The Well-Appointed Desk

A Very Special Giveaway

AnaApril 23, 2020April 29, 202099 Comments

Today is a very special day. It’s Jesi’s birthday. Jesi is not only a pillar of the pen community but one of my best friends. In this time of sheltering-at-home and COVID-19 and whatnot, we will not get to celebrate her birthday in our usual way: drinking too much and eating cake (often provided by unsuspecting friends) at a pen show.

So, I have decided to enlist the help of you, lovely readers, to celebrate Jesi. You too, will get a gift. Well, one of you will in the form of ONE $50 gift certificate from our good friends at JetPens. So, here is what you have to do.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and wish Jesi a happy birthday, tell a story about Jesi, tell my why you think she’s awesome or otherwise wax poetic about her. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the monkeys some time.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Monday, April 27, 2020. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Tuesday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Winners are subject to all restrictions and shipping limitations in Jet Pens shipping information section.

In news

Giveaway Winner: Pokka Pens

AnaApril 22, 2020April 22, 20201 Comment

Thanks to everyone who entered our Pokka Pens giveaway and wrote in their favorite places to order take-out or delivery. If I were to tally it up properly, it appears that Chinese food and pizza topped the list. It’s a similar list for us here too. Our favorite take-out Chinese place has been closed due to the pandemic but recently re-opened to much fanfare. We have also ordered pizza a couple times. There’s a great Middle Eastern shop we like to order from but it appears they’ve closed. Their hummus was the best. Then there’s the Korean bibimbap shop…. great, now I’m hungry.

On to our winner:

Congrats to Sean. I’ve contacted Sean directly to ship the Pokka Pens and look forward to our next giveaway. Thanks for reading!

In Link Love

Link Love: (Week Five Quarantine) Making All The Things

AnaApril 22, 2020April 22, 2020Leave a comment

There are some weeks when writing the introduction for Link Love is a challenge because I have no idea what to write and other weeks when I have too many ideas in my head and I can’t figure out what to focus on. This week is a too-many-ideas week so pardon me if I prattle on for a bit.First, I couldn’t choose what to pick for the Link of the Week. I ended up with two but it could easily have been six. I feel a mix of admiration and kinship with Annie Atkins. Her name is a mix of my name and my husband’s: if I had been a traditionalist, I could have become Ana Atkins. Annie has the job of my dreams (If you’re hiring, Annie, I am currently available!). I had even been thinking about doing a project like what she created. She did it differently than what I had in my head but, of course, hers is spectacular.

Annie Atkins Cheerful COVID-19 Posters — Cheerful posters featuring “virus slogans” by Dublin-based designer Annie Atkins from her Instagram

I also chose Inkpothesis’s post about doodles and notes in this time of frustration. Jaclyn has such an amazing ability to capture in both beautiful images and words a particular situation that I feel like she crosses it off everyone else’s list. “I don’t have to do that now because Jaclyn did it so thoroughly and completely I have nothing to add.”

I might have also included Crónicas Estilográficas’s post about 10 Years of blogging, as I too, am approaching a similar anniversary. I feel honored to be in such excellent company.

There are also wonderful posts about artists working from home, a designer’s bullet journal, and Studio Ghibli backgrounds for your next Zoom meeting (I took full advantage of these for my last virtual Knit Night). It wouldn’t be a “good week” without a Star Wars link so things are looking up.

And all this sheltering-at-home has me (and a lot of other people) picking up knitting needles again so there’s a whole section for knitting this week. Have you re-embraced a craft or hobby in the last few weeks? What are you working on?

Ink Review: Kobe #50, Legend Blue

Laura CameronApril 21, 2020April 21, 2020Leave a comment

Review by Laura Cameron

As you might guess, after my last ink review, I picked up a few more blues to try. Today’s blue ink is Kobe #50, also known as Legend Blue (50mL for $30).

When I started writing with Legend Blue, it appeared bright blue and brilliant, much like the Monteverde Horizon Blue I reviewed a few weeks ago. However, upon drying, I noticed that Legend Blue was a bit dustier and not quite as bright. As it turns out, Legend Blue is much closer to my Diamine 150th Anniversary Blue Velvet in terms of tone and intensity.

Kobe inks write beautifully, and this one was no exception. There is definitely some nice shading going on, but I don’t see much sheen, even in the darkest applications on my Tomoe River paper.

