The Well-Appointed Desk

I have had several people ask me about the Danish Time Manager planners recently. It’s been brought to my attention that they will no longer going to be manufacturing their inserts for their A5-sized planners.

Hello For 30 years I have used an A5 Time Manager shipped from Denmark for my diary. I am devastated that they cease trading at the end of 2019. I am looking for A5 diary pages to replace the the Time Manager ones. I have looked at Filofax and whilst they do an A5 version the holes are wrongly spaced for my A5 binder. However, the holes of the Filofax smaller size are spaced correctly. It would be a compromise for me to switch from A5 to this smaller size. I would like to know if there is a company which produces A5 pages with 4 hole ring binder where the holes are spaced like this : Hole 1.5 inches Hole 2 inches Hole 1.5 inches Hole 0————————0————————————0———————0 (Not to scale) Can you help? Julie

There was also a comment in one of the planner posts (I don’t remember which one. My apologies!) about this as well. So, my best advice is:

Agendio inserts

My best advice would be to try Agendio customizable planner inserts. The advantage of Agendio inserts is that you can order them without the holes punched and then take the pages to a local copy shop and have them punch the holes for you. Just remember to save a page from your old inserts as a guide for placement and size.

Most copy shops will punch holes for a few dollars/pounds/euros and then your inserts should fit perfectly. If you would prefer to punch the holes yourself, there are hole punches available on Amazon with adjustable hole placement. This Officemate Adjustable Hole Punch (90070) can be adjusted from 2-7 holes for about $19.

Alternately, you can print your own pages. Etsy is filled with printable options for planner pages or you can download free inserts from Philofaxy and then punch the holes yourself or take them to a copy shop and have them punch them.

Hashini asks:

Do you know of any water erasable fountain pen inks that will just wipe off, if i tried to wipe them off with a wet cloth. Something like the Pliot Frixon pens. The reason is, i have been wanting to buy one of the reusable notebooks. I write a lot and am very environment conscious. Using as much plastic as the Frixon pens for this purpose seems a waste. I want to make it more sustainable and use a fountain pen in conjuncture with either the Rocketbook Everlast notebook or the Elfinbook which is made of stone paper.

Oh, this seems like such a great idea on so many levels but then there are also so many ways that make it not as great as it sounds.

Where to start? First, stone paper is not as environmentally friendly as it may sound. Some folks have also had issues with potential damage to fountain pen nibs, particularly gold nibs because the surface of the stone paper can act as a “smoothing stone” and gold nibs are generally softer than steel nibs. Long term use of stone paper can continue to “smooth” your nib in ways that you may not like.

As for the Pilot Frixion pens, it is possible to purchase a pen body and just replace the refill which will cut down on the overall waste. An example would be the standard 0.7mm gel refill which, according to JetPens site can be used in 200 different products found on their site alone.

The Rocketbook Everlast books use polyester paper (so it’s still synthetic material) that you can write on and wipe off like a dry erase board. However, this will allow you to combine it with a pen like the Pilot Frixion or potentially (and I say potentially because we have not tested this out) or something like the Noodler’s Watererase ink in a refillable marker like a Platinum Preppy Highlighter (which accepts Platinum cartridges or converters) that could be filled with the Noodler’s Watererase/Waterease ink. On traditional paper Noodler’s Watererase/Waterease is listed as permanent so results on Everlast paper could be mixed..

In the end, all of this seems like a lot of work to find a “paperless” solution. Depending on how long you plan on keeping your notebooks, keeping paper may be an easier task than maintaining digital storage solutions (when factoring in cloud storage fees, changing formats, etc). Especially since paper can be recycled and a good pen with refillable refills, cartridges or bottled ink limits overall environmental impact.

Some paper (like Tomoe River) is made from bamboo, other is made from sugar cane or cotton. All of these are renewable sources and not likely to create environmental issue. If purchasing paper made from wood pulp, be sure it’s FSC-certified which means it’s sustainably grown and harvested.

In Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Camp Out

AnaJuly 28, 2019July 28, 20198 Comments

I am pretending to be camping this week. In actuality, I would be eaten alive by insects, burned to a crisp by the sun, and die of an asthma attack from the smoke of a campfire. So, I am pretending I’m outdoorsy. Maybe I can fill a cute backpack with a fun notebook and pen and walk on our trail with a big floppy hat, lots of bug spray and sunblock to my favorite local coffee shop instead? I’ll get a s’mores brownie. Then I’ll write of my imaginary adventures and knit for awhile. What imaginary adventures will you embark on this week?

Doughnut Macaroon Standard Backpack in Brick $80 (via JetPens)
Elum Designs Exposed Binding Woodgrain Journal $16 (via Vanness Pen Shop)
Diamine Shimmer-tastic Firefly Fountain Pen Ink, $20 for 50ml bottle (via Vanness Pen Shop)
Caran d’Ache 849 Nespresso Ballpoint Pen in India Green $45.90 (via Goldspot Pens)
Edison Pearlette Fountain Pen in Sonoran Sunset with 18K Gold Fine Point $299 (via Goldspot Pens)
Lamy Studio Olive Fountain Special Edition $89 (via Vanness Pen Shop)
Coleman Stand-up Pen Case $40 (via NockCo)
Ystudio Classic Pen Case €86.78 (via Appelboom)
Kaweco Liliput Mini Fountain Pen in Fireblue – Fine Point $180 (via Goldspot Pens)
Pineider Pen Filler Inkwell $20 (via Pen Chalet)
Camp Karas “Write Outside” Notebook $2.75 each (via Karas Pen Co)
Robert Oster Signature Fountain Pen Ink in Dark Chocolate, €13.64 for 50ml bottle (via Appelboom)
Fine Writing Golden Armor Brass fountain pen €115, (via Fontoplumo)
Montblanc Petit Prince Sand of the desert brown Fountain Pen Ink, €35.60 for 50ml bottle (via Fontoplumo)
Yamakoshi Paperable Watermelon Memo Block $6.75 (via JetPens)
Field Notes National Parks Edition, $12.95 per 3-Pack, 3 different options available (via Field Notes)

In feature, Fountain Pen Review, Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: Pelikan M600 Violet & White

Jessica ColesJuly 25, 2019June 11, 20204 Comments

By Jessica Coles

Earlier this year, Pelikan announced the newest special edition: the Pelikan Violet & White M600 ($440-$535). As soon as I saw the photos of this pen, I fell in love with it and I wasn’t alone. Purple seems to be an especially rare color in the pen world.

So far, I have only given into the less expensive, smaller Pelikan models in the 200 and 400 sizes; I didn’t feel the need for a larger pen since I typically reach for small pens. The Pelikan M600 is not much different than the M400 in length (M400 is 127mm long while the M600 is 134 mm long) nor in diameter (M400 is 11.7mm and the M600 is 12.4mm) but for my small hands, I always thought the jump was a big one. As a quick reference, a Lamy Safari is 139mm in length and 13.8mm in diameter.

The weight of the M600 is a bit over 17gms, placing it among the lighter pens in our common pen chart.

But. Purple. Not “purple” that is actually deep blue. The Pelikan Violet & White comes in a striking box that appears laced up the front that gives an air of elegance in the presentation. Rather than the laces closing the box, they are only for show; the box has covered magnets in the flaps and opens to reveal the pen held in place with another ribbon.

The Pelikan Violet & White edition brings to mind (at least to me) Victorian, striped silk in a parlor or perhaps fancy, striped candy. I have heard a few comments that the gold trim was a disappointment, but personally, I think the color combination is perfect. The two-tone, 14kt gold nib keeps the gold trim in check.

Like I said earlier, I usually reach for smaller pens. However, the M600 felt like a refreshing change; the fact that I refuse to post such a beautiful pen helps keep the length reasonable for me. The uncapped pen feels perfectly weighted to me and is light, great for long writing sessions.

