The "Stamps" and "Brown Leaf" editions of the Backpocket Journal.

Backpocket Journal by Curnow Bookbinding and Leatherwork

June 27, 2015

After reviewing my backlog of pocket notebooks, I opted for a product I have a small stash of but have never tried: the Backpocket Journal by Curnow Bookbinding and Leatherwork.

Vanness Pen Shop edition. — Vanness Pen Shop edition.

At first glance, the Backpocket Journal doesn't break any new ground: it's another pocket notebook similar to Field Notes, Word Notebooks, and the Baron Fig Apprentice (although Backpocket Journal predates the Apprentice). Two things set Steve Curnow's products apart, however: (1) the paper is much more fountain pen friendly than existing alternatives, and (2) the Backpocket Journal comes in custom covers and is hand bound with a sewn binding, which is both attractive and durable. For those who insist on using fountain pens with their pocket notebooks, the paper is on par with the new Nock Co. dot-dash paper. With non-fountain pens and pencils, I found that the Curnow paper was too smooth for my taste, but perhaps I've been spoiled by the super-tactile Baron Fig paper that I've grown to love.

My writing samples show what happens when you try to push the limits of this paper with a fountain pen. I used a TWSBI 580 with a 1.1mm stub nib, and also my stubbed Montblanc 146. The standard Backpocket Journal paper easily keeps feathering under control, but there is slight bleed through, similar to what you would see using the same nibs on the Field Notes America the Beautiful or Shelterwood paper. All other fountain pens performed beautifully. Those who want to use flex or stub nibs in their pocket notebooks may want to spring for the Tomoe River paper edition.

Pricing for the Backpocket Journal is consistent with the pocket notebook market in general: $9 for a three-pack of the "standard" edition, and $10 for a three-pack of the custom cover editions. The slightly more expensive Tomoe River Edition will run you $12.50, and comes with a lined guide to help keep your writing straight on the unlined Tomoe River paper. Doug over at Modern Stationer has a great review of this product. If I wasn't on a "new purchase" hiatus, I would order some of these immediately.

The Backpocket Journal can be purchased directly from Curnow via their Facebook page or through the e-mail contact printed on the back of the notebook (how I purchased the "Brown Leaf" and "Stamp" Editions), or you can purchase the Vanness Edition used in the review from Vanness Pen Shop. I received the Vanness version as a free sample when I purchased some ink at the Atlanta Pen Show (or maybe it was D.C., I lose track).

Four colors of the Signo 207 BLX range.  A co-worker stole the brown pen out of my pack.  I didn't like it anyway. — Four colors of the Signo 207 BLX range. A co-worker stole the brown pen out of my pack. I didn't like it anyway.

Review AND GIVEAWAY: Uniball Signo 207 BLX .7mm Gel Pens

June 24, 2015

The Uniball Signo 207 is widely regarded as one of the best pens that you can pick up in just about any big box or office supply store, but it never clicked with me. The length of the pen has something to do with this: it's fairly short and there's not much heft. But the refill is nice, and when it comes to readily available pocket writers, for most people the 207 ranks up there with anything else on the market.

A close-up of the writing sample.  The paper is a Tops Double Docket White Legal Pad, which I'm enjoying for both pens (including fountain pens) and pencils.  Buy the white, not the yellow, which feathers like crazy with pretty much a… — A close-up of the writing sample. The paper is a Tops Double Docket White Legal Pad, which I'm enjoying for both pens (including fountain pens) and pencils. Buy the white, not the yellow, which feathers like crazy with pretty much any ink.

Building on the success of the basic Signo 207, Uniball introduced the BLX series, which feature black-infused blue, green, purple, red, and brown gel inks. (Uni offers the Vision Elite in the BLX color range, as well.) The colors look nice, the red and the purple being my favorite, but the 207 BLX only comes in the .7mm tip size, another reason why this pen will never make it into my regular personal rotation.

So: consistent with last week's theme of reducing my backlog and overall stockpile, I'm passing these for pens on to one lucky reader. The rules of the giveaway are the same as they've always been. Leave a comment on this page OR join my e-mail list using the submission form on the left sidebar. Joining my e-mail list will automatically enter you into my giveaways in the future. Each subscriber or commenter will be assigned a number and I will use a random number generator to pick a winner, who will be announced exactly one week later. Be sure and check back! If you can't wait, here's a buy-it-now link (affiliate).

