Potentially Percipicacious

Moving my blog!

2009-11-28T14:46:00.002-05:00

I'm in the process of moving my blog to my own domain! My new blog isn't perfect yet, and still has a few glitches, but if I wait until everything is exactly as I want it, it will never get off the ground! So, with warts and all, I'm starting to use it. I probably won't update this blog much more, since I've imported these posts to my new blog.

The new address: http://kookychick.com

Enjoy! :-)

Win a Free Hero 616 Fountain Pen!

2009-09-08T21:50:00.002-04:00

Julie (@Okami0731 on Twitter) is giving away 5 free Hero 616 fountain pens on her fabulous blog, "Whatever"! Comment on her blog post by midnight (ET), Saturday, September 12 to enter!

Click here for more details! Good luck!

Win a Free Pocket-Sized Lab Notebook!

2009-09-08T21:42:00.002-04:00

Notebookstories.com is giving away a free pocket-sized lab notebook from the Book Factory! Enter by blogging and/or emailing the blog author (nifty [at] notebookstories [dot] com). Click here for more details! (Unfortunately, the site appears to be down intermittently. Basically, if you blog about it and email her the link, you get 2 entries. If you just email her saying you'd like a chance at the notebook, you get 1 entry.) Hurry, ends Friday, September 11, at 5pm (ET)!

Good luck! :-)

Mini-Review: Pilot Petit1

2009-08-11T22:39:00.020-04:00

Placed an order with JStationery for refills for one of my main studying pens (Uniball alpha gel multipen). Of course, in order to reach the $20 minimum for free shipping, I started looking around for small, interesting purchases. This was the result!

Pilot Petit1 fountain pen (Violet)

Very cute, and surprisingly useable (even unposted). I have small hands, though, so others might want to post it. It's about 3 1/2" unposted, and 5 1/8" posted. It doesn't post terribly well, however--the cap feels as if it might fall off, and it takes a bit of concentration to get it on straight.

Here's a quick writing sample of the Petit1:

The pen came with one cartridge (violet ink). In fact, it was already "engaged" in the nib and shipped that way! I was a bit surprised by this, but there didn't seem to be any ink spills or leaks. The ink feels very wet, and the nib isn't quite as fine as I'd hoped. But that's just my personal preference for tiny nibs!

For a $4 pen, this isn't horrible--it has its own niche, being really compact, portable, and light. This would make a good purse/pocket pen (assuming it doesn't leak). The cap closes with a satisfying click, and it feels sturdier than I expected for an inexpensive plastic pen. The nib was a little scratchier than I expected for being so wet, though, and it's so small, I'm not sure a converter would fit (I haven't researched this). I plan on refilling the cartridge that came with it using a syringe.

I'm going to keep this pen in my purse for a while, since it's a good size for that. However, it's not an instant favorite, due to the slight nib scratchiness and the rather generous ink flow (I prefer stingier nibs). We'll see if my opinion changes over time!

New Vanishing Point Fountain Pen!

2009-08-01T21:07:00.004-04:00

Just got a new Vanishing Point fountain pen today! Well, it's new to me, anyway. ;-)

My new VP is a faceted version from the 1990's, in dark green. I'd put a pic up, except that it's soaking right now--there was dried ink residue still inside it.

Here's a pic of the ink bottle that came with it, though. I'm used to the rather utilitarian Noodler's bottles, or the cute little J. Herbin bottles, so this shape was quite a surprise to me! I like it--it reminds me of the type of bottles from which genies are supposed to emerge. Hmm...I wonder if I rubbed it....nah. :-D

Can't wait to try out my latest acquisition! I've never had a VP before (or a squeeze filler, for that matter), so this should be an experience! :-)

Now, which ink should I put in it, first??

Adorable Rhodia Notebook & Beautiful J. Herbin Ink!

2009-07-15T21:17:00.006-04:00

A package came in the mail today from Karen Doherty, VP of Marketing of Exaclair, Inc. I had responded to this post on the Quo Vadis Blog, offering samples of red or blue ink in honor of Bastille Day.

I was expecting a sample of either J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche or Éclat de Saphir fountain pen ink, but I got both! :-D

Sorry for the poor quality pic, but it was taken quickly with my phone. Look for a review of these inks in the future!

Another unexpected surprise was waiting for me in the padded envelope:

As you can see by the quarter next to the notebook, this Rhodia is very small! It's the smallest I've ever seen. This will fit wonderfully in my large pencil case. I'm also having thoughts of Rhodia hacks I can make to affix some sort of elastic/ribbon closure to it.... :-D I'll post a review of what I come up with!

Thanks, Karen, for the fun surprises! :-)

New "Letters & Journals" Magazine in the Works!

2009-07-08T09:26:00.002-04:00

@Jafferty on Twitter "tweeted" about some surveys for a new magazine that's being developed: "Letters & Journals." It's currently set to launch in 2011.

Sounds like an interesting concept! Sure, I read blogs and e-zines, but there's just something about paper....I shop mostly online, but love thumbing through stationery and pen/office supply catalogs I receive in the mail.

If you'd like to complete the survey, click here! :-)

Noodler's V-Mail Ink Series!

2009-06-19T21:13:00.005-04:00

Haven't even opened the bottles yet, but I just had to throw up a pic of my latest acquisition--the entire set of Noodler's new ink series, the V-Mail inks!

From left to right: Mandalay Maroon, G.I. Green, Burma Road Brown, Midway Blue, Operation Overland Orange, North African Violet, and Rabaul Red.

For more info on the V-Mail series, check out the Fountain Pen Network topic thread here!

Review: Rhodia Webnotebook (Small US Version)

2009-06-14T16:40:00.032-04:00

Go to this blog post for more photos of the small Rhodia Webnotebook still in the wrapper and stacked up (literally) with a few other common notebooks! :-)

(As always, please click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Karen Doherty, VP of marketing of Exaclair (US distributor of Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, Exacompta, and J. Herbin), kindly sent this advance copy of the Rhodia Webnotebook for review! Thanks, Karen! :-)

Note--this Webnotebook has the 90g Clairefontaine paper. The US distributor (Exaclair) requested a change from the previous 80g paper, which was made in places such as Singapore/Japan, and behaves quite differently from this paper. So if you want this notebook, make sure you're purchasing the 90g version (some places are still selling the 80g version).

The Rhodia Webnotebook has been greatly anticipated by many who are looking for a Moleskine replacement. The paper band that encircles the notebook has the pertinent stats:

It comes with black or orange covers, an elastic band, a ribbon bookmark, and a back pocket. The small version measures 3.5" x 5.5", and is lined with 6mm ruling. There are 192 pages (96 sheets) of 90g ivory paper. It also comes in a larger version, which measures 5.5" x 8.25", and also has 192 pages (96 sheets) of the same lined ivory 90g paper.

Here's the front cover, with the debossed Rhodia logo (the two trees are rumored to represent the two brothers who originally started the company):

And the back cover:

The cover is a little difficult to describe--it's definitely a hardcover notebook. However, it has a rubberized surface to it, which gives it warmth and a tiny bit of "give" to it. If you're familiar with the Quo Vadis Habana, the Rhodia Webnotebook cover is much stiffer. The Webnotebook cover won't bend much at all when you write with it on your lap (whereas the Habana cover is more flexible).

I personally love the fact that the cover is hard enough to write on the fly. The rubberized material gives the notebook a richer feel. And the rounded corners are definitely appreciated--I've been jabbed many times while attempting to grab a sharp-cornered notebook quickly out of my purse or bookbag!