One thing I appreciate about Pelikan pens – every Pelikan feels familiar as soon as I pick it up. Well-made pieces that endure through the years, only getting better with age. I love the classic black-and-green stripes that Pelikan has historically used and the Violet & White echos that tradition. The new violet color seems less an expression of popular colors than simply adding another classic color combination to an extensive lineup. I’m quite happy that Pelikan decided to add such a beautiful pen to their ever-growing flock.

Etched into the end cap is the brand’s namesake pelican and a single chick.

A closeup of the barrel of the Violet & White shows that the barrel is not translucent like many of the striped Pelikan pens. That does mean that there is no visual cues to the level of your ink; I enjoy both versions of ink appearance, but I do think it would have been handy in this case. However, that also means the distraction of ink level does not take aways from the overall look of the pen.

One decision I had to make was where I would purchase the Violet & White edition once it was released. Having purchased a gold nib Pelikan before, I knew I would want the nib altered. I love Pelikan’s fine and extra-fine nibs (Pelikan, being a German company, has nibs that run broader than Japanese nibs), but for my lovely purple Pelikan I wanted something different. Dan Smith (or Nibsmith) offers specialty nib grinds for pens purchased through him. Dan ground a lovely cursive italic for me from a Pelikan medium nib. It is lovely enough that I need a second review just for the nib – watch for part two next week!

Pelikan selected a two-tone gold nib for this edition and the 14k gold gives a touch of softness to the writing feel. It is a pleasure to write with any of their gold nibs, but there’s nothing quite as nice in my mind as a crisp italic nib and the medium nib was perfect base to create the italic nib. It give my writing a bit of line variation without feeling cramped. Again, please watch for the nib review next week.

As I said earlier in the review, purple is a rare color in the pen world. The Pelikan Violet & White is a perfect addition to those occasional purple special editions and I’m very pleased with how Pelikan has chosen to create this pen. Even though the price on the M600 is steep, my experience with Pelikan pens tells me that each pen ages beautifully and keeps its value over time.

I have never regretted a Pelikan purchase and this is one that I am absolutely going to add to my collection and keep in everyday rotation. Modern gold nibs pens start around $150 but typically cost $250 to $300. Is the Pelikan Violet & White worth twice as much as other gold nib pens on the market? Because of the luxurious look and feel of the purple, white and gold combination, along with knowing the performance and durability of Pelikan pens, I think it is well worth the money. This is a pen that I hope to pass down to my children and grandchildren one day. Especially if one has an eye for purple.

Paper: Rhodia Blank #19 A4 ($8.99)
Pen: Pelikan M600 Violet & White ($440-$535)
Nib: Custom ground medium cursive italic by Dan Smith (No additional cost)
Ink: Rohrer & Klingner Cassia (50ml for $11.95)

Disclaimer: Some of the items in this review were provided on loan for the purpose of this review. Other items in this review were purchased by me. For more information, visit our About page.

In Art of the Day

Eye Candy: Colorverse First Moon Landing Ink Set

AnaJuly 24, 2019June 3, 20202 Comments

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the safe return of our intrepid travelers: Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, it seemed only appropriate to post this Eye Candy unboxing of the Colorverse First Moon Landing Ink Set ($100).

Once again, Colorverse did a spectacular job with the packaging and presentation of this set. They included drawings on the box of the revolutions around the moon of the LEM and the Command Module (CSM) as well as the famous quote “… the Eagle has landed” on the top of the box.

Hidden on the closure flap is distance traveled from the earth to the moon.

On the inside of the box are diagrams of the various stages of the Saturn V rocket, Apollo 11, the CSM (Command Module AKA Columbia) and the LEM (Lunar Module AKA Eagle).

On the box flaps is a photo of the moon surface with points indicating where Tranquility Base is located, the date and various points where the two astronauts visited. On the right hand flap is the quote from President John F. Kennedy that to the fateful moment in 1969 that we are commemorating.

There are more beautiful photos inside the flaps of earth, the LEM and more.

As always, Colorverse includes a set of stickers and a napkin with the inks.

The First Moon Landing set comes with a numbered card since this set is limited to just 1969 sets. An appropriate number, I think.

