The Well-Appointed Desk

Shop News: Mini Ink Bottle Stamps

AnaJune 14, 2022June 14, 20221 Comment

Sometimes I get goofy ideas like “What if I shrunk all the ink bottle stamps and sold them as a set?” Is it a well-thought-out, market researched idea or is it just that I thought it might be cool? Much more the latter. So, I did it. I have just made a few sets because, like I said, this was a harebrained idea. But heck, maybe other people want teeny, tiny ink bottles to stamp in their planners, journals and letter?

The set ($40) includes four stamps, mounted on wood blocks: a tiny ink sample vial (1″ x 0.325″), the “Classique” ink bottle stamp and Ink Bottle (short) (both measure 1″x1″), and the tall faceted bottle stamp (1.5″ x 0.75″).

For scale, I stamped each new mini stamp on a Col-o-ring card. The Calssique bottle is actually the same size as the original full-sized stamp. Everything else has been miniaturized. The goal was to make the stamps more convenient for people who track their inks in journals or notebooks as well as being useful on your Col-o-ring cards to indicate if you have a bottle or just a sample of your ink.

The same stamps do fit on Dipper cards but it’s a bit more of a tight fit.

Just for size comparison, the new mini ink bottle and sample vial stamps are at the top and my very used, very well-loved full-sized ink bottle and sample vial stamps are at the bottom.

The Mini Ink Bottle Set is also available on Etsy.

Should I miniaturize or maximalize something else in the shop? Are there other ink bottle shapes you’d like to see? Where will you stamp these?

In feature

12 for 12: Our 12 Favorite Products for our 12th Anniversary

AnaJune 10, 2022June 11, 20225 Comments

12 faves for 12 years

In honor of twelve years of The Well-Appointed Desk, I thought I’d pull together my current favorite items. I wanted to include more than just pens so I’ve included my favorite pen case, bag and even pencil accessories.

As a bonus, I have also listed my 12 favorite inks.

Galen Leather 3-Pen Case ($39): I recommend the Crazy Horse Leather. It ages beautifully and takes ink stains well. And, with some creative organization, I fit five pens in my case but I use pretty slender pens. (full review)
Rickshaw Bags Soho (Sm/Med or Large): I own the Sm/Med version that I use as my everyday carry bag but friends of the blog have been recommending that I upgrade to the Large for maximum tote-ability. Rickshaw allows for full customization to get just the color combo you want as well as their velcro pocket system for as much compartmentalization as you want.
Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen (approx. $27): The new Iridescent model is a true “unicorn” but I still love the Frosted Collection. If you haven’t added a Sport to your collection, the most difficult decision will be choosing which color.
Schon Design Pocket 6 Fountain Pen (starting at $142) : I have a custom faceted model that we here at The Desk call the Ferrera Rocher in brass but any of the Pocket Six pens are a delight and a favorite from the mottled anodized aluminum to the brass and copper models. (full review)
Caran d’Ache 849 (ballpoint and fountain pen, starting at $20) : While I love the fountain pen with an unexplained passion, the classic ballpoint is a must-have for any pen collector. There are dozens of colors and finishes available as well as special editions available so find a design that speaks to you to add this classic pen to your collection. (full review of ballpoint, full review of fountain pen)
Opus 88 Koloro (starting at $93): The Koloro is the smallest pen left in the Opus 88 line-up and the first I purchased. It remains a favorite. I’m particularly partial to the Blue-Blue filled with Monteverde California Teal which is a perfect match. (full review)
William Hannah discbound leather planner (A5 starting at £120): The issue I’ve had with discbound boteeks and planners in the past is that they tend to look and feel cheap. This is where William Hannah elevated the discbound planner with leather covers and metal discs making the discbound system competitive with traveler’s notebooks and ringbound planners like Filofax. (full review)
Midori MD Light (available in A5, A6 and B6 Slim, starting at $11 for a pack of three cahier notebooks): I know the pen world loves Tomoe River but when I discovered MD Light, I found a new paper passion. While I wish there were more notebook styles available in the MD Light, I will continue to stockpile the cahiers just in case they are ever discontinued.
Stalogy Editor’s Series 365Days Notebook A5 Dot Grid (starting at $25): While I am not always inclined to use A5 size of Tomoe River paper, the Stalogy has 52gsm Tomoe River paper (the best I can tell) and has the lightest dot grid of any notebook so its not too distracting. The “Editor” series does not have the date markings at the top of each page like the original Stalogy notebooks so they are great for bullet journaling or any note taking needs. (full review)
Blackwing Pencils ($27 for a box of 12): While these are not cheap, in the world of fountain pens, they are reasonably inexpensive. They are well made, have that unique ferrule and eraser and can be a great gateway into high-end office supplies for friends and family. (full review)
Sakura Foam Eraser ($1.60): Best eraser on the market. Any foam eraser will work but the Sakura is cheap and effective. (full review)
KUM Long Point 2 Step Pencil Sharpener ($5.50): I can’t pick favorite pencils without also choosing a favorite sharpener. This sharpener give a wicked point without stabbing your wallet. (full review)

