In Link Love

Link Love: The Perfect Pencils

Author AnaPosted on 5 Comments

Posts of the Week:

I confess the Post of the week was going to self-indulgent and feature Ken Crooker’s very flattering review about the Col-o-ring Ink Testing Books (I swear I did not put him up to writing it!) Instead, I want to point you to some lovely articles over at CW Pencils about the history of pencils and a little behind-thie-scenes about the making of Caroline’s recently released book The Perfect Pencil. If you haven’t purchased the book yet, you can order it directly from CW Pencil Enterprise and have it signed by Caroline too!

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In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: Sailor 1911 Fresca Regular with Fine Nib

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Fountain Pen Review: Sailor 1911 Fresca Regular with Fine Nib

Last year, I fell in love with Sailor pens when I purchased my first Pro Gear Slim, the Bungbox Pink Love and then later acquired the rare Purple Lamé which featured a custom ground super fine nib. I had not braved purchasing a larger Sailor pen because I have so enjoyed the compact Slim size but when I saw the Sailor 1911 Fresca regular size ($196), I knew the time had come for me to “level up.” The Fresca is a North America exclusive colorway (the knitter in me is inclined to refer to them as “colorways,” that’s how we refer to yarn color schemes).  The solid turquoise with chrome trim and 14K nib all shiny silvery is just stunning and the slender cigar shape with simple  clip design is classic and timeless.

The only branding on the exterior of the pen is the etched “Sailor” name on the cap band. Very tasteful.

The nib is classic Sailor all the way with the etched anchor and “1911” along with the decorative filigrees and, of course, “14K 585” and “Sailor” at the base of the nib. Next to Pilot’s smiley Kakuno nibs, the Sailor nib design is one of my favorite stock modern nib design.

From left to right: Aurora Style, Pilot Metropolitan, Kaweco Sport, Sailor 1911 regular size and Sailor Pro Gear Slim

I really didn’t need to worry about the size of the standard 1911 pen. It is really about the same size as a Metropolitan and since its an acrylic/resin/plastic (don’t me hold to the material because I don’t actually know what it is made of) its quite light. The Metropolitan feels weightier. The barrel is the same diameter as the Pro Gear Slim and when uncapped, its just the little cigar shaped taper at the end that is longer. So, it’s not a huge pen.

Posted, the 1911 is 20gms, making it lighter than an AL-Star. Unposted, the 1911 weighs 11gms which is lighter than a Kaweco Sport in plastic posted so the Fresca is not heavy at all.

Finally, in writing tests, with some of my new Robert Oster Australian Opal Mauve, the fine nib was a perfect smooth, light line for a bright, light pen. With the fineness of the nib and the gold nib, I got a little flex… not FLEX flex, but the nib was light and easy to write with. It was not a “hard as nails” nib. I think this is where the Sailor nibs excel. I have a music nib on my Pink Love and that’s a lot of nib material so there’s not as much lightness to the nib. Both the Purple Lamé and the Fresca have finer nibs and there’s more flexibility to the nibs so they are a much more pleasurable experience to write with. These are the gold nibs that make people talk about why they like gold nibs better. I think its the same reason why I tend to favor felt and fiber tip marker pens — that flex that adds some variation to the writing line weight, that shows some shading to the ink, when you get excited, or bored, or angry or enthusiastic as you write and it shows? I love that and when a pen is nail hard, those characteristics don’t show. So, if you have the means to invest in a Sailor pen (or a Sharpie pen) — try one out and let some of that expression come out in your writing.

I purchased this pen from Anderson Pens with my own money and all opinions here are my own. Anderson Pens are one of my sponsors so if you do decide to buy a Fresca, it sure would be nice if you purchased it from any one of my lovely sponsors who are currently stocking them and letting them know you heard about them here. Thanks.

In news

Giveaway Winner: Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz

Author AnaPosted on 3 Comments

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz Giveaway Package

Woo! Lots of love for Smoky Quartz and Aquamarine and the as-yet unnamed 2018 olive green ink in the Pelikan Edelstein and Col-o-ring Giveaway.

Congrats to Dave C. our giveaway winner who has already been contacted via email. Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. We’ll have more ink and Col-o-ring giveaways post-Atlanta Pen Show.

Love and inkiness!

In Pen Review

Pen Review: Copic Multiliners 0.3 4-Pack

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment

I bought the Copic 0.3 Wine refill for my Multiliner SP  to use during  Inktober last October on a whim. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy using a contrasting color for linework. It’s a bit of a challenge to find the refills for the SPs so when I found the Copic Multiliner 0.3 Pen Set ($12.50) with Cobalt, Olive, Sepia, and Wine, I purchased it immediately. I’ve actually been using these for several weeks but haven’t gotten a chance to write the review until now.

