Bag Review: Toffee Lincoln Briefcase

March 31, 2018

So a bag review. This is a first for me, and up front I want to make it clear that I am in no way whatsoever a "bag geek," meaning that I am not an expert in - i.e., "know next to nothing about" - bag design, materials, manufacture, and everything else that people might obsess over. Here I am going to review a briefcase that was sent to me purely from a general "looks and usability" perspective, both of which are subjective and necessarily colored by my own daily needs in a briefcase. With that out of the way, let's dive in.

A couple of months ago, Hassan of Toffee Cases in Sydney, Australia reached out and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their "Lincoln" slimline briefcase. Toffee has been around since 2004, and while I've heard the brand mentioned in various Apple/Mac publications, I've not seen their goods in the U.S. Per their website, Toffee designs its products with an eye to both style and functionality, and "functional and stylish" is a great way to describe this bag. "Deceivingly spacious" is another good one, and is probably the main reason that I like this briefcase so much. I can easily carry my 15-inch Macbook Pro, a 10.5 inch iPad Pro, a pad of paper or notebook, a planner, and some pens without losing the slim profile.

The Lincoln briefcase features what I would describe as an "understated business" look.  It also sports a reinforced base with metal feet, which are great if you have to set your bag down at the airport or in a coffee shop and don't want it to … — The Lincoln briefcase features what I would describe as an "understated business" look. It also sports a reinforced base with metal feet, which are great if you have to set your bag down at the airport or in a coffee shop and don't want it to fall over onto the gross floor.

The Lincoln would be a good option if you're intrigued by other minimal briefcases such as the Nock Co. Lanier, but need a dressier look, slightly more space, and/or a shoulder strap. While the Lanier is great for short jaunts to the coffee shop when all I need is my iPad and a notebook, those occasions are rare for me. I also find it hard to go without a shoulder strap, and I absolutely love that the Lincoln's strap is made from a canvas/fabric material with a comfortable pad. What, not leather? Nope, and I think it's amazing. I hate leather shoulder straps, and in my personal universe, there is nothing worse than running through an airport with one or more heavy briefcases/suitcases and a leather strap digging into your shoulder. Personally, I think the black canvas strap matches the bag nicely.

A shot of the canvas strap. You can also see the exterior pocket, which is large enough for a most smartphones, including my Google Pixel XL. A nice touch.

If I had any quibbles with the Lincoln, they would involve the interior. While the cotton blend pinstripe lining is extremely soft, and looks nice, I do have some minor concerns about durability over the long haul, especially if you tend to manhandle bags like I do. The stitching on the cotton lining, specifically the "quilted" area, has developed a few loose threads and "pulls" from where I've carried things such as three-ring binders and spiral notebooks, which can snag. That said, I am something of an outlier in terms of how hard I can be on briefcases because I travel a fair bit and sometimes have to overstuff them. Moving to the iPad Pro (and, briefly, a Microsoft Surface) reduced the number of binders and clipped-together papers that I have to lug around, but this is an unavoidable problem in my line of work. For the majority of people, I suspect the interior will hold up just fine. I also would have liked to see a couple pen slots, but fortunately the zippered interior pocket is deep enough to hold a Nock Co. Sinclair or Lookout pen case, which is what I typically use anyway since I move between bags frequently.

The interior of the Toffee Lincoln, from left to right: a deep zippered pocket; the main compartment holding my 10.5 inch iPad in leather case, for scale; a smaller "tablet pocket," which is large enough to hold the 10.5 inch iPad in its keyboard co… — The interior of the Toffee Lincoln, from left to right: a deep zippered pocket; the main compartment holding my 10.5 inch iPad in leather case, for scale; a smaller "tablet pocket," which is large enough to hold the 10.5 inch iPad in its keyboard cover; and a 15-inch laptop slot, with quilted padding. There is a leather strap to secure both the laptop and tablet.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Slimline or "minimal" backpacks and briefcases generally don't work for me, but the Toffee Lincoln holds just enough gear to let me do my job without looking like I'm carting around the nuclear football. It's an attractive, versatile leather bag that I've used daily, and I regularly receive compliments on it at work. For reference purposes, I've included pictures comparing the size of the bag to two others that I use regularly, a Filson standard briefcase (left) and the Nock Co. Lanier (right).

You can purchase the Toffee Lincoln directly from Toffee's website, with free shipping on orders over $75. The Lincoln comes in both black and tan leather, with the price running $280 USD for the 13-inch size, and around $290 for the 15-inch pictured here. (Pricing may vary depending on the exchange rate.) While I haven't done a full market survey, the pricing seems competitive compared to what I've paid for nice leather briefcases in the past, and sits just below the price-point of an entry-level Filson. If leather isn't your thing, or you're looking for a bag at a lower price point, Toffee Cases has a full line of backpacks and messenger bags, including canvas options.

Note: When I checked the Toffee website, I noticed that they are currently running a 48-hour Flash Sale offering 20% off the entire range, using the coupon code FLASH20 at checkout. That would knock nearly $50 USD off the standard price of this bag.

Disclaimer: As noted, Toffee Cases sent me this bag free of charge for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review. Pricing and availability is current as of the time of the initial publication.

Pen Review: The Moonman M2 Eyedropper Fountain Pen

March 28, 2018

Lately I've become a bit enamored with all the unique (and inexpensive!) pens coming out of China. Even just a couple of years ago, when someone in the pen community mentioned "eBay Pens" or "Chinese Pens," they were referring to extremely cheap pens by Jinhao, Baoer, and others that could be found priced at $5 or less. These pens are, of course, still available, and there's a reason they're so cheap: manufacturers perform little to no quality control, and it can be a total crapshoot whether or not you receive a pen that actually writes out of the box. I most recently experienced this issue with a Monteverde Monza, which I've since learned is a rebranded Jinhao.

The acrylic on the Moonman M2 is well-polished, both inside and out.

The overall landscape, however, has changed over the past year or so. Whether it's a question of manufacturers actually upping their game, or simply different (and higher-end) Chinese pens being made available internationally for the first time, I've recently purchased several sub-$20 fountain pens that significantly outperform their price point and are legitimately good pens. The overall winner so far is the Moonman M2, a clear acrylic eyedropper fountain pen with one of the best out-of-the-box steel nibs I've used.

I use the Moonman M2 as a desk pen, shown here sitting atop my Logitech K780 Keyboard. I typically use the keyboard's tablet/phone holder as a pen rest.

I don't know much about Moonman, but from what I've read elsewhere, it's a brand run by stationery and pen enthusiasts who source their pens from a factory and then further tunes/customizes them. Their enthusiasm shows - Moonman plainly has put a lot of attention into the M2. While the pen itself is a straightforward design, the acrylic is well-polished, and the pen sports an attractive red anodized cap band that looks especially good if you have the pen filled with red ink. (Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock is my current choice.)

Note that this pen is eyedropper-only. If you prefer to use a cartridge/converter filling system, this won't be the right pen for you. Kudos to Moonman for including a very nice glass eyedropper in the box alongside the pen. I like this eyedropper better than the one that accompanies the Opus 88 Koloro pens, since this one has a "needle tip" that makes it easier to get the ink down into the barrel with minimal mess.

As I mentioned earlier, the nib on this pen is a stunner. I wouldn't call it a needlepoint, but it's definitely a true extra-fine that's been perfectly tuned for smoothness and flow. Don't be thrown off by the lack of a custom imprint and the "Iridium Point" engraving - someone who knows what they're doing has worked on this nib. I also don't think my pen's an outlier - the reviews I've read have been uniformly outstanding.

The Moonman M2 is a great length. posted or unposted. The section is comfortable, with unobtrusive threads that take about 2 turns to open and close.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The extra-fine nib on my Moonman M2 might be the best nib on a "cheap" pen that I've ever experienced (and certainly the best Chinese-made nib I've ever used), making this a no-brainer purchase for me to recommend, especially if you like eyedroppers. Which brings me to the question of where to buy them. Since Moonman pens aren't stocked at retailers outside of China, as far as I know, and are made in relatively small batches, you may have to consider a variety of avenues to get your hands on one. You can find them easily on eBay at a range of listed price points, though you should pay close attention to the shipping charges which usually causes the total price to average out into the $10-15 range.

Perfect Pairing: Faber-Castell Loom Fountain Pen and Colorverse Quasar Ink

March 24, 2018

Sometimes you run across a pen and ink combination that works especially well, and you just have to review them together. Such is the case with the Faber-Castell Loom and one of the new inks I received last week, "Quasar" by South Korean company Colorverse.

The Faber-Castell Loom: Budget Workhorse?

First off, I've written about Faber-Castell pens before, and in my opinion, the German company sells some of the best steel-nibbed fountain pens on the market. I've never had a Faber-Castell pen with issues, and I've owned several. The nibs always write smoothly and have especially good ink flow. The Loom is no exception.

Since you can purchase the Loom for as little as $40, you might ask why it's taken me so long to review this pen. Well, in pictures, I was always a little put off by the cap. I thought it looked chunky and heavy, and suspected it would throw off the balance of the pen when posted. I was wrong. The cap on the gunmetal versions pictured here is a lightweight plastic, which posts fairly deeply on the aluminum body. I've been writing with the Loom nonstop for the past week and it's extremely comfortable to use for long periods of time.

The Shiny Gunmetal version, which I demoed in-store at Vanness. The pen sits nicely in the hand, and is a great length.

The only real critique I would have is with the grip. The section has raised ridges to give it some texture, but it's still pretty slick, even on the matte pen. It wasn't that big of a deal for me, but I know some readers are sensitive to this issue. I believe the "Piano" versions of the Loom add even more texture to the section in the grip area, which may help.

The Faber-Castell Loom that I actually took home with me was this matte version. I like both Gunmetal versions (matte and shiny), but this one spoke to me more.

Colorverse Quasar: A Sheeny Ink You Can Actually Use

That reddish-purple sheen is insane. And it dries relatively quickly. No smearing three days later like some other sheeny inks.

So what's been my favorite ink to use in the Loom? So far, I've had great luck with one of the new Colorverse inks that I received in the mail last week. Colorverse Quasar is a rich, dark blue that features a reddish sheen, reminiscent of other inks I've tried such as Akkerman Shocking Blue and Diamine Majestic Blue.

I love the fact that Colorverse includes two bottles with every purchase. You can use the smaller bottle for travel, or - even better - you can trade the smaller bottles among friends, making it easier to collect all the colors!

The Faber-Castell Loom ended up being a perfect pen for this ink because the medium nib was wet enough to show off some of the sheen, but not such a gusher that I ended up with bleedthrough or smearing issues. One thing I've loved about the Colorverse inks is the fact that for such saturated, sheeny inks, they seem to be relatively low maintenance, especially with respect to dry time.

No issues with bleedthrough, feathering, or smearing on Baron Fig Mastermind paper. Even on office paper, this ink performed decently.

Take that last comment with a grain of salt, because it's more of an initial impression than a final verdict. I plan to do a more thorough write-up of the Colorverse inks in the future after I test more of the line. I have additional colors on the way. That said, I'm impressed so far, and others whose opinions I trust have had equally positive experiences.

You also get some fun extras in the box, including stickers, a pen rest, and a bookmark. (They also throw in a Colorverse cocktail napkin, which I've heard some people describe as "blotter paper." It's not. It's a cocktail napkin.)

A note on Colorverse pricing: At first glance, the Colorverse inks might appear expensive at $36 apiece, but once you break that down a bit it's not that bad. For each color, you get not one, but TWO bottles (65ml and 15ml) for a total of 80ml of ink. That comes out to roughly $0.45 per ml, which on a per-ml basis is similar to the new Sailor Jentle inks ($0.44) and Iroshizuku ($0.40). All calculations were done using Pen Chalet's best pricing.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Faber-Castell Loom took me by surprise. This pen represents excellent value and has one of the best nibs that I've used in the $40-55 price range. Vanness currently has a large stock of these pens in various colors, but unfortunately the "Gunmetal Matte" version is sold out. During my visit to Vanness Pens back in December, I was torn between the matte pen and the "Gunmetal Shiny" version (which I photographed in the store), as well as the "Piano White", both of which Vanness still has in stock.

While I expected to like the Colorverse inks, simply because the "space/astrophysics" concept behind the brand was so well thought-out and intriguing, I didn't expect these inks to work as well as they do for everyday use. As I mentioned, I've ordered more, and look forward to testing the other colors. You can purchase all three "seasons" of Colorverse inks from Pen Chalet, who (along with Vanness) carries the entire line.

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens provided the Faber-Castell Loom for review purposes, free of charge. Pen Chalet supplied me with the Colorverse Ink. This post contains affiliate links.

Notebook Review: Rollo London Hardy A5

March 21, 2018

Rollo London was launched by Alex Fagan, the former Creative Director of Beauchamps of London, a luxury accessories brand. While there are dozens of Moleskine-clones out there, attempting to capitalize on what feels like a recent stationery renaissance, Rollo's notebook is a refreshing new entry that’s very different from anything I’ve reviewed lately. If you enjoyed the Field Notes “Ambition” edition from a few years back, with their old-school gilt edges and throwback aesthetic, you’ll want to check these out.

Here are the specs: The Rollo notebook contains 96 pages of 70 GSM Cream Paper, perforated and narrow-ruled, and features a faux scotch grain cover that feels very nice in the hand and not at all plasticky. Branding on the notebook is minimal, with “Rollo” subtly embossed on the back and a small gold stud/jewel in the shape of a dog embedded into the front of the cover. The latter is a nice touch, and adds charm to the notebook. This particular notebook is the “Hardy A5” in Hunter Green, with gilt edges on the pages.

A profile shot of how thin this notebook is, reminiscent of the Quo Vadis Habana. I found the whole package - including the belly band - nicely put together.

The paper has a nice texture, reminiscent of Baron Fig though not as thick. Performance-wise, it probably will work fine for the vast majority of users. I had no issues at all with fine and extra-fine fountain pen nibs using standard Montblanc and Lamy inks, but started to see spots of bleedthrough and some feathering with a wet medium and a wider-tip rollerball. I was actually pleasantly surprised with how well this paper handled ink, given that it’s fairly thin and absorbent. Also, the narrow ruling (which is a plus for me) will force you to write small in this notebook, so fine nibs and ultra-fine gel pens will be your best bet anyway. I appreciate that Rollo incorporated both perforated pages and a pre-printed index at the front. Both of these things are very practical additions (especially the perforations), and I wish more companies would follow suit.

What this doesn’t feel like is a mass-produced notebook designed to be churned out and sold by the dozen at the sub-$20 price point. On their blog, Rollo indicates that their “focus has been to bridge the gap between an affordable everyday journal and a high end collectors piece which you will treasure for a lifetime.” The Rollo notebook actually does feel like a luxury item, and, while you will pay a bit more for one of these notebooks, it’s closer to Smythson in feel while staying near Leuchtturm in price.

Fans of gilded edges (such as on the Field Notes Ambition edition) will love this notebook.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I always enjoy reviewing new notebooks as they come to market (despite the fact that I have a more than lifetime supply myself), and the Rollo did not disappoint. To me, the big selling points here are the perforated pages, index, and narrow-ruled lines

You can purchase Rollo Notebooks directly from the Rollo London website. There are both hardback and softback versions available, in A4, A5, and A6 sizes. Rollo also sells a variety of desk accessories such as desk mats, mouse pads, and coasters.

In terms of pricing, these notebooks are a bit on the expensive side, which I would expect given the attention to design and detail. The “Hardy A5” notebook pictured here, in Hunter Green with gilt edges, will run you £25.50, while the notebook sans-gilt runs £22. While that might be a little out of my typical price range for daily carry, this notebook would make an excellent journal, and an especially nice-looking gift. Embossing and personalization are available for an extra charge.

Disclaimer: This notebook was sent to me by Rollo London free of charge, for review purposes. Many thanks to Alex at Rollo for making this review possible. This post contains affiliate links.

Great Pen Stores: Visit to New Orleans and Papier Plume (2018 Update).

March 17, 2018

Whenever I'm in New Orleans, I make time to walk down Royal Street in the French Quarter and visit Papier Plume, one of my favorite pen shops. On this trip, the store was quite busy, though everyone was kind enough to take some time to talk and make me feel welcome! They even sent me home with some samples of upcoming inks (which I had to promise not to reveal until I get the all-clear later this spring). Stay tuned!

One thing I love about Papier Plume, in addition to their excellent house-made inks, is that they stock many European pen brands that are difficult to find anywhere else in the United States, including Cleo Skribent, Faivet, and Faggionato. More on the Faggionato pens to come, since I picked up this gorgeous Petrarque fountain pen in Translucent Blue Tortoise Cellulose Acetate.

Faggionato fountain pens from France. The four pens on the right are made from cellulose acetate, a celluloid variant. I purchased the Translucent Blue Tortoise pen on the right.

Many thanks to Renso and everyone in the store for their hospitality, and I look forward to seeing the Papier Plume team at pen shows this year. If you're at the Arkansas Pen Show this weekend, visit their table, and l hear that they'll be attending the Atlanta and Chicago pen shows as well!

You can check out my haul from last year's visit to Papier Plume here.

Disclaimer: Any pens featured in this post were purchased with my own funds, for my own use.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Further Reading

The Faber-Castell Loom: Budget Workhorse?

Colorverse Quasar: A Sheeny Ink You Can Actually Use

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Featured Posts