The Well-Appointed Desk

Notebook Review: Kleid String-Tie Notebook 03 – 2mm Grid

A few weeks ago I was browsing what was new at Yoseka Stationery and I came across the Kleid String-Tie Notebook 03 – 2mm grid and decided to try one. ($22.50) I had tried the Kleid x Life Noble and the Kleid Craft Work Memo before, but have passed both on. I admit it – I was taken by the aesthetics of the cover with the metal corners and the leather string tie!

The notebook is cute, if not a standard size at approximately 6.5″ square (ok 6.7″ x 6.1″ or 17 cm x 15 cm). The cover is heavy cardstock. The notebook itself is spiral bound and has 80 sheet of OK Fools (Japanese paper) that has a light 2mm grid on it. In the past I’ve found the grid to be quite distracting when writing, but somehow this one seems fainter than before?

What tempted me about this notebook is that it seemed like a cute and possibly more durable model for a bit of a travel journal. I have some travels coming up and was wondering if I’d like this format. The other thing that recommends itself to me as a notebook I’d like to travel with is the paper folder pocket in the back (both sides) that can hold stickers and ephemera.

The paper on this one is far. It can handle gel pens, ball points and pencils no problem. It warns that it can handle finer fountain pens. As you can see most of my notes in the top section didn’t bleed through, but when I added extra strokes to the “Fountain” lettering, it did bleed through. The other characteristic of this paper that I had forgotten about is that the grid lines are almost coated – the ink definitely sits on top of them and looks a bit different. I noticed that in the Craft Work Memo previously.

Overall I would say this isn’t going to be my new go to notebook, but I was pleased to test out a new format. I will keep it around and test it out a bit, but I do think I’m going to have to remember that Kleid graph paper and I don’t entirely mix in the future. But again, that’s my personal aesthetic so you might find different!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this notebook with my own funds for the purposes of this review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Dominant Industry Ink Archiving Book: Log of Elixir/Atlantis Edition

AnaJune 16, 2025June 16, 20253 Comments

Initially, I was just going to post and review about the new(er) Dominant Industry Ink Archiving Book: The Log of Elixir ($31). Jesi posted a review awhile ago about the Log of Atlantis ($28) awhile back so I thought I didn’t need to write about it. But I acquired both Ink Archiving Books at the same time and I am in my beachy time (even though I live in the middle of the country) so I decided I’d include a few pages and samples of both of these wonderful books.

Both books feature hardcovers and foil accents and about 256 pages. They are B6 and the paper is a smoothish, warm white. The paper is nice and thick– 100 gsm paper.

The Log of Atlantis:

First up, the Log of Atlantis is filled with a variety of pages featuring aquatic artwork that can be painted or colored with your choice of creative tools. I started my project with only a few bottles of ink since I started painted this in a hotel room during the most recent pen show I worked.

I used a water brush to create ink washes and get a wider range of hues and tones from each ink.

I am not a big fan of coloring, in general, because a lot of being a graphic designer requires that I “color” artwork so coloring as a hobby has never appealed to me. Until I found that I could play with fountain pen ink and “paint” my colors. Now I’m hooked.

I do think using a paint brush and a dish of some sort to allow the chance to water down the colors, mix different colors and just try different approaches in a great way to play with inks and use up some of those sample vials I’m sure you’ve accumulated.

There was very little show through or bleed through on the back of the pages. On the page above, there is a little peek of the Apricot Jam from the plant at the bottom of the previous page but its pretty minimal.

In the back of both books, there are places to just catalog inks as well as some blank pages and aplces to make swatches throughout the book. The illustrated pages also repeat a couple times so you can experiment without “ruining” your book. In the Log of Atlantis, there are about 50 original pages that repeat about times before the ink swatching pages start.

The Log of Elixir:

I don’t want to give too much away by showing all the pages in the Log of Elixir because there are so many delightful pages full of apothecary, magical and vintage vibes that every time I open it, I find something that wows and delights. If you love cats, I challenge you to find all the cats which appear on many pages as well as magical mushrooms, butterflies, unicorns, dragons and astronomical goodies.

