In Link Love

Link Love: Cotton Candy FTW

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Artwork by Madeline Tompkins of Tag Team Tompkins with a Krink Marker.

Today, Jesi and her daughter will arrive in Kansas City on their way to Saint Louis for the Saint Louis Pen Show. They will stay here for the night and go with Laura and I to our local pen club. Needless to say Laura and I are ridiculously excited to have three-quarters of the Desk staff in one city.

Remember, you can find Jesi and I at tables 220 and 221 all weekend in St. Louis so please stop by and say hello! Buy some lovely restored Esterbrook Pens from Jesi and get your Col-o-ring and Col-o-dex from me, along with a great assortment of paper goods from Skylab Letterpress. We even have vintage pencils, a couple typewriters, vintage Rolodex and more. I’m pretty sure I’m bringing more than will actually fit on the table!

As a result of pen show preparations, Link Love will be short this week. So I leave you with the fastest way to eat cotton candy:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Paper & notebooks:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

In Tools

Review: Galen Leather Writing Box

Author AnaPosted on 9 Comments

Review by Jessica Coles

A writing box.  Is it something I need?  Working from home has some amazing benefits.  One of those is the ability to work on my laptop outside during the amazing weather, especially with a glass of iced tea.  The convenience of the laptop allows me to lean back, prop up my feet, and work in the best “office” available!

Summer office
My outdoor office

Missing

One thing has been missing from this setup, though.  A writing surface.  A laptop is great for typing, surfing, chatting, and multi-tasking.  But what about deep focus?  I rely on a notebook for processing my thoughts when they are jumbled, or for focus when the rest of life gets too hectic.  But I have found that trying to write with a notebook outdoors can be awkward at best.  I usually try to balance a notebook on a knee, hoping to find enough support to give me a writing surface.  Often the result is not pretty.

Lap Desk

I have tried lap desks before.  One had a soft pillow with a hard writing surface.  Unfortunately, the puppy loved it and the stuffing, well, lets just say I still find pieces of styrofoam filling every once in a while.

Another attempt was made with a vintage-inspired lap desk that folded open in three parts.  While it is lovely and useful, pens would roll around inside and there was no way to store more than a few sheets of paper.  No journals allowed!

The Writing Box

Then, one day, a magic box appeared in my mail.  The Writing Box ($120) from Galen Leather, crafted by Walden Woodworkers, Istanbul.

Outer box
Even the outer cardboard box is heavy-duty and beautiful
Beautiful
The Writing Desk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well made
Elastic bands hold securely

As I opened the outer cardboard box, a wonderful scent came out to meet me.  The rich smell of wood and leather together. The wood is solid walnut that has been finished with linseed oil so there is no chemical smell.  The same is true with the leather; the vegetable tanned leather doesn’t give off a chemical smell but just smells wonderful.

When I opened the writing box, the upper portion revealed the origin of the leather smell.  This part of the desk is lined with rich-feeling leather with two thick bands of elastic.

The Writing Box is a beautifully made piece of functional art.  The materials are high quality, the construction of the piece is simple but solid and elegant. Even the elastic bands feel like someone put thought into the material selection.

Evil eye
The writing box interior with extras

There was a card detailing the desk and giving a background of Galen Leather.  Yusef was the individual who lovingly crafted this writing desk.

A 10% off coupon was included along with a glass evil eye charm.  I was rather surprised at that one!

No slipping
The pegs hold the writing surface securely

 

The bottom of the desk is covered in a sheet of felt material.  This sheet isn’t attached to anything so it can be removed.  I left it in the desk since it seemed to keep notebooks from sliding around as much.

Two pegs rotate up and hold the top of the desk at an angle — somewhere around 15 degrees.  This inclination created a pleasant surface for writing, especially when I was sitting back, relaxing outside.  Which, as far as I’m concerned, is a major plus.

Well supported surface
15 degree slant to the writing surface

 

 

At first it seemed that the writing surface itself was too small to comfortably use with a notebook.  But as I used the desk more, I quickly realized it was the perfect size if I moved the notebook slightly as I moved down the page.  At the center of the bottom edge of the writing surface is a metal plate screwed into the wood bearing the name Walden Woodworkers, Istambul.  This is another detail that I thought would detract from the writing experience, but it never did.  It actually helped when I was using my Weeks or writing a letter; the metal plate supported the bottom edge of my work.

