Thanks to years working at Hallmark, I am a loyal user of 3x5s for notes, reminders and various writing needs. The 3×5 has a long history at Hallmark including the infamous “When you care enough to send the very best” having originally been jotted down on a ubiquitous 3×5 before being immortalized on the back of greeting cards everywhere.
Needless to say, finding this durable metal box with vintage metal-topped dividers was quite the coup. (by me)
Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting by Kitty Burns Florey is an overview of history of handwriting. I was distracted by some page layout issues in the book, particularly in the first chapter where the footnotes were mis-numbered and some of the photos butted up against the text. I hated that the layout issues colored my impression of the book because there are lots of fun little details and trivia bits along the margins.
I enjoyed the quick overview of the rise of writing through history though the majority of the content deals with the last 100 years of writing. From Spencerian to Palmer to the modern italics, Script & Scribble provides a loving overview of the history handwriting.
One chapter struck me as odd, the history of handwriting analysis. I realize its an interesting aspect and everyone believes their personality might come out in their handwriting but overall it seemed like it should have been a couple of paragraphs, not a whole chapter.
The book did reaffirm my belief that handwriting remains an important component of our lives and it remains a skill that will never need batteries or electricity for us to accomplish. Thinking of the people in Japan right now suffering through blackouts makes it even more poignant to think of how seldom we practice our handwriting skills with the convenience of computers and cell phones.
In the end, I was inspired to break out my copy of Teach Yourself Better Handwriting by Rosemary Sassoon and Gunnlaugur S.E. Briem and beginning to practice handwriting with more thoughtfulness. I’ll share my results in the coming weeks. Because really, the best asset to have at a well-appointed desk is a well-appointed hand.
The awesome Apsco Giant pencil sharpener is one sharpener to rule them all. It adjusts to fit 5 different sizes of pencils. Purchased from Agent Obsolete, it was entirely unused. The screws were still inside the shaving container with the factory tape! Needless to say, its been mounted to my work table and has already sharpened dozens of pencils with ease.
(by me)
Tombow OnBook mechanical pencil is the perfect companion to a paper planner or Moleskine-type notebook. The pen is flat on one side to fit snugly against the spine of your book. The metal clip is solid and is very thin making it easy to slide along the spine of your notebook. It accepts any 0.5mm lead and is available in a half a dozen colors from JetPens. Under the cap is a tiny eraser which is not great but just enough if you’re in a pinch.
The OnBook is actually quite comfortable to hold for my small hands though I’ve never used it for long writing sessions. It looks sleek and it lives along the spine of my Cavallini & Co. leather-covered daily planner.
All the wonderful, leather, masculine accoutrements from Patrick Ng of Scription.
Vintage knock-off Dymo and super skinny tape (by me)
The Smart Deck is an oversized pad with the year at-a-glance across the bottom of the expansive blank pages. 12” x12” 150 sheets padded at the top. $26
(via Russell + Hazel)