I enjoyed test driving the stained glass windows and flowers. I was still only working with a handful of ink colors which I recommend limiting your ink colors per page or spread to create a more unified finished piece and give yourself a chance to mix colors with the 5 or 6 inks you use on each page.

Above, is the back of the roses painted page and there is no show through, just a little buckling of the paper as a result of the water used.

Above, is one of the many pages with cats in weird positions and also shows the reverse of the stained glass window page so the only bleed through was the swatch of Sailor x Dromgoole’s Apricot Jam. It’s not terrible and I’ll definitely try painting this page to see if the ink bleeds onto this paint or if I can just paint over it.

I counted the original pages in the Log of Elixir and it also has about 50 original pages which repeats 3-ish times (almost four) but the last repeat is a little mixed up. After quite a few ink swatching pages in a section of just blank pages for more open creativity or writing.

The Final Verdict:

I found that painting with ink was a joy and these books tickle my fancy. The paper is good and the art is delightful. I like that these books leave room for journaling as well as ink sampling and coloring. If you don’t have one of these books yet, don’t wait. They won’t be around forever.

DISCLAIMER: Some 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.

In Tools

Tool Review: Kakimori Stainless Steel Dip Nib

AnaJune 12, 2025June 12, 20252 Comments

I cannot believe I have waited so long to write a review of the Kakimori Stainless Steel Dip Nib. Some of this may be that the nib was released in the last few years and I have a very established method for doing ink swatching and ink testing. That said, I can no longer ignore its existence.

One of my issues with the Kakimori nibs ($58) that kept me from picking one up is that they are expensive. When compared with a dip nib, the price is staggering. A dip nib from John Neal Books ranges in price from $0.60 to about $25 for a set. A standard nib holder is usually less the $10 for a standard holder and some are as cheap as $1.64. So, reasonably speaking, for under $5, you can get a dip nib set up but Kakimori nibs are not exactly a dip nib so its a bit of an unfair comparison.

The Kakimori nibs are probably a little more similar to a glass dip pen which are more expensive than a standard dip nib and can be much more fragile. A stainless steel nib is much more durable.

Finally, my experience with Kakimori dip nibs (while I only have the stainless steel here, I have used both the brass and stainless steel) is that the line quality can be inconsistent and the nibs can be scratchy.

The Kakimori nibs will fit into any standard dip nib holder so you are not required to purchase the Kakimori nib holders ($34-$92). If you already have a dip nib holder, you do not need a holder. You can buy a fancy one if you want, its just not required.

Holding the Kakimori nib and a high angle for finer writing

After doing a more in-depth test, I did discover an advantage for the Kakimori nib. By changing the angle you hold the pen/nib, you can make a wider or finer line. This makes a more flexible tool since you can do a large swatch of color and write with one tool. Also, you can change the angle to show a fine and wider writing sample.

Holidng the Kakimori Stainless Steel nib at a low angle to do a wide swatch of ink.

My suggestion is that there are so many tools available for quickly swatching and testing inks that you can choose what your needs are and what your budget is.

I recently tested the Dominant Industry Ink Muddler/Glass Dip Pen, while fragile glass so there is a risk for breakage, is only $17. Its a flexible tool with easy clean up as well.

The Sailor Hocoro dip pens are also reasonably priced and are available in a variety of nib sizes and are durable with a flip nib to make it great for protecting the nib and travel.

I don’t mean to be a party pooper about the Kakimori dip nibs but I can also offer so many other options that I have a hard time recommending the Kakimori nibs without these caveats.

I know Colorverse has introduced their own metal dip nib called the Shuttle ($42) which is slightly more affordable and I’ll test it soon. The Colorverse nib holders ($60-$80) are super fancy and pricey!

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

In Link Love

Link Love: It’s My Birfday! You get a treat!

AnaJune 11, 2025June 12, 20253 Comments

Today is my birthday so I thought I’d let you celebrate since I can’t give everyone a cupcake like grade school. I don’t normally do sales on the shop but for one day only, everything* is 20% off.