However, since the cover surface is a bit spongy, it's prone to take on some impressions of items it's pressed up against. In the pic below, you can see where the elastic band has already made a dent in the cover. This doesn't personally bother me at all, but this may distract some people. The elastic band is nice and tight--it doesn't feel as if it's going to stretch out and become limp any time soon!

Here are the sewn signatures. They feel very firm, and the pages don't move on the top or bottom when you flip the pages. The line spacing is comparable to the Moleskine or other pocket-sized notebooks, at 6mm. I personally love 5-6mm line spacing, and wish there was also a larger notebook with Clairefontaine paper that had 5-6mm ruling (I don't have a copy, but the larger Webnotebook reportedly has 7mm line spacing).

The paper is an ivory color, a little darker than some of the pocket notebooks I've used. But, as you'll see below, the bright inks I used still show up just fine! :-)

The Rhodia logo appears in the bottom corner of every right hand page. This isn't a deal-breaker for me, though I'd prefer completely blank pages.

The lines don't go all the way to the edges, and there's a little bit of space at the top and bottom of the pages. I'm perfectly neutral about both of these features, but some people are very particular about these things, so I thought I'd point them out!

The Webnotebook has orange endpapers (the black version has black endpapers) and an orange back pocket.

So the form factor is nice, but now to answer the most important question--how is the paper? It's divine!! :-) It's thicker than the usual Rhodia paper, which makes it feel very luxurious, but isn't so stiff that it's like writing on cardstock or anything. It is super-smooth to the touch, and feels very satiny. I couldn't stop running my fingers over the surface (and yes, I just did it again ;-)!

On this page above, I wrote with various J. Herbin and Noodler's fountain pen ink (from top to bottom: J. Herbin Violette Pensée, Rose Cyclamen, Orange Indien; Noodler's Rachmaninov, La Reine Mauve, Verdun Green [twice], and Prime of the Commons Blue-Black). I used Fine to XXXXF nibs on it. All of my tiny nibs really liked the paper, except for my temperamental XXXXF nib (which doesn't like anything ;-). The paper was very smooth, even with my scratchiest writers, and a delight to write on.

As for feathering, I tried to use some inks that feather on most papers to really test the paper out. There was a tiny bit of feathering with the Rose Cyclamen, La Reine Mauve, and Prime of the Commons Blue-Black, but it's all so mild that you have to really look hard to see it.

Here's the reverse side of the page. There was no bleedthrough with any of these inks, and very little showthrough. (Of course, I use very fine nibs, so YMMV.) I never write on both sides of the page because I can't stand writing over showthrough, but there was so little showthrough that I'm considering using both sides, for once!! :-O

Here are some more ink tests. From top to bottom: Noodler's Verdun Green (yes, again), Manijiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia, The Violet Vote/Vanda Miss Joaquim mix, Prime of the Commons Blue-Black, Majestic Orange, Naval Orange, and Rachmaninov. There was a tiny bit of feathering with the Verdun Green and Whaleman's Sepia, but these inks feather on most paper with which I've used them (especially the Whaleman's Sepia). Even with these two inks, the feathering was so minimal that I had to stare at the paper hard in order to detect it.

Even though some of the inks were the same as the previous page, I still wanted to try them out to see how the XXXF nibs performed on the paper. It was an absolute delight to write on this paper! No stray fibers in the tines, no digging in the paper, no catching!

The reverse side of the page. Again, no bleedthrough, very little showthrough. The marks you see are actually some of the Rose Cyclamen from the previous page that transferred when the notebook was closed.

Which brings me to the drying time. Some people note that the drying time of Rhodia paper is a bit longer than other paper. This appears to be somewhat true for this paper, as well, but I personally didn't find the drying times to be too long. As you can see, only the Rose Cyclamen transferred (and 2 dots of the Violet Vote/Vanda Miss Joaquim mixture on the third review page).

As much as I enjoy fountain pens, not everyone writes with them all the time (not even me! ;-). So I also tested the paper with other pens, including gel ink, rollerballs, felt-tip markers, a mechanical pencil, and a highlighter. Oh, and a Platinum Preppy fountain pen (filled with Noodler's Legal Lapis) managed to sneak in there, too. ;-)

The paper was so pleasurable to write on, especially with the Signo Bit 0.18mm gel pen (that pen is scratchy on everything!), that I was compelled to stop and add "wow, so smooth!" while doing the ink tests. :-)

Again, no bleedthrough. A little more showthrough than the fountain pens on average, but still pretty minimal. (And the 2 dots of the Violet Vote/Vanda Miss Joaquim mixture that transferred from the previous page that I mentioned above.) There was the tiniest bit of feathering with Legal Lapis (again, so slight that you probably need a loupe to see, but I'm really picky about feathering).

So, in conclusion, this is a wonderful small notebook! It's in a popular size (though a little thicker than your typical Moleskine, Piccadilly, or Markings notebook, due to the thicker paper), and a popular form factor. It has all the "essentials"--a hard cover, rounded corners, ribbon bookmark, elastic closure, and back pocket. And the narrow line spacing (6mm) is great!

But the most amazing thing about this notebook is the paper!! The paper is absolutely smooth, and felt heavenly with my Fine to XXXXF nibs. Even using gel pens and other writing utensils was almost a sensuous experience on this paper! The bleedthrough was nonexistant, and the showthrough was so minimal that I'm considering converting and using both sides of the paper (which I never do!). I usually prefer the bright white Clairefontaine paper, but the ivory paper is easy on the eyes without being too buttery yellow. And while I usually prefer thin paper, the thicker 90g paper gives the notebook a luxurious feel, without appearing too snooty or too precious to write on. This notebook was definitely made to be loved and used! :-)

This notebook will be available in the US and Japan soon. Other possible countries that may distribute the version with Clairefontaine paper in the future include Australia and maybe Canada. Other countries will probably stay with the 80g NON-Clairefontaine paper until 2010, if not permanently.

I've been a big fan of the Quo Vadis small Habana notebook, and hope to do a comparison of the Webnotebook with the Habana soon! :-)

Win Rhodia/Clairefontaine/Quo Vadis/J. Herbin Goodies!

2009-06-10T05:50:00.001-04:00

Enter RhodiaDrive's summer raffles to win gift packs of droolworthy goodies! :-D Four chances to win!

http://rhodiadrive.com/2009/06/09/rhodia-drive-summer-raffles-2009/

Doane Paper Idea Journal Giveaway!

2009-06-08T15:23:00.002-04:00

@dowdyism on Twitter is giving away THREE of the new Doane Paper Idea Journals on his blog, The Pen Addict! Hurry, contest ends on Wednesday, 11:59PM EDT!

Rhodia Webnotebook -- First Look

2009-06-03T12:55:00.003-04:00

Just a quick peek at the new US-distributed Rhodia Webnotebook! I'll have ink tests and more pics later, but I just wanted to throw up a few pics! :-)

(As always, click on any photo to enlarge.)

Front view, still shrink-wrapped:

Rear view, shrink-wrapped:

From top to bottom: Piccadilly small lined notebook, Moleskine small ruled notebook, Markings by C. R. Gibson small notebook, Rhodia Webnotebook, Quo Vadis Habana small lined notebook.

Same notebooks in reverse order.

