Let’s start with the pens:

My pens in order, left to right:

• Kaweco AL Sport in Vibrant Violet – F nib (inked with cartridge roulette) and Kaweco x Hello Kitty AL Sport in Opal Green (inked with cartridge roulette). My Kawecos tend to be my favorite desk pens these days. I love the feel of the aluminum barrel, just the right weight in my hands. The faceted caps (and roll clips) means that they never roll away from me. And there are just gosh darn consistent writers. Even if they sit for a week or two, they never have a hard start.
• Pilot Explorer in Pink – F nib, inked with black Pilot cartridge. I’ll be honest, this one is on my desk because I reviewed it a few weeks ago and it’s got an ink cartridge I should use up. It’s fine, but definitely not a favorite and it won’t be seeing any desk time again soon.
• Platinum Procyon Maki-e – F nib. This pen is pure pretty and it makes me happy to write with it. It’s a smooth writer and it’s likely it will be inked for some time to come. It’s currently inked with Monteverde Rose Noir.
• Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e in Dragonfly – F nib (inked with a Platinum cartridge in Pink). It almost seems silly to have this one out next to a pen with actual Maki-e, but for the quick note this one is still a nice writer. It doesn’t have the same luxury feel to it, but it’s perfectly serviceable!
• TWSBI Eco Glow in the Dark Green – EF nib, inked with Yoseka x Ink Institute No 1 Origin. Ana and I have agreed to disagree on Ecos. While I don’t think they are precision writing instruments, I like the way they write and I dig getting to see the piston and ink inside. This also is a candidate for never having a dry start.
• SchonDsgn x Indepdendence Cheerio Waterpen – F nib, inked with Colorverse Morningstar. This pen is gorgeous and Morningstar is one of my favorite teal inks so it’s a match made in heaven. I just like to look at this one, but it’s fun to write with too!

These aren’t the only pens I have, but they are what is most currently inked on my desk lately. I would like to do a better job of using my own bottled inks rather than grabbing cartridges (which is what’s easy with my Kawecos!). I need to invest in a few more converters!

Next let’s look at notebooks:

The two main notebooks in my life currently are the Effin Birds 2023 Monthly/Weekly Calendar and the Midori 5 Year Diary.

The Effin Birds Calendar is one that I use daily to keep track of all my events, appointments and work tasks. I have to say that I am thrilled with the paper. I haven’t really been able to narrow down what paper was used other than “FSC certified paper with soy-based ink,” but it is thick enough that there isn’t any show through even with my wettest writing fountain pens. I also haven’t seen any feathering or bleeding. The planner looks a bit worse for wear, but that’s because of an unfortunately ramen incident where the planner came out the loser. It’s not waterproof (ramen-proof)?

The Midori 5 Year Diary is something I’ve had mixed success with. I should say I really like the paper and it performs well for me (no bleeding, no show through). My biggest problem with the diary is myself! I find myself forgetting to write for days at a time and then trying to catch up. I also find that many days I can’t think of something good to write, and on other days I have so much and there’s just such a tiny space (yes I know I could space things out!). I guess I still haven’t quite figured out how to make this a daily habit and record the things I think I’ll want to remember in a year or 5 years’ time.

Now that we’re partway through the year, what do you find yourself using the most? What are this year’s winners? Any particular losers?

DISCLAIMER: Some of these items were purchased with my own funds, others were provided for free or at discounted cost for the purposes of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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I ordered the Navy Version ($24.00) featuring Snoopy and Woodchuck Woodstock (oops!). The Paco-Tray pen case isn’t new (just the Peanuts editions are). It’s a sturdy zippered case featuring 3 handy compartments to store pens, pencils, and other stationery tools. And the best part is that it opens fully to lay flat and feature a stand up tray. The outside is a dark blue polyester canvas, and the insides is a BRIGHT pink fabric (likely also polyester) featuring bits and pieces of the characters with fun quote bubbles.

The case measures 7.5″/19cm long, and (when zipped) 2.25″/5.5cm wide and 2.5″/6.5cm tall. It’s pretty much the perfect size to throw in a purse or a backpack and have all your essentials corralled in a sturdy case. It says it can hold up to 19 pens, although my guess is that depends on how big the pens are, and whether or not you like your pens to touch.

To me, the most special thing about this handy case is the Peanuts theme. It takes me back to reading the Sunday comics in the LA Times growing up. Or maybe it’s that as a teenager in musical theater, I have fond memories of our 1992 production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (yikes, I feel old). Or maybe it’s that I just love a little Peanuts themed music.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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This is the current lineup of pens on my desk. From left to right:

• Meister By Point Pocket Felt Tip Marker: I’m generally not a huge fine liner or felt tip aficionado, but somehow I’ve been enjoying this one. I filled it with a fountain pen ink cartridge, which makes it THAT much more fun and it’s on the small side which means it fits my hand really nicely. I find it perfect for marking up my daily calendar. I expect this one will be in rotation for a while.
• Platinum 3776 Shape of a Heart: The newest entry to the desk set, the Platinum 3776 is a really nice writing experience. I suspect I may have the nib tuned or ground just a bit at the next show I attend, because it occasionally catches a bit, and I’d like to get it set for my left-handed use. But the pen itself is gorgeous and I’m really glad I picked it up!
• Kaweco AL Sport: These are kind of my latest addiction. I currently have three and I have my eye on a few more colors. I actually do like the metal a bit better than the regular plastic Sport. The Kaweco is the perfect pocket pen – it always writes when I open it, it’s easily cartridge-filled, it’s inexpensive enough to own different colors and nibs, and there’s always at least one on my desk!
• Schon DSGN Pocket Six: I picked up my first Pocket Six in April of 2021 after eying them for a while. I love Ian’s fun color combinations – there are so many that are tempting – and this pen is pure fun. It’s currently loaded with a cartridge that came with it, but I can’t wait to refill the cartridges with the inks of my choice. My only complaint on this one is it’s perfectly smooth and round so it sometimes rolls away from me.

What are you using most these days? Anything special live on your desk?

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This right here is my ink swatching spot. It’s our dining room table, just adjacent to the kitchen. Near the kitchen sink for easy pen water and pen rinsing action, away from the carpeted floor (though I’d hate to clean ink off the hardwood!) and with lots of elbow room. You can see my elegant brown paper bag used as a blotter for any spills. In the past few years, our entertaining has dropped to a nice round zero, so I’m not sure I’ve cleaned up my inky spot in quite a while. What you don’t see are all the crates and cubes that used to sit on the table, the floor, and the next chair over.

Why don’t you see those cubes? It’s not embarrassment that keeps me from sharing them (though maybe it should be)… it’s that I finally fixed the problem. While I know Ana loves her Raskog cart dearly, I went ahead and ordered a knockoff from Target last week. And on Sunday when it arrived I gleefully cleaned, sorted and emptied out all those different spots and loaded everything onto a handy rolling cart. Now I can store it in my closet to keep it out of the way and roll it out when I’m ready to swatch. In that top tray? New inks I’ll be sharing soon, a new notebook, and a few other fun things.

Three cheers for getting organized!

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The package arrives in a slim cardboard envelope and the pieces are easily separated along the perforations. Just 60 seconds of assembly and you’re ready to load it up with your desk tools. I thought it would be fun to shoot a time lapse video of it to show you sizing, ease of assembly and of course, the finished product!

(Editor’s Note: It was brought to our attention that not everyone could see Laura’s original video post on Instagram so we’ve added a YouTube link above. Hopefully, that will make watching her time lapse a little easier to access.)

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A post shared by Laura Cameron (@fluffykira)

I will say that picking up and moving the camera once it is fully loaded is a bit precarious. It seems like sturdy paperboard, but without gluing it I wouldn’t move it over great distances. However, it’s a fun desk accessory and I always like adding something new to the rotation!

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The Himekuri Sticky Note Calendars ($32.00) are made up of seven little stacks of what look like post-it notes. They are mounted on a sturdy cardstock back that actually folds nicely into a stand so that the calendar can occupy a place on your desk.  The calendars come in a variety of themes: cats, stationery, sweets, zoo and a few others. I purchased Memory which has a variety of gorgeous photos.

The calendar also comes with a memory booklet, where you can store your daily sticky images after you’ve removed them from the calendar. All the text is in Japanese, and I assume it provides more context to the photos, or bits of wisdom, quotes etc. There is a little room in the margins, so I might use mine to record my own thoughts of the week in short form.

Overall, I was really charmed by this little calendar. I’ve added mine to the bulletin board right above my monitor so I can see the week at a glance and enjoy the beautiful photos each week.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased the items for this review with my own money and all opinions are my own. Please see the About page for more details.

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Would something like this find a home on your desk?

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Penquisition for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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From left to right: TWSBI Eco, M Nib; TWSBI Eco Rose Gold, F Nib; Caran D’Ache 849, F nib; Vanness Exclusive Pocket 45 from Franklin Christoph, F Nib

Let’s start with the pens and inks!

TWSBI Eco, M Nib and TWSBI Eco Rose Gold, F Nib

I’m grouping these two together because with the exception of aesthetics, they’re both the same pen. TWSBIs aren’t the most elegant or the most refined, and they don’t have the precision nibs of Sailors. What they do have going for them is that the write every single time. Whether I wrote with them yesterday, or 6 weeks ago, every time I pick up my TWSBIs they’re ready to write. This makes them tops in my desk set, because when I’m on a phone call and need to jot a note down, I don’t want a pen that is a little dry and doesn’t start. Add in that I feel safe putting any ink in them, they’re sturdy and can take a bit of a beating, and I can see exactly how much ink I’ve got left and I love ’em. My clear one is inked with Robert Oster Fire & Ice (from recent Christmas card addressing!) and my Rose Gold is inked with Lamy Vibrant Pink.

Caran D’Ache 849, F Nib

This pen is actually one of the few purchases I made in 2020 and is the newest to the crew so it’s hanging out on my desk. Yes it’s really this bright – I needed something cheerful! I didn’t bother with a converter when I got it, just played cartridge roulette (remember all those random cartridges you have? The ones you throw in a random container? Pick one!) and got going. This one is a quick writer, has a fun snap cap (oh the fidgeting) and can store an extra cartridge in the barrel so you never run out of ink.

Vanness Limited Edition Pocket 45 from Franklin Christoph

This one might be my favorite pen in my entire collection, at least for the joy I get from  writing with it. Like the TWSBIs it is always ready to go as a writer. And between the Jim Rouse nib that was expertly tuned and smoothed by Audrey Matteson, it writes like butter. I went with a darker shade of green for this one – so far I’ve stuck with Colorverse Morningstar since I got the pen.

Notebooks:

I’ve also got a stack of notebooks that I’m using. For the post part, I’ve decided that I like spiral bound the best. I love being able to lay the notebook completely flat, and the spiral keeps things tidy and easy for me to flip between pages. From top to bottom my current notebooks are:

• • Leuchetturm 1917 A6 Dot Grid in a Coal Creek Bainbridge A6 Leather Cover – This notebook carries all my knitting design ideas. Perfect to jot down a quick not.
  • Story Supply Co. Ithaca – This holds all my work notes that I want to keep for future reference. Notes I take at seminars or professional development, procedures I want to document so I don’t forget them, etc. This notebook I’ll be keeping even when it’s full.
  • Write Notepads Dot Steno Notebook, A5 – This one holds all the work notes that I don’t need to keep forever. It’s my notes from phone calls, team meetings, to-dos that I need to add to my calendar, etc. Eventually, when it’s full I’ll throw it away, but it’s still useful to refer to at various time
  • 2021 Year of the Optimist Planner – I wrote about this one last week, so you can find more info and links in that post.

So that’s it for my daily desk set for January of 2021. What are your favorites right now? Do you still do an EDC?

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Jason Brooks, James Gulliver Hancock and Sara Midda are all travel-related sketchbooks which let me virtually travel these days. Jason Brooks has a New York edition out and James Gulliver Hancock has books from several other cities so I could definitely stand to expand my collection. Rex Ray’s book is more of a reflection on his career but I think of it as a sketchbook because it shows the earlier, collage days of his work and then his later paintings.

Mark Hearld’s book shows some of his process as well as his whimsical collage creations. It’s so unique and wonderful.

The last two books are both from the comic book world. One is a larger overview of comic book artists’ sketchbooks curated by the legendary design writer, Steven Heller and the last book is a tome about Jaime Hernandez, one of my all-time favorite comic book artist. He and his brothers and their Love & Rockets series was so influential in my formative years for aesthetics, storytelling and perspective.

I put all these books into an Amazon List to make is easier to find the books. Some are out of print but there may be other books by the same creators that are still available so it’s a good place to start if any of these look appealing to you. If I find anymore books, I’ll add them to this list.

I swear I have more sketchbook books but they are scattered all over the house. Our filing system is a little odd so I may have a follow-up post in a few days. We organize by sub-sub-genre so if there’s a sketchbook book by an illustrator who specialized in space or sci-fi, it would be filed in our sci-fi section, not sketchbooks. You can see the challenge…

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Oh, what a delight it was to find a new book from the inimitable Caroline Weaver of CW Pencil Enterprise fame. After the Pencil Perfect, I couldn’t imagine what other book she might publish but Pencils You Should Know: A History of the Ultimate Writing Utensil in 75 Anecdotes is a perfect follow-up. The book itself is designed as a tall, slender book with an exposed binding tape spine. Inside, the book features a life-size photo of each pencil on one side of the page and an essay on the merits and importance of the pencil on the facing page. It features pencils from around the world, both historical models still in production and newer pencils created to satisfy modern needs and tastes. I would hate to spoil the delight you will get from leafing through the book and reading Caroline’s opinions on pencils you may be familiar with as well as pencils you might not have seen. Of course, this will lead to making a list of pencils to purchase. Where better to get them than CW Pencil Enterprise, of course!?!

Caroline was kind enough to include a bouquet of the pencils featured in the book for me to try including a few custom stamped pencils from the legendary custom pencil foil machine housed at CW Pencil Enterprise.

Not to be toochildlike but I think my favorite in the bouquet will be the “This pencil belongs to Ana” one. I mean who doesn’t love having their name on their pencil? Maybe just me?

DISCLAIMER: Some of item in this review include affiliate links, some were sent for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

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