But the good kind of stuck, right?
Myke and I reminisce this week, and take your questions about the stationery state of the union. And we mix in fun questions, too, like “If the podcast were a pen, what pen would it be?”
This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:
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(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
You would think, with all the notebooks I have going at all times, that I'd never need to just grab another notebook, but you'd be so wrong. Sometimes a project comes along that doesn't fit into any of my existing project books, and I need another word-dumping container. Nothing fancy. I'm not selecting it for the aesthetic or the writing experience--I just need some paper. So I grab a notebook off the "just paper" pile, and I'm pleasantly surprised.
The Mark's Storage.it Notebook looks pretty plain at first glance. An A5 notebook refill in a clear PVC cover with a zip pouch and some pockets. But the design of this has really worked well for me, and the paper quality was better than I expected.
The cover is formed of a vinyl sleeve that's clear on the front and has an opaque backing that comes in several muted colors. This one is a slate grey-blue that is very lovely. The front cover is a zipper pouch with a plastic slide that allows you to carry pens, notes, slim accessories, or even add decorations. The pocket extends far enough past the edge of the notebook so that the zipper slide doesn't become a lump under the writing surface--but anything you add to the pocket could be an obstacle. A pen is a good choice, as you'll likely take the pen out of the pocket to write in the notebook, but you wouldn't want to put rolls of washi or a pair of scissors in there and then try to write over the topography.
The back cover has several folder-like pockets, three card slots, and a pen loop. It's a great place for business cards, wee notes or lists, and all the random scraps of paper that follow us around like confetti at a parade.
The PVC cover slides onto the covers of the notebook insert like a pocket-plentiful jacket. It would fit a variety of A5 notebooks, but the one it comes with is quite good.
The paper is very smooth and holds up well to a variety of inks. Only the Sharpie bled through, though there is some ghosting with darker liquid inks. But my favorite thing about the paper is the layout. It has 5mm dot grid on the left (back) side of each page, and a 6mm dotted line on the right, with added vertical dot guides, if you want to create columns. It's fantastically versatile--dot, grid, line, and column all in one. And the ink is faint enough that you can ignore it altogether. I even found myself taking some notes diagonally across the page this week. Order and chaos existing in harmony.
There are a few things I don't love about this notebook cover. One, the heat-pressed PVC seams feel a bit flimsy, as does the plastic zipper slide. While the cover is refillable, I wonder how many insert rotations it will realistically survive. I also don't care for the huge branding on the front cover. And I wish it had a bookmark.
These small issues are easy to ignore, considering the notebook comes at a decent price. The cover and notebook together are $17, and the refills are $9.25, which is considerably less than many similar products. There are some less expensive options with even better paper (Clairefontaine, Kokuyo Campus), but they don't have this unique layout that I've come to enjoy a lot.
Last week I just needed some paper, and I ended up with a treat. It's wonderful when our stationery tools can take a menial task and elevate it by being extra pleasant and useful.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
I've been on quite a kick with Opus 88 pens recently. I really enjoy using the Demo and Fantasia models, but I've also picked up several Koloro and Minty models since they have unique designs. As if I needed yet another Opus 88 model to try out, I now find myself with a blue Jazz pen on my desk vying for attention.
The Jazz from Opus 88 is a more traditional style fountain pen that still features some interesting materials and Opus 88's default eyedropper filling mechanism. Like other Opus 88 pens, you get a lot of bang for your buck, lots of ink capacity, and plenty of fun colors to choose from.
I've come to love Opus 88 for their unique pen shapes and different (but attractive) color schemes, but the Jazz fits a more traditional spot compared with their other models. The Jazz is still a full-size pen — pretty much the same length and diameter as the Demo or Koloro. It features a cigar shape with a tapered body and large cap that suits the #6 nib well. The blue colorway I have has two acrylic materials that complement each other and present a more sleek and professional look.
The grip section, cap, and butt of the pen are all an opaque, polished black acrylic, and the body is a semi-translucent aqua green material that has some streaks of darker blue material floating around. It's a beautiful material that looks understated in most situations, but once you put more light around or behind the pen, the semi-translucent barrel shows off its variations wonderfully. To set off the dark black and blue/green acrylic, the silver metal accents add plenty of contrast.
If it's an Opus 88 pen, then it features a humongous ink reservoir that uses an eyedropper to fill. The Jazz can fit close to 2ml of ink in the reservoir, which gives you lots and lots of writing time. When you're not writing, the butt of the pen screws down to seal the ink reservoir from the nib feed, ensuring the ink stays fresh in between writing sessions (and also making it unaffected by atmospheric pressure changes). Opening the ink reservoir enough to write is just a matter of unscrewing the butt of the pen a couple turns to allow the ink to flow to the feed. And, when it's time to clean out the pen, it's easy to flush with water since the reservoir opening is so large.
When it comes down to writing with the pen, it's a really comfortable experience for my hand and grip. The grip section is a nice size and has plenty of surface area to hold onto. Even though it's a smooth surface, the polished acrylic has plenty of grip to easily control the pen. Given the large size, I think this will work well with a large variety of different grips and hand sizes. The cap posts on the back of pen securely, but I find this to add too much weight to the top. The pen is a perfectly balanced weight when the cap isn't posted.
The #6 JoWo nib is fairly plain in terms of decoration, but it performs beautifully. The fine nib on this unit is smooth and precise, and the ink feeds perfectly. It's a steel nib with a fairly small tip, so the writing line is crisp and thin, but there's just enough spring in the nib to make it really comfortable to use — it doesn't feel like writing with a rigid nail at all. It's a great middle-ground of a cushioned feel along with crisp, controlled lines.
The blue colorway I have here is on option, but there are several other versions (both solid and semi-translucent) of the Jazz if blue isn't your thing. In terms of nibs, you have a wide selection from the typical EF to B as well as a couple small flex nibs or a 1.5mm italic. All of the nib options are steel, but you can easily swap these nibs out for something else pretty easily.
As of this writing, the Jazz pens are on sale for $100 at Vanness. Even at the normal price of $125, these pens are an excellent value. And, if the cigar-like shape of the Jazz isn't your favorite, there are so many other options from Opus 88 that will deliver the same excellent writing experience and massive ink capacity for a similar price.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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