I’m sure if you are a regular listener of the Pen Addict podcast, you are well aware that Brad recently announced a new partnership with Rickshaw Bagworks to create a new iteration of the much-loved Sinclair pen case (introductory price $40, regular price $59). The cases were unveiled at the San Francisco Pen Show last week and, while I was not able to attend the show, Mark Dwight, founder of Rickshaw Bags, was kind enough to send this absolutely PINK edition to me to review.

The first thing I notice about the new Rickshaw x Nockco Sinclair Model R is the external pocket which is perfect for slipping ephemera or maybe a phone. Oh, and that the PINK version perfectly matches my Soho Tote.

There’s been a lot of debate around the loop on the back of the case. Is it a boy thing to carabiner things to your belt? I am just not entirely sure what I’d do with it.

When compared to an earlier Nockco edition of the Sinclair, it’s easy to see that the earlier edition is about a half an inch or so smaller. The corners on the older edition are also much more square.

Inside, the new Sinclair features Rickshaw’s plush fabric which feels awesome and protects your pens in this cozy bed of softness.

There are the same three divided pen slots on one side of the case and a full pocket on the other that will hold a Field Note-sized notebook or smaller. I have a Leuchtturm1917 A7 pocket notebook in the open pocket which left room for one more pen.

Mark also sent a beautiful Pink Cherry Blossom 2-Pen Plush Coozy. This particular colorway is not currently available but there are lots of other options as well as the option to custom build your own with dozens of fabric color starting at $25.

The 2-pen Coozy includes the same PINK plush material so it matches my Caran D’Ache 849 fountain pens perfectly.

The placement of the tags on the inside differ as well.  And Rickshaw added a trim at the top of the pockets for durability.

I think this new iteration and partnership is a perfect opportunity for the popular designs from the Nockco catalog to live on. They are definitely tools for the pen community and have been very smartly designed.

This PINK color combination of the Sinclair Model R is not one of Brad’s Picks color combinations. If you would like this wholly Desk-approved color combination, when ordering, choose the “special request” and choose PINK Cordura, PINK Plush, FLO PINK Paracord, FLO PINK Label. OR send them the link to the video on Instagram and tell them you want the Well-Appointed Desk version, they’ll know which one that is.

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

The post Product Review: Rickshaw x NockCo Sinclair Model R appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

First, CW Pencils held a sidewalk sale over the weekend as a final farewell to their brick and mortar days. The website is still up so if there was ever a pencil you wanted, now is the time to buy. Items are selling out fast.

Then, I received an email from Patrick at Papier Plume informing me that there was an issue with some of their inks. He was able to quickly identify which inks have issues and when they were produced and is offering to replace any bottles. This will be a sizable expense for a small business and I worry how much of a burden this will be to Papier Plume’s finances. Most small businesses have little expendable income. Please, if you have a bottle of this ink you would like replaced, try to pool your request with friends to cut down on the shipping charges (especially since we have entered the USPS’s increased shipping rate season). If you can wait, find out if Papier Plume will be attending a pen show near you soon and exchange your ink then — and also make a new purchase or two.

Next, a blog post from Pencil Talk appeared letting the stationery community know that long-time pencil blog Contrapuntalism created by Sean Malone is gone.

Finally, I received an email on Monday that NockCo was closing. While I know that Brad has many other projects in the works, the products developed at NockCo created a new category of pen and stationery cases that other makers will continue to refine and develop. So, while NockCo will no longer exist as a business entity, the influence that they had on the stationery community will live on.

On the heels of hearing that these stationery businesses are closing or are dealing with product difficulties, I am more committed than ever to try to save the ones we have left. If you believe in these businesses and shops like them, please continue to support them. (Side note: Jeff Bezos does not need anymore of your money.)

And, now for our regularly scheduled Link Love….

Pens:

•  The Good Blue Co. R615 Fountain Pen with Steel Flex Nib (plastic feed & ebonite feed) (via Gourmet Pens)
• Pelikan Jazz Ballpoint Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
• ST Dupont Line D Guilloche Large Fountain Pens! (via Inkdependence!)
• Unity Day And Pelikan’s “Rebirth Of A New Germany” Commemorative M800 (via The Pelikan’s Perch)
• Workhorse Pens: Opus 88 Fountain Pens Offer Maximum Versatility (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• Swapping Fountain Pen Nibs: From Easy to Expert (via The Gentleman Stationer)
•  Short (via Crónicas Estilográficas)
• Monami 153 Neo Fountain Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)

Ink:

• Diamine Writer’s Blood Ink Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Colorverse Eye on the Universe Season 7: eXtreme Deep Field and NGC 1850 Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Color Traveler Fukuyama Rose Pink (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
• Lapis Bard Inks – Everything you always wanted to know (via Inked Happiness)
• Van Dieman’s Midnight Sky (via Mountain of Ink)
• Birmingham Mountain Laurel on Life Schöpfer (via Inkcredible Colours)
• Krishna Halloween Orange Ink Review (via Pen Chalet Blog)

Pencils:

•  Vintage Colored Pencils: Alco Coloring Pencils (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)

Notebooks & Paper:

• Plotter USA Launch (via Notebook Stories)
• Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Guide (via JetPens Blog)
• The Best Pens & Inks for Tomoe River Paper (Plus Paper Alternatives) (via JetPens Blog)
• Montblanc notebooks: a real luxury experience (via UK fountain pens)
• Moleskine Studio Notebook (or Cult Pens Paper Box Part 1) (via Writing at Large)
• Art & Creativity:

  Alternatives to Adobe drawing and painting software (via Parka Blogs)

• My favourite green watercolour pencils (via Liz Steel)
• Deep Deep Light Watercolours (via Liz Steel)
• New and recommended books for illustrators (via Creative Boom)

Other Interesting Things:

• The Post Pen Show Post: London Autumn 2021. (via Fountain pen blog)
•  Bellroy “Transit” Workpack (via Tools and Toys)
• Finally, The 2022 Fat Cat Art Calendar Is Here! (via Design You Trust)
• Star Wars Oil Paintings (via Kottke.org)
• Maya Angelou First Featured on U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters (via My Modern Met)

We need each other. Please support our sponsors and affiliates. Your patronage will let them know you appreciate their support of the pen community. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

The post Link Love: The Sad News Edition appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

As you peruse this round-up, be warned that I may show a colorway or material that is from a limited edition or is no longer in production. I apologize in advance if I get your hopes up. I used the stash of NockCo products accumulated over years.

Lookout 3-Pen Case

The Lookout ($25) is one of the most minimal, slimline cases NockCo carries. If you prefer your pens do not touch, carry only a few pens and have another solution for a notebook, then the Lookout is right for you.

The Lookout holds pens from average size to large. Oversize pens or very long pens (Conids and such) might be too long for this case.

Sinclair Zip 3-Pen Case

The Sinclair ($40) is the Lookout with room for a Field Notes and more. There are slots on one for three pens you do not want to touch and an open slot on the other for a Field Notes-sized notebook. The open section in the middle can accommodate additional cards, receipts, a couple random pens like a Sharpie or ballpoint that you don’t mind touching, etc.

The nice thing about the Sinclair is that many folks have discovered alternate uses for it. My husband has used his for a money pouch at craft and pen shows or to store a small portable harddrive as the padding is enough to provide protection and the pouch has room for the cables and harddrive. Laura store her knitting supplies in her Sinclair. I’ve been know to fill the open pocket with pens and stuff a small notebook in the middle section. So, if you like the pens plus more and still have a small, portable carry, than the Sinclair is a good option.

Brasstown Pen Roll

The Brasstown ($40) is the multi-tool of pen cases. Inside the neat zip-up case is a multitide of options for organizing pens and accessories.

Inside is a roll-up, divided pen sleeve. Originally, I thought this seemed excessive. Why have a pen roll in a zip case?

Because you can overstuff a Brasstown. Not only can you divide your “fine pens” in the roll, your other items can be tucked to the left and right of the roll and the case will still easily zip closed. As shown above, I have filled the space on either side of the roll with fineliner pens, some business cards and a pack of stickers.

The roll, when unrolled, reveals sleeves for six pens. The sleeves can hold an array of sizes and since the pens are contained inside the zip case, both clip pens and clipless pens can safely reside in the Brasstown.

(Please overlook the condition of my Brasstown. I once had a pen explosion which lead to discovering that NockCo cases are machine washable. The more you know!)

The photo above shows all the items that were contained in the Brasstown and it was not at all difficult to zip shut. I often include other items in my Brasstown like a pipette, cotton swabs, and a vial with spare dip nibs when I travel for pen shows or go to pen club. The Brasstown is definitely a bigger case and may be more pen case than you need. Or you might need two.

Lanier/Burton A5 Pouch

The latest case available from NockCo is the Lanier A5 Pouch ($35). Originally only available as part of the Lanier Briefcase, its now available as a standalone item.

