The Well-Appointed Desk

In the past year or two, Laine, a company that produces Nordic knitting patterns (magazines and gorgeous books), has also produced a knitting journal. This past weekend when Ana and I went on our local yarn crawl, we decided to pick up a copy and review it!

My Knitting Notes (€19 or $25) is designed as a notebook for knitters who want to keep a journal of the projects they work on. Ana and I were particularly interested in this because of late, we’ve been contemplating the best method to track our projects.

A small sidebar:

You might be wondering why we would need to track projects and what use such a record would be. As crafters, we often make projects more than once, so recording what patterns, needle sizes, and yarns we used, as well as any notes we made during the project, make a tidy reference point. Ana and I have been using Ravelry, a social media site and database for crafters, to track our projects, but recent developments have made us worry a bit about the longevity of that platform. The nice thing about an electronic journal is that we can add pattern PDFs, photos, links to needles or yarn, whereas in a physical format you’d have to print some of those items out to append them to a journal. That said, electronic platforms (particularly those social ones) are impermanent and can disappear (often faster than the written word). So what is the best method to track things?

Back to the review at hand:

My Knitting Notes is a small journal, measuring 6 x 8.5″ (15 x 21cm) and about .75″/2cm thick. It is hardbound, with a woven cover in Mustard, and embossed in gold on the front cover with My Knitting Notes and the back cover with Laine’s logo. The journal itself contains 156 pages divided among reference materials, entry pages for 31 projects, and a small section of grid for noting schematics or charting patterns. The end papers are in a soft peach with no additional printing, and the main paper of the journal is off white. Finally, there is a yellow ribbon bookmark for place keeping.

I find the layout very practical actually. There is a small reference section at the front which includes among other things needle conversion tables (the US uses needle “sizes” and the remainder of the world mostly uses measurements in mm), a printed ruler for small measurements and some common abbreviations and definitions. However the bulk of the book is devoted to project pages. The first 2-page spread of the project pages has spaces for some basic information, and then lined areas for notes. The second 2-page spread is blank, which could allow for doodles, sketches or more notes. It also might be a nice place to add yarn tags and snips with washi tape? Or a printed photo of the completed project?

Let’s talk about the paper. The journal touts “156 pages of high-quality paper” which to me often spells trouble. To be sure, in my larger nibs and more heavily pigmented fountain pen inks, there was some feathering. But I was pleasantly surprised that in my smaller nibs, the paper did fine. And even with a bit of feathering, nothing bled through. I used fountain pens in varying nib sizes, fine liners, gel inks, rollerballs and pencil so I feel like I did put the paper through it’s paces. I didn’t test any water resistance (I expect not much because the paper feels fairly porous) or heavier markers because I don’t know that I would use them in a journal of this sort.

Overall, I think this is a well made and reasonably priced book geared towards knitters. As I continue to mull over where I track my projects, I’m going to give this one a go for the remainder of 2021 and see where I end up!

DISCLAIMER: The notebook in this review was purchased by The Well-Appointed Desk from our local yarn store, Yarn Social Kansas City. You can also find it at Laine. Please see the About page for more details.

In Pen Review

Pen Review: Pilot Spare Sign Pen

AnaSeptember 20, 2021September 19, 20214 Comments

What if you could refill a Pilot Sign Pen ($16.50) with a cartridge or even a fountain pen ink? You can! With the new Pilot Spare Sign Pen. The pen ships with four blue-black fountain pen cartridges (and a spare tip) but will also accept a Pilot converter (I recommend the Con-40) so you can fill or refill the pen with an ink of your choosing.

I’ve been enjoying filling the various refillable pens in my collection with fountain pen inks. They allow me to use more of my existing ink and experience the vast array of colors in a different form factor. Super light fountain pen inks can now be used to underline passages in a book or sections in my notebooks where the ink may not be as useful in an EF fountain pen. I can experiment with super sheeners or shimmer inks in an inexpensive tool as well.

Once the Con-40 was installed, I filled the Spare Sign Pen with Colorverse Matter, a lovely grey ink. I wanted to play with a color not commonly found in felt tip pens. The color has a range of hues in it and dries a little darker than it appears when wet so it was fun to play with it in the Spare Sign Pen.

Pilot Spare Pen writing sample — Writing sample on Tomoe River 52gsm and Col-o-ring card with samples of Kuretake Karappo refillable pens for comparison.