That's all for now! More to come later! :-)

Water Resistance Test of Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 0.3mm Refills

2009-05-21T21:19:00.005-04:00

Just a few photos! Sorry the light's so dim, but it's the best I can do--school is keeping me too busy during actual daylight hours! :-(

Got the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto multipen 3-refill body, and filled it with 0.3mm refills (Apple Green, Violet, and Pink). @rcannonp on Twitter mused about how some Pilot ink had poor water resistance, while others might not be so bad. Since I'm desperately procrastinating, I decided to snap a few pics before and after a dash of water!

Here's the pen:

And a writing sample with each ink color. I let it dry for about 36 hours.

Here's the same writing sample immediately after running it under cold tap water for 15 seconds. The ink ran a little, but it was still reasonably legible.

Here's the same piece of paper, after sitting for ~30 minutes:

Yes, my camera skills leave something to be desired, but this isn't entirely my fault this time! The ink spread and became more difficult to read after sitting for a while. And it's not a camera trick--the purple is separating, leaving a bluish "shadow," almost like having double vision. The Apple Green is pretty difficult to read, and is not quite legible anymore. The pink isn't too bad--it's blurry, but legible. The purple makes my eyes cross, due to the stereo effect.... :-O

So, there you have it! Looks like the pink ink wouldn't be bad if you spilled some water or got caught in a light rain. The other two didn't fare as well, but you could still read it if you really tried (especially immediately after the spill).

Review: Uni-ball Alpha Gel 0.3 Mechanical Pencil

2009-05-19T21:49:00.005-04:00

Just a quickie mini-review! Got this mechanical pencil recently, and wanted to throw up a few pics!

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

I have lots of 0.5mm mechanical pencils, but I found myself yearning for something with a thinner line. However, I'm not too crazy about the grip in drafting mechanical pencils--they're probably great for the purpose for which they were intended, but I just want to write!

I tend to grip the heck out of writing utensils (I've tried to stop, but I can't!), so a rubber grip is much appreciated. I purchased this pencil from JetPens.com, since I "had" to meet the $25 minimum for free shipping! ;-)

After a brief trial, I love this mechanical pencil so far! The gel grip is very squishy, yet firm enough to give some pleasant feedback. I normally use Sensa mechanical pencils, which have wonderfully squishy grips, but the narrowest lead they use is 0.5mm (and they're discontinued).

Taken with a flash--I liked the resultant eerie glow:

I was worried that I would break the lead instantaneously while writing, since the lead is so thin, but so far this hasn't been a problem! I'll try and post an update in the future, but so far the lead feels firm, yet with enough "give" so it doesn't break. I've been writing really quickly with it, and haven't poked through the paper or broken the lead yet!

Writing sample on a Markings by C.R. Gibson pocket-sized journal, with 0.55cm line spacing:

Even though this mechanical pencil was a little pricey for a "regular" plastic mechanical pencil ($12), it seems lightweight but sturdy enough to last a while. It's a great alternative to my precious Sensa mechanical pencils, which are extremely difficult to replace! :-O

New Rhodia Webnotebooks Coming Soon!

2009-05-18T00:08:00.003-04:00

It appears that the much-anticipated Rhodia Webnotebooks will hit the US very soon! :-) It's currently being previewed at the National Stationery Show, but will be in retail outlets soon.

However, some retailers are selling the older version of the Webnotebooks, and calling them "new." The "old" Webnotebooks have 80 gsm paper, which was made in Singapore or Japan, but wasn't the standard Rhodia/Clairefontaine paper. The "new" US versions will have 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper.

See this post on Rhodiadrive.com for more information!

Levenger Giveaway! Free Circa Notebook, Pink Sharpie, Uniball Signo 207!

2009-05-10T09:50:00.003-04:00

They're giving away a free Levenger Circa Junior notebook, a pink Sharpie (commemorating breast cancer research), and a Uniball Signo 207 here: http://www.mommybrainreports.com/1776/levengerreview/

They've extended the deadline to May 23. Good luck! :-)

Want to try for a free Whitelines notebook?

2009-04-23T12:34:00.003-04:00

Notebookstories.com is giving away 2 free Whitelines notebooks! Click here to go to the blog and read the review, as well as the official rules for contest entry! It only takes a quick email and/or a blog post (yes, this is my entry ;-). (And yes, if I win, I'll review it! :-)

Hurry--emails must be received by 11:59pm on 4/30/09, and blog postings by 4/28/09! Good luck!

Review: J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage

2009-04-20T20:13:00.012-04:00

Karen Doherty at Exaclair very graciously sent 2 inks in her most recent batch of products for review! I was happily surprised to receive both Lierre Sauvage and Orange Indien. Thanks so much, Karen! :-)

Lierre Sauvage is one of the J. Herbin "La Perle des Encres" (The Jewel of Inks) fountain pen inks. There are 30 colors available, which come in 30mL bottles and cartridges (6 cartridges in a cute little metal tin--I use the empty tins to keep dip pen nibs in them!). They are advertised as non-toxic and pH neutral, with natural dyes.

(Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Here's a shot of the bottle. I had a bottle of Bleu Myosotis for years before I found out that the little lip on the front of the bottle is a built-in pen rest. Very cool idea!

Here's a full-length shot of my handwritten ink review (thanks to SProctor on the Fountain Pen Network for the template). I'm not ecstatic about the way it photographed--I tried it outside in bright sunlight, but got some weird effects. I tried it inside in natural sunlight, but as you can see, I got some shadows over it. However, the ink color looks pretty true to life on my monitor, for what it's worth! I'll try using a smaller sheet of paper or a notebook for my next ink review. Feel free to comment or tweet me with tips for improving my photography! :-) (But nothing too technical like fiddling with 15 different settings or downloading expensive software, please--honestly, it won't happen.)

Here's a closer view of the top half of the page:

A closer view of the bottom half of the page:

I used a Sensa Meridian fountain pen, custom ground to an XXXF nib. The paper was some random cheap copy paper I had around the house (Georgia Pacific). I also tried it on Clairefontaine paper, but didn't photograph it.

I really liked the bright green color--it wasn't too yellow, nor too blue. It was slightly on the yellowish side, but not much. And, surprisingly, it was quite legible for a bright green color. It's a nice spring/summery color, and makes you think of golf course lawns.

Flow: Flow was really good in my dry-writing, finicky XXXF nib! It wasn't a gusher, either--just a nice, consistent flow.

Drying Times: Granted, I'm using a really fine nib, but I find that J. Herbin inks typically dry pretty fast (and even work pretty well on glossy textbook paper). Lierre Sauvage was no exception.

Feathering: It feathered a little on this cheap copy paper, but I haven't found an ink yet that won't feather on this paper (I'm never getting it again!). Not surprisingly, there was no feathering on the Clairefontaine.

Bleedthrough: A few tiny pinpricks of ink on the back of the cheap copy paper, mostly where I paused. None on the Clairefontaine.

Shading: Yes, there was some shading, even with my XXXF nib. On glossy textbook paper, it was more noticeable.

Waterproof: This ink does not claim to be waterproof, and I did not test this quality myself.

Nib Creep: Just the tiniest drop on the very tip of the nib.

Staining/Clogging: I only used this ink briefly (see below for the reason), but there was no staining or clogging detected, and the ink rinsed out of the pen fairly easily.

Smear Factor: Since it dried quickly, it didn't smear on glossy textbook paper after 3 seconds! It was GREAT for the few pages of margin notes I took.

Odor: It has a noticeable, pleasant scent, though it's not a "scented" ink. The ink was somewhat like a perfume, slightly earthy and floral. The scent disappeared from the paper pretty quickly. However, I'm really sensitive to certain odors, and this ink gave me a bit of a headache. I was really saddened by this, since I loved the rest of its qualities. But I would be remiss in not mentioning it, so my fellow headache sufferers can be forewarned. If you have headaches from certain scents, you might want to try a sample of this first, before you buy a whole bottle!

Caveat--I'm REALLY sensitive to certain scents, and the average person probably won't have any problem with this ink. I had a headache in one class every morning at the same time, until I figured out that the hand lotion of a student a couple rows away was causing my pain! (I changed seats and everything was fine after that.)

Not all J. Herbin inks give me a headache--I've tried Orange Indien recently, I usually have a pen inked with Violette Pensée, and I've tried Rose Cyclamen and Rose Tendresse in the past. I didn't have a problem with any of those inks--just this one so far! (Oh, and I tried the rose scented J. Herbin ink, which also gave me a bit of a headache.)

The scent also lingers in the pen. I flushed it until the water ran clear, and washed what I could of the plastic feed, then refilled it with another ink. However, I can still smell the Lierre Sauvage one week later (though it's muted and isn't strong enough to give me a headache anymore). Just a warning, in case you object to the scent. (Many people love the scent, however, and actually like this quality!)

Appearance: The squiggle to the left is from one swipe of the Q-tip, and the squiggle to the right is from two swipes of the Q-tip.

Overall Conclusions: This is a happy, colorful green ink--the epitome of spring! :-) Bright enough to stand out, yet dark enough to be legible. The flow was great in my XXXF dry writer, and it dried really quickly on the 3 different papers I tried. I loved this ink, and would have continued to use it if it wasn't for the scent. The scent is really pleasant and not extremely strong, but unfortunately, I'm prone to headaches with certain scents (especially perfumes/botanicals).

Update (of sorts) on Exacompta Basics Tan Lined Journal

2009-04-13T21:07:00.005-04:00

Here's the Exacompta Basics Tan Lined Journal that I reviewed a few months ago, after a toddler got a hold of it with some markers.... :-) I had him test out the journal, so I could see if the paper could stand up to his current artistic style.

(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

No feathering, but some smudging (especially the turquoise and purple at the top of the page), as the toddler's hand rubbed across the page while drawing. (After seeing that his hand was getting ink on it, he subsequently held the markers a little higher, and didn't rub his hand on the page.)

And yes, the bright green in the upper left corner is Noodler's St. Patty's Eire, in a Platinum Preppy highlighter. :-D

Reverse side of the page. No bleedthrough, and not much showthrough, especially considering how many layers of dark, wet marker went on the page!

It was love at first sight for the toddler with this journal--he grunted happily and ecstatically pointed at the gold gilding on the edges. I tried to have him test out the medium Piccadilly notebook I'd brought as well, but after seeing the Exacompta journal, he would have none of it! Apparently, he has very refined taste in notebooks! ;-)

Review: G. Lalo Notes Tradition

2009-03-29T01:05:00.020-04:00

Karen Doherty, the VP of Marketing at Exaclair very generously provided the notecards for this review! Thanks again, Karen! :-)

(Note: please click on any photo in this review to enlarge it. I took the intial photos under natural light, which was more true to the actual color, but after waiting around for days without any sun in sight, I took the "after" photos in natural light + light from an incandescent light bulb.)

These are "Notes Tradition" deckle-edged cards from G. Lalo. Here are the specs from the Exaclair 2008 Catalog:

• Clear cover box
• 20 fold over sheet notes and 20 lined envelopes
• Available in: White /00, blue /02, rose /05, champagne /06,
turquoise /07, grey /08, ivory /16, pistachio /03, lavender /10,
apricot /18, yellow /19
• 20 notes & envelopes 100 g Folded: 3 ½ x 5 ¼ L019/

Read more about the 400-year old Schut paper mill that makes most of the G. Lalo paper here.

These are the lavender colored notes, in the box they came in. I found the box very attractive, and I love the gold G. Lalo logo! :-) I found these notecards to be almost too pretty to use!

The back of the box.

Here's the front of a blank envelope.

Back of an envelope.

Closeup of back of envelope.

And here's the inside of the lined envelope. The lining makes the envelopes seem very refined and classy! It also made the envelope a little audibly crinkly when unfolding the top flap. The envelope itself did NOT wrinkle, but it makes a noise when you open it!

Closeup of lined envelope with embossed "G. LALO - PARIS" on the diagonal.

I found I really liked the deckled edges--it made the notecards seem more special than a "plain" straight border. The laid (Verge) finish was also really pretty--subtle, but definitely fancy.

This might be a little difficult to see in the photo, but there are vertical lines in the watermark, approximately 1 inch apart, visible when held up to the light. The paper is a nice thickness--not like heavy cardstock, but definitely substantial. And the texture is really pleasant--I had fun running my fingers over it again and again (yes, I have a problem ;-)!

But how does this paper perform with fountain pens? See for yourself!

Written on laid side:

Closeups of writing on laid side:

Reverse side (smooth side) of the writing from the laid side (yes, it looks almost blank because of the lack of showthrough ;-):

Written on smooth side:

Closeups of writing on smooth side:

Reverse of smooth side:

The inks I tried, with some comments on their performance:
• Noodler's X-Feather in an XF nib (Sensa Meridian fountain pen, chrome/iridium nib)
• Noodler's La Reine Mauve in a 0.3mm nib (Sensa Meridian, chrome/iridium nib)
• This ink feathered a little, more so on the laid side. But this ink normally feathers a bit on some papers. The purple color is even more pronounced on this lavender paper. Lovely! :-)
• Noodler's Prime of the Commons Blue-Black in a 0.3 mm nib (Sensa Meridian, chrome/iridium nib)
• This ink feathers a lot on many papers (but I still love it!). It wasn't too bad here.
• Noodler's Spirit of Bamboo in a 0.3mm nib (Sensa Meridian, gold/iridium nib)
• This ink feathers a lot on many papers, too. I think it feathered the most on this paper out of all the inks I tried.
• Noodler's Britannia's Blue Waves in a 0.3mm nib (Sensa Meridian, gold/iridium nib)
• This ink also tends to feather. It's also really dry, so I had a few problems getting it to actually play nicely on the paper.
• Noodler's Rachmaninov in a 0.3 mm nib (Sensa Meridian, chrome/iridium nib)
• This ink worked well on this paper.
• Noodler's Verdun Green in an XXXF nib (Sensa Meridian, chrome/iridium nib)
• Just the tiniest bit of feathering.
• J. Herbin's Violette Pensée in an XXXF nib (Sensa Meridian, gold/iridium nib)
• Beautiful purple color on this paper. No discernable feathering, and laid down really nicely on the paper, despite the XXXF nib.
• Pilot felt-tip marker
• Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball pen (O.5mm)
• RoseArt gel pen
• uni*ball Vision pen (fine)

I wrote on both the "inside" smooth surface and the "outside" laid surface. Since I use pretty fine nibs, I preferred the smooth inside surface, as it provided less feedback. However, I didn't find writing on the laid surface unpleasant, just more feedback than I personally prefer. Some of you may actually prefer this, though!

Some of my XXXF nibs didn't lay down ink quite as well on the laid side as on the smooth side, but that's probably due to their fine width. I had no problem with the wetter inks (e.g., Prime of the Commons Blue-Black). There was a little feathering from some of my inks that are notorious for feathering on lots of papers, but not enough to be bothersome (except maybe Spirit of Bamboo). It might be my imagination, but the feathering appeared slightly worse on the laid side than the smooth side.

