The Lettermate

An envelope addressing guide for those of us that have trouble writing in a straight line.

Only $15. What a neat idea.

My First Baron Fig — Shawn Blanc

My Baron Fig and I made a pact. I would use it for the most mundane, menial, impermanent things I could think of. And if I ruined this book by filling it with nothing of consequence, then I would order another to sit on the shelf and collect dust as it waited patiently for something more historic and epic.

A lovely ode to a dependable notebook. I love these sorts of “after I’ve used it for a really long time” reviews.

Connecting your paper notebooks with the digital age — Life Hacks — Medium

Most of the subjects I write about are related to abstract artifacts?—?emails, meetings, web pages, digital pictures. One of the things I missed most after switching to pen and paper was having a reliable way to reference these digital bits. However, I devised a plan to fix that.

What he comes up with is mindblowingly clever. Going to steal and implement the heck out of this.

Eraser-off | The Well-Appointed Desk

I decided to put a few different types of erasers head-to-head and see which one works best. Its not the brand of eraser that is the key attribute but rather the type of material used to create the eraser. There are two common types of erasers for everyday use: plastic/vinyl erasers usually white and almost all are now latex-free and compound rubber a bit gritty with a pumice-like material embedded in rubber.

Educational. I learned more about erasers and the performance of a few of the better ones than I thought was possible.

The Product Free 2014 Holiday Gift Guide – Pen Paper Ink Letter

This is a good generalist guide for gift giving to the pen and paper lover in your life. Good for any time of the year too.

Introducing the Ben Franklin’s Virtues Daily Record & Journal | The Art of Manliness.

Ever since I wrote about Ben Franklin’s 13 virtues and his diary back in 2008, I really wanted something like it for myself and for our readers. Well, that time has come! I’m proud and excited to announce the launch of the Benjamin Franklin’s Virtues Daily Record & Journal.

Looks beautiful. The perfect sort of thing needed to prepare yourself for Journal Day and the year to come.

An Interview with Baron Fig — Tools and Toys

Baron Fig is a notebook brand that started on Kickstarter just about a year ago. Their Dot Grit Confidant is (in my humble opinion) just about the best journal on the planet — it’s exactly the right size, has exactly the right type of paper, and is very well made. And so we wanted to connect with the guys behind Baron Fig to hear about how they got in to the journal-making business and what things look like behind the scenes.

Go for the great interview. Stay for the amazingly beautiful pictures.

Reasons to Love Writing by Hand | Sienna Craig

My love for writing by hand takes many forms, and like most love affairs, is bittersweet, twisted in places, not immune to paradox and contradiction.

I Can Never Have Too Many Mechanical Pencils – Technology – The Atlantic

Nice article full of history about the mechanical pencil and the various options available. Mentioned towards the end is one I actually have several of, the Uniball Kuru Toga. And. I’m not even a “pencil guy” so the fact I have many versions of that model should tell you something.