Paper Pastries has been in the news lately for the LA Pen Pal Club which is so exciting. But what I’ve been all swoony about is this pile of stamps I recently received from Margaret. Since we both make stamps so we decided to swap.
Margaret makes her stamps herself and will also make custom designs for return address stamps, monograms or pet silhouette stamps. So clever!
I love the Greetings From stamp which I plan to take with me when I travel in the future — if I ever get a day off.
I also love the Hello, Mr Postie stamp that I think would pair perfectly with my Keep the Post Office Public stamp. Clearly, we make a good team!
Thanks again to Margaret for the swap and I hope you like her stamps (and all the other wonderful stuff she stocks in her shop) too! If you’re in the LA area, be sure to try to visit the next LA Pen Pal Club event. For future events, check out the Paper Pastries blog.
My knitting and pen-loving comrade, Glee Norto has offered up another fabulous Link Love art this week. Check out more of her goodness at her Tumblr, Instagram or Twitter. And maybe pull out a few of your favorite mix tapes from the 80s and 90s to serenade you while you click those links!
Submit your Link love art: To be the featured artist on an upcoming Link Love, write, draw, photograph, or doodle an original “Link Love” image. It can be lettering, calligraphy, your own interpretation of Link or anything else you think might relate to the weekly list of pen/pencil-centric blog links. Email your submission to me at chair @ wellappointeddesk.com. Please include any link information you’d like in the image credit (your name, Twitter handle, Instagram, blog, etc). Also include any information about inks, tools, paper, etc used in your creation. Please let me know that I have permission to publish your work in Link Love and that the image is your original piece.
After the article several weeks ago from the NY Times about the tools used by famous artists, I fell under the spell of the multi-colored colored pencil used by Milton Glaser. My friend Kirsten confirmed that Mr. Glaser really does use these pencils. He taught one of her graduate classes at the School of Visual Arts so she confirmed the story with some degree of authority. To say I’m jealous she saw his pencil handiwork in person would be understating things a bit.
It took awhile to find a dozen of these gems. I ended up buying them from a vendor on Amazon who was in Europe. The listing officially calls these pencils “Koh-i-noor Aristochrom Magic – 12 Pencils with Special Multicoloured Lead“. For the sake of ease, I refer to them as Koh-i-noor Magic Pencils. The box of one dozen was $14.50 plus $8 shipping which makes these pencils more expensive than Palomino Blackwings. But needs must, right?
The pencils came in a slightly mangled yellow box with the Koh-i-noor/Hardtmuth logos on the box. They had been shipped in nothing more than a kraft envelope so the mangling was a result of the postal system. The box isn’t anything special so the fact that all the pre-sharpened pencils were safe meant the box served its purpose.
Inside were the dozen pencils I most coveted. The pencils are hexagonal with gold metallic paint and the only branding is ink jet onto one facet in black. The text includes “060”, a lengthy stock number and bar code, “Koh-i-noor” and “3400”. I wish the branding had been foil stamped onto the pencil instead of the super-cheap looking ink jet but these pencils are probably not very popular or produced in extremely large quantities so they don’t get as much attention as a traditional graphite or single color pencil.
The end of the pencil is shaped into a low profile cone shape and is not dipped. Its exposed natural wood. Its a weird detail that I’m not crazy about but the simple gold paint on the rest of the pencil makes up for the unusual treatment of the end. I’d love it if the end were dipped in a glossy black to give it a truly regal feel but there aren’t a lot of options for “magic” pencils so I’ll take what I can get.
The real reason I love these pencils is the three-color lead. Red, blue and yellow pigments are blended into the lead in small chunks so that, as the pencil is used, the color changes. The blue is a deep indigo blue and the red and yellow are pretty much primary colors. What I discovered over the last few weeks of using these pencils is that by turning the pencil a little bit as I’m using it, I can force lighter or darker colors to appear as I need them.
The composition of the pencil lead is definitely wax- or oil-based as it is not water soluble. This makes it easy to add other materials like watercolor paint, water-based markers, ink, or pen without blurring your linework. It also means that the marks don’t smudge, which is quite pleasant.
On regular paper (like my Rhodia test paper) the Magic pencil does not erase well. I suspect that on a primed surface like gesso, it might be easier to erase but for doodling and sketching, be prepared to leave the lines where they are. Loose-y and goose-y is the best way to enjoy these Magic pencils.
I know these pencils won’t appeal to everyone but I they are such wonderfully unique tools that I couldn’t resist sharing them.
I was recently let loose in Target during back-to-school shopping without any adult supervision. In my melee of shopping enthusiasm, I couldn’t resist buying the largest set of Staedtler Triplus Fineliner felt tip markers they had.
The set included an array of standard colors and six neon colors as well. The set came in a sturdy plastic case with a flip top lid that would create an easel stand. It reminded me so much of those wonderful 64-color boxes of Crayola crayons with the built-in sharpener that I was helpless to resist. To an adult, fresh markers are just like a brand new box of crayons.
The Staedtler Triplus series is notable for being quite long pens with a rounded triangular shape that makes them comfortable to hold.
I was surprised with how sophisticated the color palette was for this set including colors like a yellow ochre and rich reds and blues. These were certainly not watery kids’ markers in regards to the colors. The neons are lots of fun but the neon yellow is not dark enough for writing — maybe underlining or filling in shapes. Also, the grey marker was too light for writing but might be nice for drawing or coloring.
The whole time I was using the Triplus markers I found myself comparing them to the Stabilo Point 88 markers I purchased not too long ago. There are a lot of similarities in regards to price as well. The Staedtler set cost me about $24 at Target while the mini sized Stabilo 18-color set was $15 from Jet Pens. Stabilo does make full-sized versions of the Point 88 markers which is entirely comparable in size, price and selection to the Staedtler Triplus markers.
The tips on the Stabilos and the Staedtlers are basically identical despite the numeric coding suggesting that the Stabilos are wider. I could not actually discern any difference in the writing samples I did. Colorwise, the two sets differed with the Stabilos having a wider range of traditional colors and the Staedtler having the wild neons instead. If you compare the Staedtler 20-color set listed on Jet Pens to the Stabilo 25-color set, the colors are very similar. The two sets are competitively priced ($25 and $22) but the Stabilo set offers five extra colors where the Staedtler set offers a more durable carrying case.
Sorry this photo is a little blurry. (too much caffeine!) But you get the gist.
While I really enjoy the neon colors in the set I purchased, I wish I had seen the 20-color set available on JetPens that does include a wider array of grey shades plus yellow, orange, and aqua which I miss in the reduced set I purchased.
FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Thursday, Spetember 17, 2015. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Wednesday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 30 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class. US residents only please.
I would like to buy some refills for a Dunhill ballpen sidecar and a Montegrapa rollerball (refill with 12 cm long).
Could you tell me what refills should I buy?
According to my research, it looks like the Montegrappa rollerballs all take the standard Pilot G2 style refill, also described as the Schmidt/Euro Rollerball refill size, that are about 110mm (4.5″) long. That’s great because there are lots of options and you may even have a plastic pen laying around with the right size refill on your desk right now. If you have a Pilot G2 retractable, you should be able to twist it apart and pull that refill out and try it in the Montegrappa.
Check out my Epic Refill Guide to find your favorite refill in the Pilot G2 section.
The Dunhill should take a standard Parker-style refill or a “capless style” G2/Euro refill. They are about 98mm (3.875″) long. Most office supply stores like Staples, Office Max or Office Depot should have a selection of Parker-style refills. A list of many Parker style compatible refills are also on the Epic Refill Guide.
Kate asks:
I came across your blog’s review of the Leuchtturm Weekly Planner, and I’m thinking you might be the person who can help me on my quest for the holy grail planner. What I’ve been searching (unsuccessfully) for is a weekly planner with substantial notes pages. So, something that has the weekly spread,monthly spread and two or three year overview you’d find in a typical planner, but also has at least 100 ruled or blank pages for notes. This seems to be an impossible ask. I’ve tried the levenger circa system, but I’m not wired for one that I have to constantly assemble or move stuff around in. Have you come across anything that fits this bill? I would love to know about it!
Your grail planner is a tall order, indeed! My first instinct was to ask if you’d considered a Midori Traveler’s Notebook or a Fauxdori (leather covers made and sold by individuals on Etsy and such)? There are many inserts available for this system that let’s you have a planner and a notebook for lots of notes. Each blank, lined or grid insert has about 64 pages in it. There is one insert available for the Midori with extra thin paper that I think has over 100 sheets in it. Something like this might give you the option of having a full booklet for notes plus a planner/calendar.
You might want to do a search on YouTube or Google for how people set up their Midori Traveler’s Notebook (MTN) or a Fauxdori to get an idea if the system might work for you.
There are also many printable planner system options available from folks on Etsy like DIY Fish. Her systems are also available for Midori Traveler’s Notebooks, Filofax ring binder systems or half-sheet sizes that could be used with a mini 3-ring binder. The last time I was in Target, I saw they had a good sized assortment of half-sheet 3-ring binders, if that might be an option that would work for you? Its not quite as fiddly as the Circa but still might require rearranging pages every once in awhile.
I’m not sure if I gave you any suggestions that might be the golden solution but hopefully it will give you some other options to consider.
And finally, Pat asked:
I’m searching for a nice leather notebook for a gift. Do you emboss names or initials on your notebooks?I would also like your recommendation on the best notebook that can be refilled. Also, are there any stores in the Baton Rouge area that sell your products?
Despite the confusion in her question that I was an online shop, I do think I might be help to help Pat find someone who can engrave and/or leather and refillable. Not sure I can find anything that is the trifecta though.
As for leather engravables, I know that Vanness Pens in Little Rock, AR does engraving. They have a separate web site for engraving called A Personal Statement. They offer a variety of notebooks.
Filofax has recently introduced a refillable notebook. Goldspot Pens and Goulet Pens both stock them online. While not leather, they are pretty nice leatherette and look good.
As for a good local source for notebooks in Baton Rouge, I do not know of any. The closest pen-and-paper shop that I know of in Louisiana is in New Orleans. Its called Papier Plume. While I’ve not had a chance to visit it yet, I have several friends who have highly recommended it for fountain pens, ink and accessories.
Do you have a pressing pen, paper, pencil, ink or other stationery item issue? Use the “Ask The Desk” link in the navigation bar to send in your questions!
