The Well-Appointed Desk

Fountain Pen Review: Super Weird Moonman

We don’t usually review Moonman pens since many seem to be copied from other established pen companies. However, this pen is different.

Moonman pens are usually packaged similarly. A smooth cardboard box, dense foam, and an eyedropper (at least for pens that can be eyedroppered). This pen is the Moonman Q1 mini-eyedropper pen and has a capacity of a full 2mL of ink – it is an ink bucket.

This pen is just fun. Capped, the pen is 11.2 cm (4.4 inches) long. It is 40 mm (1.6 inches) wide.

I believe the Q1 is a nod at the Japanese novelty Jumbo pens that show up occasionally.

The material available on these pens is lovely – available in clear, black, green, and brown. This is the brown version (quite a bit of green shows up in it).

I won’t be reviewing the nib in this post since Moonman pens seem to be fairly consistent in my experience. The Q1 is sold with a choice of EF or F steel nib.

The dimensions on this pen make me smile, however. It is just a tad longer than a Kaweco sport when capped.

Yet the Q1 is shorter than a posted Kaweco.

Then there’s the width. This is the fattest pen I own.

I’ve tried to show how the Q1 is fatter than my current chonker pen, the Opus 88 Bella.

The pen is quite comfortable to hold while posted, although I have hands on the smaller side. The pen weighs in at 36g empty or 38g filled when posted.

Unposted, there’s no great way to write with the Q1. I do not suggest it. Unposted the pen weighs 19 g empty or 21g filled.

Overall, I really enjoy the Moonman Q1. It cost me about $19 with free shipping from China and took about 3 weeks for delivery. I’m looking forward to bringing this to pen shows in the future and enjoy comments – what do you think?

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this item with my own money. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature, Link Love

Link Love: Tenative Steps to Normalcy

AnaJuly 21, 2021July 21, 20214 Comments

The last few weeks have seen lower COVID cases and higher vaccination rates. More businesses and events have started to re-open and loosen mask mandates, number of occupants, etc. This shift has meant trips to the local pool for some, going to a pen show for others. For me and Laura, it means our first Knit Night in person in almost 18 months. We, however live at ground zero of the outbreak of the Delta variant. It’s a place called Missouri. (Ok, technically Laura lives in Kansas but we live on the border so…) If you don’t believe me when I say its COVID-central, check out the NY Times map. We are northwest of the worst infections but I don’t trust the Delta variant to respect county lines. So, our knitting group is meeting outdoors, just to be on the safe side. Are you mingling yet?

In pen news, the Drillog Kickstarter looks interesting but a bit pricey. Mostly, I think everyone is breathing a collective sigh of fresh air before we all have to get back to work in the fall. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Keep your pens clean and your pencils sharp.

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In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Kleid x Life Noble Note A5 White

Laura CameronJuly 20, 2021July 20, 20212 Comments

When Ana picked up a Kleid x Life Noble Note A5 White notebook ($18.00) and we both looked at it, our eyes lit up. This was the PERFECT knitting notebook.

Let me explain. This version of the Noble Note is filled with graph paper. But not just any graph paper, some of the tiniest graph paper we’ve seen: 2mm light gray graph. It was perfect for sketching out knitting charts, which often appear as small grids of stitches that create patterns in knitwear.

The notebook has a cardstock cover that comes in multiple colors, though the version we reviewed is white. It contains 100 sheets of white paper all with that beautiful 2mm light gray grid, thread bound so it can lay flat.

First test: is the paper fountain pen friendly? A resounding yes. I tried fountain pens, pencils, fine liners, brush pens, gels and rollerballs. The only ink that gave me a lick of trouble was a Sharpie and, oh, those Sharpies. The paper is fairly thin so there was a bit of ghosting, but outside the Sharpie, zero bleedthrough.

Second test: can I accurately create a knitted chart? Took me three tries (brain is a little slow today) but yes! I think I found my new design notebook!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Art Supplies

Art Supplies Review: Rikagaku Kitpas Wet-Erase Crayons

AnaJuly 19, 2021July 18, 20211 Comment

Review by Tina Koyama

Years ago when I was making abstract, mixed-media collages, one of my favorite media was Caran d’Ache Neocolor II water-soluble wax pastels. I don’t use them for urban sketching because the broad crayon sticks require larger paper than I want to carry, but I remember the fun of making huge scribbles, and then releasing the pigments with water. When I saw a set of Rikagaku Kitpas Wet-Erase Crayons (set of 12 for $16), they immediately called to mind that kind of fun, but at a lower price than artist-quality Neocolors.