Use the coupon code: MYBIRTHDAYTREAT on any order over $20
(*Sale does not include De-stash. Offer expires Jun 13, 2025 @ 12:00 AM Central)

A real birthday treat would be if you considered becoming a member of our Patreon. Your patronage supports this site and keeps me in the occasional birthday cupcake. Without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In feature

Yarn + Ink: Yellow!

Laura CameronJune 10, 2025June 8, 2025Leave a comment

Do you have any colors you dislike? If I’m being 100% honest I’ve never been much of a yellow fan. Sure it’s sunny and bright and happy, but somehow I just never cared for it much. In recent years I’ve come to appreciate a good honey or mustard, but they’re never my first choice.

This week’s chicken knitting is yellow. I didn’t pick it, and it wouldn’t be my first choice, but it got me thinking about yellow yarn in my stash, and yellow inks.

Do you use yellow inks? Some of the light ones are so light that they’re not super legible. I can get beyond a deep honey or gold ink though. Yellow is definitely a color that I don’t stock up on. Here’s what I seem to have in my stash:

Ban Mi Yellow
Vinta Hanan
Papier Plume Yellow
PenBBS No 134
Robert Oster Aussie Cold
Platinum Classic Citrus Black
Colorverse Gluon

And those last two? I’m not even sure they’re yellows – they sort of stray into the more green area.

Do you have any colors you dislike?

P.S. Oh how embarrassing. Apparently I already did this post a few years ago!

In Tools

MT Upcycle Washi Tape

AnaJune 9, 2025June 4, 20252 Comments

I love the idea that washi tape could be made from recycled materials (though washi paper is probably recyclable as is) so I was excited to see that MT is making Upcycle washi tape which is made from 70% recycled paper including coffee filter scraps.

The Upcycle washi tape is sold in kraft bags which would be challenging to figure out the colors of the tape in the bags if we were purchasing them in store but luckily I ordered them online. There are two rolls in each pack and there are currently 6 different packs available in solid colors. One pack is two rolls of natural colored tape but the other sets include two different colors. I purchased the Rose Pink x Uguisu (Pink & Green, $7 per set). I like all the other color options too so it was very hard to make a decision.

The Rose Pink is a warm, coral-y pink and the Uguisu is a lovely mossy green color.

In my first uses of the tape, the quality is on par with every other roll of MT washi tape I’ve ever used. IT tears easily, is good and sticky and the rolls include 7m (21 feet of tape on each roll) of tape.

Overall, I hope to see more recycled paper products especially for ephemeral items like washi tape. Thanks MT, for raising the bar.

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

In Fountain Pen Review

Pen Parade: Kaweco x Hello Kitty Limited Edition Sport in Stardust Violet

AnaJune 6, 2025June 5, 20251 Comment

I love Kaweco Sport pens. It was one of my first fountain pens and I continue to acquire them when I find a design or color in particular.

So, today I thought I’d show off my latest acquisition: the limited edition Kaweco x Hello Kitty Sport ($80) called Stardust Purple. It is transparent purple embedded with silver glitter. The nib is engraved with Hello Kitty’s adorable face. It came with a little acrylic keychain with Hello Kitty riding a unicorn and a charm with a purple bow. I immediately stuck the charm onto my pen show badge holder. It made me so happy to have this silly little Hello Kitty charm. Deep down, I am a nine-year-old girl.

This pen was only available with a F nib, or that was what I was told when I purchased it. Luckily, I prefer the F nib on Kaweco so it just meant I didn’t need to make any decisions.

I, of course, put my favorite purple ink into into the pen: my Monteverde Sweet Life Birthday Cake. I think it’s a perfect match.

I picked this up at the Houston Little Craft Fest and it was 100% an impulse purchase. It’s pretty and makes me smile but it is ridiculously expensive for what should be a $30 pen. Would I do it again? Yeah, probably. But I feel like I restrained myself since I didn’t buy a Hello Kitty AL-Sport ($185) which is even MORE expensive. But if I won the lottery, I would 100% buy one… or all of them.

My takeaway: there is no price tag on happiness. Buy what you love and love it.

The Log of Atlantis:

The Log of Elixir:

The Final Verdict:

Pens:

Ink:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things: