The Well-Appointed Desk

Several months ago, friend of the blog Ruth sent me this delightful ink sample vial holder and pen rest. Yes, it’s a sleeping cat which we all know is our lazy intern Ollie sleeping on the job again. This is one of my favorite daily-use tools now. If you’ve ever struggled with how to dip into a sample vial without spilling it or not having to try to recap it one-handed, you need a Sleeping Cat or Ink’s Best Friend. Since receiving mine earlier this year, I’ve used it for all my ink sampling and trust me, I do a lot of ink sampling. The only issues I’ve had is that it is a challenge to get the small glass sample vials from Ferris Wheel Press (from their Charger Sets) out of the holder and/or capped without getting inky fingers. This problem does not exist with the standard plastic 5ml vial. The regular 5ml vials are tall enough to lift out easily and replace the cap as needed.

After a little sleuthing, I discovered that the 3D printed “Ink-a-pet” was created by a 7-year-old boy named Calvin with some CAD help from his mom and some shop-set-up work from his dad, Daniel. I absolutely love the entrepreneurial spirit of the pen community but I double-down on the love when the products are created by amazingly talented kids.

Each Ink-a-pet is just $7 each and will help Calvin continue his pen passion well into adulthood (hopefully!).

Over the summer, Calvin has created a few new designs including the Inktopus (shown above). I believe Intopus and Squidney would definitely be friends. They shall be introduced soon!

Thanks to Calvin for becoming one of the youngest and most ambitious members of our pen community. I hope every supports this young entrpeneur.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by a friend who probably didn’t expect me to write a review about it. For more information about purchasing an Ink-a-Pet or buying one for a friend, visit Ink-A-Pen. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

Currently Reading: New Zine Alert & More

AnaAugust 14, 2021August 14, 20213 Comments

This week Johnny Gamber over at Pencil Revolution broke out of his graphite fortress to publish his first edition of The Pen Post ($5) — his new pen zine. It’s a delightful read, perfect to peruse over a leisurely lunch break. Be sure to read the ads and peripheral text. Johnny is insightful, funny and as charming on paper as he is in person (or in podcastery). While picking up The Pen Post, check out some of his other zines too.

We have been ordering books from our local indie book shop and picking them up. At the beginning of the pandemic, the shop owner would actually deliver my purchases as they live nearby but now that things are waffling back and forth between pre- and post-pandemic times, we had the privilege of actually browsing the shelves in the shop. Our book haul includes:

Rosie the Bug Zapper by Geri Bachman (Illustrated by Isabel Dory)
Half Dead by Brandon Graham
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Knit the Sky by Lea Redmond
The 99% Invisble City by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt

Rosie the Bug Zapper is a children’s picture book illustrated by the teenage daughter of a good friend of mine. I’ve known Isabel since she was in grade school and I’m so happy to see how far she has come. If I didn’t tell you the illustrations were done by someone who hadn’t been to college yet you wouldn’t have guessed. They are adorable and I think Isabel is going to be a great illustrator.

Half Dead is the new book by a good friend of ours. We have been privvy to his writing process and the subsequent editing so its exciting to finally have his book in our hands.

Being an avid listener of Dear Hank & John, The Anthopocene Reviewed and 99% Invisible, I had to purchase the books that have grown out of the podcasts. Over the past few months John green has discussed the process of signing every copy of the first edition of The Anthropocene Reviewed so it’s also a delight to be in possession of one of the thousand of books he signed.

Finally, Knit the Sky is a book from the talented and charming Lea Redmond known best for her World’s Smallest Post Service which created a Kickstarter project that was eventually turned into a Chronicle Books kit. With Knit the Sky, Lea inspires knitting everyday events like the Sky Scarf that is a row a day to mark the weather for a whole year.

What are you reading right now? Do you document what you read in a notebook or by some other means?

In Ink Review

Ink Series Review: Laban Mythology Series

Jessica ColesAugust 12, 2021August 12, 20213 Comments

Laban hasn’t been known for their inks – only their pen lineup. But recently they came out with a small collection of inks that take their inspiration from Greek mythology. I purchased bottles of Aphrodite and Apollo and samples of the other three in the collection.

The illustrations are fun although Aphrodite is a bit… not clothed. I do like the fountain pen in each drawing!

