Martha Stewart Home Office Supplies At Staples

Martha Stewart is famous for a lot of things but I must say her robin’s egg blue/aqua color is the first thing I associate with her name. Her beautifully composed rainbow follows just behind. The Martha Stewart line of home office products from Avery and carried exclusively at Staples celebrates the best of her color sense. Even the red, usually my least favorite color, hits the mark. Mix and match or go monochromatic at your desk for an inspiring, creative environment.

There are far too many items to cover here so check out the website for the entire line. Everything I picked up was made in China and much of it cello-wrapped, so I cannot vouch for paper quality beyond the items purchased. However, there were no obvious imperfections and that is encouraging.

Chinese paper is a hit or miss thing so I purchased two vastly different items to compare quality against similar items on the market. The first product is a stitch-bound cahier notebook (small journal with a flexible cover) and the other is a packet of sticky notes. Both are notoriously poor performers with fountain pens so that makes them highly suitable for ink and pen tests.

Martha Stewart Small Notebook

Now, are you sitting down? The Martha Stewart Notebook paper outperformed the Moleskine Journal! The scan shows less feathering and none of those inky spider lines that Moleskine paper may suffer. The outlines are more consistent to the naked eye and only show slight imperfections. (If you want paper perfection, Rhodia is the journal most likely to meet your standards.)

The Martha Stewart Notebook has a Personal Reference page in front for contact information should your journal become lost and two pages listing holidays for 2012-2014 if you really must plan ahead. The closer for me is that every sheet is perforated so notes can be detached without spoiling other pages. Finally, somebody understands my work flow.

Also worthy of note is that this cahier has a textured cover, sewn binding, very smooth paper, and will lay perfectly flat without any fuss. The exterior label detaches leaving an unmarked cover, one that is more sturdy than comparable products.

On the downside the paper is thin enough to suffer the same show-through and bleed-through as a Moleskine. However, it is closer to white than Moleskine and, at least in the aqua journal, the lines are the same blue as the cover and dotted rather than solid.

Looking at the two journals, the Moleskine gives the impression of vintage goods while the Martha Stewart Notebook looks cheerful and contemporary. The latter does come in black if you prefer to split the difference with a conservative cover and modern interior pages.

Martha Stewart Sticky Notes

Now for the sticky notes and at this Ms Stewart wins over traditional Post-its though with one caveat. Diamine Umber took about 4-5 seconds to dry so if you must affix your note immediately, avoid touching the wet ink. Not a deterrent for me since I was able to use a fountain pen without losing the vibrancy and other characteristics of my jewel-toned inks. These sticky notes come in decorative shapes and adhere well. I’m sold.

Martha Stewart Sticky Note vs Post-it Comparison

The Martha Stewart products are priced slightly above some lines but lower than others. The 38 sheet notebook and the 3-pack of sticky notes cost $2.99 each.

There are quite a few paper items in the line including journals, notebooks, and pads. I have only tested two so this is not an endorsement of products except those tested though two for two is very encouraging.

With spring flowers blooming and the weather warming, a bit of cheerful color at my desk is very welcome and it might be fun to add a few more touches of Martha Stewart color to my otherwise neutral workspace. If so, I’ll let you know how they measure up to the competition…if they even have any.

Now for a few words about my shopping excursion. Cover your ears if you are a big fan of Staples. There isn’t much that wows me there, sugarcane-based paper being the exception. Perhaps it’s just the local store in Glendale that is understaffed and poorly laid out. Really now. Who would place the extensive line of Martha Stewart Home Office Supplies with the computer equipment rather than front and center with the office supplies? It was only by luck that I happened to catch the aqua color and wander over to find the display. To make comparisons to similar products I had to walk back and forth across the store numerous times. Finally in frustration I grabbed a couple of the Martha Stewart items and headed for the checkout only to wait and wait in a long queue at 2pm on a weekday. Sheesh!

Fountain Pen Nibs – It’s All Relative

When it comes to nib size, fountain pen users have a multitude of choices. Recently I was doodling with the inky beauties on my desk and was struck by the differences between them. Even two from the same maker and of the same width produced varied results. Getting the perfect line size to show your writing to its best may take a little trial and error, but the satisfaction in seeing your words look their best is worth it.

I have become an equal opportunity user though I was stuck on narrow nibs for a very long time. Most fountain pen nibs are either fine or medium with a smaller number available in broad and extra-fine widths. The tip of the nib is round in shape, a bit like a ball point pen when you put it to paper. That angle of contact suits general use very well.

Moving beyond the typical nib, the sweet spot where nib meets paper becomes less forgiving and requires more care in use. If it suits your writing style, even an exotic nib should work well once you get the hang of it. Less common categories include double broad (BB), stub, italic, cursive italic, music, and Arabic. There are other exotic nibs but they are too rare for a general discussion.

