Over the years, we’ve done all sorts of gift guides and wishlists. This year, we tried to keep it simple. These are a few of the things on our wishlists that might inspire you. I promise we didn’t intentionally make everything teal and purple, it just worked out that way.

Ana’s Wishlist

One of the things I really want this year is the perfect monthly and weekly inserts for my personal-sized Filofax planner. So far, I’ve not been able to find the right combination of layouts and paper online or on Etsy so what I need is a day without anything else on my schedule so that I can just design the pages and print and cut them. Shop Brooklyn Grace Weekly and Monthly pages are REALLY close!

For actual purchasable goods, I’ve been eyeballing the Jam Studio Sticker Album in Twinkle Aqua ($15) to select and organize some of the stickers and washi tape that I’ve collected. I’ve also been wanting a Kaweco AL Sport (starting around $66) as I don’t own any AL Sports. Okay, I have one but it’s so rare I’m afraid to use it. If I were to select just one color of the AL Sport, I’d probably choose the Rose Gold or Violet.

Even though I own a ridiculous number of Birmingham Inks, I still see more colors I want. Antique Sepia, Rotten Seaweed and Periwinkle are all beautiful ($13 per bottle).

Laura’s Wishlist

Laura has spent the last two weeks on the road so I think what she really wants this holiday is the comforts of home: her own bed, good home cooked meals, access to all her yarn, fiber, pens and inks and sitting still for a bit. But she did take a few minutes out of her busy travel schedule to put together a quick list of her favorite things.

1. The new inks from Dominant Industry (Yoseka Stationery)
2. Sailor Pro Gear Slim in Blue Green Nebula (Pen Chalet)
3. Musubi Sakura in Purple (Musubi)

Tina’s Wishlist

As an urban sketcher, I frequently stand on the sidewalk to draw, but there’s another kind of urban art that requires kneeling on the sidewalk: David Zinn’s! The Ann Arbor, Michigan, artist draws whimsical characters on pavements and walls with chalk, which means the ephemeral art eventually washes away. Before they do, though, he documents them with photographs and videos on Instagram, and I look forward to each post. High on my wish list is his newest book, Chance Encounters, which will be out in March. If you’re looking for gift ideas, I recommend his delightful 2022 wall calendar Street Art (I already bought one for myself, and several friends will be receiving them for the holidays) and postcard set. I also have his how-to Chalk Art Handbook, which is intended for young, would-be sidewalk artists. Although I’m not sure my knees are ready to draw on the ground, I learned so much about perspective and anamorphosis (the book explains what that is)!

A pencil geek would not be fulfilled without an El Casco sharpener. Friends who have one swoon about the perfect, slightly concave point this iconic sharpener makes, even on colored pencils. This has been on my wish list for a while, but there are many to choose from – 23kt gold? Chrome? Vintage? Decisions, decisions.

Also on my wish list for a while is something that I haven’t seen yet – but I’ll know it when I see it. I have been trying to make my tiniest sketch kit ever, which would be a small box just large enough to contain four half-size colored pencils and a waterbrush. Contemporary craft tins are the easy answer, but I got the idea in my head to find the perfect vintage box. The eBay rabbit hole is deep.

What’s on your wishlist?

The post Our Holiday “Gift Guide” Wishlist: 2021 Edition appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Following yesterday’s Gift Guide, we thought we’d share some of our holiday wishes — some attainable, some not-so-attainable.

Ana:

This wish list has my stationery lusts on it but I also have a few non-stationery things I’ve been wanting (like this amazing wool shop handbag and a Sphero BB-8 to keep my R2 company) as well as entirely intangible wishes as well (like more time, more calm and more bliss in the world). We can all dream, right?

