• Video: Pen Review – The New Esterbrook J Series Pens (via Anderson Pens)
• Brand Revival? (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• For the next company that wants to revive a beloved pen brand. (via Leigh Reyes)

Fountain Pens

• For reals this time, the 2015 Lamy Safari is Neon Lime (via FPGeeks)
• Pen Comparison: Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black vs. Pilot Custom 823 (via Ed Jelley)
  
• Pilot Petit 1 Fountain Pen (via Inklode)
• Lamy 2000 Pen Review (via Pen Pursuit)

Inks:

• Diamine 150th Anniversary Silver Fox (via A Fool With A Pen)
• Toucan Black (via Inkdependence)
• The Fountain Pen Inks Infographic – A Categorization of Fountain Pen Inks (via Pen Chalet)
• Private Reserve Ebony Purple (via Pen Addict)
• Sailor Bungbox Blue Black (via Alt. Haven)

Pens:

• How to Hack the Zebra F-701 (via Clicky Post)
• Video: Tactile Turn Mover Unboxing (via Fountain Pen Physicist)
• J. Herbin Refillable Rollerball (via Gourmet Pens)

Pencils, Etc.

• How the Pencil Sharpener Was Invented (via Gizmodo)

Writing, Penmanship & Letter-Writing:

• Kickstarter: CursiveLogic: Learn cursive in 4 easy lessons-write tomorrow (via Kickstarter)
• How Writing Things Down Can Change Your Life (via Lifehacker)
• Bored … And Brilliant? A Challenge To Disconnect From Your Phone (via NPR)
  
• Printable Valentine’s Day Card + Envelope (via The Postman’s Knock)
• Sending A Handwritten Letter Is Now As Easy As Using Gmail (via Fast Company)
• 9 Reasons Not To Abandon The Art Of The Handwritten Letter (via Huffington Post)
• New Download: Heart Award Stationery (via Letter Writers Alliance)

Notebooks & Paper:

• Papernotes Notebook Review and Giveaway (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• Paper-based Markup Systems (via The Cramped)
• Black Post-It Notes (via Office Supply Geek)

Planners & Organizing:

• How to Get Everything Done: Taming Tasks in a Planner (via Giftie Etcetera)
• Schedule time to schedule your time (via Unclutterer)
• Ring Mechanisms (via Philofaxy)

Other Interesting Stuff:

• Frixion Calendar Stamps (via Zoe At Home)
• Nock Co. Brasstown Zip Roll Pen Case Review (via Unroyal Warrant)

The post Link Love: Analog Love and Miscellany appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Check out the guest post I wrote on my Top 5 Fountain Pens for Lefties over at On Fountain Pens. It is part of her Twelve Days of Christmas series.

Many thanks to Maybelline for including me in the series!

The post Day 11 at On Fountain Pens appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 is the day chosen by the Letter Writers Alliance to be their holiday Virtual Letter Writing Social. All day, in whatever time zone, is the day to write your holiday cards and be your letter writing self. At 7pm CST, they will have a live video feed of the social from their offices in blustery Chicago. For more details, check out this post.

Paper Pastries has created the Letter Writing Kit which goes perfectly with the social.

Pens:

• Kaweco Twin Nib (via Write To Me Often)
• Pilot Vanishing Point (via Alt.Haven)
• Karas Kustoms Ink Black ‘n Copper (via Gentleman Stationer)
• Caran d’Ache Dunas (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Kaweco 14K Double Broad Nib (via Gourmet Pens)
• Big Idea Design Titanium Ballpoint & Stylus (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• Pilot Super Ultra 500 Fountain Pen Review (via Unroyal Warrant)
• Pilot Blue Custom 74 Fountain Pen – M Nib (via Clicky Post)

Ink:

• De Atramentis Black Edition – Blue (via Fountain Pen Physicist)
• Caran d’Ache Ultra Violet (via Inkophile)
• Kaweco Pearl Black ink (via A Fool With A Pen)
• Sailor Jentle Blue Black Ink Cartridge (via The Pen Addict)

Pencils:

• Perfetto Pencils by Louise Fili (via All Things Stationery)
• Pencil Review: Dixon Ticonderoga Tri-Write HB (via A Penchat For Paper)
• Palomino Graphite Drawing Pencils (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• Palomino Golden Bear (via Write Analog)

Other cool stuff:

• Printable Holiday Envelopes (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• Winter 2014 Holiday Gift Guide for the Fountain Pen Lover (via Ed Jelley)
• Taking the pressure off: Improving the writing experience… (via A Fool With A Pen)
• How to reseal a fountain pen cartridge (via Fountain Pen Physicist)
• Flying With Fountain Pens (via Pens & Planes)

The post Link Love: Virtual Letter Writing Social on Saturday! appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Posts of the Week:

• Field Notes Winter 2014 Ambition Unboxing Video (via Woodclinched)
• Field Notes: Ambition (via The Newsprint)

Pens:

• Pilot V-Pen Hack (via Write to Me Often)
• Vintage Value: The Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pen (Cracked Ice) (via From The Pen Cup)
• A.G. Spalding & Bros Bullet Roller (via Pen Addict)

Inks and Refills:

• Comparison of D1 Refills (part two!) (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• TUL Needle Point .5mm (via Gentleman Stationer)
• Ink review: Lamy Coral (via Fountain Pen Physicist)
• Anderson Pens’ Fox River Blues (via Inkdependence)

Notebooks and Paper:

• Baron Fig Apprentice Pocket Notebooks (via Gourmet Pens)
• Kaweco Zequenz A6 Notebook (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• Guest post: My Life In A Pocket (via Plannerisms)

Other cool stuff:

• Adventures in Stationery: Book Review (via All Things Stationery)
• An Interview With Baron Fig (via Tools & Toys)
• Making Mail movie is online (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• Sealing the Deal, with a Chop (via Penucopia)
• Wireless Chargers – Buy This not That (via Office Supply Geek)

The post Link Love: All Caught Up appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

This week’s pen reviews run the gamut from office supply cabinet staples, ballpoints and some higher end fountain pens so there’s something for every price point.  Enjoy!

Pens:

• Pilot Vanishing Point – Matte Black (via The Finer Point)
• Noodler’s Ebonite Konrad (via Gentleman Stationer)
• Récife Fountain Pen (via Unroyal Warrant)
• Parker 51 (via Alt. Haven)
• Bic Atlantis Ballpoint (via A Penchant For Paper)
• Zebra Sarasa Clip (via Gentleman Stationer)
• Pentel Tradio Fountain Pen (via Write To Me Often)
• Parker Jotter (via That One Pen)
• Pilot G2 (via Fountain Pen Physicist)
• Levenger True Writer Select Fountain Pen (via Pen Addict)

Inks:

• J. Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey (via Gourmet Pens)
• Diamine Coral (via A Fool With a Pen)
• Iroshizuku Murasaki-Shikibu (via Fountain Pen Physicist)
• Noodler’s Bad Belted Kingfisher (via Clicky Post)

Pencils:

• David Hayward Design Hexagonal Leadholder (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

Paper & Notebooks:

• Kaweco Zequenz Notebook (via Gourmet Pens)
• EcoQua Pocket Notebooks by Fabriano (via Office Supply Geek)
• Blackwing Slate Notebook (via Notebook Stories)
• Baron Fig Apprentice Pocket Notebook (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• Mini Emergent Task Planner Notebook (via Pen Addict)
• Dotgrid Co A5 Notebook (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• Free printable planners (via Plannerisms)

Other Interesting Stuff:

• Dudek Modern Goods “Divide” (via Woodclinched)
• Nib 9-1-1: Nib Tuning by Dan Smith (via From The Pen Cup)
• Why Analog? (via The Cramped)
• WHAT’S IN YOUR PENCIL CASE?: Poppy Chancellor (via All Things Stationery)
• DIY Envelope Glue for Handmade Envelopes (via The Postman’s Knock)
• NaNoWriMo – My Analogue Tools (via Pete Denison)
• Time Shifting My Web Wanderings (via Modern Stationer)