If a rigid nib doesn’t thrill you, there is a unique characteristic called flex which can be an attribute of any sized nib. It is measured in degrees from a soft give that produces just a slight squish with pressure to a wet noodle that puts down ink like a paint brush.

Another quirk is that Asian nibs for the most part are more narrow than Western nibs. Add to that the interplay between nib, ink and paper as well as the rate of flow from the ink supply to the nib tip and the range of line widths can get ridiculous.

Still there is a range and that is what the image demonstrates. Size is relative.

Fountain Pen Line Comparison

Note that the ink scan has not be color adjusted. Take that aspect of this post with a grain of salt.

A Few Words On The Dearly Departed 2011

A big thank you to

• The Pen Addict for the most referrals.
• BT Irwin for posting the most comments.
• Inky visitors who viewed 140,000 pages* and pushed the cumulative page views total to 400,000 last night just minutes before 2012 arrived.
• Akismet for blocking 29,380 spam comments.
• Ryan and James of the late Pear Tree Pen Company for contributing tons of ink samples.
• The European Paper Company, Daycraft, and Stillman & Birn for paper to test. (The S&B review will post soon.)
• All of you lovely Inkophile readers for continued interest in the use of fountain pens and gorgeous inks to match them.

The biggest attractions in 2011 were

• Sunday Morning Linky Goodness January 2011
•  The Rhodia Webnotebook vs Moleskine Journal Showdown October 2009
•  Field Notes Journals or Moleskine Cahiers March 2009
•  A Few Fountain Pens For Sale December 2010
• Handwriting Tutorials from Caliken March 2009

See you in 2012. May the fun continue!

Pilot "Isaac Newton" Fountain Pen

* According to WordPress the Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 140,000 times in 2011. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 6 days for that many people to see it.

Noodler’s Blue Nose Bear Ink – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Whether or not you are a Noodler’s Ink fan, it’s certain Nathan Tardif comes up with some of the best names in the business. Occasionally provocative, frequently amusing though often not descriptive. With so many color choices, the latter is not surprising. Unfortunately, The Blue Nose Bear has issues that a cute name can’t hide.

Noodler's Blue Nose Bear On A Paper Towel

The beautiful color is blue-slanted teal with hints of turquoise that shades nicely from the flexible nib for which it was developed. There is even a bit of outlining, a rare treat with an ink this dark. So promising but BNB has a frustrating flaw. It feathers even on Rhodia paper. Bleed-through can be significant though the amount of flow that attends flex writing can make formerly well-behaved inks show through anything but the heaviest paper. BNB performance might be better with a dry-writing fine pen. But if you really want to flex your nib, expect one-sided paper use.

Noodler's Blue Nose Bear Ink

Noodler's Blue Nose Bear Bleed-Through Sample

Just to round out my impression of other characteristics, flow, lubrication, and drying time are all good. The Esterbrook 9128 handled very well with BNB. A more free-flowing flexible nib might have gushed but the Estie was just right.

Unfortunately, the feathering produced indistinct outlines. That mushy look would not be ideal for correspondence or business use. So that relegates it to use in a journal or for personal notes or practice with a flex nib. My Apica A610 was not amused at the feathering and was insulted that I compared the result to the mess Moleskine makes with some fountain pen inks. I was forgiven as soon as I switched to a Namiki Falcon SB with Stipula Verde Muschiato. Whew!

To avoid preconceptions I do not read opinions before I order an ink that I plan to review. If I had, this one would never have made it into my shopping cart. Don’t get me wrong. I am a fan of Nathan. To put things in perspective, I’ve tested in excess of 30 Noodler’s inks and this is only the second one that disappointed due to feathering. (If you must know Pushkin was the other.) Depending on your tolerance, that might be an acceptable failure rate and waste of money. $25 at retail for two bottles of ink isn’t a disaster but two bottles of ink I love would have been a joy.

So skip the leaky diaper effect and find a better fit for your flexible nibs. This is one bear that can stay in the woods.

Noodler's Blue Nose Bear Ink on Apica

If you want a detailed review, Dizzypen did it up right with lots of scans as proof.

Platinum Mix Free, The Perfect Custom Ink

Finding the perfect ink just got a whole lot easier with the release of Platinum’s Mix Free set. Make a simple blend of two colors or go all mad scientist and whip up a complex brew with this chemistry set for inkophiles.

Knowing my penchant for ink, samples arrived two days ago, a gift from The Pear Tree Pen Company. Nine colors, reducer fluid, empty vials, syringe, plus an empty ink bottle to house my signature ink is a lot to review so this product’s tale will get told in stages.