• Demylee X CWPE Women’s Pencil Sweater ($284) When Caroline and Co. showed me the sweater they had made for the holidays, I knew immediately that it would rocket to the top of my holiday wish list. I mean, I already have pencil socks so, of course, I need a sweater to match!
• Shiny silver Ink Bottle Enamel Lapel Pin ($8.63) I am a sucker for enamel pins and if its even marginally related to fountain pens, then I really want it.
• Frannerd Open yearly planner – YEAR TWO ($29.22) I need another planner like I need a hole in my head but I am such a fan of Fran Menses that I would love to have one of her new planners. She has done such great artwork and worked so hard to develop it that I would love to have one in my hands and experience it first hand.

Laura:

• Platinum 3776 Century Fountain Pen Kumpoo ($260 but out of stock)- It’s my color and I love my other Platinum 3776 (Chartres Blue). I couldn’t justify it when it came out, but I’ve used Ana’s and I have a serious case of pen lust.
• Fringe Supply Company Field Bag, Waxed Canvas, Plum – Honestly I’m not sure what’s the most ridiculous part of my wanting this bag. It’s a knitting bag, and while I know it’s of amazing quality, I want to spend $75 on a bag to hold my knitting! And it happens to be sold out everywhere in the newest color (Plum) that I desperately want. And I’ve never actually held one in my hands so who knows if I’ll like it when I get it. See? Replace the word fountain pen with knitting and it’s the SAME THING.

Tina:

What do I want for the holidays? Hmmm. That’s a question that can be interpreted many ways. If I were making a wish list for the day I win the lotto, these items would be on it:

• Nakaya Dorsal Fin Version 2 Aka-tamenuri ($1,500 + $100 for two-tone extra-broad nib) That barrel shape is what my fountain pen dreams are made of.
• Sailor King of Pen Red Urushi ($1,900) Of course, it must have a Naginata Fude de Mannen nib, which doesn’t exist as an option, but I’ll fly to Hiroshima and wait for them to make it for me.
• A full subscription to the 500-color Felissimo colored pencil set (¥2,808 per month x 25 months = ¥70,200 or about US $622; volume discount available!) The website says: “A color for every happiness in the world.” Beat that!
• Faber-Castell KarlBox Colours in Black ($2,850) Truth be told, I probably already own most of the contents of this box, so owning this collection in the KarlBox would be like the piano some people keep in their parlors without ever playing it. I promise to dust and polish it weekly.

Then there are the items on my wish list for before I win the lotto (which looks very much like my Amazon and Blick wish lists):

• Stillman & Birn Nova Trio sketchbook (coming imminently to Blick.com) Stillman & Birn, my favorite sketchbook manufacturer, has conveniently bound all three colors of Nova-series toned papers (beige, gray, black) into one book.
• The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color: Tips and Techniques for Using Watercolor and Color Media on the Go – by Shari Blaukopf ($17.99) A master of urban sketching discusses color.
•  Platinum 3776 Century Laurel Green ($176) I already own several Platinum 3776 Centuries, and Laurel Green would be a lovely addition to my collection of this solid, reliable pen.

The post Our Holiday Wish List: What we want for the holidays appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

We have recommendations for each group as well as some gifts suitable for anyone.

The “New-to-the-hobby” Fan

This is the pen and stationery fan that has just started, but can’t stop talking about it.

• Ink Samples ($0.50 – $3.75 each) When a pen enthusiast gets started, the first thing they will discover is that ink is something they will want to seek out. Help them on their way by picking a few samples from the 100s available. Try picking a rainbow (ROYGBIV) or several colors from the same brand. Then grab a 2-pack of blunt tip syringes ($4.50) to make it easier to fill pens.
• Col-o-Ring ($10) Once a newbie has some ink samples, they are going to need a way to catalog them and we, of course, recommend a Col-o-ring for cataloging inks.
• Nanami Paper, The Crossfield ($26) or Endless Recorder Tomoe River Notebook ($18)
• Girologio 12-Pen Zippered Case in Brown ($45) Give your favorite, new pen collector a case to store their growing collection in. This case from Girologio is not particularly expensive and designed to hold smaller pens comfortably. Its good quality and looks great.

The “In-it-for-awhile” Fan

This fan has been collecting pens, pencils or stationery for awhile but may not have gotten into “high ticket” items quite yet.

• Ink Sample Sets (prices vary, $12-$229) Even for an avid ink collector, an assortment of ink samples like the Random 5-ink Sampler Kit, will show the pen lover in your life that you know the best way to stuff a stocking.
• Blackwing pencil pins (set of 3/$15) Are these adorable, or what? Anyone with even the tiniest interest in analog would be charmed by these.
• Kokuyo Shellbro Pen Case ($16) I’m impressed by how much this case can contain. It’s practically a mini desk drawer. Fill it with a fistful of pens and pencils for a lucky recipient.
• Field Notes Signature edition (2/$14.95) While most Field Notes Brand notebooks are for quick thoughts that need to be “remembered now,” the Signature edition with its slightly larger form factor encourages both sketching and writing at a more leisurely pace. The 70-pound paper is meaty enough for both. Perhaps a friend has mentioned the desire to start journaling or drawing but feels intimidated by a hardbound Rhodia or Stillman & Birn sketchbook? A Signature enables dabbling without pressure.

The Hardcore Collectors

This fans have it all, maybe they even buy-and-sell pens, pencils or make their own products. You know if your favorite person falls in this category. They are particularly challenging to shop for.

• Col-o-Dex ($15) and scour Amazon, Goodwill, vintage stores or eBay for a Rolodex! This is the deluxe, desktop version of the Col-o-ring and just the thing for the pen collector ready to take their ink archive to the next level. Don’t forget a set of tabs ($5 per pack) for maximum organization.
• Pineider Snorkel Filler ($15) This little gadget might not look like much to you but its newly on the market and is just the sort of gift for the person who has everything. It makes filling fountain pen converters easier and won’t break the bank.
• Caran d’Ache Supracolor 30th anniversary ($87) and 100th anniversary Prismalo ($72) watercolor pencil sets. Surely you have an artist or coloring book enthusiast on your gift list who would absolutely swoon when they open one of these beauties?
• Musubi Journal (shown in Ebi, SGD 135, approx. $99USD) The handmade journals from Musubi are some of the most luxurious, beautiful notebooks I’ve ever seen. They are made with Tomoe River paper and include a protective slipcase. But best of all, the notebooks are made by craftspeople who would not be able to work otherwise due to prejudice, abuse and physical limitations but Musubi employs them, trains them and provides a safe environment for them — qualities that embody the spirit of the holidays.

Gift cards/certificates:

When all else fails, many of our  favorite shops offer gift cards or gift certificates and  stock a variety of brands of pens, papers and inks. If you wait until the last minute, this may be your best option.

• Appelboom
• Anderson Pens
• Fahrney’s
• JetPens
• Goldspot Pens
• Pen Chalet
• Vanness Pen Shop

Subscriptions:

A subscription to ArtSnacks or SketchBox. (Cost varies depending on duration and shipping location) If a sketcher, artist, art journaler, Hobonichi/Midori planner keeper or other user of a wide variety of art supplies is on your list, one of these subscription services will delight him or her with new products to try each month.

The quarterly Pencil Box subscription ($30, US shipping only, waiting list status) from CW Pencils is a great gift for pencil enthusiasts.

Birmingham Pen Company offers a monthly subscription called The Pen Parcel available in three tiers and can be purchased for one month, 3-months or 6-months pre-paid. Each tier includes five new inks as a sample or full bottle each month and would make a lovely gift.

Books:

Many of these books have been reviewed in past Books for the Desk Set posts but I thought I’d collect my favorite stationery-related recommendations here, just in time for the holidays.

The Secret Life of the Pencil: Great Creatives and Their Pencils by Alex Hammond. The Secret Life of the Pencil is a lovely picture book that accompanied an exhibition of photos of pencils owned by creative professionals. Accompanying each photograph is a caption from the owner about why this pencil means something to them.  It’s a lovely homage to creative analog tools.

The Pencil Perfect: The Untold Story of a Cultural Icon by Caroline Weaver. Owner of the singular CW Pencil Enterprise, Caroline is uniquely qualified to publish a book about the history of pencils. This book is both entertaining and educational. It’s filled with pencil illustrations, of course to punctuate the text making it a pleasure to read.

Adventures in Stationery: A Journey Through Your Pencil Case by James Ward. This book was originally titled The Perfection of the Paperclip when released in the UK but was retitled and given a new cover for the US release. This book is full of historical accounts of all sorts of office supply staples like staplers, highlighters, the ballpoint pen and more. Trivial Pursuit for the stationery aficionado.

The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by Ryder Carroll. Ryder is responsible for introducing the world to Bullet Journaling and has just released a book with detailed information about the methodology and techniques behind this massive, worldwide phenomena. Reviews recommend the dead tree edition of this book over the ebook since the book is heavily illustrated and it makes sense — a book about analog note-taking is probably best read on paper.

Stationery Fever: From Paper Clips to Pencils and Everything In Between by John Z. Komurki, Angela Nicoletti, and Luca Bendandi. While Adventures in Stationery is a deep dive into the history of many office products, Stationery Fever offers a more pictorial, world-view of the current stationery products on offer and shops that sell them. While not every shop in the world is represented, a nice selection of shops are featured from across the globe.

The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter by David Sax. Revenge of Analog covers a wide variety of analog interests from vinyl records and film cameras to Moleskine notebooks and Shinola watches but its one of the most interesting books I this year and it keeps percolating in my mind. If you have a loved one engrossed with fountain pens or any sort of analog interest, they may enjoy reading this book whether they agree or disagree with the writer. Sometimes disagreeing with a book can be as much fun as agreeing with it.

DISCLAIMER: The item in this review include affiliate links. 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.

Thanks to my sponsors for providing some of the images I used for this Gift Guide. Please consider making your holiday purchases from one of the shops that support this blog and let them know you heard about them from The Well-Appointed Desk. Thanks for your support and for supporting the shops that help keep it running.

The post Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Oops, we did it again! For the FIFTH(!) year, the Pen Addict podcast has kindly allowed me to come along on the annual Holiday Gift Guide mayhem. This year, we racked up over 70 links (Thanks, Myke!) of gift-giving ideas for you and your loved ones. Hop on over to Relay.FM to listen to the whole episode, see the full show notes and make sure you’ve got all your favorites on your wish list this season! I always have a blast on the show and they did bleep me when I said “washi tape!”

How did it all start? Way back in 2012, Brad and Myke did their first Gift Guide episode and I disagreed with some of their recommendations so I wrote a rebuttal. Brad emailed me and said, “Next year, put your money where your mouth is…” And the rest is history.

What’s on your holiday wish list? Did we answer your question on the show? Do you wish that Brad and Myke let me come on the show more often? Leave a note in the comments!

The post Podcast: The Pen Addict Annual Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Art Supply Posse Ep. 23 was a quick episode filled with follow-up, tidbits and creative space ideas. We had hoped to have a special guest but the onslaught of seasonal colds forced us to reschedule the interview. Show notes can be found on the website.

AND….

The annual Pen Addict Gift Guide episode #231 (Bob called it “Brexit!”) aired today without our beloved Myke who was fighting the house-moving demons. Brad and I soldiered on without him and kept our Retro 51s inked up and at the ready. All the notes are here.

Clearly this is not a good week to be named Mike/Myke.

And Tina can be found at Fueled by Clouds and Coffee.

The post Podcasts: Art Supply Posse #23 & Pen Addict #231 appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

I thought I’d provide visuals and some follow-up to a lot of the products that I recommended in the Pen Addict Podcast Gift Guide episode which went live yesterday. There are lots of links in the show notes for everything that Brad and Myke mentioned but I thought I’d include all the inks I didn’t go into detail about last night so that I didn’t bore everyone to tears.

