In Fashionable Friday

Fashionably (Late) Friday: Oh! You Pretty Things

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment

Fashionable Friday: David Bowie

I remember my first David Bowie album — I got Hunky Dory as a trade with a friend of mine. I know I got the better end of that particular trade and I listened to that album endlessly and it blew my mind. Then in college, I went to work for a comic book store run by a man nicknamed “Ziggy” after his own personal childhood obsession with Ziggy Stardust and the Spider from Mars so needless to say, we were fast friends. So, when I heard that David Bowie had passed away, I was really moved. My husband and I have talked a lot about our favorite songs and the movies we liked (and didn’t like) and what an enormous impact Bowie had on pop culture in general, whether you liked him or not. It seemed only fitting that Bowie be commemorated, in the way I remember everything these days — through pens and ink. But this time, you get a playlist too. I hope you enjoy my fashionably late Fashionable Friday, my own ode to the late, great David Bowie. Starman… hope you are floating in the stars now.

  • Ziggy Stardust Print $26+ (via Angela Ferrera on Etsy)
  • Filofax “I’m Afraid of Americans” Original Personal Organizer $94 (via Goldspot Pens)
  • Fountain K fountain pen in “Red Sails” $75+ (via Karas Kustoms)
  • Metaphys Locus “Thin White Duke” Ballpoint Pen $44 (via Fresh Stock Japan)
  • Rhodia “Hallo Spaceboy” 3.5″ x 5.5″ Lined Webnotebook $15 (via JetPens)
  • Diamine Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink in “Ziggy Stardust” (Night Sky) $20 (via JetPens)
  • De Atramentis “Blue Jean” Fountain Pen Ink $12.95 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Jinhao X750 Fountain Pen with Medium Nib in “Starman” $9.90 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Palomino Blackwing Pencil in “Moonage Daydream” A dozen for $21.95 (via JetPens)
  • Penco 8 Colour “Changes” Crayon $5 (via Fresh Stock Japan)
  • Koh-I-Noor “Kooks” Magic 3-in-1 Pencils Set of 12 $39.95AU (via Notemaker)
  • Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Ink in “Life on Mars” (Fuyu-gaki) $31.50 (via Pen Chalet)
  • Herschel 23.5L Little America Backpack in “Space Oddity” (via Notemaker)
  • TWSBI “Diamond Dogs” 580 AL fountain pen €69 (via Fontoplumo)
  • Uni Boxy Eraser in “Blackstar” $1.40 (via JetPens)
  • Omas “Ashes to Ashes” Gray Ink $15.50 (via Anderson Pens)
  • Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball “Loving The Alien” Terabyte Exclusive, Limited Edition $40 (via Anderson Pens)
  • Field Notes “Young Americans” County Fair Edition 3-Pack for $9.95 (via Field Notes)

If you are not familiar with Bowie (or if you are a fan and curious what my favorite tracks are) I’ve included a Spofity playlist. I tried to keep it to my top ten but there are just too many amazing tracks to choose from. The 70s alone!

In Pencil Review

Pencil Review: Pencil Factory Nashville Assortment Set of 6

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment

Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set close-up

Ever since I saw The Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set, I’ve wanted to pick it up but I never did it. My husband, sweetheart that he is, bought them for me for Christmas this year. In the box is an assortment of six different pencils and a small scratchpad of paper. The paper pad seems like a filler but I appreciate that they tried to make it feel like a little “kit”. What I was interested in was the pencils!

Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set

The packaging and branding is top-notch and everything suggests that the pencils are actually manufactured in the US, in Nashville, TN which, as a former resident of the state, is a bonus.

Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set

All the pencils are painted with a warm ivory enamel and stamped in gold with the pencil name and the “THE PENCIL FACTORY”. The ferrules and/or caps are a soft gold, not as shiny as they look in photos which give them a more refined appearance in person. The erasers, where present, are a bright raspberry pink and are a pleasing contrast in color to the warm ivory paint. Aesthetically, these are lovely pencils and the paint is smooth in the hand.

Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set

Because of the variety of sizes of pencils, I had to get a little creative when I sharpened them.  The Sweetbriar was a standard width pencil and I could use my 2-step Palomino long point sharpener. The Bridge pencil, because it was so slender, I could use just the long point side of the 2-step sharpener and it sharpened beautifully. The Midtown, which is the hexagonal white wax pencil, was sharpened using my Prismacolor sharpener which is designed to sharpen softer leads. The jumbo-sized West End and Hester were sharpened using an old school wall-mount hand crank sharpener as it was the only thing I had with an opening large enough to accommodate these chubby, big-grip pencils. And finally, the carpenter pencil was ineffectually hand sharpened with an X-acto. Somewhere, I own a carpenter pencil sharpener but I could not find it.

Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set White Wax Pencil

The Midtown ended up being a pleasant surprise. I tested it on kraft paper and it was opaque enough to work just fine so this is a good pencil for marking on any stocks that are not white, I suspect. Fun with colored paper, for sure!

I was expecting something a bit chalky and hard but it turned out to be a surprisingly soft, waxy white crayon in pencil form. It was so soft, in fact, that I had to resharpen the tip to write the word “FUN” at the end of my sample as the tip had already gone soft as you can see in the word “lead”. The one thing I did notice is it is a very hexagonal pencil, so much so that it actually dug into my hands a bit. I guess a lot of manufacturers now soften those points giving most hex pencils a rounder, softer feel. The Midtown writes soft but feels a little sharp.

Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set Writing Sample

I tested the other pencils on standard Rhodia paper and started with the most traditional, the Sweetbriar. Normally, I don’t favor smooth round barrels as they tend to feel a little wide in my hand but overall the Sweetbriar wrote very smoothly. Then I picked up the Bridge pencil which is the same smooth barrel but in a much narrower width and I liked it much better. I don’t think I’ve ever really used bridge pencils much before nor do I know why they were designed more slender than standard pencils but I really like the size of the the Bridge and it has the same smooth lead as the Sweetbriar. Of the set, the Bridge is the pencil I set aside immediately as my favorite of the lot.

The West End and the Hester are both jumbo pencils. The West End is a smooth, round barrel and the Hester is a hexagonal barrel. I know there are a lot of folks who actually prefer the size of jumbo pencils in the hand but would rather they didn’t look like they were designed for children. If you fall into this camp, than the Pencil Factory jumbo pencils are made for you. Aesthetically, they are upscale and understated. They perform well too. Smooth, though I found the Hester to be softer than the West End even though all the graphite pencils are labelled No. 2. You’ll see I smudged around the Hester writing sample and how much darker the writing appears. Curious.

The Old Hickory is not your average carpenter pencil. It is a double-ended carpenter pencil with graphite on one end and red colored lead on the other. I love that the Pencil Factory created this unique carpenter pencil but I very seldom have need for this type of pencil. When actually marking wood, I have often just used a Prismacolor. Shhh, don’t tell. That said, its a clever design though the red lead is a little harder than I would have expected, especially after using the soft, white wax of the Midtown.

Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set Eraser Test

My last test was to see if the pink erasers were useful. They do an adequate job on everything except the red from the carpenter pencil thought I’m still inclined to recommend keeping a Mars Staedtler plastic eraser with you if you really want to erase something. Pink eraser are cute but not all that useful.

All in all, the Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set was a treat and I’m glad I got a chance to try these out. Keep in mind that if you purchase these, be prepared to figure out how to sharpen all the various widths. Otherwise, its a fun little set with fabulous design aesthetics.

I suspect I’ll be buying a dozen of the Bridge pencils soon. New obsession!

In Link Love

Link Love: InCoWriMo/LetterMo Is Coming!

