My 2018 Notebook / "Planner" Loadout, Clockwise from Top Left: The Bellroy A5 Work Folio loaded with a Midori MD A5; Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter A5; Baron Fig Confidant with One Star Leather Cover; Nanami Paper Cafe Note B6 with Gfeller Leather Cove… — My 2018 Notebook / "Planner" Loadout, Clockwise from Top Left: The Bellroy A5 Work Folio loaded with a Midori MD A5; Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter A5; Baron Fig Confidant with One Star Leather Cover; Nanami Paper Cafe Note B6 with Gfeller Leather Cover.

My 2018 Notebook Setup, Plus a Planner Giveaway!

January 20, 2018

I forwent a Hobonichi Techo for 2018, after three years on the wagon. Why? Both to give myself the opportunity to try something different, but also to pare things back. I had at least seven different notebooks going at once last year, and it not only became mentally exhausting to keep track of what each of these notebooks was for (not to mention where they were located at any given time), but this "system" was extremely bulk to carry around. Since the Hobonichi was the one that received the least amount of practical use, and to be honest was starting to feel more like a daily chore than anything else, it was one of the items that went on the chopping block.

So what does my setup for 2018 look like? I've narrowed it down to four notebooks that I use on a regular basis. I do use pocket notebooks as well, but primarily for things like quick idea capture, shopping lists, or a scratch pad.

Daily Carry for "Day Job" Projects. To track work projects I use a combination of a digital calendar and a loosely defined "bullet journal" that currently lives in a Midori MD A5 notebook. I'm thinking of trying out the Midori Cotton paper next, or moving this notebook to a Nanami Paper Crossfield. This notebook has been traveling with me every day in a zippered A5 Work Folio by Bellroy.
Daily Carry for "Personal/Side Gig" Projects. A Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter set up as a three-subject notebook using smaller A5 softcover notebooks from Baron Fig and Nock Co. OK, while technically it's not a "single notebook," it's as close as I'm going to get. The Roterfaden gives me a way to keep track of all of my side projects in one place.
Personal Journal. I've been using the Nanami Paper Cafe Note as a substitute for the Hobonichi, and it's both a nice size and a welcome change to be able to write/journal without (in my opinion) the unnecessary pressure of dated pages. I'm sure some people won't agree with me on this, but there are days when (1) nothing happens worth journaling about; or (2) you're just too exhausted or busy. I HATE ending up with blank dated pages, and I'm too OCD to restrain myself from going back and filling them in. The B6 size on the Cafe Note is insanely convenient in its portability, and the Gfeller natural leather covers sold by Nanami Paper are beautiful.
Brainstorming Notebook. My Baron Fig Confidant, inside my One Star Leather Cover. This book typically sits at my desk for morning pages/brainstorming sessions, and any ideas that merit further development will eventually find their way into one of these other notebooks. I could also see the Baron Fig switching places with the Midori as a "Day Job" project planning notebook at some point.

So far, this system has worked nicely for me, and I've stuck with it for two months without a hitch. (I actually started in early December 2017.) However, I also have a couple of paper planners that people have given me, that I won't use in this current system and I can now pass along to you readers in a giveaway! I need to get these out the door before any more time elapses in 2018. The prizes are:

Karst 2018 Stone Paper Planner. This Stone Paper planner from Karst surprised me. Having heard not-so-great things about Stone Paper products in the past, mainly due to their inability to play well with liquid inks, my expectations were low, but this Karst version actually handled the two fountain pen inks I tested (Skrip Red and Robert Oster Maroon 1789) with a Tomoe River-like dry time. Ballpoints, gel pens, and even a liquid ink Pilot V5 also worked. This sturdy hardcover planner is set up in a weekly format with four days to a page. Due to the waterproof and tear-resistant properties of Stone Paper, it may be a good option for those who tend to be very hard on a paper planner. I'm looking forward to trying one of their hardcover notebooks.
Slice Planner. You may recall that I reviewed the Slice Planner last year, which was developed as a hybrid digital-analog planning system that pairs a notebook with an app on your phone. The folks who developed the Slice Planner recently sent me a copy of their updated notebook, with upgraded paper and what feels like a more durable cover. As I mentioned in my previous review, I enjoyed my time with the Slice Planner, and if you can make Chronodex-style planning / time-tracking work for you, it should merit your consideration.

