In Link Love

Link Love: Election Hangover

Author AnaPosted on
Link Love: Election Hangover

Regardless of where you live, you probably have an actual or emotional hangover from the US presidential election. As of this post, the results are not conclusive and the results are too close to call. As a result, the stress and strain of this year continues to linger.  The fact that the US election results are so close suggest that the US is very divided politically. This division means many families are disagreeing about politics or can’t even be in the same room.

My wish for the future is to find more things that unite us and to be more understanding when we disagree. We all want security, happiness, good health, and the option for choices in our lives. How we get there is often why we disagree. I want to be optimistic and say that it’s possible to be compassionate and understanding. If we start small… being kind to our neighbors, smiling and saying thank you to anyone who provides a service (delivery drivers, servers, cashiers, etc) and putting our frustration into constructive action (volunteer with an organization that matters to you, donate to charities, write letters to your political leaders or heck, run for office!) we can make the world a better place.

Pen people are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. We argue about modern vs. vintage, different nib styles and grinds, paper types and inks (“Who needs all those colors?!?”) but we can all agree we love pens (or pencils or stationery)… so it’s a start!

Friday is Fountain Pen Day. If nothing else, it gives us a reason to keep going… in the meantime, we have lots of pen and ink reviews, ghost cakes, video recommendations from Modern Daily Knitting, and some shameless self-promotion for both our shop (FYI: more notepads will be available Friday or Saturday. We sold out of our first print run!) and for Laura’s new knitting pattern.

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

Please support our sponsors and affiliates. They help keep this blog going. Without them, we would not have products to review or a server to house our content. Your patronage of their shops, services and products 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!

Ollie under covers

Now, you can go back to hiding under your covers. Ollie approves.

In news

Fountain Pen Day 2020 + Giveaway

Author Laura CameronPosted on 218 Comments
Fountain Pen Day 2020 + Giveaway

Now that Halloween is over we can get down to celebrating the important holidays, namely Fountain Pen Day!

Fountain Pen Day was started in 2012 by Cary (we call him Mr. Fountain Pen Day) and is a celebration taking place on the first Friday in November each year to embrace, promote, and share the use of fountain pens. Basically, if you love fountain pens, Fountain Pen Day is the day to show it!

This year, Fountain Pen Day takes place this Friday, November 6th. There are a number of ways you can celebrate fountain pen day.

  1. USE your pens and inks (and papers, and other stationery tools)!
  2. SHARE your love of pens with your friends. Since we can’t safely recommend getting together in person to celebrate, try hanging out virtually, or share your thoughts and photos of your favorite pens on Instagram with the hashtag #fountainpenday2020 (or look at past years with the hashtag #fountainpenday).
  3. SUPPORT your favorite vendors! This year has been hard for them, and with pen shows still in limbo due to coronavirus, they’d love your business. Stock up on holiday gifts for your loved ones, or treat yourself to something special. And the Fountain Pen Day website has a WHOLE PAGE FULL of participating stores who may even have discounts codes or special offers!
  4. USE the code FPD2020 for free shipping on orders over $25 on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 in the Well-Appointed Desk shop. We’ve never offered free shipping before so don’t miss it! (Fountain Pen Day swag will be added to every order while supplies last. Offer valid in the Big Cartel shop only.)
  5. ENTER the Giveaway below! We’ll draw a winner on Friday, November 6th to celebrate!

THE GIVEAWAY

Mr. Fountain Pen Day sent us a variety of goodies to celebrate the day, and we’ve added some items from The Well-Appointed Desk shop to create a fun package for Fountain Pen Day. You’re entering to win:

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell us how you’re celebrating Fountain Pen Day. 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 midnight CST on Thursday, November 5, 2020. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Friday. 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 7 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 for the purposes of this giveaway. Please see the About page for more details.

In Fountain Pen Review

What’s Up with the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen?

Author AnaPosted on 41 Comments
What’s Up with the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen?

I often recommend the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen to artists, designers, illustrators — anyone who wants to draw with a fountain pen. First, it’s a relatively inexpensive fountain pen — usually under $20. Next, it ships with Platinum Carbon Black ink which is permanent and perfect for mixed media uses. Finally, the tip is very fine, comparable to the creative favorite, the Sakura  Pigma Micron and other of its brethern (the fine fiber-tipped “technical” pens).

Recently, I’ve had trouble finding the classic EF Platinum Carbon Desk Pen through my favorite online retailers. I reached out to a couple contacts and received some conflicting information. On one hand, I was told that Platinum was no longer listing the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen. I looked on the Platinum web site for Japan and it appears that this is the case. The other info I received from the US distributor for Platinum suggested that the pen was still available from some online retailers but they did not clarify if the Carbon Desk Pen was being discontinued, rebranded or anything else.

