The Well-Appointed Desk

The Retro 51 Tornado Review

After lots of teasing and cajoling, I have finally given in and purchased a Retro 51 Tornado ($21 through our favorite online retailer, JetPens). I wanted to buy one of the Vintage Surf models but decided spending $55+ on a limited edition model pen that I wasn’t sure if I would actually like might not be the best course of action. So, I decided to purchase a classic lacquer first to make sure the Retro 51 Tornado was a pen I would like. Of course, I purchased the kiwi green color which I loved how it looked. The sales clerk at the Pen Place let me choose my refill but was not terribly helpful about what the advantages or disadvantages of each were. I asked for a fine rollerball and he offered the Parker-Style ceramic gel refill made by Monetverde that they were available in an array of colors so I chose a blue-black .

I like the metallic sheen of the body of the pen and the knurled twist mechanism. The clip is elegant and simple.

I loved the color and consistency of the Monteverde blue-black gel ink but when I started writing with it and there was a peculiar looseness in the tip. It wasn’t a perfect fit in the body so it wiggled a little and I immediately disliked it. I went onto Twitter and ADN and started asking if my experience was typical. “Nope, It shouldn’t wiggle” was the consensus. The refill I got was not a good fit.

Kindly, Lilardie on Twitter offered to send me a Retro51 branded refill and VOILA! it was such an improvement. For the record, I (the awkward lefty) had no issues with the performance of the Retro 51 rollerball refill. It writes like buttah for me and I have to say, with rollerballs, that’s not always the case so I was pleasantly surprised. With the spring and the better fitting refill, the tip is solid and completely stationary. It does not wiggle at all making the writing experience vastly improved. The refill is listed as 0.7mm but doesn’t seem too wide for me. I’d compare it to a 0.5mm Pilot Hi-Tec C or thereabouts.

The pen is not very long at 5″ with the tip extended and the clip is positioned low enough (2.25″ down from the top) on the pen that if the pen twists in your hand and the clip can bite into your hand. I just had to be aware when I picked it up that the clip needed to face up for maximum comfort. The knurled end does make the pen a little top heavy on the end but it gives it a nice heft. The Retro51 refill is so yummy that once I start writing, I forget about the lovely pen and the fact that my only ink color options are blue and black and just write. That’s a pretty good thing.

~~The Giveaway~~

You too can be the proud owner of a Kiwi Green (or any of the dozen classic lacquer colors) Retro51 Tornado thanks to JetPens. Leave a comment below and tell me which of the colors you like best to be entered to win.

~~The Fine Print~~

Giveaway ends at 10pm on Monday, June 10, 2013 (US Central Time). All comment must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Tuesday. 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 (you don’t have to put in in your comment) so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money.

In feature, Ink Review

Ink Drop Reveal for May 2013: Favorites

AnaJune 7, 2013September 18, 2014Leave a comment

I am sorry I waited so long to show off the great collection of ink favorites from the Ink Drop for May 2013. This selection is called “Because We Felt Like It” from the Goulet Pens staff as opposed to the trend lately of creating a theme for each month.

The colors are all right up my alley — rich, tertiary shades like a blue-black, a burgundy, a sepia, a turquoise and a delicious olive-y green. This is by far one of the first Ink Drop sets that I’ve considered buying bottles of all five colors.

I tested these colors with my early model Noodlers Nib Creaper Flex pen. This paper really isn’t designed for flexible nib fountain pens so all but the 54th Massachusetts bled on the paper. I am in the process of updating my ink testing notebook to one that supports fountain pens better than this behemoth. The colors are all readable and legible and gorgeous. I forgot to test the waterproofiness of these inks but 54th Massachusetts is a bulletproof ink so it should withstand just about anything you throw at it. The other inks are standard fountain pen inks so they will bleed or run if wet. The 54th Massachusetts did take longer to dry than the other inks, just so you know.

All these inks are available as samples ($1.25 or so per sample) and full bottles ($12-$12.50/bottle) of all these colors are still available.

