In Link Love

Link Love: The Sad News Edition

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments

This week has been full of stationery melancholy following a stream of news from around the community.

CW Pencils Sidewalk Sale

First, CW Pencils held a sidewalk sale over the weekend as a final farewell to their brick and mortar days. The website is still up so if there was ever a pencil you wanted, now is the time to buy. Items are selling out fast.

Papier Plume ink recall

Then, I received an email from Patrick at Papier Plume informing me that there was an issue with some of their inks. He was able to quickly identify which inks have issues and when they were produced and is offering to replace any bottles. This will be a sizable expense for a small business and I worry how much of a burden this will be to Papier Plume’s finances. Most small businesses have little expendable income. Please, if you have a bottle of this ink you would like replaced, try to pool your request with friends to cut down on the shipping charges (especially since we have entered the USPS’s increased shipping rate season). If you can wait, find out if Papier Plume will be attending a pen show near you soon and exchange your ink then — and also make a new purchase or two.

Next, a blog post from Pencil Talk appeared letting the stationery community know that long-time pencil blog Contrapuntalism created by Sean Malone is gone.

NockCo email

Finally, I received an email on Monday that NockCo was closing. While I know that Brad has many other projects in the works, the products developed at NockCo created a new category of pen and stationery cases that other makers will continue to refine and develop. So, while NockCo will no longer exist as a business entity, the influence that they had on the stationery community will live on.

On the heels of hearing that these stationery businesses are closing or are dealing with product difficulties, I am more committed than ever to try to save the ones we have left. If you believe in these businesses and shops like them, please continue to support them. (Side note: Jeff Bezos does not need anymore of your money.)

And, now for our regularly scheduled Link Love….

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Other Interesting Things:

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 Paper Review

Paper Review: Kokuyo Campus A5 Biz Loose Leaf

Author Laura CameronPosted on 4 Comments

For many of us, dated planners and bound notebooks are just a bit too rigid for our purposes. So if you’re someone who likes to start with blank (or lined?) pages and rearrange them as you wish, then this review is for you. Today I’m going to talk about Kokuyo Campus A5 Biz Loose Leaf paper ($5 for 120 sheets).

This paper fits the Kokuyo A5 Campus Binder ($12) and likely a variety of other A5 binders with its 20 hole format. I didn’t purchase a binder, however; I just review the loose leaf paper.

The paper is white and 70gsm so it feels sturdier than the ultra-thin Tomoe River paper. It comes in either grid or dotted lines (6mm ruled and 30 lines per page), which is actually a solid line, with tiny dots, allowing you to use it as regular lined paper OR a bit like dot grid.

I tried a variety of fountain pen inks, gel pens, pencils, rollerballs and fine liners and this paper is great! Check out that ink swatch I did with Q-tip and how NOTHING feathered or bled through. I could easily use the backs of each page, which is normally my complaint about most papers – the ghosting that makes it difficult for front and back use.

I haven’t tried too many other Kokuyo paper products, but I have to say I’m really impressed and it’s notebook paper at a really great price point!

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

In feature

Pencil Zines

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment

Pencil Revolution

Of course, people who love analog tools would find a way to use analog channels to tell their stories. In the past, I’ve mentioned Plumbago and the Pen Post but today, I have two more pencil zines that landed in my inbox this week. Johnny Gamber of Pencil Revolution has taken his love of pencils and analog medium one step further and has been producing not just the Pencil Revolution zine for the past several months but several other publications as well.

Johnny’s Pen Post and Pencil Revolution Zine (issues start at $5) will be of most interest to the readers here. Both publications are a delight and remind me why I love zines and other paper ephemera.

Pencil of the Week

Pencil of the Week (prices start at $1 per issue with special editions ranging in price up to $5) is a hand written zine that features a lengthy review of a pencil in each issue. Issue 15 and 15.5  were an extra special “double issue”. Issue 15 is a classic pencil review about the Staedtler Norica HB and 15.5 features our own Tina Koyama‘s artwork on the cover (hand colored by Tina!) and filled with reviews of our ever-loving Red/Blue pencils. Wait until you read which pencil is rated number one! (I said that to increase you excitement… did it work?)