I let the issue drop for a couple months (pandemic distraction and all) but when I started teaching, I really wanted my students to have access to this pen so my hunt started again.

Platinum Carbon Desk Pen

In my renewed search, I found three variations: the EF, the M and the Desk Pen (no Carbon ink and a snap cap and clip). The EF and M (approx. $15) I got at Wonder Fair and the Desk Pen ($13.41) was purchased on Amazon. All three were sold in blister packs with one cartridge. Previously, I owned a 14K ($24) version from Amazon which I swapped the housing with a friend and cut it down to fit into a pencil case.

Platinum Carbon Desk Pen

Above is a close-up of the nibs to show the difference in the housing and nib shapes. You can see there is a little bit of fiber stuck to the EF nib (something that can happen often because this nib is so fine). Amazingly, the 14K is even finer if you can believe it. Because it’s gold, there is a little give to it but its not flexible.

I have mentioned in the past that the Platinum Carbon Pen is not the prettiest pen in the world. The cap is hideous. The nib and its ability to handle permanent ink well and compete with the technical pens that end up in the trash when the tips wear down or the ink is used up make these worth their weight. And seriously, Sakura Pigma Microns are not going to win any beauty contests so I can look past their ugly. In fact, over time, I have learned to love their weird looks and their funny DEVO caps.

They are definitely function over form. But you can use Carbon Black cartridges or converters and they last so much longer than technical pens. The tips do not wear down and the variety between these styles provide the same range as several of the widths of technical pens.

Platinum Carbon Desk Pen

On different paper, the Carbon ink will be more or less waterproof. I’ve done other waterproof ink tests but Platinum Carbon Black remains my favorite. Either way, it’s clearly water resistant. Depending on how much ink coverage you have, there might be a little transference but for fountain pen ink, it’s the most permanent I’ve found while still being easy to clean out of your pen.

Platinum Carbon Desk Pen

So, while I’m having trouble finding the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen in the usual places, don’t give up. Until I know where Platinum has hidden these, do pen equivalent of crate digging and hunt down some of these gems. They are worth it. And if you know what has happened to them in the Platinum line up, please let me know.

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: This post includes affiliate links and links to items we received for free for review. 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

Alternative Ink Tools: Hits & Misses

Author Jaclyn MyersPosted on 8 Comments
Alternative Ink Tools: Hits & Misses
I’ve been spending a lot of time swabbing inks recently. Maybe it’s because it’s a good creative break from writing my dissertation or because I’ve been inspired by InkyRocks videos about the “ink swamp” or “ink fever” phenomenon in Japan. Maybe it’s because there are some new nib stamps on the block that I can’t stop buying or talking about. Whatever the reason, I have one desk in my office currently designated for all things work, and one desk designated for all things ink. I typically use paintbrushes and glass pens for ink swabs. I consider the paintbrush the “gold standard” of swabbing an ink, but brushes require time and dedication to clean properly between each ink. The same is true of speedball nibs. I love the thick, consistent lines of ink they put down on the page, but they are specifically created to keep ink in the nib as long as possible. So they too, take time and effort to clean. Playing with ink is meant to be fun and relaxing, so I’m not saying speed and efficiency should be prioritized. But when you have minimal time to take breaks, you find creative ways to maximize that time. That “creativity” had me wondering if there were other options I had not previously considered. Spoiler alert: Massive rabbit hole ahead. It started rather simply. I found a foam swab on Amazon typically used for cleaning cameras and other electronics. I have no idea how I landed on the page, but the swabs looked like something I could take on the go to test inks when I couldn’t have a paintbrush with me. Am I going anywhere? Nope. Did that stop me from purchasing 300 of these swabs? Nope. That was a bit of a mistake on my part because these very unelegant swabs somehow create REALLY nice, beautiful ink swabs. The bad news is they are not reusable, which makes them pretty wasteful- especially when you have to purchase a set of 300! Ideally, they would be something I would use sparingly. I set out on a search for a replacement tool that was made of re-useable materials (I could have just gone back to the paintbrush, but what kind of fun would that be?). My search took me to some unexpected corners of the internet. I ended up with a set of cake decorating tools, a set of clay sculpting tools, and metal and silicone makeup spatulas. Because many of these tools came in sets, I got way more than I originally bargained for, but I’m getting ahead of myself here. The first goal was to find a suitable replacement for my newly beloved foam swabs. I tested the plastic square tool from the cake decorating set and the tiny metal makeup spatulas. I also tested the silicone brushes from the clay sculpting set and the tiny purple silicone spatulas. Overall, all of the above tools get the ink onto the paper, but the end result varies a bit from tool to tool. Some show a little more shading than others or shading in a different part of the swab. The major difference between the paintbrush/foam swab and the rest of the tools comes when you are trying to make a straight line. Nothing really comes close to the clean lines of the swab or the brush. However, if you’re going for a more abstract approach, the re-useable tools produce results that are much closer to the brush or swab. The cake decorating and clay sculpting kits also came with tools with ball tips of various sizes. It takes a little bit of practice, but these tools produce lines similar-ish to what you might get from speedball nibs of various sizes. The main difference is that you need to re-dip the tool into the ink every 1-2 letters. The upside is that means they are a breeze to clean. The cake decorating set also came with some other wacky tools, and let’s just say I had some fun with these. Unfortunately, many of the pointy tools that look similar to the tip of a glass pen are not very useable with ink. The ink just doesn’t get transferred to the tip of the tool with enough consistency to produce any kind of normal writing. However, several of the tools here were particularly fun when you applied ink to the page first and then used the tool to spread the ink across the page. This was especially fun when multiple inks were applied to the page at one time. Out of all the tools I used, there are a few that stand out as the tools most likely to get regular use in my ink rotation. The silicone and metal spatulas are probably the most practical. They both suffer from the need to repeatedly re-dip into the ink, but they certainly get the job done. None of the tools replicate a paintbrush or the foam swab perfectly, but the silicone makeup spatulas in particular work in most situations and are tiny, re-useable, and ridiculously easy to clean. Meanwhile, the plastic ball-tipped cake decorating tools will likely become a new favorite way to quickly try new ink on different papers. They need to be dipped for each letter, but that forces me to slow down my handwriting and gives me the opportunity to switch inks if desired. The metal ones produce a similar result (and actually come in a larger variety of sizes), but the plastic ones are much lighter and more natural in the hand. The two tools that surprised me the most and produced the craziest results were two additional cake decorating tools. I used a pipette to put two different inks on the page and used the tool to drag the inks across each other. The results produced some gorgeous colors. The blue curved plastic tool actually produces some really nice character and variation in the lines it creates. I may not have found the perfect reusable solution yet to replace my foam swabs, but I definitely added several new unconventional tools to my ink desk. I think I would call that a successful trip down a rabbit hole. Do you use any unconventional tools to test your inks?

