Above are a couple of my favorite images on the fabric. Those toe beans!!! The cat on this bag looks just like our Pepper.

The Yuki Cat Banzai Bag is my first Rickshaw Banzai Bag. I don’t know why I waited so long to get one. The medium, boxy shape accommodates lots of notebooks and other squarish objects that I carry with me on a daily basis. It’s not large enough for a laptop but will hold my 10.5” iPad as well as very comfortably holding my B6 planner in its leather cover. A5 notebooks would also fit into the Banzai Bag.

I love the double zips on the zippered sections (one opens the main compartment and one opens the slash pocket on the back side of the bag). The double-ended zippers mean, regardless of whether you are left or right handed, the zips can be placed where it is most convenient when wearing the bag or when it is stationary (Look! Correct spelling for the use case!).

The interior of the bag is a bright yellow which matches the cats’ eyes and makes it much easier to see the contents inside the bag. While a black interior hides a lot of dirt and grime, it also hides the contents which is a drag. (Note to self!)

The rear pocket is a bit too narrow to hold my 10.5″ iPad and zip closed but it will fit inside the bag and close properly. Sticking out like this is fine for driving back and forth to work or going from the airport lobby to the flight. It’s secure as in it won’t fall out but its not secure from a pickpocket. (Note to self. Again.)

My keys and earbuds fit into the outside slash pocket for quick access.

Inside are a divided pocket on one side and a slash pocket on the other. The rest of the bag is open space for all your stuff.

The Sinclair Model R Pen Case was a must-have because who doesn’t need matchy-matchy? It has all the same features of the Sinclair case but the plush lining is the same bright yellow as the Banzai bag. If you’re not familiar with the Sinclair, it was originally designed and produced by Nock Co. When Nock Co shuttered operations, they worked with Rickshaw to redevelop it under the Rickshaw brand. So now, the Sinclair is readily available and in a myriad of fabric colors and designs, including Yuki Cat. Life is good!

The Sinclair has three pen slots on one side and an open slash pocket on the other. I use the open pocket for various tools like a small ruler, a bone folder and mechanical pencil. The pen slots are used for various fountain pens.

The open area between the pockets can hold some mobile phones (mine is an iPhone 11). The outside slash pocket is also big enough to hold some phones or a card (credit card, hotel room key, couple bucks cash, business cards, etc).

I have one other Rickshaw bag — the small/medium Soho Tote (starts at $89). I thought visually comparing the size might be helpful for anyone who might own one or the other. The Banzai is a couple inches smaller in each direction. Because of the gusseted shape, it is a little more structured. Both bags — when they are full, they’re full and it’s hard to fit even one more item into it. So, if you are someone who sometimes needs to carry a few things and sometimes needs to carry everything, including the kitchen sink, these bags might not be large enough to accommodate.

But for day-to-day carry, for personal items, the Banzai and Sinclair are perfect. What’s your favorite print pattern?

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

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Sometimes, I browse through the new items over at JetPens and find a real quirky treasure. The Iconic Diary Stamps are just that sort of item. These are self-inking stamps that feature very quirky art work. There are 26 different designs available ($6.50 each). I purchased three to try and as soon as they arrived, I knew I would probably decide to order the other designs.

From right to left, these designs are: “I don’t know”, “Save me” and “Lazy”. Clearly, not your average planner stamps!

I tested these on my Stalogy planner paper and depending on how much pressure I apply, the stamps performed light to a little too dark. Lighter pressure seems to be better but I haven’t quite mastered the technique. I think a pencil board under the page I’m working on would help to create a firmer surface on which to stamp.

From the back, there is a bit of show through but no bleed through.

I also tested the stamps on 120 gsm smooth sketchbook paper and got similar stamping results.

Because the paper was thicker and more opaque, there was less show through on the back of the sketchbook paper.

I pretty much love the irreverent style of these stamps and the designs I chose speak to my lackadaisical attitude these days. I might have to pick up a few more of these — maybe the “Cheer Up” and “Don’t Give Up” — I’m not always this bleak.

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

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On Friday, I talked about how much I love the Sai Watercolor Brush Pens. What I realized recently is how much I also love the Pentel Fude Brush Sign Pens. I have had one or two of this pens floating around the Desk and frequently reach for them for my daily journal and planning needs but really wanted to have more than just a couple colors so I ordered the 2020 New Color 12-color set ($23) from JetPens.