In link

Link Love: Write It, Erase It, Stick It

AnaJune 6, 2013Leave a comment

The Cake Eraser (via DovBee on Instagram)

Paper & Notebooks:

TWSBI Notebook Review (via Inktronics)
Tomoe River Paper Review (via Pen Addict)
Rhodia Webnotebook Review (via Ed Jelley)

Pens and Inks:

TWSBI Diamond 580 1.1 mm Stub Review (via Delectable Pens)
Pilot Custom Heritage 91 Broad Nib Pen Review (via Ink of Me Fondly)
Namiki Blue Ink Review (via FPQuest)
Pilot Namiki Falcon SEF Pen Review (via Pen Addict)
Pilot Iroshizuku Murasaki Shikibu Review (via FPGeeks)
My First Nib Adjustments (via FPQuest)
Raleigh Pen Show (via Inkdependence)

Pantone swatches matched to the world (via Laughing Squid -- Thanks, Annie!) — Pantone swatches matched to the world (via Laughing Squid — Thanks, Annie!)

Digital:

June Desktop Wallpapers (via How About Orange)
Another Desktop Wallpaper (via Uppercase)

Coccocoino paste from Italy (via Patrick Ng on Instagram)

Misc:

I’m Daniel Pink and This is How I Work (via Lifehacker)
Write Everyday: Morning Pages (via Rhodia Drive)
Don’t Trust Your Brain (via Medium)
The Curious Evolution of the Typewriter in Pictures (via io9)
The Sketchnote Typeface (via Rohdesign)

Created with a Copic Sketch Marker (via 26Symbols)

In feature

Moleskine Postal Notes and other new stuff

AnaJune 5, 2013Leave a comment

On App.net yesterday, there were some conversations about the Moleskine Postal Notes so I thought I’d mention them here. I know Moleskine takes a lot of ribbing from the paper elite but they do make some beautiful albeit not-all-that-fountain-pen-friendly products.

First, there are the postal notes. They are available as a note card or as a notebook. Both versions come in the small 3.5″ x 5.5″ size and the larger 4.5″ x 6.75″ size. The note card is a card stock cover with a one-page signature which is stitched into place with thread to coordinate with the cover and comes with an envelope for mailing. The postal notebook is an 8-page signature self-mailer. The covers have additional flaps that fold over the seal with a sticker making it look like an envelope. They have been available since 2012 in six deep tones– kraft, maize, light grey, terracotta, navy and red– but this year, they’ve introduced the postal notes in pastel hues as well. Prices range from $3.95 to $7.95.

In other Moleskine news, the new 2013-2014 “academic year” planners are now available. If you did not start a new planner in January and want to jump start your organization mid-year, the academic calendars are a great way to get started. They start on July 1 and go through 18 months. There is a new “turntable” design which is a more open format planning method. Dates are at the bottom of the page, at an angle, and the rest of the page is open allowing the user to use the spaces vertically or horizontally depending on the kind of week you might be having.

The Turntable 18-month planner is available in the small (3.5″ x 5.5″) size and the large (4.5″x 6.75″) size as well in a rainbow of colors as well as special Star Wars and Peanuts editions. The planners are available through Notemaker and other fine online retailers.

And finally, Moleskine is now selling covers to protect your iPhone, iPad and tablets which includes a volante-style reporter notebook on the left hand side of the case and a place to secure your digital device on the right. Prices start at $39.95 for a Kindle 2 case and go up to $89.95 for an iPad 3/4 case which is available in classic black or an array of cheery colors.

(shout out to our friends at Notemaker for the tip)

In feature

Ask The Desk: Stationery

AnaJune 4, 20133 Comments

Yesterday on Twitter Roxtime asked

Where do you buy writing paper?

When she asked, I had just posted a photo of my outgoing mail on Instagram so I assumed she meant stationery rather than bound notebooks and the like.

There are lots of lovely options for stationery and writing paper but, like notebooks, each option has its own set of criteria, costs and advantages. I hope to cover a few but please leave comments and questions if I missed something.