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments

rp_link-ana1111111111111111-1-1.jpgLooks like folks are getting geared up (ink and pens at the ready!) for February and Letter Writing Month this week as well as putting some black inks to the test and lots of notebooks. Planners are in full use and everyone is hard at work on their page-a-day challenges. Keep warm in the northern hemisphere and stay cool down south.

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Paper & Notebooks:

Planners & Organizers:

Letter Writing:

Other Interesting Things:

Printables & Freebies:

Submit your own Link Love art: Would you like your artwork, lettering or illustration to be featured on an upcoming Link Love post? Send in your handwriting, drawing, photograph, or doodle. It can be your own interpretation of Link or anything else you think might relate to the weekly list of pen/pencil-centric blog links. Email your submission to me at chair @ wellappointeddesk.com. Please include any information you’d like in the image credit (your name, Twitter handle, Instagram, blog, etc) and any information about inks, tools, paper, etc used in your creation.

In feature

Review: Van Hook & Co. A5 Fauxdori Traveler’s Notebook Leather Cover

Author AnaPosted on 6 Comments

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I recently found Van Hook and Co. on Etsy and purchased a made-to-order dyed leather, stitched A5 wide cover fauxdori Traveler’s Notebook cover. The cost for the cover an $75 and took about ten days from the time I ordered it until it arrived.

The leather has a warm hue to it and is a heavyweight and firm, not floppy which I really like. There are two short, leather slash pockets in the front and back that add stability and weight to the covers as well. The stitching around the edges is even and bright white. The elastic is black and, by default, Van Hook included four elastics inside for books.

Also, there are two elastic loop along the righthand side for a pen. My Sharbo-X fits snugly in the loops and coordinates nicely with the cover but the loops aren’t wide enough to fit the Pilot Metropolitan without a bit of effort. A Sharpie Pen fits in the loops fine though not as pleasing to look at. If I were to order another cover from Van Hook, I might skip the pen loops just because I tend to carry a whole case of pens with me anyway.

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I filled mine with the Moleskine large notebooks I reviewed earlier this week which fit perfectly. First, is the planner, then a cahier for my knitting project planning, then a Volant for sketching and notes. I have some other A5-ish notebooks on order that I may swap out along the way, but for now I wanted to see how these fit and how well the cover worked with the various thicknesses. So far, so good.

vanhookco-4

I never thought I would buy a larger fauxdori cover but I got a wild hair and I am so glad I have another size option in my ‘dori arsenal. I also absolutely love the unusual turquoise color. I cannot wait to see how the color will patina over time.

I will definitely be ordering another cover from Van Hook very soon. The craftsmanship and quality is excellent and I love how thick their leather is. I prefer the hardier leather as an alternative to the more traditional Midori floppy leather covers. I think a traditional, slim chartreuse leather stitched is next on my wish list!

In Ask The Desk

Ask the Desk: EU EF Nibs vs. 0.5 mm gels, 3-Hole Personal Size & Planner Stamps

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment

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Renee asked:

I was interested in getting a pen that writes with a line similar to that of a .5 mm pen. I was considering a Kaweco sport given your enthusiastic reviews. Would a European extra fine do that?

The Kaweco might give a little bit wider stroke depending on the paper and/or ink combination than a 0.5mm gel or rollerball pen. Let’s do a little experiment!

EUvs05-2

I got a bunch of my favorite 0.5mm gel pens and pens I felt wrote comparably to 0.5 like a Sharpie Pen and the Staedtler Triplus Finalizer. Then I got out a bunch of European (and American) EF and F nibs and a few Japanese, just for comparison sake, and wrote their name and then drew a slow line using a ruler to try to get as close and exact idea of their line widths. I stand by my theory that the Kaweco EF and F are almost indistinguishable and about the same width as the Pilot Metropolitan M. I’d say those are a bit wider than the 0.5mm gel pens. The Pilot Metropolitan F, TWSBI EF and Monteverde EF were closer in width to the 0.5mm. For some reason, I did not have a Lamy EF in house.  The Lamy F was wider than even the Kaweco F or the Pilot Metropolitan M so if you’re looking at a fine line from Lamy, definitely aim for the EF. But if you are dabbling in the Japanese pens, you could go as broad as a M and still get a very fine line. Good luck on your fountain pen adventures!

