The Well-Appointed Desk

Muji Retractable Gel Ink 0.38

AnaMay 20, 20122 Comments

This Muji retractable gel ink pen in 0.38 purple is another in a long line of goodies I grabbed while at the Muji store in Hong Kong. It has a clear, frosted, hexagonal body and the total absence of graphics which is one of the things that make Muji such a nice antithesis to big box office supply pens. Even the clip is integrated into the overall look in the same frosted plastic. Its probably not a heavy-duty clip but enough to clip on to the front of a notebook or pocket easily. There is no cushion on the grip but it has a wider-than-usual body making it comfortable for the price. Probably not the pen to write your next novel with but would be perfectly comfortable for daily notetaking. Through the case, you get a hint of the ink color with the cap matching the ink (or at least coordinating with it).

I had never used this particular Muji pen model before and I don’t normally gravitate to retractable pens (nor purple pens) but this one is a delight to use. It glides across the paper with ease, the color is bright and rich without being too pale or too dark. Its actually a lovely violet purple color, not the pale lavender of the cap. It writes with a fine 0.38 tip and it really cannot be beat for the price. I paid $9HK which is about $1.16US. At this price, this is a pen you can leave on your desk and not be devastated if it was co-opted by a co-worker. I wish I had purchased more colors of this pen. If you’re ever near a Muji shop, I recommend seeking it out.

RECOMMENDED!

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

In photo

Kaweco Cartridge Dispenser

AnaMay 18, 20121 Comment

While exploring the NoteMaker web site, I stumbled across this gem, the Kaweco cartridge dispenser. Maybe I’m uninformed but I was unaware that such a thing existed and now I must have one! What a perfect way to store extra ink cartridges for your beloved Kaweco (well, mine is beloved)!

$9.89US from NoteMaker. Don’t forget to enter the code WELLAPPDESK at checkout to get a 10% discount.

In feature

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.