Like with the Sai Watercolor Brush Pens, the range of colors in the 2020 New Color set featured some unique, non-standard colors so I was very excited to try this set.

The Pentel Fude Brush Sign Pens feature to bullet-shaped, felt-tip style tips housed in a plastic cap. The pens I’ve had floating around the office, I’ve had for months, maybe even years and are regularly used and have not frayed or gotten cruddy so I do tend to recommend these to anyone looking for a more brush pen-look marker. These are particularly good for folks with a heavy hand since these pens have a stiffer brush than the Sai pens.

Some of the colors in this set are quite light. The Pale Blue is even more pale in person than in the photo above but the other colors are all really lovely. The Light Grey will probably get used more for underlining or decoration rather than actually writing titles. The Olive Green is CHEF’S KISS for me. The Blue-Black and Turquoise Green will also get a lot of use for me.

The real joy is how lovely this pen makes my script look. We all have pens that make our handwriting look better and this, for me, is one of those. As such, I will extoll their virtues for years to come.

All these pens are available for individual purchase ($2.50 each)  if you want to cherry pick your favorite colors.

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

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I don’t normally keep marker or brush pens in the packaging but with a large set like this 30-color set, the sturdy, translucent plastic box is easy to use, easy to see the pens and easy to store so the pens might live in this box for the time being. I do store the box with the tips down or horizontal so that the tips don’t dry out. The 20-color set came in a long flat plastic sleeve that is lovely for presentation but too big to be usable for me so I took the pens out of the case immediately, which may explain why I managed to lose some of the pens.

What I like most about the Sai Watercolor Brush Pens is the unusual color range. Unlike many pen sets that offer the standard ROYGBIV spectrum in smaller sets, the Sai sets all have a more sophisticated, complex color range.

The pens feature clear caps with a clip to keep the pens from rolling away. I did discover that the caps need to be pushed firmly to close the pens completely.

With the 30-color set, I do feel like there are more common colors then in the 20-color set but overall, I think the set offers a great range of colors.

Of all the brush pens on the market, the individual nylon bristle tips on the Sai brush pens are some of the sturdiest while also being the most like a real brush. Other brands feature the soft, flexible “felt tip” style tips which can often dull or the tips can get worn out but the Sai bristles have survived a wide array of paper surfaces and abuse and kept the tips sharp and usable. I didn’t go out of my way to try to damage or abuse them so I’m sure they can be damaged, but in regular use, I’ve found the Sai brush pens to be the most durable while also being the most brusk-like.

Using a standard Tomoe River A5 notebook, I tested the full range of colors in the 30-color set. My favorite colors are the dusty blue in the center of the second row and pretty much all the greens.  I think for nature sketchers, this set has a good variety. Lettering artists will like the spring brush tips and unique color range especially.

The red-orange color always reminds me of ripe, heirloom tomatoes. All things considered, its probably my favorite in the set. It is also in the 20-color set and I used it all the time.

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

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The Cavalier line is only available in a Fine or Medium nib but does feature a snap cap and the interior of the pen is large enough to support a converter though the pen only ships with a cartridge.

The nib in different in shape compared to other lower-priced Pilot pens like the Preppy, Prera or Metropolitan. The nib shape is more similar to the nibs used in the E95 line except the Cavalier nib is a steel nib and the E95 is a gold nib.

I really appreciate the silver tone hardware on this pen, I think it accents the subtle pink shimmer barrel nicely. All the colors of the Cavalier at $36 feature silver hardware but the higher priced marbled designs feature gold tone hardware.

On paper like Rhodia, the Cavalier is a crisp fine nib. Over the past few weeks, I’ve tried the pen with various inks and papers and the line width will vary a bit depending on the wetness of the ink or the absorbency of the paper. I find on Stalogy, depending on my ink selection, the line width can skew wider. If you prefer a fine line, with the Cavalier, I recommend seeking out drier inks.

The Cavalier is a relatively light pen weighing in a 18gms capped and filled and just 10gms uncapped. That’s considerably lighter than it’s bigger brother, the Metropolitan.

(From left to right: Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Pilot Cavalier, vintage Platinum pocket pen, Kaweco Special FP, Caran d’Ache 849 and Lamy AL-Star.)

As you can see from the side-by-side comparison images above, the Pilot Cavalier is the most slender of the pens shown and I specifically chose a few pens that I consider to be the slimmer in my collection.  With the added convenience of the snap cap, the cavalier is a great journal pen. It fits easily under a notebook elastic or tucked into the pen holder in many planners.