I also wanted to compare the writing experience of the Pilot Spare Sign Pen with the Kuretake Karappo with Wick and with Cartridges. The Pilot Spare Sign Pen tip is a bit wider than the Kuretake Karappo Felt Tip and the Karappo with cartridges felt tip. Obviously, the brush/bristle tips are wider but I wanted to include sample writing just to show the range.

I have not yet tried to clean the Pilot Spare Sign Pen but the replaceable tip will make it possible to reuse the converter and pen barrel even if the tip needs to be swapped out with each color change.

I enjoy the opportunity to use fountain pen inks in different ways, particularly in work environments where fountain pens can seem a little “fancy”. I still get to use fun ink colors but in stealthy packaging.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ask The Desk

Ask The Desk: Sharpeners, Skripsert Converters and Staples Legal Pads

AnaSeptember 17, 2021September 16, 20218 Comments

Geoffrey asked two questions:

1) What would your recommend for a short point pencil sharpener? Think the stubby point on a golf pencil. My husband is obsessed with short point pencils, but his current method of using a wider sharpener to make a short point isn’t always ideal.

There are three readily available adjustable pocket sharpeners: The Kutsuwa Stad T’Gaal ($6), the Sonic Rachetto Capsule ($5.50) and the Dux Adjustable ($22 with leather case). Each has a dial that will allow you to adjust the pointiness of the graphite tip.

If you are looking for a manual crank sharpener, I can’t recommend the Dahle 133 (approx. $20) highly enough. The Dahle will also adjust the point by rotating the dial on the crank handle.

2) Can you recommend a leather traveler’s style cover (with the elastic loops to insert notebooks) that would fit 8.5×11 notebooks?

Your second question was a bit of a stumper. I got some help from our Patrons during our monthly Zoom meet-up. The first suggestion was to reach out to the Curnows for a custom-made cover.

Rustico and Levenger stock some padfolios that might work though they are not specifically designed like a Traveler’s Notebook. The slats designed to hold a legal pad or notebook would work to hold a large notebook.

Another option would be to look on Etsy for “Traveler’s Notebook A4” for other custom made traveler’s style notebook options.

Isabell asked:

Hello, I own a lady sheaffer skripsert fountain pen and would like to know what ink converter goes with it – if there isn’t a converter for it then simply what cartridges fit would be great.

The sad truth of the matter is that Skripserts take a slender Sheaffer converter which is no longer produced. Often, folks at pen shows swill have a converter available for sale but but will sell them for upwards of $30 per converter. They are squeeze-style converters so used or NOS converters might need to be repaired or have sacs replaced which will be an additional cost.

What is often not known is that standard cartridges are still produced by Sheaffer and will fit into Skripserts. Most online and brick-and-mortar shops should have an assortment of these cartridges available for purchase. I save these cartridges and refill them.

I received a tip from one of our Patrons that other converters might be modified (like a standard international converter) by building up the material around the lip of the converter with UV curing glue. If you want more details about modifying or making your own converter with this technique, drop me an email and I will put you in touch with our Patron.

Peter asked:

Hi! Staples has discontinued my favorite legal pads and i’m wondering if you have a recommended replacement. …what I like about them is 1. college ruled 2. thick paper 3. lines are very faint… so far cannot find any other yellow legal pads that meet those three criteria!

Peter, your question was the hardest of the lot. Our Patrons suggested I reach out to some of my favorite Legal Eagles and ask their recommendations. When asked, Gentleman Stationer said, “There are none. Unless you can find bagasse or sugarcane, save yourself the headache and go Rhodia (No. 18 is A4 sized and No. 19 is legal sized, available in white or yellow) or Blackwing I honestly use the Write Notepads letter size memo pads.”

Marla asked our lovely Jesi:

I love your beautiful calligraphy (this comment comes especially from the Monteverde Jungle review, but applies in general)… especially on the Jungle test strips. Is there a special name for that style? Biz work has severely degraded my speed-print/cursive blend and I’d love to be able to write and letter beautifully. I’m sure that I can improve with practice towards a goal.

Jesi taught herself a more refined style of handwriting using books and worksheets by the much-revered Michael Sull. She utilized The Art of Cursive Penmanship particularly but Mr. Sull has produced another books of note; American Cursive and Learning to Write Spencerian Script (available for order via his web site). She uses a dip pen for her swatches with Nikko G ($3,85 for a pack of 3) or vintage Esterbrook dip nibs.

