The Well-Appointed Desk

Notebook Review: Odyssey Notebooks (Tomoe River 68gsm)

Want to get me in my happy place? Mix 68gsm Tomoe River paper with something stellar/space themed and then tell me its a BRAND NEW notebook.

I have searched for this image so many times over the last week. 100% the best pen community meme yet. And 100% true. (from jennibick on instagram)

We always need a new notebook. What if we start a new project? Or a new job? Or decide to completely redo how we are planning, journaling, etc? We need to have a spare notebook on hand. We can’t WAIT for one to arrive or, heaven forbid, have to trek out to buy one at a moment’s notice. I mean we don’t wait until we run out of ink to buy another bottle, right? Same thing applies with notebooks.

Like I said, when I am thinking about what kinds of notebooks I want to have in my “emotional support stack” 68gsm Tomoe River notebooks are always at the top of the list. Odyssey Notebooks makes an array of notebook options but focuses on A5 and pocket notebooks presently. The A5 notebooks are available in 200- and 400-page hardcover books and an epic 500-page softcover book. Most notebooks are available with 5mm dot grid, 7mm lined or blank options. All hardcovers feature stunning space-themed foil stamping on the cover.

Odyssey notebooks also did a special 160gsm collab with Cooper Calligraphy to create a limited collection of tarot card themed notebooks. I have not gotten to try the 160gsm premium paper but its definitely on my “next notebook” list.

The A5 hardcover notebooks feature two ribbon bookmarks, a vertical elastic strap, a gusseted pocket in the back for ephemera and numbered pages, even in the blank version. The hardcover notebooks feature a foil stamped image on the cover — planets, supernovas and other stellar artwork which was created by the owner of the company. A woman of many talents!

This is the back of the A5 softcover 500-page dot grid notebook. The cover is a matte, woven texture cardstock that is glued to the interior flysheet for extra thickness. It seems pretty durable and feels nice in the hand though I suspect anyone using a 500-page notebook may need a more durable cover since it will take quite some time to use all 500-page.

Both the hardcover and softcover notebooks have the company info debossed on the bottom edge of the back cover. That’s just the right amount of branding.

All the notebooks are well-stitched and feel durable and quality.

The Pocket-Sized Notebook:

The pocket notebooks (3.5 x 5.5″) feature 72 pp, dot grid and a soft, leatherette cover in an array of colors with a little satellite embossed in the lower right hand corner. They, of course, use 68gsm Tomoe River paper.

I did find the dots in the pocket notebooks to be a bit larger and darker than in the A5 sized notebooks. They are still printed in a light grey so they are not too noticeable but I thought I’d note the difference here. There are no pages numbers in the pocket notebook.

A5 Blank:

The A5 hardcover notebook uses the same type of non-leather leatherette for the cover which is soft to the touch and hold the foil stamp details beautifully.

This is my go-to notebook in terms of paper style. I love a blank notebook that i can use a guidesheet under. The 68gsm is that sweet spot between being transparent enough to use a guidesheet while also being opaque enough to be able to use both sides of the paper. the 68gsm Tomoe River shows most ink characteristics while improving dry time when compared to the 52gsm variety.

I know lots of people prefer the 52gsm Tomoe River but I’m delighted that I can still find and use the 68gsm.

A5 Lined Insert:

I also tested a 7mm lined Cahier-style notebooks ($8 each). These are A5-sized with 48pp and use the same 68gsm Tomoe River paper as the larger notebooks. These are perfect for the A5-sized Traveler’s Notebook set-ups.

The lines are an unobtrusive grey and not too thick. Even with extra fine gel pens, I still see the writing before I notice the lines which is my litmus test for lined, graph or dot grid papers.

There was no bleed through with any of the tools I tested and minimal showthrough.

Page Numbers:

The orbit lines around the page numbers is fun and unique and not too intrusive. I love that they included page number on the blank edition as well. Often, if I request a blank notebook, its 100% blank. It’s nice to have page numbers so that I can, if I choose, add a table of content or other index to find my content later.

Final Thoughts:

If you haven’t tried the thicker 68gsm Tomoe River paper yet, I think the notebooks from Odyssey are a great place to start. Odyssey Notebooks is a WOC business headquartered in Maryland and makes great products… as if you needed another reason to invest in a few more emotional support notebooks.