So here goes:

For the fountain pen/ink/paper combo, I recommended the Pilot Retro Pop Metropolitan ($15) line with matching Rhodiarama notebook ($18-$30) and coordinating inks as follows:

• Red: Waterman Audacious Red $8.64
• Purple: Kaweco Summer Purple $17.50
• Orange: Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin $25.20
• Turquoise: De Atramentis Mint Turquoise $12.95
• Lime: J. Herbin Vert Olive $12 for 30ml bottle or $4.75 for a 10ml mini bottle
• Grey: Diamine 150 Years Silver Fox $15.95

The adult coloring books that I gushed about are:

• The Art of Hallmark $9.95
• Crayola Whimsical Escapes by Terry Runyan and several other by Hallmark Artists TBD (info from Nerdist)
• Posh Adult Coloring Book: Happy Doodles for Fun & Relaxation by Flora Chang $9.86
• Just Add Color: Circus: 30 Original Illustrations To Color, Customize, and Hang by Sarah Walsh $9.45
• Just Add Color: Day of the Dead: 30 Original Illustrations To Color, Customize, and Hang by Sarah Walsh $9.45

If you would like to gift a coloring book to someone, I would recommend pairing it with either a set of good quality colored pencils in a set of 24 or 36. I like Prismacolor Premiers the best but they are a little pricey and can break easily. Crayola makes reasonably priced pencils you can share with your kids, Blick’s house brand Studio pencils are a good quality and many of the higher end brands of artist quality materials make “student” or “academic” grade that are a little less expensive than artist’s quality but richer in color than kid’s colors. If you want to hear me go on for an hour about colored pencils, check out the Erasable podcast on Colored Pencils where the boys let me blabber on about grades of colored pencils if you want more details. Markers are another option to pair with coloring books and Myke, Brad and I unanimously agreed that the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners were and excellent option.

And I absolutely have to add those Keep Fresh Stay Rad postcards to my wishlist now. Wow. Nice pic, Brad!

Thanks for inviting me onto the show again, gentlemen. Its an honor and privilege. Happy shopping and wish list making, everyone!

The post Pen Addict Podcast Annual Gift Guide Follow-Up appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

For the second year running, Brad and Myke have kindly let me join them on The Pen Addict podcast to make my gift guide picks.

These are most of my picks. If you want to see the full list including all of Brad and Myke’s picks (and hear me ramble and one of my cats meow), check out Episode 130 of the Pen Addict Podcast.

• Conklin Duragraph $44 (via Goulet Pens)
• Pentel i+ Multi-pen about $10 with body and assortment of refills (via JetPens)
• Kaweco Dia2 Fountain Pen Medium Nib $101.50 (via Jet Pens)
• J. Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey (via Jet Pens)
• Faber-Castell Grip Sparkle Pencils (box of 12) $18 (via Pen Boutique)
• Leuchtturm1917 Medium Hardcover (available in array of colors and lined, grid, dot grid and blank) approx $18 (via Leuchtturm1917)
• 2015 Standard Memorandum ($11 for the book, $45 for book + leather cover) (via Word.Notebooks)
• Hobonichi techo planner + cover + shipping = $65-ish to US (via 1101.com)
• The Cube by Karas Kustoms/Mike Dudek (via Karas Kustoms on Kickstarter)
• DIY Cigar Box Pen Storage or Custom Box, starting at $100 (via Fountain Pen Hospital)
• Menlo Pump Filler in Light Green Swirl Acrylic with 18K nib $450 (via Edison Pen Co.)

The post Pen Addict Podcast 130: Stop Spending My Money – Holiday Gift Guide 2014 appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

For the most part, stationery and office supplies are not super expensive and perfect for gift-giving. Unfortunately, non-paper geeks have no idea what do buy for the paper-and-pen geek.

