In feature, Ink Review

Ink Review: Sailor Manyo, Anniversary Set

Author Jessica ColesPosted on Leave a comment
Ink Review: Sailor Manyo, Anniversary Set

There’s a new release from Sailor Manyo inks – a 5th Anniversary limited edition! I find it hard to believe that nearly five years has passed since I reviewed the first round of Sailor Manyo inks. Since that time, Sailor has added to the Manyo lineup with a second full round and four dual shading inks (these dual shaders also come in a mini size!) and I have yet to resist a single bottle of these inks. A big thank you to the Dromgoole’s for sending these to the Well Appointed Desk team for review!

The newest additions to the Manyo line are Tsuyu, Ishi, Yu, Himeyuri, and Asagiri – each ink comes in a 50mL heavy glass bottle with a newly designed label for the 5th anniversary.

The five colors in this release contain a different theme. Previous releases covered a variety of flower and plant names – this group covers a nature-related theme.

First up is Tsuyu (Dew). A solid blue-black ink that has a slight green undertone.

Sailor Shimoyu is a bit greyer than Tsuyu and a bit lighter than Akkerman Party in the Back.

On Cosmo Air Light paper I was able to get a gorgeous green sheen.

Sailor Manyo Yu (Sunset) is my favorite of this bunch, an orange-y rust with great shading.

I didn’t realize how much orange was in Yu until I compared it with other swatches – Monteverde Copper Noir is a close match but Yu brings better shading.

Yu has a nice black halo/sheen on Midori MD paper.

On Cosmo Air Light paper, Yu’s halo/sheen seems more silvery with a base color that shows more orange.

Ishi (pebble) is the next ink – when I first heard the name I thought of the Japanese word for one, but I looked it up – it’s actually ichi. Close!

Ishi is a dusty mint green, only a bit darker than Vinta Karnival Summer Green – perfect for summer writing. I would probably say it’s a spearmint green.

Ishi doesn’t show much of a sheen or halo except in heavy puddles. On Midori MD is shows a bit of a reddish-black halo.

The lightest ink of this release is Asagiri (Morning Fog) – a pink with a hint of orange. I can imagine the color as the rising sun hits the fog first thing in the morning.

Asagiri isn’t quite as orange as Robert Oster Sushi – a bit closer to Rohrer & Klingner Fernambuk.

Midori MD paper brought out a beautiful gold sheen on Asagiri, although it does need a bit of a heavier application to achieve it. Wonderful shading as well.

The final ink in the 5th Anniversary release is Himeyuri (Star Lily). This is a bright orange that isn’t so bright it will be tough on the eyes.

Diamine Inkvent Flame from the 2022 calendar is a good match for Himeyuri.

I was able to get a hint of silvery haloing on the heavier applications of Himeyuri. Again, wonderful shading.

The 5th Anniversary inks on Midori MD paper:

The 5th Anniversary inks on Cosmo Air Light paper:

The 5th Anniversary inks on Tomoe River 52gsm paper:

Sailor hasn’t raised the price on their Manyo line since introducing them five years ago – they are still offered at $24 for a 50mL bottle which comes out to less than $0.50 per mL (an amazing price for Sailor inks). The 5th Anniversary line is a limited edition but there has been no indication of how long they will be around.

While I do enjoy all five colors, Yu definitely wins in my eyes. Which of these inks is your favorite?

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

In Link Love

Link Love: Astronomical Wonders

Author AnaPosted on 7 Comments
Link Love: Astronomical Wonders

This week we travel from the Chicago Peh Show all the way to the stars. Is it just me or has this year been particularly stellar, astronomically speaking? I know some people tink between the eclipse and the auroras, we are about to see the end of times but, to me, being able to see these phenomenon (if only through photos) feels magical and amazing. It reminds me to see all the wonders in the world big and small. May you find a little wonder this week too!