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were purchased with my own funds. This post includes 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, Fountain Pen Review, Pen Review

Pen Review: Stipula Adagio Seaglass

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 5 Comments
Pen Review: Stipula Adagio Seaglass

By Jessica Coles

I recently fell in love at first sight with a pen – the Stipula Adagio and specifically the Seaglass variety. I fell in love with it just from the photo but then I started looking into the details a bit. Stipula, in my mind, is a rather expensive pen manufacturer – one that can charge higher prices because of the brand name rather than charging more for higher quality. I do have to admit, however, that this was an opinion created from looking at their pens rather than trying them out.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the price more in line with the current market once I fell in love with the Adagio. At Dromgoole’s, the pen has a list price of $175 with a discount making the pen $140. But looking at the pen online, there seemed to be a strange bump just above the metal section of the pen. In my mind that bump could be a deal-stopper even with the lower price and amazingly beautiful material. Larry Dromgoole allowed me to borrow one of the pens for a review so I could see if the invasively designed bump was actually bothersome or not.

The pen arrived in a very large box covered in a coordinated sleeve.

A BIG box.

However, the pen looked rather comfortable in the box – a soft bed perhaps.

The first thing that struck me as I picked up the pen was the weight. The Adagio weighs 42g closed and 22g uncapped. I’ve included our Common Pen Weights chart below. The Adagio uncapped is the same weight as a TWSI Eco that is capped and filled with ink. The cap alone of the Adagio is 20g. The cap can be posted (it will fit and stay), but doing so makes it very back-heavy. Don’t post.

Pen Weights

The material is as impressive in-person as it looked online. Swirls of green, turquoise, silver with small inclusions of a rusty orange-brown that look like specks of sand or rock. All trim is chrome and sets off the colors quite well.

I was also surprised when I uncapped the pen. The cap is nearly half the weight of the pen and seems to mainly come from the finial, cap band and clip. The clip has the ability to clip even a jeans pocket and stays tight to any thickness – paper or clothing.

Then came the all-important question about the offensive bump. With my grip, the bump is directly under one of my fingers. Honestly, I never even noticed it. What I did notice, however, was the metal grip. Some individuals don’t mind a metal grip, others won’t use them at all. I personally don’t mind them as long as they aren’t too slippery. The Adagio has a grip that is more to the slippery side and could become a problem. Then I realized the bump kept the section from being a problem for me. It acts a bit as a stop for fingers to prevent slipping too far up the pen. It also acts as a tactile reminder of where my fingers are on the pen. Hard to explain but I didn’t mind the bump – rather the section was the thing that could be a deal stopper.

Sorry for all the tiny particles on the pen. Too many animals in the house make it impossible to get rid of it all. The barrel is actually smooth and not dusty. I was surprised at the opacity of the silver vein through the material but it makes the depth of the material much more apparent. So once again, Stipula’s decision is better than the one I would have made!