Each ink comes in a 50mL glass bottle and the packaging is not much larger than the bottle itself – not excessive but not minimal either.

Poseidon Green is not what I would call green. It is a lovely color, though. Rather than green, it is a teal or even turquoise that leans just a little towards green. Not much shading was seen in writing but it is a beautiful color.

Demeter Brown is an earthy color with a hint of red. In front of my eyes, these three cards looked very similar. under the camera, you can see quite a difference, though. There is some light shading in writing.

Apollo Orange is a very bright color! This is a color that could lead to pen crud if left too long in a pen, especially in a dry environment. Pen crud is a crystalization of the dye in ink, left behind as it dries. It can form crystals or lumps on the pen nib with some colors. It doesn’t harm the pen and typically comes off with a quick dunk in water. The best way to avoid it is to just write more with your pen!

Aphrodite Pink is my favorite of this bunch. A dark rose pink with a brown undertone. There is a bit of shading in writing but not much. Aphrodite is a unique color in my collection – nothing else quite matches it.

Finally, Artemis Navy Blue. I don’t know that I would call this navy blue – it is more a jewel tone sapphire with a bit of purple. There is a hint of sheen that shows up in normal writing – a subtle red. Artemis is a bit darker than Sailor Studio 543.

Finally, a full family photo. (I’m just now noticing I’ve misspelled Laban on Aphrodite…)

I have enjoyed each of these inks – a beautiful collection from Laban and not the typical colors you would expect from a first release of inks. At $20 for 50mL, it is very affordable. I’ve kept Aphrodite in a pen at all time since I purchased the bottle and it has quickly become one of my favorites.

I purchased my bottles and samples from Vanness Pens where you can get a sample for $2.60 or the full bottle for $20.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were purchased by me and I was not compensated to write this review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: What the Heck is PKM?

AnaAugust 11, 2021August 11, 202113 Comments

Maybe you all are more “in the loop” than I am, but this week was the first time I had seen the acronym “PKM”. If you, like me, have never heard this term before it stands for “Personal Knowledge Management”. I saw it in reference to a new app called Obsidian (link below in Other Interesting Things). Maybe I’ve hit the “hey kids, get off my lawn!” phase of life but when I saw the description of the app and PKM all I could think is “we call that a notebook.”

(the above paragraph is brought to you by an excessive use of quote marks)

While I appreciate that my brain is a messy place and writing things down either on paper or digitally helps to keep me from forgetting something, I don’t know that I need yet another app that attempts to solve the problem that pen and paper has been solving for centuries. Sure, paper can be lost or damaged but digital solutions can be neglected by the creators or abandoned entirely until the software is no longer compatible or formatted in such a way that the information is accessible any longer. We all have experiences with trying various app solutions and a trail of data that we can’t access any longer. On the other hand, I may not finish a notebook or remember specifically where I wrote something down but all the notebooks I’ve used for the last decade are piled in my attic should I ever want to relive, find or reference something I wrote, drew or pasted into the books.

What is your opinion on digital vs analog PKM?

Finally, we spent a good deal of time playing “what does PKM stand for?” and here were some of the better ones:

People Know Me
Pen Knowledge Matters
Pen Kit Mafia
Pretend Karen Melted
Please Keep Messaging
Paper Knows More

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In Paper Review

Review & Giveaway: Ayush Paper A5 Fountain Pen Book from Peyton Street Pens

Laura CameronAugust 10, 2021August 10, 202162 Comments

Teri from Peyton Street Pens was sweet enough to send us tons of items for review and giveaway in her last package. Today we’ll be sharing some of our thoughts (and a few items you can win) on Ayush Paper.

Ayush Paper is an Indian company that creates a variety of sketchbooks, canvases and office supply products including a line devoted to fountain pen friendly paper. Specifically, I played with the A5 Fountain Pen Book ($8.00). This spiral top-bound notebook comes with 50 sheets (100 pages) of 100 gsm paper that is a soft ivory. The notebook measure 5 7/8 x 8″ (148-203mm), and each page is perforated at the top for easy tearing. The book comes in dot, grid, plain or lined formats (mine is lined, at approximately 9mm spacing).

So let’s talk about this paper. It’s advertised as fountain pen friendly and promises no feathering or bleeding. It is designed to work with flex nibs and sheening inks, and aims for minimal show-through. It also boasts quick drying times.

