Dear Well- Appointed Desk Readers:

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you’re able to have a little fun today, even if it’s a dreary February day where you are.

I just wanted to thank you for reading along with us at “the desk.” We love writing and reviewing products and getting to share our love of all things stationery with you. Your comments make us so happy!

So we wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day. And even if you’re not so keen on today’s holiday, there’s always tomorrow’s – half price chocolate day!

Laura

P.S. Roses are red, violets are blue, we love office supplies, we’re glad you do too!!

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However, since leaving Hallmark almost two years ago and the start of the pandemic, getting all the way to downtown was more challenging than romantic. And I’ve certainly not been inclined to stop for a leisurely coffee or chat with anyone.

Bob has driven out of his way to pick up my mail after work for almost a year  to pick up letters and packages. Especially since I am now working full-time, having packages or mail sitting on the doorstep for hours is not ideal. I knew it was time to make a change.

There is a post office just a mile or so from our house so I have set up a new home for letters.

I like having a box for my mail. I don’t have to worry about mail, magazines or packages getting wet in the rain since my front step is completely exposed to the elements. The post office offers a parcel box so if I receive large items, they leave a key in my box to access the larger parcel bin. This means packages don’t sit on the doorstep getting wet, frozen or enticing random vandals (though that’s not as big a concern). Hopefully, I’ll be able to continue to make an adventure out of collecting my mail, especially when it gets warmer and I can ride my bike over to collect my mail.

If you would like to send a PO Box-warming post card or letter, I would be delighted to receive one and will do my best to reply.

My new box is:

PO Box 8811
Kansas City MO 64114

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La Paper Lover is an Etsy shop that produces a line of Snail Mail Kits as well as a variety of other paper products. The Snail Mail Kits all feature foil stamping and/or screenprinting for vibrant looks.  There are  three designs available: Pansies, Air Mail and Telegram. Each style comes in a variety of color choices though the owner of the shop recommends the lighter paper stock colors for use with fountain pens. The darker paper colors work better with gel pens or other tools.

The Not Your Granny’s Air Mail Stationery Kits are available in a dizzying array of colors. The owner of LA Paper Lover, Esmeralda sent me a few sheets of paper and an envelope for the colors she thought would most appeal to the fountain pen community: white paper with pink & blue foil, yellow paper with blue & white foil, pale pink with white and gold foil and the classic white with red & blue foil (white or kraft envelope options).  The Air Mail Stationery Kits feature three A6 envelopes (US A6 envelope size which does not relate to European paper sizes AT ALL. It measures 4 3/4″ x 6 1/2″) and nine sheets of 6″ x 8.5″ paper that can be folded in half to fit into the envelopes. Each set is $15 each and shipping is free in the US.

The Pansies set features three, large A7 (US A7 envelope sized — not EU A7  5 1/4″ x 7 1/4″. I know, it’s all so confusing!) envelope with 12 flat sheets of writing paper. The Pansies Set is $14.50 with free shipping in the US too.

The Telegram sets also feature all feature three, large A7 (US A7 envelope sized — not EU A7  5 1/4″ x 7 1/4″. I know, it’s all so confusing!) envelope with 12 flat sheets of writing paper. The paper in all the Telegram sets is white but shoppers can choose envelope colors from the available inventory. Current colors listed are lavender, red, and turquoise. Each set sells for $14.50 and includes free shipping in the US.

All sets use paper that is 70# text weight.  Esmeralda sent along some gorgeous writing samples — far nicer than anything I could do.

There was ZERO show through or bleed through on the reverse of the samples that Esmeralda sent.

Esmeralda’s penmanship is top notch! I wonder if she does a lot of work for weddings?

I just think the LA Paper Lover Snail Mail Kits are excellent — the packaging, the foil stamping, the typography— and I am a TYPE SNOB so that’s saying something. These are worth the investment and will make your correspondence extra special! I can’t wait to send these to my favorite pen pals.

Prices for envelope sets start at $5 and Snail Mail letter kits start as $14.50.

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

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Write a love letter or a haiku or anecdote or a promise of something you’ll do together once our forced separation/isolation is over.

Pop them in the mail or tuck them into a drawer or cupboard, stick them to the fridge or hide them under a pillow.

The paper is a little toothy but handled my fountain pen just fine as well as my typewriter.

For whatever reason, the little envelopes don’t fit sideways in the box. You would think they should but they are a little too wide. I suppose since the paper fits in the bottom and the envelopes are wider than the paper it makes sense but it annoys me.

The only downside I see with these notes is a lack of space on the front to write an address. I made due with some label stickers I had floating around.

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

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It’s our Lunar Landing Pad Coaster Set — our tribute to all the Apollo Missions (yes, we know the lunar lander was not part of the Apollo 11 mission!). This set features four unique designs (2 of each designs in a pack of 8) for $10.

This set will be available starting Friday at the San Francisco Pen Show.

The coasters will be available on Etsy and Big Cartel upon our return.

The post More Stellar Goods from The Desk & Skylab! appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Recently I received a gift from a penpal that included a pad of Life Airmail paper ($6.50 for 50 sheets at JetPens) and the corresponding Airmail envelopes ($4.50 for 10 envelopes at Jet Pens).  Immediately I had flashbacks to days in elementary school when I had an international penpal and used airmail paper. I wasn’t a great penpal back then.  But I did love the stationery! Airmail as a service was actually discontinued in 1975 when it was brought under the United States Postal Service, but fans of the stationery can still find it today.

Airmail paper and envelopes were specifically designed to be as lightweight as possible, and the paper was often referred to as onion skin paper (just for the resemblance.  It was not made from onions). Weight was an essential feature when using an airmail service for delivering mail more quickly, either within the US or overseas.  Every portion of an ounce counted – paper is heavy!

As for Airmail or onion skin paper, this material typically weighs around 25-40 gsm (grams per square meter).  Compare that to the typical Rhodia paper (80 gsm) or even Tomoe River paper (52 or 68 gsm). The paper is wonderfully crinkly and crisp and also transparent.  Some may be turned off by this translucence, thinking that it makes text difficult to read, but I have not found it to be an issue.  In fact, if a piece of dark paper is placed under the sheet, you can even write on both sides. You can see in the photo below – the paper is barely there. This also makes it the best paper to use with a template (thoughtfully provided with the pad, one side for horizontal and the other for vertical lines) while writing; your writing looks neat and straight without the lines.

To test how the paper stands up to ink, I used plenty of varieties.  Bungubox Sapphire produced a stunning sheen, more than I usually see on Tomoe paper.  the Pilot Precise V5 pens both had a slight issue with feathering. There was no feathering with either of the fountain pen inks; Robert Oster Blue-Black showed wonderful shading as well. The Sharpie was what shocked me.  I don’t think I’ve found a type of paper that can take Sharpie marker without bleed-through.  I have now found the first.  Even though it is the brightest writing that can be seen on the back side of the sheet, the Sharpie never bled through the paper.

Later, I tried a light watercolor wash. The paper took the paint well, it dried quickly and the color stayed true.  Show-through was present but not terrible.  However, the paper did wrinkle significantly.

The texture of Life Airmail paper is wonderful in my opinion.  It isn’t the type of paper you would want to have in a library — it is loud when handled!  Imagine thin wrapping paper or thick tissue paper used for gifts.  Writing on the paper, however, does not make noise.  I found every writing instrument easy to use, the paper has a slight tooth to it, ink dries quickly and doesn’t smear.  When using the entire page, you may want to use another piece of paper to protect the sheet beneath your hand from oils; by the end of the letter, your pen could start skipping if your hand has left anything behind.

The Life Airmail envelopes are also quite lightweight and are lined with a safety layer to prevent wandering eyes from reading your mail.  I use a Pilot Address Pen ($2.50 from Jet Pens) that is waterproof and loved by Post Office machines everywhere. The envelopes took the ink without bleed-through. One thing to be careful with, however: do not lick the envelope to seal it.  Instead, remove the piece of paper protecting the ready-to-go adhesive.  If you lick this paper, you will feel quite silly and hope no one was watching.

I did learn that international envelopes were not only made of very thin paper, but the red and blue stripes on the edges signaled to those sorting the mail that this was a letter from the US (or England – they used the same colors) and was to be sorted into the international mail pile.

Overall, I highly recommend this paper pad and envelopes.  The texture and tactile feel of the paper gives a little extra specialness to correspondence. For $11, you can make your next ten letters bring a bigger smile to those on the receiving end and enjoy the writing of those letters a bit more.

