(via Christopher Stott, tip o’ the hat to Paper Pastries)
Remington No. 10 Typerwriter
Link Love: Unicorn Ink and More About Google Reader
Pens and Pencils:
- TWSBI Diamond 50 ink bottle now comes with a plastic cap (via TWSBI)
- Make a Pencil from old Paper (via Rad + Hungry)
- The Pilot Metropolitan (via Inkdependence)
Paper:
- Understanding the Moleskine IPO (via A Dog’s Garden of Versus)
- Word Notebook review (via Pencil Revolution)
Misc:
- Kathy and Donovan from 16 Sparrows and LWA were featured on the JetPens Blog this week! (via JetPens)
- How to Handle Conflict at Work (via Medium)
Digitial:
- Why Its Hard to Give Up Google Reader (via Medium/Tech Talk)
- Uses for the DayOne App (via Shawn Blanc)
Macally iPad Mini Cover/Case in Avocado (of course!)
Do you know how challenging it can be to find just the right iPad Mini cover/case? Let’s just say I’ve been looking for awhile. Fnally, I found one that met all my criteria which really… was I asking for so much?
What I wanted:
- slim line case that could be used to prop iPad Mini up in a position comfortable to type or to view video
- not to be black or bubblegum pink (not too stodgy, not too tweeny)
- it would be nice if it had the magnetic on/off but that wouldn’t be a make or break
Well, hello Macally Case in avocado green!
It took some pretty extensive searching to find this case which is a bit of a story onto itself. I decided that I would rather shop locally than making a purchase from an online retailer just because I wanted to be able to touch the cases, feel the materials and the build quality and see the actual colors. So I went to a local computer supply shop with an Apple section that I knew to carry a large selection of accessories. I found this lovely green case for $49 as well as an identical model in a soft orchid lavender for $39. No difference in the specs at all except the price. So I asked the clerk to check on the price and see if there was some reason one case (the one I wanted) was $10 more. The hugely unhelpful and color-prejudice clerk said, “Its probably because the green is a better color”. Really? That’s your idea of customer service? He would neither offer a price match or get a manager who might be able to adjust the price. I was so furious at the lack of care that I walked away, scanned the bar code on the package with the Amazon app, found it for the $30-ish price listed and hit 1-Click purchase. I would have gladly paid the slightly higher $39 price point in the store if someone had been willing to price match their own flipping products!
Now, back to the review.
The cover is a textured PU on the exterior, with a black interior. The cover has a magnetic lock auto on/off and places on the cover where it easily folds. Inside is a matching avocado green plastic case that the iPad Mini snaps into for extra protection. The case does not block any of the screen and is quite discreet.
To get the iPad Mini to stand tall, the cover needs to be folded inwards and tucked into the tab on the back cover. This makes the whole cover very stable and unlikely to slide or tip over.
The big surprise is that there is a hinge built into the plastic case and the back cover that allows the iPad Mini to rotate into portrait mode while still being able to utilize the cover. It can be used in the low profile propping-up like this as well, perfect for blog reading.
There is a hole cut out in the back cover to allow the camera lens to peek out but if the case is not aligned perfectly with the cover, it can block the camera lens. Being able to rotate the iPad case allows the camera an unhampered angle if you do use the camera on your iPad often.
All-in-all I am quite pleased with this case. It did not increase the weight or bulk of the iPad Mini too much, the color is fabulous and its very functional. Do I wish it was made of more luxurious materials? Sure, but since I was fussing about a $10 price difference, I don’t think I would have been willing to pay for much more luxury.
Whitelines notebook
Conceptually, I love the idea behind the Whitelines series of notebooks. The idea was to create gray paper with light white lines that would be unobtrusive but visible enough to keep your writing and notes neat.
I got the lined A5 hardcover over a year ago but it got lost in the shuffle or products to review. The cover of my volume is a smooth, matte finish paper with an orange stripe across and around the book. Looking on the official Whitelines shop, I don’t think they are even carrying this particular model any longer though its still available in the A4 size.
The inside cover and front page are bright orange with the words “Supporting Your Ideas” in white.