Bonus: 12 Favorite Inks:

These inks are in no particular order. I can’t rank my favorite inks anymore than someone could rank their children. These are the inks I couldn’t live without. Could you make a list of 12 of your favorite inks?

Pilot Iroshizuku Ku Jaku ($22.50 for 50ml): When I am incapable of making a choice about what ink to fill a pen with, I reach for Ku Jaku. It’s aqua blue but also a little bit teal. Dark enough for everyday writing but has some shading, a little sheen and some haloing around letters as I write (depending on the paper stock). (full review)
Vinta Mermaid Green Sirena 1952 ($12.50 for 30ml): Sirena was one f my first experiences with a color shifting ink. When wet its a watery green. As it dries in becomes more muted aqua blue-grey with a pink cast. This is total mermaid ink. (full review)
Pen BBS #224 Tolstoy ($16 for 60ml): I love a lime green ink and Tolstoy is a deep olive/lime. Pen BBS inks are also well-behaved and reasonably priced. (full review)
Robert Oster Caffe Crema ($18 for 50ml): I know most people go for Oster’s blues like Fire & Ice and Blue Water Ice but I love his more unusual colors. If you have ever seen me at a Vanness table at a pen show, I’ve probably recommended either Caffe Crema or Viola to you. This is my favorite brown ink, it shades, has some variation and is not so dark as to look black.
Robert Oster Viola ($18 for 50ml): This is one of the first muted purple inks to come to my attention and it remains a favorite. There is great tonal variation and shading. (full review)
Callifolio Andrinople ($13 for 35ml bottle): This is a pink that’s not too pink, too bright and rich enough to use regularly. (full review)
Platinum Carbon Black ($25 for 60ml bottle): This is the one permanent black that rules them all. You need a black ink, might as well be permanent. (full review)
Waterman Inspired Blue ($11.30 for 30ml): Perfect for vintage pens and an absolutely gorgeous shading, sheening turquoise. Do not overlook this classic brand of inks.
KWZ Standard Honey ($ 15 for 60ml): I know not everyone loves the smell of KWZ inks but I think the scent added to the ink makes it smell like vanilla or like honey making the honey ink (chef’s kiss) perfection. (*Turns out, I had run out of KWZ Honey so I inserted my favorite alternative to it, Callifolio Heure Dorée. If you don’t like the smell of KWZ, I recommend Heure Dorée as an excellent alternative.) (full review)
Sailor Shikiori Yama Dori ($14 for 20ml): Yama Dori is a dark blue-black ink with a reddish-purple sheen on some papers. If you need a business appropriate ink with a little pizzaz, grab a botlle of Yama Dori.
Monteverde California Teal ($10 for a 30ml bottle): California Teal is one of the best sheening inks. Its a beautiful shade of green with a vivid reddish sheen. It’s reasonably priced and available in both 30ml and 90ml bottles. I really need to invest in the full 90ml. (full review)
Montblanc Oyster Grey ($24 for a 60ml bottle): I love a grey ink and choosing just one favorite is always a challenge. Oyster Grey is a fairly neutral grey, not to warm, not too cool. I am also swayed by the delightful “shoe” bottle. There are some thing that Montblanc WAY overcharges for but their stock inks (at present) are not one of them.

In Link Love

Link Love: Book Nerd Edition

AnaJune 8, 2022June 8, 20228 Comments

As I suspect is true with most lovers of stationery, I am also a book nerd. I particularly like the feel of book in my hands but I have also learned to enjoy the convenience and portability of ebooks and audiobooks. At any time, I am reading at least one book but often it’s more like three: one paper book, one audiobook and one ebook.

