University Stationery on E. 12th Street and University Place is another great old-fashioned stationery story with what looks like miles and miles of notebooks, pads, and journals. It's been around for decades, serving the New York University community. So it stocks quite a lot of pens and paper, as well as a great supply of fine pens kept on the right side of the store (which is quite small). On the left side of the store is the paper, about 45 to 50 feet of shelves worth of paper but only a few brands. The first half of the store is loaded with Clairefontaine and Rhodia. I've seen some Clairefontaine notebooks there that I haven't seen anywhere else, a quite unusual occurrence (such as the flowered notebook on the second shelf to the left in this picture).
Then comes some miscellaneous office supplies, which leads to about 25 feet of shelves filled with Miquelrius notepads: four-colored notebooks, one subject notebooks, three subject notebooks, large, small, medium, paper covers, poly covers, solid and plaid covers. I didn't know Miquelrius made this many notebooks! The upper areas of the wall carry various office supplies, planners, and other stationery supplies. The owner of the store was very helpful when I was looking for a Lamy Al-Star converter; he had plenty for the Safari but none for the Al-Star, but he called his warehouse and then sent his son for it. Took about 15 minutes, which unfortunately gave me more time to find a few more things I hadn't seen before to add to my purchase. Definitely another place you could spend lots of time (and $).
I was reading through the Pen Addict's blog on the Japanese Zebra, an intriguing animal that comes in many varieties and shades, and read his review of the Zebra Sarasa Stick 0.3m with its interesting needle point. Then off to do some shopping, ending up the afternoon at Kinokuniya looking over their large pen selection. I spotted the Zebra Sarasa Stick pen section, with a large amount of the 0.3m in 8 to 10 different colors. I finally went with blue black, spruce green, and bright blue, then decided to add a Stick pen in 0.7m in blue black as a comparison. The two are so different in both looks and writing that I'm surprised they are both labelled Sarasa Stick pens.
The 0.3m pens are all needle points, and feel funny to write with when I'm used to a much wider tip or a rollerball. The blue and green wouldn't write at first, and I spent a good few minutes on each trying to get the ink to flow. When I finally did, I almost couldn't see what I was writing. They were great for making lines, although the blue black is the best color to use just because it is dark and can be seen. Then there is the Sarasa Stick 0.7m, a different pen altogether. It has a ball point ink refill and writes smoothly, with a nice wide line. I enjoyed writing with this pens, didn't feel like I was scratching into the paper. I'll stick with the wider point and put the 0.3m pens aside for further thought.
I hadn't given much thought to customizing a Rhodia pad until I saw this great job by Gentian, so I decided to give it a try. I don't draw, and my Sharpies were out for an afternoon stroll, so I made a color copy of a favorite portrait I had commissioned a few years back--a miniature of my two cats, Bast's Gift (left) and Pywacket (right). Taped to my current Rhodia 16 pad so there won't be any scratches or marks, and framed with black marker. I found a few other markers to color in the trees, and I have to say I kind of like how this looks.
Art Brown International Pen Shop is now carrying the De Atramentis inks, a German brand that arrived about two weeks ago. They brought a few dozen colors to the 2009 New York City Pen Show, but not the wine-based or scented inks. Several colors really caught my eye (a teal that was almost neon), but unfortunately others got there before me. One color that I was interested in was Bordeaux Red, possibly because of the color or because of the name. 
Regarding planners, I started using the Day Timer system about 15 years ago, mostly because the company and I both hail from Allentown, PA. But even with a two-page-per-week system, the desk size planner was too large to carry in my bag. I gave it up for a Palm Pilot that was convenient, but I really missed the paper and ink experience of a planner. When the Palm Pilot expired in a tragic accident two years ago, I bought a Moleskine planner to keep track of projects and notes at work. I liked it a lot and would have gotten it for 2009 but I really missed my Day Timer, so that's what I've been using this year. Unfortunately, though my handbags have gotten bigger the desk size Day Timer still doesn't fit comfortably, so I've been looking around for something different that will also fit into my bag. Enter the Quo Vadis Equology Textagenda.
When the Equology arrived I was surprised at two things: how bright the orange color of the planner cover actually is, and, given it's a synthetic, it's amazingly silky feel--like fine cloth. The Textagenda is a one-page-per-day planner beginning in August 2009 to July 2010; turns out, it is the same size as the Chelsea journal. So if you'd like to use the Equology cover with a Forum refill as blank journal, it works perfectly. Unfortunately, the reverse isn't the case--you can't use the Textagenda with the Chelsea cover as the Textagenda is much thicker than the Forum refill. The journals both have roughly the same number of pages, although the Textagenda includes world maps, note pages, and address pages. But that's only about 25 or so extra pages, and so I'm guessing that the Textagenda recycled paper is thicker than the Forum journal paper. An interesting situation, as I would have thought the reverse, that recycled paper is thinner.