The cap posts for those who are curious.

In general, I am a sucker for small slender pens. There are not a lot available on the market so when I do find one, I am often willing to purchase it. The Cavalier is no exception. The combination of the slim barrel and snap cap puts this pen in my sweet spot for a daily writer. It’s perfect for those short everyday notes, lists and meetings when you need a pen that is quick to use and easily portable. The metal barrel makes the Cavalier feel comparable to the Metropolitan line in terms of build quality in a smaller package and with a unique nib shape.

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

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As we move into the last half of the year, my daily bullet journaling has been a bit more sporadic. I’ve skipped more than one day in a row and I wanted to inspire myself to get back into regularly writing the daily ebbs and flows of my days.

So, I decided to purchase a few sets of stamps in hopes that doing a little pretty-ing of my journal/planner might help inspire me to be more active with it. I could have gotten more brush pens or stickers or other methods for embellishment but I decided to start with stamps and go from there.

I found an assortment of fun and interesting clear stamps on JetPens that I decided to try.

I started with three sets of MU My Icon “Splice Stamp” clear stamps ($4.40 per set). I purchased the Moon Phase Set (Lunar Phases), a Wildflower set (Flowers – B) and a Frame Set (Large Frames -A). There were 16 different sets available on JetPens and they were all pretty so it was hard to pick just three.

I also bought the BGM Ink & Pain Clear Stamp set (no longer in stock!). I didn’t realize when I bought it that it would be out of stock so I apologize for (potentially) tempting you with a product that is not available. I thought it was cute and I wanted to see how someone else did an ink bottle stamp. The large ink spots and spills are not particularly useful to me — I can make a mess all on my own, thankyouveddymuch. But I thought the paint tube and star chart was cute.

In better news, I also got the BGM Cat To-Do Clear Stamp Set ($10.25). The largest stamp in the Cat To-Do sheet is the “checklist” stamp that measures approximately 2.5″ x 1.5″. There is one stamp with Japanese writing (according to Google Translate it says YEAR/MONTH/DAY with a bit of space between each word to fill in your current info) but the others are written in English. The stamp in the lower right corner looks like a cat sitting on a lunch bag which is perfect for adding in info about what you had for lunch or if you like to meal plan.

The final set of clear stamps I found on Etsy and was so charmed by the little tarot symbols that I had to buy it. This set came from Writual Planner Shop and sells for $45. Its a bit pricey but it is the only stamp set I’ve seen like this so I purchased it. I’ve been learning to read tarot and I thought the stamps would be a fun way to keep tracking of the cards I pull each day. The set includes the full Major Arcana and a stamp for cups, wands, swords and pentacles so I just have to write the number next those for the full deck. Really, the set was so stinkin’ cute it was hard to resist. The tarot stamps came with a small acrylic block and a free teeny stamp pad which was nice to have included!

Acrylic Blocks:

If you’re unfamiliar with using clear stamps, you need to adhere them to a firm surface in order to use them. Many makers of clear stamps recommend clear acrylic blocks. The advantage is that you can see where you are placing the stamp so you can be a bit more accurate in aligning the stamp to the rest of the content on your page. I have, over the years, acquired an array of different sized acrylic blocks. Some have printed guidelines on them, round corners, one even has a hole to attach the block to a keychain.

While purchasing the clear stamps on JetPens, I found this set of MU round acrylic pegs ($4.90 for the set of 2). The set include one peg that is 2.3cm in diameter and one that is 1.8cm in diameter. Since I purchased a couple sets of stamps that were quite small, I thought this would be a great addition to my acrylic block collection.

The pegs are long enough to be easy to maneuver at 2.5cm tall. They are also kind of cool to look at — these little pillars of clear acrylic.

The smallest of the clear stamps that I purchased fit neatly on the end of the peg. I kind of want to find more tiny stamps to use these cool little pegs.

I have heard that some folks just stick the stamp to the clear lid from their stamp pad which I think is supremely clever and cuts down on buying a lot of extra stuff. The Ranger Archival Stamp Pads ($7 and up) I sell in my shop do not have clear lids so I think I’ll stick to using the clear blocks for the time being. If I switch to less permanent stamp pads (most of the water-based pads have clear lids) I will have less to carry in my kit.