Here are a few things I think would love to find under the tree this Christmas:

1. I love high-quality fountain pen inks. Both J. Herbin and Noodler’s make great inks and have lots of colors to choose from. I particularly like the icy aqua blue Noodler’s Navajo Turquoise Ink ($12.50)»

2. The amusing Cavallini Oops Eraser ($3.50) would make a perfect stocking stuffer.

3. I’ve been on the lookout for a great dry highlighters and the Moleskine Highlighter Pencil Set ($16.50) with its matte black casing and cool carpenter-style shape make this an appealing option.

4. I’m always looking for good-quality stationery and the G. Lalo Medium Tablet & EP Set ($23) in mint green looks like the luxury option. Wrapped with a red bow, it’s holiday-ready. And those lazy post-Christmas days are a great time to catch up on all my correspondence.

5. So many wonderful things have been said about the Apica Premium A6 CD Notebook ($14.70) but I’ve yet to buy a pad. I think the plain paper pad with the black cover would be a great way to try it out.

6. Anything by Midori is a welcome gift. Their products are high quality and have great classic looks. The Midori B7 Spiralbound Envelope Notebook ($8.35) would be a great catch-all for receipts, stamps or travel ephemera.

7. Finally, in preparation for 2014, I will definitely need a new calendar for my desk. The Cavallini Around The World Desk Calendar ($12.95) is just the right sort of retro cool for me to dream of my next vacation while sitting in the office.

Maybe I need to fill my own stocking this year?

(This is a cross-post from European Paper who has asked me to occasionally write about products for their site. This is my first post. The folks at European Paper also put together another collage of images from my Pinterest boards last week featuring the Leuchtturm 1917 notebook line.)

The post My European Paper Holiday Wish List appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

My big fuss is, as a lefty, I cannot comfortably use a Lamy Safari. I can write at almost any angle, upside down or sideways with the TWSBI 540. Pick the clear demonstrator model to show off the ink in the reservoir. The new TWSBI Mini looks great and is smaller alternative to the 540.

I am not a fan of any of the Kickstarter holders for the Hi-Tec Cs. But if you want to jazz up a pen, how about a Sherpa?

I prefer to use a multi-pen version of the Hi-Tec C or, better still, the Uni-Ball Style Fit multi-pens which are as good a gel pen as the Uni-Ball Signo DX but with more than one color (and the possibility for a mechanical pencil) in one device.

Finally, as lovely as the Edison Collier pens are the Monteverde Prima is much less expensive. Monteverde is a larger company than Edison but I cannot, with a clear conscience, ask my family to give me a pen that costs $150 at the holidays and I can’t afford to buy it for myself. The Monteverde Prima in $56, available in beautiful colors and can even be purchased with a 1.1mm stub nib. Great option, right?

Of course, a gift certificate is always a good solution to get someone hooked on good pens. And because I love all my readers, I am going to give away a $25 gift certificate for the holidays. Pass it along or treat yourself. Tell me what’s on your wishlist in the comments to enter to win.

FINE PRINT: Voting ends at 10pm on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 (US Central Time). You do not have to be registered in this district to vote. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Sunday. 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.

The post The Pen Addict Gift Guide Rebuttal (with respect and jest) appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

1. Wooden envelope templates from Paper Pastries $15-$20
2. TWSBI Mini fountain pen from Goulet Pens $50
3. Decole Old Desk Sticky Notes from Japanese Gift Market $8.50
4. Staedtler Pencil Holder from Jet Pens $29.50
5. Koh-i-noor Magic marble erasers from Amazon.co.uk £1.25
6. Letter Opener from Izola $20
7. E+M 5.5mm wooden pencil lead holder with sharpener base from JetPens $30
8. Supplies canvas zipper case from Izola $28
9. Wood textured notebooks from Site NYC $14 each for 6×8.5″
10. E+M Fluorescent Pencil Leads from Jet Pens Pack of 6 for $9.50

What’s on your wish list?

The post Gift Guide? No, Let’s call it my Wish List appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.