Link Love: Squirrel Brain

I have squirrel brain today so bear with me.

First, news that the Pelikan Hubs are officially cancelled for 2020 rolled out yesterday. It’s the safest decision but it makes all of us so sad. Just this weekend, Laura and I were talking about how, in order to orchestrate the Hubs, Pelikan would have to have staff in their warehouse right now boxing up magazines, ink and all the accoutrements now to get materials shipped around the world in time for the September event — and that’s assuming that there isn’t a terrible increase in the cases of COVID-19 in the interim.

Yesterday, Lisa from Vanness Pens asked me to appear on her weekly Instagram Live chat. We had a good turn out of people. If you’d like to watch it, we chat about what we are currently using, the possibility of pen shows this year and shipping issues.

Last week on The Pen Addict podcast, Brad said that he would unveil the urushi Lamy Safari/AL-Star pens that Jonathan at Carolina Pen Co. created for us in a YouTube video. He posted it this morning. There should be a link on Relay.FM if you’d like to see it for yourself. Jonathan outdid himself. I’m speechless.

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone… did you notice it? It is now safe to pull out your “summer whites” sweatpants and replace your slippers with your flip flops. Thank you, post-pandemic, social-distanced, fashion rules. At least we don’t have rules for what notebooks, pens and ink we can use, right?

Finally, next week is the start of our (hold on to your hats…. CAPS LOCK ON!) OUR TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! That’s right, The Well-Appointed Desk is turning TEN! I can hardly contain my excitement and we have WEEKS of extra special content planned including TONS of giveaways so get ready for it!! Are you excited? Humor me, okay.

Pens:

• Re-Review: Baron Fig Squire Rollerball (via The Pencilcase Blog)
• Franklin-Christoph Model 20 in vintage green with Masuyama Needlepoint (via UK fountain pens)
• Leonardo Momento Zero Green Blue with 1.1mm Stub Nib (via The Pen Addict)
• ystudio Classic Desk Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Video-Review: Montblanc Heritage ‘Rouge et Noir’ (SE)  (via Scrively)
• Platinum Curidas Disassembly Demonstration! (via Anderson Pens Blog)
• The Curidas Tale of Three Retractable Fountain Pens (via dapprman)
• TWSBI ECO Yellow and ECO White Rose Gold (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• Lamy Safari “Candy” Special Edition Part II: The Ballpoint (via The Gentleman Stationer)

Ink:

• Tono & Lims Adult Night Inks Part 2 (via Mountain of Ink)
• Tono & Lims Fukuoka: Fidelity  (via The Pen Addict)

Pencils:

• Notable Pencils: Vintage Mitsubishi Boxy Turbo Bicolors (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)
• Crooked to the Core (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)

Notebooks & Paper:

• Jumping Journals (via Nero’s Notes Blog)
• Use this template to motivate you to use your Bullet Journal (via Rediscover Analog)

Art & Creativity:

• Cartographers Have Been Hiding Secret Illustrations Inside Swiss Maps (via My Modern Met)
• May in the Garden and the Studio (via My Giant Strawberry)
• Artist transforms recycled cardboard into incredible Pop Art sculptures of vintage TVs and computers (via Creative Boom)
• Laura Bee on overcoming adversity, fighting to survive in New York, and realising illustration is her passion (via Creative Boom)
• Sharing My Sketchbook So Far (via The Postman’s Knock)

Other Interesting Things:

• Lines and Grinds: A Guide for choosing and customizing your Nibs- Part 1 (via Inkpothesis)
• On Handwriting vs. Typing (via The Cramped)
• Crayola Unveils ‘Colors of the World’ Crayons Representing 40 Skin Tones (via My Modern Met)
• Curvaceous Design: The History of the Coca-Cola Bottle (via Atomic Redhead)