If you would like to know more about the history of Airmail, especially the messy details, I highly recommend this article!

Airmail Service: It Began with Army Air Service Pilots

Disclaimer: Everything from this review was purchased by me. Ok, it was actually purchased by my penpal and sent to me.  But it was a gift, so it still counts as mine. Thank you, Penpal!

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A writing box.  Is it something I need?  Working from home has some amazing benefits.  One of those is the ability to work on my laptop outside during the amazing weather, especially with a glass of iced tea.  The convenience of the laptop allows me to lean back, prop up my feet, and work in the best “office” available!

Missing

One thing has been missing from this setup, though.  A writing surface.  A laptop is great for typing, surfing, chatting, and multi-tasking.  But what about deep focus?  I rely on a notebook for processing my thoughts when they are jumbled, or for focus when the rest of life gets too hectic.  But I have found that trying to write with a notebook outdoors can be awkward at best.  I usually try to balance a notebook on a knee, hoping to find enough support to give me a writing surface.  Often the result is not pretty.

Lap Desk

I have tried lap desks before.  One had a soft pillow with a hard writing surface.  Unfortunately, the puppy loved it and the stuffing, well, lets just say I still find pieces of styrofoam filling every once in a while.

Another attempt was made with a vintage-inspired lap desk that folded open in three parts.  While it is lovely and useful, pens would roll around inside and there was no way to store more than a few sheets of paper.  No journals allowed!

The Writing Box

Then, one day, a magic box appeared in my mail.  The Writing Box ($120) from Galen Leather, crafted by Walden Woodworkers, Istanbul.

As I opened the outer cardboard box, a wonderful scent came out to meet me.  The rich smell of wood and leather together. The wood is solid walnut that has been finished with linseed oil so there is no chemical smell.  The same is true with the leather; the vegetable tanned leather doesn’t give off a chemical smell but just smells wonderful.

When I opened the writing box, the upper portion revealed the origin of the leather smell.  This part of the desk is lined with rich-feeling leather with two thick bands of elastic.

The Writing Box is a beautifully made piece of functional art.  The materials are high quality, the construction of the piece is simple but solid and elegant. Even the elastic bands feel like someone put thought into the material selection.

There was a card detailing the desk and giving a background of Galen Leather.  Yusef was the individual who lovingly crafted this writing desk.

A 10% off coupon was included along with a glass evil eye charm.  I was rather surprised at that one!

The bottom of the desk is covered in a sheet of felt material.  This sheet isn’t attached to anything so it can be removed.  I left it in the desk since it seemed to keep notebooks from sliding around as much.

Two pegs rotate up and hold the top of the desk at an angle — somewhere around 15 degrees.  This inclination created a pleasant surface for writing, especially when I was sitting back, relaxing outside.  Which, as far as I’m concerned, is a major plus.

At first it seemed that the writing surface itself was too small to comfortably use with a notebook.  But as I used the desk more, I quickly realized it was the perfect size if I moved the notebook slightly as I moved down the page.  At the center of the bottom edge of the writing surface is a metal plate screwed into the wood bearing the name Walden Woodworkers, Istambul.  This is another detail that I thought would detract from the writing experience, but it never did.  It actually helped when I was using my Weeks or writing a letter; the metal plate supported the bottom edge of my work.

But wait!  Inside the desk, the amount of space was impressive.  I was able to easily fit a Hippo Noto notebook and a Seven Seas Writer notebook side by side. Perfect, since I’m using both at the moment.  I threw in all of my pens that currently hold sparkle ink (because why not?) and a Hobonichi Weeks.  The largest diameter pen in this batch was a TWSBI Eco. The elastic held the pens well but it was still easy to slip them in and there is space for 6.  One elastic loop would be perfect for a small ruler and the upper four loops are just right to hold 5 Col-O-Ring cards each.

Once I packed up my notebooks, my sparkle pens and Hobonichi, I latched the case closed with no issue at all.  In fact, I had aditional space to throw in my letter writing supplies!  The latch here is another detail that I loved.  It is plated with nickel and a solidly made piece.

The writing box itself is close to the size of my laptop (although much thicker).  Perfect for grabbing both and getting back to my sitting outside for work.