I had tried to switch to reading all fiction digitally because our house is absolutely bursting at the seams with books and it didn’t seem to make sense to keep hard copies of books I will most likely only read once. This spring, however, in an effort to read more “distraction free” I joined the Book of the Month Club.

Yes, THAT Book of the Month Club. The books are reasonably priced, curated like the front table at your favorite book store and delivered right to my door — an introverts dream. I promise this is not an advertisement for the BOTM club, I just wanted to share my digital vs. analog reading habits.

As a result of my new analog reading habit, I’ve had a lot more kismet reading moments. I can leave a book open on the table and read a page or two as I’m cooking or moving about my day that is a bit harder to do with a digital book which requires keeping the screen on or unlocking the device to read a page or two. And I do like being able to quickly flip pages to see how much longer a chapter is. Sometimes, that just requires folding back the page corner that is not as easy to do with a digital book.

I participate in the GoodReads reading challenge and I am currently several books ahead of my reading goal as a result of my 3-pronged reading approach.

Do you read a lot? Paper or digital?

In link news this week, there is a wonderful post about ink bottles, a post of tools for lefties (I’ve never used or owned left-handed scissors, in most places, they are as rare as hen’s teeth so I learned to use right-handed scissors but maybe I should try them?) and a post about pens and the Ukraine that I found thought-provoking.

What were your favorite links this week?

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In Planners & Organizers, Tools

2022 Calendar and Planning Goals: Where are they now?

Laura CameronJune 7, 2022June 7, 20226 Comments

In the fall, we pen and stationery and planning nerds get excited about the prospect of a brand new year and shiny new notebooks, calendars and planners. But when the rubber meets the road, what do we actually use? Since it’s June already (eeek!), I thought I’d take a quick look at my plans for this year and where we’ve ended up.

2022 Planner: Year of the Snoop

I’m starting with where I’ve had the most success (mostly to make myself feel better!). Back in January I talked about my Year of the Snoop Planner. I’ve been purchasing these quirky, partially hand-made planners from Nikol for the last several years and they meet my needs perfectly. I use them as desk planners, keeping them next to me to jot down notes and to-do lists throughout the workday. Occasionally I use the Saturday and Sunday slots for weekend duties, but often use them to record book titles I’d like to read, notes about craft projects that need to get finished, etc. While this planner may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it fits my needs perfectly and I’ve used it every week without fail.

For me, the highlights are:

Spiral bound, so it lays flat.
Equal space for every day.
Cardstock paper that performs fairly well with fountain pens.
Fun, quirky illustration.

Journaling in my Musubi Notebook

Back in February, I wrote about my journaling ambitions for the year. I’d give myself a C in this category. I have written in the journal maybe a dozen times since the beginning of the year, recording mostly my knitting projects, but a few of the other big events of the year (who predicted the war in Ukraine would be in my crafting journal?). In general, I don’t write very much though. It’s not that I’m being precious with the paper – I enjoy writing in it and don’t regret starting the project. No matter how long it spans (even if it encompasses years) I still think it is a volume I will treasure.

I think my problem is that the days run together and sometimes I’m just tired. The last few years have been so weird in that sometimes they feel like AGES and sometimes they feel like they’re over in a minute. A million things are always happening, and yet I feel like I’m stuck in some kind of groundhog day, mostly living the same day over and over ad infinitum. While I do work on lots of knitting projects, many of them have been longer term, larger garments, so I may only finish a few items a month to journal about. Going forward in the second half of the year, I might put a note on my calendar (see above) for Fridays or Saturdays, to just write down what I’ve been working on and any reflections on the week. Even touching base a few times a month would make me happier about recording what I’m up to!

Hikemuri Sticky Note Calendar

Here’s where I’ve been a TOTAL FAIL. I was so excited to get this calendar back in December and dreamed of saving all the little photos in a cute photobook. Well, you don’t have to be eagle-eyed to notice my calendar is still stuck on the week of May 9, while the rest of the world is on June 7. These illustrations are beautiful and I never look at them. In practice, I peel them off only when I’m getting ready to write in my journal (see above) and then I use only the one I want and junk the rest to get myself caught up. The verdict? Regrettably, I’ll be skipping this one next year, because it just doesn’t fit my way of life.

