The Well-Appointed Desk

Call for notebook recommendations

AnaMay 17, 20128 Comments

From The Well-Appointed Desk mailbag came this request from Danny:

I would appreciate your opinion. My favorite journal is the Rhodia Webnotebook. I like the fountain pen friendly, off-white colored paper in the 14 x 21 cm size. The only improvement I would like is for the journal to lay flat when open. Do you know of any journals that combine all these features? Thanks very much!

In my opinion, this is the great triumvirate of notebook wishes: right size, right paper, right format. For the US crowd, he’s looking for a 5×8″. For the UK audience, that’s A5 size. Off-white and lays flat. Sounds like a hardcover. There was no mention of line width or grid or blank but let’s toss those into the mix as well.

I like the Leuchtturm 1917 but the paper is a warm white, not cream and not quite as thick as the Rhodia webnotebook stock. As for laying flat, any sewn binding should be able to take the abuse of being opened wider than flat to loosen it up to get it to lay closer to flat but my Leuchtturm 1917 does not lay perfectly flat either.

Do you have a recommendations for him?

In feature

Vintage Office Supply Overdose

AnaMay 17, 20123 Comments

My husband’s friend was kind enough to pass along an enormous collection of vintage office supplies from her father and grandfather’s collection.

The Denver Post pencil, the fountain pen, ruler and letter opener belonged to her grandfather, Carl P. Stangel, who was an architect in Omaha, NE. Many of the other pieces came from her father who was a bookkeeper near Salina, KS.

This was such a massive haul, I’m going to have to save a few of the other pieces for a future post. Stay tuned!

In feature

Muji 0.5 Retractable (Don’t LIME if I do)

AnaMay 16, 2012Leave a comment

Do I have a soft spot for anything lime green? Yes. I do. So when I spied the lime green retractable gel pen at the Muji store, I was weak to the temptation. Sadly, lime green is often a difficult color to read on paper, particularly if it has to fight with grids, lines or other markings that are often darker than the precious lime green ink. Sadly, the Muji 0.5 retractable suffered the same fate. It writes smoothly, has a nice soft grip, is in the fine tradition of Muji virtually free of all graphics and logos and cost a mere $1.29US. So, while I would not necessarily recommend this particular shade of ink for anyone but the diehard lime-green fans out there, I would recommend snatching up a few of the other colors available next time you are within shouting distance of a Muji shop.

Sadly, the retractable 0.5 gel ink pens are not available online through Muji.

(This pen was tested on the Miquelrius medium flexible 300 grid paper book purchased from B+N.)

In Pencil Review

Incense Cedar Sierra Slip-On Mechanical Pencil: Nice pencil, revolting name

AnaMay 15, 2012May 28, 20171 Comment

The Incense Cedar Sierra Slip-On, the mechanical pencil with the unfortunate name, is a classic hexagonal wooden pencil that has been hollowed out and replaced with a standard mechanical mechanism. This pencil combines the best of both worlds — the fine smell of cedar wood, comfortable and classic look of the hexagonal and the no-sharpener-needed ease of mechanical pencils. It can be loaded with a few extra leads of your favorite hardness for travel and long use. The pink eraser works tolerably well but the pressure to erase may cause the lead to advance since its a click-advance mechanism.

I find this pencil aesthetically pleasing but the eraser, like most erasers-on-the-end-of-pencils erasers, proves a bit of disappointment because it advances the leads. Its novel and I like it and will use it but its not going to be my go-to mechanical pencil.

Purchased at City’Super in Hong Kong for approx. $32HK (about $4 US). A pink version is available for Stationery Art.

In feature

Pilot Frixion Colors and Point 0.4

AnaMay 14, 20122 Comments

While in Hong Kong, I was able to pick up both the Pilot Frixion Point 0.4 (similar to a rollerball or gel ink pen) and two Pilot Frixion Colors (which are more akin to a felt tip pen).

I purchased a black and brown Frixion Color from a small stationery shop in Hong Kong called Chun Kee (no jokes please). On paper, the inks were not as dark and opaque as a Sharpie and the erasability (using the friction eraser) would not make these appropriate for labeling boxes or other places where a permanent dark line is needed. But, the erasability did work as advertised which was kind of cool though I don’t know how often I would use it. An advantage of the lighter inks is that it did not feather or bleed through much on my standard notebook If you’re looking for a felt tip pen that does not bleed through on the average notebook paper and is erasable, this may be just what you want.

One unusual quirk that I discovered between the Frixion Colors and the Frixion Point is that the eraser tip on the Colors was on the cap so you need to post the cap on the end to have it available as you write. Alternately, on the Frixion Point, the eraser was on the end of the pen body so if you post the cap, the eraser is hidden. I don’t necessarily say one method is preferred but I find the inconsistency between models a little odd.

Now, let’s talk about the Frixion Point 0.4. I purchased the blue-black model which had super smooth flowing ink and a sharp thin line comparable to a Pilot Precise V5 which is my go-to big box pen for ease-of-use and quality for the price. The Frixion adds the ability to erase to the equation making it a great option for notes and rough drafts. The ink quality alone is enough to recommend this pen, the eraser is just a bonus.

So, for what purposes would you use these pens?

Final word:

Pilot Frixion Point 0.4 in blue-black. Recommended. $3.75 US

Pilot Colors in black and brown. Interesting but not sure of its usefulness. Maybe a bright color like orange or yellow to annotate notes might make this a useful tool but the black and brown seem to serve little purpose for me. $1.75 each US

(This pen was tested on the Miquelrius medium flexible 300 grid paper book purchased from B+N.)

In feature

Uniball Jetstream Color 0.5 tastes better than crow

AnaMay 14, 20123 Comments

I have a confession, though if you’ve read The Well-Appointed Desk for awhile now, you’ll notice the absence of almost any reference to ballpoint pens. Those Bic Stics. Yuck. As a lefty with a hook, my high school years were filled with smudged papers, ink all over my pinky from smearing through my work and a overall distaste for the oily, slow-drying ink of those budget ballpoints that plagued my youth. Since then, I have done everything I can to avoid them. On the rare occasion that I am asked to sign a credit card slip with one, I die a little inside. So I had firmly avoided ever reviewing a single implement described as a ballpoint. Until today.

I’d heard people wax poetic about the Uni Jetstream pens for years now. “How great could they be,” I thought, “they are still ballpoints.” Well, let me stop for a moment to eat this large plate of crow (please pass the hot sauce, I’ve got a lot to choke down). I picked one up in Hong Kong on a whim, more because it was a fabulous color described as “ash green” than for the fact that it was a (dare I say it) ballpoint. Then I put the pen to paper. What is this? It writes smoothly, dries quickly, does not stutter or smear. It has a fine delicate nib. The pen has a simple casing with just subtle graphics on a white case. Could it be that not all ballpoints are created equal? It writes more like a cross between a rollerball and a gel pen which I suspect is really what it is — the ink color is bright and clear like a liquid ink or gel ink and not at all the consistency of those Bic Stics that still make me cringe.

If you too fear the ballpoint, then the Uniball Jetstream may be the pen to break your distaste for them one and for all. I know it changed my opinion about them and made me seriously wish I had purchased more than one.

From Log-ON iSquare in Kowloon, Hong Kong for $12HK (about $2 US). Similar pens can be found at JetPens but I have not seen the illusive ash green color unless it is what they refer to as blue-black.