The Well-Appointed Desk

I’m taking off for the Labor Day weekend but will be back, re-inked, freshly sharpened and opened to a clean page on Tuesday. In the meantime, enjoy the diverse collection of links this week and feel free to explore the archives! Happy Labor Day!

Pens:

Difference Between Ballpoint and Rollerball (via Write To Me Often)
Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict)
Paperchase Wonderland Fountain Pen Review (via No Pen Intended)
Retro 51 Ballpoints (via From The Pen Cup)
The Most Awful Jetstream (via No Pen Intended)

Inks:

Organics Studio Jules Verne Nautilus Ink (via Inkdependence)
Diamine Sapphire Blue (via Informal Scribble)

Paper and Notebooks:

Five Best Paper Notebooks (via Lifehacker)

Misc:

Calendar Stamp (via Hello Dear Friend)
DIY Jar Sharpener (via Pencil Revolution)
Letter Openers (via Pencil Talk)
What famous authors write with (via Notebook Stories)
Analog Research Lab (via Fast Co)
Midwest Typewriter Repair (via Letter Writers Alliance)
The Pen Addict “Penultimate” Article (via The Magazine)
How to get that “Back to School” back (via Inc)

In photo

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

AnaAugust 28, 2013Leave a comment

(tip from Addicted to Pens and Paper, inforgraphic from Pens.com)

In feature

House Industries Goes to the Desk

AnaAugust 27, 2013Leave a comment

I have been a loyal supporter of the type design gurus at House Industries since the early 90s. They have a flair for the vintage and an eye for detail seldom rivaled so when I heard they were introducing a line of office supplies to their already extensive repertoire, I knew it would be good.

House Industries has partnered with Chronicle Books to create a box set of 100 letter-centric postcards ($19.95), a set of four pocket notebooks ($9.95) featuring their graphics on the covers and a set of die cut labels and stickers ($10.95).

(via Chronicle Books and House Industries)

In feature

Winner: Poppin 18-month Planner Giveaway

AnaAugust 26, 2013Leave a comment

Congrats to the winner of the Poppin 18-month Planner:

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Maggie B! I’ll email you to arrange delivery. Thanks so much to everyone who entered and I hope that you’all get a chance to try a Poppin Planner soon.

In feature

Handwriting Makes You Smarter

AnaAugust 26, 201310 Comments

MS Handwriting Extinct 1

In the September 2013 issue of Martha Stewart Living, there was an article title “Is Handwriting Becoming Extinct?” written by Joanne Chen. The article dives more deeply into the psychological, brain development and creative benefits of writing than I would normally expect from a newsstand magazine usually focused on home decor and recipes. It discusses several scientific studies that researched the advantages of writing on cognitive development, memory and comprehension.

What we here all know, that writing helps us think, organize and remember (“I’m writing it down to remember it now”), is clearly a scientifically proven fact, one that we should help to nurture in ourselves and in others. Digital doesn’t solve everything and might be making up even more forgetful.

I would love to share a link to the article but I could not find it on the Martha Stewart web site. Maybe when the October issue is published, they will post the article on their site. In the meantime, the September issue is on newsstands (the article is on page 158) as well as being available from the iTunes newsstand for $3.99. The issue is the How-To edition with lots of organizational tips which might appeal to you as well.

MS Handwriting Extinct 1

In photo

Death and the Typewriter

AnaAugust 25, 2013Leave a comment

You read the headline correctly. Death AND the typewriter. More specifically death certificates. Government documents are still typed on a typewriter and there is still one surviving typewriter manufacturer in the US. Its a company called Swintec, best known for their clear plastic typewriters sold to prisons. Read more at WSJ.

In feature

Ballpoint Showdown Follow-Up #2 (Giveaway winner and comments)

AnaAugust 24, 2013Leave a comment

First, I want to thank everyone who commented and posted questions.

Debmohn2013 asked for a comparison of the blue ink versions of these pens so I’ve added that to my to-do list. Look for that in the coming weeks.

Phillip Kallenburg asked why I didn’t talk about the feel of the barrel in my hand. Phillip, since these pens are available in a multitude of different configurations like multi-pens, silicone barrel retractables and even as refills, I decided that it was a very mutable aspect. The Vicuna, Acroball and Surari were all almost identical retractables with a “padded” grip style. The Acroball uses a ridged silicone which was the squishiest. The Surari has a firmer rubber grip but still felt nice in the hand. The Vicuna is more of a matte textured plastic with undulating ridges in the grip area and the hardest of the three. The Jetstream I used is a plain, smooth plastic barrel. Does that help?

*Wisher*, remember the Acroball does not dry quickly on coated postcard and greeting cards stocks but works great on plain papers.

Zoe, I didn’t like ballpoint pens either. I mean I REALLY didn’t like them. These pens changed my mind. I think you should definitely try them out. If you don’t like them, you can make a friend or co-worker happy by passing them along.

And finally… the winner of the $25 Gift Certificate from Jet Pens is…

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