I get a better feel for my writing, when I read on paper, pen in hand. I sense weaknesses faster as well as strengths. Beyond all else, I see possibilities in plot and characters I don’t see on the screen.
(via Matt Kaspar)
Vintage Pens for People Who Think Vintage Pens Are Scary — The Pen Addict
Vintage Pens for People Who Think Vintage Pens Are Scary — The Pen Addict
Here’s the plan. In this post, I will address a few common myths about vintage fountain pens, which I hope will convince you that they are worth trying out. In succeeding posts, I will highlight a few major vintage pen models that are easy to find, affordable, and reliable. On with the myths!
This is a really great post. I own, love, and use a few vintage pens regularly myself. I’m excited for the rest of the series.
National Notebook Day – May 19th, 2016
National Notebook Day – May 19th, 2016
Mark your calendars because the first ever National Notebook Day is happening on May 19th, 2016. We’re inviting notebook enthusiasts everywhere to celebrate with us! Use #nationalnotebookday to spread the word.
Personally, I celebrate Notebook Day every day. 🙂
Execupundit.com: The “Thank You” Note
Execupundit.com: The “Thank You” Note
Sincere sentiments. Stationery and fountain pen. A nice stamp. The man deserves much more. It is the least I can do.
It’s the least any of us should do.
How To Buy A Paper Notebook That Brings You Joy
How To Buy A Paper Notebook That Brings You Joy — Fast Company
“Notebooks,” says Ana Reinert of the office gear site The Well-Appointed Desk, “are very much like cars. My perfect notebook is going to be very different, like my choice in car, from someone else whose needs or line of work requires different parameters.” And notebooks are as varied as our vehicles: They come in different sizes, shapes, materials; different bindings, paper weights, line widths (or squares, or no lines at all), hard cover, soft cover, treated paper, untreated paper—and that’s just on the inside. To recommend a single notebook for everyone would be to recommend a notebook to nobody.
This article then goes on to cover every possible option out there and give some great recommendations. A solid link if only for reference alone.
A Big (Apple) Passion Project: Illustrating New York City’s Subway Stations on Vimeo
To put it lightly, Philip Ashforth Coppola loves New York City’s subway stations. For the past 38 years, the New Jersey-based illustrator has been exploring the Big Apple’s underground stations and sketching its mosaics in amazing detail with just a ballpoint pen.
(via Swiss Miss)
Buy Salvador Dalí’s unpublished notebook
Buy Salvador Dalí’s unpublished notebook — Boing Boing
One of Salvador Dalí’s unpublished notebooks is up for auction at Sotheby’s in Paris. Part of a fantastic array of Dada and Surrealist items for sale by the Bibliothèque R. & B. L.
Beautiful stuff.
A Brief Review of Two New Notebooks from Jet Pens
I recently purchased two new notebooks being offered by Jet Pens. As many already know, I’m a notebook addict and despite my lack of need can’t seem to stop buying and trying them. I’ve been a bit better lately but both of these came up and I could not resist them.
First up is the JetPens Tomoe River Kanso Sasshi Booklet.
These are made exclusively for Jet Pens. What’s not to love about these? Ninety-six blank pages of Tomoe River paper with a handy lined insert card all in what has come to be known as the standard pocket notebook size. For people that care about good paper — especially those that use fountain pens — Tomoe River paper is the undisputed champ. Not only is the paper lovely to write on but it is super thin — with little show through — so a notebook can hold more pages in the same weight and thickness. For comparison, Field Notes Brand notebooks have only forty-eight pages in the same size book.
I give this one a “should buy”. To be honest, it will be hard for me not to switch to these once my current pocket notebook (MUJI A6) runs out. They’re that good.
Next up is the Holtz SenseBook by Transotype.
I really wanted (and tried) to like this one, but I just can’t. I kind of see what they were going for — something a bit more sophisticated than a small Moleskine. A leather cover, a better elastic closure, a nicer ribbon, numbered pages, and even a pre-printed index section at the front.
But, it is just so poorly manufactured it feels cheap. It is stitch bound — and in mine one of the stitches is already sticking up loose. It is stiff as heck and hard to keep open to use. A pocket-sized notebook should be easy to flip open and get to work. This is a struggle to keep open let alone lie anywhere near flat. I have to bend it back severely, a full 180, for several seconds and then tuck it under a couple of heavy objects on each side just to keep it open to transcribe this review. Perhaps such stiffness would improve over time and use but I would move on well before giving it a chance.
To say something positive, the paper is good. Not great, just good. It seems to take fountain pen ink OK and has a decent tooth to it. But, this is really me stretching to find just one nice thing to say.
Bottom line, avoid this one. Spend the extra $5 and get a pack of the Kanso Sasshi instead.
Darwin, C. R. Notebook B: [Transmutation of species (1837-1838)]
Darwin, C. R. Notebook B: [Transmutation of species (1837-1838)]. CUL-DAR121.-
I think…
Case must be that one generation then should be as many living as now. To do this & to have many species in same genus (as is) requires extinction.
Thus between A & B immense gap of relation. C & B the finest gradation, B & D rather greater distinction. Thus genera would be formed. — bearing relation.
The notebook page where Charles Darwin first proposes the idea of evolution. A reminder that, like most breakthroughs, even the primary theory behind life on earth began with the seed of hesitation on a blank page.
Amazon.com: 30 Min & 5 Min Hourglasses – Time Management Set
Amazon.com: 30 Min & 5 Min Hourglasses – Time Management Set
One of Amazon’s “Deal of The Day” today is this lovely Work/Play hourglass set for only $19.95. As our contributor H.C. Marks noted on Twitter:
I could see using these for meditation, writing sprints, journaling
Me too. What a nice, productive, analog tool to sit on a desk. I’ll be ordering a set for sure.