One major caveat before you view my images. The color reproduction is not as accurate as it should be. The ink’s real colors are clear and lively if not vivid. Gentian’s images show that well. Even the image from Platinum in which the bottles are pictured is more true for the base colors than mine. On my monitor the Platinum color chart is less accurate but you would be mixing those colors to your specifications anyway.

Bowing to Gentian for color representation, what remains is how well these inks stand up to use. While each ink is slightly different in performance, none should disappoint unless you have a pen with special needs. Flow and lubrication are average so a very dry writer may not be a great match. In this respect I found Mix Free to be similar to other Platinum inks.

There was no bleed-through or show-through on either Rhodia or Clairefontaine paper. However, there was feathering on Moleskine and to a lesser degree on cheap paper and envelopes. Coverage is good with some degree of shading but no outlining. The images tell the tale.

Except for the samples written with a True Writer, all other writing was done with a dip pen. The Brause has become a particular favorite and will most likely find its way into future reviews.

Can’t wait to create new colors? Check out the Platinum Mix Free Ink Recipes at FPN. AltecGreen jumped right in with a huge selection. There are even some images of what the reducer/dilution fluid can do. Just the right stuff for an inkophile.

Platinum Mix Free Ink Samples

Platinum Mix Free Ink Written Sample

Platinum Mix Free Ink Aurora Blue Sample

Platinum Mix Free Ink Aqua Blue Sample

Platinum Mix Free Ink Aurora Blue Water Test

Platinum Mix Free Ink Aqua Blue/Silky Purple Fusion

Platinum Mix Free Ink Color Circle

Big And Bold Namiki Falcon

A fountain pen veteran once told me that in time, fine nibs would give way to broad nibs in my collection. Either he was half right or my rotation is still evolving after a mere ten years. As evidence last week two pens arrived, the tangerine Levenger True Writer with a very nice fine nib and Pilot’s resin Namiki Falcon SB with a soft broad nib. Guess which one got the most use. Okay. Did the post title give it away?

The Falcon is one of my favorite pens. The size and weight are very comfortable for my hand and my two soft fine nibs are always close at hand. They have become a bit more flexible with use and produce excellent results with a variety of inks. Sailor Brown, J Herbin Lie de Thé, and Diamine Violet are especial favorites in them.

Namiki Falcon SF, Diamine Violet, Rhodia grid paper

However, being a fan of Pilot’s Iroshizuku line, the new Falcon SB got loaded (drunk and dazzled) on Tsuki-yo for its maiden voyage. What a fat, wet nib! This baby will never skip. On Rhodia paper a blotter helped but a different ink should tame that a bit.

The nib is very smooth but squeaks slightly which is a funny combination. The lack of drag is great when my hand is tired so it will be perfect for my end-of-the-day journal entry, often my longest daily writing session. One of the nice things about that usage is any color ink goes. No need to be all businesslike or conservative so perhaps Rohrer & Klingner Morinda or Magenta or even Solferino will fit the nib’s attributes and the paper’s willingness to accept loads of ink. A nib with this much flow will be a good match for pale colored inks like pink, apricot and pale blue.

This is a “soft” nib with a very limited amount of give though enough to produce a unique signature with a flair or two. I want to play with that a bit but my initial take is that Pilot labeling it SB is generous. Yes, it will flex very slightly but the line looks nearly identical to the non-flex line at least with Tsuki-yo and Morinda. The SF is better at flex but only after it has had some use. I’ve never used the SM (soft medium) but have read it is the nib people like the most. If it is halfway between the two, I can see why that would be the sweet spot for many users. Someday I will have to get my hands on one for comparison.

Namiki Falcon Nib Comparison Test

Not to put anyone off on adding the Namiki Falcon SB to your collection, but this is one pen that puts down a truly broad, wet line. Some folks will be thrilled at that while others may be intimidated. The SB is not ideal for small handwriting. It is best for big, bold statements. My handwriting suffers but my hand is happy with the ease with which I can write albeit sloppily. With practice my penmanship should improve. If not, it doesn’t really matter because when I grab the SB, writing longer will be more important than writing neater. For those times big and bold is just fine with me.

Note: My new Falcon came from Pear Tree Pens as did the bottle of Morinda. Tsuki-yo has been on my shelf since shortly after its release and is available from a number of sources including PTP. It’s a favorite amongst Iroshizuku fanatics and would be a good starting point if you haven’t tried this line of inks yet.

Noodler’s Baystate Blue And The Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen

One of my ink mates recently proved how much of an ink geek he is by noticing the difference between the first run of Noodler’s Baystate Blue and the latest batch. Intrigued I agreed to see for myself.

Noodler's Baystate Blue Fountain Pen Ink Comparison

My written samples validate the observation. Feathering has been tamed sufficiently to give lines a clean look and eliminate the ragged edges. Now it is useful on a wider variety of papers.

Noodler's Baystate Blue Ink Comparison Closeup

BSB still has what it takes to stain fingers and pens making it a less than ideal choice for a clear demonstrator. Since the majority of pens are black, the staining won’t be a problem for most of us. So far no damage to the clear Platinum Preppy sent to test the BSB. That is encouraging but not definitive.

Still it is an ink with a reputation and my experience is too limited to give it anything more than a few cursory remarks.

Noodler's Baystate Blue - Original Formulation

Noodler's Baystate Blue - Newest Formulation

The color is a rich blue that flows very well but does dry slowly. In some ways it reminds me of the long-discontinued Parker Penman Sapphire. Not in terms of that ink’s iridescence but more in its saturated color. I found it a happy match to my daily journal, the Apica 6A10, in which I faithfully use a blotter, the best way to make a non-issue of drying time.

The Preppy surprised me more than the ink. It has a very stiff, fine nib that helps control BSB. A flexible nib would lay down more ink and slow the drying time to unacceptable lengths for ordinary use. For such an inexpensive pen, the Preppy has a really solid build along with the intriguing appeal of a demonstrator. Should you order one, do get a Platinum converter to accommodate your bottled inks.

My Preppy has a pink nib which admittedly is kind of cute. Even though it arrived on Valentine’s Day and it is now April, the pinkness still makes me smile.

Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen in Pink

Oh, the ink geek? Ryan Roossinck of The Pear Tree Pen Company.

Seize the Dave has a full review of Baystate Blue.

Moleskine, Dogs, and a Carnival?

A little fun for a lazy Sunday…

• The Fading Art of Letter Writing via Letter and Journals
• Excellent review of the Rhodia dotPad from Rants of the Archer
• Moleskine Sleeves and Bookmarks via Journaling Arts
• Carnival of Pen, Pencil & Paper #18
• Moleskine Bible
• Watercolors by Grzegorz Wróbel at LivingDesign
• Flying Dogs

Pilot Custom 742 Falcon Update #1

That cranky Pilot Custom 742 Falcon returned from its spa visit improved but not perfect. Not that it isn’t a handsome pen and comfortable to use. It is certainly that but the nib and flow just challenge me in a way that other fountain pens don’t.

To give the pen a fair chance, the original Pilot piston converter was temporarily swapped for a Pilot cartridge which improved the flow somewhat. Since sucking up ink from a bottle proved utterly useless with the converter, I purchased some pipettes with narrow tips to better fill the stubborn thing. Although it took a bit of doing to get the ink to zip along, the nib is much improved over its initial performance and the converter is now useful.

Funny how the pen seems to work best with Pilot ink, from Pilot Blue-Black to the black cartridge to a fill of Iroshizuku Asa-Gao. Hopefully, it will expand its repertoire to include a few other inks known for shading like Noodler’s Apache Sunset and Golden Brown. However, for now Asa-Gao will do.

Nevertheless, the flow still cuts out especially on descenders. It does not happen nearly as often as it did prior to its trip to the spa for some corrective work but the issue is still there. The nib has not been customized for my hand and might work beautifully as is for someone else. Someday I may put that to the test.

Another issue is that the nib sometimes catches unless held at what for me is an unforgiving angle. Again, the nib has not been customized for me so even though a monkey owned it first, I have to assume this is what is normal for the 742 Falcon nib. It is not an insurmountable problem but rather one that requires practice to overcome or possibly modification for a wider range of contact.

Of this I am certain: modern flex cannot compare to vintage flex. The mechanics are very different in how that wider line is accomplished and the effort necessary is much greater. Perhaps once the 742 FA has broken in to the degree my Namiki Falcons have, it will demonstrate enough suppleness to sustain a comfortable rhythm. Maybe a better flow will result as well. In the meantime it will get some use as held lightly, the nib is quite soft and nearly effortless to use. It will suffice for journal writing but not for correspondence where legibility is more important. After all no one needs to read my journal. Heh. Not even me!

Links to Brighten a Winter Weekend

There is a mishmash here but definitely themed for the coffee drinking writer…

• Exaclair catalog for 2011
• Twitter-Enabled Coffee Pot
• Moleskine Meets Pac-Man
• Steampunk Pen
• Noodler’s Ink 2011 artist prize
• Pocket Blonde hosts the January Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper
• LaPlumaFuente: a Pilot fountain pen and a 1,5mm Pen
  Kalligrafiefüllhalter
• THEREALQUILLSKILL: Rhythmic Calligraphy
• LaPlumaFuente: Wing Nibs – Montblanc fountain pen