A pencil skirt in pencil print. How could I have missed this? There’s one on Ebay right now in a size four. Anyone have a shrink ray?
A Better Sticky Note
When Ardis sent me the Franklin Christoph ink samples, she also sent me a handful of sticky notes in an effort to help me find a better brand of sticky note. Included in the package was the mini iPhone notes (from Wal-Mart) and two sizes of Russel + Hazel sticky notes from Target.
There were these silly iPhone shaped notes which I was skeptical would perform very well but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the paper was heavier than the average Post-It note and there were light grey lines to keep everything neat and tidy. What surprised me was how well is handled my fountain pen inks. I was using fairly fine nibbed fountain pens and medium darkness colors so I didn’t throw jet black ink in a 2.0 stub or anything but, still, I was pleasantly surprised. And the notes are good and sticky too. Ardis said she grabbed these are Target for 99¢ and that there were also larger iPad sized notes, if you are so inclined.
The small Russel + Hazel adhesive notes are 4×4″ and are listed as “genuine Post-It brand” so they are good and sticky. The paper seems slightly better than regular Post-It paper but not as good as the iPhone notes. The light green lines are really nice for list making or not just writing three big words on a sticky which is what I normally do. Most of the regular pens like a rollerball, felt tip and such performed fine. There was none of that weird ink beading that happens on cheap sticky notes. The Noodler’s Army Green ink splined a little bit and there was more softness to the Kaweco Green ink as well so its not quite fountain pen friendly but its better than most. These sell of $10 per pad of 50 sheets which seems a bit steep for slightly-better-than-your-average sticky notes.
The larger pink notes appeared to be the same paper quality as their diminutive cousins but provide more real estate. The light lines with circles at the end and digits at the beginning were clearly made for listmakers.
Does anyone have any recommendations for other sticky notes I should try in the hunt for the better sticky note?
What’s a Swivodex?
Ever heard of a Swivodex? Its an ink wells designed by the same people who invented the Rolodex. Its a tip-proof ink well that can be tilted (think “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down!”) to get more ink out of the bottle without making a mess — hopefully. They were produced in the middle of the 20th century, best guess is the 40s and 50s. If you spy one at an antique store, grab it! Could be a great way to dispense your favorite inks!
(photo via Pendemonium)
Fossil Goes Back-to-School
Autumn and the back-to-school season is my favorite time of year. I love tweed and sweaters and crisp autumn afternoons. I love the sense of starting anew like the start of the new school term. So, I get excited when I start to see all the fall collections of upcoming goods, fashions and accessories.
Fossil has released their Autumn 2013 collection and there are a few items in it that are perfect for the office, pen, pencil or paper fan.
There are iPad and iPad Mini covers that feature great illustrations of typewriters and stacks of books for $50 and $45, respectively. They are made of coated canvas on the exterior and a faux suede interior. The leather slot on the back allows the cover to fold at an angle for typing or stand it for video viewing.
There are also some lovely new iPhone 5 covers that feature pencils including the pencil shaving design I mentioned earlier for $25 each. These are soft polyurethane material so they should be more grippy than slippy. It’s making my itchy to upgrade my phone just to have the pencil shaving case. Love it!
Because Its Awesome…ly Well-Appointed!
My co-worker, Tobe, featured a post on her site, Because It’s Awesome. The article was written by Guest Blogger Emily from Recently the Blog about her home office. The content was so “Well-Appointed Desk”, I just had to share.
Visit Because It’s Awesome for more details about how Emily turned a 70s built-in into a fresh, modern workspace including links to resources.
Did you know… Iridium?
If you buy fountain pens, then you’ve probably stumbled across the term “iridium-tipped” at some point in regards to fountain pen nibs. But do you know anything about iridium? I knew it was used to harden the nibs of pens but I did not know it was one of the hardest metals in existence. I have also noticed recently that some pen manufacturers are describing the material they use to tip nibs as “iridium alloy”. I also didn’t know that its also one of the most expensive metals in the world. As of today, iridium is selling for upwards of $925 per troy ounce. For some scale, gold is at about $1300. Crazy.
Nibs.com has a detailed article about the iridium and alternatives used for nibs.
(via Wired 21.08, article is not currently available online but is the current Aug 2013 issue on newsstands today)
Lego erasers
When you are an office supply junkie, its easy for people to find a gift for you when traveling. Nothing makes me happier than getting a box of pencils from Japan, a pill-shaped pen from Korea or Lego-shaped erasers from the Lego Discovery Center store in Kansas City.
The erasers are a nice rubber and actually erase pretty well. Sadly, you cannot stack them like Lego bricks and it will wear away the brick to use it as an eraser, but it sure is fun.
Do people bring you pens, paper or other office supply goodies when they travel? Or is it time to drop some hints?