EUvs05-1

Steve asks:

I have a small cache of 3.75″ x 6.75″ 3-hole ruled paper. The 3-ring binder has long since died. Any ideas on where I might find a new binder?

I was unable to find any 3-ring versions of a 3.75″ x 6.75″ binder. However, I was able to find 6-ring binders. The size is the same as the Filofax Personal-sized, DayTimer (portable), DayRunner (small). Mead even makes loose leaf notebooks in this size  for about $10. The paper might need to be punched with additional holes but the current popularity of the personal sized Filofax and similar planners means that 6-ring binders and refills will continue to be available for years to come. A copy shop might be able to punch the holes for you or you could purchase a hole punch and do it yourself.

Sarah asks:

Do you have any recommendations for planner stamps? I initially wanted to use the Pilot Frixion stamps because they are self-inking and erasable, but couldn’t find a complete set from any American retailers (except on Etsy and eBay, where I’d have to pay a huge mark-up). I bought this set last week and I’m pretty happy with it, but I wonder what other people are using.

This is a fun question, Sarah! Thanks for submitting it. I have found that I really like the clear cling planner stamps from either Hero Arts, Studio Calico or Studio L2E. Since they come on small flat sheets, they are easy to store and carry. You can even pick and choose from a variety of different planner sheet sets to build your perfect set for your planner. Most clear stamp sheets come on sheets ranging in size from about  4″ x 6″ and larger with lots of word and symbol stamps on each sheet.

planner-stamps

  1. Studio Calico Stamp Set: Bullet By Hello Forever $15.99
  2. Hero Arts To Do List $15.99
  3. Hero Arts My Week $15.99
  4. Studio L2E Plan It Stamp Set $15

I keep a small acrylic block, similar to this set, in my pencil case and a small stamp pad for stamping. If you discover that you have specific stamps you use all the time, you can also just  adhere them onto something more permanently. Some are small enough to fit onto the end of  a bottle cap, old marker or dowel to make a more permanent stamp.

Happy stamping!

If you have a question for The Desk, use the “Ask The Desk” link at the top of the blog. Thanks!

In Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: The Well-Appointed Desk Signature Green

Author AnaPosted on 5 Comments

FF-green

I have several friends who share my love for all things green, particularly green of the lime hue. And we’ve been waxing poetic about it a lot this week. To the point that we’ve been looking at green keyboards and other desk accessories that suggest we may have lost our minds. But its gross and grey out and making my world look like a mojito makes me feel better. So, join me in my cocktail infused fantasy. Paint your world in your favorite hue. Maybe it’s tinted key lime too?

  • Filofax Saffiano Pear Compact Organizer $44 (via Goldspot Pens)
  • Lamy AL-star charged green fountain pen (special edition 2016) €26,90 (via Fontoplumo)
  • Pilot Metropolitan Pop Fountain Pen in Apple Green $15 (via Pen Chalet)
  • TWSBI Diamond 580AL Green was announced on their Facebook page yesterday with an enticing shipping date of Mid-February price TBD (via TWSBI)
  • You Are The Gin To My Tonic Print $20.53+ (via Old English Co Etsy)
  • Nomadic PE-17 Pen Case in Yellow Green $15 (via JetPens)
  • Etranger di Costarica A4 Zipper Case in Transparency Apple Green $5.75 (via JetPens)
  • Diamine Jade Green Ink in 80ml Bottle $14.95 (via Goulet Pens)
  • J. Herbin Vert Olive (Olive Green) Fountain Pen Ink in 30 ml Bottle $12 (via JetPens)
  • Original Crown Mill Lime with Green border (10 sheets A5 / 10 envelopes C6) $24.95AU (via Notemaker)
  • Filofax A5 Notebook in Pear with Lined Paper (6.34 x 8.43) $18.95 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun Ink in 50ml Bottle $11.95 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebook (5.5″ x 8.25″) in Anise in Blank or Lined $30 (via Pen Chalet)
  • Clairefontaine 1951 Limited Edition Ruled Pocket Notebook in Assorted Colours $9.95AU (via Notemaker)
  • Original Crown Mill Bicolor A5 Correspondence Set – White/Bamboo $27.90 (via Goulet Pens)
In Pen Review