Pen Show Recaps:

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Ink:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

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In Paper Review

Sticky Note Day: Midori “Pickable” Sticky Notes

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Sticky Note Day: Midori “Pickable” Sticky Notes

Have you ever wondered about the Midori “Pickable” Sticky Note packs ($6.75 each)? They include three different paper stocks: white paper with a colored edging, kraft paper and a translucent colored paper stock. All three papers are in one booklet giving the users the option to choose or “pick” what sticky note to use on the fly instead of carrying three separate pads.

Oops, I stuck the pad of sticky notes back into the package sideways!

The packaging includes little drawings on the front showing how each section opens completely to easily remove a sticky note as needed and the back illustration includes text describing the paper: Fine Paper, Kraft Paper, and Tracing Paper. The text below the illustration indicates the number of sheets of each paper: 30 sheets of the Fine Paper, and 20 sheets each of Kraft and Tracing Paper.

In writing tests, the Fine Paper worked with all the different types of pens and pencil equally well. For a sticky note, I’d give the Fine Paper notes a 10 out of 10 as far as sticky notes go. Lovely!

The Kraft Paper worked best with felt tip, gel pens, rollerballs and pencils. The fountain pen ink beads up as did the Faber-Castell PITT brush ink and the water soluble Pentel Brush pens. I really like the look and feel of the kraft notes but the pens that work well with it is a bit limited and should be used with a bit of caution.

I was most excited to try the Tracing Paper sticky note because its translucent so it could be used decoratively or to add notes while still being able to see what is underneath but it is definitely a coated paper that is not conducive to any water-based inks. Even the Faber-Castell PITT brush, which is supposed to be waterproof, beaded up on the paper. Gel pens, felt tips, pencils and ball point all work fine and I suspect that a Sharpie would also work. This limited pen usefulness could be a sticking point (no pun intended) for some people but the idea of having a translucent sticky note makes me willing to endure its pen limitations in order to have see-through sticky notes in my tools.

The sets of sticky notes available currently looks like Midori replaced the tracing paper option in the set with a colored paper. The Natural set includes an ivory stock instead of tracing paper which might be a better option overall. The Warm set includes a lavender paper and the Cool set has a light blue paper in addition to the white Fine paper with colored edge and Kraft Paper options. I think, despite enjoying the concept of the translucent paper, I would probably prefer to have the newer sets with the colored papers.

What’s your favorite sticky note?

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 feature

Giveaway: Lihit Lab Smart Fit PuniLabo Zipper Pouches

Author Laura CameronPosted on 35 Comments

Last time I wandered through JetPens I was absolutely taken with the Lihit Lab Smart Fit PuniLabo Zipper Pouches ($22) available in a variety of animal prints. I couldn’t decide which one was cutest, so I ordered the Panda case and the Pig case.

These cases are zippered made of water-resistant silicone, and have zippers that allow you to open the case on 2 sides. With dimensions of 4.25″ x 7.5″ (11cm x 19cm) this pouch is perfect for a pocket notebook, a few pens, earbuds, or even your ID and credit cards and a phone. Whatever you want to carry with you the most!

I thought they were so fun, that these two cases are today’s giveaway!

What you’re entering to win:

  • I will select two winners (one for each case) who will win a Lihit Lab Smart Fit PuniLabo Zipper (one panda and one pig!).
  • Fountain pens and notebooks pictured NOT included. I will include a selection of Well-Appointed Desk SWAG and a few other goodies!

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me which case you would prefer? 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 (wouldn’t a monkey case have been fun???). 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 Friday, May 17, 2024. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. 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 giveaway were provided to us free of charge by Jetpens. Please see the About page for more details.

In Paper Review

Sketchbook Review: Hahnemühle The ZigZag Book

Author AnaPosted on 5 Comments
Sketchbook Review: Hahnemühle The ZigZag Book

Review by Tina Koyama

I have a penchant for teeny-tiny things, especially art materials. Tiny pencils, paint palettes and sketchbooks may be adorable, but unfortunately, most are too small to be practical.

