Art Supplies
Cretacolor AquaGraph Water-Soluble Graphite Pencils: A Compact Pocket Set Worth a Look
Six water-soluble graphite pencils with a hint of color, generous 3.8mm cores, and pigments that fully dissolve when activated with water.
Independent reviews
Product Reviews and Buying Guides – 359 / 805
From everyday tech and home products to lifestyle and specialist gear, each review focuses on practical use, strengths, limitations, and who the product suits.
Art Supplies
Cretacolor Black and White Box Set Review: A Focused Monochrome Kit for Charcoal and Chalk Artists
An Austrian-made set of black and white chalks, charcoals, and pencils with thoughtful packaging and a surprisingly wide tonal range once you work with the right paper.
Art Supplies
Cretacolor Fine Art Pastel Pencils 72 Set: A Full-Size Palette Worth a Fresh Look
An Austrian-made 72-pencil pastel set with a beautifully balanced palette, excellent earth tones and greys, and just a couple of practical quirks to know before buying.
Everyday Carry
CRKT CEO Review: A Slim, Stiletto-Style Everyday Carry Knife
A sleek, pen-like EDC pocket knife with a satisfying flick action, deep carry clip, and a budget-friendly blade steel that suits light daily tasks.
Fountain Pens
Cross Peerless 125 Platinum Medalist Review: A Statement Fountain Pen with a Unique Sailor Nib
A discontinued luxury fountain pen with a platinum-plated body, gold trim, and the only 18k Sailor nib on the market. Here is what it is really like to own and write with.
Stationery
Cult Pens 2025 Stationery Advent Calendars Compared: Turquoise Edition vs Black Edition
Two Cult Pens advent calendars at very different price points: an accessible 24-day stationery box and a 12-day premium pen calendar with standout value inside.
Art Supplies
Culture Hustle $500 Mystery Art Supply Box: What You Actually Get
We open Culture Hustle's sold-out $500 mystery art supply box, which packs Black 3.0, White 2.0, color-changing paint, glass glitter and more.
Art Supplies
Culture Hustle White 2.0 vs Black 3.0: The Brightest and Blackest Paints Tested
We put Culture Hustle's White 2.0 and Black 3.0 head to head to see whether the brightest paint in existence can match the legend of the blackest.
Fountain Pens
Five Fountain Pens Worth Inking Right Now: A Currently Inked Lineup
From a brass everyday writer to hand-finished urushi maki-e, five fountain pens and the inks that make them shine.
Fountain Pens
Currently Inked January 2023: Four Fountain Pens Worth Writing With
A monthly ink rotation featuring the Sailor 1911 Large, Gravitas Century White Delrin, Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, and Lamy 2000.
Fountain Pens
Cusco Kakari FS Titanium Review: A Precision Machined Fountain Pen With a Clever Filling System
A titanium, clipless fountain pen with a dual-reservoir filling system inspired by a patent from 1898. Here is what works, what does not, and who it suits.
Running Shoes
Best Cyber Monday Running Shoe Deals: 14 Standout Bargains This Season
From marathon racers to max-cushion daily trainers, here are the running shoe deals worth acting on, with guidance on who each shoe suits best.
Art Books
Cynthia Knox Painting in Colored Pencil: Favorite Things Book Review
A close look at Cynthia Knox's Painting in Colored Pencil: Favorite Things, six detailed tutorials covering glass, porcelain, fur, feathers, florals, and more.
Everyday Carry
Daily Carry Co Balisong-Style Knife and TipTiPick: Two EDC Pieces That Do Things Differently
A m390 tanto folding knife with an unusual locking swing mechanism and a three-gram titanium toothpick that disappears in your pocket.
Art Supplies
Daiso Art Supplies Haul: 8 Value Picks Under $12 Worth Knowing About
Eight affordable art and craft supplies from Daiso, including watercolors, Platinum pens and pencils, brush pens, felt kits, and Disney washi tape.