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

In feature, Ink Review

Ink Review: Newest Sailor Manyo

Jessica ColesJuly 21, 2022July 21, 20221 Comment

I’m a big fan of Sailor’s Manyo ink line. The Manyo colors are beautiful, the ink quality is excellent, and the price/volume is well below the current average for Sailor. All Sailor Manyo inks come in 50mL bottles for $24 – a far cry from the $1/mL prices we’ve been seeing recently. A big thank you to Dromgoole’s for sending the inks over for review!

I appreciate that Sailor has been adding more inks to this line on a regular basis and that Manyo inks are a North America-only release. It seems to make up just a tiny bit for the hundreds of inks that are only available in Japan.

The four Manyo inks in this review were recently received by retailers. All four – Koke, Fuji, Ayame, and Hinoki – are described as dual-shading inks by Sailor; they could also fall under the popular term magic inks or multi-chromatic inks.

First up today is Sailor Fuji. This is a dusky purple with grey and blue shading and reminds me of clouds that are lining up to cause major destruction.

Sailor Koke is next, a dark teal with grey, green, and blue showing up in the layered ink. While Koke is very close in color to Sailor 341, Koke has greater depth to the shading and is a touch greener.

Sailor Ayame reminded me of Sailor 123 when I first used it, but it is much darker (and easier to read). The color is closer to Sailor 224 but in Ayame, the tones are more dramatic, swinging from grey to green to purple with a halo of dark green that looks nearly black.

Finally, there is Sailor Hinoki. While it looks close to Ayame, Hinoki is much bluer, shading in grey and purple with just a touch of green in the background. It is similar to Van Dieman’s Morning Frost but Hinoki is slightly darker.

Since Sailor recently released their amazing multi-shading inks (in 20mL bottles), it may help to show these Manyo inks in comparison. Manyo Ayame is darker than Itezora, but close in the mix of colors. Ayame also shows a darker halo in the swatch.

Sailor Manyo Hinoki and Manyo Fuji are similar to Kangyou and Kyokkou in color. The Manyo inks do not show as much color variation, but they are easier to read.

Sailor Manyo Koke didn’t have a good equivalent in the “magic” ink lineup

For those who need more quantity than the 20mL Sailor “magic” inks, the Manyo dual-shading release is a great alternative.

I had a great time playing with these four inks on various paper types. First is Tomoe River paper (old stock). On Tomoe River paper, these look even closer to the “magic” Sailor inks.

The next paper type is Cosmo Air Light paper. Some of the dual-shading quality disappears, but the colors are crisper and darker.

On Midori MD Light paper, Fuji almost glows while the remaining three inks show quite a bit of the dual-shading property.

Typically, the above three paper types are the paper I use in ink reviews. This time I thought it would be interesting to see how Bank paper took the dual-shading Manyo inks. I thought it would be similar to the other paper types. I was wrong.

Where did all of this green come from?? All swatches were done with the same paintbrush and dip pen. One after another. But when the ink touched Bank paper, the result was not the same color at all.

I am also including two comparison photos so the color differences are easier to see. Hinoki and Ayame are quite different colors on Midori MD Light and Cosmo Air Light.

Hinoki on Cosmo Air Light paper versus Tomoe River paper (on the right) is again dramatically different. All four inks look softer on Tomoe River paper while Cosmo Air Light paper shows crisper lines and darker colors.

I will again say that I am a huge fan of Sailor Manyo inks. The newest four dual-shading inks are a fabulous addition to the lineup and I highly recommend them along with all Manyo inks.

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.

In Link Love

Link Love: Papery Day

AnaJuly 20, 2022July 20, 20221 Comment

Today is a very papery day. At least for me and this edition of Link Love. But I think that’s okay. I love paper and notebooks. If I didn’t, this job would be considerably less enjoyable than it is. I love when people find new paper products or revisit an old favorite. I love knowing that this site and these links might introduce a new paper (or pen or ink) to someone so that it might become their favorite.

What’s your favorite paper?

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In news

Winner: Hinze Pens Erste L12 Fountain Pen Gift Certificate

AnaJuly 20, 2022July 20, 20221 Comment

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway for the Hinze Pens Erste L12 Fountain Pen Gift Certificate (valued at $160).

Drum roll, please….

Clearly, I completely agree!

Winner will be contacted directly with the email provided. Thanks again and a big thanks to our Patrons who helped fund this giveaway and to Hinze Pens for making such awesome pens!

In news

Shameless Plug: Julia van der Wyk’s Ink Wash Painting Class

AnaJuly 19, 2022July 18, 20221 Comment

Julia van der Wyk Ink Wash Class

Our good friend, Julia van der Wyk, is teaching Ink Wash Painting this August at the San Francisco Pen Show.

