Geek out your high tech iPhone with one of these retro-cool Vinyl Studio skins. Currently available for 3Gs and 4/4S models only. See? There are advantages to NOT being an early-adopter.
(via Pinterest)
Washi Tape Hooks
If you love washi tape then these hooks that look like bits of tape are just the thing. But you either have to speak Japanese or know someone who is going to Japan to get a pack of three for yourself.
Office Supply Geek Coffee Mug Giveaway
Lookie what I found! Yup, its a ridiculously silly coffee mug with office supply geek humor. But want to know a secret? I found TWO of these little treasures in the bowels of Hallmark with artwork by Revilo and I’d like to give one away.
Leave a note in the comments about the office supplies you most frequently liquidate from your place of business and it could be yours.
FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Wednesday, October 31, 2012. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Thursday. Winner will be select 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. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money.
Zippy loves office supplies
It was brought to my attention that Bill Griffith, creator of Zippy The Pinhead comic strips, is quite partial to naming his characters after various art and office supplies. The strip that ran on Oct. 22, 2012, has several references to well-known products like Speedball (maker of screenprinting supplies and crow quill and calligraphy nibs), Sanford (maker of Sharpie, Papermate and Prismacolor) and Flair (the infamous Papermate felt tip pen). He’s also used Grumbacher and others in his strips as well. Office supply nerd fun.
Winner of the Action Diary for 2013
Thanks to everyone who entered and shared their goals and wishes for 2013. Using Random Number Generator, we have a winner:
#45 is Derrick Dodson! Congratulations to Derrick and thanks again to everyone who entered. There will be more giveaways in the future so check back.
Ask The Desk: Converters for the Kaweco Student Fountain Pen
I recently received a question from reader Rippy about what size cartridge converter will fit into the Kaweco Student fountain pen. He specifically asked if the Faber-Castell or Schmidt converters will fit. As I have neither converter in-house and when I googled, there were several versions listed, I thought I would provide a visual guide to help in selecting a converter for the Kaweco Student.
I photographed the Kaweco Student on my cutting mat with 1″ grid marks with a few converters shown for size. The Kaweco Student will need a converter that has the same small diameter end as the small European cartridges (shown on the far right). I use a generic twist converter that I purchased at the local pen shop — it has no brand markings on it and cost me about $5 (in the photo, it is the unit attached to the pen nib).With additional hunting, it looks like the Monteverde mini converter available at Goulet Pens for $2.50 (I got robbed!) Goulet includes a photo of the Monteverde Mini next to the Schmidt converter for size comparison. The Schmidt looks like it might be a bit too long.
To the left of the pen is the Lamy converter which is almost 3″ in length and, if the end actually fit, would just barely fit in the barrel. A lot of the converters I found online were 3″ or thereabouts and I’m thinking they may be a bit too long for the Kaweco Student model.
Second to the left is the Pilot converter which uses the ink bladder filling mechanism and measures about 2.25″ in length. Again, if the end actually fit (which it doesn’t) the length would fit in the barrel.
My recommendation is if you have a Schmidt converter and purchase a Kaweco Student, try it out and let us know if it works. If not, I think investing $2.50 in the Monteverde Mini Converter is a great option. Best of luck and if anyone has experience with this combination, please leave a note in the comments. Thanks!
PS: Do you have a burning question about paper, notebooks, pens or inks you’d like the Ask The Desk? Drop me an email (chair@wellappointeddesk.com) or leave a comment below! Thanks for reading!
Linotype: The Film
“Linotype: The Film” Official Trailer from Linotype: The Film on Vimeo.
Last night, I went to see documentary film, Linotype: The Film which was an event hosted by the Kansas City Chapter of AIGA. If you are not familiar with what a Linotype is, its a machine that took the printing world from handsetting type, one letter at a time, to publish books, magazines and newspapers to setting type with whole lines at a time — line-o-type. It revolutionized the publishing industry when it was invented in the 1880s and made it possible for the written word to be available to everyone and in a much quicker, less-expensive way. The New York Times was published with Linotype for over 80 years, until 1978.
Linotype: The Film is a spectacular film and was created with a trio of visionary young men. Check it out. Trust me.