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

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Galen Leather has added new products new products to its line-up of already stellar leather goods including a wooden letter box which should probably be added to all our Christmas lists. Tell Santa you’ve been very good this year!

Karas Pen Co:

Karas is blowing out their Barstock inventory. Remaining Barstock inventory is $30 for Render K and $45 for Fountain K models. Many copper pen models are also on sale. They are also starting their holiday sale. Use the coupon code HAPPYHOLIDAYS from 12/1/17 thru 1/8/18 to receive 15% off your entire purchase (already reduced sale items will receive additional discounts). And finally, their are still a few of the limited edition holiday Decograph 1703 Wintergreen models available.

Kickstarter:

There is a new Kickstarter project that was brought to my attention: The Hexagonal Ruler. There are four versions available in two finishes creating a perfectly pocketable tool for drafting a new design or laying out the perfect bullet journal page. Backing for one Hexagonal Ruler starts at about $14US and a full set of four is about $65US. Shipping will be about $5US per set.

The BigiDesign Team is at it again. This time, they have refined and adapted the TI Arto into the Ti Arto EDC :The Ultimate Refill Friendly Everyday Carry Pen. They’ve made the TiArto EDC to be adjustable in length as well as using the clutch fitting method to hold the refill making it possible to hold a potential 750+ possible refills. They’ve improved the grip, weight and overall design as well as how the pen holds refills. Back this project for $69 with three possible finishes available.

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There’s only a few days left in April and I’m thinking I need to end Letter Writing Month on a BIG note. Thankfully, Fresh Stock Japan sent over these A4 sizes die cut Kata Kata postcards ($6 each, six designs available) that will be the perfect thing. Aren’t they fabulous?

They are basically blank on the back and say “postcard” but they exceed US postcard regulation sizes so I have no idea how much postage they would actually need so I’m going to have to wing it and hope that Mr. Whale doesn’t lose his tail and Mr. Bear keeps his feet. I think if I use standard First Class postage and consider it either an “odd-shaped envelope” ($0.70) or a first-class parcel ($2.67) I should be in the clear.

They are just way too cool to keep to myself! Hope you are having fun with April Letter-writing Month too and give these oversized postcards a try. The art is brilliant and who doesn’t need a whale in their mailbox?

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

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Okay, gang! I know you’all get jazzed about InCoWriMo in February but letter-writing is not a once a year occurrence. Did you fall short in February? Did you lose steam? Did you not even know about InCoWriMo at all? Whatever the case may be, going back as far as 2001, the USPS made a statement that it wanted to expand its previous weeklong card- and letter-writing campaign tradition beyond the first week of April to the entire month of April. It hoped  to encourage school-age children to write cards and letters along with the rest of us by giving us a whole month to put forth the effort to put pen to paper.

In 2014, the Letter Writers Alliance documented that other dates have been chosen as of letter-writing significance. But let’s decide that April is as good a time as any to develop, hone or polish our letter-writing skills. Whether its dashing off a few Easter cards, writing some birthday wishes this month instead of just posting messages on Facebook or finding some like-minded friends to start up a correspondence with – take this month to do a little letter-writing.

One of the most inspiring things I heard this week that got me wanting to write was the podcast Nerdette interview with Tom Hanks talking about typewriters. Go forth, listen, enjoy and get to writing!

You also might want to consider the Egg Press and Hello Lucky collaboration project, Write_On Kit to help you stay motivated.

And don’t forget to check out the Think.Make.Share. blog which will be “getting serious” throughout the month of April with posts focused on letter writing, printables, inspiring stories and other excuses to use the tools you love. I love it when my day job and my night job cross paths!

The best thing about the April Letter-Writing Challenge is there is NO challenge. It’s just letter-writing month. You are not being challenged to write a letter every day or set some heroic goal. You can set a realistic, doable goal. Is it to just answer the letters from February? Or finally write those Christmas thank you cards? Maybe just send a couple sweet nothings to your spouse or your child so they get a real card or letter in the mail? Invite a couple friends over for a mini-letter writing social? Or give yourself an excuse to spend an extra hour at your favorite coffee shop and dash off a few notes to old or new friends.

Happy writing and don’t forget to use all those pens, inks and papers you’ve been collecting!

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