In feature

From our fine readers…

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment

I have received several questions and recommendations from our fine readers so I thought I might start an infrequent post series “From our fine readers”. Shall we begin?

Illustration by Erik Marinovich

Mark recommended a recent story from The Smithsonian Magazine on the history of the @ symbol. Great article about one of my favorite little glyphs.

Nathalie asked if we knew of a weekly planner that started on Sunday instead of Monday. This was a challenge and in the end, I found very few options. My first thought is a blank weekly planner that would allow you to fill in your days and dates as you pleased like the Droplet DIY Planner available as a PDF download from Etsy. The Seeso Better Day Planner is also undated. Thanks to help from Tammy at Notemaker, I found that Filofax sells refill pages that start on Sunday ($10.50 and available for 2012 and 2013). The only size available is the “personal” size which fits into a planner binder that is about 5″ x  7 .5″. I found a binder on sale for $16.50 in red or orange called the Domino. Or, if money is no issue, Filofax also has an alligator skin cover that retails for $2300.

Rebekha asked if I’d ever tried the Arwey brand of notebooks and journals. I have not yet treid them but Notebook Stories did a review of some of the Arwey products back in 2010. Paper Love Story also reviewed a couple versions of the Arwey. I hope this helps and maybe Arwey will send me a couple books to test and giveaway (hint, hint).

In photo

Mango Donut Tape Dispenser, seriously.

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment

My lovely pen pal Bibliotiki sent me this darling 3M Scotch mango donut tape dispenser. It took me a month before it occurred to me that washi tape would fit in the dispenser making it THE PERFECT travel tape dispenser. Once I loaded it with polka dot tape, it required eyeballs because sometimes, I am SO not a grown-up.

Oh god, there’s more color options. I might need a whole half-dozen!

Happy Friday! Hope there’s whimsy and awesome office supplies in your weekend. See you back here on Tuesday!

In Planners & Organizers

It’s 2013… almost — an exhaustive round-up of planners and calendars

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Most calendar and planner manufacturers have already released their 2013 offerings so I thought I might whet your appetite for a new wall calendar, desk calendar or planner.

First from Taschen are a range of designs featuring art, architecture, illustration and more in many different sizes and configurations.

(From left to right: Pin-Ups by Elvgren Weekly tear-off calendar, 8.1 x 13.0 in., 108 pages, $ 19.99; London Diary with spiral binding and elastic ribbon, 6.9 x 8.7 in., 122 pages, $ 15.99; Illustration Now Diary with spiral binding, 6.9 x 8.7 in., 124 pages, $ 15.99; Hiroshige. Famous Views of Edo Wall calendar with spiral binding, 13.5 x 19.3 in., 28 pages, $ 24.99; Paris Wall calendar, 11.8 x 11.8 in., 24 pages, $ 13.99; Fashion Ads of the 20th Century 365 Day-by-Day Hardcover, 6.7 x 8.5 in., 736 pages, $ 29.99)

From Jenni Bick come the Paperblanks line of bound planners and diaries. Diaries are available in sizes from micro 2.5″x3.5″, 3.5″ x 5″, 3.5″ x 7″ slimline, 4″ x 5.5″, 5″ x 7″, 7″ x 9″, 8.25″ x 11.75″ — pretty much something for everyone in designs that are ornate and rich looking with prices that range from $8.95 for a micro to $29.95 for the Grande Week -on-two-pages.

(From left to right, top to bottom:  Grolier Week at a Time Planner, Grande Features, 8.25″ x 11.75″, 160 pages, $29.95 Burgundy Foiled Week at a Time Planner, Midi Horizontal Features 5″x 7″, 160 pages, $16.95; Black Moroccan Week at a Time Planner, Midi Horizontal Features 5″x 7″, 160 pages, $16.95; Karakusa Week at a Time Planner– Slim Features, 3.5″ x 7″, 160 pages $14.95)

Jenni Bick is also stocking my favorite Cavallini daily planner, as well as an assortment of the Cavallini vintage-inspired wall calendars.

We Are What We Do have also released their 2013 Action Diaries, available in 6 colors in the A6 size (that’s about 4″ x 6″ for the Americans) for £6.

There are also options available in an academic calendar year (starting with September and either including 12 or 18 months). Paper Source has a variety of simple academic wall, desk and pocket options.

(From left to right and top to bottom: Academic Booklet Calendar 6″ x 7 1/2″ $12.95, Academic Date Book 5.5″ x 8″ $33.95, Metallic Gray My Agenda Academic Planner, 9″ x 7″ $47.95, Academic Great Big Wall Calendar, 24 3/4″ x 19 1/4″, $29.95)

And last but certainly not least (or the only other options because I could have gone on for days with this post), is the classic and ever-present Moleskine. Moleskine also offers academic planners in a variety of configurations and sizes so you can get organized ASAP or you can choose your favorite 2013 planner now before they sell out. European Paper is currently having a sale on the Moleskine Academic planners, just so you know.

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In feature

Kaweco Allrounder vs. Student: The Purchasing Debate

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment

Let me start off by saying I have not yet handled either of these pens but based on the descriptions listed, let me go through the differences (and similarities) between the Kaweco Allrounder ($106) and the Kaweco Student ($56). Also, let me clarify that I started this research for my own benefit as I was trying to decide which full-sized Kaweco I wanted to purchase and decided I might go ahead and share with you, my fine readers. Shall we proceed?

The Kaweco Allrounder has an anodized aluminum body while the Kaweco Student has a plastic body. Both have stainless steel, iridium-tipped nibs. The Allrounder is slightly longer at 5.3″ to the Student’s 5.125″. Both have twist threaded caps like the Sport Classic and AL Sport models and because of the larger pen size, both can be used with a converter or you can store a spare cartridge inside the pen body.

At present, JetPens stocks the Student in black, white and demonstrator blue in fine or extra fine nibs. The Allrounder is available in red, blue, black and silver with a wider range of nib sizes.

So, for me, only question is whether the $50 price difference for an aluminum body fountain pen is worth it. I have an aluminum body Lamy that I’m lukewarm about. If you require a medium or broad nib, then the Allrounder may be your best option but, at the $100+ price point, there may be other fountain pens in the running. In my opinion, once you go over the $100 price point for a stainless steel nib pen, there are lots of other options and I am a diehard loyalist of the Kawecos when you talk about the under-$30 fountain pen.

(via JetPens)

In feature

Gender-specific pen: ‘Bic For Her’

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment

Bic for Her

Oh, boy… Bic is getting lots of flack for the gender-specific Bic for Her. Does is come with a just showered fresh scent too?

I have to be honest, I do prefer smaller pens because I have small pens but this kind of crap marketing and tampon-esque “Easy Glide” ad words make me cringe. C’mon people, sell a pocket pen, small pen, slim pen but “Easy Glide”?!?! Give me a break!

(via NPR)