AI Tools
Dall-E 2 Review: What This AI Image Generator Can (and Can't) Do
A hands-on look at Dall-E 2, the text-to-image AI that turns a sentence into detailed artwork in any style, plus what artists should realistically expect from it.
Everyday Carry
Dango Belt Review: A Traditional Leather Belt with a Modular Twist
A USA-made traditional belt with interchangeable straps, a CNC-machined 7075 aluminum buckle, and a hidden storage capsule.
Everyday Carry
Dango Black Friday Wallet Deals: Best Discounts Worth Grabbing
Dango is running some of its deepest discounts of the year for Black Friday, with popular wallets like the A10, D01, and M1 cut to $29-$49. Here are the standout deals and what to know before buying.
Everyday Carry
Dango Wallet Lineup: Cloud Wallet, Ripstop Cloud, Pop-Up Card Holder and Bifold Sleeves
A closer look at Dango's minimalist wallet family, including the leather Cloud Wallet, the new Ripstop Cloud Wallet, and the upgraded Pop-Up Card Holder.
Everyday Carry
Dango D03 Light Review: A CNC'd Aluminum Wallet Made in the USA for $30
A single-piece 6061 aluminum wallet with clever card retention, RFID blocking, and a lifetime warranty at a surprisingly low price.
Everyday Carry
Dango D03 Wallet Review: A Made-in-USA Everyday Carry Bargain
A slim aluminum and leather wallet under $40 with a clever spring rail system, four-card capacity, and RFID protection.
Everyday Carry
Dango Pens Compared: Mini Pen, Executive Pen, and Permanent Marker
Dango is best known for wallets, but its machined pens deserve a look. Here's how the Mini Pen, Executive Pen, and Permanent Marker differ, and which one makes the most sense for everyday carry.
Fountain Pens
Danitrio Seiryu Review: A $12,000 Maki-e Fountain Pen You Can Actually Use
A close look at the Danitrio Seiryu, an ebonite urushi fountain pen with hand-painted blue dragon artwork, an 18k gold number 8 nib, and craftsmanship that explains its premium price.
Fountain Pens
Danitrio Takumi Tame-nuri Red Urushi Fountain Pen Review: Handcrafted Japanese Lacquer Art
A close look at the Danitrio Takumi in red Tame-nuri urushi, from the lacquer technique and artisan signature to the 18k gold nib and everyday writing performance.
Fountain Pens
Danitrio Two Hummingbirds Maki-e Shakaku: A Hand-Painted Fountain Pen Worth a Close Look
A luxury urushi and maki-e fountain pen built on the octagonal Shakaku body, hand painted by a named artisan and finished with an 18k gold fireball nib.
Fountain Pens
Dare Works Infinigraph Review: A Futuristic Fountain Pen You Can Reskin
A triangular Japanese fountain pen with magnetic interchangeable body panels and a rollerball conversion kit, launched through a Kickstarter campaign.
Fountain Pen Inks
Top 5 Fountain Pen Inks for Dark Academia: Romantic, Gothic, and Mysterious
Five inks that capture the dark academia mood, from shimmering Egyptian black to a 300-year-old classic.
Fountain Pens
5 Fountain Pens for the Dark Academia Aesthetic
Five fountain pens that capture the dark academia mood, from Egyptian-inspired designs to bronze pocket pens and high-capacity piston fillers.
Luxury Pens
David Oscarson Art Nouveau 25th Anniversary Fountain Pen Review: Sterling Silver Craftsmanship at $6,400
A limited-edition sterling silver fountain pen with hard enamel guilloché, an 18k gold nib, and artwork inspired by Art Nouveau masterpieces.
Fountain Pens
David Oscarson Nicola Tesla Fountain Pen Review: A Sterling Silver Tribute to an Inventor
A solid sterling silver fountain pen with hard enamel over guilloche engraving, dense Tesla-inspired symbolism, and an 18k gold nib. Here is what works and what to consider before spending $6,400.