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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A few months ago, I conducted a satisfying sharpener showdown between two hand cranks to beat my old Carl Angel-5. It was satisfying because both contenders came out equally good. Since I spend just as much time using pencils on the sidewalk as I do at my desk, it’s crucial to have a good portable handheld sharpener, too. Awhile back I tested four handheld sharpeners that would accommodate thicker-barreled colored pencils. Today’s showdown puts six handheld sharpeners head-to-head using standard graphite pencils.

The contenders are:

• KUM long-point one-hole ($2)
• Blackwing two-step long-point ($9.95)
• Maped metal wedge double-hole ($4.50)
• Sun-Star Sect Double ($1.75)
• Kutsuwa Stad 2 Maiba Double Blade ($5.50)
• Sonic Ratchetta Capsule ($5.50)

To keep the test fair, I used six identical, unsharpened pencils from Notegeist.

First up is the KUM long-point one-hole, which was included in the Taste of Blackwing Sampler that I reviewed recently.

This simple, inexpensive sharpener produced the longest point of the showdown. However, I kept feeling some resistance as I twisted the pencil, and the point looks a little ragged. I think the blade might need adjusting, or maybe it’s a bit dull. It’s a no-nonsense, budget-priced sharpener that takes up little space in a pocket or bag.

The Blackwing two-step is also made by KUM. For years, I’ve used the older model KUM Automatic Brake long-point two-step, which was formerly available with Blackwing’s branding. Recently Blackwing upgraded the body to this slightly more angular shape. I believe the working parts are identical, however. At $9.95, the Blackwing is the most expensive of the bunch (and also more than the standard KUM two-step with the same innards).

The Blackwing two-step is unique in this showdown for requiring two steps: one to sharpen the wood, the second to sharpen the graphite.

Step 1 takes away the wood, and a stopper at the end of the sharpener (the “Automatic Brake”) keeps you from taking too much off.

Step 2 brings the graphite to a long, gleaming point that is almost as long as the KUM one-step, except that it’s smooth and flawless.

The Blackwing’s cover keeps the shavings nicely contained, which is a nice feature when I’m sketching from a street corner and I’ve forgotten a plastic bag or something else to catch the shavings.

The Maped wedge turned out to be a surprising dark horse. With two holes, it accommodates standard pencils as well as jumbos.

First I tried the standard hole, and it produced a lovely shaving blossom, which always brings me joy. The blade must be very sharp, as it felt smooth going around.

I found a jumbo-size General Kimberly 9XXB pencil in my stash that was just the right girth to test the larger hole. The Maped did a fine job on it, too. Like the one-hole KUM, the Maped has no cover, so the lovely blossoms will end up on the ground unless you remember to bring a bag along.

The least expensive in the showdown, the Sun Star Sect Double has a simple design, yet the flip top keeps tiny shaving crumbs from getting out – very tidy. It offers two sharpeners – one for a long point, one for a shallower cone and shorter point.

Unfortunately, the blade on the long point hole must be misaligned, because it would not make contact with my pencil at all. It just kept spinning around – a complete fail. The short side, however, sharpened a decent point.

The Kutsuwa Stad 2 Maiba is my favorite in appearance. What a funky shape, and yet its roundness and contours are ergonomically comfortable to hold.

The Maiba also gets extra credit for the sliding door that keeps shavings and graphite particles from escaping. I’m typically not a neat freak, but I do appreciate sharpeners that have been designed with tidiness in mind.

The point that results is short, but smooth and clean.

Finally, I tried the Sonic Ratchetta Capsule, which has an amazing see-through design that surely belongs in an action movie as the remote for an incendiary device. For $5.50, it’s worth it to carry around and set casually on the table as you have coffee with friends just to see who is the first to ask about it. Unfortunately, it loses points for its cover that detaches completely, because you will surely leave it behind at the café table after you’ve shown it off. The Capsule offers two point options, which are selected with a dial.

You may recall that a different Ratchetta model was a contender in my previous handheld showdown, and it did a decent job once I got the hang of the “ratcheting.” I like the idea of Ratchettas because they may spare my hand and wrist excessive repetitive motions (I’ve had issues in the past), but the ratcheting movement doesn’t seem to come naturally to me. I mangled the point on my first attempt, probably from torqueing the pencil as I ratcheted. Eventually, I got a useable point, but not a very clean one. Also, I thought I had chosen the long-point option, but it was actually the pointy short-point option. The second option is for a blunt tip (for colored and other art pencils).

Results

The showdown results are in: My favorite for a long point is still the Blackwing two-step. Although that extra step is required, the result is consistently smooth and clean. I prefer the old elliptical design to the new angular one, but I’m hoping the lid’s hinge has also been redesigned to be stronger (a vulnerability on the previous model; time will tell how well this one holds up).

I know many graphite fans appreciate a long point, but I don’t mind using a short point if it’s smooth and clean. With that in mind, the Kutsuwa Stad 2 Maiba is a clear winner in the short-point category, and it receives extra credit for a cool design and tidy sliding door. Honorable mention goes to the Maped for handling both standard and jumbo pencils well.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

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Being of small hands, I’m always up for trying cute pocket pens. So when Ana sent over the Ensso XS Minimalist Pocket Fountain Pen in Silver Aluminum ($59) that she backed on Kickstarter, I was excited to give it a try!

Ensso is committed to building “Sleek, minimal, and modern pens made in aluminum, brass, and titanium.” I’d say the XS fits the bill!

The XS is a machined pen made out of aluminum (available in silver or black) or a limited edition Titanium version. The site makes mention of a brass version, and I see that in the Kickstarter, but it doesn’t appear to be available currently on the site. It is a 12-sided pen, designed that way so it doesn’t roll away from you! It is embellished with black rubber rings on the finials and near the section and two extras are included with the pen in case you need replacements.

The XS sports Bock steel nibs (available in F, M and B) and there is a titanium nib available if you’re interested in an upgrade (available in M, $40 extra).

The XS is comparable to other EDC pens. I took a few shots for comparison with my Kaweco Liliput in Fireblue and the Kaweco Sport. As you can see, it’s closest to the size of the Liliput in length and girth, but when posted it also compares to the Sport in length. The actual length is 95mm/3.75″ capped and 115mm/4.5″ posted.

The most interesting factor on this pen, at least for me, is the weight. It weighs in at just 9.7g because of the aluminum body. If you’re into lightweight pens, this one’s for you! (Titanium weighs in at 15g.)

The XS takes standard international cartridges or will use a small aerometric (bulb) converter. However, based on my experience with the little Kaweco converters, I’ll be sticking with cartridges for this one.

When I loaded up a cartridge in the pen, it only took a few seconds for the ink to get flowing. It flowed smoothly and the nib wrote well on the first try. I think what I love most about this pen is that the facets keep it from rolling, but the section is left smooth so it’s not uncomfortable to hold (I’m looking at you Lamy Safari!).

Honestly my only complaint about the pen is that it’s SO lightweight. I prefer a slightly more substantial pen and the Kaweco Liliput just feels better in my hand. Even though the machining on the pen is great and the nib writes well, I guess I just wanted MORE pen out of the XS. But again, if you’re looking for a super lightweight carry, then you should give this one a try!

• Paper: Ghost Paper Notebook ($25)
• Pen: Ensso XS Minimalist Pocket Fountain Pen in Silver Aluminum ($59)

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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A while back, Ana asked me if I would like to review something a bit different than my usual; it was the Silo ballpoint pen from Caravan Designs ($25.00 for the pen, sleeve, and refill).  I was excited to try a new kind of pen – Every Day Carry (EDC) items are not usually my area.  Why not?  Because women don’t get pockets.

When I opened the package, I was quite impressed by the look of the Silo pen; the pen sleeve is a thick leather in rich brown, exactly long enough for the pen.  The pen is an interesting item in the looks department as well; a slender cylinder of stainless steel with only a bare hint of where the cap and body meet. The design is a minimalistic look almost to an extreme; the result is a very eye-catching pen.

Of course, I had to take the entire pen apart before anything else.  I was impressed to find that it consists only of four components: the barrel, the section, the cap, and the refill.  No O-rings, no separate grip piece, no adapters.  The stainless steel has a brushed finish – I think it will take scuffs and scrapes beautifully without detracting from the overall look.

A quick rundown of the pen dimensions and some common pen comparisons:

Weight: 32 gms

Length: 150 mm

Diameter: 5 mm

The Silo ballpoint arrived with a lovely gel refill that looks to be a 0.5 width.  The Caravan Designs website claims that the Silo pen is “compatible with various ballpoint and gel style refillable ink cartridges” and I believe that means refills that match the Pilot G2 dimensions (see Ana’s world-famous refill guide if you want an easy reference for other refills that will fit).