If you have questions for the Desk, use the link at the top of our site to submit them.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this post were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review.And some items in this review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature, Ink Review

Ink Review: Private Reserve Old vs New

Jessica ColesSeptember 16, 2021September 16, 2021Leave a comment

Private Reserve ink has had its share of controversy. I won’t elaborate on past issues in this post but instead, I will show some of the new colors and compare them with the original Private Reserve colors.

Private Reserve inks can clearly be divided into old and new versions. The brand was purchased by YAFA who has updated the line but kept the ink color names. I was curious if these colors stayed true through this change, especially some of the more popular inks. I recently received a bundle of the new PR inks from YAFA for review and this is the first batch: Burgundy Mist, Arabian Rose, Black Cherry, DC Supershow Blue, Tropical Blue, and Naples Blue.

First up is Private Reserve Burgundy Mist. This is the only ink in this batch where I do not have a swatch of the original ink, but I have compared it to other inks to see the color. Burgundy Mist is very close to Mercury Noir with better shading. I did see feathering with Burgundy Mist.

Black Cherry is up next. The new Black Cherry is close to Monteverde Blueberry Muffin. No feathering was present here and the shading is wonderful.

The new Black Cherry ink is a great match for the original Black Cherry but the shading has been enhanced. This is a great change, in my opinion.

Arabian Rose. This ink is the one that worried me – Arabian Rose is one color where I have never found an adequate replacement. ColorVerse Einstein Ring is the best I’ve found

Here’s a comparison between the new and old Arabian Rose inks. I like the new color, but I’m not completely satisfied with the change – the original Arabian Rose had a dusty finish that isn’t present in the new version. New Arabian Rose is darker, contains a bit more blue, and there is a sharper differentiation between the light and dark shades.

Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue was originally made for the DC pen show (supershow). It is a brilliant medium sheening blue that stands out on white paper.

This ink is one that has made a positive change in the move to YAFA. The blue is a touch more brilliant and the sheen has been played down just enough to deal with the smearing problem. I found no smearing in my use of Supershow blue.

Tropical Blue has just a bit more green in the undertone than DC Supershow Blue and is one of my favorite blues ever. The shading makes the color pop in writing.

I believe the old and new Tropical Blue inks are identical although new Tropical Blue has more shading.

Finally, Naples Blue. This is the lightest blue in this batch and seems to be an almost perfect match for Pelikan Edelstein Topaz in writing. It has a hint of red sheen as well.

Again, the base color is a perfect match here but the shading is better.

Here’s a look at the changes in the red/pink inks in this batch:

And a comparison of the blues.

The trend here is that the new Private Reserve colors are very close to their older versions but each one shades more readily or dramatically. So far the change is overwhelmingly positive, but I will mourn the loss of my beloved Arabian Rose ink.

Private Reserve inks have increased slightly in price but are still an amazing deal. Any of the bottles above retail for $15 and are sold in 60mL bottles. That comes in at $0.25/mL, slightly less than the $8 for a 30mL bottle of Diamine. I’m looking forward to seeing more of what YAFA has in store for these inks!

Swatch Cards: Col-o-Ring Cards ($10 for 100 cards)
Inks: Private Reserve (60mL for $15.00)

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature, Link Love

Link Love: For CW

AnaSeptember 15, 2021September 15, 20211 Comment

News dropped this week that CW Pencils would be closing up shop for good by the end of 2021. Caroline Weaver and her devoted team of pencil enthusiasts have been an inspiration to the stationery community. Caroline launched a beloved stationery subscription service, published an amazing book on the history of the pencil and appeared in dozens of publications (“A store that sells pencils?!?!” often being the some variation of the headline). If you ever set foot in CW Pencil Enterprise, Caroline was gracious and knowledgeable and ready to share her enthusiasm with you.

While my heart is breaking that the pandemic has broken yet another small business, I know Caroline is smart, talented and passionate. Whatever she does next will be amazing. Send your best wishes to Caroline and her employees. Next year will be a mix of exciting, bittersweet, scary, and sad for them all and even they will need our support and good wishes.