A Searching and Fearless Inventory

June 20, 2015

Step one is admitting you have a problem. Now what do you do about it? After killing a Blackwing 602 yesterday, I went looking for another one, and it took me a full five minutes to find one in the giant bin where I store most of my “loose” stationery supplies. It’s actually one of several giant bins. For reasons I don’t yet understand, I woke up early and inventoried all this stuff and realized that I have 383 wood case pencils (2.7 gross, to be exact). I also have 50 bottles of ink. 60 unused Field Notes. And 41 fountain pens. At least 15 full-size notebooks waiting to be used. I didn’t even count all the gel pens, ink samples, ballpoints, and felt-tip pens, but it’s probably at least 100.

Pencils and miscellaneous pen repair supplies.  I recently acquired a workbench secondhand, so I now have some storage space for my tools, parts, etc. — Pencils and miscellaneous pen repair supplies. I recently acquired a workbench secondhand, so I now have some storage space for my tools, parts, etc.

This isn’t a lifetime’s worth of supplies, but it’s getting close. The fountain pens don’t bother me so much. I fall into the category of a modest vintage pen collector: of those 41 pens, 15 of them are vintage pens that I consider to have historical significance. The remaining 26 I rotate through fairly regularly, and I operate on a “one-in, one-out” basis when acquiring new pens. I try to keep my “user pens” at around two dozen, but eventually I would like to winnow that down even more.

The pencils/ink/paper/gel pens DO bother me, though. Since I’ve gotten into this hobby, I’ve become an ink junkie. The endless range of colors and the ability to customize your writing is seductive. Before you know it, you end up with 15 bottles of red ink, in varying shades, and you still have not found that “perfect burgundy”. Oh wait, those 15 bottles are only the "true red" inks, the burgundies are over there, in that drawer. There are 5 of them.

If you’re in the Pen Addict Slack channel, you’ll notice that I’ve been unloading some excess bottles of ink lately. I sold my bottle of Akkerman Voorhout Violet (a perfectly nice ink) after realizing that I had two other bottles of “dusty purple” that look reasonably identical. I’ll probably sell some more. But I really want to focus on using this stuff. I’m not a hoarder (or at least I don’t think I am). I don’t have much sentimental attachment to these things, with the exception of a few pens people have given me as gifts, have no problem selling stuff when I get a decent price, and I do use pen/paper/ink/pencils on a daily basis. If I get busy at work I’ll burn through five piston-filled fountain pens and two legal pads in a week, and probably a pencil, too. Oh wait—I forgot to count the legal pads . . . never mind.

My "special" inks warrant display.  Actually, no.  my drawers were full so I had to start stacking them on shelves. — My "special" inks warrant display. Actually, no. my drawers were full so I had to start stacking them on shelves.

Having this much stuff lying around has become distracting. My desk drawers are a mess. I’m running out of places to keep more ink. And I constantly find myself interrupting my workflow to think, “Shouldn’t I be using this, instead?” “That pen's been inked up for too long,” or “I’ve got so many of these, or so much of this ink, why not burn through the backlog?” So what do I do?

Step one: Stop the influx of new “stuff,” specifically with regard to ink, paper, and pencils. I have more than enough blog fodder to keep going for a year or more. I’m not going to be super hard on myself and say that I can’t pick up the new Field Notes Colors edition when it comes out, or a box of Blackwing Volumes, but both of those are issued quarterly, and I’ve had a hard time stamping down the “oooh, shiny” impulse purchases at pen shows and stationery stores on a monthly basis.

Step two: Use what I have. And use more of it. Be more conscious about taking time to write, journal, etc. Pick one pen or pencil to use and don’t switch mid task, unless the pen is empty or the pencil’s been ground to a nub. I'm actually curious to know what I use in typical week/month/year, and want to start tracking this. (I'm a bit of a productivity nerd.)