I’m delighted with the influx of new zine publications. There are lots of other zines available these days on all sorts of topics from poetry and music to sports and mental health.  Zines are a great way to spend an afternoon and helps to support these creative labors of love.

Have you ever created a zine? Would you? What would it be about?

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Pebble Stationery Co. Antartica Edition

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments
Notebook Review: Pebble Stationery Co. Antartica Edition

Review by Tina Koyama

A few years back, Pebble Stationery came out with the Australian company’s first limited Glacier Edition pocket-size notebook. Its latest limited edition has the same icy theme: The Antartica Edition (two notebooks for US $12.99). 

2 - Antartica front cover

I was surprised to see yet another chilly design, but no less delighted. Containing Tomoe River paper, Antartica “features a glistening white cover to represent the light reflected on the continent’s icy surface.” The worst thing about this lovely notebook is trying to photograph its shimmering cover, holographic gilding and spot foil! Please forgive me for not capturing its full beauty, but I grabbed a sunny day on our deck and did my best. It’s one of those notebooks that you have to see with your own eyes in bright light to fully appreciate.

3 - Antartica back cover

4 - Antartica back cover

5 - Antartica silver gilding

The 3½ -by-5½ inch notebook contains 80 pages of 52 gsm Tomoe River paper printed with a pale gray, 4mm dot grid ruling. The light blue thread that binds the notebook matches the inside covers. Hardest to photograph is the holographic silver ink used on the subtle cover branding, the map of the continent on the back cover (including a tiny penguin and whale), and gilt edges rarely seen in softcover notebooks. Antartica and Glacier are a lovely complementary pair with the same understated elegance and subtle shimmer.

6 - Antartica bellyband

8 - Antartica inside front cover

7 - Antartica inside back cover

Many readers of the Desk are probably familiar with Tomoe River’s performance with fountain pen ink. Although it is amazingly thin, the paper resists feathering and bleeding, even with the juiciest nibs. When I asked, I was assured that the paper is the original Tomoe River that we know and love. I made a test sketch with my favorite fire hose, the Sailor 1911 with a Naginata Fude de Mannen nib filled with Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo ink. I also scribbled with a variety of pens and even pencils. 

9 - Antartica scribble tests

10 - crab claw sketch

As expected for such thin, translucent paper, the reverse sides show ghosting but only bare traces of bleeding where ink was applied heavily. 

11 - scribbles reverse side

12 - sketch reverse side

It’s a gorgeous pocket notebook and a welcome addition to the growing but still small selection of small notebooks containing Tomoe River. (I was going to refrain from mentioning this, but I make my bread and butter catching typos: I wish Pebble had paid as much attention to proofreading as they did on all the beautiful details this notebook exhibits.) 

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

tina-koyamaTina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: IWI Colors of Nature Part 1

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 2 Comments
Ink Review: IWI Colors of Nature Part 1

The most recent ink line in my collection is the IWI Colors of Nature line. The line includes 24 colors so I will be presenting the collection in parts – today I’ll be covering 8 of the 24. At the end of this post, I’ll examine the feathering issue I’ve seen with the collection. I purchased my samples of IWI Colors of Nature inks at Vanness: each ink is $12 for a 30mL bottle or $2.60 for a 4mL sample.

I’ve divided up the Colors of Nature inks into various themes. The first is the Beginning of Seasons starting with the Beginning of Spring.

Beginning of Spring is a very bright yellow-green, a bit lighter than Ferris Wheel Press Fizzy Lime. Beginning of Summer (below) is a classic green with a touch of blue undertones.

 

Beginning of Autumn is a medium orange while Beginning of Winter is a classic blue-black.

The four Beginning of Seasons group is a bright collection and, I think, represents the seasons very well.

The four Beginnings inks on Cosmo Air Light paper:

The four Beginnings inks on Tomoe River paper:

I have tried to show a brief comparison between Tomoe River paper (left) and Cosmo Air Light paper (right).

The second set of Colors of Nature inks is the Divisions of the Year set. This includes Spring and Autumnal Equinox inks and Summer and Winter Solstice inks.

Spring Equinox is a beautiful multi-chromatic ink that looks like Sailor Manyo Sakura. However, this ink feathered terribly on the Col-o-ring cards. I will examine this issue in detail at the end of my post.

Summer Solstice is a bright red with a hint of blue undertones.