The pen barrels are unusually glittery plastic with a solid-colored, rounded bottom end and a matching, solid-colored flat cap. The logos and text on the barrels is printed in white ink and is mostly inoffensive. The clip on the cap is solid-colored plastic, attached to the top flat part. Its not super-sturdy but it does keep the pen from rolling away particularly if you have the pens on your book, lap or the couch.

The transition between the barrel and the traditional felt/fiber metal tip is an almost-smooth conical transition. You’ll either like this or hate this. I found it fairly non-distracting but I like the more stepped design of the Copic Multiliner SP, which is probably the more traditional technical pen design.

As for the actual colors, I loved getting a way to try out all four of the deep tone colors available for the Copic Multiliners in one convenient package. The wine color still remains my favorite but the cobalt and olive are also great options for other linework possibilities. I burn through felt tip points so fast, I still much prefer to use the SP line and replace just the tips as needed, even though I realize the cost to replace the tip is on par with replacing the whole pen. Somehow, it just feels more environmentally more sound to only throw away the tip, not a whole pen.

If you have never tried colored waterproof, COPIC-proof (fancy term for alcohol-marker proof) fineline, felt/fiber markers before, this set is a great way to try them without investing in a whole system.

If you already know you like felt/fiber tip markers, I recommend investing in the Multiliner SP pens. You can pretty much buy any size pen body (despite what the number says on the tube). Once you own one, you can put any tip and any ink refill into it and ignore the number on the barrel. Just be sure you use the right refill for the tip (smaller tips need the A refill, bigger tips need the B refill). If you want the colored ink refills, head over to MarkerPop, they are the best source I know to get all the SP colored ink refills for SPs.

From my Inktober 2016 Challenge: I drew the “Knitters Alphabet” using Copic SP 0.3mm in Wine and Copic Sketch markers and the ArtSnacks Inktober Sketchbook

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz

Author AnaPosted on 268 Comments

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz

Every year for the last… maybe eight SIX years now(?) Pelikan has tried to wow us with a new jewel-themed Color of the Year ink color. While Pantone is telling us this year is the year of “Greenery,” Pelikan is trying to convince us its a browner sort of year. Pelikan chose Smoky Quartz ($28 for a 50ml bottle) as its color of the year.

Side note: For a handy cheat sheet of all the Pelikan Edelstein colors released thus far, check out the list compiled on the Pelikan’s Perch. They even have information on the 2018 color that’s been selected: an olive-green though it has yet to be named. 

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz

The color is a deep rich, chocolatey brown for sure. The only other neutral/brown tone the Pelikan Edelstein has offered was the Amber in 2013 and it was much more of an orange-brown so fans of this line of ink are sure to be pleased with the richness of this color. I was happy to see that the color is a warm brown with a yellow, golden undertone.

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz swatch

When I swatched the color, it magically got this highlight spot so that I could see the undertones. t gave it quite a Western Americana feel to me. It was the first time I really got the “smoky” part of the color.

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz writing sample

The writing sample did not show a lot of color variation but its a nice solid brown ink. There was no noticeable shading or sheening. It’s definitely a “staple” ink and not a “boutique” ink.

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz Swatch Comparison

I had a really hard time getting the color “just right” on these swatches. Suffice it to say that the subtleties got lost but the overall color values are captured here. Smoky Quartz is definitely one of the darkest browns in my collection. Bookbinders Eastern Brown and Kaweco Caramel Brown are definitely warmer colors. Tears of a Clown is more reddish. Platinum Pigment Sepia is the lightest and both formulas of KWZ Honey are more gold, leaning to green.

I hope theses images help to give you a better idea of how Smoky Quartz performs in real world tests. Right now Oster Caffe Creme is probably my favorite brown ink followed by KWZ Honey but I’d probably put Smoky Quartz in slot #3. That’s not a bad place to be. Its a solid performer and a good rich color and a nice alternative to black or blue-black.

Testing Notes: I used Rhodia Uni blank paper for the writing tests and my trusty Esterbrook #2442 nib in my Shawn Newton nib holder. For the header and ink swabs, I used a #4 round watercolor brush. For all the ink swatches shown I used the Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book and a Zebra G Titanium dip nib in a vintage holder. To keep my lines straight, I use 6mm and 7mm guide sheets.

THE GIVEAWAY:

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz Giveaway Package

THE PRIZE: Winner will receive ONE (1) bottle of Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz graciously provided by Goulet Pens AND ONE (1) Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book from The Well-Appointed Desk.