Which segues nicely into the whole point: the Quo Vadis Equology planner is part of the company's recycled green line. The web site touts the recycled paper made from 100% post-consumer fiber, the chlorine-free manufacture, and the overall environmental friendliness of the products. The website also states "Equology paper is crisp, very white, and good to write on." And it really is that, with paper that feels quite substantial to the touch. I've been using the planner every day as both a journal and planner, making notes as well as scheduling my time; I find I like the way the Textagenda "handles" very much, there is more than enough space on each page for numerous notes and cryptic messages as well as two special areas for important points to remember. The Equology Textagenda is the right size, has great writing paper, looks good, and feels even better.
I was sitting at a colleague's desk writing a note to her when I stopped to notice the pen I had chosen, a Pilot Bravo blue marker. This non-refillable pen reminds me of the Preppy Sign felt tip marker--it has the same type of barrel and wide tip marker that leaves a thick, wet line. The Bravo itself is nicely designed and has two clear panels on the barrel so the ink supply is visible. According to the company, the marker won't dry out if left uncapped, and the ink won't bleed through paper like other marker pens. Perhaps, although I found that it did leave a serious shadow on lesser quality paper, not that I'd use this for double sided writing. Not my first choice of a marker if a Sharpie is around, but a good pen all in all. The blue color itself is a deep, rich hue, not your standard blue but something with more shading to it to make it interesting. I'll probably give this a try on some Rhodia pads, although I'm hesitant to borrow the Bravo as it may never make it back to my co-worker's desk.
The Pentalic stands up well next to the original Moleskine. One interesting feature is the notched edge where the elastic band lays on the top of the cover, a nice touch that makes for a snugger fit around the paper (which does not come to the exact edge of the cover as in a Moleskine). I haven't shown any written pages because Biffybeans did a great review of the larger Pentalic journal back in 2008 at her blog, Spiritual Evolution of the Bean, and she has lots to say about the writing quality . I can only add that this is a great little journal and an awesome color.
On the left at the top, from the Fountain Pen Hospital, a Pelikan Tradition Series 205 Blue Transparent Fine Point Fountain Pen. On the right, from Swisher Pens, a beautiful Namiki Fine Point Fountain Pen. My very first "good" pens, I'm still in a daze. Plus I also purchased my very first Lamy Al-Star fountain pen with an extra fine nib (from Swisher Pens) and a Faber-Castell Ambition ballpoint (from Art Brown) that I've re-rigged with a Monteverde blue/black gel ink refill that I love; those and a few new inks round out the purchases.
Some months ago, while browsing at Essex Card Shop (which can be an all-day affair in itself), this couple came through the notebook/journal aisle to pick up a few things. The guy was ecstatic when he saw the Mead Cambridge Business Notebook, exclaiming to all (his girlfriend and me) that this was THE. BEST. NOTEBOOK. EVER. and he loved it so much he'd bought a case from the Shop's owner and got a nice discount. At $4.59 plus tax, the notebook is priced at more than a regular Mead notebook and slightly less or about the same as a much smaller Rhodia or Clairefontaine. Now I was really intrigued, but didn't want to seem like I'd been eavesdropping (hard to do in that small space) so I didn't buy one then.
This Mead Cambridge Business Notebook has 70 pages of quadrille ruled, 4-squares-to-the-inch deep ivory paper. At the beginning of the notebook are two large Moleskine-like pockets for notes and whatnot; at the end is a thick piece of chipboard/cardboard, which gives the notebook a stiff surface for writing or drawing. The heavyweight bond paper has pale gray or blue lines forming the squares, not noticeable but definitely there. The pages are 8.5" by 11" in a single ring binder, and the paper is perforated for easy removal. Interetingly, this notebook has two covers: a white one with lots of info about Mead Cambridge Notebooks and a black one with just the Mead Cambridge logo. Take your choice, both look good. (Black and white cat not included.)
The heavy ivory paper scritches when you write on it, but otherwise it isn't scratchy and doesn't interfere with the pen moving smoothly across the surface. I tried it out with two fountain pens and a Sharpie fine point, and there is no bleed through but there is a decent shadow effect, so double-sided writing may not be possible. I havent used a Mead notebook in years, but this is a great find and I will keep it in the immediate rotation for work and home use. It's wallet-friendly and good-looking, two things I do like in my notebooks.