Using the Stamps:

I tested the stamps on both Tomoe River and my daily bullet journal notebook, a Paperblanks 120gsm notebook.  I wanted to see how the stamps and ink pads performed on both papers as they are the papers I use most frequently. Dry time was pretty reasonable for the Ranger pads on the Tomoe which was a surprise.

When using clear stamps, there is less need to press hard to make an image. In fact, the lighter the touch the better because the material is much squishier than the traditional woodblock stamps. If I pressed too hard on the stamp pad or on the paper, the line widths of the artwork would get a little wider than needed.

On the Paperblanks paper, I added my dates for the coming week and layered the stamps a little bit. It took about 15 minutes to test drive the stamps and then combine into a little collages for each page. I love the cat doing the splits. He looks so stoic. The large frames stamps are perfect for my date on each page. The frames just elevated my dates a little bit. I may start adding color with pencils or brush pens to make my little dates pop a bit more.

Final Observations:

Overall, I’m pretty happy with my stamp purchases. I don’t think it’s a big deal that the Ink & Paint set is sold out because there were only a couple stamps on the whole sheet that I liked. Suffice to say, you’re not missing anything there. I love the MU My Icon “Splice Stamp” clear stamps. The lines were delicate and the designs were beautiful. I will definitely be picking up a few more sets of those. I realize that the tarot stamps are probably a bit specific to my interests but maybe it will inspire you to looks for stamps you could use in your own planner/journal that relate (fitness trackers, books, film, music, etc).

Let me know if you are looking for any themed stamps or what hobby you are into these days.

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

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Other than exterior colors, the key differences between a stock Sailor pen offering and a Nagasawa branded Pro Gear is the engraving on the nib and cap band and the custom low flat ink bottle icon on the end cap. From the perspective of “is this a real Sailor pen?” the answer is unequivocally yes.

The model I chose is the Gakuen-Toshi Fresh Green. The color is 100% me. Why I waited so long to purchase it is beyond me. I purchased the last of this particular color left on JetPens. It was originally sold at the same time as the coordinating ink along with several other ink/pen combos. While I don’t think the Gakuen Toshi pen and the ink of the same name are exactly a perfect match, I can live with that. Mostly because I love the color of the pen barrel.

While Gakuen Toshi and its fellow models are mostly sold out at this point, Nagasawa recently released its newest collection of Sailor Pro Gear Slim models, the Onomatopoeia series: Doki Doki (Pink), Puka Puka (Light Blue), and Kasha Kasha (Gray) ($299 each) which is a delightful collection and is only slightly more expensive than the pervious line (which sold for $253 on JetPens).

The Nagasawa nib is just as smooth as a Sailor-branded Pro Gear Slim. The writing experience was exactly what I’ve come to love about the Sailor 14k nibs. While I do get mushy when I get a 21k nib in hand, the 14k is still an excellent option. Since I was purchasing the absolute last Gakuen Toshi available at JetP

ens, I got the F nib which is one of my favorite Sailor nibs anyway. I really do need to branch out a bit.

If you have ever wondered, “What’s the deal with those Nagasawa/Kobe Sailor Pro Gear pens?” I hope this helped to clear it up a little and provide you with yet another channel to seek out unique and unusual Sailor models.

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

The post Fountain Pen Review: Nagasawa Original Pro Gear Slim (Gakuen-Toshi Fresh Green) appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Many years ago, I had a pair of compact travel scissors I purchased from JetPens. I loved them for the simple fact that they fit easily into my pencil pouch along with all my other tools without taking up a ton of space. I don’t often need to have a pair of scissors in my everyday kit but when I need them, I NEED them. Sure, I have a pocket knife in my bag but scissors often solve a different problem than the average pocket knife. If I need to cut something out of a magazine and add it to my planner, trim washi tape or even snip a loose thread, scissors are way more efficient at this task than a knife.

You may be wondering what happened to the pair of scissors I bought from JetPens? A TSA agent in China took them from me when I was traveling so many years ago. There’s nothing so frightening as a stern Nurse Ratchet-looking woman shaking her head angrily, shouting at you in Mandarin and taking your teeny tiny scissors. I was in mainland China and did not want to end up being held in custody for trying to argue with the woman so I did my best to look humble and apologetic and left my neon green travel scissors ($7) in her grumpy care.

After that, every time I placed an order with JetPens, I would think, “I need to order another pair of those scissors,” and then proceed to forget to add them to my cart. then, one day the fates smiled down on me and the Plus brand Compact Pen-style “Twiggy” Scissors (approx. $7.50 per pair) magically appeared in my “to-be reviewed” rolling cart. I cannot remember where I acquired them but was able to find them in a variety of colors on Amazon should you like to get your own.

While the Raymay neon green were a favorite for me because of the color, actually using them with the loops of plastic cord to create the holes for your fingers was a little awkward. The Twiggy scissors have a short, spring-loaded scissor-action which makes them easier to use for any sized hand and even for someone who may have grip or strength issues when using scissors. They still require pressure to close the scissor blades, the spring opens the blades easily.

I may upgrade to the Sun-Star Stickyle Akeruno Scissors + Box Cutters ($8.75) which have a longer grip section and can double as a box cutter which is really why I carry a pocket knife with me most of the time.

I don’t think I’d ever used spring-loaded scissors before but I may be a convert. While the Amazon page suggests that these are TSA-compliant, I wouldn’t risk it on international flights, just in case. On domestic US flights, you should be okay.

DISCLAIMER: Some items in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens. Some items 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.

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I’ve had a roll of the Yamato Tape Roll Sticky Notes (15 mm x 10 m in Lime, $4.85 per roll, refill packs available) in my knitting tool bag for a couple years now. This tape is perfect for marking the row in a knitting chart. I can peel it up again and again and move it up the pattern as I knit each row. Depending on how long the chart is or how many times I need to repeat the chart, the tape may lose its stickiness. I just pitch the dead bit and tear off a fresh piece.

It’s helpful on long charts so my eye doesn’t accidentally jump to the row above or below. I can also write notes on the tape, add lines to help mark the chart or otherwise streamline my process. I think this tape would well for other sorts of project tracking: recipes, assembly instructions like those epic Lego kits, cross stitch patterns, etc.

Since the Yamato Roll Stick Tape is just small bits of Post-It note, its great fro covering up mistakes in a bullet journal or other notebook too. It’s more opaque than washi tape.

Because there is a bit of adhesive transfer on the front side of the tape, I recommend using pencil or ballpoint on the tape (YMMV) as the surface isn’t super conducive to fountain pens or other water-based inks.

There is also a magnetic dispenser available but I’m not sure why my refrigerator would need post-it tape. An office fridge where you might need to label your food though… might be a great place for a magnetic roll and a fine line Sharpie!

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

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The pen shipped in a blister pack which I destroyed getting the pen out of the package. Delightfully, the pen shipped with a converter. Quite generous at the $13.50 price point.

The Meister by Point Slim Liner is only available with a medium nib but at quick glance, the nib looks like it’s the same size as the nibs in the Pilot Vanishing Point and Decimo but does not have any of the hallmarks of the Pilot nib.

When compared directly with the Pilot VP/Decimo nib, it’s easy to see that the Meister nib is rounder while the Pilot nib is more flat across the front. The Meister nib, on second glance, reminds me of the mapping dip nibs which are smaller than most regular dip nibs and much more cylindrical in shape.

I think because the nib is so small, there is a little bounce and flex to it –not flex-nib flex but a little spring. I found the medium nib to be surprisingly broad and wet for the overall size of the pen. I wish there had been an option for a fine or extra fine nib, especially with how tiny the pen is. It seems ironic to need to write big with a pen that’s so small.

My biggest complaint with the pen is the short grip area and distinct step down between body and grip section. The placement created an awkward grip for me so I had to either grip higher or lower than I normally do. If you have a tendency to grip higher on the pen, then this probably won’t bother you.

When compared with other smaller, slimmer pens, it’s easy to see just how slender and petite the Meister is. From left to right in the photo above: Kaweco Special FP, the Meister, YStudio Brassing FP, Caran d’Ache 849 FP and Pilot Decimo.

With the caps removed, the Meister is also a fairly short pen. The cap does NOT post at all so that’s something to consider. Also, the pen barrel is completely cylindrical with no clip or roll stop so it will quickly roll away given half the chance.

• Length: 5″ (127mm) capped, 4.625″ uncapped
• Weight: 12gms capped, 9gms uncapped

The matte black paint on metal gives the pen a sophisticated but minimal look. The size of the pen makes the Meister by Point Slim Liner fountain pen something that only a select few people might be interested in buying but, for the price, it’s not a huge commitment.

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

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