Notebook Review: The Bull & Stash "Stash" Notebook

Portland, Oregon-based Bull & Stash were kind enough to send me one of their large "Stash" notebooks for review several weeks back. Bull & Stash is a relatively new company, focused exclusively, from what I can tell, on their notebook line and paper refills. The notebooks follow the increasingly popular Travelers Notebook-esque "foldover" format, but with an interesting twist on the binding/refill. Ultimately, the notebook's limited capabilities hold it back from being something I could use on a daily basis, but I still found it to be a very well-made product. Let's take a closer look.  

View fullsize

Bull & Stash bills their notebooks as a "buy-it-once" item: "Choosing a notebook should be a thoughtful decision you make once and get to enjoy over a lifetime." I'm not sure that I buy into that (as someone who probably has 50+ notebooks lying around), and certainly not with this particular notebook, but setting aside the marketing, the "Stash" is high quality.

Bull & Stash notebooks are hand-assembled in the United States from top-grain Italian leather. The Company states that they source their 60 lb. paper locally in Oregon. Clearly, Bull & Stash has attempted a high-quality, USA-made notebook in the spirit of the Traveler's Notebook. Do they deliver? I would say yes on the overall quality, but as I mentioned, this product isn't quite there for me in terms of practicality and overall usability.

View fullsize

Light-brown leather might be my favorite, since it ages beautifully. This notebook will be no exception. 

I have no complaints about the build of this notebook. The leather feels nice in the hand - supple, yet still rugged looking. The notebook features a unique refill system, using a two-hole binding system that at first glance appears proprietary, but with a bit of work you would easily be able to make your own custom refills from the paper of your choice. The Bull & Stash paper itself is serviceable, but I'm not sure I would call it "bleed resistant." I experienced some bleed-through from fountain pens and other liquid ink rollerballs, but to be honest it probably doesn't matter here. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Due to the nature of the binding and the stock paper being ruled on one side, you can only use one side of the page. The result is more of a "covered notepad" rather than a true notebook, though I will say that if you're someone who scans their notes the one-sided looseleaf refill would make it very easy to do so. A key personal concern is the lack of an elastic closure or clasp. My notebooks serve as my organizers and catch-all's for loose bits of paper captured on scraps of paper, things I've printed off the internet, etc. The Stash makes this difficult, unless you want to supply your own band. 

View fullsize

The big distinction: The Traveler's Notebook holds up to three refills, plus folders, carry-alls, and more. Plus, it closes with an elastic band that's attached to the cover, which makes it easier to use as a portfolio (provided you don't mind folding your paper). 

On the other hand, one thing I do appreciate about the Stash is the ability to customize the refill. Bull & Stash sells blank, lined, graph, and dotgrid paper, and since it's sold in looseleaf form pre-punched for the two-hole binding, you can mix the different types of paper to create a notebook with your preferred combination of paper (i.e., half-ruled/half-graph, alternating sheets of graph and dot-grid, all blank, etc.). 

View fullsize

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Overall, Bull & Stash makes a high-quality notebook, and a lot of thought and creativity has gone into the design. While this notebook doesn't meet my particular needs for a daily carry, that doesn't mean that it wouldn't work for you, and I freely acknowledge that I'm a bit of an outlier in terms of how I use my notebooks on a daily basis. I manage a lot of different cases/projects/side-businesses simultaneously, so a single-refill notebook in this format can't practically be my "go-to." Still, it's a nice notebook, and I plan to keep an eye on Bull & Stash and what they might release in the future.   

View fullsize

The easiest way to purchase a Bull & Stash notebook is directly from the company via their online store. They sell their notebooks in two sizes: the larger "Stash" (5.5" x 8.75") and the smaller "Travel Stash" (3.4" x 6"), priced at $50 and $25, respectively. Refills cost $6-7 (depending on size) for 50 pages of pre-punched blank, lined, graph, or dot-grid paper.  If you wanted to make your own refill using paper of your choice, it wouldn't be difficult - just cut it to size and punch holes for the eyelets. 

