The InkJournal

The InkJournal

This just came in the mail from Tom Oddo of Goldspot Pens and Oddo Ink, one of the best ideas I've seen for fountain pen lovers:  the InkJournal, a pocket-sized notebook to record pen and ink combinations, as well as space for a color swab and a comments section.

Inside front and Index

I've kept track of my pen/ink combinations in a small notebook which eventually I misplaced.  This is more detailed than I used before, and I like Tom's idea of giving fountain pen lovers their own specialized journal.

The first two pages of the InkJournal are an index with page numbers, so you can find each pen and ink combination easily. 

Second index page and first ink/pen page

The journal is made from 100% recycled papers, printed with vegetable-based inks, and the cover is a very stiff 18 pt chipboard.  The interior pages are 70# text weight, and fountain pens do work well on the paper.

Second ink/pen page

There's a lot of of room to show off your pen/ink combinations, with all the necessary information you'll need (date, dry time), while the second page is blank for notes or additional comments.  There was some bleed through with this ink, an Everflo I think, but it wasn't too bad and didn't detract from the overall great paper.

The 3.5" x 5" InkJournal allows you to catalog 15 pen/ink records, so you have 45 combinations you can keep track of for future reference.  The InkJournal's front cover is a drawing of a 14k nib being dipped into an ink bottle, while the inside page designs are elegant and spare.

front of the blotter card

Each 3-pack of journals includes an instructional blotter card explaining some basic ink terminology (shading, saturation, flow).  The card is thick and can be placed behind the page you are writing on, giving a firmer writing surface while also preventing any ink bleed through.

Back of the blotter card

And since it's unfinished matte paper the card makes a great blotter, although it's so nicely done I'd hate to ruin it.

Besides using this for fountain pens, I don't see why you can't record your favorite gel inks or other pens.  It's a great way to see the way a pen writes or to note a particular color.  I'd use it to test out various blue/black gel ink pens, to see how closely they match.

Do check out the Facebook page, where you're invited to post scans of your pen and ink pages.  That would be a lot of fun to see, and I hope Tom gets a lot of photos on his page.  If you want a new journal dedicated to keeping your pen and ink combinations in elegant order, the InkJournal is something you want to add to your notebook collection.