A great addition
Thick label plate that serves to hold papers

 

All my stuff fits perfectly!
The interior, fully loaded up

 

But wait!  Inside the desk, the amount of space was impressive.  I was able to easily fit a Hippo Noto notebook and a Seven Seas Writer notebook side by side. Perfect, since I’m using both at the moment.  I threw in all of my pens that currently hold sparkle ink (because why not?) and a Hobonichi Weeks.  The largest diameter pen in this batch was a TWSBI Eco. The elastic held the pens well but it was still easy to slip them in and there is space for 6.  One elastic loop would be perfect for a small ruler and the upper four loops are just right to hold 5 Col-O-Ring cards each.

Another solid detail
Nickel-plated latch

Once I packed up my notebooks, my sparkle pens and Hobonichi, I latched the case closed with no issue at all.  In fact, I had aditional space to throw in my letter writing supplies!  The latch here is another detail that I loved.  It is plated with nickel and a solidly made piece.

The writing box itself is close to the size of my laptop (although much thicker).  Perfect for grabbing both and getting back to my sitting outside for work.

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

In Pen Review

Preview/Review: Karas Pen Co. Reaktor Galaxie Pens

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments
Preview/Review: Karas Pen Co. Reaktor Galaxie Pens

Karas Pen Co. has been quietly working away in their secret hideaway in the desert to create a new line of pens they are calling Reaktor. The series is doing some particular unique things in the machined pens field. First, they are aiming to sell these pens starting at $40 for the Galaxie ($45 for the XL) which is making them competitive with many entry level “good pens”. In the ballpoint and rollerball arena, this is comparable with the Retro 51, Schon DSGN or BigiDesign. Those brands sell pens that range in prices from $50 and $150. Of course, they are often limited edition, handmade or more modular. But Karas is definitely making the move to compete in this field and do it with a SNAP CAP! You heard that right. A snap cap. How cool is that?

 

To start, Karas trimmed the packaging down to recyclable plastic tubing. They are sturdy, reusable or recyclable. The square tubes are easily stackable and color coded. Pens with anodized grip sections in red or blue ship in matching colored tubes. The black models ship in a black tube and the tumbled finish ships in the clear tube.

I love the tapered end of the new Reaktor line.

Once the cap is removed, the look of the uncapped pen has a beautiful line. The cap still has a classic “Karas” industrial look but the pen is much more refined and elegant. I really like them.

When the box of Reaktor pens arrived, my husband and I spent a whole evening trying all the different varieties. We tested the different sizes and finishes to see which we preferred. Since I have small hands and Bob has considerably larger “man hands,” it was worth having both of us trying both the Galaxie and the Galaxie XL.

Bob definitely preferred the XL. He found the standard Galaxie a wee bit too short for his long hands. He also liked the clip. As a girl, I don’t always have a need for a clip, other than as a roll stop, but I kept going back to the Galaxie. The size is perfect for my small hands.

They are light and easy to hold and the snap cap is fun. The clip is sturdy if that’s what you need and the Galaxie is streamlined and sleek without it if you don’t need a clip. I am definitely in the Galaxie clipless camp. It slips effortlessly into my dress pockets and I don’t worry about toting it around to meetings, having it bumping up against my phone, keys, change or, often times, a pocket knife for the many  projects I work on at work or in the studio that require opening a box, trimming an edge or some other fiddly detail. If someone would just make the perfect pocketable, snap cap X-acto!

What you really want to know when I get a hold of a ballpoint or rollerball is what refills did I use? And of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. The Galaxie XL ships with the notorious Schmidt 8126 rollerball which, for this lefthander, is basically useless. I immediately popped it out and tried a Pilot G2. Voila! Fits fine. This established that most of the refills in my Refill Guide in the G2 list should fit, though some were a little wiggly and may require trying a couple different springs for a perfect fit.

So, if liquid rollerball ink is not your cup of tea or you want a wider variety of colors, start disassembling all those gel pens you purchased early on in your pen life and see if they fit. Just open them gently or you’ll have refills and springs flying everywhere. Don’t  ask me how I know that.

As for the standard Galaxie, it takes a standard Parker-style refill so there are many options. If, like me, you prefer gel ink to ballpoint, I cannot recommend the newly discovered Premec Gel Refill (Black 0.5mm 2-pack) highly enough. I found them on Amazon. There’s also other sizes available as well but the 0.5mm is a good place to start. If you’re looking for a more universal option, Tofty’s Parker-style adapter-to-D1 is another good option then you can fill the Galaxie with Jetstream D1 refills.

The Galaxie XL ($50) and Starliner XL (the fountain pen version, $55) will be the first to release in early July, in limited numbers to Karas Coin Club Members first. If you’re not a Coin Club member, you can join here. Annual membership starts at $25 per year and includes early access to new releases, limited editions and, of course, their cool coin plus many other benefits.

Needless to say for Karas Kollectors, these pens are a no-brainer. For others, these is a great entry into “nice pens.” In some ways, it may even be a better option than a Retro 51 as it doesn’t have that finicky twist mechanism. Though for some, the cap might be a no-go. But a snap cap is definitely light years better than a twist cap. And the price point is awesome.

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

In photo

Eye Candy: Heidi Swapp Memorydex Card Tray

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments

I’ve been on the lookout for alternative options for Rolodex rotary card files for the Col-o-dex cards ($15) because I know that they are hard to come by, expensive and large. I stumbled across the Heidi Swapp Memorydex Desktop Card Tray box which is considerably smaller and considerably less expensive (just $9.54 Prime at the moment). It’s also in a simple gold and white striped paper wrap.

Memorydex Col-o-dex box option

I’ve had mine for about three weeks and in my humid, Missouri summer house, one corner of the paper is coming loose but its nothing that a little glue or double stick tape wouldn’t fix. It would be easy to remove the paper and recover the box in another paper if you’re the crafty sort.

Memorydex Col-o-dex box option

Overall, I really like the low profile and the tray fits perfectly inside my Ikea hack table so that the cards stay dust-free and out of direct sunlight.

Memorydex Col-o-dex box option

I love the mint lining on the box and it actually matches the mint tabs that we sell almost perfectly.

Memorydex Col-o-dex box option

So, if you are looking for an alternative to the larger Rolodex wheel and something considerably less expensive, the Heidi Swapp Memorydex Desktop Card Box is a good option.

DISCLAIMER: The item in this review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Colorverse Voyager I 2018 LE Set

Author AnaPosted on 7 Comments
Ink Review: Colorverse Voyager I 2018 LE Set

The Colorverse 2018 Voyager I set ($50, see below for a special bonus offer) is the first limited edition set released by Colorverse and it was highly sought after and greatly anticipated. The set includes four of their now-recognizable small 15ml bottles in a beautiful packaged box with all the accoutrements that Colorverse has become known for as well. While I am not normally a fan of packaging, Colorverse creates an experience with their packaging. Every detail has been considered. Every flap is designed, every side of the box includes artwork that goes along with the theme of Voyager I.

Inside this set, they’ve included an envelope with some blank paper to test inks along with stickers and a napkin in a cellophane bag. There is also a pamphlet showing the inks from the previous series.

The cute little bottles which I have, on occasion, had trouble fitting some larger nib/grip sections into the small openings. In these cases, I’ve had to take the converters out of the pens and fill them and then put them back into the pens. In the case of a pen with a piston, I think you’d just be out of luck or have to transfer the ink into a different bottle.

There seemed to be very little sheen with these inks but good potential for shading with all of them. There may be a little sheen with Pale Blue Dot and Jupiter FlyBy. They are all very saturated.

For writing samples, I’ll start with my favorite which is Pale Blue Dot. However, I do have a caveat with this color, which is to say that if you’ve already purchased Morning Star, Photon/Gluon or Gravity Wave, then Pale Blue Dot is not a strikingly different shade of teal blue. If you are new to Colorverse, then this is a great introduction to their line. It’s slightly more green than Morning Star and does not have as much sheen to it as Morning Star, but it’s definitely swimming in the same waters if you’ll pardon the pun.

Golden Record is the ink with the absolute best name and also the most misleading name. It’s not actually gold per se. And it does not contain any glistening particles or sparkle as one might have thought it might. Instead, its actually more of an Aztec Gold or burnt orange. Now, I am a little bit literal about the whole space them of this set and really wanted the Golden Record ink to be reminiscent of the actual Golden Record aboard Voyager I so this was a bit of a letdown for me in that regard. However, when I can actually step away from the whole theme of the set and appreciate the color for what it is, its actually really pretty. So, I have to wonder if Colorverse may have missed the mark with the color or maybe limited themselves a bit too much with their whole space and science themes initially. Though it looks like they are starting to break away from that a bit in their upcoming projects. Anyway, I think if you’re going to do a Voyager I set and name an ink Golden Record, it damn well better look more like gold. But if you’re not a big space nerd and you just like cute little bottles of ink, this may be a-okay with you.

I had a similar issue with Jupiter Fly By. Its a lovely shade of warm brown but what it has to do with any of the photos I’ve seen of the fly-by photos of Jupiter from NASA, I have no clue. To me, the ink is too dark. Golden Record is closer to the color of some of the photos of the landscape seen in the photos of Jupiter. However, the ink is a warm reddish brown which is not unpleasant and falls between Hubble Zoom and Space Laika in the Colorverse color wheel.

Finally, Interstellar Space is a deep forest green. I think Colorverse took some creative liberties with what interstellar space might look like but I’ll let that go. This ink, consistency-wise, is the wettest ink from Colorverse I’ve seen. With dip pen and glass nib, I had a very hard time using it at all and it actually feathered and bled a bit on my swatch card! Quelle horreur! With other Colorverse inks, some people have complained that the inks are a bit dry and that’s definitely not an issue with Interstellar Space. Because Interstellar Space is so dark, in fine nibs, there’s not much shading.

The only other green in the Colorverse world is Sea of Tranquility and Shrodinger in Shrodinger/Cat (which I forgot to photograph). Schrodinger is a very Kelly Green so Interstellar Space is definitely the darkest green thus far in the line.

So, my feeling about the Voyager I set is that if you’ve never bought any Colorverse inks before, this set is a great introduction that offers variety and the full experience of the packaging, stickers and delight of those little bottles that you won’t get from samples. It also makes a great gift.

If you are a space nerd, even though it misses the mark with some of the color details, everything else is really spot-on and therefore its a must-have.

If you have already purchased a few bottles of Colorverse, this set might replicate some colors you already own. You may want to purchase the ink you really want rather than duplicating them with this set.

BONUS OFFER: Vanness Pens is offering a 10% discount on the Voyager I set as well as all the Colorverse Series 1, 2, & 3 inks through July 1, 2018 with the code “pinkhairdontcare” (no quotes).

TOOLS

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

In Link Love

Link Love: Nick Stewart Blue Black & Pineapple Cake

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment

This week there’s a new Retro 51 from Anderson Pens, Nick Stewart (Mr. Fountain Pen Inks & Bleach)  introduces his own inks and I added a new category, Off-Topic, where I included a DIY for making an awesome pineapple cake from Think.Make.Share. designed by Kelsey at the Mothership. It’s super cute and very clever and I think I could even handle it and I am not exactly the world’s greatest baker. I think I would employ a box mix for the cake though. And maybe, Cake Mix Doctor it. Go forth and ink up and then bake a cake!

Pens:

Ink:

A very special blue-black: “Randall” by Nick Stewart (via UK Fountain Pens)

Pencils:

Paper & Notebooks:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

Totally Off-Topic:

DISCLAIMER: The item in this review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same

Author Laura CameronPosted on 1 Comment

Review by Laura Cameron

I don’t use grey inks very often, but I do love every Pilot Iroshizuku ink I’ve tried, so I was happy to get to review Kiri-same (15ml for $9.90).

Kiri-same, or Autumn Showers, is a light to medium grey.

Iroshizuku Kiri-Same

It shades beautifully, ranging from a light silvery grey to a more steel colored grey in heavier applications.

Iroshizuku Kiri-Same

Iroshizuku Kiri-Same

The ink writes beautifully. It loaded into the pen well, and flows smoothly. I find it to be a slightly dry ink, but it hasn’t dried out in my nib; it writes perfectly every time.

Iroshizuku Kiri-Same

As I said, I don’t have a lot of greys to compare to. Kiri-same is definitely darker than PenBBS #261 (and doesn’t have sparkle either!) and isn’t as blue as Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyo-syogun (review forthcoming). It is the perfect grey for stormy days.

Iroshizuku Kiri-Same

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.