M. Lovewell - A Quick Visit

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

During my trip to Southern California last weekend, I was able to stop by M Lovewell, a stationery store in Downtown Santa Ana, California. There is also another location in Orange, CA, which shares its space with a coffee shop. This writeup is for the DTSA location.

M. Lovewell opened its door in 2016 when two friends, Liz and Mel, fulfilled a dream to build a shop like the ones they’d visit when traveling to places like Portland, San Francisco, Boston and London.

*This is the view that greets you once you step inside!*

*Notebooks, clips, and pencils are nicely displayed for you to check out.*

The store is bright and airy, with tables full of products vying for your attention.

*More notebooks, paper pads, pouches, pen cases, steel boxes.*

Even though there were a lot of tables and products, it didn’t feel cluttered or overwhelming.

*I love seeing all the Hobonichi notebook covers in person.*

*I was tempted by the stamps as well as Shachihata stamp pads. They also had sketchbooks and some art supplies too.*

*I love me a good sticker wall, and this one had stamps too!*

*Oh no, not washi tape! So hard for me to resist!!*

*There were some glass displays with fountain pens. One of them might have jumped into my basket.*

*Wall of fountain pen ink, along with fountain pen friendly paper.*

*I love seeing binders filled with ink swatches.*

*Lots of standard pens, markers and pencils to try and buy.*

I avoided the front of the store when I walked in because that’s where I saw all the pens, lol. Instead, I made my way to the back room and found a treasure trove of art supplies, papers, and all kinds of books, and more!

*Events and workshops are listed on the wall behind the register and also* *online*.

*Space dedicated for workshops and other events!*

I love that they have an area in the back part of the shop where folks can take workshops and classes. Such a cute and inspiring place to learn and create, with lots of bright light and room to spread out!

I wasn’t able to get one of my notebooks monogrammed/personalized because the folks who usually do this were traveling in Japan during my visit. Guess I’ll have to come back!

*I couldn’t resist the 2024 Hobonichi HON (which was on sale, yay!), Midori foil transfer stickers and some MU acrylic stamps.*

*I couldn’t resist this cute* *mini fountain pen* *from a company called Papier! It was only $22!*

M. Lovewell is located at 305-103 E. 4th Street, Santa Ana, CA, and is open from Tuesday - Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. Their other location is at 115 N Orange Street, Orange, CO, and is open Tuesday - Sunday from 11am - 5pm.

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Posted on July 5, 2024 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Store Visit.

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 622 - Limited Edition Zip Ties

The Pen Addict X Hinze Pen Company Taschenstift “Breakadawn.”

The product launches are live! Myke and I discuss what I’ve been cooking up this year for The Pen Addict Shop, which all managed to arrive nearly simultaneously. We also take a look at poll from a Japanese stationery magazine with surprising results.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Pen Chalet: Check out this week's special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.

Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PENADDICT.

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Podcast.

Sun-Star Metacil Pocket Pencil Review

(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, The Atropine Tree, is now available for pre-order!)

There are a number of reasons why pencils haven't made their way into my daily use. One, the leads are always breaking. Two, they always seem dull or like they need to be sharpened. Three, they get used up so quickly and need to be replaced often. I still enjoy them, but I don't rely on them. I was intrigued by this Sun-Star Metacil Pocket Pencil because it seemed to solve all three of my pencil woes. And it mostly does, though it comes with a few of its own.

This unique pencil has an aluminum body faceted like a traditional pencil. It is very light and feels great in the hand. Best of all, it isn't consumed as the pencil is used. This model is the short, pocket-sized version, which is the perfect length for a purse or pants pocket. It comes with a leather tip protector to keep it from marking the inside of your pocket.

The reason the pencil body isn't consumed is because this pencil never needs to be sharpened. Instead of a wood and graphite tip, the tip of this pencil is made from a blend of graphite and metal. While it does wear down slowly after much use (the package promises 16 kilometers of writing), the tip itself can be replaced with a new one.

The writing experience is where this pencil falters a bit. One of the highlights of pencil use is the texture of writing with the lead and the way its softness shades, getting darker with pressure. This pencil doesn't do that. While the friction of writing isn't unpleasant, it doesn't feel pencil-like. And the writing is much fainter than most pencils. It's comparable to the hardest, faintest pencil leads I've used--ones that aren't usually used for writing, but for shading in sketching. The lines are readable, so this still works great as an in-a-pinch/just-in-case writing tool, but I wouldn't want to write pages and pages with it. At that rate, it's going to take me a long time to wear down that 16km tip.

The lead can be erased like pencil lead, though the pencil doesn't come with an eraser--another fact that moves it more solidly into the quick-jot tool category, rather than something I want to spend time writing with.

If I stop holding this wee pencil to the same expectations I'd have of a standard pencil and just think of it as its own thing, I can appreciate it more. It definitely has handy potential. I think it would be great for camping or travel, or for craft purposes, like marking wood cuts. I even think it could be perfect for some sketching. And it still does solve my issues with pencils, so it earns a spot on my desk, for sure. I just won't be writing whole books with it.

If you're as curious about this small wonder as I was, you can get one at JetPens for $10.25, and after 16km of writing, you can replace the tip for around $4.05. I do think it's worth the cost. And if you don't mind the faint lines, it might be the perfect thing for you.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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