If you’re looking, first and foremost, for paper for fountain pens then I would recommend purchasing Original Crown Mill ($9 for a pad of 100 half-sheets) or G. Lalo ($12 for 50 half-sheet pad) paper and envelopes ($9-$14.50 for pack of 25), both available at Goulet Pens and other fine shops that sell fountain pens and stationery.

Paper Source sells full 8.5″x11″ sheets of paper (a 10-pack is about $2.50 though I’d avoid the metallics which tend to resist ink more so than plain paper) in packs and could be cut in half for a more classic letter size in an array of colors. Not of all the paper will be great for fountain pens but its a small investment and most papers should work well with other sorts of writing tools like gel ink pens, ballpoint or rollerball. Or you could order paper directly from a paper company like French Paper — straight from the source.

If you’re feeling particularly decadent, you could purchase some of Smythson’s fine writing paper ($25 for 50 sheets) Crane and Co. carries letter sheets, some can be personalized as well but this is not an inexpensive option.

If you’re looking for flat cards, Greer Chicago carries some Original Crown Mill and G. Lalo card sets with tissue-lined envelopes and deckle edges — quite sumptuous! The Vickerey also sells a lot of European style notecard sets.

If what you’re wanting is something with decorative designs on it, first I’d recommend Rifle Paper Co. They have some lovely stationery sets and various flat and folded notecards. Chronicle Books also carries lots of paper sets and blank notecards with a wide array of designs. The paper is not always the best for fountain pens, if that’s a concern but the sets are lovely and often come with stickers to seal or use to address your envelopes.

If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for I’d recommend heading to Etsy. Some of the great options I found were letterpress lined papers from Ilfant Press, playful letter sets from La Paperie, and lots of vintage stationery and letter sets. Just do a search for “vintage writing paper” or “vintage letter sets” and you should find lots of options to choose from.

And finally, if you’ve decided to go with a plain paper option but would still like to add some flourish to it, you can look about the internet for downloadable PDF files that you could copy onto your stationery. I would recommend copying one sheet first and testing to make sure that the copier did not coat your paper in fuser oil of other ink resistant goo before copying onto all of your lovely paper. A great example of well-designed, free downloadable stationery is from How About Orange (show above).

The recent Uppercase Stationery Guide is a great resource for finding a stationery shop or custom printer near you.

(shoutout to Letter Writers Alliance for the Uppercase Stationery Guide tip)

In feature, photo

My Favorite Dymo: The M-6

AnaJune 3, 20135 Comments

I collect Dymo tape labellers with the same enthusiasm that I collect other desk accessories. I have a whole plastic bin full of tape labellers, mostly Dymo brand though occasionally I’ll stumble across a store brand or off-brand. They all take the same 3/8″ labels though some will also accept the harder-to-find 1/4″ label tapes.

My favorite of them all is a Dymo M-6 which came with two different removeable type discs: one in the classic blocky letters and one in a lowercase script. Did I mention the labeller is green? Why yes it is one of the items on the “if the house is burning down and the family is safe, I’d grab” list.

I’ve seen other discs that can be used with this Dymo on the internet but have yet to find any I could purchase. Yet another collection to grow!

I also have a label tape collection. My favorite is the wood grain which is running dangerously low and the cloth tape for labelling clothes on top. I want to get some of the metal tape to use with my larger industrial Dymo.

In feature

Solutions for Whiteboard Clean-Up

AnaJune 3, 2013Leave a comment

babywipe-demo

Does you whiteboard eraser work poorly and leave you with ghosted writing from your previous notes, meeting or brainstorm? I know ours sure did until one of my clever co-workers grabbed a baby wipe in an effort to clean off the whiteboard. Lo and behold, the whiteboard was completely spotless and looked brand new. We use unscented baby wipes with moisturizers, to my co-worker’s point, “When I have to wipe off as many whiteboards, as often as I do, I want my hands moisturized.”

babywipes2

Our only tip is to wait a couple minutes for the board to dry a little but we have a theory that the moisturizers and whatnot in the wipes actually make the board easier to write on rather over water on a paper towel.