Saturday, November 29, 2014

Serious Nibbage Part 13: Pelikan Souverän M1000 @sbrebrown @pelikan_company @pelikan_de

Today on Serious Nibbage...the Pelikan Souverän M1000!
Serious Nibbage Pelikan Souveran M1000
Check out SBRE Brown's review of the Pelikan Souverän M1000.
Check out my review of the Pelikan M1005 Special Edition.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 1: Noodler's Neponset.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 2: Franklin-Christoph Music Nib.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 3: Conway Stewart Winston.

Check out Serious Nibbage Part 4: Pelikan Souverän M101N Red Tortoiseshell.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 5: TWSBI Classic.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 6: Edison Menlo.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 7: Pelikan Souverän M600 Red Stripe.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 8: Marlen Aleph.

Check out Serious Nibbage Part 9: Montblanc Meisterstück 149.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 10: Lamy Safari.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 11: Kaweco Skyline Sport.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 12: Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel.

If you'd like to sponsor an episode of Serious Nibbage and would like us to review a pen/nib/ink, etc, contact Stephen or myself!

Friday, November 28, 2014

Giveaway at @ThePenCompany

The Pen Company is giving away one winner's choice of an Anthracite Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche Ciselé as either a fountain, ballpoint, rollerball, or mechanical pencil worth up to £310.50! This competition is open to contestants worldwide. The winner will be chosen at random at noon GMT on December 18th, 2014. Click here for details!


Whiskers & Paws: November 2014 Edition

Koa & Peaches
Peaches
Peaches
Koa
Koa
Koa
Koa & Ellie
Koa & Ellie
Tyco
Tyco

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround

A huge thank you to Massdrop for making this review possible! I totally eyed this when I saw it as an available drop, so I'm quite thrilled to be able to review it.

ABOUT

Price: $75.00USD
Size (flat open): 11.5" W x 6.5" H
Size (inside pockets): 3.0" W x 6.0" H

PRESENTATION

The Leatherback Writer2 does come in a cotton bag with a drawstring. It reminds me of the Midori Traveler's Notebook and Pelle leather journal cotton bags. The ends of the drawstrings have started to fray already but a little knot fixed them up.
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
APPEARANCE

The Leatherback Writer2 is portable and attractive. It has pointed corners and a snap closure that wraps around from the back to the front. It looks a little rustic based on the design and the color here.


Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
Inside, there are two main pockets on each side, that come close to the spine. They run the height of the cover. The spine houses a pen loop that is quite roughly cut. The left main flap also has a secondary card holder stitched on it. The entire thing is made of the same type of leather - a slightly pebbled, but very soft whiskey-colored leather.  The edges are unfinished and unpainted, and the stitching matches the color of the leather - in this case, a medium, warm brown (whiskey).
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
PERFORMANCE & FEEL

I love that this is such a supple cover - it is useful for stuffing in an already stuffed bag, for example. It opens up easily, with generous space in the spine. It handles quite a few notebooks - some stuffed into the pockets on their own, or using the back covers so you can write in them without removing them.

Since the leather is so soft, snapping the closure shut when the cover is full can be a bit of a challenge, but nothing terribly difficult.
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround

Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround

I'm not crazy about the cut out for the pen in the spine. It is useful, and it does hold a pen, but I think it looks a little sloppy and sort of a last minute addition - oh let's cut this out here for a pen! If you have a phone that is not a phablet, it can be put into a side pocket, which is convenient for carry-all purposes.
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
OVERALL

I like this. I like leather journal covers. I find them very useful, and having a rustic one can be more desirable sometimes! I like the color, the feel, and the pockets on this one. There isn't anything on here I hate. I think it's on the expensive side, but if the color or design really appeals to you, it may be right up your alley!
Review: This Is Ground Leatherback Writer 2 @Massdrop @ThisIsGround
I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Wordless Wednesday

Koa
Koa

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Review: 10 Pen Glass Display Case @FancyGiftIdeas

I know a lot of people cringe when they see my pencil cases that are full of fountain pens jammed up against each other. They're in pretty good shape, considering that. Here's something else that can store my pens now.

Thanks to Yvonne from Fancy Gift Ideas for sending this display case over for me to review and...well...display!
Review 10 Pen Glass Display Case @FancyGiftIdeas
ABOUT

Slot Width: 20.8 mm/0.82"
Slot Length: 150.1 mm/5.91"
Price: $75.00USD
Where to buy: Fancy Gift Ideas
Discount: Fancy Gift Ideas is offering a $5 discount when you sign up for their newsletter! Discount code will arrive via email when you sign up!

This glass and wood display case is attractive and elegant. It has a clear glass top surrounded by a wooden frame in a rich, warm red-brown. The base is the same colour of wood. The case is higher at the back and lowers slightly towards the front, which gives the entire case a classy, sloped appearance.
Review 10 Pen Glass Display Case @FancyGiftIdeas
The inside is lined with soft velvety felt and there are ten slots to hold your pens. The hinges are brass and are only really visible when the lid is open.
Review 10 Pen Glass Display Case @FancyGiftIdeas
The slots accommodated most pens, including larger ones such as the Montblanc Meisterstück 149, Pelikan Souverän, and the very girthy Delta Dolcevita Oversize. Monster pens like the Visconti Opera Master and the Visconti Opera Crystal could not fit - they were too long.

Review 10 Pen Glass Display Case @FancyGiftIdeas
Left to right: Visconti Opera Master. Pelikan M1005. Pelikan M800. Pelikan M600. Jinhao x750. Nakaya Piccolo Cigar. Montblanc 149. Montblanc 146. Kaweco Skyline Sport. Delta Dolcevita Oversize.
I've never had a display case like this before and it's quite lovely. I find it convenient, organized, and an attractive way to keep my currently inked pens tidy. It also serves as a great presentation case for visitors, which is exactly what it was used for just a few days ago.

The lid is nice and light, not too heavy to lift. I love the viewing area of the pens. They look WAY cooler this way than just sitting on a table, there's no doubt about that. Also, especially for pens that have a tendency to roll, they don't roll away.
Review 10 Pen Glass Display Case @FancyGiftIdeas
Replacing the Visconti Opera Master is a Waldmann Tango.
The one issue I have is visible below - on the lip of the frame where the lid closes, the wood has chipped slightly. It's minor but if it is to display your favourite pens, it would obviously look better without that. An easy remedy would be having little felt feet on the lid to prevent the wood frames from hitting each other. That can be added myself. I suspect this occurred during shipping though, because it arrived this way, and it did come a long way.
Review 10 Pen Glass Display Case @FancyGiftIdeas
Now I need the larger pen display. Three of them.

I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. 

Monday, November 24, 2014

Review: Scent-Sibles Scented 6 Colour Multipen @RaymondGeddes

Harry from RaymondGeddes sent me a parcel of goodies recently and it had one of my most favourite things: something scented. Not that I'm obsessed with perfumes, because I'm not. I just like scented stationery. Shall we smell this pen now? Yes.

ABOUT
Review: Scent-Sibles Scented 6 Colour Multipen @RaymondGeddes
Body Material: Plastic
Length:  5.5"
Price: $10.20USD/12
Where to buy: RaymondGeddes

APPEARANCE

This is a pretty cute pen - it's not super long, and the barrel isn't really thick (like with some multipens). The barrel is clear and has little drawings with the names of the scents of the inks on it. There is a plastic clip and six tabs around the top of the barrel to pick your ink colours.

PERFORMANCE

Sometimes with multipens, one of the colours don't work as well. Between both pens, only the pink from one of them didn't work 100% and it still wrote quite well. It's just that it skipped more than I would have liked and it annoyed me a bit. The rest of the colours worked just fine and were quite smooth and consistent. There was no ink blobbing - another issue that can afflict multipens.

The colours of the pen and their matching scents are (at least from what I could figure out by sniffing them):
Light blue - rockin' root beer float
Purple - groovy grape snow cone
Red - hooray for PB & J!
Pink - whatta! melon
Orange - sinful cinnamon bun
Green - sour power! dill pickle
Review: Scent-Sibles Scented 6 Colour Multipen @RaymondGeddes
Well. The colours are pretty common, and they're really nice. I like them all, especially the blue, purple, and pink. The scents are... less common. Dill pickle?! I've never come across that scent in scented inks before. Very unusual. My favourite scents were the groovy grape snow cone and the whatta! melon. The others were a little harder to identify, and while I love peanut butter, I don't like the scent in my ink, because it feels like I had peanut butter smeared somewhere. The others I figured out by scribbling and sniffing the ink patch. The grape and watermelon smell really good. The root beer isn't bad either but I have no idea why it's matched to the blue ink!

To pick a new colour, you just pop the purple down (in between the clip) and it retracts whatever colour is in use, and you can pick a new colour. So far, nothing has gotten jammed.

OVERALL

This is an interesting scented multipen - it looks cute and it's scented. The scents are pretty unusual though! Nevertheless, multipens are a great gift, especially for students, so picking up a box of these is not a bad idea. The scents aren't overpowering, so if scents bother you, don't worry too much!

I received this pen free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Sunday Reads: November 23. 2014

In Case You Missed It:

The CU13E Machined Pen Storage - Review & Kickstarter
Baron Fig Apprentice Notebooks - Dot Grid
Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel Fountain Pen - Medium
Serious Nibbage Part 11: Kaweco Skyline Sport

And don't forget you can get 10% off at Pen Chalet until the end of the year on your purchases! (Not an affiliate link!) 
Pen Chalet Coupon

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Serious Nibbage Part 12: Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel @Massdrop @Lamy @LamyUSA @sbrebrown

SBRE Brown and I talk about about the Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel fountain pen, by popular request. This pen was provided by Massdrop - thanks a lot to the kind folks over there for making this episode possible! Is this pen serious nibbage?
Serious Nibbage Part 10 Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel
Check out SBRE Brown's review of the Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel.
Check out my review of the Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel.

Check out Serious Nibbage Part 1: Noodler's Neponset.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 2: Franklin-Christoph Music Nib.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 3: Conway Stewart Winston.

Check out Serious Nibbage Part 4: Pelikan Souverän M101N Red Tortoiseshell.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 5: TWSBI Classic.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 6: Edison Menlo.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 7: Pelikan Souverän M600 Red Stripe.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 8: Marlen Aleph.

Check out Serious Nibbage Part 9: Montblanc Meisterstück 149.
Check out Serious Nibbage Part 10: Lamy Safari.

Check out Serious Nibbage Part 11: Kaweco Skyline Sport.

If you'd like to sponsor an episode of Serious Nibbage and would like us to review a pen/nib/ink, etc, contact Stephen or myself!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms

THE CUUUUUUUUBE. Since we all have "too many" pens and we all need somewhere good-looking and practical to keep them stored, especially those currently inked ones, THE CUUUUUBE is here. Alright. That's not what it's actually called. See more below. If you don't want to read my review, just pop straight on over to Kickstarter!
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
Back row: ATELEIA Craft Brass Pen.
Middle row L to R: KarasKustoms Ink, Karas Kustoms Render K (aluminum)Karas Kustoms Bolt (hot pink).
Front row L to R: Karas Kustoms RETRAKT (copper)Tactile Turn Shaker (copper).
ABOUT

Price: $75.00USD
Where to buy: Kickstarter
Size:
The CU13E is a machined aluminum pen stand; a collaboration between Mike Dudek's walnut "Cube" (The Clicky Post) and Karas Kustoms. The CU13E is named as such because it's a block of aluminum with an atomic number of 13. CUBE. CU13E. Pretty kute. ... See what I did there?
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
APPEARANCE
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms

Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
This CU13E is black, somewhat shiny, and ridiculously cool. It's machined from a solid block of 6061 aluminum, which is important because that makes it sleek and seamless. Each of the nine holds on top have a black Delrin insert (also custom machined). Under the cube, there are four very useful and appropriately-sized rubber feet, along with the CU13E, Karas Kustoms, and Dudek Modern Goods logos engraved. I like that the logos are on the bottom - this way you don't have to make sure the CU13E is always oriented in the proper direction. It's also more mysterious.
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
Left to right: Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel fountain pen. Karas Kustoms Ink fountain pen. Lamy 2000 Makrolon fountain pen. 
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
PROS
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
  • The CU13E weighs 1 lb, 14.5 oz, which I absolutely LOVE. It's pretty hard to tip over. I tried. If you knock your pens while they're in it, they're deep in enough and the CU13E is heavy enough that they won't fall out/it won't fall over. 
  • The Delrin inserts are smooth so are easy on the pen. Just don't stick your finger in too far. (I know because I tried this.)
  • The CU13E itself just looks great. The inserts blend in almost seamlessly with the holes. It's sleek and minimalistic.
  • The rubber feet were a great idea - it holds the cube in place.
  • The CU13E also makes an excellent paperweight, while holding your pens. 
  • Everything looks good in it.
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
CONS
  • No hot pink. ... Yet.
  • Well... I'm staring at it and I really can't think of any cons, 
  • Don't drop it. It's heavy.  (EDIT: This happened to a certain someone yesterday. He dropped it on his foot, because he drops everything. I inquired whether his foot was ok, then I laughed and told him about the fact that I wrote this very point: don't drop it.)
OVERALL

This is awesome. They are not inexpensive items. That's not to say I don't think they're worth it, but it's $75.00USD for an individual unit. They're very well made and it's very useful. I've been using it to keep my ink review items in it. It makes it easier for me to review and it's a more organized process. Plus I can just wipe the ink splatter off.

A huge thank you to Dan and Mike for making this review possible and for allowing me to keep this awesome unit. Have a look at The CU13E on Kickstarter!
Review: The CU13E Machined Pen Storage @ClickyPost @KarasKustoms
I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Review: Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig

Thanks to Baron Fig for making it possible for me to review their new Apprentice notebooks! They're cute and little.

Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
ABOUT
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Size: 3.5 x 5.5 inches
Color: Off-White
Ruling: Dot (also available in ruled, blank)
Sheet Count: 48 Pages
Price: $9.00USD
Where to buy: Baron Fig

APPEARANCE
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
The Baron Fig three pack of Apprentice pocket notebooks arrived shrink wrapped with a purple sleeve around them. While I enjoyed the classy and tidy boxed packaging of the larger Confidant notebook, once I removed the notebook from the box, I never touched the box again. It's great for presentation and gifting, but adds, in my humble opinion, unnecessary cost to the notebook. The Apprentice being shrink wrapped is held together by a paper sleeve. Even better for me would be no plastic wrap at all, but this does the job. The downside is there is a lot that ends up in the garbage. Anyway, enough of my green cents.

Each Apprentice notebook is small and cute, matching the colour scheme of the larger Confidants. The front and back cover are a light, cloud grey. They are a little thicker than the paper inside, so they do offer some firmness and stability. The covers are flush with the paper inside, and are rounded off. So far, I like the appearance. What throws me off though is the stitching on the spine. It's stitched with a very cute, complementary marigold yellow thread. It looks nice against the grey.

The problem is it's not on the center of the spine - it's on the top of the notebook and moves towards the center as the stitching progresses. Inside the notebook, the stitches come through on the pages of the front half of the notebook, instead of breaking through the middle of the pages. There are double-stitched portions at the top and bottom that look messy. It irritates me that it's not in a straight line because it stands out so much. I hate when things are untidy, misaligned, and crowded, so this stitching irks me.
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
The paper is off-white and easy on the eyes. The dots are light grey - visible but not obsructive. They're usable but not in the way after you've written on the page.

Overall, the appearance appeals to me but the stitching could be tidied up.

PERFORMANCE & FEEL
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
The paper is normal - not glossy or coated, but just normal and smooth. I like how it feels to the touch.

I tested regular pens first. Ballpoints work just fine and also give the paper that nice crinkly texture I love when it's written on. In fact, almost everything worked great - ballpoints, fineliners, gel pens, and pencils. The issue I ran into was feathering on the page with wet inks, such as with the Stabilo Easy Original Rollerball pen. Otherwise, the paper dealt quite well, even with other inky things like the Sakura Gelly Roll pens.
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Fountain pens are, as usual, a completely different ball game. The wettest of nibs resulted in ghosting, feathering, show through, and bleed through. Same goes for flex nibs. Even Japanese fine nibs feathered, although much less significantly than the wetter nibs. However, there is show through and bleed through across the board.
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
What is interesting is a brush pen with fountain pen ink gave minimal feathering and show through, and just a little bit of bleed through where I saturated the swab.
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
PROS
  • Fits passport sized Midori Traveler's Notebook Journal.
  • Small, portable, pocket-sized.
  • Cute colour scheme.
  • Pricing is on par with other pocket-sized notebooks.
  • A whole stack of these on your shelf will look really cool.
Review Baron Fig Apprentice Dot Notebooks @BaronFig
CONS  
  • Not fountain pen friendly.
  • Messy stitching.
OVERALL 

A notebook is meant to be used, in whatever way suits you. I really enjoy the Baron Fig because they look tidy (in that they're all the same, so it looks organized when you have a lot of them), I enjoy the dot grid paper, and it's small and portable. I would like to see some more fountain pen friendly paper and tidier stitching. I enjoy the concept of the notebooks and they are currently tucked into my Midori Traveler's Notebook Journal.

Do a gal a solid and if you fancy any of these and want any item of your own, use my affiliate links :)
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