I’d say the paper lives up to these promises nicely. I tested it with a variety of fountain pens (plus brush pens, a pencil, various gel and rollerball options) and save for ye olde Sharpie, I had no bleedthrough, no feathering and only minor ghosting on the opposite side. Further, we tested a few ink swatches and nothing bled through! We threw in a few Colorverse inks to check out the sheen (it’s not bad) and it was only those bottle cap swatches that had any bleedthrough at all.

The paper is ever so slightly toothy to the fingertips, but feels smooth to the nib. I have to say, I hadn’t tried this one before and I’m excited to keep using this notebook.

So let’s get to the part where you get to try it too! Peyton Street Pens generously sent us two notebooks for giveaway.

GIVEAWAY: One lucky winner will win two notebooks.

I’ve left them wrapped in the packaging but will send them out to you with some stickers!

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling us about your favorite paper! (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 10pm CST on Friday, August 13, 2021. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. ONE 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 post were provided free of charge by Peyton Street Pens and other vendors for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Pen Review

Ballpoint Pen Reviews: Victorian Trading Company Pens (Part 2)

AnaAugust 10, 2021August 10, 20211 Comment

Yesterday, I reviewed the dip pens currently available through Victorian Trading Company, the company where I work. Today, I’ll review the ballpoint pens currently offered.

Victorian Trading Company currently stocks two pen necklaces from 1928 — the Adela Cameo Pen Necklace and the Floral Pearl Seed Pen Necklace (both are currently on sale for $39.95)

Both are slim gold tone twist ballpoint pens with a 28″ gold tone chain. The Floral Pearl Seed Pen features a decorative cloisonne rose with pearl flowers on the clip. The Cameo features –well, a cameo design on the clip. These decorative elements make up the clip but since this is a necklace pen, the clip is more for decoration than functionality. I would be worried I’d bend the decorative elements or break them if I tried to use it as a functional clip.

The pen tip retracts with a twist mechanism that is smooth and snug. The likelihood of the pen coming untwisted unknowingly is pretty slim. The overall pen shape is slender like the classic Cross Century. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the pen was entirely designed on the Cross Century chassis.

Both pens rely on the classic Cross style twist ballpoint refill. I scavenged through my refill stash to see if there were any comparable refills that could be hacked to fit into the pen but didn’t find any other solutions. Monteverde sells compatible refills in Medium and Broad in a wide variety of colors. There are other options for the Cross refill but I am confident to recommend Monteverde and Cross.

The pens have a lovely engraved pattern in the body that gives them a retro vibe.

While no one (myself included) really wants a pandemic era torso photo, I needed a model to show the length of the chain. So… no comments about the crappy, unflattering photo, ok?

This pen is OFF THE CHAIN! Okay, technically it’s on the chain at the moment but I couldn’t resist making the joke.

I am quite short and short torso-ed and the pen chain and pen hit at my natural waist. The pen clips on with a lobster claw for easy-on and -off and there’s another closure at the back of the neck to make putting the chain on easier though I was able to just put it on over my head. I am sure it would be easy to add length to the chain or just swap out for a longer chain so long as your could add a lobster claw for attaching the pen.

In writing tests, the pens write like a standard ballpoint pen. Ballpoint pens are not my favorite writing tool as they always feel a little “skippy” to me. But I love the idea of having a pen on a chain so I might continue to research hack options so I can replace the refill with a gel pen.

Victorian Trading Company also carries the Anna Griffen Rose Garden Gift Pen ($24.95)

This pen is a capped pen with gold hardware and a floral motif printed on the barrel.

The cap snaps tightly to post on the end which is a nice design feature. It is also a snap cap so it makes it a quick on-and-off.

The pen takes a standard Parker-style refill which means, although it ships with a bog-standard medium ballpoint refill, there are a lot more options for upgrading this pen.

Since we all need at least one ballpoint pen in our collection, these pens are definitely an option. If you like roses and gold hardware, it’s definitely fun and eye-catching. Or if you have a friend or family member who has always wanted a “nice pen” but isn’t quite ready to dive into the world of fountain pens, any of these might be good options. I would definitely include a few extra refills though.