We all have way too many inks than we can use in a lifetime so thankfully, Julia will show you lots of painting techniques to allow you to use your fountain pen inks (and any ink really) to paint still life, from nature and much more. Practice brush handling, experiment with water and paper, and create an art piece in her hands-on workshop.

Class is Sunday, August 28, 2022 from 1-3pm and tuition is $85 including materials. Class is limited to 15 students so you should probably register ASAP to ensure your place. Julia asks that you bring an object to use for your first still life. Check out her Instagram feed for some ideas.

Class fee is separate from pen show entry fee.

Julia van der Wyk

There are lots of other interesting classes on the docket for the SF Pen Show. I’ll be working at the show so I won’t be able to attend any classes but I’m looking forward to living vicariously through anyone who is attending the classes.

In Pen Review

The DRILLOG v. 2 Machined Dip Nib (& Graft Spirl Barrel)

AnaJuly 18, 2022July 17, 2022

The first launch of the DRILLOG on Kickstarter ended in November 2021 to much hype and fanfare. Many people were excited by the machined metal dip nibs as a unique and durable alternative to glass, plastic or the classic, bent metal, dip nibs. To continue the excitement, this month, on Kickstarter, they launched a new v.2 version of the DRILLOG pen barrels and new nibs.

The DRILLOG products have been created by folks at Shion, a Japanese factory specializing in precision metal processing. They have manufactured aircraft parts in the past so they clearly have machining down to a science. The company currently operates two product brands: NEIGHBOR & CRAFTSMAN, a brand based on the theme of comfortable neighbors and DRILLOG, a brand that pursues the possibilities of writing instruments.

I was sent a sample of the DRILLOG graft spiral barrel/grip section (approx. $94USD) and a 0.5mm dip nib (approx. $95USD) making the total reward cost $189USD plus any shipping fees.

The Graft Spiral barrel/grip section is extremely tiny.

Capped (closed): 77mm (3.125″)
Posted: 111mm (4.425″)
Nib & grip section: 65mm (2.625″)

The rear section with the holes (assumedly for attaching to a key chain or carabiner) can be unscrewed and replaced with a full length body section that either matches the grip section or not. A plain aluminum, full-length barrel is about $102USD. For the full length “Classical Spiral” to match the Spiral Graft grip section on the model I received, is about $118USD. The spiral pattern on the grip section makes it wider than some of the other grip options and creates natural divots for your fingers.

The model configuration that I tested weighs 20gms capped or posted. It is not usable unposted since it threads into the barrel at the grip section.

I placed the Pilot Custom 912 next to the DRILLOG for size comparison.

Writing Tests:

I received the 0.5mm nib for testing which is considered comparable to a EF nib. I find this to be a fair comparison. I was able to write for a good long while before needing to dip again. I tested several different types of ink to see if different brands behaved differently with the metal nib. I did notice a slightly wider line with a wetter ink but nothing too shocking.

I know that some people who received samples or early versions of the DRILLOG nibs from the first Kickstarter had some issue with ink flow. The nib I received came with some care instructions that clearly outlined the likelihood that oils (particularly HAND oils) and debirs can build up in the fine grooves in the nib and the best course of action is to start off by handling the nib as little as possible. If you do start to run into issues, they recommend cleaning it carefully and using a toothbrush or other small, gentle brush to remove dirt, dried ink or other debris from the grooves. I think a nice trip through an ultrasonic cleaner with a little pen flush would probably also be useful if you run into any ink retention issues.

One of the interesting discoveries I made while testing the DRILLOG nib and barrel was that once the nib was loaded with ink, I could lay it almost flat onto the paper and use the nib to apply a swathe of ink on the page. This discovery made ink swatching an even easier task. Dip the DRILLOG nib, lay it along your paper or Col-o-ring card to apply a large patch of color, then dip again to write the name of the ink. Dip the nib into water to clean, wipe with a clean towel and start your next swatch sample. Easy peasy!

The prices are approximate as the USD to Japanese Yen rate may vary between the time of selecting a reward and when the fees are processed. This Kickstarter project has two weeks left and is already fully funded.The prices are approximate as the USD to Japanese Yen rate may vary between the time of selecting a reward and when the fees are processed. This Kickstarter project has two weeks left and is already fully funded.

Final Thoughts:

The DRILLOG project is very unique and definitely ushers in a new era is dip pens. It’s a very modern alternative to the dip pens of the past. Is it better? That’s hard to say definitively. It’s certainly a pricier option to the $7 Speedball nib holder and $2 nib. That said, this is definitely designed for an audience comfortable with spending $200+ on a fountain pen who is looking for a modern maker answer to the question “How should I test/play with my inks?” Which side are you on?

