The Well-Appointed Desk

A week or so ago Ana let me know she was sending me a new keyboard desk pad to try out. You may remember my fondness for desk pads, and my previous reviews of my Ruff House planners and the Original Crown Mill keyboard pad. Despite technology, I love having a place to write down my daily to do list, notes from meetings, etc. So when Ana sent me the Cortex Sidekick Notepad ($39), I was eager to test it out.

The Sidekick Notepad is designed by the one and only Myke Hurley, cohost of the Pen Addict Podcast. According to Cotton Bureau, “Sidekick Notepad is designed to sit comfortably with you and your keyboard. It’s ready and waiting for whatever you‘re working on. Capture all your tasks, action items, notes, and thoughts.”

Let’s get down to it. The Sidekick Notepad is listed as approximately 12″ wide by 7″ tall. (I measured the paper itself as 11.75″ x 6.25″ (30cm x 16cm). The Notepad has a sturdy cardboard backing and a cover made of a paper called “Extract” that is made from recycled coffee cups in London. It has scored edges so it can be folded over the back of the notepad while in use.

Inside are 60 sheets of Munken Lynx paper in a natural white color. There is a box for the Date at the top of the notepad and 2/3 of the pad has a dot grid where you can take notes, doodle, draw diagrams or the like. On the right 1/3 of the notepad is list where you can add and check off items.

I put the paper through its paces with fountain pens, fountain pen ink, brush pens, gel pens, fine liners and of course, Sharpies. The Sharpies always fail the test, but everything else didn’t show through, bleed or feather. Even the ink swab (which I did with cotton swabs) didn’t bleed through. You can see some distortion where the liquid was, but I wouldn’t expect a desk pad to be waterproof anyway (even though it might end up seeing some coffee).

Each sheet is perforated on the top meaning when you’re done, tear it off and start again on a fresh page.

I wanted to take a brief moment to compare the pad to a few others that I have tried.

Functionally speaking, the Sidekick Notepad is more or less the same size as my Ruff House planners. The format is different (the Ruff House planners have weekly undated planning pages) whereas the Sidekick is a bit more freeform. However, they are roughly the same size and weight, which I know does work for me.

The Original Crown Hill keyboard pad is more what I think of as something to keep right under my keyboard and handy for notes. It is much wider and thinner – it measure a whopping 16.5″ x 3.5″ (42cm x 9cm) and is a more convenient alternative if what you want is a notebook right under your keyboard.

The Sidekick won’t fulfill quite the same function as my daily planner, but I do think that it will be a useful addition to keep next to my computer, along with my planner, but better for notes in meetings, random thoughts, etc. With 60 pages, it’s likely to last for a while, though I suppose that depends on how active my days are and how many notes I really take.

I do like the paper – it is nice and smooth, and will handle any pen that I grab at my desk (I rarely use Sharpies so that’s not really a concern) and I think I’ll enjoy using it. The only question I have in my mind is whether I would continue to buy a notebook I just use for jotting down notes at $40. I should say, I don’t think it’s overpriced since it uses premium paper, recycled materials and is imported to the US from London. But if I were to use a page a day, a Sidekick would last me only 2 months so I’d have to decide if I’m enough of a devotee to keep going back for more. Let’s see how I feel after a few months and I’ll report back!

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Plotter 03 Plain Card Size

AnaApril 3, 2023March 25, 2023

Another sample that I picked up at the California Pen Show from the Plotter/Traveler’s table was a Plotter Plain 003 Card Size Refill Memo Pad ($4.50 each). This tiny little glue bound pad with wraparound paper cover is just 2.1″ × 3.6″ (55mm X 91mm) which is just a tiny bit wider than a standard US business card (usually 2″ x 3.5″). Each sheet is punched with 3 holes to fit into your Plotter cover (or similar style ring binder).

Each Refill Memo Pad contains 80 sheets of DP paper, “DP paper” is an abbreviation for “Designphil Pocketbook paper”. The note on the Plotter USA web site says this paper is specially designed but isn’t specific as to whom it is specially designed. Is it just for the Plotter product line? Is it paper made especially to be used across all the DesignPhil products? Regardless, the paper is a cream color with a nice tooth.

Bob, the printmaker and paper genius, said “it has a lovely eggshell finish. Though some might call it an antique finish.” Thanks, paper genius for the detailed info. The DP Paper is 60gsm so it is thin and lightweight but maintains the properties we love about Japanese paper. It’s fountain pen friendly and shows sheen beautifully.

From the back of the sheet, there is no show though or bleedthrough. The paper held up beautifully. And due to their small size, these little sheets would be perfect for lists, to-dos and other notes. I think I might carry this tiny little pad in my pocket at pen shows for pen testing and notes. Often folks will ask for the name of an ink or other item we don’t have at the show so it would be nice to write it down on a sheet of paper smell enough to fit in their pocket or into their journal later.

Just for scale, I put the test sheet next to a Col-o-ring. The Plotter card size is a bit wider and a bit shorter than a Col-o-ring but it will give you a sense of scale.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Plotter USA for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Trigg Gratitude Journal

AnaMarch 31, 2023March 25, 2023

The Trigg Gratitude Journal (£13.99) is a guided gratitude journal from the makers of the Trigg Life Mapper planner system. This A5 matte faux-leather hardcover journal features prompts, quotes and a variety of page layouts that create a place where you can pause and reflect. The notebook starts with some direction about how and when to use a gratitude journal.

The goal of this gratitude journal is to help find happiness in your life and improve personal resilience when things get tough.

Throughout the notebook, there are inspiring quotes, mandalas that you can color, and an assortment of guided prompts to explore positive aspects, people and things in your life.

I am a cynic and a bit of a salty b*tch so looking for the bright side, being grateful and staying positive always feels a bit forced for me. I am 100% the person the Grievance Journal was made for. But I totally understand why and how the Trigg Gratitude Journal can be helpful.

I am also the person who needs guided prompts to get me to even think about “10 things I like about myself” and, trust me, filling this page in would be a painful and emotionally wrought activity. I know. Therapy.

There were a few “notes’ pages in the back of the notebook that I used for pen testing.

While the structure and concept behind this planner is it’s raison d’etre , I am sure you’re asking, “How’s the paper?”

The paper is a bright white compared to the Trigg Life Mapper which features a softer ivory paper. I am pretty sure its the same paper stock though as I had similar results with some bleedthrough from fountain pens and a little showthrough with darker or broader brush pens, though it was pretty minor.

The paper had a “dry” feeling. I know that seems like a strange way to describe paper but it did feel like it wanted to absorb inks though the overall result was not terrible. No pen feathered. The mystery ink in my ProColor seems to bleed on most papers so I wasn’t overly surprised. There was a bit of show through with the Pilot Custom 912 with the FA nib but that is a flex nib and dumps a lot of ink on the paper.

Overall, I found gel pens, rollerball and felt tip pens performed well on the paper. The brush pens also did really well and fountain pen ink did okay, YMMV.

If you are looking for a notebook to help focus on gratitude, the amount of content in the Trigg Gratitude Journal is excellent providing a range of activities. I have to admit, I want to spend an hour coloring a couple of the mandala designs in the journal. I feel like this is a notebook where the content provided outweighs the potential fountain pen-incompatibility. If you need to get your gratitude on, grab those seldom used gel pens, markers, colored pencils and such and dive in. Sometimes, content is more important than the fountain pen-friendliness.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Think Trigg for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Traveler’s Short Trip Passport Size

AnaMarch 30, 2023March 25, 20231 Comment

While at the California Pen Show, I was able to score a few samples from the Traveler’s/Plotter table. Not that I needed any Traveler’s Notebook samples. I’ve been a loyal fan of Traveler’s for …. hmmmm… over a decade now! But it was a delight to revisit some of the classic refills. Because Traveler’s is part of the Midori product family, much of the paper included in the refills is Midori but I often forget that. This particular sample, a “Refill for a Short Trip” in Passport Size. This insert only include 32 pages compared to the regular Passport inserts that feature 64 pages but features the same high quality Midori MD paper in the cream color.

The Midori MD Cream paper has a slight tooth to it making it good for all around use and it stands up to pretty much any pen you can throw at it. I had no issues with feathering, even with my Pilot Custom 912 with the FA nib.

It’s a thinner paper so there is some show through but no bleed through at all. I have a soft spot for the Midori MD Cotton and Midori MD Light, so much so that I had forgotten how good the standard Midori MD paper was. Honestly, I don’t think there’s much more I can say about Midori MD paper that hasn’t been said already but its nice to take another look at the classics. They are classics for a reason. Thanks for the sample, Traveler’s Company, and for reminding me that I love this paper!

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Traveler’s Company USA for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Feelin’ Peachy

AnaMarch 29, 2023March 29, 2023

It’s that time again! The Atlanta Pen Show starts tomorrow. Well, at least for vendors and folks traveling for the show. I will hopping on a plane tomorrow with pens, sample vials, Emergen-C and my faithfull suitcase, R2-D2. The Atlanta Show is a special show for me. It was my very first pen show back in 2015. It was the first show I attended post-pandemic. I’ve made new friends at the show and caught up with people I’ve know for years.

This year, I will be helping out at the Vanness Pen Shop table as usual and Jesi will be helping at Dromgoole’s table. Between the two of us we should be able to find the perfect ink, paper or pen for you. When we are not on the show floor, you can probably find us in the bar or next door at the Waffle House fueling up.

If you are planning to attend the show, please be sure to stop by and say hello to us. Visiting with friends is the best part of the show.

Be sure to live vicariously through us next week and we will be sure to post some photos of the show.

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Unmoored (via From the Pen Cup)

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In video

Atlanta Pen Show Weekend

AnaMarch 28, 2023March 28, 20232 Comments

Friends! This weekend is the Atlanta Pen Show and half “the Desk” will be in attendance. Ana will be her delightful pink-haired self at the Vanness tables, and Jesi will be ink-whispering for Dromgooles. If you’re in the area, this really is a don’t miss show. And stop by and say hi – Ana and Jesi would love to meet you!