The post Link Love: Better Late Than Never appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Pens:

• Lamy Vista Rollerball pen (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• Twsbi 580 AL Fountain Pen (via Pen Pursuit)
• Yoropen Z3 (via Pen Addict)
• Karas Kustoms INK Foutain Pen (via Modern Stationer)
• Weidlich Needlepoint Fountain Pen (via Alt. Haven)
• Kaweco Student Vintage Blue (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Levenger L-Tech 3.0 Rollerball Pen (via The Newsprint)
• One Week With . . . The Pilot Metropolitan (via Gentleman Stationer)
• Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel Fountain Pen – M Nib (via Clicky Post)

Ink:

• Kaweco Sepia/Caramel Brown Ink (via Gourmet Pens)
• P.W Akkerman Shocking Blue Ink (via Gourmet Pens)
• J. Herbin Lie de The (via Fountain Pen Physicist)

Pencils:

• KOH-I-NOOR Magic Erasers (via From The Pen Cup)
• Palomino Blackwing Pearl (via All Things Stationery)

Paper & Notebooks:

• Federal Supply Memoranda notebook (via Plannersims)
• Watercolor Sketchbook Comparison (via Notebook Stories)
• Monologue Notebooks And Paper Quality (via Inkophile)

The post Link Love: Pen-demonium appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Link of the Week:

Pantone Color Test

Can you align the hues into a perfect transition? I scored a 12. Post in the comments if you beat my score! (I forgot who sent me this link, so sorry! via Inkdependence)

Pens:

• Faber-Castell Basic Fountain Pen in Carbon Fibre (via East…West…Everywhere)
• Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age Fountain Pen (via Ed Jelley)
• Stipula Passaporto Fountain Pen (via On Fountain Pens)
• Montblanc 149 Meisterstück Fountain Pen Review (via Unroyal Warrant)
• The Basics: Cleaning Fountain Pens with a Converter (via Gourmet Pens)
• Esterbrook J (via The Pencil Case Blog)

Ink:

• Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire (via Alt.Haven)
• Graf Von Faber Castell Ink (via Inkophile)
• Rohrer and Klingner Helianthus (via Fountain Pen Physicist)
• Sailor Kingdom Note Tanna Japonensis (via Inklode)
• Noodler’s #41 Brown Cheap Paper Ink (via I Laike Pens)
• Caran d’Ache Hypnotic Turquoise (via Inkdependence)
• Kaweco Caramel Brown ink (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

Pencils:

• Kickstarter: Twist Bullet Pencil (via Woodclinched)
• Tombow MONO Drawing Pencil Set (via A Penchant For Paper)
• Venezuelan Mongol pencils (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• Some Wood Cased Pencil Philosophical Discussion (via Clicky Post)

Paper & Notebooks:

• Rhodia Engineering paper? (via Rhodia Drive)
• A Visit to Write Notepads & Co. (via From The Pen Cup)
• Doane Paper Utility Journal: Large Size (via The Gentlemean Stationer)
• Hermès Ostrich GM Notebook Cover Review (via Unroyal Warrant)

Other Stuff:

• Best Printable Gift Wrap (via All Things Stationery)
• Josh Ginter’s Desk Set-Up (via Tools & Toys)

The post Link Love: Color Inside the Lines appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

There’s been several new Top Five pen lists pop-up on the web in the past few weeks so I thought I’d share them here.

Alt.Haven’s Top 5 Pens. The list is fountain pens but its a great assortment. Brad’s collected Top 5 Pens list includes his top five fountain pens, micro gels, plastic-tipped, inks and more. These lists will keep you busy for awhile. The Pen Habit made a video of his favorite pens for his first year of using fountain pens. While we’re talking about videos, Goulet Pens did a Top Five Graduation Pens video.