Another wonderful feature of this paper--NO bleedthrough! I couldn't even really see any noticeable showthrough!

I didn't take a picture of it, but needless to say, the handwritten notecard inside the envelope did not betray its contents--you can't see the writing at all, even with the writing against the front side.

Overall Conclusions:

These are beautiful notecards that are fancy enough to make the recipient feel special, but not at all glitzy or gaudy. They have an understated elegance, which I really appreciate. And I love this color (I'm a purplophile, though)! Even though I use extremely fine nibs, I found the inner smooth surface to be pretty smooth, with just a tiny bit of texture. Even the laid surface was fairly pleasant, considering the nib size I use, though I will probably mostly use the inside smooth surface, since I personally prefer really smooth paper.

With absolutely NO bleedthrough and not even any showthrough to speak of with my fine nibs, a felt-tip marker, gel pen, etc., this paper is really remarkable. I was concerned that my colorful inks would look washed out on the lavender, but was pleasantly surprised to find this wasn't the case (and it made the purples look even richer). I look forward to using these notecards in my personal correspondence! Hmmm...to whom should I send one next.... ;-)

Review: Exacompta Basics Journal

2009-01-17T13:20:00.025-05:00

Karen Doherty, the VP of Marketing at Exaclair (the US distributor of Clairefontaine, Exacompta, Rhodia, Quo Vadis, J. Herbin, and more) generously provided this blank journal for review purposes. Thanks, Karen! :-)

Here's the link to their website, where you can find the latest catalog (Karen informed me that the new catalog will be coming relatively soon!).

The Exacompta "Basics" Tan lined journal is the subject of this review (E993/, page 22 of the 2008 catalog). It's a little bit confusing, since they have basically the same name, but this is NOT the same thing as the Clairefontaine "Basics" journals (p. 13 of the catalog, C79546).

Note: You can enlarge any of the pics in this review by clicking on the picture!

According to their website:
• Tan with brown cloth binding and gold edge /1 (lined only)
• 25% cotton, pH neutral, 100 g off white paper

The paper appears to be 80gsm.

This journal also comes with a black cover and silver gilding. There are 100 lined sheets in the journal, and it measures 5 1/2" x 8".

Here's a pic of the journal, still in its protective plastic:

And a pic of the back cover in plastic:

The front cover, with the journal standing up. Love the picture of the inkwell and quill dip pen on the cover! The cover is a textured cardboard cover, clothbound. According to their catalog, there is a leather cover available (M9934/), but I haven't seen this at the "usual suspects" websites.

A bright, multicolored ribbon marker (orange, red & green) is bound to the spine. It has an unfinished edge, cut at a diagonal. As you can see, the ribbon doesn't extend that far past the bottom of the journal. It's not too short, but if it was any shorter, it might be hard to grab.

Love the gold gilt edges! Unlike some gilding, this didn't come off on my fingers when I rubbed the edge of the journal. What a relief! I didn't want to look like an 8-year-old who had played with glitter glue after handling the journal. (Not that there's anything wrong with that! ;-)

Inside the front cover and 1st endpaper (there are 2 in the front and 2 in the back). The first endpaper doesn't open fully (it's attached to the front cover), but the second endpaper opens completely.

The first "real" page. This journal opens pretty flat (almost all of the pics in this review were taken without any assistance in holding it open). However, there is a bit of a hump in the middle, especially at the beginning of a signature. I'm not very picky about this, but some of you out there might care!

Here's the inside of the journal, showing a stitched signature. There are 4 stitches, approximately 1" each in length. There's about 1 1/8" margin between the top of the top stitch and the top of the journal (and the same margin on the bottom of the page). I didn't find this to be a problem in turning the pages--the signatures did not lift up while I did so--but again, some people are concerned about this.

Here's the ribbon bookmarker.

Closeup of signature stitching.

The paper is a laid finish, but not as obvious as some G. Lalo cards I have. It's pretty subtle, but definitely present. The paper is an off-white/cream color, easy on the eyes, but not buttery yellow.

I wrote with several different colors of fountain pen ink, with nibs ranging from 0.3mm to XXXXF super-needlepoint. Normally, since I write with such finely-nibbed pens, I prefer glassy smooth paper--I don't like a lot of feedback while writing. I expected to really dislike the texture, but I was surprised that I actually found it pretty interesting with my 0.3mm nibs. It was a little distracting with my super-needlepoint pens, however.

I normally prefer bright white Clairefontaine paper, because I use lots of brightly colored inks, and the white paper shows off the ink color better. However, the color wasn't too yellow for me, and made some of my ink colors seem warmer. I still prefer the bright white, however, given the choice, though many people like off-white paper for ease of reading.

Most of the inks I tried fared pretty well on this paper. There was some feathering with Noodler's Spirit of Bamboo, Britannia's Blue Waves, La Reine Mauve, and Prime of the Commons Blue-Black, but those tend to feather on many papers. The feathering wasn't bad enough to be really distracting, but this did feather more than the standard bright white Clairefontaine paper. It didn't widen the line as far as I can tell.

Here's the reverse side of the page. As expected, the lines written with my finest-nibbed pens didn't show through much at all. There is a little bit of showthrough with the darker inks and the wider nibs, but not much. And absolutely NO bleedthrough whatsoever (YMMV). Britannia's Blue Waves tends to bleed through many different papers, but not this one!

Here's a comparison with a small Clairefontaine notebook:

The line spacing in this journal was a bit wide for me (10mm between lines). I find Clairefontaine line spacing a bit wide, and this was even wider that that! But some of you may actually prefer this, especially if you write with juicy broad nibs, or have large handwriting and feel cramped by the line spacing of other journals.

Here's a comparison with a Markings by C.R. Gibson small pocket journal. I like the line spacing in the Markings journal better, but that's a personal preference. This journal is almost 2 Markings lines per 1 Basics line.

Here's a comparison with the small US Quo Vadis Habana. The line spacing is similar to the Markings journal, almost 2 lines to 1 Basics line. Note the difference in paper color, too.

The back cover.

Conclusions:
Overall, this is a nice journal, and would be even nicer as a refill with a cover--I found the cardboard cover more durable than I expected, but I'd prefer to use it with a refillable cover. The line spacing is good for people with large handwriting, and the laid paper gave a little feedback, but not too much. The paper performed better than some journals with my FP inks (mostly Noodler's), as it didn't widen the lines of my nibs, but not as well as the regular bright white Clairefontaine paper--there was a bit of feathering with this paper. There was very little showthrough, and absolutely NO bleedthrough with my ink/nib combos, so those of you who write on both sides of the page might accept a little bit of feathering for this quality! The paper is very easy on the eyes without being too yellow, and the size is nice for those of you who don't need a pocket-sized journal--it's still small enough to put in a bag or large purse easily.

Update: For those of you interested in a cover for this journal, there are a couple of different covers available for this journal--a beautiful, upscale Mignon leather version (M9934 or M9924) and a pebble-grained Prestige Leather version.

Update #2: This also comes in a leather Saint Germain cover and a leather-like Madeira cover. Both on sale now at Writers Bloc (as of 2/18/09)--$20.00 and $14.50, respectively!

Update #3 (4/13/09): Here's the same notebook after it's been "toddler tested!" :-D

I Have a Problem....

2009-01-17T08:04:00.004-05:00

(click to enlarge)

This is a pic of the journals stacking up on my desk from about a month ago. Can you name the journals in this pic? (Answers forthcoming.)

Embarrassingly, there have already been several new additions since this pic was taken--probably at least 11 new journals. While I've written in several of these journals, none of these are full! (Well, okay, one has been filled since this pic was taken. :-)

Anyway, more journals reviews will be added, as I find the time (and if the weather ever obliges me--it's been overcast for at least a week!).

FPN Review: Noodler's X-Feather

2009-01-01T21:32:00.008-05:00

(Here's a link to my review on FPN.)

As many of you know, Jetpens has started carrying Noodler's ink. They had a few bottles that were damaged during shipping that couldn't be sold. They offered the damaged bottles free to the first 6 people who responded in exchange for a review of the ink. They kindly sent me a bottle!

Noodler's X-Feather was designed to resist feathering, especially on cheap papers. It is billed as archival and 100% bulletproof.

I tried to use different papers than those used by the other 2 reviewers. I tried Noodler's X-Feather along with Noodler's Esplanade (Singapore exclusive), Noodler's Prime of the Commons Blue-Black (UK exclusive), and Noodler's La Reine Mauve (regular distribution). Esplanade in particular feathers a lot on many different papers, PCBB varies in its feathering qualities, and La Reine Mauve is generally well-behaved.

I used Sensa Meridian FPs, custom ground to 0.3mm, in all the handwritten samples.

Here are pics of samples on the different papers I tried:

Cheap copy paper (Georgia Pacific, 88 brightness, 20#)

(click on picture to enlarge)

Mead Composition Book, Vietnam paper

(click on picture to enlarge)

Index card (Oxford brand, really old and slightly yellowed)

(click on picture to enlarge)

Newsprint (old TV guide from the Sunday paper)

(click on picture to enlarge)

Facial tissue (Puffs)

(click on picture to enlarge)(click on picture to enlarge)

Ink drying time: As you can see, it smudged at 10 seconds (but not much at 5 seconds). This will be variable depending on how much ink was laid down by the pen, etc. I've used X-Feather to take notes on cheap copy paper, and it seemed to dry pretty fast--I'd heard it takes a long time. It probably does on Clairefontaine paper with a super-smooth finish, but that's not the type of paper this ink was made for!

Ink flow: I really like the flow--it's not too dry in my pens, but not too wet, either! It puts down a nice, tight line, and doesn't widen on the page. I left it in a pen without using it for 5 days, and it started up immediately. I haven't experienced any problems while pausing during writing.

Overall, this is a nice, rich black ink that was very well-behaved in my Sensa Meridians. It performed beautifully on cheap recycled papers, and, true to its name, didn't feather! It didn't bleed through anything I tried, either, not even on the facial tissue! Its flow was perfect in my pens, and felt nice while writing. The drying time on cheap, absorbent papers was much better than I thought (on the newsprint, it seemed to dry almost instantaneously). I wouldn't bother using this ink if you mostly use Clairefontaine paper or other papers that are pretty feather-resistant anyway, but if you use a lot of more porous papers or a wide variety of papers, X-Feather will do the trick!

FPN Review: Noodler's Majestic Orange (Singapore Series)

2009-01-01T21:25:00.004-05:00

(Here's a link to my first FPN review!)

Here's a review of Noodler's Majestic Orange (thanks to penguinmaster for the review template!):

This ink is from Noodler's Singapore Series. It's billed as bulletproof, though I haven't tested its waterproofness or UV-fastness, etc.

(click on picture to enlarge)

The handwritten sample was written on HP 32# Premium Laserjet paper with a Sensa Meridian gold-plated nib, custom ground to an XF 0.3mm round point.

Drying time: pretty good for a Noodler's bulletproof ink. As you can see, there wasn't much smudging after 10 seconds.

Flow: good flow--doesn't gush, but is definitely not on the stingy side. It starts up immediately even after leaving it unused in the pen for a week or more. It also performs well while writing, and doesn't dry up in the nib while you pause.

Feathering/Bleedthrough: I tried this ink on many different papers (Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Pentalic, Alvin Saray, Apica, Derwent, hand*book, Pen+Ink, Exacompta). There was no feathering on most of these papers--the Rhodia, Apica, Pentalic had a very, very tiny bit of feathering (like a tiny stray bump every few words or so), but most people probably wouldn't notice it. I'm a bit obsessive about feathering. There wasn't any bleedthough that I could detect (if by bleedthrough you mean dotting the next page). There was a little bit of show-through on the reverse side of the page in thinner paper such as Apica (though less than some other Noodler's bulletproofs like Upper Ganges Blue).

Shading: very little on any paper I tried. I only use XF Sensa Meridians, so I have no experience with other pens/nibs.

I'm not sure I'd use this ink to write a novel--it'd be a bit hard to read that much text in this color. I use it for journal entries and margin notes. It's a nice, strong orange without being too reddish (it looks redder on my monitor than it does in real life). In fact, now that I look at my Rhodia pad, it's not that dissimilar from the orange cover of the stapled graph paper pad. How's that for a frame of reference!

FPN Review: Noodler's Mata Hari's Cordial (new formulation)

2009-01-01T21:14:00.005-05:00

Here's a link to my third FPN review.

This is Noodler's Mata Hari's Cordial, in the new formulation. The previous review was of the old formulation, from what I can gather, since the color of the other review looks closer to Pendemonium's swatch of the old formulation. I traded a fellow FPNer for a sample of this ink.

Here's a scan before color correction:

(click on picture to enlarge)

In a post somewhere, Nathan said this color was "burgundy." I've never gotten anything close to that! I'd call it an eggplant color--it's purplish-gray, with a hint of reddish. The scan above looks more like Iraqi Indigo/The Violet Vote--in real life, the ink isn't nearly that violet.

Here's an attempt to color-correct a bit--this scan is a bit too purpley and not reddish enough (and the pinkish undertones around the Q-tip swab is an artifact of my color correction), but it's the best I could do. The text looks closer to the actual thing on my monitor, though.

(click on picture to enlarge)

This is a bulletproof ink in the UK Series, sold exclusively in the US by Pendemonium.com. Their swatch looks a little redder than I've experienced. In the UK, Pelikan Pens sells it (probably among other places). Pelikan Pens' swatch is a little more violet on my monitor than I've experienced--Mata Hari's Cordial looks closer to their scan of Highland's Heather to me.

The ink dries about standard for a Noodler's bulletproof--not the fastest, but not the slowest. There was a little smearing even at 30 seconds, but that was on a particularly wet spot of ink where I finished the downstroke. I've never had a problem with smearing.

The flow is good--not fast, not slow. It doesn't widen the line that I can tell.

This ink is a good all-around performer--it did feather the tiniest bit on some papers (I was surprised by a teeny bit on Rhodia). However, it worked pretty well on cheap copy paper and never had more than a little bit on any of the 15+ papers I tried. It never bled through any papers I tried, but there was some showthrough on the thinner papers.

The color is reasonably consistent, though it does look a bit murkier on cheap copy paper, and shows up better on bright white, higher quality papers.

There's a little bit of shading (I'm not the best judge of this, though--I can never tell if an ink shades unless it's REALLY obvious).

This ink is very close in color to Noodler's Singapore Sepia, but the SS is even grayer and less reddish.

This is a nice ink, and I think I'll get a bottle (if it's ever back in stock), but this is not my dream BP purple! It's too eggplanty and not purpley enough.

FPN Review: Noodler's Lotus Grace (Singapore Series)

2009-01-01T20:40:00.011-05:00

Here's a link to the second review I did on FPN (The Fountain Pen Network): Noodler's Lotus Grace ink. I'm not thrilled with the color corrections, and my scanner didn't quite capture the proper color. (Later on, I switched to taking photographs of handwritten samples, as they captured the colors more accurately.)

A review of Noodler's Lotus Grace (thanks to penguinmaster for the review template!):

(click on picture to enlarge)

This ink is from Noodler's Singapore Series. It's billed as bulletproof, though I haven't tested its waterproofness or UV-fastness, etc.

The handwritten sample was written on HP 32# Premium Laserjet paper with a Sensa Meridian chrome nib, custom ground to an XF 0.3mm round point.

Drying time: somewhat slow. There was some smudging after 10 seconds, and even a tiny bit at 30 seconds where the ink pooled in the center of the X.

Flow: When it's flowing, it flows fine. However, it often dries up overnight (capped). I don't mind that much--I just drip a drop or two of water on the nib then wipe it off, and it's fine for the day, but this may bother some people. After this treatment, it doesn't dry up in the nib with moderate pauses, but if you leave it uncapped for a couple minutes it needs a stroke or two to start up again.

Feathering/Bleedthrough:
• MiquelRius - no noticeable feathering. No bleedthrough, but there is a fair amount of showthrough, especially where the ink pools at the end of a downstroke.
• Alvin Saray graph paper - minimal feathering, no bleedthrough, minimal to moderate showthrough.
• Derwent - moderate feathering, no bleedthrough, no showthrough.
• hand*book - minimal to moderate feathering. No bleedthrough, only a hint of showthrough.
• Pen+Ink - moderate feathering, no bleedthrough, moderate showthrough.
• Exacompta Nostalgie/Basic - no feathering, no bleedthrough, minimal to moderate showthrough.
• white onion skin paper - no feathering. It's translucent, so it shows through completely, but does not bleed through the paper.
• random cheap copy paper - minimal feathering, no bleedthrough, minimal showthrough.
• Apica - no noticeable feathering. No bleedthrough, but some showthrough.
• Pentalic (ivory paper) - minimal feathering, no bleedthrough, moderate showthrough.
• Clairefontaine - no feathering, no bleedthrough, minimal to moderate showthrough.
• Markings by CR Gibson (off-white paper) - minimal to moderate feathering, no bleedthrough, moderate showthrough.
• Exacompta Journey - no feathering, no bleedthrough, minimal to moderate showthrough.
• Rhodia - negligible feathering, no bleedthrough, minimal showthrough.

Shading: minimal--a little bit where the ink pools on some papers. I only use XF Sensa Meridians, so I have no experience with other pens/nibs.

Nib Creep: minimal. Clearly visible in the center nib slit, but doesn't significantly extend past the slit.

Overall, this is a beautiful, bright magenta-pink color. It looks a lot pinker on my monitor than it does in real life--not sure if that's my scanner or my monitor. (I plan to send it to someone who can calibrate the scan.) On paper, it's much more magenta and much darker than it appears on my monitor--it looks a lot like Rachmaninov on my monitor, but it looks nothing like Rachmaninov in real life. It looks closer to scans I've seen of Socrates (I don't have Socrates) in real life. In Deirdre's picture in this thread, it looks more purple to me on my monitor than it does in real life. It's a little purpley, just not as much as it appears on my monitor. Interestingly, Deirdre appears to have gotten some shading with this ink.

This ink frequently dries in the nib overnight. I'm willing to put up with it for the color and bulletproof nature, but others may find this too high-maintenance. I haven't experimented with adding InkSafe or water to it yet (I usually dilute Rachmaninov with water, which makes it quite usable).

(click on picture to enlarge)

I played with the settings a little, and this appears a bit closer on my monitor to the color in real life. It's still a bit more magenta than this in real life, but this is closer than the original scan!

Review: Quo Vadis Journal 21 (Exaclair)

2009-01-01T11:22:00.023-05:00

I received this complementary copy of the Quo Vadis Journal 21 after responding to a call for reviewers on the Quo Vadis blog. Thank you, Karen Doherty for sending it! Here are my thoughts:

Overall, I liked this journal/agenda a lot. The super-smooth, light-colored paper was divine for my purposes, but as always, YMMV--some might find it a bit too thin or white (even though it's slightly off-white). Even though I generally prefer journals that are much smaller, I found this to be a nice size for an agenda, particularly if you have lots of items each day. I also liked that it's refillable, so if you find a cover you like, you can keep using it. However, if I were to purchase this, I'd get a different cover, and I'd prefer if it had a ribbon bookmarker and some sort of closure. But these are personal preferences!

Front cover picture (I had peeled the sticker off the cover, then tried to put it back on for the picture, so it's a bit curled--it was pristine when I received it).

(click on picture to enlarge)

The cover on the version I received is black vinyl, with a faux "stitching" pattern on the edges. It has a slight vinyl odor to it--not horrible, but noticeable to me. I didn't like the sharpness of the edges, either--I could totally see myself accidentally skimming the edge of the cover trying to get it out of a bag or something, and getting one heck of a paper cut! They do come in 2 different covers, though. I like the Club covers I've seen on other Quo Vadis agendas in the store--they're made of a prettier, softer vinyl. Otherwise, the cover is nice and classic-looking.

Front cover with paper insert

(click on picture to enlarge)

Inside front cover

(click on picture to enlarge)

Personal information page

(click on picture to enlarge)

Personal information page, closer up

(click on picture to enlarge)

Semi-annual planner pages

(click on picture to enlarge)

The semi-annual planner pages seem like they would be handy for some people, so they could see a half-year's worth of information on 2 pages. I intend to use this mainly as a journal, so I could see putting people's birthdays on these pages.

Monthly planner pages

(click on picture to enlarge)

The monthly planner pages are also a nice touch, so you can see upcoming events. I like the ability to have some perspective in a planner, even though the body of the journal itself is in a daily format.

Writing sample on a main body page

(click on picture to enlarge)

Close-up of writing sample

(click on picture to enlarge)

Reverse side of the writing sample page

(click on picture to enlarge)

I LOVED the paper in this agenda/journal. This is what really makes the journal for me. Even though the paper is pretty thin, I happen to like that in a journal--otherwise, the journal becomes too thick and unwieldy. The paper is extremely smooth to the touch and writes like a dream with a fountain pen. Even my super-needlepoint fountain pens wrote smoothly in this journal, unlike some other papers, where the very fine nibs catch on paper fibers. I couldn't seem to stop touching the paper, it was so nice! The paper is off-white--not the brilliant bright white of other Clairefontaine papers, but not buttery yellow/cream colored.

However, as you can easily see from the pictures, you can see the ink showing through on the other side. I didn't have any bleedthrough, where there were dots on the next sheet of paper, but you could definitely see that something was written on the reverse side of the page. This didn't bother me, but it might be a consideration for some people. For those of you interested, I used Sensa Meridian fountain pens, custom ground with various nibs (0.3mm down to XXXXF super-needlepoint). The inks I tested performed admirably--the only one with feathering easily discernable to the naked eye was Noodler's Britannia's Blue Waves, which feathers horribly on lots of paper, especially if you don't use a hairline nib.

There are little perforated tabs that can be removed from each page to help you find the current page, but I don't think I'll personally use them. I would have preferred a ribbon bookmark of some sort, instead, but that's a minor issue.

