I recorded my planner set-up video for the remainder of October. Its a lengthy video so add it to your “watch later” list and get your snacks, tea and planner ready and join me for some spooky planner set-up.
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A full pen review will be posted tomorrow, after I clean up the tragic ink accident:
I love any new options for ink swatching and ink tasting so when I discovered the Sailor Compass Hocoro dip pens, I leaped at the chance to try them.
There are several versions available of the Hocoro dip pens. The pens can be purchased in a set with a bottle of the Sailor Dipton calligraphy ink (no safe for fountain pens, $29 per set) or just a pen-only package ($16 each).
The dip pens can be purchased in a white plastic or a dark grey plastic — or in the set in clear or purchase the individual pen barrel ($8) in clear. Then, each color is also available in fine, medium, 1.0mm, 2.0mm, and fude (bent tip, brush style). Then the last variable is that not all the nib styles come with a feed unit. The models with a feed unit are the 2.0mm and Fude. Feed unit reservoirs ($4 each) can be purchased separately and added to any nibs that don’t have them but it seems like a strange decision to include the feed with some and not others.
The coolest feature is that the nib unit pops out and can be stored back into the barrel by flipping it over and snapping it into the barrel for travel and to protect the nib unit.
The first one I got was the 1.0mm model which does not include the additional feed unit. Then at the Dallas Pen Show, I picked up the Fude dip pen which did include a feed.
I experimented with the 1.0mm model a bit prior to getting the Fude model and was super disappointed because the 1.0mm without the feed did not hold ink well. If would either bloop out or run out of ink within a few letters. I even tried annealing (heating the nib with fire to remove excess oils) the nib to get the ink to “stick” better to the nib. It didn’t help.
I decided to go ahead and get the Fude with the feed unit to see if I liked it better. Oh, hell yes! The feed holds a massive amount of ink and did not have the same blooping issues I had with the 1.0mm.
The Fude, which is a bent tip-style nib, mimics the properties of a brush by creating varying line widths depending on the angle you hold the nib. If held at a lower angle (60º to 45º to the writing surface), the line widths are much wider and held at a higher angle (more at a 90º angle to the paper) the nib will write with a finer line.
Honestly, the feed on the Hocoro was a game changer. I had been quite disappointed in the 1.0mm model but I have now purchased a few additional feeds in order to plus-up my 1.0mm version and see if that improves that dip pen. In the meantime, I highly recommend picking up one of the Fude dip pens. The feed is great and the line variation is super handy for ink testing.
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.
At the Dallas Pen Show, I spoke with a lot of people about my Traveler’s Notebook Passport size ($45) as a wallet. I was so sure I’d posted about this use/hack in the past but after some fruitless searching, it appears I’ve been keeping this little hack to myself.
I have had the Passport size Traveler’s for years and wasn’t really using it so when I came across the Traveler’s Company canvas wallet insert (not currently available but I have some other options listed below), I decided to give it a shot.
Along with the canvas insert (comparable stye for $31.90 on Etsy), I added a kraft envelope ($5.50), plastic sleeve ($7.50 on Etsy) for additional cards and a lightweight paper insert ($5.50) to finalize the items I needed for a do-it-all wallet. If the canvas insert is unavailable there are other options available if you search Etsy for Traveler’s Wallet Insert.
I use the canvas insert to hold my driver’s license and my bank card and the zipper pouch to hold any cash or quarters for my Aldi shopping. The kraft envelope is where I slip receipts and my health insurance cards.
The notebook is for lists, phone numbers, and “oooh, I can’t forget that”.
I slide a mini pen along the spine and Voila! — a super nice wallet made from an unused Traveler’s notebook cover. Hope this little hack might be useful. I find this to be the perfect wallet set-up for me and I think its a bnus that, to most people, it looks like a notebook and not a wallet.
I just returned from the Dallas pen show – a marathon show if there ever was one! This show was open on Friday from 10am to 8pm! It was a blast, though, seeing so many people passionate about the hobby.
At the show, I worked for the Dromgooles. They stake out a large corner of the Dallas show (since the store is only 3.5 hours away) and that includes tables for many other vendors, one of which is Retro 51. They has some amazing new pens (like Fraggle Rock and a new Dromgooles exclusive – Wrangler) but I was more interested in their new project – ink!
Retro 51 is planning a few exclusive inks to match their Midnight pen series. At the moment they have released a single ink in the line- Blue Black – to match their Midnight Blue fountain pen and roller ball.
So the Retro 51 table was one of the first places I visited to see about this new ink. I was told that any ink review with their new ink wouldn’t be complete without showing it off alongside the new Midnight Blue fountain pen, however.
The Midnight Blue fountain pen has the same dimensions as other Retro 51 fountain pens – 5.4 inches long when capped and 5 inches long when uncapped, 1/2 inch in diameter, weighs in at 34g when capped and 20g uncapped.
The big difference isn’t the standard dimensions – it’s the trim. This series – the Stealth Lacquer series – all have a dark lacquer finish and black trim including a black nib. The engraved “51” stands out even better against the dark finish.
So blue black ink is a great match to this blue black stealth pen!
The blue black is a dark ink, especially in writing. I have seen some shading in writing and there is a red sheen – one that isn’t overpowering and doesn’t smear like super sheening inks. The sheen is more subtle but still shows up in writing on fountain pen friendly paper.
Retro 51’s Blue Black ink holds up well in a strong line up of well-known blue and blue-black inks on the market including Bungubox First Love Sapphire (an ink that was created to replicate Parker Penman Sapphire) and Diamine Majestic Blue.
While we don’t yet have a price on Retro 51’s Blue Black ink and do not yet have a way for you to purchase the ink, keep an eye out with any retailer who carries Retro 51 pens at this time. I will update the blog when this does happen along with a longer review on the usability of Blue Black – I was excited to get the information out to everyone about it as soon as I could!
The Midnight Blue fountain pen is priced at $100 with your choice of nib size.
Which Stealth Lacquer pen are you most excited to see in person?
DISCLAIMER: 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.
Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway for the Girologio Leather Zipper Pouch. It really is a beautiful case.
Our winner this week is:
Congrats Marguerite! (we’ve already notified her via email)
Stay tuned for future giveaways and, of course, all our reviews, Link Love and more! Thanks for reading!
Several years ago, entirely by accident, Jesi and I started a tradition of wearing matching striped dresses at pen shows, regardless of which tables we are working at. At the Dallas Pen Show was quite a delight because one of our co-workers at the Dromgoole’s table, Jessica, came prepared in her own stripey shirt and then our good friend Kim arrived in her own stripey dress. We were so tickled. Now I want a whole pen show of stripey shirts and dresses on Saturdays! Be one of us! Wear stripes on Saturday!!
We worked like crazy and had almost no time to walk around, visit or shop so these two pictures were about all the proof we have that we were even at the pen show. That, and selling cubic tons of ink. Hope you got your new favorite ink at the show!
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I’m going full spooky this month! I am embracing all the pumpkins, leaves, cauldrons and more for this October. I love Halloween and October more than any other season and I am ready to fully embrace it. How about you?
For my planner set-up this month I pulled out all the stickers and washi that had a spooky, magical, fall vibe so I may have overdone it… just a little bit. But I’m just happy to be able to play.
I’m including both videos in this post (also viewable over on YouTube) — both my set-up as well as a short “plan with me” video. I hope you enjoy them and please let me know in the comments here or on YouTube if you’d like to have more content like this.
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