THE RULES: Leave ONE (1) comment below and tell me which of all the Pelikan Edelstein Color of the Year colors has been your favorite thus far. Is it Smoky Quartz? Or one of the previous colors? Or do you have a recommendation for what the next color should be? If so, you must give it the appropriately gemstone-y name.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Monday, April 10, 2017. 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 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 seven (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 residents only, please.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Goulet Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: This time with extra love!

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments

Post of the Week:

I cannot believe what an amazing community Brad and Myke have built over 250 episodes and that every once and awhile they let me join in on the fun. The fact that I got to be a part of this and some of their other monumental episodes is such a tremendous honor. Thank you, guys, for making the pen community such a wonderful place.

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In Ask The Desk

Ask The Desk: First Fountain Pens

Author AnaPosted on 15 Comments

Stephanie asks:

I’m looking for my first fountain pen, mainly for journaling while I’m in college, and I came across wellappointeddesk.com reading a review for a pen I saw on Amazon. I don’t want to spend too much money on a pen since I’m just getting into it but I don’t want a real junky pen either that will totally turn me off to fountain pens. Are there any brands or particular pens you would suggest for a beginner? I’ve also seen that there are different size tips or nibs. Which size would you recommend to start with? Thanks for your help.

Stephanie, this is probably the Number One question that all pen bloggers get and often the hardest to answer. Most first-time fountain pen buyers are looking to make a small investment as they are not sure this is a rabbit-hole they are ready to go down. First, the pen needs to be pretty dependable from a brand you can trust so I don’t recommend buying from an off-brand for your first foray into fountain pens. Then, not all first-time fountain pen buyers want to go to buying full bottles of ink either, so knowing if you are more inclined for a cartridge filling pen over a pen that will accept a converter or other filling mechanism that will let you fill your pens from an ink bottle may be a deciding factor. And finally, deciding on a nib size can be hard initially so a pen that makes it easy to switch the nib is a great option. Whether you change the nib soon after purchasing it or years later when your collection has grown.

So, based on price, ease-of-use, reliability and nib swap-ability, I pulled together my best recommendations for the first fountain pen purchase. Your final decisions will depend on which factors most influence you.

In no specific order:

Lamy AL-Star or Safari (both are equally good, its an aesthetic preference): The Lamy Safari and Lamy AL-Star offer the molded grip which many people find very comfortable and helpful in mastering a good grasp in handling a pen and are charmed by the colorful plastics and aluminum finishes of the pens. Lamy has converter and cartridges which make it easy to fill with ink. The nibs are smooth and consistent and its easy to swap out nibs should your taste in nib widths change. The only caveat is for left-handed writers who may have an unusual grip that might find the molded grip uncomfortable.

Kaweco Sport: The Kaweco Sport has a retro design that is quite pocketable. The pen is available in a variety of finishes from clear plastic demonstrator to a weightier brass with prices that range from about $25 to about $100. The nibs are steel and range from a European EF to B. There is also a calligraphy set available. The Sport has a converter available but I would not recommend it so really, its a cartridge filler only. I do refill cartridges so its not really all that limiting but it moves the Sport into more of an “advanced beginner” pen or at least an “adventurous beginner” category. Of course, the small size of the Kaweco Sport makes it unique, the cap is postable which makes it more comfortable but if you have large hands, the small size may make this pen less appealing.

Pilot Metropolitan/Pop: The Pilot Metropolitan and Metropolitan Pop are wonderful starter pens. The price point is excellent, the nibs work great and the pens ship with both a cartridge and a cartridge converter in the box. All for one low, low price, usually below $20. The pens are full-sized with a satin metallic finish and in a range of colors. The nibs are in Japanese sizes so they run a bit finer than the Kaweco and Lamy nibs. There is an italic/stub nib available though.

TWSBI Eco: The TWSBI Eco is on the higher end of the price points but it is a piston filler so if what you are looking for in a fountain pen is the chance to play with lots of fountain pen inks, than this is your best option. It’s available in a couple colors but that only alters the cap and twist filler, the barrel of the pen remains transparent to see the ink. The cap posts and the nib ranges from extra fine to a stub 1.1mm. TWSBI uses German nibs so assume the nibs are more comparable in size to Lamy or Kaweco than to Pilot in sizing.

So, those are my recommendations for starter fountain pens. There are many others but these pens will most likely be easy to find at most online pen shops, pen shows or even a well-stocked brick-and-mortar pen shop. TWSBI being the exception, though a lot of online shops are carrying TWSBI these days.