The cap band is one I would only expect on a much more expensive pen. The engraving makes the band look almost liked aged silver.

The Adagio is a piston filler, controlled by the metal back finial – again I was surprised at the feeling of quality to the piston – very smooth.

Holding up the pen to the light, the material is translucent – you can see the ink level through the barrel. When the pen isn’t backlit, however, the material is very hard to see through.

I had a bit of confusion at the end of the first day using the pen. I was turning off the lights in my office and noticed something glowing a bit on my desk. It wasn’t an after-image of anything – the pen glows very faintly in the dark! Not much, but enough to be noticed and make you think you are seeing things at first. Or at least that’s what I thought.

Size-wise, the Adagio capped is about as long as a Diplomat Aero or Lamy 2000. Uncapped, it is noticeably shorter. The section is comparable to the Aero as well although the Aeros that I own each have a matte coating to the section.

The Adagio that i used has a medium steel nib but it can be upgraded to a gold or even titanium nib (Stipula is known for their titanium flex nib). The steel nib was very pleasant to use, though. Smooth writing, no skipping and no adjustment was needed. I did notice that the pen had a tendency to dry out more quickly than most of my other pens. Now, I do live in an incredibly dry location, so it may not be as evident to others. However, the Adagio does lack a good seal when capped.

Overall the Stipula was a surprising pen. The features I thought would bother me actually helped. The pen materials and weight were very surprising. The overall quality of the pen was much higher than I expected. The Seagreen material surprised me several times (it GLOWS in the dark!). I think the Adagio is an amazing deal for the price being charged and the pen could actually be priced well over $200 but I’m very glad it isn’t! This is one pen I’m going to need to purchase for myself!

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: The item in this review was provided on loan for the purposes of this review by Dromgoole’s. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Visual Wonderland

Author AnaPosted on
Link Love: Visual Wonderland

This week, Link Love is so full visuals that I urge you to click on the links just to see the photos, illustrations and graphics. I promise you it will be worth it. The images below are just a taste of the amazing things you’ll see if you CLICK through. It’s from the Creative Boom’s post about an uplifting campaign in US cities utilizing positive slogans to help motivate people through this tough time.

There’s also a great “VOTE” TIME Magazine cover by Shepherd Fairey, a gorgeous new book filled with fantastic portraits of Black children, a 20-second teaser video for the new Anderson Pens Retro51, a Wes Anderson-inspired book of places to visit (someday) and pictures of lots of delicious ink (including a shot from Pen Addict of one of our custom nib rubber stamps!)

Enjoy the eye candy and if you have a theory about the Pocket Pen theme this week, let me know in the comments.

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Vote:

Other Interesting Things:

Please support our sponsors and affiliates. They help keep this blog going. Without them, we would not have products to review or a server to house our content. Your patronage of their shops, services and products 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!

DISCLAIMER: This post includes 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 link

Sponsored Post: Kickstarter ēnsso Aria, Minimalist metal pen for the BIC ballpoint refill.

Author Laura CameronPosted on
Sponsored Post: Kickstarter ēnsso Aria, Minimalist metal pen for the BIC ballpoint refill.

The ubiquitous BIC ballpoint. We all have one, or have used one. Did you know approximately 60 BIC pens are sold every second. Its success relies on its affordable price point, reliable ink refill, and worldwide availability.

ēnsso was intrigued by the BIC pen and set about designing a premium, yet affordable pen that accepts all classic BIC refills- a pen that could serve a lifetime. The result is ARIA, their latest Kickstarter campaign. Aria has a streamlined design based on ergonomics, which is perfectly balanced for the most comfortable writing experience. The barrel also features integrated threads to securely close and post the cap while writing.

ARIA is machined from solid bars of space-grade (6061-T6511) aluminum and natural brass. The lightweight aluminum version is anodized in matte black for an understated and elegant aesthetic. The brass edition is heavier and offers a more tactile experience. The brass is left uncoated and will develop a patina over time. Such patina is appreciated by collectors but can easily be removed with any brass-cleaning product for a new and shiny appearance.

The ARIA design process took over a year to perfect and it is manufactured in California using state-of-the-art machinery with the best raw materials. ēnsso’s mission is to deliver a writing instrument to be used for many years with the highest quality and elegant design.

ARIA is available on Kickstarter for $29 (50% discount compared to future retail price).

TECHNICAL SPECS

• Closed length: 150 mm / 5.90″
• Open length: 145 mm / 5.67″
• Posted length: 159 mm / 6.25″
• Diameter: 10 mm
• Aluminum pen weight: 23.5 g / 0.85 oz
• Brass pen weight: 69.5 g / 2.45 oz

The Kickstarter campaign has 22 days left and has already met its goal!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. For more information, please see our About Us page.