Giveaway Rules / Terms and Conditions

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. Giveaway closes at 11:59 pm CT on Saturday, January 27, when I will assign a number to all comments and randomly select two winners using a site like random.org. I will post the names of the winners here in next week's Sunday Reading post. Many thanks to both Karst Stone Paper and the team at Slice Planner for providing these two notebooks for review and giveaway. Note that each of these planners may have some small amount of writing on a blank page at the back, which I used to test the paper. Please see the links above for information regarding value, etc. of the respective prizes.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. The Bellroy Work Folio, Karst Stone Paper Planner, Slice Planner, and One Star Leather Notebook Cover all were provided to me free of charge for review purposes. The Roterfaden and Cafe Note were purchased with my own funds for my own use.

Baron Fig Double Release: "Lock & Key" Confidant and Squire

January 17, 2018

Baron Fig has announced their first limited edition of 2018, and this time it's a Confidant/Squire combination! The "Lock" Confidant is a gorgeous dark "forest green" color, with a debossed maze cover and a puzzle insert. The brass Squire - a first for Baron Fig - sports a "key" motif, and the packaging from the pen contains a code that you can use to decipher the puzzle hidden in the Confidant.

The last few limited edition Squire Pens have sold out quickly - as in, within a day or two of release - so jump on this one quickly if you're interested. I've spent the last two days writing exclusively with the brass Squire, and if you like brass pens, this is a good one. The brass will patina quickly: mine has already started to develop after a few hours of use. It's not light by any means, but since the Squire is a shorter pen with excellent balance, you don't necessarily feel the weight of the material. I'd compare the writing experience, in terms of comfort, to that offered by the Kaweco Brass Sport or Supra or the Inventery Machined Pen.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I won't go on again about how the Baron Fig Confidant and Squire are two tools that I use on a near-daily basis and can readily recommend, because I've written a lot about both. You can purchase the Lock & Key Squire/Confidant set directly from Baron Fig for $77. This gives you a slight discount, as the notebook and pen are priced at $20 and $65, respectively, if you purchase them separately. This particular limited edition Squire costs $10 more than the standard pen, which is more than fair due to the brass construction.

As I mentioned, I expect at least the pen to sell out quickly, and this one is even more unique than past releases, so don't wait if you want one. Great job by Baron Fig on their first limited release of the year, and I can't wait to see what else they have in the queue.

Disclaimer: Baron Fig sent me the pen and notebook featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.

Pen Review: RIIND Pen

January 13, 2018

There's no shortage of machined metal pens on the market these days. From the Karas Kustoms Retrakt to the Ti2 Techliners to the ultra minimalist Ateleia, it's become a category unto itself. Seemingly every time you turn around, someone is Kickstarting their new idea. So what separates the best machined pens from the also-rans? To me, it's a mix of functional design, comfort over long writing sessions, and refill compatibility. The RIIND Pen earns a high score in all three categories, and I'd be shocked if this pen didn't receive a lot of attention as it becomes more widely available.

The RIIND Pen is currently available in three colors: Black, Gray, and Clear Anodized. You can order the black pen with either a black or polished clip.

Design

What surprised me the most, at least at first, was the size of this pen. Most of the machined pens out there are on the slimmer side in order to cut down on weight. The RIIND measures about 5.5 inches in length, and isn't particularly slender, but the combination of lightweight aluminum construction and good design make this one of the most comfortable metal pens that I've ever used.

At 5.5 inches in length and anodized aluminum construction, the RIIND pen has excellent balance and won't tire your hand out if you decide to use it for long form writing or as your daily workhorse.

The RIIND website discusses several key aspects of the pen's design that make it stand out:

The "ContinuousCam" Technology: "ContinuousCam" refers to the knock mechanism that rotates 360 degrees to extend/retract the refill. On most pens that use this sort of rotating mechanism, like a Retro 51 Tornado or a Baron Fig Squire, the mechanism only moves a half turn in a single direction, and you're then required to move it back to retract the tip. On the ContinuousCam, you can rotate the knock 360 degrees in either direction, with the tip extending/retracting with every 180 degree turn. While this may not seem like a significant innovation on paper, it makes the RIIND an extremely quick pen to deploy, and eliminates just one more little thing you need to think about before you get down to work.
The "Super Clip": I wasn't sure how I'd end up liking the large, sort of funky styling of the RIIND's clip, but at the end of the day it's extremely functional and the design works well for this particular pen. This clip strikes the rare balance between being strong and being easy to use. It slides easily onto shirt pockets and slots in pen cases and bags, but there's enough tension that the pen isn't going to come loose.
The "Texture Grip": Better known to pen fans as "knurling." The grip area on this pen is quite comfortable, and isn't rough or sharp. In my opinion, some texture is necessary on the grip area of metal pens to avoid slippage during long periods of use. It also gives the RIIND pen an industrial aesthetic that I like.