Pictured here is the Burton case available in this year’s Kickstarter and will be available at a future date. It is padded and has individual pen slots and the extra slot for paper ephemera. Inside there are three large slots for pens and I mean LARGE. (Thanks to the eagle eyes in the Pen Addict Slack Group for catching my mistake.)

The Lanier A5 pouch is a great “around the office” or “around the conference” kind of case. If you like to organize your bag-in-a-bag as well, the Lanier A5 pouch will help with that too. There are two slots for Field Notes-sized notebooks or a phone. The open section holds an A5 notebook.

I work on a large campus and often walk from meeting to meeting without returning to my desk. The Lanier A5 Pouch plus my laptop keeps me organized and well-stocked for a whole day. Though I don’t recommend the smooth matte black if you have pets. I lint rolled this before the photos and it still looks like I rolled it around on my dryer vent. Imagine what it will look like at the end of a long week? Lint city! The standard Cordura is a way better option, lintwise.

Seed Case A6

The Seed A6 ($60) (also available in an A5 size) is a pen case in the loosest sense of the word. It’s really more of a notebook case with a pen slot. However, it does hold a couple pens, a notebook and some miscellaneous items so it fits into this round-up.

The double zip on these cases are one of my favorite aspects. As a lefty, I tend to zip and unzip in the opposite direction from the rest of the world so being able to choose directions is awesome.

Depending on the thickness of the notebook will determine how stuffed you can get with your Seed case. These really work best with a more streamlined notebook and regular sized pens. The A5 case has a bit more wiggle room than the A6 case overall.

Rare & Discontinued Cases:

There are a few cases that are no longer available but that might turn up on Buy/Sell/Trade, at pen shows or might come back at some time. I thought I’d include a couple.

Fodderstack Pen & Card Case

The Fodderstack existed in a regular, an XL model and this diminutive version. The XL was large enough to hold 4×6″ cards, the regular held 3×5″ index cards and this little guy holds mini DotDash cards, business cards or… Col-o-ring cards. That’s where it really won my heart. I stuck one of my hacked traveling dip pens in the slot on the front, plus a couple cotton swabs and a handful of Col-o-ring cards and I had an instant traveling ink sampling kit.

For everyday use, I stick a Kaweco Sport and a stack of mini index cards. I luck out having a printer for a husband so I just have him give me cut scraps to fit into the Fodderstack Mini. If you like writing on index cards, I say send a pointed email to NockCo and request that they put the Fodderstacks back in the production rotation, particularly the Mini!

Sapelo Penvelope

While this is the small Field Notes-sized Sapelo that was a limited edition, NockCo does make a larger Sapelo XL ($40) that is currently available. The larger Sapelo XL fits a slim A5 notebook or miscellaneous papers and features additional pockets on the front to hold pens and a Field Notes-sized notebook. The original Sapelo holds a Field Notes-sized notebook or similar and a pen.

As a travel companion, the Sapelo is the picture of minimalism. It could double as a makeshift wallet as well to hold a couple credit cards and some cash and be the perfect “at the beach” or “going down to the cafe” companion. The closest alternative to this would be the Sinclair or the Hightower ($25).

Not Pictured:

There are even more cases that I didn’t have here at Desk HQ or that I didn’t actually own one. So, this round-up is not as complete as I’d like.

• The Coleman: Stand-up pen case
• The Hightower: 3-pen and Field Notes-sized notebook bi-fold
• The Chimneytops: zip pouch for pen/pencil or accessories
• The Tallulah (sold out): 2-pen zip case
• The Pencil Pouch (sold out): zip pouch
• The Maryapple (discontinued)

Hopefully, this round-up gave a good overview of the various NockCo cases and which one might be right for you. Maybe you need more than one, maybe you need all of them too. We won’t judge.

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

The post Which NockCo Case is Right for You? appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

I am the queen of making lists.  It’s an excellent day when I can make a big list and start checking off the items as I go.  So I was thrilled to get to test out Nock Co.’s Weekly Calendar Gigante Note Cards ($8.00 for a pack of 52) and the DotDash Gigante Note Cards ($8.00 for a pack of 25)

First let’s talk about the similarities between the cards.  All cards are:

• 3.5″ (8.75 cm) x 5.5″ (13.75 cm) in size
• Printed on 80lb Bright White card stock
• Lined with Nock Co.’s DotDash grid

First let’s look at the Weekly Calendar cards.  The front side of each Weekly Calendar card is divided into sections for each day of the week.  The cards are undated, so you can date them yourselves, or just start a new card for each week.  The back of the Weekly Calendar cards are printed in a light DotDash grid for overflow notes or to do lists.

I tested a variety of pens (gel ink, rollerball and fountain pen) on my test card and found them all to work well with the paper.  I didn’t have any bleeding or feathering.   I found the cards useful for memorializing appointments and a few key deadlines.   Overall, I found the product itself to be high quality.

However, the issue I ran into use of the cards is that the space wasn’t big enough for my personal use.  I write fairly large, and the 4 grid rows  per day just weren’t enough for me to get everything I needed to do on paper.  I could easily flip the card over and continue on the back, but the system wasn’t perfect for my use.  If you write very small, or just have a few items to note for the day, then this system might work well for you.

The second product I tried were the DotDash note cards.  These are actually double size note cards [7″ (17.5 cm) x 5.5″ (13.75 cm)], but folded in half for ease of use and storage.  Although these cards had less pre-printed structure (they just bear Nock Co.’s signature DotDash grid), I found these worked so much better for my use.  Here I had 4 surfaces to write on, which I could easily divide into sections as needed (home, The Desk, work, blog, etc.) and I could make my lists until I ran out of things to write down.  The drawback to these cards is that they don’t provide the daily scheduling structure that the Weekly Calendar cards do, but then again you could divide these cards into 7 half-card increments (with one leftover!) and take it from there.

Both the Weekly Calendar and DotDash Cards were designed for pocket use.  However, women’s clothing doesn’t often have shirt pockets (or pants pockets… don’t get me started) so I stuck mine in my personal size Chic Sparrow cover along with my other travel notebooks.  This kept the cards safe from any wear around the edges, although I think the card stock would hold up pretty well over the course of any given week.

Overall, I have to say that I think the Nock Co. cards are a good tool if you like a highly portable, small-but-not-to-small, lightweight calendar or list. I think I’d tend towards the DotDash cards for my personal use, but I can see where the Weekly Calendar cards also have their uses!

Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.

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

The post Papers and Planners: Nock Co. Weekly Calendar and DotDash Gigante Note Cards appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Congrats to Mike and Cara! They both picked the steel color case though so many of you chose the iris.

I am pretty sure an A5 is on the horizon so Mike’s dream will be a reality but I don’t think it will be in waxed canvas… yet. But you never know.

And our pal Alexander Kramer has kindly tabulated some of the comment results:

Some insight into @wellapptdesk‘s giveaway for a @NockCo Seed:
240+ comments
93 uses of ‘love’
~70% of all size recommendations were for A5
The one use of ‘hate’ was in ‘whatever’
Colors: Still collating…

— Alexander Kramer (@AlexKramerBlogs) November 21, 2017

The post Giveaway Winners: NockCo Seed A6 Cases appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment and tell me what size or color combo you hope NockCo will offer next for their notebook cases. (Also, let me know if you’d prefer to get the steel or iris case!)

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Monday, November 20, 2017. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Tuesday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual 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 – just email you if you win. If winner does not respond within 7 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class. 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 and APO/FPO only please.

The post Giveaway: NockCo Seed A6 Cases appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

NockCo made the A6 Seed case ($60) slim and low profile and available in two colors: steel with silver dust lining and iris (purple) with electric blue lining. The cases have sturdy zippers with two zips so they can be opened from either the top or the bottom. There is a slit pocket on the front to slide small ephemera.

Inside the front cover, there are two pen pockets as well as a secretary  pocket to hold the cover of your Hobonichi Techo or other A6- sized notebook.

In the back, is the corresponding secretary pocket for the back cover of your Hobonichi Techo or notebook  as well as a pocket for your business cards or a small stash of DotDash Petite Notecards.

What I discovered while test driving the Seed cases is that they work best in a minimal set-up with slim pens. I could use a Taroko writing board ($5.50) as it had no tab but not the stock Hobonichi Tools & Toys board ($4.50) as the tab caught on the zipper.

I thought I’d include some photos of the Seed cases with some other Hobonichi cases each with an A6 book in it, to show the size differences.

From top to bottom:

• Standard Hobonichi fabric cover with a Hobonich Avec (half year) book
• NockCo Seed Case (iris) with a Hobonichi Avec and a Hobonichi Weekly Calendar
• Hobonichi Mermaid (green) with Enigma A6 notebook
• NockCo Seed Case (steel) with Hobonichi Techo 2018

From the various views top, bottom and side, the Seed cases are considerably slimmer and lower profile than the Hobonichi covers. Compared with the traditional Hobonichi fabric cover, the Seed case does provide a zip closure, keeping everything contained. A lot of folks don’t like the pen loop closure on the standard cloth Hobonichi covers and NockCo definitely solves for that keeping your pens inside the case however, because the case is so slim, your pens need to be slim too. You will not be able to fit a 5-color gel pen into a Seed case and close it comfortably. I did get my 3-color Zebra Sharbo-X LT3 into the case with no problem. The Mermaid cover from Hobonichi also has a zip but not a two-way zip.

The Seed Case does not have a ribbon bookmark in the case as the Hobonichi covers do so you’ll have to solve for marking where you are in your notebook or Hobonichi on your own.

If you like to fill the inside pockets of your Hobonichi cover with stickers, washi tape and other bits of ephemera, than the NockCo Seed case is not going to be for you. The Seed Case is minimal and there’s not a lot of space to cram it full of extra paper, stickers and miscellany.

I found the Seed Case worked best with the Hobonichi Avec and the Weekly Calendar. It seemed the most spacious, especially after I’d used several pages and the spine had loosened up. I also quite liked the case with the ever-so-slightly smaller Enigma A6 Notebook. While the physical depth of the book was the same as a Hobonichi, the height was about 2mm shorter and gave a bit more wiggle room.

I was told that as the cases are used, the fabric will loosen up but the Seed cases are still much smaller overall than the “pockets galore” Hobonichi stock covers. If you’re looking for a cover that is more durable, utilitarian, washable (I have personal experience washing other NockCo cases and can attest to the washability) and low profile than the Hobonichi covers currently available, the Seed cover is a great option. Just know that if you stuff your Hobonichi so full that you can’t close the cover, the Seed might not be the right case for you.

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

The post Review: NockCo Seed Case appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Matthew put me to task with this stumper:

If you had to choose one out of the three below for your everyday carry, which one would it be and why?

1. Nock co. Fodderstack XL ($17)
2. Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Passport Size) (approx. $42.31 USD)
3. Travelers Notebook (Passport) ($44.50)

P.S. – Your pen of choice of course.

Well, Matthew, to be honest, the choice here is seems to be between a leather notebook cover and a nylon sleeve as there is not a big difference between the functionality of the Grand Voyageur and the Traveler’s Notebook. (Update: I stand corrected. The Grand Voyageur is actually sized to hold a Field Notes or other 3.5×5.5″ sized notebook. The dimensions, despite being called a “passport-sized” is 10.5cm x 15cm which is 4.1″ x 5.9″, large enough to hold the larger “pocket-sized” notebooks).  The Traveler’s notebook accept only the passport-sized refills so if you’re looking for something that will hold your copious collection of Field Notes, you might (also) want to consider a One Star Leather notebook cover. They start at $40 for a Traveler’s Notebook style and go up from there.

(Clockwise from top left: NockCo. Fodderstack XL, Traveler’s Notebook Passport, Paper Republic Grand Voyageur Pocket Size, and One Star Leather Field Notes Indie Notebook Cover)

If you are looking for an alternative to leather, than a Fodderstack XL will definitely be your preference. And NockCo definitely offers a lot of colors options as well. The Sinclair and the Hightower also provide a Field Notes-sized  pocket as well as slots for pens.

If you want a larger size, than the Grand Voyageur XL is definitely more appealing since its more of a traditional A5 size. And in general, the Grand Voyageur line offers a wider range of standard colors than the traditional Traveler’s Notebooks.

That said, I’m a traditionalist and I like the long slender size of the original Traveler’s Notebook. It’s not a size for everyone but once you use it, you may find that you like it. If you’re purchasing your first Traveler”s Notebook, and you can afford it, I say you go for the original. There are lots of people making Traveler-style notebooks now but its always nice to have at least one of the the originals, if you can. I prefer to fill my Traveler’s Notebook Passport Sized with Baron Fig Vanguard Pocket Notebooks which fit perfectly.

As for my pen of choice… for my Traveler’s notebook? I usually keep a Platinum Desk Pen with my Traveler’s Notebook. The Carbon ink is bulletproof and the low cost of the pen means I’m not worried about it going astray or getting knocked around. And the needlepoint tip is great for teeny tiny writing in the small books, good for sketching or writing and the tip is so smooth for the price. Now if I could just figure out a way to put it into a better looking body.

