these tips, I found that drinking water had a significant impact on the way I was feeling when I was writing. I had more energy and better concentration. Please comment below, what worked for you?