Blank main body page, showing stitching of signatures

(click on picture to enlarge)

Close-up of signature stitching

(click on picture to enlarge)

I really like that this journal has stitched signatures, so the agenda lays flat. I didn't have to push on it much at all, and I took all the pictures in this review without having to hold the book open. I didn't measure it, but the book is about an inch thick. I also think that stitched signatures make for a nicer experience--glued-in books tend to crack at the spine and open unevenly.

Address/phone information pages in the back

(click on picture to enlarge)

Back inside cover

(click on picture to enlarge)

Back cover

(click on picture to enlarge)

All in all, I liked this agenda/journal a lot more than I expected, since it's much larger than the journals I usually use. I suspected I would like the paper, since I use a lot of Clairefontaine paper, which has never disappointed me. The paper in this Journal 21 was no exception--it was ultra-smooth, light-colored, and wonderful to touch. It was heavenly with my very fine-nibbed pens, too, which can be scratchy on "normal" paper. There was no noticeable feathering on most of the inks I tried, and very little with inks that feather a lot on normal cheap copy paper.

I usually use 3"x5" or 4"x6" journals, so I thought this might be too large. I'll probably use this for my desk diary to jot down various things that happen each day, so the size is actually pretty nice. I would have liked some sort of closure (elastic or a snap), because if I carried it around, it would get trashed in my bag. But this isn't a deal-breaker!

Thanks again to Exaclair (US distributor of Clairefontaine/Quo Vadis/Exacompta products and more) for the opportunity to review this product!

Where to Buy Exotic Noodler's

2008-08-30T23:13:00.011-04:00

Places to Purchase Non-US Noodler's:
(I have no affiliation with any of these places)

Noodler's Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham (Canadian Exclusive)
• http://sleuthandstatesman.com/

Noodler's Coral Sea Blue (Australian Exclusive)
• http://www.pendamonium.com.au/Noodlers/Noodlers-Ink.html
• http://www.pensdeluxe.ashop.com.au/p/478778/noodlers-ink-bottled-fountain-pen-ink.html
(it doesn't appear on their website, but someone reported purchasing it from there)

Noodler's Prime of the Commons Blue-Black (UK Exclusive)
• http://pelikanpens.co.uk/
• http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?brand=Noodlers&range=Eternal%20bottled%20ink&cat=ink&subr=

Noodler's Prussian Blue (German Exclusive)
• http://www.missing-pen.de/indexk.htm
(email Rolf Thiel at info@missing-pen.de to order)

Noodler's Singapore Series (Singapore Exclusives)
• http://pensinasia.com/noodler%27s_ink_singapore_colours.htm
(email castle98@singnet.com.sg to order)
• http://aestheticbay.com

Noodler's Stockholm Indigo (Swedish Exclusive)
• http://www.nk.se/templates/default.aspx?id=7895

Noodler's Taiwan Series (Taiwan Exclusives)
• http://pennote.idv.tw/noodlersink/?cat=5

Ink Obsession

2008-07-27T03:53:00.060-04:00

General Note: items in this color have been traded away/sold

Ink I Own (bottled, unless otherwise noted) (updated 8/1/09):

J. Herbin
• Bleu Myosotis

• Bleu Pervenche

• Diabolo Menthe (5 cartridges)

• Eclat de Saphir

• Encre Rouge, "Les Subtiles" (rose scented)

• Larmes de Cassis
• Lierre Sauvage
• Orange Indien
• Poussière de Lune
• Rose Cyclamen (also 4 cartridges)
• Rose Tendresse (2 cartridges)
• Vert Empire
• Vert Pré
• Violette Pensée

Noodler's

Inks in general circulation (bulletproof or eternal)
• Kung Te-Cheng
• La Reine Mauve
• Periwinkle
• X-Feather

Baystate Series (waterproof)
• Baystate Blue

Electric Series/Highlighter Inks
• Atlantic Salmon
• Georgia Peach
• Hellfire
• Lightning Blue
• St. Patty's Eire
• Year of the Golden Pig (bulletproof)

FPN Exclusive (bulletproof)
• FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown

JetPens Exclusive (bulletproof, "security" ink [color-changing])
• Manijiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia

Pendemonium Exclusives (bulletproof)
• Legal Lapis
• The Violet Vote (aka Iraqi Indigo)

Polar Series (bulletproof)
• Polar Blue (Winter 2006 Edition)

Russian Eternal Series (bulletproof)
• Lermontov
• Rachmaninov

Singapore Series (bulletproof)
• Esplanade
• Honourable Blue
• Judicial Black
• Lotus Grace
• Majestic Orange
• Peranakan Brown
• Samsui Red
• Sentosa Tranquility
• Singapore Sepia
• Singapore Sling
• Spirit of Bamboo
• Vanda Miss Joaquim

Swisher Pens Exclusives (bulletproof)
• Dragon Catfish Series Highlighter Inks
- Green
- Orange
- Pink
• Verdun Green

UK Exclusive (bulletproof, contract "security" ink [color changing])
• Prime of the Commons Blue-Black

UK Series (bulletproof)
• Empire Red

V-Mail Series (some have a bit of water resistance)
• Burma Road Brown

• GI Green

• Mandalay Maroon

• Midway Blue

• North African Violet

• Operation Overland Orange

• Rabaul Red

Namiki

• Blue

Private Reserve

• Foam Green
• Purple Haze
• Shell Pink

Ink Samples I've Received:

Diamine
• Coral
• Imperial Purple

J. Herbin
• Amber de Birmanie
• Bleu Pervenche
• Bouquet d'Antan
• Gris Nuage
• Larmes de Cassis
• Orange Indien
• Poussière de Lune
• Vert Empire
• Violette Pensée

Noodler's (Bulletproof/Eternal/100% Waterproof unless otherwise noted)
• Aircorp Blue-Black (near-bulletproof)
• Akhmatova
• Aquamarine
• Bank Note Green
• Baystate Blue
• Black
• Blue Ghost
• Britannia's Blue Waves
• Burgundy (75% waterproof)
• Concord Grape (some water resistance)
• Dumas Tulipe Noire (FPN) (not waterproof)
• El Lawrence
• Ellis Island Blue-Black
• Glacier Blue (75% waterproof)
• Green Marine (near-bulletproof)
• Gulf Stream Blue
• Heart of Darkness
• Highland's Heather
• Hunter Green
• Iraqi Indigo/The Violet Vote
• Kiowa Pecan (near-bulletproof)
• Lakeshore Spruce (75% waterproof)
• Legal Blue
• Luxury Blue
• Mata Hari's Cordial (new formulation)
• Naval Orange
• Navy (near-bulletproof)
• Old Manhattan Black
• Polar Black (original formula, discontinued)
• Pushkin
• Royal Aztec
• Socrates
• Starry Night Blue (FPN) (some water resistance)
• Stockholm Indigo
• Upper Ganges Blue
• Verdun Green
• Victoria's Royal Mint (new formulation)
• Tahitian Pearl (75% waterproof)
• The Whiteness of the Whale
• X-Feather
• Zhivago (near-bulletproof)

Pilot Iroshizuku
• Yama Budo

Pending Ink Sample Trades:

Rohrer & Klingner
• Alt-Goldgrün

Ink Sample Wish List:

Noodler's
• The Sun Never Sets
• Coral Sea Blue
• possibly other colorful bulletproof/eternal/waterproof ink, especially non-US market inks

Inks on "Must Have" List:

Noodler's
• I'm sure I'll think of something soon! :-)