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

In Pen Review

Dip Pen Review: Victorian Trading Company Dip Pens

AnaAugust 9, 2021August 9, 20213 Comments

I was given the opportunity to dig through our inventory of pen samples and review everything currently in stock at Victorian Trading Company. I’ve decided to break this into two posts: today will be the dip pen assortment and tomorrow will be the ballpoint pens. At present, Victorian Trading Company is not carrying any gel pens or fountain pens but, as part of the new product development staff, our goal is to change that.

First up is the Brontë Bone Dip Pen & Stand ($29.95). This set is a beautiful, embellished brass pen stand with a bone handled dip pen with gold hardware.

The stand will work just as well with other pens in your collection and is weighted nicely to support a range of pens without tipping over when you reach for your writing instrument.

The nib that shipped with the holder is unlabelled and was a very firm nib. I chose to skip the nib and replace it with a titanium Zebra G dip nib ($27.50 for 10) — my go-to dip nib.

While the Zebra G nib is a bit more curved, it fit into the grip housing with little effort. I had more trouble getting the original nib out and had to use a piece of rubber to get a good grip and pull it out (pro-tip!).

Once I had the Zebra G nib in place, I took a flame to the tip to remove any oils from the nib and increase ink adherence. (photo above is before I took a flame to it).

Since the pen did not ship with any specific ink, I tested it using the closest bottle of ink I had: Montblanc Beatles Psychedelic Purple (which I bought at the recent Patreon-only sale from Gentleman Stationer). The holder is long like a paint brush and fairly slender which may not be to everyone’s tastes. The cost for the set, however, seems to largely be for the holder, not the nib holder. If you’re looking for a beautiful decorative pen rest, it would be worth it to purchase this set just for the stand.

The next set is the Crimson Tidings Dip Pen Set (on sale now for $19.99). The set includes a glass dip pen with a decorative brass grip section and a “pointy finger” nib. The set also includes a bottle of Calligraphy Ink (do not use in fountain pens). On the interior of the box is a wax seal marked “Le Seal” but there is no other branding on the set. After some research, I was able to determine that the pen set is from Hong Kong.

The pen holder body is a blown glass with silver foil inlaid under the clear glass and below the silver is a bright candy apple red. The decorative brass grip adds weight the the “business end” so if you have a light hand, the weight will help create a thicker, darker line without adding pressure. It will all be from the weight of the pen.

As a lefty, I figured out quickly that the pointy finger nib is a right hand and after using it for a bit, I felt like the nib was flipping off everything I wrote. Luckily, its easy to swap out the dip nib with your favorite non-opinionated nib should you want to do that.

Even though the nib was a bit odd, it wrote quite well. It is a good deal stiffer nib than my preferred Zebra G but it still provided some flex. If you have a heavy hand, this might be the amusing swatching nib of your dreams. I tested the Calligraphy Ink that shipped with the set which is a warm brown/sepia color. The calligraphy ink is a bit looser in feeling than the fountain pen ink I’m used to using. When I say “looser” I mean its wetter, more fluid feeling — fountain pen ink often has more surface tension, IMHO.

The last set currently in stock at Victorian Trading Company is the “Steampunk Calligraphic PenSet” ($37.95). This set features a feather quill dip pen with a brass decorative grip section and two bottles of Calligraphy Ink in black and amaranth (red). On the box is the name “Lo Scarabeo” which turns out to be European company specializing in tarot and oracle cards. How delightful!

When I first saw the feather quill pen, I was skeptical that it was “all feather, no quill” but after I started using it, it turned out to be my favorite set.

The nib included in the set is a Leonardt 300 ($0.99 each) which is a decent, albeit a bit stiff for me, calligraphy nib. The shape of the grip section is a bit more oval than round which created a surprisingly comfortable grip even with the decorative details engraved in the grip section.

Once again, I swapped out the nib on the Steampunk Set with my tried-and-true Zebra G and tried the inks. The inks seemed to have the same bottle design and functional characteristics of the ink in the Crimson Tidings set.

If you’ve been looking for a fun, funky dip pen for ink testing or to practice your calligraphy, these options would definitely inspire you to write more and any of the three are functional. You just have to decide which design in your favorite.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Victorian Trading Company for the purpose of review. I was not compensated to write this review (other than the fact that I am on their payroll). Please see the About page for more details.

Pens:

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