Links of the Week:

On closing (via CW Pencil Enterprise)

Shop Closing FAQ (via CW Pencil Enterprise)

Pens:

Introducing Susan: the Penquisition Tornado Exclusive Retro 51 Rollerball (via Penquisition)
Vintage Pen Primer, Part V: What About Just Opting for a Vintage Nib? (via The Gentleman Stationer)
Going for gold (via Pens Pencils Plus)
Kaweco Perkeo new flavours (via United Inkdom)

Ink:

Organics Studio Inks Comparison #1 (via Penultimate Dave)
Kobe Fountain Pen Inks 1-9 swatch tests (via FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART)
Ink Review #609: Color Traveler Ninoshima Baumkuchen (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
Ink Review #608: Color Traveler Oyster Silver (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
Birmingham Independence Grey on Tomoe River (via Inkcredible Colours)

Pencils:

Review: U.S.A. Gold Pencil (via Comfortable Shoes Studio)

Notebooks & Paper:

Diary Inserts 2022 and beyond… (via Philofaxy)
Go Girl Budget Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough) (via All About Planners)
Ask TGS: Comparing Popular Paper Sizes (via The Gentleman Stationer)
How to Use the Kokuyo Jibun Techo (via JetPens)
Monk Manual Review (via Original Content Books)
A planner as a pocket notebook (via mnmlscholar)

Other Interesting Things:

A ‘time capsule’ of lost photographs of the Black Panthers, found 50 years later (via Creative Boom)

We need each other. Please support our sponsors and affiliates. Your patronage will let them know you appreciate their support of the pen community. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: TWSBI Swipe in Smoke

Laura CameronSeptember 14, 2021September 15, 20214 Comments

I haven’t gotten a new TWSBI since I got my Eco in Rose Gold, so I decided to check out the new TWSBI Swipe in Smoke ($26.99).

I’ll be honest and say that the last TWSBI release, the GO, just didn’t appeal to me aesthetically speaking. For some reason, the Swipe did.

The TWSBI Swipe is a somewhat traditional cartridge and converter fountain pen. The two new things with the Swipe (at least for me) are the options available and the funky looking spring (that was actually in the GO as well).

The Swipe comes in two just two colors right now: Smoke and Prussian Blue. The nibs are TWSBI steel #4 nibs (same as the GO) and are available in EF, F, M, B and 1.1 stub. I chose an EF and it was the right choice – to me it’s not that fine, but I guess I’m used to my Japanese pens! The body is made of resin. The cap is postable, and it’s a snap cap.

The fun part about the TWSBI Swipe is the ink. My pen came loaded with a spring converter which was super fun to use – I even shot a little video!

But I also got a standard converter and a cartridge that I could have used instead. Though the cartridge looks slightly wider at one end than standard international cartridge, the top end, through which the ink feeds through is definitely standard. Yay for non-proprietary systems!

So how does the Swipe stack up? Compared to the very slightly more expensive ECO (26.99 vs. 32.99) it’s just a smidge lighter (16g vs. 22g) and every so slightly shorter (5 3/8″/13.5cm vs 5 1/2″/14cm). I also put it against some other introductory pens, the Platinum Prefounte and the Pilot Kakuno for comparison, even though it’s not quite apples to apples.

So how did it write? I think it writes fine and it’s another great introductory fountain pen. I think I prefer the style and feel of the Eco slightly better, but that’s definitely a preference, not anything wrong with the Swipe in the least. And I do love that the Swipe gives you so many options for ink delivery.

Paper: Write Notepads Dot Grid Steno ($14)
Pen: TWSBI Swipe in Smoke ($26.99)
Inks:Kala Nostalgia Gemstone series, Star Garnet (30mL for $11.50)

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Paper Review

Paper Review: Kokuyo Perpanep A5 Notebooks

AnaSeptember 13, 2021September 13, 20213 Comments

Kokuyo Perpanep ($14.25 each) is a new line of paper notebooks that take a bit of study to make sense of the line. The Perpanep name, for starters is an anagram of the words “pen” and “paper” which is a bit of a tongue twister to say.

Then, the books come in three ruling options: dot grid, graph and steno style. The dot grid is a smaller-than-usual 4mm spacing, the graph/grid is a traditional 5mm and the Steno (lined paper with a rule down the center of the page) is a wider 6mm though not as wide as US and European “wide-ruled” papers.

All three notebook rulings are printed in a light grey but the 4mm dot grid is the least visible. If you are looking for a very subtle ruling, the 4mm dot grid is a good option, though narrower than most. If you need slightly more visible ruling, the graph/grid is much more visible as is the Steno.

Finally, there are actually three different paper types: Tsuru Tsuru (the smoothest option), Sara Sara (the in-betweeen) and Zara Zara (the toothiest option). Luckily, to save any additional confusion, the Perpanep series is currently only available in A5 so that is one factor you don’t have to consider at this point.