Step three: More giveaways on the stuff that’s not worth selling. You readers will benefit. I have a lot of pencils, gel pens, hybrid ink ballpoints, etc. that people have sent me over the past couple years, or that I wanted to try out but was only able to buy in bulk. You may see more non-fountain pen reviews here in the coming months, as I try to get these things out of my workflow, off my desk, and hopefully into your hands.

Thanks for the therapy, and have a great weekend!

Ink Review: Callifolio Equinoxe 6

June 13, 2015

Another teal-black ink for me, courtesy of Vanness Pen Shop! I have been eyeing the Callifolio line of inks since I caught a story on FPN a few years ago about a line of inks that came shipped from France in foil pouches, and you could order the entire line of 35 inks for approximately $200 shipped. Ok, I never bit on that, but some people did, and I was jealous.

Callifolio inks are the product of a French company called L'Artisan Pastellier, formed by two gentlemen named Loic Rainouard and Didier Boinnard who sought to make a line of fountain pen inks with a wide range of colors that behaved well on all types of paper. From what I have seen so far, they've succeeded. The two inks that I have, Equinoxe 6 and Bourgogne, are exceptional, and I've had them loaded up ever since the Atlanta Pen Show.

The first ink that caught my eye was Equinoxe 6, a teal-black that is somewhat similar to Yama-Dori, an ink that I (and a lot of other people) generally love. I currently have this ink loaded into my Delta Fusion 82 with an architect's nib. The color is excellent, the ink dries quickly, and doesn't bleed, feather or smear. There is some shading, though my architect's nib isn't particularly broad on the cross-stroke, so shading can be hard to see. I may need to try this ink out in a stub nib!

Obligatory cap shot.  Note that the bottle is the same triangular bottle used by Diamine for their 150th Anniversary inks. — Obligatory cap shot. Note that the bottle is the same triangular bottle used by Diamine for their 150th Anniversary inks.

The two colors I have that are most comparable are Sailor Yama Dori and Waterman Blue-Black.  Equinoxe 6 falls somewhere in the middle:  Darker and more green than the Yama Dori, but less blue than the Waterman.  Another candidate for… — The two colors I have that are most comparable are Sailor Yama Dori and Waterman Blue-Black. Equinoxe 6 falls somewhere in the middle: Darker and more green than the Yama Dori, but less blue than the Waterman. Another candidate for comparison is Noodler's discontinued Pinstripe Homage, though the Callifolio is much better behaved (meaning that it dries quickly).

One interesting note: in the FPN thread that I link to above, Loic states that Callifolio makes lines of ink for French fountain pen shops. Does anyone out there know what shops he is referring to, and whether any of the inks are different from the standard Callifolio line? I have one candidate, Papier Plume in New Orleans, which carries its own line of inks and which apparently has told some customers that they are "made by a company in France." I'm fairly certain Herbin doesn't do private label, so that leaves L'Artisan Pastellier as a possible candidate.

In the U.S., you can purchase this ink from Vanness Pen Shop. Equinoxe 6 is currently out of stock in the larger-volume foil pouch, though they do have bottles. Vanness sells Callifolio inks for $11 for a 40ml bottle, or $8 for the 50ml foil pouch. The foil pouch is definitely the better value, as long as you have an empty bottle to hold the ink.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this ink from Vanness with my own funds at the Atlanta Pen Show. I was not compensated monetarily for this review in any way.

Another Red Ink Review: Diamine Oxblood

June 6, 2015

Having the house to myself this past week means--what else--that I got around to inking up a dozen or so pens and writing up some ink reviews, including this review of Diamine Oxblood. I picked up the Oxblood at this year's Atlanta Pen Show from Vanness Pen Shop (where I bought all of my pen show ink purchases.)

Oxblood might be the best red ink I have used in a while. It's got incredible depth of color: a rich dark red with ever so slight brown undertones. If you're looking for a "blood red" ink, this might be your best bet. The ink dries quickly, doesn't bleed, and doesn't feather. Most important of all, it's a red ink that doesn't crust and gunk up the nib. (I'm talking to you, Visconti Bordeaux). My understanding is that this has something to do with the red and orange dyes used in certain inks. It doesn't bother many people, but it drives me nuts. Anyway, this one's going into the rotation. Especially when it looks great in a stub nib!