And of course, Mr. Dowdy’s Worst Pens list. I was surprised by some of the pens that made his list. I got an Ohto Dude and did not have any problems with it. I found it to be a decent low-priced fountain pen but, in general, I think fountain pens in the $25 range tend to be hit-or-miss in terms of quality control. I concur with Brad’s opinions about the TUL ballpoint but I have also had major issues with the dry time on the TUL gel and rollerball pens. If you’re left-handed or prefer quick-drying inks, I’d give the whole TUL line a miss. As for the Sliccie Multi-pens, I haven’t had any of the issues that Brad had. I’ve used the Pilot Hi-Tec C, the Pentel Sliccie, the Uni Style Fit and the Zebra Prefill and all have worked well for me. They all orbit my desk at work and get used on-and-off for meetings. I’ve not had any issues with any of them. I have even had to replace cartridges in all of them. (I did notice that I have not written a review for the Sliccie singles or multi-pen so I’ll remedy that soon.) The other pens Brad mentioned, the Bic A1 Gel and the Caran D’Ache ballpoint I have not tried because I just can’t use 0.7mm or wider gel pens without making a smeary mess and ballpoints and I do not get along.

Should I do a Top Five list? Do you have a Top Five list of your own?

The post Top Five Best (and Worst) Round-Up appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

In other news:

Paper and Notebooks:

• I May Never Buy a New Moleskine Again (via Notebooks Stories)
• Fountain Pen Friendly Paper (via Rhodia Drive)
• New from Palomino : Fabio Ricci Goran Hard Cover Notebooks (via European Paper)
• Grandluxe Notebook Review and Giveaway (via Notebook Stories)
• What to do when you hate your planner (via Plannerisms)
• Semikolon Il Creativo Medium Notebook Review (via The Unroyal Warrant)

Pens and Ink:

• Budget Fountain Pens: Mini Reviews (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• Kaweco Dia2 Fountain Pen review (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• TWSBI Mini Fountain Pen in Classic Review (via Ed Jelley)
• TWSBI Classic 1.1 Stub – Pen Review (via Clicky Post)
• Lifesaver: Monteverde Artista Crystal Wild Stripe Fountain Pen (via From The Pen Cup)
• TWSBI 580 Review (via That One Pen)
• Sailor Jentle Limited Edition Autumn 2010 Oku Yama Maroon Ink Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Falling in love with an old friend (via Inkophile)
• Pentel TRF100 Tradio Fountain Pen – Black Pearl Body – M nib (via No Pen Intended)
• Video Pen Review: Parker 51 Special (via The Pen Habit)
• Cheat Sheet for the Japanese Big-3 Fountain-Pen Makers (via Yihogyun)
• How to clean cartridge pens? (via Write To Me Often)
• Montblanc Oyster Grey ink review (via A Fool With A Pen)
• Sailor Regulus Fountain Pen Review (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

Pencils:

• Pencil Review: Sanford Design Drawing 3800 6B (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Bent Pencils? (via Rhodia Drive)

For Valentine’s Day:

• US Postal Service Customizes Valentine Postmarks (via Turn to 23)
• Make a Valentine’s Pen Bouquet (via Jet Pens Blog)
• Valentine’s Day Gift Guide (via Office Supply Geek)

The post Link Love: Instagrammatical & TWSBIs (made-up words!) appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Paper:

• World War 2 Diaries Found in Attic (via Notebook Stories)
• Pocket Notebooks: What does Fountain Pen Friendly really mean? (via Ed Jelley)
• Paperblanks Journals (via Inkophile)
• Moleskine Cahier Pocket Notebook (vi Ink of Me Fondly)

Pens and Ink:

• Esterbrook #1461 Rigid Fine (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Kaweco Carribean Turquoise Ink (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Kaweco Allrounder Fountain Pen (via Office Supply Geek)
• Delta Fusion 82 Fountain Pen Review (via From The Pen Cup)
• Friends don’t let friends let the ink dry up in their fountain pens (via Rhodia Drive)
• Pilot Razor Point Marker Stick Pen 0.5MM Review (via The Royal Warrant)

Pencils:

• Forest Choice Pencil by Palomino (via The Daily Carry)
• Tombow 2558 B (via Economy Pens)

Misc:

• US Postal Rate Increases (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• Printable Calendars (via Paper Pastries)
• Inspiring Mousepads (via Domesticatd Desk)

The post Link Love: Puns and Paper appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.