Each notebook in the line features a simple, grey cardstock cover with a cheesecloth binding and comes wrapped in a lightweight cellophane cover to protect the book. Printed in white on the cellophane cover is the symbol associated with the paper texture. Each Perpanep notebook features 120 pages.

When viewed from the edge, the Zara Zara (toothy paper) notebook is a bit thicker than the Sara Sara or Tsuru Tsuru.

Thanks to the overwrap binding, all three notebooks easily lay flat when open and the cardstock covers, while not heaavy will allow the covers to be folded back as well, especially if the cello overwrap is removed.

The Perpanep Tsuru Tsuru

The paper in all three books is a soft white. The Tsuru Tsuru is absolutely the smoothest of the three and reminded me of Rhodia paper though I think the Tsuru Tsuru paper is not as glassy as Rhodia. With Rhodia, I sometimes feel that my pens “get away from me” if the nib or ink is super silky. With the Tsuru Tsuru, I noticed very little resistance as I was writing but I didn’t feel like I was losing control of my tools either. The smoothness would be extremely appealing to anyone who prefers extra-extra fine nibs or fiber (felt) tipped pens as the paper has little friction.

There was little to no show-through or bleed-through with the Tsuru Tsuru paper.

When using broader nibs like a music nib, there was a little squeak or feeling of squeaking when I wrote (think of the squeaky clean feeling after washing your hair… except on paper).

Pencils were difficult on this paper as there was no surface texture for the graphite to grab onto.

I’d recommend the Tsuru Tsuru to anyone who prefers extremely fine tipped pens or felt tip style tools.

The Perpanep Sara Sara

Using the Goldilocks metaphor for this paper, the Perpanep Sara Sara would be the “just right”. The Sara Sara paper is still very smooth but has a bit more texture than the Tsuru Tsuru.

I noticed that the Sara Sara performed particularly well with ballpoint and rollerball (liquid ink) pens. The smooth with just a little texture allowed the roller balls to roll easily, particularly with the extra fine tips that sometimes get fibers trapped in the roller mechanism on toothier paper.

Fountain pens performed extremely well whether the nib was extra fine or extra wide. There was little evidence of bleed- or show-through.

I’d recommend the Sara Sara to just about everyone as the paper seems to accommodate most pens easily. However, if you frequently use roller-style pens like rollerballs or ballpoints (liquid or oil-based inks) then you will be particularly pleased with the Sara Sara.

The Perpnep Zara Zara

While noticeably toothier than the other two paper offerings, the Zara Zara is not nearly as textured as, say, a Col-o-ring card. It is pleasingly textured if you find your pens running away from you.

Again, bleed- and show-through were not an issue.

Because of the texture of the paper, gel pens performed best on this paper as the texture slowed the super-slick, gel ink down just a bit. Pencils also performed particularly well on this paper.

Fountain pens worked well but the toothier texture allowed the ink from wider nibs to settle into the paper a bit more than the other Perpanep papers. With my smaller handwriting, this meant that the counters on some of my letters filled in, more so than on the other papers.

I normally favor toothier stocks as they often help slow down super slick pens but thanks to the availability of the Sara Sara paper, the Zara Zara is best for people who use gel pens or pencils most often. I wish there was a blank paper option of the Zara Zara as I would use it for pencil sketching.

Conclusion:

When I initially saw the wide range of options with the Perpanep notebooks, I was hesitant. If I didn’t choose the right paper or the right ruling, the notebook might just sit. Luckily, all the the papers are good with most everything I threw at them but there was definitely a preference of paper-to-tools with each model of the Kokuyo Perpanep line. While I think you’ll appreciate any of these notebooks, being aable to choose your combination of paper and ruling means it will be a pretty likely you’ll get a notebook you love.

The Tsuru Tsusu is best for extra fine nibs and felt tip pens but not recommended for heavy users of pencils. The Sara Sara is most compatible with a wide range of tools. If you are looking for a notebook that will work with whatever pen or pencil is at hand, then the Sara Sara will work best, especially wider fountain pens. And finally, the Zara Zara is the most textured and will work best with pencils and gel pens but will still accommodate. wide range of tools.

As for the rulings, I like the very light 4mm dot grid — it provided guidance without being distracting or overwhelming lighter ink colors. If 4mm is too small for you, the 5mm graph/grid is the next best option and if you need a little more writing room or really like Steno, then the Steno ruling is excellent.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.