This is a bit different, not a pen review but a color review. This is one of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C .5mm pens I bought awhile back at Kinokuniya in a very distinctive color called Bengara. According to the JetPens website, Bengara (Ferric Oxide Rouge) is one of the Yawaragi colors (literally "being softened color"), a fairly new pastel color of which there are five total. JetPens carries the Yawaragi colors in .3mm and .4mm, but Kinokuniya carries them in the .25mm and .5mm widths as well. My personal favorite is the .5mm, which I find writes more smoothly for me than the .25mm and .03mm, although it's very close in feel to the .4mm. In the Hi-Tec-C line I favor the largest width, perhaps because it is a needle point rather than a rollerball.
Ferric oxide rouge is also known as iron oxide red; a very fine powder of ferric oxide is called Jeweler's Rouge and is used to put the final polish on metal jewellery and lenses. As a cosmetic we know rouge nowadays as blush or lipstick. Ferric oxide can range in color from light red to dark violet, but deep, soft red-brown is probably the most standard formulation of the color. And that's what Bengara looks like, a pinky-red with some brown in it, a very different combination of color that is neither one nor the other. It's a lovely shade, and until I started playing with color more I might have passed it by as impractical. Now, it's in the box next to the orange and green gel inks.
In early October I had the chance to meet Ellen Dudley, one-half of the husband-and-wife team that designed and markets the
Revolver is located at 131 Essex Street, on the corner of Rivington in an elderly tenement that was probably once a workshop. For those with a sweet tooth, the awesome Economy Candy Store is a few doors down on Rivington, and the Essex Market building is a block south. Up four flights of stairs painted deep black that contrasted with the rich turquoise walls is Revolver Bound Books and Journals, sharing a large loft space with six other creative designers who work in precious metal and cloth.
As we talked about the nature of time, journaling, and the invention of the pencil, Ellen mentioned that people who pick up the RevolveR have a definite idea of how to use it. She's had suggestions from people to put a Guide to Birds in one half and keep the notes section in the other so they could use it for their birding activities; another suggestion was for a Guide to Paris, and the notes section would be for their favorite places and memories.
The RevolveR Journal itself comes in two sizes and four colors, and opens up in an ingenious fashion that has been reviewed elsewhere (links above). There are two 64-page sewn folios, one blank and one lined for all your note-taking and other needs. The outer paper, which feels more like a matte vinyl or Moleskin-like leather, is bonded with a water based acrylic paint and made by Ecofiber, giving the paper a classic feel while being environmentally sound.
While hunting through the office supplies section at Rite Aid I came across a pack of Pentel Ultra Slim Handy-Lines, a retractable permanent marker that's also refillable. I like both ideas but especially the latter, as I really would rather not throw plastic things away. Billed as a fine point, the Handy-Lines marker is made from 55% post consumer recycled plastic and is part of the Pentel "recycology" campaign. The marker has a broad stroke, and the bleed through is spectacularly impressive--two sheets of Doane Paper were sacrificed, something I've never seen with any other marker I've tested before. Definitely a great marker for writing on CDs or DVDs or for other projects, but not for general note writing on paper.
The other two-pack that caught my eye was a set of Sharpie Accent retractable highlighters in yellow and pink. The feature Smear Guard technology, which resists smearing of many pen and marker inks. The pic to the left doesn't really capture how bright the colors are, but you can definitely see there was no smearing. I used it over the Handy-Lines marker, and almost no black ink was picked up on the highlighter tip (a yellow highlighter with black ink on the tip annoys me to no end). These will be tested against some gel and ballpoint inks, but the Sharpie Accents seems to be a great find for me as I want to highlight notes I make as well as books and magazines.
The Southern gem wood fountain pen I purchased is dyed, laminated hardwood in bright pink, green and turquoise colors, which I hope my picture shows (the first one above was taken by Bob Parrish for the Etsy website). It is certainly a colorful pen in person, and there were many ooohhhs at the office when I unwrapped the package. The flat top fountain pen has threads at nib and end, so when I take off the cap I have to remember not to pull but turn, same with putting the cap on the end of the pen when I write. The German made Iridium fine point nib is trimmed in 24 kt. gold plating; all in all, a superb purchase. Bob also included an international size ink cartridge and a converter for bottled ink. I filled the converter with Noodler's Boston Brahmin Black and have taken it for several test drives. The nib is smooth over the various papers I've written on, and the pen is nicely weighted and has a great hand-feel. What is also a bonus is that you can request either a fountain pen or roller ball, so if you're more interested in the latter you need only ask. Like Julie and her journal, I will treasure this pen and use it as much as possible.