Amanda asks:

I have a Louis Vuitton organiser I bought years ago in Turkey, it is not a real one but I a very, very good fake and I have run out of paper inserts for it. It is an A5 organiser, with 6 holes, they are not standard though and I am trying to source some paper refills. If I send an image and measurements through could you let me know if you do anything that may fit this.

Many people have run into issues with non-standard hole placements for one reason or another but I have a workaround for you. It is an adjustable 6-hole punch from Japan. They are available on Amazon for a reasonable price. It takes a bit of time to punch inserts but you can either purchase inserts pre-printed or buy a downloadable PDF file from a vendor on Etsy and then punch them yourself to fit the ring configuration to align properly with your organizer.

You can also buy sheets of A5 paper and punch them to fit for notepaper or buy full sheets of A4 paper and have a local copy shop cut them in half for you and then punch them with your hole punch.

I know this isn’t the magic bullet fix but hopefully it will at least get you up and going with new inserts and open you a new world of possibilities.

The post Ask The Desk: Traveler’s Notebooks vs. Fodderstack and A5 Refill Options for Louis V. Organiser appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Nock Co. recently revised their DotDash Pocket Notebooks (3-pack/$10). The new books sport a simple black cover with a white Nock Co logo. I still think the card stock for the covers could be a tad thicker but the low profile black covers are being warmly received here at Chez Desk. The big change, however, was the paper stock inside.

Nock Co does not include details inside their notebooks about the paper stock like Field Notes does but the paper has definitely been upgraded. It doesn’t feel like its any heavier weight (maybe ever so slightly from a 24 lb to maybe 28 lb but that’s just me guessing). The DotDash ruling appears to be printed in a blue-violet compared to the a more greyish color of the original yellow books but it could be my eyes playing tricks on me. The paper is a bit brighter white than the original yellow books as well which might create the optical illusion of a change in ink colors.

The new paper stock is definitely fountain pen friendly and there’s no blurring or ink spread. Its particularly apparent how much the paper has been improved when you set the books side-by-side. My writing just looks crispier and not like I need to have my eyeglass prescription checked again. Even the felt tip pen writing benefited from the new paper stock and looks cleaner and finer.

There was also less show through on the reverse of stock though with a reporter-style notebook, I’m seldom inclined to write on the reverse of stock.

The original yellow books are still available (3-pack/$9) so if they are your favorites, I recommend picking them up quickly as I suspect they will be phased out for this new and improved stock.

I’m a big fan of the new paper and I think its a great upgrade to an already cool product.

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

The post New & Improved Nock Co. Dot Dash Pocket Notebook appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

After being relentlessly teased in Atlanta for carrying my pens in a rolled-up shop towel, I finally purchased a Nock Co. Brasstown zip roll pen case ($35). I purchased the now-discontinued Mandarin/Mango colorway. Both shades of orange are still available but combined with more subdued colors. The Mandarin/Mango combination is pretty vivid in a don’t-lose-this-in-your-bag sort of way.

What is so appealing about the Brasstown is that the case has a divided roll that holds six pens inside a zippered case. In the photo above I included an assortment of different fountain pens to show that, with a clip slipped over the edge, a wide variety of pens comfortably fit into the dividers. Some of my pens are particularly small, like my Esterbrook on the far left and my TWSBI Mini on the far right, but since they both have clips, they don’t slide to the bottom. Even clipless pens are easy to remove from the case, even if they slide down, by pinching the bottom like a Flav-For-Ice Pop. Now that I think of it, the Mandarin/Mango colorway reminds me of an orange Fla-Vor-Ice!

Once the roll is filled, there is still room in the case to put additional tools and accessories. I like to put my “good” fountain pens in the roll section and then stick other pens in the case loose. Unfortunately, the Brasstown is not long enough for a freshly sharpened Palomino Blackwing 602 or similarly long pencils so this is definitely a PEN case. A well-loved pencil or mechanical pencil will fit however.

One of the best, most thoughtful features of the Brasstown is the double-ended zipper closure. Whether you are left- or right-handed, opening the case is a breeze. The zippers can meet at any point on the case so if you like the zippers on one end or the other or meeting in the middle, that’s flexibility exists.

Overall, I think this is one of the most useful and clever pen cases. It’s particularly useful if your pen collection is starting to include pricier, vintage or rare pens that you don’t want tossed hurdy-gurdy in a zip pouch or in the bottom of your bag. The Brasstown is priced right and made in the US by people who genuinely care about making good products.

And finally….

PS: Today’s model stand is my new giant plush S’more from My Paper Crane via Land of Nod. See her S’more on Instagram.

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