This is last year’s Atlanta video (2022)!

For those of us who are having a serious case of FOMO, there is a wonderful way to virtually visit the show. On Friday afternoon, sometime between 3 and 4pm EST, Mike Matteson from Inkdependence will broadcast live on YouTube from the show, and take you on a tour of the vendor market. He’ll chat with vendors, see some friendly faces along the way and generally make you feel ALMOST like you’re really there. And if you can’t make it live, the broadcasts are recorded so you can peruse them at your leisure. It’s a great way to get a feel for a pen show, see new merch from vendors you love, and more! While it will never take the place of actually getting to attend a show, it’s a fun experience and Mike does a great job. (and I may have succumbed to a little online shopping in the past… allegedly).

In Planners & Organizers

Planner Review: Paperblanks Planner

AnaMarch 27, 2023March 25, 20232 Comments

I grabbed a copy of the Paperblanks Midi Planner ($6.88 on sale, $22.95 USD/$24.95CAD at full price) recently when I was ordering even more of the heavyweight paper Midi notebooks which have become my go-to notebook these days. I wanted to give the thinner 80gsm paper Paperblanks make another chance and the sale price made it hard to resist. The design is called the Floralia and it is so riveting. The matte black cover features a beautiful print of flowers and some shimmer and sparkle accents on the flowers. As the light catches the art on the cover, the flowers look like they are popping off the cover.

The cover is a soft flexi with two ribbon bookmarks (sealed so they don’t fray!) and the Midi size is B6-ish at 4.75″ x 6.75″. B6 is 4.9 x 6.9 in (12.5 x 17.6 cm) so the Midi-sized notebooks will fit into any B6-sized notebook cover (another bonus for me since my daily carry notebook cover is B6).

Before the monthly calendars is a two-page year-at-a-glance spread with 2022 and 2023 and a key for the symbols used through the planner which include the first day of spring, first day of autumn, the moon phases and when daylight savings starts/ends (though it was not accurate to the US. Paperblanks is a Canadian company).

I bought the “horizontal no closure” version of the planner, which is essentially a standard week-on-two-pages design with a month-on-a-page in the front. The edition I got was an 18-month version that started in July 2022. The 80gsm paper means the book is not overly bulky and the 18-month model would be great for anyone who is in academia or who might be looking for a planner switch-up mid-year. The paper is acid-free, sustainable forest paper.

In the back of the planner are:

international holidays for dozens of countries
year-at-a-glance calendars for 2024 and 2025
international dialing codes (so retro!!)
some time zone clocks
clothing conversion size charts
quick glance measurement conversions for imperial to metric
travel planning and important dates page
14 notes pages, lined
14 pages for address keeping

The paper is a creamy ivory color and has a slight tooth to it. In my usability test, I wasn’t expecting the paper to be fountain pen friendly because its so lightweight but I often grab whatever pen is handy to write in my planner so I want paper to be at least tolerant of fountain pens. There was a bit of showthrough on the reverse of the page but its not terrible and I think the ink I have been using is particularly wet and inclined to bleed.

I have started adding some daily events and notes. I know not everyone loves lines in the notebooks but for some reason, I don’t mind the lines in the Paperblanks planners. There is a slightly wider line between each day making a clean delineation between all the lines.

When you look at the reverse of the weekly page, the olive ink had some show through but the purple ink (I am pretty sure that’s Monteverde Birthday Cake in a Sailor ProGear with a H-MF nib) did not show through at all.

I used the notes pages to do some pen testing. I really like when planners work well with a lot of different kinds of pens because I just never know when I need to jot down an event. I might have been sketching and had a pencil in hand or I just grab a gel pen out of the cup on my table. The Paperblanks 80gsm paper really isn’t terrible. There is minor show through but very little bleed through. For a thin non-Japanese paper, its beyond acceptable. I would compare it to Leuchtturm 1917 for being a good all-around paper. If you are inclined to use super broad, juicy fountain pens, these 80gsm notebooks from Paperblanks might not be for you.

But if you, like me, has a rainbow of felt tip, gel, rollerball, pencils AND fountain pens, these planners might be a good option. And at the clearance prices, it could be worth giving them a try.

Reverse side of the writing samples shown above. Even the Pilot Custom 912 with the flexible FA nib, did not bleed like the olive ink. I wish I could remember what that olive ink was… I think it was something I filled at the LA Pen Show from an assortment of inks Jesi brought.

Reverse side of the writing sample from previous photo.

I realize that I am a bit biased about Paperblanks but I think they don’t get a lot of props from the pen community and the books are really good quality. No, they are not Hobonichi, Tomoe River or Midori MD paper but they are better than so many other options at reasonable prices (even when they are not on sale).

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Some items were purchased with funds from our amazing Patrons. You can help support this blog by joining our Patreon. Please see the About page for more details.

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