I’m off to write some letters and holiday cards this afternoon. Envision me like this and not the reality which is mismatched pajamas and piles of papers strewn everywhere, not to mention the view out my window is grey and leafless. I’ll try to write as if I was the dreamy Catherine Moorland of Northanger Abbey and not a twenty-first century girl living in the midwest. Dream your own big dreams today!
(image from Northanger Abbey via Le Projet D’Amour)
Thanks to everyone who left comments and wish lists for The Pen Addict Gift Guide Rebuttal and thanks to Brad and Myke for not being too annoyed with me.
It appears that the TWSBI Minis and Pilot Hi-Tec C Coletos are very popular items this year. Rhodia pads are also popular as are Field Notes and Uni-Ball Style Fit multi-pens are getting some love too. Inks from all the major manufacturers also got shout-outs and the Retro 51 is getting love too.
If I had won the big Lotto jackpot, I would have bought all the items on the wish lists but I didn’t so we must rely on the generosity of JetPens to provide one $25 gift certificate to the winner of the drawing.
And the winner is:
Congrats, Kristina! I hope that graduate school and Christmas are both clear sailing for you!
I was just doing a little holiday research (because who doesn’t want something from JetPens at the holidays) and stumbled across a most-coveted item. The Kutsuwa Dr. Ion Super Mega Pencil Case ($36) is now available at JetPens. I first saw the Dr. Ion case in action over on Felt & Wire where Jennie Hinchcliff of Red Letter Day kindly showed off what her travelling letter-writing kit included and have been lusting after one ever since. Now, JetPens is stocking not only the epically-sized Super Mega Pencil Case but also the slightly more demure Mega Pencil Case ($22.50). I wasn’t planning on adding a new item to my wishlist, but really… can you blame me?
If you work in an office, is there any way to add a little holiday cheer to your space without just stringing some fairy lights over the cubicle walls? Pro Digial Photos added some holiday panache to their workspace that is both festive AND tasteful.
I thought maybe these photos might give you some ideas. I know they gave me a couple. The key to decorating the workspace for the holidays is to be understated but festive. Nothing that distracts or inhibits work or will take too much time or effort to put up or take down. Best of luck and I hope you are getting into the spirit of the holidays too!
“The Twenty-Six Old Characters” created in 1947 by the Shaeffer Pen Co. Its about 20 minute long and a little quaint but seeing pens and tools in action is a bit of a thrill. This video is from the Library of Congress Prelinger Archive and has been cleaned up and trimmed slightly. Its great that these films are being preserved. Enjoy!
I am a huge fan of Brad Dowdy and his Pen Addict blog and podcast but I’m going to have to provide some alternatives to his podcast gift guide. I was actually speaking out loud as the podcast was playing with my suggestions so I figured I needed to put them down for everyone else. I will not be recommending the Vanishing Point or the Retro 51 since the boys have already covered that topic fairly thoroughly but I do have some alternatives.
| The Pen Addict Recommends: | The Well-Appointed Desk recommends: | Why? |
| Render K | Sherpa | Everyone has a Sharpie, Uni-Ball rollerball or an Accent Highlighter so give them a better case to carry it in, $30. |
| Retro 51 | what can I say? I do own a Retro 51 Crossword mechanical pencil. They are cool looking and reasonably priced, the rollerballs start at $21. | |
| Lamy Safari | TWSBI 540 or TWSBI Mini | TWSBIs are fabulous pens that write every time, $40-50 |
| Sharpie Pen | Le Pen or Sakura Pigma Micron or TUL marker pen | similar quality and prices, Le Pens have great color, Microns and TUL are great quality. |
| Kuru Toga Mechancial Pencil | I haven’t used this mechanical pencil (yet) but who am I to reject a good pencil tool? | |
| Uni-Ball Signo DX (0.38) | Uni-Ball Style Fit Multi-pens | I do love the Signo DX, I think the Uni-Ball Style Fit Multis use the same ink quality for a larger pen with more than one color in a single tool. |
| Pilot Hi-Tec C | Pilot Hi-Tec C or Uni-Ball Style Fit Multi-Pens | more color choices in a single tool and a bigger grip, about $20 tops. |
| Edison Collier | Monteverde Prima | Beautiful and about one-third the price and available in a 1.1mm stub nib, $56 |
| Field Notes Color Subscription | Totally agree! If you can’t afford the whole year, buy the classic kraft set or the red-blooded set as a stocking stuffer. | |
| Doane Paper Utility Cover | Looks like a great gift. |
My big fuss is, as a lefty, I cannot comfortably use a Lamy Safari. I can write at almost any angle, upside down or sideways with the TWSBI 540. Pick the clear demonstrator model to show off the ink in the reservoir. The new TWSBI Mini looks great and is smaller alternative to the 540.
I am not a fan of any of the Kickstarter holders for the Hi-Tec Cs. But if you want to jazz up a pen, how about a Sherpa?
I prefer to use a multi-pen version of the Hi-Tec C or, better still, the Uni-Ball Style Fit multi-pens which are as good a gel pen as the Uni-Ball Signo DX but with more than one color (and the possibility for a mechanical pencil) in one device.
Finally, as lovely as the Edison Collier pens are the Monteverde Prima is much less expensive. Monteverde is a larger company than Edison but I cannot, with a clear conscience, ask my family to give me a pen that costs $150 at the holidays and I can’t afford to buy it for myself. The Monteverde Prima in $56, available in beautiful colors and can even be purchased with a 1.1mm stub nib. Great option, right?
Of course, a gift certificate is always a good solution to get someone hooked on good pens. And because I love all my readers, I am going to give away a $25 gift certificate for the holidays. Pass it along or treat yourself. Tell me what’s on your wishlist in the comments to enter to win.
FINE PRINT: Voting ends at 10pm on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 (US Central Time). You do not have to be registered in this district to vote. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Sunday. 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 so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear.