The refill had no issues with a loose fit; there was no rattling or movement at all.

I did notice that it took several turns to open the pen – just over 5 turns which seemed too much in my experience.  The Silo pen can’t be posted, but holding the cap didn’t bother me at all since it was just the right size to act as a fidget piece.

Since there is no grip section with the Silo pen, holding the pen to write is either on the section very near the ballpoint tip or a bit further up on the barrel of the pen.  I had no issue with this and the brushed finish kept it from ever feeling slippery.  If you find metal grips to be slippery in your own writing, take that into consideration.

Another point to consider is the lack of a clip on this pen.  This definitely adds to the overall aesthetic of the pen, however, it introduces the danger of rolling away on a flat surface (especially with the same diameter along the length of the pen).  Pen loops may not work well for the same reason.  However, the included sleeve solves that problem for me.

The weight of the pen is quite nice in my opinion, but the weight distribution is a bit heavy in the back depending on how you hold your pen.  I found that it was perfectly balanced for my grip, but when I asked other people for opinions about the pen, a few individuals thought there was a bit too much weight towards the back.

If you hold your pen very near the writing tip, this might be an issue for you.

Overall, I found this pen to be quite fun to use especially because I like to fidget with pens; the price is a great one for a stainless steel pen that takes many other refills and includes a leather sleeve. I love the fact that I can use colorful refills (especially Pilot G2’s), that I can take it fully apart, and I love the weight.  The only point that was a downside for me? The time it takes to screw the cap off and on each time.  But I can get over that, especially since this pen is a great conversation starter!

Now to get some pockets…

DISCLAIMER: The pen included in this review was provided to us free of charge by Caravan Designs for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Have you heard about the Karas Kustoms EDK yet? The EDK is the latest machined pen from Karas Kustoms. As the name implies, this is pen designed to be your next everyday carry (or would that be “karry”?).

This is Karas Kustoms’ smallest pen to date. It uses the same whisper-quiet retracting mechanism as the RETRAKT. The EDK is just over 5” and the pen is just under 0.5″ wide (not including the clip). When held with the clip up, the pen is quite comfortable in the hand.  The grooves in the body provide extra grip and give the EDK a unique look when compared to other pens in the Karas Kustoms line-up. The most notable difference is the pre-weathered, tumbled finish is the EDK. It looks like its been in your pocket or in the bottom of your bag for years from the minute it arrives.

The EDK will be available in Aluminum, Brass and Copper combinations with prices ranging from $55-$105 depending on materials. The brass and copper models are a smoother finish, the aluminum is the only model that’s tumbled (or if there are aluminum sections in the model you choose).

The EDK ships with a Schmidt P8126 refill, a standard Parker-Style refill and capable of taking most G2-style refills if they are trimmed down to fit which gives you a whole slew of refill options.

The EDK will be available through MassDrop on Oct. 26. You can vote now and be notified the moment these become available.

In the meantime, if you’d like a chance to win this EDK, leave a comment below and tell me where the EDK will go with you.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Sunday, October 25, 2015. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 30 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US Residents only.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Massdrop for the purpose of preview. Please see the About page for more details.

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Today didn’t really go according to plan. I had planned to spend all day working on the blog, prepping for the Thanksgiving week. However, a couple errands took us out of the house, which lead to the AT&T store, and we  finally upgraded our phones and VOILA! I am now the proud owner of a new iPhone 6. In gold, if you can believe it. Surprisingly, the gold color is quite pale and not nearly as bling-y as I thought it would be.

I picked out a ridiculously girly, floral hardshell case for my new treasure, a Lenntek Sonix Inlay case with a Rifle Paper Co. floral design which just happens to match the new Pentel i+ 3 multi-pen I got. It all matched nicely with my EDC bag, a pink Coach leather clutch, my Pantone lime business card case and my Miro pocket notebook with pink edge painting.

Lots of people have reviewed and re-reviewed the new iPhone 6 so I’ll spare you suffering any additional commentary. Suffice it to say, its not uncomfortably large, even with my munchkin hands, and its nice to have a bigger drive, faster service, better camera and better battery life. So its all good. And damned girly.

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