The Well-Appointed Desk

Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong for work and my absolute favorite thing to do was to take a trip across the harbor after work on the Star Ferry. I didn’t have a lot of free time so a quick jaunt gave me a scenic view of Hong Kong for the low, low price of ($2.50HK during the week and $3.50HK on the weekends which is about $0.35-.50US) so when I heard about the special Midori Traveler’s Notebook: Star Ferry Edition, I had to order one.

I have always been curious about comparing the Midori notebook to its more reasonably -priced cousin, the Pelle so I guess this is my chance.

The set includes a passport-sized Traveler’s Notebook in camel  leather that has been embossed with special branding indicating that it is the “Star Edition”, a special refill that features a Star Ferry route map and a brief history. There is also a certificate for a free ride on the ferry, should you find yourself in HK and out of pocket change.

The notebook kit costs $54 but if you already own a passport-sized Midori notebook, the special Star Ferry insert is $11US. There is currently a delay in Star Edition notebooks coming into the US, postponed until June, but you can pre-order them and have them shipped when they are available.

Additional items are available in the Star Edition line including stickers, metal charms, clips a rubber stamp, printed masking tape and a Midori Bullet Pencil in bright green with Star Ferry branding.

When my notebook arrives, I’ll do a follow-up.

(via Resor Shop with a shoutout to Patrick Ng and Gourmet Pens for keeping me informed!)

Yesterday, a co-worker showed me his Tom Bihn Field Journal and I was fascinated. I’ve visited the Tom Bihn site in the past because people always rave about the bags that they make but I had not seen the Field Journal product before. My co-worker had filled his journal with printouts of all the projects he was working on and using it as a great way to tote his notes to and from meetings all over our gigantic campus.

The Field Journal is a small 3-ring binder with a zip-around cover. The outside includes a pocket with a key strap and room to carry lots of little bits. The paper inside measures 5.5″x8.5″ (US half-sheet) and each journal comes filled with 100 sheets of lined or grid paper. For an extra $7, you can upgrade the paper to Crane though the site is not specific about the exact paper. Inside there are pockets to hold pens and other tools. When zipped, there are carrying handles and a strap to be able to carry the binder over your shoulder for easy carrying.

For a more thorough description and demo of the bag, check out the video. Towards the end of the video, they demonstrate how to flip the 3-ring binder to be on the right-hand side for lefties. I love any company that thinks about how to accommodate us lefties!

The Field Journal is available in four colors, base price is $80.

UPDATE: Both The Pen Addict and Okami/Pens Paper Inks…Whatever wrote extensive reviews of the Tom Bihn Field Journal if you’d like some hands-on information.