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

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Curnow A5 NEW PAPER Inserts

AnaJuly 15, 2022July 15, 20221 Comment

One of my favorite vendors at pen shows is Curnow Bookbinding and Leatherwork. Unfortunately, they only attend two shows per year: St. Louis and San Francisco. So, if you’re lucky enough to attend either of these shows, I recommend making a beeline to their tables to stock up on traveler-style notebook inserts and handmade leather covers. If you live in the SF area, Curnow does attend many local craft and art fairs so you may be able to shop for delicious paper and handmade leather journal covers in person. Just check out their Facebook page for their next event. To place an order, send them a DM on Facebook or an email. Their email address is on the pinned post with pricing at the top of their Facebook page.

For many years, the Curnow handmade journal inserts were one of the few ways to get Tomoe River paper but as the availability of Tomoe River increased and then the subsequent changes to the paper quality, Curnow has been leading the way in the search for other papers that are unique and fountain pen friendly.

This year I picked up two 3-packs of A5 notebooks. One is the Ayush Paper and the other is Kraft paper (both are $20 per 3-pack). All Curnow notebooks are available in an array of common notebook sizes: Field Notes (Backpocket-Pocket), Passport (Backpocket), A5, A6 and traditional Traveler’s Notebook (A5 slim). Curnow will also create custom sizes on request. The Ayush (and Neenah) paper options are available blank, lined, music, 5mm dot-grid, 5mm cross-grid, 5mm grid, 2.5mm grid and knitters’ grid. The Kraft (and Tomoe) are only available blank

The Ayush Paper Inserts:

I don’t have a lot of details about this particular type of Ayush paper. It’s 29lb cream/ivory paper and is made in India. The paper was created for use with fountain pens and my experience thus far is that it lives up to the claim. Each of the three notebooks included contain 60 pages.

I tested an assortment of pens on the Ayush paper, using a guide sheet under the page to maintain (relatively) straight lines without having to have lines printed on my paper.

The Ayush paper didn’t show any signs of feathering and handled rollerball, gel, fountain pen and marker with no issues.

When paper performs this well, I always throw in the alcohol-based Sharpie marker because that pen bleeds through EVERYTHING. So, when I flipped over the page, I was delighted to see that the Ayush paper did very well with everything I threw at it. Even the Sharpie just had show through, not bleedthrough. There is a little show through along the spine edge where I had colored in the boxes but it is not so visible that I wouldn’t be able to use both sides of the paper.

The texture of the paper is slightly toothy. On the sliding scale of paper smoothness with Rhodia on the smoothest end and Col-o-ring on the toothy end, I’d put Ayush in the middle of the range, maybe a bit on the Col-o-ring side but closer to the middle.

Overall, I am quite pleased with this paper and I am looking forward to putting these notebooks to work over the next few months. That way I’ll know if I need to stock up in SF.

The Kraft Paper Inserts

The Kraft paper inserts won’t be of interest to everyone but if you’re looking for a fun paper for pastel or glitter gel pens, paint markers or other drawing tools, look no further.

Curnow doesn’t list the weight of the Kraft paper but I’d guess its maybe 60# text. If you have the Field Notes Sweet Tooth edition, the paper weight feels similar. The Kraft notebooks are blank and the paper is too opaque to use a guide sheet underneath so they are definitely better for drawing, sketching, doodling or collage. A lot of colored pencils also worked well on the paper.

Posca paint pens, brush markers and opaque gel pens are so fun on this paper. I also think using the kraft notebooks for collage would also be fun. The paper is heavy enough to support layers of additional paper and some glue adhesive. Gouache might be fun too.

I wouldn’t recommend watercolor painting. I don’t think the paper would show the color of watercolor with much effect and the paper is likely to buckle/waffle from the water. But you do you.

When I flipped the paper over to see how much of the paint pen and brush marker showed through, I was truly blown away. Not even a bit of show through. I’m speechless.

Final Thoughts:

The Curnows are such kind people and such great craftspeople that I delight in supporting their creative ventures. I hope you have an opportunity to try some of their products and meet these delightful folks.

The Pocket-Sized Notebook:

A5 Blank:

A5 Lined Insert:

Page Numbers:

Final Thoughts:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

Writing Tests:

Final Thoughts:

The Ayush Paper Inserts:

The Kraft Paper Inserts

Final Thoughts: