I posted some halfway point images of notebooks and diaries earlier is year but this end-of-year image on the Moleskine myMoleskine gallery is a delight to see. This is a well-loved and fully-utilized planner.
Do you keep a daily paper record, be it notebook or planner or do you plan to do so in 2013? Send a photo of your well-loved book or planner and I’ll post them here.
Today’s question comes from Victoria at Paper & Type:
Most sharpeners I’ve come across sharpen to a depth/length of about 3/4″ to 1″. I’m looking for one that sharpens closer to just 1/2″. Am I making sense, & might you happen to know of one? I’d appreciate if you could point me in the right direction!
She was specifically asking about electric sharpeners but the only adjustable-depth sharpener that I am know is the Stad T’Gaal from Japan. The only other sharpener I could find on my exhaustive search with the rare DUX adjustable brass sharpener which is stunning but unfortunately out of stock everywhere I looked. The last-known stockist was Kaufmann Mercantile at a cost of $19.90.
The Stad T’Gaal may not be as elegant as the DUX but it is infinitely useable and only $6.25 at JetPens. Each number on the dial indicates a different pencil length from a short stubby tip to a very long point. Its also available in a variety of candy-colors. I have an earlier model which seems to have vanished so I need to order a new one. The same sharpener is available from Holbein via Dick Blick or other art supply shops. Its a bit more pricey at $13.46. Bill Brandon wrote a review of the T’Gaal on Pencil Revolution which demonstrates its flexibility.
I do use a Alvin/DUX inkwell desk sharpener which sharpens to a slightly shorter point than the average sharpener and is a bit more accessible than the brass adjustable. I reviewed the inkwell sharpener several years ago on Pencil Revolution as well.
Other options are the KUM long-point sharpener if what you want is the longest point possible. The sharpener is designed to be a two-step process, first sharpening the wood casing then refining the point. Pretty much any pencil sharpener that uses the KUM blades will be a good sharpener, especially if it includes replacement blades or fits the standard replacement blade size.
Hope this helped!
Feel like dropping a quick note to a friend or loved one using a lovely stamp and those friendly folks at the post office? Then check out the downloadable templates at LetterFu that let you print out a foldable paper letter/envelope. Learn how to fold a standard letter-sized or A4 sheet into an envelope and start sending those missives! Several styles are available and LetterFu encourages you to create your own designs as well. Write on!
This video shows the intricate workings of an 18th century mechanical desk from France. Its really quite a feat.
(via the Getty Museum and a shoutout to mjh for the tip!)
I know everyone wants to see a holiday gift guide but there are so many out there right now… its just a sea of them. There are so many great gift ideas at Discover Paper and so many other places that I feel like I’d be redundant. So I thought I’d mix it up and show you some of the goodies on my wish list this year.
What’s on your wish list?
(Link to file on SoundCloud)
This is the musical sound of “16 typewriters, 18 calculator machines, 8 accounting machines, 12 office perforators, 10 caisses enregistreuses, 8 humidificateurs-colleurs, 8 tele-scripteurs, 2 metronomes, 4 bells of signalisation, 2 entrance door gongs, 10 claxons, 16 telephones, 40 experimental signal receptors, 1 fork lift, a duplicator and a monte-charge” and it was recorded in 1964. Freakin’ amazing!
(via The Atlantic)
I don’t post much about iPhone apps as there are 100s of places to get recommendations and lists out there on the web. Occasionally, though, something crosses my path that seems good but not-so-well-known so I thought I’d share one such find. The app is called VSCOCam by Visual Supply Co. and it costs a whopping 99¢. It is a much more subtle camera adjustment app than Instagram or Hipstamatic with simple tools to adjust the intensity of the effect as well.