The box, which secures with an elastic band, includes a small well for water. The lid can be used to make color swatches or sketches that will wipe clean like a whiteboard.

I chose the set in which each crayon is encased in a plastic holder that retracts the crayon tip when not in use and keeps hands clean during use. (JetPens also offers a second set of 12 chunkier, paper-wrapped crayons for the same price.) The retractable mechanism seemed like an unnecessary gadget when I first saw it, but as soon as I used it, I liked it – it does keep my hands cleaner and probably also prevents the soft sticks from breaking.

“Sure to please people of all ages, especially kids,” Kitpas crayons are much softer than Crayolas or Neocolor IIs. Applied to paper, they feel more like lipstick – very smooth, waxy and slippery. Like a grease pencil, they can also be used on windows, plastic, whiteboards and other non-porous surfaces, then easily wiped clean.

Caution: They remain tacky and smudgeable, even when you may not want them to. For example, to carry that glass jar back into the house after taking the photo, I had put it under my forearm so I could carry other things. The crayon left marks on my arm and shirt. I also found traces on my scan bed after scanning the sketch. Easily removed from all surfaces with a towel, however.

I tested the Kitpas with techniques I commonly use with water-soluble pencils (tests made on 140-pound Canson XL mixed media paper). The crayons don’t contain as much pigment as artist-quality products do, but they release adequately with water applied with a brush or finger.

Although the view isn’t inspiring, our backyard deck is shady and comfortable all day. On a warm Sunday afternoon, I took the Kitpas set out there to sketch the unkempt bushes and trees between our yard and our neighbors’. After scribbling on the color, I used a spritzer to activate the pigment efficiently and touched it up with a waterbrush. After it dried, I scribbled on a bit more dry crayon in some areas. Because they are so soft and slippery, they are fun and easy for loose, free sketching and less intimidating than high-priced, artist-quality sticks. (Sketch made on 113-pound Fabriano Accademia watercolor paper.)

My natural tendency is to make sketches that are more tightly rendered and detailed than I sometimes want. Using fat crayons is a sure antidote for that kind of tightness – no tiny details possible! If you don’t need artist quality, Kitpas crayons are a good value. Your kids might like them too, but get them their own set so you won’t have to fight over them.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. This review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review (?): PenBBS 353 Replaceable Medium Nib M

AnaJuly 16, 2021July 12, 20212 Comments

When I ordered the PenBBS replacement nib from Ebay, I wondered if it would make a cool keychain-style dip nib. Honestly, at about $10, I just thought it would be cool to have a nib on my keychain in a way that only other pen nerds would appreciate.

Pen BBS replacement nib

The nib is screwed into a keychain base and features a resin cap. The cap is a bit pointier than might be safe for most pockets but the translucent resin is pretty. There were other color options available.

Pen BBS replacement nib

When compared with my favorite pen-testing-on-the-go tools, it was clear that the PenBBS replacement nib is WAY too short to be useable like this. So what can I do with it?

Pen BBS replacement nib

It turns out the nib unit can be untwisted from the keychain base to reveal a fully functional nib unit. This is really a replacement nib!

The nib unit fits the following PenBBS models:

Pen BBS replacement nib

I pulled one of my PenBBS pens out of the archive and lo and behold! The replacement nib really is an exact match.

Pen BBS replacement nib

I was able to swap out the EF nib in my pen with this “M” (its an F nib with a slightly fude tip) with no issues and pop the old nib into the “replacement nib” keychain.

Who needs this? Not very many people but if you use PenBBS pens and wanted to purchase a different nib size, this is a great way to do it and get a protective cover for it as well.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Vinta Inks Collections (Neon & Vintage)

AnaJuly 15, 2021July 15, 20212 Comments

The new Vinta Inks Collection sets have recently arrived and I couldn’t be happier– despite a little inktastrophe. There are two collections, Neon and Vintage, and each include three-15ml bottles in a divided tray in a decorated slip jacket.

The Neon Collection features a bright pink (Tagpuan Electric Pink), a bright cyan (Magnetic Blue) and a teal (Android Teal). My instinct is that these are not highlighter neon colors but a nice assortment of usable bright colors — Not eye-searingly bright but bright. None of the colors in this collection appear to sheen but they all seem to shade nicely.