Autumnal Equinox was my favorite ink of these 8 inks. It is a dark golden brown and one of the few inks where I did not notice feathering.

Winter Solstice is a pleasantly shading dark gray ink. This ink did not show the feathering issues.

The Divisions of the Year inks all together:

The Divisions of the Year set on Cosmo Air Light paper:

The Divisions of the Year set on Tomoe River paper:

 

The Divisions of the Year inks on Cosmo Air Light paper (left) and Tomoe River paper (right):

 

Now to talk about the feathering issue with the IWI inks. The first swatch I created started showing serious feathering immediately. This is seen not only in lettering but also the swatch on the right.

When I used the same dip pen to write on Cosmo Air Light paper, you can still see feathering:

However, again with the same dip pen, when I wrote on Tomoe River paper, I found no feathering at all.

The IWI inks are watery and thin formulations – they remind me of writing with Papier Plume inks (especially those in the standard line). I believe this is the main reason behind the feathering. In future posts on the IWI inks, I will bring this up again after testing a few fixes. Make sure you read Part 2 next Thursday!

 

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were purchased by me and I was not compensated to write this review. Please see the About page for more details.

 

 

In Link Love

Link Love: Beyond Tired

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Link Love: Beyond Tired

Since returning from Indianapolis last week, I have been filling in at the college where I taught last year. I did this substitute teaching ON TOP OF working my day job. The class meets twice a week from 6-9pm. Yes, design classes meet for THREE HOURS and are still meeting largely on Zoom. As an introvert, to say that working a 12-hour day AND keeping up with my side hustles has made me exhausted would be an understatement.

I don’t think I’ve been this tired since…ever.

When do you (or should I) say enough is enough and dive under the covers and sleep for a week?

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

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!

(If you’re curious, the “Not Today Satan” print was created and printed at Skylab Letterpress and available on our shop)

In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: Platinum Procyon Maki-e, Brush Warbler on Plum Tree

Author Laura CameronPosted on 1 Comment

As Ana noted yesterday, there are many reasons we collect pens. Sometimes I’m attracted to a pen because I love how it feels in my hand, or the way the nib writes. Sometimes I’m attracted because it’s just gosh darn pretty.

Several weeks ago I spied the Platinum Procyon Maki-e, Brush Warbler on Plum Tree ($140) and thought gosh that’s a pretty pen. I have a Platinum 3776 in Chartres Blue and I really like it, so I thought I’d give this one a try.

When it arrived I wasn’t disappointed. It’s gorgeous! From the Jetpens site I learned that maki-e is a combination of the words “sprinkle” and “paint.” In this case it refers to lacquering a surface with detailed images and metallic powders. This Procyon has a black aluminum body, which sets off the plum blossoms and the warbler to perfect. The hardware is all silver-colored (as is the metal clip) and the pen has a stainless steel nib available in a size F or M. I ordered the fine.

The pen itself arrives without a converter, but with a cartridge. The one slight downside to purchasing a Platinum is that they have proprietary cartridges and converters. I wasn’t stymied though – I simply borrowed the converted from my 3776 (currently un-inked) and I was ready to go! I chose Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji, not because I wanted to mix brands, but because today is an overcast rainy fall day and I’m eagerly anticipating those autumn leaves.

The Procyon did not disappoint! I filled it up and it wrote perfectly right out of the box. The nib is firm, but smooth and was a pleasure to write with. One of the features I’m most eager to put to the test is Platinum’s patented slip and seal cap. The cap, which is screwed on, is designed to keep your nib from drying out for up to a year! I was only able to test it for a few days before this review, but I’m looking forward to using a pen that never goes dry (at least as long as there’s still ink in it.)

I did do a quick comparison photo to my 3776 even though the pens are quite different. The Procyon is approximately 4 5/8″ (12cm) long uncapped, and capped it measures 5 1/2″ (14cm). Because of the aluminum body it is a little heavier, it comes in around 28g when filled with ink and capped.

Overall this is just a really pretty pen. It’s not the most expensive pen I own, but I think it’s a really nice offering for someone who is looking for something in the $125-150 range. It’s elegant (hello Black Pen Society!) with some gorgeous artwork. Though the art is traditionally Japanese, this pen still feels modern to me. I really think I’m going to enjoy this one!

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.