This sleek little desk organizer almost makes me want to trek out to an Ikea. The Kvissle Desk Organizer $5.99.
(via IKEA)
Rad + Hungry does Berlin (again)
In my giant pile of mail upon my return from traveling was this little gem from Rad + Hungry. Its the April Berlin stationery kit with the Der Brunnen Block blank notepad, a Faber-Castell Grip 2001 (my favorite pencil) and a solid metal sharpener from M & R. I’ve already taken the paper for a test drive and it writes beutifully!
Link Love: The Catch-up Edition
I culled through three weeks of accumulated blog posts and thought I’d share a few gems you might have missed:
- Design Y Notebooks review (via Pencil Things)
- Note pad review: Fabriano EcoQua A5 dot rule (via East…West…Everywhere)
- Gourmet Pens compares the Pelle Journal to the Midori Travelers Journal.
- Fabulous comparisons of shades of green fountain pen ink in two separate entries: 1 & 2 (via FPN)
Also, while I was away, The Well-Appointed Desk got a couple shout-outs:
- Notebook obsessed on Notebook Stories
- In the Friday Link Share on Rhodia Drive for our Travel Tips for traveling with fountain pens
- My review of the AutoPoint TwinPoint mechanical pencil was mentioned in the April Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper on Economy Pens.
Finally, I’d like to send a shout out to Melissa of Craftgasm and the National Postal Museum for the letter writing social they hosted on Saturday. If I had not been crippled with debilitating jet lag, I may have mentioned it sooner — like in time for people to actually go. Mea culpa.
Stamps and seals
My absolute favorite find while traveling in Asia was this Uni Mitsubishi Stamp Pad (HSN-S30K) in red and a custom made chop from Stanley Market with my name carved into the bottom.
The stamp pad was purchased at CN Square in Hong Kong for $36HK (a little more than $5US) while I paid about $10US for the small wood stamp (extortionate but I wasn’t in the mood to haggle with the vendor as it was the coolest one I had found).
While I could not read the box that the stamp pad came in, its a little puffy round pad perfect for registered seal frequently used in Asian cultures. It was the only one left in the store or I would have bought out the stock. It snaps shut tightly so its perfect for on-the-go stamping and the ink dries quickly. Of course, I’ve used it with the little chop I’ve bought. I’m horrified what I’ll do when it dries out as I have no way to find a new one. Anyone know were I might find more?
Sign it like Neil
A reader recently asked Economy Pens what the best tool would be for a book signing. I remembered reading about the tools used by Neil Gaiman from an article from Netmouse on “Neil-Handling“. I thought I’d quote the writing tools section specifically here but if you’re a fan on Neil, you may be entertained to read the whole article.
Neil usually provides his own pens, but it’s good to be prepared to procure replacements.
Most often I have seen him sign books with a fountain pen, using brown ink (filling the pen from a bottle). For most comic books, CD covers, and some books he generally switches to a silver pen. The best kind of silver pens are the ones with a calligraphic tip that you have to shake to get started. Those can be purchased at any book and art supply store. In a pinch he can use a silver Sharpie, but he says those run out more quickly.
A black Sharpie is also useful for some comic books and for signing t-shirts and random objects. Since these are so generally handy, I suggest you carry one with you.
High-quality rollerball pens or gel pens are also nice to have around. At Worldcon Neil switched to these because his fountain pen wasn’t working well.
Packing tips, follow-up
Having just returned from a three-week trip abroad to Hong Kong and China, I thought I might reveal a few of my own tips (both things I wish I had packed and things I’m glad I packed) from my experiences.
- If you’re traveling in Asia, or anywhere really, pack a few packages of travel-sized tissues. In Asia particularly, many restrooms do not have paper of any kind so you really need to pack your own. Some restaurants even charge a fee for napkins or tissues in an effort to be more “green”. The theory being that if you have to pay for napkins, you won’t use as many. Right.
- A small backpack can be the perfect overnight bag. If you are making a day or two jaunt away from your hotel of choice, you can leave your larger suitcase behind with the concierge and take the small pack. I used a pack as my “plus one” on the plane to carry and extra sweater and my can’t-live-without toiletries in case my luggage went astray. On days when you are out shopping, a backpack can be a great carrier for purchases and maps and such. Just remember not to put your passport or any valuables in your pack in case someone gets wily and tries to pickpocket you.
- If you plan on packing an extra pair of shoes, choose a pair you wouldn’t mind losing if you need to free up space in your luggage on the return trip. I dumped a bulky, old pair of shoes in order to make more space for items I collected on my trip.
- As much as you may want to take advantage of the convenience of pre-packaged, travel-sized bottles of toiletries, be careful. I switched brands of lotion and facial cleanser and halfway through the trip suffered from major skin irritation that lead me to wander desperately through the aisles of a Hong Kong drug store in search of a more gentle replacement. Don’t switch horses mid-race. Trust me on this, I looked like I’d run into a belt sander with my face for a whole week.
- Many nice hotels (at least all the hotels I stayed at in China and Hong Kong) stock the desk with paper, envelopes and even postcards. If you’re in a really nice place, they may even stock the desk with an array of office supplies. Don’t steal shampoo. Steal office supplies. Or put them to good use and write to friends and family back home.If you are away from your home country, ask the concierge to mail your letters for you.
Why she loves stationery
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian waxes nostalgic and even a bit poetic about her love of stationery and the potential they seem to hold in unleashing our collective genius.