The Vintage Collection (which had dates from the 1970s on the bottles) are more what I would think of as Retro and not vintage. But that’s just me. The 70s have always seemed “retro” to me. That said, the colors in the collection are a bright blue (Pilgrim’s Blue), a dusty rose (Bini Bini) and a red orange (Silab Blaze). In the Vintage Collection, the only sheening ink is Silab Blaze. The other two colors are nice shaders.

Vintage Collection Ink Comparisons:

I initially thought, with the sheening that Silab Blaze would be similar in color to Sailor Irori but Silab Blaze is definitely more orange where Irori is more red. There are minor differences between Vinta’s Damili Terracotta and Silab Blaze. If you already own a full bottle of Terracotta, you probably don’t need Silab as well. If you prefer non-sheening inks, Penlux Tangerine is quite similar in color just without the sheen.

Pilgrim’s Blue immediately made me think of all of the Robert Oster blues. Surprisingly, Pilgrim’s Blue is a shade off from Robert Oster Fire & Ice, without the sheen. Colorverse Strelka and Callifolio Omi Osun are also close in color. Other inks I looked at for comparison were either lighter, darker, more teal or more desaturated (more smoky).

The Bini Bini Pink Rose was the most unusual ink in the Vintage Set and hardest to find an apples-to-apples comparison. Robert Oster Cherry Blossom and Sailor Studio 237 are similar but with subtle differences in the tones — Cherry Blossom is more pink, Sailor Studio 237 is a bit more orange. J. Herbin Bouquet D’Antan is lighter and pinker.

The Neon Collection Comparisons:

Android Teal is one of those “sweet spot” colors for me. I can never seem to get enough of this hue. And I swatched Diamine Marine twice and didn’t even notice! From the slight difference in ink application for the Marine swatches — one having a bit heavier coverage than the other — it’s clear to see that Marine can look very similar to Android Teal though slightly more green. Coloverse Strelka is a much closer match.

Tagpuan Electric Pink is not as “electric” as many other pinks in my ink collection. I included Krishna Bauhima which is one of the brightest pinks in my collection for comparison. iPaper Pleione Formosa is the closest color match but features a bit more purple in the ink than Electric Pink. I also included a sample of Pelikan Edelstein Tourmaline and Van Diemans Spring Fairy Orchid for comparison. Even with these ink comparisons added, Electric Pink is definitely a different color than the others shown.

The last ink is Magnetic Blue. As you can see from the swatch, this is a color created by many, many ink makers. Finding one or two comparisons seemed pointless since I had 16 that were all relatively the same color. Most notably, Magnetic Blue is the same color as Waterman Inspired Blue, Lamy Pacific Blue, Diamine Turquoise, Sheaffer Turquoise, J. Herbin Bleu Prevenche, and Robert Oster Blue River.

Conclusion:

While I love a good set of inks, I don’t really have need of these colors. There is one color from each collection that feel unique in my extremely large ink collection: Silab from the Vintage Collection and Bini Bini from the Neon collection. I would have liked the vintage collection to either be more vintage — maybe faded colors that Vinta already does so well or based on notable colors of the past (how about “Arsenic Green” and “Perkin’s Mauve“)? The Neon Collection was not NEON enough for the name, IMHO. The colors are pretty but this could have been called The 80s collection as easily as the Neon collection.

All my opinions aside, the range of colors in each set is good and the small bottles are perfect for trying new, different colors without having to commit to a lifetime supply. If you have a smaller ink collection, these would be a great way to add new range to your collection. If you have a massive ink collection, the only reason to purchase these is FOMO.

In Link Love

Link Love: A Surprisingly Good Week for Pencils

AnaJuly 14, 2021July 14, 20211 Comment

I think this week’s title says it all — it was a good week for pencil posts. There are several wonderful posts on pencil history and a guide to Blackwing Wings. It seems like a good time to start sharpening your pencils too — new planner season is coming and JetPens has created a sign-up list (link below) to be notified when your favorite planner brand drops their 2022 planners. JetPens carries many of the most popular planners like Hobonichi, Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter (spelled that without looking!), Jibun Techo, Midori and more. With COVID restrictions being lifted and more of us getting out and about in the world, ave you started plotting your planner for 2022?

In other news, this weekend is the Miami Pen Show which is taking place. Hopefully, its a successful event because just a couple weeks later, the DC Pen Show kicks off. I am starting to hear from folks who are vending or attending these events. Are you going? Since I started a new job a couple months ago, I don’t have the vacation time accrued to do much traveling this year but hopefully next year I can attend a show or two.

To pencils, planners and pen shows!