This particular model does not include the ubiquitous elastic but does have a bright orange ribbon bookmark to help keep your place. The paper is a pleasing neutral gray with white lines as advertised and is a decent 80gsm.
Once I started writing on it the paper seemed a bit absorbent. Fountain pen ink was particularly soaked up. The TWSBI Mini EF writing sample had the most show-through after the Pentel B100 (which is more of a marker pen) as was wider nib tools like the Pentel Hybrid Technica 05. When I switched to fine point gel pens like the Uniball Signo DX, Pentel Slicci and Pilot Hi-Tec C the show through on the back of the page was less evident but the razor fine points left some visible indents in the paper. At a distance and with a less critical eye, the paper quality issues are relatively minor. Compared to an average Moleskine, this paper is great. And the eye-easing gray paper is very appealing.
Many sizes and configurations of the Whitelines paper are available including a grid paper, pocket notebooks and wire-bound books via Amazon as well as directly from the official Swedish shop.
They are also offering an app called Whitelines Link that works with newer volumes of their notebooks that include a series of symbols at the bottom of each page. Take a photo of your note with your iPhone and then the Whitelines Link app will help you file it into either an email, Evernote or Dropbox.
FOLLOW-UP: Whitelines can be purchased in the US. Check the Whitelines US site for a location near you. Online retailers are listed at the bottom of the page.
Dennison Bookshelf Desk Set
I have been coveting one of the vintage Dennison bookshelf desk sets as long as I could remember but I could never find them complete or reasonably priced. If you’re not familiar with the Dennison bookshelf set, it is a vintage paperboard set of “books” each filled with a desk essential like paper clips, labels and hole reinforcements.
Thanks to the kindness of my friend Denise, best known as Bibliotiki, I have recently come into possession of a full set, complete with a variety of vintage supplies.
If these sets are of interest to you, scope out Etsy, Ebay or your local flea markets and antique stores. They are not super hard to find but finding a complete set can be challenging.
Swingline Low-Force 1-Hole Punch
I recently purchased a budget chrome-ish hole punch. Sometimes, I just need to punch a hole or two and, boy, was I ever disappointed. It tore the paper around the edges — even jsut one or two sheets of copy paper would get shredded. The punched-hole catcher would fly open at random intervals scattering hole-chads all over me and my desk. I needed something better. So I got serious about finding a good quality hole punch — price be damned.
In walks the Swingline Low Force 1-Hole Punch. This punch is heavy black metal with a pebbled texture and looks like it MEANS BUSINESS. The hole punch is angled and sharp so it cuts a clean hole and can easily punch a handful of paper without breaking a sweat. The chad-catcher stays closed so no loose dots floating all over your desk and the angled punch makes the chads a little convex so they look like paper Pringles.
The hole punch has a decent reach and the silver ticks on the side show exactly where the hole will be punched which is handy.
If you’re looking for a good hole punch, this Swingline is a good place to start. At just $4.99, it won’t break the bank either.
(I purchased my Swingline punch from Office Depot.)
Ogami Stone Paper Notebooks
Ogami is a line of notebook products from Italy that relies on stone to create the paper. This imbues the paper with some unique properties not commonly found in wood-based paper products.
- Tree-Free – no wood pulp is used in production
- Waterproof – you can even wipe it clean! Note: your ink will probably still run if it is not waterproof but the sheet of paper is not ruined.
- Bleach-Free because stone is naturally white
- Tear-resistant, fade-resistant and archival
- Recyclable – it also breaks down naturally to return the calcium carbonate to the earth
- Clean – the production and disposal of stone paper produces far fewer pollutants and toxins than wood pulp paper
- Each sheet is naturally thicker than conventional papers. The paper has a smooth satin finish that does not bleed as easily if you are using liquid inks. There is some drying time for fountain pens but no feathering.
The notebooks are available in lined and unlined in a multiple of sizes with simple covers in black, gray and aqua with a stitched binding. I have yet to take one of these notebooks for a test-drive but I am definitely curious. I’d also like to see how it compares to the Filed Note Expedition Edition in terms of durability and waterproof-ness.
Ogami notebooks are available from our fine sponsor Notemaker in Australia. Discounts are still available for Notemaker products. See the sidebar for information.