As an urban sketcher, I am constantly trying to strike the ideal balance between portability and useability, and my sweet spot for sketchbooks has long been the A6 size. Although it’s easy to find sketchbooks and notebooks in that size, they often contain inferior paper, especially when using wet media. My current favorite is made by Hahnemühle, which contains excellent watercolor paper. That’s why I got so excited when I saw that Hahnemühle makes a teeny-tiny, accordion-folded sketchbook with the same excellent paper that comes in the German company’s A6 size.

Called the ZigZag Book, the closed dimensions are about 2 ½-by-2 ½ inches (18 pages; $7). That’s small enough to fit easily into a pants pocket (alas, if only I had one). Heck, that’s small enough to fit in my palm! It has a handy elastic strap to keep it from flying open when you pull it out. (Shown below with a few other items for scale.)

Although individual pages are 2-inch squares, the accordion format allows a much longer panorama if you have a landscape in mind.

I’m familiar with two types of watercolor paper that Hahnemühle makes: its premium 100 percent cotton watercolor paper and its “academie” watercolor paper (which is still darn good for student grade). Other than its 300 gsm (140 lb.) weight, the ZigZag’s paper grade is not specified in the product description.

From my tests below, I honestly couldn’t tell which paper it is, though from the texture and weight, my guess is that it is 100 percent cotton. (The good news is that I’m unlikely to make sweeping, wet-in-wet washes of watercolor, where the paper quality makes a big difference; hard to be sweeping on 2 inches.)

I took the miniscule book out for a test run, and it’s so much fun! (Below, I used a Uni Pin 003 fine liner, Derwent Inktense pencils and Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils.) Bonus: The page is so small, I finished this color sketch in about 10 minutes. Bring along a few markers or watercolor pencils, and you could take this on a backpacking hike or anywhere you want to be especially minimal. No more excuses – go out sketching this summer!

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 Desk Set

Organizational Hack: Sticker Storage

Author Laura CameronPosted on 4 Comments

This year I’ve been journaling more, and I’ve ordered lots of fun supplies. I’ve added to my washi tape collection, and I’ve been buying stickers here and there. Which means my desk is full of journaling implements and they’re everywhere.

First, I decided to take a step back and devote a desk draw to my journaling pursuits, hoping to corral the mess. I lined up my washi tape in a pleasing row at the front of the drawer and dropped the multiple journals I’m keeping in there. Finally it was time to tackle the piles of stickers.

A few weeks ago I was browsing through JetPens and came across the Jam Studio Sticker Albums ($14-20). These aren’t complicated or fancy. They’re PVC covers, with 16 pages (or 32) slots for stickers, and there’s a zip pocket at the back. Everything is held together with a color coordinated elastic. I chose the Twinkle Aqua with longer sheets, which is approximately 5.5″ x 8″ (13.5 x 20 cm), and can accommodate 4″ x 6″ sticker sheets easily. But there are both larger and smaller albums available as well.

And in short, it’s perfect. Thanks to Jetpens for another great tool!

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

In Link Love

Link Love: A Pen Collector By Any Other Name?

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Link Love: A Pen Collector By Any Other Name?

We have referred to ourselves as pen addicts, pen junkies, pen nerds, etc etc… and none of these descriptions are particularly flattering. To some, these terms could even seem a little insensitive to anyone who actually deals with addiction. So, Chronicles of a Fountain Pen did some research for other descriptive terms that we could use to describe pen enthusiasts.

Which of these terms do you prefer?

  • Penneography – in the spirit of John Scheffer – means the study of pens,
  • Stileophile or Stylophile – one who loves pens,
  • Estilophile – synonym of “stileophile,” one who loves pens.
  • Archæostylophylogeny – the study of early fountain pens as it pertains to their evolution and grouping and how they split off from one another. (courtesy of the Vintage Pen Doctor)

The last one… its as hard to spell and pronounce as the term for stamp collectors, Philatelist. MY local pen club uses Stylophile but I kind of like Penographer or Penneographer. It leans into the “graphy” — writing part of pen love.

Link of The Week:

My life will never be the same after this! And my ink collection may actually diminish even faster!

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