Pen Review: Gelly Roll 64-Piece Gel Pen Set

Author AnaPosted on 13 Comments

gelly rolls

Hoo, boy! When I decide to go down the path I pretty much take the WHOLE ROAD. In the case of the Sakura Gelly Roll pens, I got the whole kit-and-caboodle! That’s right, I got the Sakura Gelly Roll 64-Color Set Box ($80). I mean, really? How was I supposed to pick just a handful?

The pens came in a translucent plastic box divided into five sections and the wrapper has a color key on the reverse that I could fill in see what each color looks like. Don’t you just want to dig your fingers into each of these compartments and pull out all the pens?!?! The box is a standard plastic art supply tackle box but did not add anything to the cost of the purchase of the all these pens and gave a nice way to keep them all organized. The 64-pen set works out to $1.25 per pen which is cheaper than buying the pens individually so the case is basically free. WIN!

gelly rolls

The 64-color set includes 17 classic/regular pens (in 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm), 14 metallic pens, 10 Moonlight pens, 13 Stardust pens, and 10 Shadow Pens (5 in gold shadow and 5 in silver shadow).

The Classic Gelly pens (0.3 mm and 0.4 mm) glide on in a gloss look and dry to an opaque matte finish. These are available in fine and medium point and include on opaque white which is probably one of the most popular options. The white is a great pen for adding in highlights on drawings, using as a “white out” pen or for writing on dark papers. The Gelly Roll Classics look like matte paint when dry which is part of their appeal.

The Metallic pens (0.4mm)  have a fine mica metallic sheen and are opaque making them great for dark stocks.  The colors included a range of jewel tones, gold, silver and copper plus a black metallic which reminded me of asphalt.

The Moonlight colors (listed as 0.5 mm but its seems much wider) are fluorescent and/or super opaque bright colors but take an age to dry and are a pretty wide point. Despite the slow dry times and wide tips, I find myself reaching for these over and over.

The Stardust pens (listed as 0.5 mm but its seems much wider), particularly the clear which is one of my favorite, are glitter with an archival ink base. The glitter may flake away but the colors will remain true. These also had a bit longer dry time but not as long as the Moonlight or Shadow pens.

The Shadow pens (0.7 mm) are the strangest of the bunch, in my opinion. These pens will halo with either silver or gold with a core of the ink color. They are very thick, viscous color and take some time to dry but would be fun for decorating envelopes or letters. They are definitely a bit too broad from general note-taking.

gelly rolls

I tried to photograph my samples from a couple angles to catch the light and show the tinkly effects of the various pens but I think I’ll end up having to put together a quick video just to show off the full effect at some point.

gelly rolls

gelly rolls

gelly rolls

Strangely, my favorite colors in the set ended up being the Moonlight Fluorescent Vermillion, the Stardust Sky Star, the Metallic Emerald (that was sort of a “duh”), the Stardust Clear glitter, the Classic medium orange, and the fine Classic Royal Blue. I pulled those out and added them to my daily pen case. I’m still trying to figure out the best ways to utilize the Shadow pens but I suspect envelope addressing will be their forte.

If you think you might ever want to go down the Gelly Roll Rabbit Hole, I think you’re going to have to buy the whole 64-pen box. You’re going to want ALL OF THE COLORS. I know I did and I’m glad I did. Yes, $80 is a lot of money but then I think how much I spend on one fountain pen and it all goes back into perspective.

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