Once all the packaging is finally removed to reveal the contents, the first layer of 15ml bottles of inks can be seen. Three bottles are on the top layer plus the metal pen rest with the moon boot tread mark. This tray lifts out to reveal the fourth 15ml bottle and the larger 65ml bottle.

Here are all five bottles together plus the pen rest. The bottles feature a raised, dome-shaped, enamel-like sticker with the name of the color on it rather than the standard glossy paper sticker found on the regular inks.

The ink colors are appropriately named Eagle, Columbia, Tranquillty Base, One Small Step and Apollo 11. Apollo 11 is the 65ml bottle while the other colors are the smaller 15ml sized. All the inks are standard water soluble colors. None of the colors are metallics.

The four 15ml colors are a medium grey, a turquoise, a green and an almost fluorescent red. I think the grey is amazing. It’s not too dark or too light. One Small Step is a cool grey. Eagle is a gorgeous aqua. I keep thinking its reminiscent of a color on some part of the NASA insignia but I can’t put my finger on where or what would make me think so. Maybe the worm logo?

The aqua and blue echo the colors of earth seen from space. The red is the other NASA logo color and the grey is the color of the moon’s surface? Does that sound plausible?

They are all really pretty colors and I wish they were much bigger bottles.

The large 65ml blue is an almost exact match for the NASA meatball blue.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ana reinert (@wellappointeddesk)

My instinct was to compare Apollo 11 to the Colorverse Saturn V ink (of course) and Parker Quink Blue-Black (the other steely-eyed missile man ink). Amazingly, there is still a difference in the colors. Apollo 11 is a tiny bit more violet but not as much as Purple Rock. And the Blue-Black inks were all too black, as demonstrated by the Parker Quink and Diamine 150th and they were the least black.

In order from top to bottom: Oster Purple Rock, Colorverse Apollo 11, Colorverse Saturn V, Diamine 150th Anniversary Blue-Black, Parker Quink Blue-Black.

Can you see the subtle differences? I realize they look slight on screen (and maybe not at all depending on screen brightness and calibration) but there is a noticeable difference in person.

Can I justify a purchase like this? I did some janky math and determined that the average Colorverse ink costs about $0.45 per ml assuming each regular set is a total of 80ml for $36. So, with that rationale, the 60ml bottle costs $29.25 and each 15ml bottle costs $6.75 making the ink costs for the First Moon Landing set $56.75. Add in another $5-10 for the metal pen rest and fancy extras and the set should come in at about $66, not $100. Ouch.

Even with the deluxe packaging and attention to detail, the premium price is a bit much to swallow, even for an ultrafan like myself. I still love my set and I’m glad I purchased it. I did the above math in hopes of proving to myself that price was not that exorbitant. Sadly, I only proved to myself that, despite fabulous packaging and attention to detail, it was worth it. However, I don’t think it was worth the extra $34 of good packaging. Unless that pen rest was solid gold.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Splashdown!

AnaJuly 24, 2019July 24, 2019Leave a comment

I promise that today is the last day that I will inundate you with Apollo 11 links and whatnot. Since this is an opportunity that comes around once every 50 years, I’m taking full advantage of it. I grew up on science fiction movies, tv shows and novels and the wave of history that, by the time I was born, a man had walked on the moon. It was possible that, in my lifetime, we could live in space, drive flying cars, and have Rosie the Robot attend our every need… or at least I hoped so. And while we don’t have flying cars or Rosie the Robot, I do have an app-controlled R2-D2, NASA has landed rovers on Mars and we have somewhat reliable robot vacuums. So, I love this stuff.

So, in the spirit of successful space travel (and a successful splashdown) and all it made possible both on earth and for future voyages, I give you a few more links.

Just because you’re not a knitter, don’t skip over the “knit to this” link — it’s a recommendation for an amazing podcast that you can listen to while driving, doing the dishes or working out. If you do knit, you’ll appreciate it too. And the Glamourdaze link provides some background history about the women who assembled the spacesuits (hint: they were the seamstresses working at Playtex) and some of the cross-pollination of the hight tech fabrics from undergarments to spacesuits and back again.

And the Oz Typewriter link has a field trip to the relay site in Australia that helped transmit signals from space back to Houston. Pretty neat!