I like this one, but I think it might be a little lighter than what I’m looking for – I really want those brilliant blue notes!

Papers: Crossfield Journal ($24.00)
Pen: Delike Glass Signature Pen ($37.80)
Swatches: Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
Inks: Kobe #50, Legend Blue (50mL for $30)

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 Pen Review

Pen Review: Muji 0.25mm Needlepoint Gel Pens

AnaApril 20, 2020April 20, 20204 Comments

Muji, as a brand, is known for being “brandless”. They create simple, utilitarian products that do not have any outward branding on the items. The stationery products that Muji creates are no different, including the Muji 0.25mm gel pens (approx. $2.50 each) that I picked up in New York oh-so-long-ago with Myke and Brad on our 2018 world tour (details here).

The pens are hexagonal with a soft touch feel. Not rubbery per se but a very matte feeling. The entire pen barrel matched the ink color contained within and the cap is clear with a colored dot on top printed with the point size. This is the only permanent information on the pens.

The bar code info stickers on the pens can be removed making these pens the brandless bits of Muji perfection they are meant to be (see top photo for the stickerless pens). Without the stickers, these pens make my designer heart swoon with their clean lines and simplicity.

Since these gel pens are the micro 0.25mm tips, they have a needlepoint tip.

The caps snap into place with a quiet click, probably thanks to the soft-touch surface. They write super smooth and the fine, fine 0.25mm means I can write like the mouse I am.

Since I tend to doodle and draw on anything and everything, I thought I’d also test how waterproof these gel inks were, on the off-hand chance I decided to add marker or watercolor. They are water resistant, but not waterproof. In other words, if you were to drip condensation from a beverage, your writing wouldn’t be lost but it would smear a little.

One last test was to see how the Muji Gel Pens performed on Col-o-ring cards which are a bit more toothy than the Rhodia paper I normally use for pen reviews. Since, like I mentioned, I like to use gel pens for drawing and Col-o-ring cards are similar in texture and weight to some drawing papers. The pens worked great on the cards. They skate along smoothly on the Col-o-ring paper though any paper with tooth may cause a rollerball to pick up stray paper fibers over time so you might need a scrap of smooth paper to restart them if they get choked.

I went ahead and wet this sample too, just to see if the results were better or worse on a thicker stock. I think there was more evidence of ink bleed on the Col-o-ring paper but the writing remained so I would still say the ink is water resistant but not waterproof.

Overall though, next to the the Uni-ball Sign RT and Needlepoint, these are probably my favorite gel pens. Sadly, this particular model is not available on the Muji website but if you are in a city that has a Muji store, I highly recommend making the effort to go and pick some of these or any of their pens up.

Tools:

Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 16 with 6mm guide sheet and Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10)
Pens: Muji 0.25mm Gel Pens ($2.50 each)

In Ink Review

Ink Review: DeAtramentis Artist Green, Brown, Black

AnaApril 17, 2020April 15, 20205 Comments

Review by Tina Koyama

It may seem like fountain pen inks come in a bazillion colors, and they do – but the vast majority are water-soluble. Finding a range of ink colors that are also solidly waterproof isn’t as easy. Some may say they are waterproof and may be sufficiently water-resistant for addressing an envelope, but if watercolors or other wet media were applied over them, they could smear. Of the ones I’ve tried, DeAtramentis offers the widest range of hues that are also sufficiently waterproof for use as an art medium.

I suppose that’s why the German ink maker’s latest line of waterproof inks is called DeAtramentis Artist. I’m not sure how different its formula is from the DeAtramentis Document line, which is also waterproof, but at least on Vanness Pen Shop’s website, the Artist inks are described as being lightfast as well as waterproof. Available in eight colors, “All inks of this group are mixable with each other. The inks can be painted and written with fountain pen, brush and quill pen.” (Awhile back, I reviewed DeAtramentis Document inks in Fog Grey, Dark Red and White.)

1 - pens and swatches

For this review, I tried the Artist inks in Green, Brown and Black. Green is on the slightly cool side tending toward emerald. Brown is a rich chocolate that is neither orangey nor grayish. Black is neutral, although in the brush swatch, it’s a bit on the warm side. (I had a chance to sample the inks on some Col-o-Ring Dippers!)

2 - Dippers and samples

These inks do not show fancy features like sheening or shading, but they would be excellent for addressing envelopes or writing in a journal when you might be apt to spill a beverage on it. They are also ideal for sketching with wet media, which is my primary interest with these inks.

After making my usual swatches on Col-o-Ring cards with various fountain pens and a brush, I gave them a good hour or two of drying time. Then I swiped them with a waterbrush. Even the thick brush swatches barely show traces of bleeding (right side of cards).

3 - DeAtramentis Artist inks -cards

My long-time favorite black waterproof ink for sketching is Platinum Carbon Black, which I have used for years because it dries very quickly and then becomes as waterproof as I need it to be with wet media. I decided to put it head-to-head with Black DeAtramentis Artist. Since I had sampled the DeAtramentis with my juicy Franklin-Christoph fude nib, I used an equally juicy Sailor Naginata fude nib for the Platinum ink.

4 - DeAtramentis and Platinum Carbon test

I typically draw with ink and then apply wet media immediately afterwards, and I don’t like to be kept waiting. For this test, I waited only one minute before putting my waterbrush through the lines (right side of scribbles). As you can see, whether I wait a minute or an hour (on the left), the very minor solubility is negligible. DeAtramentis Artist is just as waterproof as Platinum Carbon and dries just as quickly. The bonus is that DeAtramentis is available in a much wider range of colors.

Convinced that the ink wouldn’t bleed all over my sketch, I stood on our upstairs deck to sketch the fully blossomed cherry tree across the street. As soon as I made the ink lines, I colored the blossoms with water-soluble Caran d’Ache Supracolor pencils. Then I spritzed it generously with water to activate the color. I see no trace of bleeding from the ink.

I know that waterproof DeAtramentis inks are popular with many sketchers, and I can see why. The collection offers fast-drying, fully waterproof inks in more colors than I’ve seen elsewhere.

TOOLS

Sketchbook: Stillman & Birn Beta ($17.99)
Pens: Pilot Prera (M nib) ($32.50), Pilot Metropolitan (M nib) ($19.50), Franklin-Christoph 20 Marietta (fude nib) ($165 + $55 for nib), Sailor 1911 full size (Naginata Fude de Mannen nib) ($450)
Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) and Col-o-Ring “Dipper” ($5)
Brush: Winsor & Newton pointed round 4 ($13.04)
Inks: DeAtramentis Artist Brown, Green, Black ($19.95 each)

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

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

In Pen Review

Pen Review: Pokka Pen (and Giveaway)

AnaApril 16, 2020April 23, 202066 Comments

When I first saw Pokka Pens (3-pack for $8.45), I was in the throes of fountain pen mania and I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why anyone would want a slightly plussed-up ballpoint pen. Then the world turned itself on its head and the idea of not touching the delivery driver’s questionably clean Bic Stic became the source of many sleepless nights. Going forward in this new world, I think having my own pen to sign receipts will be of paramount peace-of-mind. Enter, the Pokka Pen.

The Pokka Pen is designed to click and close into its own cap. This makes it very portable and very unlikely to leak. When I had initially seen photos of the Pokka Pens, I thought the material would be a softer, less rigid plastic. I was wrong. The Pokka Pens feel sturdy, albeit hollow plastic, that will withstand being cleaned with Clorox Wipes.

Closed, the Pokka Pen measure 3.25″ long. Open and posted, the Pokka Pen measure 5.5″ which is similar in length to the Field Notes Click Pen shipped with subscriptions. Rubber gaskets help to seal the pen open and closed.

Pokka Pens can even be refilled or plussed up with a clip. Refills can be purchased directly from Pokka Pen and clips can be purchased from Gentleman Stationer or directly from Pokka Pens.

My model demonstrates how the Pokka Pen fits into the pocket of a pair of jeans. Thanks, Model Husband!

In writing, the Pokka Pen performs surprisingly well. That’s saying something from a lefty with a general dislike for ballpoint pens. It writes smoothly, with a fine point. While I would be unlikely to write a novel with the Pokka Pen, for jotting a quick note, signing a receipt or logging my mileage, the pen performs admirably.

~~THE GIVEAWAY: We are giving away one set of three (3) Pokka Pens, winner’s choice: choose any three from the 3 orange, 3 black and 1 yellow available. They will be shipped in the original packaging.~~

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me your favorite place to order take-out or delivery. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Wednesday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

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

Link(s) of the Week:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Design & Typography:

Knitting:

Other Interesting Things (to Entertain, Distract and Inform):

Tools:

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