While browsing at the Essex Card Shop a few weeks ago I was looking over the pens and decided to get something unusual not just ink-wise but with a larger point width as well. This Uni Ball Gel Impact pen scores on all counts. It is one of the heaviest pens I've used outside a broad fountain pen, and it is also one of the most aesthetically pleasing. The cap is curvy, and the pen color shades from dark gray to light gray and back again in a really lovely manner. The pen clip is also curved-there are no hard edges on this pen. The cap has a band of color (in this case red) to let you know what you're about to write with, while the barrel has clear oval windows, again in this case clear red, to let you see the remaining ink in the cartridge.
I like ballpoint gel ink pens, they write smoothly and remind me of the whole ballpoint experience without the spidering ink or dots of messy color. This is definitely a smooth writer, and with a 1.0mm width on the point it is a broad flowing line. The barrel has a rubber grip for comfort and greater control. Most likely because of the broadness of the point, the ink takes a longer time to dry and may smear after 10 seconds. Not necessarily a good option for lefties then. On the whole, this is a very solid-feeling gel ink pen, and a definite choice if you like the Pilot G2 but want a more mature look to your pens. Of course, the red ink--which practically glows--may not be your choice, but there are other colors to choose from.
My neighborhood drugstore, one of those old-fashioned mom-and-pop places, doesn't carry much in the way of office supplies. A lot of bubble mailers, Mead notebooks, and Bic pens as well as some of the cute 99 cent stuff like pencil sharpeners and erasers. So I was surprised to see these Post-it® Padded Cards--something I didn't know I needed until that moment. I bought two packs (white plain and lined), leaving the lined yellow-blue-green pack for another day.
The Padded Cards are a really great idea. Each pack contains 50 cards almost the size of a 3x5 note card; they are made from a heavy paper stock and are quite thick. I decided to split off cards and stick them in various notebooks (Moleskine, Rhodia, Field Notes) for those times when I want to add something or, more likely, for when a colleague asks if I have a piece of paper to write on. If I'm using a tablet, tearing out a sheet isn't a problem. But lately I've been carrying journals, and it's annoying to rip out a page just to right a sentence or two. Now I can just pull off a Post-it® Padded Card and my journal is saved. This pic shows some of the cards in the back of a Field Notes journal. The pack sold for $1.49 plus tax, and I'll be heading back for a few more packs.
Leah Hoffman at Quo Vadis Blog posted about a Notebook tote bag she found at Fish's Eddy, one of the truly unique New York City shopping experiences. As I was headed in that direction I stopped by and bought one, as well as a coffee mug with the same notebook design. The graph paper items are 50@ off, as are the very interesting beginner's writing paper series (which has an additional broken line between straight lines to learn the height of letters when writing).
Walking through Paper Access on W. 18th Street, I notied the very large section of Sakura pens, including the Pigma and these Gelly Rolls. Naturally I had to check these gel inks out, and so I bought a few to try: hunter green metallic, burgundy metallic, black metallic, and a whimsical rose-gold color. The pens are about $2.25 plus tax each, and I do like the aesthetic--the rounded cap and sparkly plastic appeals to me quite a lot. They are certainly a lot longer than regular gel ink pens, something I also like as they have more ink to play with.
The writing is quite nice. The pen has a roller ball point that glides smoothly over the paper. The Metallic colors are, interestingly, more muted while the Gold gel ink pen is very strong and shiny, and leaves a definite shadow on the opposite side of the page. The Metallic black looks almost dark grey in some light, not a very deep black. Same with the hunter green and burgundy: the name implies a much stronger pigment than what actually shows up on the paper. I think the greatest appeal is the wide selection of colors and styles. I will have to look for green, burgundy and black in the Gold style to see how those look next to their Metallic counterparts.
I finally got to A.I. Friedman on W. 18th Street a few days ago, and am still in sensory overload from all the fantastic stuff they have in stock. One particular journal I'm planning on going back to get is part of a Disney set, not something I'm usually interested in but this one featured a great picture of Minnie Mouse. 
The Quattro comes in many different sizes, and there were several I would have purchased but for one small problem: they were avocado green, a color I absolutely do not like. This little notepad was the only one that came in pale mint, and while I would like it in a larger size I had to make a trade off for getting a color I liked. Global Art Materials also makes a leather cover for this size notepad, again similar to a Rhodia cover, for $19.99. The leather cover is a nice idea, but the Quattro itself is good looking and sturdy, making it a cute addition to my collection.