Refills

I didn't pay much attention to refill compatibility until a couple days ago. I'm perfectly happy with the stock Pilot G2 .38mm refill that ships with the pen. People tend to criticize the G2, but personally it's one of my favorites, and I suspect that much of the "criticism" has more to do with the G2's status as a somewhat boring workhorse that's neither trendy nor flashy, rather than poor quality. For example, in terms of getting dud refills that won't write or are super scratchy, I've had MUCH better luck with the .5mm and .38mm G2 than with the Pilot Juice, the Hi-Tec-C, or even the Schmidt liquid ink rollerball refills. But that's my own experience and I digress. Whether you like the G2 or not, the RIIND website states that the pen accepts over 35 different refills without any hacking or modification whatsoever, which includes basically all of my favorite mainstream retractable gel refills. The ones that I tested that worked included: the Uniball Signo 207, the Signo RT, the Pentel Energel, the Pilot Precise RT, the Papermate Inkjoy, the TUL needlepoint, and the Zebra Sarasa Clip. Since the Pilot Juice refill has the same dimensions as the G2, it should work as well, though I don't currently have one on hand. Stick pens such as the Signo DX and the Pilot Hi-Tec-C generally don' t fit, though the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Cavalier refill will fit, per RIIND.

Correction: Clayton at RIIND reached out and pointed me to a list of compatible refills on the RIIND website.

I love it when you change the refill through the tip, as opposed to having to unscrew the knock mechanism. It's an easy system to use, and reduces the risk of the mechanism breaking.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

I can highly recommend the RIIND Pen. I've reduced the number of non-fountain pens that I own, and I could be very happy with the RIIND Pen, the Ti Arto, and the Baron Fig Squire as the only non-fountain pens in my tool kit. This set would give you the ability to use pretty much any pen refill in existence, in both retractable and non-retractable formats.

The RIIND packaging is minimal AND reusable. I love these pen tubes, which come in handy for storing and protecting pens should you need to ship them.

You can purchase the RIIND Pen directly from the RIIND website. All pens are $99, which is eminently reasonable for a pen of this quality. Currently, RIIND only offers one model in three colors (black, gray, and standard aluminum), but I'm hoping that they have more on the way. I'd love to see color anodized versions, as well as a slightly shorter, pocketable version of this pen, which would immediately make it's way into my daily carry.

Disclaimer: RIIND Pens loaned me this pen for review purposes. Many thanks to Clayton at RIIND for making this review possible. This post contains affiliate links.

Pen Review: Giuliano Mazzuoli Moka Fountain Pen

January 10, 2018

It’s rare that you find a product that embodies three of your favorite things - coffee, fountain pens, and unique design - but Giuliano Mazzuoli has done it with the Moka, an attractive, pocketable fountain pen inspired by the iconic Bialetti “Moka Pot” stovetop coffee/espresso maker. You may recall my review of the Mazzuoli “Officina” series from last year, in which I looked at both the fountain pen and the ballpoint/clutch pencil combo. While I won’t repeat myself too much here, Giuliano Mazzuoli is a line of Italian-made pens from the eponymous designer. The brand has been around for some time, but recently has become more visible in the United States with both the Officina and Moka series receiving a lot of attention.

Consistent with how much coffee I drink ("too much"), I don't have the smaller, faceted version of the Bialetti that inspired the pen. I own the larger ten-cup model, pictured here.

While the Moka is a beautiful pen, and I absolutely love the design, the section is too narrow for me and I therefore couldn’t use it for more than the shortest of notes. That said, on a pen of this size, short note-taking is likely it’s intended purpose. If you have smaller hands, or are looking for a pocket fountain pen that doesn’t sport the admittedly banal design of many “pocket pens", the Moka might be a great option for you. The medium nib on my pen was smooth and well-tuned, reminiscent of high-quality German steel nibs from Faber-Castell and Otto Hutt.

There is no scrollwork or adornment on the stainless nib, lending the pen a very clean look that doesn't distract from the faceted body and hourglass shape.

As with the Officina series, Mazzuoli’s packaging and presentation are top-notch. The Moka comes with a small rubber “grip sheet” (sort of like a jar opener) to help unscrew the section, which has an extremely tight fit. Also, while the Moka does allow you to post the cap onto threads recessed into the back of the pen - a nice design touch - I didn't really like the look and preferred to use this one unposted. (Note: my photograph of the pen posted came out blurred, which I didn't notice until after I had already returned the pen. Pen Chalet has some shots of the pen with the cap posted on the back.)

What I referred to as the "jar opener" that was included with the pen to help you open the section. Note that the section has less girth than a standard international cartridge. It's that skinny.

I'd purchase a full-size version of this pen in a heartbeat. Think Lamy Aion with the Bialetti styling! Brushed black aluminum and chrome trim form a great combination, reminiscent of my Otto Hutt Design 06. — I'd purchase a full-size version of this pen in a heartbeat. Think Lamy Aion with the Bialetti styling! Brushed black aluminum and chrome trim form a great combination, reminiscent of my Otto Hutt Design 06.

The Moka comes in both aluminum and resin models. The pen featured in this review is crafted from brushed aluminum, and is available in black, ivory, and red. The resin version, dubbed the “Moka Chiaroscuro”, is available in red, black, blue, orange, and white. While one of the various mini converters might fit this pen, I've never found a good one. Therefore, I'd consider the Moka to be cartridge-only.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Since this pen was a loaner, I didn’t test it extensively “in the wild,” but from what I've seen so far I continue to be impressed with the quality of Mazzuoli pens. As I mentioned, given the slim section, whether this pen could serve as a comfortable daily writer depends on hand size. The nib, however, is quite nice, and having this pen on your desk at work would be quite the conversation-starter.

The Mazzuoli Moka has a MSRP of $156, with most retailers listing the pen for somewhere around $125, such as our site sponsor Pen Chalet. This price seems fair to me, given the quality of both the build and the design. Many thanks to Carol and the team at Luxury Brands for loaning me this pen for review!

Disclaimer: Luxury Brands loaned me the pen featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.

On the Low End: The Nemosine Singularity and the Monteverde Monza

January 6, 2018

“Low-End” here refers to price, not quality - well, at least that’s what I hope for. Fortunately, there’s a bounty of lower-priced pens on the market right now, including many great options that you can find for less than $20. Today I’ll take a look at two pens I recently picked up for the first time: the Nemosine Singularity and the Monteverde Monza. The Singularity has been around for a while, developing what turns out to be a well-deserved cult following, but I can’t see Monteverde getting any traction with the Monza (much less their more expensive pens like the Giant Sequoia) unless they improve the quality control on their nibs.

Nemosine Singularity: A Solid Budget Option

My review of the Nemosine Singularity is pretty straightforward: at the $20 or less price point, it’s a great pen. For a while now I’ve heard about Nemosine’s stub nibs: how they are narrower than you’re typical stainless steel stock stub (this one is .6mm, my sweet spot for stubs/italics), and are relatively smooth writers. All true, and the pen itself seems well-built and should hold up fairly well for a sub-$20 plastic demonstrator.

I enjoy the detailing and scrollwork on the Nemosine nib, but that's personal preference. Some might find it "busy".

One of the Singularity’s key selling points is the wide range of available colors. I opted for the pink “Azalea” demonstrator, but the Singularity is also available in Aqua, Clear, Magenta, and Onyx. With the exception of the “Clear” and “Onyx” versions, these are brightly colored pens that manage to pull off pastel colors without seeming childish or cheap. The plastic feels thick and relatively durable, though I wouldn’t expect a $20 pen to last forever, and you may have issues with the threads or cap cracking over time. (I’ve not experienced this or heard an inordinate number of complaints, it’s just a general observation about how less-expensive pens seem to wear. This would apply to basically any plastic pen at this price point, and even TWSBI has not been able to avoid the issue with much higher-priced products.)

The Singularity fits nicely in my hand, posted or unposted, though the pen’s light weight lends itself more to posting. The black plastic section is slightly concave and comfortable, though if I had one gripe I’d like to see just a touch more length to avoid rubbing up against the threads.

No issues here. The Singularity sports one of the best inexpensive stub nibs that I've used, though it's actually a .6mm, not a .9mm. I may need to revisit and supplement my article on steel stub nibs at a later date. — No issues here. The Singularity sports one of the best inexpensive stub nibs that I've used, though it's actually a .6mm, not a .9mm. I may need to revisit and supplement my article on steel stub nibs at a later date.

If I had been deep into fountain pens as a college student, the Singularity would be up there with the Pilot Metropolitan and the Lamy Safari as a great student pen that would offer a serviceable writing experience without breaking the bank. The Monteverde Monza, on the other hand….

Monteverde Monza: Save Your Money

Monteverde has gone on a bit of a tear recently, releasing multiple new pens at various price points. The Monza is apparently Monteverde’s attempt to break into the “inexpensive plastic demonstrator” segment, and rather than develop an original design they’ve gone with what appears to be an “homage” to cigar-shaped pens like the Sailor 1911 Standard and the Montblanc 144/146. That said, the Monza looks nice, and I opted for the “Honey Amber” demonstrator. Other color options include “Gray Sky”, “Island Blue”, and “Crystal Clear”.

My frustration with the Monza started early. First of all, I went to ink it up and the converter didn’t fit in the pen. Based on what I’ve read online, some retailers advise to “push really hard” to seat the converter on the back of the feed, but I had no luck. Maybe I didn’t push hard enough, but I was already so skeptical of the quality that I didn’t want to risk shattering the feed (or even the section itself). That gives you some idea of how bad the fit was.

The Monteverde Monza features a clear feed, much like some of the old third-tier vintage fountain pens like Wearever. I do like the look because it shows you how the ink flows to the nib.

After tossing the converter aside, I ended up going with a cartridge (Kaweco Ruby), and spent a solid 10 minutes attempting to get ink to flow. The nib barely wrote out of the box. The culprit was a misaligned feed, inserted so poorly that it caused the tines to twist. In other words, what looked like a complete absence of quality control on the part of the manufacturer. This isn't an isolated incident with Monteverde nibs, and it's not limited to their lower-priced pens.)

Note: If I recall correctly, my Monza box came shrink-wrapped in plastic. If you like the look of this pen, and want to go ahead and buy one, be sure to request that your retailer open it up so they can check the nib, unless you’re comfortable doing adjustments yourself.

I frankly don’t understand how Monteverde can put so much effort into making their pens - packaging included - look pretty good, but apparently take no steps to make sure they actually write. I’d gladly pay $10-15 more for a pen if it meant the pen had been tested, though I’m not sure such a drastic price increase would be necessary, given that Nemosine can sell the Singularity for $3 more.

Why should Monteverde invest the time and resources into quality control? Because once I pulled, reset, and aligned the nib, the Monza is actually a very good writer. The stock medium steel nib is nothing to write home about in terms of line variation or character, but this one is very smooth, and the pen itself - once it was fixed - makes a great knockaround pen: one that I would have loved to have had as a student. Even now, it's one I'll keep around in my travel bag.

A nice writer, but after waaay too much effort on my part.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Of these two pens, the Nemosine Singularity is the clear winner and would get my recommendation. The relatively solid build and excellent stub nib for this price point makes it pretty much a no-brainer for someone looking for a colorful demonstrator in the beginner / “student pen” category, or simply anyone looking for an inexpensive fountain pen that they don't have to worry about losing or damaging.

The Monteverde Monza, on the other hand, has some potential but the quality control is far below what I’ve seen elsewhere at (or even below) this price point. The fact that I had to pull, reseat, and straighten the nib, in addition to the fact that the supplied converter didn’t fit the pen, drops this into the “yes, if you’re prepared to tinker with it” category along with the Noodler’s pens and $0.99 Chinese pens from eBay. I suspect, however, that most in this pen’s target audience would either return the pen or throw it away if they received it in the shape that I got this one.

You can purchase both pens from Pen Chalet. The Nemosine is currently priced at $19.99 and the Monza goes for $16 (both before any applicable coupon codes).

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. While I purchased these pens from Pen Chalet, I did receive a discount due to my sponsor/affiliate relationship.