Links of the week:

Video: Complete Descent of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (via Kottke.org)
NotOnSunday celebrates the moon landing’s 50th anniversary with three badges for the Scouts (via It’s Nice That)
Playtex – From Bras to Space Suits on Apollo 11 (via Glamour Daze)
Sony’s Proto-Walkman that Went to the Moon (via Kottke.org)
Apollo Playlist Part 2: Music Inside Apollo, Musical Critique from Outside Apollo (via Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)
One Giant Leap for Mankind (via usps.com)
Knit to This: 13 Minutes to the Moon (via Mason-Dixon Knitting)
The 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing and two Royal Express Typewriters (via oz.Typewriter)
The Iconic Neil Armstrong Spacesuit is Back on Display After 13 Years (via My Modern Met)

Ink Review: Diamine Aurora Borealis

Laura CameronJuly 23, 2019July 23, 20191 Comment

Review by Laura Cameron

When I was at the Chicago Pen Show, the color we couldn’t keep in stock was Diamine’s Aurora Borealis (30mL, $7.50). So the last time I loaded up my cart at JetPens, I threw a bottle in to give it a whirl.

Aurora Borealis is one of my favorite colors, a rich teal colored ink.

It appears to shade a bit in writing, and it does have a hint of a purple red sheen in heavy applications.

Although this color is one of my favorites, I had tons of comparative options to choose from in my stash of inks. I find that it is very close to 3 Oysters Marine Green (thought Marine Green is a scotch darker and has much more sheen). The lighter bits of Aurora Borealis are also very close to the darker sections of Colorverse Morning Star. I had thought it might be close to Monteverde California Teal, but as you can see here California Teal is somewhat greener. Though not pictured, Robert Oster Deep Sea is also in the same color family.

Overall, I really like Diamine inks and I think they’re a good value for the money, so if you’re looking for a teal alternative to pricier inks, I think Aurora Borealis is a winner!

Paper: Crossfield Journal ($24.00)
Pen: Delike Glass Signature Pen ($37.80)
Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) and Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
Inks: Diamine’s Aurora Borealis (30mL, $7.50)

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.

In news

Sailor Studio Inks from Dromgoole’s (Sponsored Post)

AnaJuly 22, 2019September 16, 20191 Comment

Once upon a time, the only way to acquire Sailor Studio Inks was to purchase them from sellers on eBay. But not anymore! Dromgoole’s in Houston has made it possible for folks in the US to get these unique and wonderful ink colors by calling their shop and ordering them by phone (No email or online ordering).

I know, in the days of internet ordering, this may seem a little arcane but Sailor has a strict policy that only brick-and-mortar stores can carry the Studio line of inks. So, short of showing up at the Houston headquarters of Dromgoole’s in person, calling on the phone is the only way Sailor will permit customers to purchase the inks without being in the store. (Again, let me be clear – No email or online ordering… Use Ye Olde Tyme TELEPHONE.)

That said, Dromgoole’s is making it super easy for anyone attending the DC Supershow to get some serious INSTANT GRATIFICATION. That’s right, if you call in now, they will bring your Sailor Studio inks to the DC Show and hand deliver it to you. How’s that for service?

Regardless of whether you’re going to the DC Supershow, you can call today and order any (or all!) of the Sailor Studio inks ($18 per bottle). The number to call is 713.526.4651. Dromgoole’s is open 8:30-5:30 Monday-Friday and 9-5 on Saturday (CST). They are closed on Sunday.

If you want your ink delivered to the DC Supershow, you need to call before soon otherwise it won’t make it on the van. Remember, the show starts on Thursday, August 1 and the Dromgooles need time to pack and drive all the way to DC from Houston.

Everyone else can order anytime and Dromgoole’s can ship your order to you. Again, the number is 713.526.4651.

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.

Click to see all the reviews we’ve done of Sailor Studio Inks. (PSSST! Everyone keeps raving about #123 but I think #243 is similar but a darker, more usable version. And Jesi and I have been calling #670 “Pickle Juice”.)

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things: