In Link Love

Link Love: 8 Years & A Mountain of Ink!

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Link Love: 8 Years & A Mountain of Ink!

This week, let’s all wish Kelly of Mountain of Ink Happy Anniversary on 8 years and over 2700  ink reviews! her dedication and consistency is unrivaled in the pen community and a true treasure for us all.  Thank you for all you do, Kelly! You are the inky queen!

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We have been here, bringing you stationery content, for 15 years and we would like to be here for another 15. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support by joining our Patreon. You will unlock our exclusive podcast, free printables and more. Without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Diamine x Independence Trust a Bivalve + Shimmering Kelp

Author Laura CameronPosted on Leave a comment
Ink Review: Diamine x Independence Trust a Bivalve + Shimmering Kelp

A few weeks ago I was super excited to order Inkdependence’s newest collaborative inks. Mike teamed up with Diamine to create Never Trust a Bivalve and Trust a Bivalve ($8-14 for 30mL) featuring wonderful label art from Tom of Sugarturtle Studio. These two new inks are lots of fun, but I was a good girl and just got myself a single bottle.

Trust a Bivalve is available with and without Shimmering Kelp. I do love a good shimmer, so I got that one. It’s a beautiful shading brown ink, with a shimmery blue affect if you so choose! I’ve been collecting brown inks quite a bit recently and I was shocked when I went through for the comparison shot that I really don’t have anything quite like it!

It’s sort of a dark taupe that almost has a purple or wine colored tinge to it. I thought at first it was purple, but next to a more purple gray ink like PenBBS June Pearl it doesn’t look anything alive. And then I wondered if it would be more akin to Vinta Isabella and the tones are completely different (though I guess this is also a brown shimmering ink so I see why I might have thought that…)

I digress. The ink is lovely and shades well, but there’s also that fun touch of blue shimmer. I don’t see it so much in writing – more in the heavier applications, but I love it just the same.

I do love that Diamine makes a really reasonably priced ink. I’ll let you know that the markup on shimmer at this point really is almost twice what the regular ink costs, hence Mike’s prices, but even at that, it’s a great price for a fun bottle of ink.

Honestly, my only conundrum is that generally I don’t trust a bivalve, but that wasn’t the ink that screamed take me home! But, no matter which side of the argument you come down on, you’re in for a great ink.

DISCLAIMER: The Trust a Bivalve ink was purchased with my own funds. Some of the other items in this review may have been provided to me free of charge for the purposes of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Tools

Tool Review: Dominant Industry Ink Muddler/Glass Pen

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Tool Review: Dominant Industry Ink Muddler/Glass Pen

I had been putting off getting the Dominant Industry Ink Muddler/Glass Dip Pen ($15) because I had heard that glass stir rods for cocktail making could potentially do the same thing. But those are sold in quantities of 10 or 12 and really I just need one. So, I ended up not getting anything that could be construed as a muddler for an excessive amount of time. Then, I was wandering around Dromgoole’s shop a couple weeks ago and saw the little kraft box with the muddler inside. This was definitely a purchase of opportunity.

The Muddler is only about 3.5″ long — the box it comes in is about the same size as a Kaweco Sport box if that helps to visualize the size.

On one end of the glass rod is a fine tipped dip nib and the other is a little flattened disc like a teeny tiny spoon made from glass.

So, despite its size, it can serve many purposes from ink testing, playing with those shimmer inks you don’t want to put into your favorite fountain pen and even just for quick drawing and ink play.

The Ink Muddler ships with a soft plastic tip designed to protect the nib in shipping. I recommend holding onto this piece to continue to protect your tip wherever and however you choose to use it.

I found the Ink Muddler to make quick work of ink testing and sampling with very little clean-up between colors. I quick dip into a glass of water to remove ink from the dip nib and a wipe with a paper towel is all the clean-up that is needed. This makes it a perfect tool for on-the-go ink swatching and the tool’s small size makes it quite portable.

The small size may make it a little uncomfortable for folks with larger hands however. You may prefer to use it for the muddling end only and then switch to a full size glass dip pen for writing or drawing.

I was able to replicate the same look and technique I use for swatching on Col-o-ring cards using the Ink Muddler with less water use and less waste which is a real plus. I often wait to do ink sampling until I have absolutely dozens of bottles to try and catalog. So, the Ink Muddler is definitely going to streamline my process and hopefully keep me from putting it off until the task becomes an all day project.

I definitely recommend this tool with two thumbs up. While being a bit small might make writing more of a challenger, the diminutive size makes it extremely packable which 100% makes up for it. The fine tip on the dip nib end also closely mimics most of the fountain pens I use in terms of line width which is also a bonus. Have you tried an Ink Muddler yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

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 Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Strawberry Daze

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Fashionable Friday: Strawberry Daze

June is my strawberry month. I love strawberries and I am always sad when they go out of season and I can’t afford to buy them anymore. So, in honor of strawberry month and my birthday month, I went full strawberry. In case you are curious, the full moon in June is called the Strawberry Moon and this year, it falls on my birthday. Prophetic sign? I like to think so.

For my Patrons, this is a hint for the theme of our June calendar inserts. If you are not a Patron, join today to get access to free printable monthly calendars in a variety of sizes.

Thanks to my sponsors for providing some of the images I use for Fashionable Friday. Please consider making your next purchase from one of the shops that support this blog and let them know you heard about them here. Thanks for your support and for supporting the shops that help keep it running.

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 Pen Review

Pen Review: Uni One Limited Edition Pastel Colors (Modified Fika Set)

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Pen Review: Uni One Limited Edition Pastel Colors (Modified Fika Set)

Uni-Ball One gels pens are crazy popular. The gel ink is good quality and the simple, minimal styling feels modern and aesthetic. Uni recently released a set called Fika ($13), which is based on the Swedish concept of a cozy, midday coffee break with friends. The set includes seven colors: Avocado Green, Cappuccino Brown, Plum Purple, Sesame Gray, Poppy Red, Mango Orange and Nemophilia Blue.

The form factor for the One series is matte textured plastic, smooth in the hand and a wider-than-average barrel that makes these pens comfortable and easy to use. The tips are conical so they are sturdy and there is no wiggle in the housing. They are retractable with a functional clip.

(Check out are previous reviews: Pen Review: Uni-ball One Gel Pen 3 Color Set and Pen Review: UniBall ONE Metallics (and White) Set)

I wasn’t interested in a couple of the colors  so I swapped out the Poppy Red, Mango Orange and NemophilaBlue for Mamedaifuku Iro, which is a warm grey color. So, unlike the original set, my set has five colors instead of the original seven. Each pen sells for $2.20.

The colors are quite light and in the 0.38mm tip, the colors are probably even lighter than they would be with a larger tip size. I like the colors and the subtlety they add to my gel pen collection.

The Mamedaifuku Ire is probably the lightest color in this set. The Avocado Green is probably my perfect lime-y green color in a gel pen and I have spent years looking for the perfect green pen. The Plum Purple is a gorgeous color and the Sesame Grey is the closest to an old favorite pen which I have been looking for a replacement for years.

I originally fell in love with the Pilot Hi-Tec C pens because of the unique and unusual colors that they introduced. A lot of those color options were discontinued so Uni One has stepped in with these more complex, sophisticated color options.

With the reasonable price point and the fun, unique colors, the Uni One gel pens are worth investing in for your pen stash.

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: Ghibli-Love

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Link Love: Ghibli-Love

It’s been mentioned around the internet that Studio Ghibli has made stills from their films available for use to the public.

There are rules, of course, in how and where you can use these images:

The bottom line is the images are available for personal use only. Decorate your computer desktop with your favorite Ghibli characters. You can use them to practice drawing or make a coloring page for your kids… or yourself. It is so generous to allow folks to use these images to continue to spread the love for these amazing films.

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In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review – Kakimori Frost Fountain Pen in Violet

Author Laura CameronPosted on Leave a comment

Have you noticed that your fountain pen tastes change over time? Since I started collecting fountain pens, I felt like I mostly gravitated towards finer nibs. Those are my dad’s favorite (he’s been a fountain pen user since I was a kid) and I know Ana likes them fine and extra fine. And to be fair, when trying to write legibly in smaller spaces, I do enjoy a fine nib for the precision it gives.

But lately I’ve really been enjoying slightly wider nibs. I’m finding those extra fines, and Japanese fines a little scratchy sometimes (I know… the sacrilege!). So I’ve been embracing Western fine nibs, and medium nibs of all sorts. I was sharing this with Ana and she got excited and told me she had just the pen for me to review.

She was getting ready to review the Kakimori Frost Fountain Pen in Violet, and while she wanted to love it, with that wider fine steel nib, she just couldn’t. So instead she handed it over me and I got to play. And let me tell you, I really like this one!

The Kakimori is a polycarbonate bodied pen that comes in a few different colors (Violet, Amber and Moss). The body somehow manages to be relatively smooth, and yet lightly textured at the same time (I know… great description huh?) What I mean is that it feels smooth in my hand, and yet the textured polycarbonate also makes it feel like I have a good grip. It isn’t slippery.

The pen is nicely weighted (it’s fairly light), and can be used easily unposted. It runs with a converter (included in purchase) or with either long or short international cartridges.  The nib comes in either fine or medium. I was expecting mine to be a medium, given the way Ana spoke of it, but it’s actually a fine.

L to R: Pilot Explorer, Faber Castell Grip, Kakimori Frost, Jinhao 82, TWSBI Diamond Mini AL

In terms of sizing it’s smack dab in the middle. It’s not quite as long as some of the longer pens (Pilot Explorer and Faber Castell Grip above, also TWSBI ECO and Esterbrooks) but it’s not as short as the minis – Sailor Pro Gear Slim and Kawecos (or Jinhao 82 and TWSBI Diamond Mini as pictured). You could say it’s “just right”!

And it writes beautifully! The nib is steel, so it’s firm and not bouncy at all. And yet with just the lightest touch it lays down a pleasing amount of ink. It’s an easy writer – I could see myself using it for long periods of time.

As for matching inks, if you’ve been with the Desk for a while you know I had a year of auditioning purples so I’ve got plenty. I opened to use J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune and it’s lovely. Maybe a touch redder than frost, but a perfect match. I’m looking forward to using this pen more in my journal this month!

DISCLAIMER: The Kakimori Frost Fountain Pen in Violet was given to us for free for the purposes of this review by the Gentlemen Stationer (a retail value of $58). Please see the About page for more details.