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me free of charge by Bull & Stash for purposes of this review. Many thanks to their team for making this review possible. This post contains affiliate links.        

Pelikan Hubs 2017 Is a Hit!

The annual Pelikan Hubs event continues to gain steam, and this year's Nashville Hub was no exception. Fountain-pen obsessed Nashvillians all gathered at the excellent Coco's Italian Market for some beer, wine, Italian food, and of course pens. It turned out to be a larger group than last year, with participants traveling from out-of-state (Alabama and Kentucky) to participate. Swag included a bottle of Pelikan's Edelstein Ink of the Year, "Smoky Quartz" and a (very) large Pelikan banner, which we'll put to good use at a future pen club meetup since we were already testing the crowded restaurant's patience with the size of our group. 

View fullsize

And the pen sharing begins...

Pelikan started the Hubs as a way for their fans to meet one night each year in cities around the world for an evening of socializing and sharing pens. In order to qualify for a Hub in a particular city, at least five people need to express interest by signing up with Pelikan, with one person volunteering to act as the "Hub-master" (the person who makes the restaurant/event space reservation and has the box of Pelikan swag sent to them). 

View fullsize

View fullsize

To learn more about Pelikan Hubs, and to be sure that you all get on the list for next year's event (or even start one in your city), be sure and visit Pelikan's "Hub Page." You can also check Instagram and Twitter for pictures of this year's Hubs events using the hashtag #pelikanhubs2017. Pelikan Hubs have served as a starting point for pen groups and clubs around the world, so if you're in the Nashville area, and want to stay in touch and participate in pen-related gatherings throughout the year, please feel free to reach out to me at joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com, or through the "Contact Me" portal on the blog.  

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Notebook Review: Scout Books

Many thanks to Scout Books for sending me some of Portland, Oregon's finest stationery to review! I've used Scout books for years, and they've always delivered with quality, durable products. Surprisingly, I've yet to review them here. 

Scout Books come in two sizes: Pocket and Mega. The Pocket notebooks are smaller than your typical Field Notes notebook: 3.5 x 5 inches (1/2 inch shorter than a Field Notes), with the Mega Notebooks at 5 x 7 inches. The Pocket-size Scout Book will fit inside the Passport-sized Midori Traveler's Notebook. Scout Books do contain less paper than comparable notebooks: 32 pages as opposed to the "standard" 48, but the paper feels a touch thicker so the lower page count may be to avoid "splitting" issues with the binding. These notebooks are quite sturdy, featuring a durable chipboard cover. Ruling options include blank, lined, and dot grid, but the availability of each may vary among the different Scout Books designs.   

View fullsize

View fullsize

Scout Books feature "100% recycled paper," and the current version that the company sent me handles fountain pen ink much better than the first notebooks I tested several years ago. While there was ever-so-slight feathering, due to the paper being a touch fibrous, I experienced no bleedthrough or even much show through on the flip side of the page. The Scout Books paper is more than adequate for fountain pen use, especially considering it's a pocket notebook. One consideration, however, is the fibrous nature of this paper. With sharp or toothy nibs, you might run into issues with paper fibers clinging to the nib of your pen. If you're not a fountain pen nerd like me, Scout book paper should work perfectly well with whatever other pen or pencil you choose. Personally, I found this paper a joy to use with pencil. 

A large part of Scout Books' business involves custom printing. If you want to custom design your own notebooks, or print a small-format book, Scout Books has various options available.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you like a relatively basic, no-frills pocket notebook that lets you just get down to the writing, then you should give the "little book for big ideas" a try. The best place to purchase Scout Books is directly through their website, though I've also seen Scout Books sold at independent bookstores and other retail outlets. You can purchase most of their pocket notebooks in a wide range of different colors and designs, sold individually, in the classic three-pack, or in a ten-notebook "bulk pack." The pricing structure is similar to other pocket notebooks, with individual notebooks at $4.95, three-packs at $9.99, and ten-packs at $24.99. If you prefer to buy in even larger quantities, there's an option for that, too. Scout Books also issues some special editions, such as the "Big Ideas Start Here" Mega Notebook pictured in this review, which is a collaboration with NYC-based illustrator Jordan Sondler. These notebooks are typically sold individually.

Many thanks to Scout Books for making this review possible! 

Disclaimer: Scout Books sent me the handful of the samples featured in this review free of charge. This post contains affiliate links. 

Ink Review: Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue and Electric Pink

While we're on the subject of inks that have slipped under my radar, I need to mention Graf von Faber-Castell. The Pen Company recently sent a couple bottles of the GvFC ink over for testing, and I ended up running multiple fills through my pens without changing inks - something I've not done in a long time. Why these inks don't receive more attention is beyond me. They behave comparably to Pilot Iroshizuku and I like the colors better than the Pelikan Edelstein line. 

View fullsize

The GvFC Cobalt Blue was tested in my Platinum 3776 Shungyo, with the GvFC Electric Pink tested in my Faber-Castell e-Motion Pure Black edition.  Both pens have medium nibs. 

Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue

Cobalt Blue serves as the "richer" blue ink in the Graf von Faber-Castell range. (There's another "Royal Blue" that looks lighter and a touch more muted, but I've not used it so I can't provide an exact comparison.) I enjoyed using the Cobalt Blue ink at work - it maintains most of its vibrancy as it dries, without looking washed-out like a lot of other blue inks. Absolutely no feathering or bleed-through on decent paper, with the sole exception being on cheap office copy stock that can barely handle a gel pen. 

View fullsize

Graf von Faber-Castell Electric Pink

If you're one of those people who will use pink ink (and I'm proud to count myself among them), try the GvFC Electric Pink. I found it a touch more vibrant/saturated than Callifolio Adrinople, and this ink behaved surprisingly well on all papers. I sometimes have trouble with brighter colors such as pinks, oranges, and reds feathering and bleeding, but not this one. The Electric Pink actually handled the cheap copy paper better than the Cobalt Blue. 

View fullsize

Note: I experienced no trouble cleaning either of these inks out of pens, and consider both of them "safe", under the general rule of thumb that most inks manufactured by pen companies can be safely used in all pens made by that company. Since GvFC makes some very expensive pens, I would further assume that you probably wouldn't run into trouble using GvFC inks in pens from other manufacturers, but I'd still express some caution before putting a bright pink or orange ink in a pen that could stain, such as one made from celluloid.   

View fullsize

I do have to conclude by saying that I love the Graf von Faber-Castell ink bottle. It's reminiscent of Iroshizuku, plus a chrome cap. 

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I will certainly be acquiring more of these Graf von Faber-Castell inks in the future (and possibly the very near future). The Cobalt Blue is a solid everyday ink, and the Electric Pink might even become one of my preferred inks for annotation. Graf von Faber-Castell recently expanded their range of colors, introducing not only the Electric Pink pictured here, but "Burned Orange", Turquoise, and Stone Grey. The Burned Orange has made its way onto my list, as well as some of the older GvFC colors such as Moss Green and Garnet Red. At around $28 per bottle for a whopping 75ml (compared to 50ml for most inks), these inks offer pretty good value.

Many thanks to The Pen Company for sending these two bottles over for review! The Pen Company is a UK-based retailer that stocks the entire line of Graf von Faber-Castell ink, as well as many other brands such as Caran d'Ache, Diplomat, Lamy, Sailor, and Pelikan. Check out their website for more details. 

Disclaimer: The Pen Company provided these two inks to me free of charge for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links. 

Pen Review: Inventery Mechanical Pen

Of all the different types of pens I've used over the years, I've given the rollerball the least amount of love - until this year, when something "clicked" and the retractable liquid ink rollerball now stands to become my primary fountain-pen backup. The latest pen to capture my attention is the Machined Pen from Los Angeles-based design house Inventery, a new company that launched in January of this year.   

Inventery bills itself as an "independent design house specializing in the design and manufacturing of refined goods and stationery products," selling products for the "thinker, journeyman, and everyday essentialist." Their shop carries an eclectic array of goods, including the Machined Pen, the Construction Notebook, Clip-on Sunglasses, bifold wallets, and rings.  

View fullsize

Currently, the Inventery Mechanical Pen is available in four colors: Brass, Onyx (coated brass), Chrome, and Brushed Chrome (both of which are also plated brass). The three shown here, from left, are Brushed Chrome, Brass, and Onyx. 

"Refined" accurately describes the Machined Pen. Inventery has distilled the design of this pen down to the bare minimum, with three well-thought out design touches that set it apart from other "minimalist" machined pens on the market. First, the Inventery pens are all machined from a single rod of solid brass (even the black "Onyx" and Chrome pens are coated/plated brass). In order to swap out the refill, you unscrew the knock mechanism and drop the refill in through the back of the pen. As a result, you have a pen with seamless unibody construction and no seams or lines.

View fullsize

Per Inventery, the Schmidt knock mechanism has been modified to allow you to change the refill from the back of the pen.

Second, branding is minimal. Each pen features Inventery's small "I" logo on the front, with each pen also numbered on the reverse side. The logo and numbering appear most prevalent on the Onyx pen; they're barely visible on the brass and chrome-plated versions, especially once the brass has developed a nice patina from regular use. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Finally, my favorite part - and, in my opinion, the Machined Pen's key selling point - is the facet. Inventery has made one side of this pen flat, to act as a roll-stopper that allows the pen to sit on your desk. It's a small, thoughtful design choice that makes the Machined Pen a highly practical tool. Sure, a clip can serve the same purpose, but as I discuss further below, adding a clip would have ruined the beauty of this design. 

View fullsize

You can see the facet on the Onyx pen pictured here. 

The Inventery Machined Pen accepts the venerable Schmidt P8126/P8127 refill, and also features a Schmidt knock mechanism. This refill needs no further review - it writes smoothly and remains the standard for capless rollerball refills.  Some people out there dislike the Schmidt knock mechanism, observing that there have been reported issues with Schmidt mechanisms wearing out over time. I've never personally experienced this, though Inventery does sell replacements at $9 each. For smaller designers and manufacturers, I'm not sure what other options they have, since I'm unaware of any stock mechanisms better than the Schmidt, and I imagine that developing your own mechanism "in-house" is out of the question until you reach a certain level of expertise/scale. 

View fullsize

This picture shows the Inventery Mechanical Pens after about a month of use. While some other reviews have remarked that the brass pen doesn't develop a patina, that has not been my experience.  It's comparable to the patina that's developed on my Kaweco Brass Sport and Supra. Compare this shot with the picture at the beginning. 

And, no, this pen does not have a clip. In the information Inventery sent me accompanying the pens, they indicated that this was an intentional decision because the Mechanical Pen is intended to be a desk tool, not for pocket carry. That's how I've used these pens, keeping one pen at home and another at work within easy reach of my keyboard. The combination of the facet and the rather hefty weight ensures that these pens stay put. They won't go rolling off your desk anytime soon. Despite the weight (57g), the pens are well-balanced for someone with average-sized hands, like me. The back end of the pen sits just past the webbing between my thumb and index finder, so I don't run into the issue, common with metal pens, of it feeling "top heavy." If you have smaller hands, however, you may have trouble.

View fullsize

Inventery did a nice job on the packaging for the Mechanical Pen. Each pen arrives snug in a foam-lined box and slipcover, along with a microfiber drawstring bag. 

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While there are a lot of machined rollerball pens on the market, these stand out. Inventery didn't make "just another" machined EDC-style rollerball pen that looks like any other: they went with a well-thought out design that's "minimal" yet still functional. I also like the fact that they've remained unapologetic about the fact that this pen doesn't have a clip. Personally I think it would ruin the seamless nature of the design, and this pen would likely be too heavy to clip to a shirt pocket anyway.  

You can purchase the Inventery Mechanical Pen directly from Inventery's website, along with their other collections. The Mechanical Pen retails for $90, which is comparable to similar machined metal pens and strikes me as a very fair price. I've enjoyed using these pens and look forward to seeing what Inventery releases in the future. 

Disclaimer: Inventery sent me the pens featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.