In Ink Review

A few Birmingham Pen Co. Inks

AnaJune 6, 2022June 6, 2022Leave a comment

I recently purchased a handful of inks from Birmingham Pen Co. I had done a post about comparing some of the new inks with their previous formulas but this time I wanted to try a range of their various formulas: the Everlasting Formula (a permanent pigmented ink), the Keystone Inks (formerly known as the Rich Formula [sheening inks] and the Crisp Formula [traditional water-based ink]). We reviewed some of the Twinkle inks (shimmering) previously but I have not tried any of the Wishy-Washy formula (most washable inks).. yet so stayed tuned for that.

The inks we tested in this batch are clockwise from top left: Tesla Coil, Rotten Seaweed, Antique Sepia, Chimney Soot (Everlasting), Smokebox and Periwinkle. All inks sell for $15-$17 per 60ml bottle.

Rotten Seaweed vs (From top to bottom): Robert Oster Saguaro Green, Colorverse Pluto & Beyond, Robert Oster Chartreuse, Colorverse Gluon LE Version, J. Herbin Vert Olive

I’ll start with Rotten Seaweed which is in the range of my favorite colors — that muted lime green. Rotten Seaweed is a bit more gold-green than many in my collection. Its most similar to the Pen Chalet Robert Oster Exclusive Saguaro Green (second swatch from top). J. Herbin Vert Olive is a bit brighter and greener, Oster Chartuese (top sample) is a bit darker. In the middle swatches are Colorverse Pluto & Beyond and Gluon LE Edition from the Standard Model Set. While I have dozens of lime green, these were the closest. Rotten Seaweed is a more muted, golden green. I find it a very intriguing color and the shading gives an array of celery to day-old avocado colors.

Birmingham Pen Co Tesla Coil is a heavy sheening ink in a deep blue with a very visible red/pink sheen. Its a color that is pretty common in the ink world nowadays and is similar to Diamine Maureen, Organics Studio Nitrogen and the Colorverse Dromgoole’s Exclusive NASA Blue.

These inks always remind me of those automotive paint colors that look different in sunlight. Super sheeners like this will catch the light and look more red than blue but in lower, less extreme light or on different paper stocks, the sheen may not be noticeable at all.

Inks this sheening can have some rub off because there is so much pigment that it sits on the surface of the paper. If it comes into contact with any humidity or moisture, the color can smear. Tesla Coil is no more likely to do this than any of these other colors but just be wary. This smearing is of particular concern to lefties and folks who like to use both sides of the paper in their notebooks as there can be some transference.

Ah, Periwinkle! Laura and I were laughing because she’s been reviewing periwinkle hued inks the last few weeks in honor of the Pantone Color of the Year and here I go, encroaching on her theme. Birmingham Pen Co. Periwinkle is a more orchid reddish purple that some of the colors she’s reviewed (ink 1 and ink 2). Compared to the swatched shown above, Periwinkle as a beautiful shading ink, is a bit darker than Ferris Wheel Press Little Robinia and warmer in hue than Troublemaker Foxglove or Kobe #57 Himeajisai/Hydrangea. Its hard to say definitively if this is my favorite of the lot but its darn close.

Ah, Smokebox. I love a good grey ink an Smokebox is right up there in the shading, neutral/cool grey category along with Kaweco Smokey Grey, Edelstein Moonstone and Montblanc Oyster Grey. Smokebox is a more modestly priced ink when compared to Montblanc and Edelstein but the Kaweco is in a similar price range.

Birmingham Chimney Soot vs. my favorite permanent black, Platinum Carbon Black

I know it was probably unfair to put Birmingham Chimney Soot Everlasting ink up against the reigning champ of permanent black inks but it’s the only permanent black ink I own. Remarkably, it performed quite well with just a little color transfer on the largest, most ink saturated writing on th top of this card. On both cards, over the lettering, I brushed a wet paint brush over the writing to test its waterproofiness. Chimney Soot is a competitor!

Birmingham Antique Sepia comparison: (top to bottom) Troublemaker Petrichor, Kala Abstraction Sierra Mist, and Troublemaker Kelp Tea.

The last ink I tried was the Antique Sepia which is a color-shifting ink. It has a lot of mossy green with pools of a warmer pinky-beige and some deeper teal halo-ing. Finding a comp to this weas a challenge. I don’t have a lot of color shifting inks but the Troublemaker colors (Petrichor and Kelp Tea) have some of the same hues but with different over- and under-tones. Kala Abstraction Pigment ink in Sierra Mist is the closest ink I have to the dominant color in Antique Sepia.

Overall, I’m delighted to see how vast the Birmingham Pen Co. ink offerings are and how much they are experimenting with a range of ink properties. Their generous 60ml bottle for approx. $15 is incredibly reasonable for indie-produced inks.

Check out their collection for yourself and let me know what your favorite colors are.

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

In news

See You in St. Louis?

AnaJune 3, 2022June 3, 20226 Comments

We are just weeks away from the Saint Louis Pen Show. This is the first show since 2019 the Well-Appointed Desk has had a table so you will know exactly where to find me. I will be bringing a full selection of Col-o-ring products, letterpress stationery, rubber stamps, stamp pads and vintage office supplies. I don’t plan on bringing any typewriters unless we have specific requests.

Jesi will once again be helping Dromgoole’s with their ink table.

Jesi and I will also being hosting a seminar All the Inks on Saturday at 2pm. If you have any ink related questions or topics you think we should cover in the seminar, leave a comment below and we will try to add it to the presentation.

And, of course, in the evenings, you may be able to spot Jesi and I hanging around the bar with lots of pens, inks and papers to try. Please come over and say hello. We don’t bite but we do like G&Ts.

If you have any pens that have been reviewed here on the blog that you might like to see in person, leave a comment and I’ll pack it in my trusty USPS “official use only” mail bucket.

I can’t wait to see everyone in person. Will you be there too?

In feature, Ink Review

Ink Review: A Closer Look at Anderillium

Jessica ColesJune 2, 2022June 2, 20221 Comment

This week I am looking at the properties of Anderillium inks, starting with the first four from the Cepholapod series: Blue-ringed Octopus blue, Bobtail Squid green, Vampire Squid red, and Cuttlefish brown. If you would like to see all 16 ink colors, be sure to read my post from last week!

First, a comparison of colors. Blue-ringed Octopus blue is a bright cyan that sheens red occasionally. It reminds me of Pelikan Edelstein, but when I compared the two, Blue-ringed Octopus is noticeably darker.

Bobtail Squid green is a bit brighter than Robert Oster Jade, and not quite as yellow. I love the shading in this ink – the difference between the dark and light shades is dramatic.

Vampire Squid red is a wonderful bright red that is dark enough to not hurt your eyes. You can see a touch of the gold sheen in the lower right corner of the swatch card below.

Cuttlefish brown is a very interesting ink – when used with a wet-writing pen or nib, it appears off-black. When Cuttlefish is used in a fine pen or a dry pen, it appears as a light, muddy brown with hints of yellow. Montblanc Wood & Tobacco is the closest color I have to Cuttlefish and even the Montblanc ink isn’t quite as dramatic.

Below are the four inks on wheat straw paper from my swatch booklet. There was no feathering and no show-through but also no sheen on this paper.

Below is Tomoe River paper. I’ve slightly smeared each ink below to show some of the properties of the ink although please note that the green in the Blue-ringed Octopus smear is from inky fingers, not from the ink itself. TR paper shows the Bobtail ink shading and a bit of the shading in Cuttlefish, but the nibs that I used for Blue-ringed Octopus and Vampire Squid were too narrow to show sheen. You can see a hint of sheen in both in the smeared ink at the bottom of the page, however.

Shading is better on the Cosmo Air Light paper below, especially in Bobtail Squid. Cuttlefish showed no real shading here and I continued to not see sheen in Blue-ringed Octopus or Vampire Squid. The smear tests with the blue and red both showed the sheen, however.

Midori MD paper light seems to have a flattening effect on each of the four inks although you can see more of the color variation in the Cuttlefish smear. I saw no sheen on this paper.

Out of the four types of paper I used in these tests (five if you count the Col-o-ring cards), there was no feathering, no bleed-through, and no smearing (except where I smeared on purpose!). Out of the four inks, Cuttlefish and Bobtail Squid are absolute favorites because of their unique colors. Blue-ringed Octopus is a beautiful cyan and I am going to try a wider nib for better sheen. Vampire Squid red is one I would probably pass on – the color is not quite saturated enough for my taste and was too dry.

All four inks I have shown in this post do feel slightly dry on paper but flow well through the pen. I didn’t experience hard starts or railroading, but the feel on the page was similar to writing on slightly toothy paper. I rather enjoyed the feel of the drier ink! I have several wet-writing pens that will be great to use with Anderillium inks to balance the flow.

Check back next week for more Anderillium ink testing!

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.

Bonus: 12 Favorite Inks:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things: