Mini-review: Six-Pen Pen-Wrap!

This is more of a "show-n-tell/you need one of the for yourself" than it is a review. :)

Ever since I first laid eyes on one of these, I knew I had to have one of my own! If you've never seen or heard of a pen wrap, then all the better! This will be a real treat, either way. Enjoy!

WARNING: This review is highly subjective to the user, and thus, you may disagree with my rating. So, I'll just let you know - this is my rating. :) It may not apply to you, as we all have different likes and dislikes. Cheers!

 For me, this pen wrap scores an amazing 95%!


Overview:


The good:

• Absolutely incredible craftsmanship - handmade!
• Many color/design options available
• Customer service is 110%!
• Can be custom made to specifications, at cost
• Works very, very, very well. :)
• Makes carrying your pens around fun and enjoyable

The bad:

• They are a bit expensive, ranging from $40.00 - $60.00, depending on what materials you choose.
• The chord for securing the wrap can come loose at times

These pen wraps are handmade by Ling, a school teacher in Taiwan. her husband does the emails and billing stuff, but she sews the wraps. To put it into a few words - You rarely see this much beautiful craftsmanship in America these days. With everything mass-produced, it's a really special treat to use/purchase something handmade.

If you want to carry around your collection of up to 6 pens with you, believe me - this is your case. It looks amazing, functions flawlessly, and it's incredibly handmade! What more could you want in a case? :)

Design:

Need I say it again? Stunning. Simply stunning and beautiful.

My pen wrap is supposedly made of Japanese Linen, though that could just be a "name" for a type of textured cotton. I'm not 100% sure it actually is linen, but it feels like it to me. :)

The edges of the flap (it covers the clips to prevent scratching) are angled in, so that when the case is rolled up, they don't poke out. This case is very intelligently designed too.

I let Ling choose the inner material for me, so this was a surprise for me. I like the choice a lot! It's not my absolute most favorite pattern in the world, but it's beautiful, and there are certainly worse things out there. :)

My small collection of pens. I just cut back to two pens, and a pencil. I plan on buyer more when my house is finally finished and we're moved in.

The part of the slot where each pen clips on is very sturdy, yet thin enough to not be a nuisance. The entire wrap is made of 7 layers, and has been professionally steam-pressed so it will maintain it's shape forever. (Well, for a very long time)

I chose the ornament below form a gallery of about 30-40 different ones. If you don't like this one, fear not! They've got a lot to choose from. I'll include a link to the "store" at the end of the review.

The upper-left edge of the wrap tapers in slightly, in a nice angled "cut". I'm not sure of the purpose of this design, but I think it looks really cool. Maybe that's just it? :)

Function:

Not only is this pen wrap a thing of beauty, but it's also built for work. It functions even better than it looks! These wraps are just well thought out, from top to bottom.

The stitching job is beautiful, and very well done. The look machine made, and yet, they're not!

Pens slide in and out very easily from the slots, and yet the remain secure during transport.

My Lamy 2000 has a new best friend. :)

Each slot seem to stretch, or shrink to fit with whatever pen is in it.

The Chords is a very convenient, yet stylish method of securing the wrap. I find that it's not the most convenient, but it's certainly my favorite looking design.

all you have to do to secure it is wrap the rope around, and tuck the little "ornament" into the rope. One of the few flaws with the case: This rope can come undone sometimes, because it's not extremely secure. If you want to throw your pens of a cliff, don't pick this pen-wrap to protect them. ;)

That being said, I've never had a problem where my pens were in danger do to this very minor issue.

Overall, from "head-to-toe", this pen wrap is masterfully designed and created. I really can't say enough good things about it! It protects extremely well, without looking ugly. That's just what I wanted when I bought it!

Conclusion:

Here's my conclusion. You can browse the gallery of pre-made wraps here. To order. Well, that's the tough part. I really don't want to post this guys email address all over the web. If you want to buy one of these pens wraps, email me, and I'll personally give you his contact info. Sound good? :)

What more need be said? You know what to do. Sell of those pens you don't use, and invest in beautiful, functional protection for your pens. 

Lastly, let me know what you think of the review, and the pen wrap! Not your style? Or is this the thing you've always dreamed of, but had yet to find?

Regards,

Tyler Dahl

Homemade Pen Stand

So, I thought I'd share another homemade creation of mine. I was inspired to do this when I saw a very expensive Japanese pen stand. They were about $50.00+ a piece... I thought I'd try and make my own for free. Mine comes nowhere close to the one I was inspired by but it sure does work.

Here are some pictures:

It's made of solid oak - Very sturdy little thing!

As you can see, not the prettiest thing in the world but very functional.

Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl

Notebook Review - CTF's Hit List!

Before reading this review you should get a general idea of what this notebook is about. Read this topic here on Fountain Pen Network.  It's a custom made notebook by a great guy on the Fountain Pen Network. His username is CTF and his notebook is called Hit List. I was generously given a free trial-copy of the notebook for reviewing purposes. So that's what this review is about. These notebooks will be available soon on Fountain Pen Network so keep watch for them!

Note: remember, just click any picture for a super sized view of it!

Here goes the review. First of all, I must say I really like these notebooks! They're very unique, very simple, and very well put together. For around six months now I've been using Clairefontaine exclusively for my pocket notebooks but I'm beginning to look for something else. My main gripe with the CF notebooks was such: They had to glossy of paper for me. It made some of my pens skip and took forever to dry. I still like them but I actually prefer rougher paper. This notebook has just the kind of paper I like!

I'll start with dimensions and specs:
- Notebook height: 5 3/4 inches - 14.7cm
- Notebook width: 3 1/2 inches - 9cm
- Page count: 16 sheets - 32 pages
- Binding: Staplebound with saddle-stitching.

As far as dimensions go I like them. They are very close to the "standard" pocket notebook design. I have no problems at all with the sizing. The page count could potentially be a problem for some others. I don't mind but at 16 sheets/32pages that's a little on the small side. Like I said, I personally prefer the smaller notebooks so I was very pleased! It all depends on what an individual is looking for in a pocket notebook...

Here's the notebook in all it's glory!

Back view showing only the words MADE IN CANADA on the bottom.

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On to design aspects!
I love the design of the notebook! The only thing I could ever want different about it is an unfinished, plain cardboard look. Like the tabacco color in the CF notebooks. Also, the book is saddle-stitched. This makes it very durable but it will never lay completely flat on a table. That's a good trade of though.

I love the CTF dock! Just look at the photos. It's a neat little feature for keeping your pen "at-bay" while not using it. It's one of those features that makes you say: "duh! Why haven't I thought of that!?" It's a really nice little thing that makes the notebook unique and sets it apart from other pocket notebooks.

Also, the notebook has a very nice "labeling" section on the cover. See the photos for more on this. It's great for this: After using up the notebook and putting it away with you large stash of used notebooks, it can get difficult when looking back to remember which notebook has what in it. This labeling system keeps this information right at your fingertips! It's a great feature. The info section has the following labels:
Subject:
Date:
To:

The design really is simplicity, which I love by the way. Less is more I always say! It's just black and white, minimal text, a simple yet good looking logo. It all adds up to a great design. Good job there CTF!

Here's a cool shot I took mainly for fun. It shows the info section on the side of the notebook.

here's the notebook next to my Parker 51. It's quite a pair!

Here's the CTF Dock up close. It's a great feature! You clip your pen right onto that little cut-out and it keeps it form sliding around.

Here's my "51" clipped onto the CTF Dock. It really works!

Another artsy shot of the pen and notebook. I really like the looks of it.

Here's the back of the notebook showing both sides. This picture shows of the info section on the cover.

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Now for the real test: The paper!
This paper is what I've really been longing for while I was using the CF notebooks. It's perfect for me. Here are th epros and cons:

Pros:
- It's pure white, but not shiny like the CF notebooks. I love this!
- It's smooth, but has just a bit of texture to it so it's not to "waxy" like my other paper. I really like the little bit of texture to it! It makes for a more tactile writing experience.
- My ink dries much quicker on here than Clairefontaine! CF paper takes ages to dry and it's really bothersome when I need to write a quick note, and then close the notebook right away. With this notebook my ink dries about twice as quick!

Cons:
- My big pens (1.3mm wet stub) do show extremely light bleedthrough. It's so light it can almost be called showthrough instead of bleed through.
- It exhibits a very slight amount of feathering. For me, this is fine as a trade off. You can pick either slow dry time, or slight feathering and faster dry times. I choose the latter.
- Here's a big one for me. Your only ruling option is blank. Yup, no lined, graph, nothing. Just blank. This is my first blank notebook and I must say I kinda' like it but I wish there was at least a lined option. I personally love graph but lined would be more acceptable than nothing. This is probably something that will be implemented in future versions of the notebook.

That's really about it for the cons. This paper is just what I wanted in a personal pocket notebook.

Here's the notebook open with some of my writing in it.

Here's an up-close shot of my writing on the paper. The top line is Iroshizuku Kon-Peki ink in a 1.3mm stub nib. Just click on this picture for a super-sized view of it. That'll help you to see the micro-feathering of the paper.

Here's the inside of the notebook paper. The left side page is the back of the one in the above picture. You can see the light show-through here. Mainly with that 1.3mm stub nib!

Here's a close-up of the show-through. Not to bad for a huge wet nib like I was using.

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Main critiques for the notebook:
- It does have somewhat of a small amount of pages. This may or may-not be an issue for you.
- The ink used to print the inside the of the covers with text actually tansfered just a bit onto the pages of the notebook. This is sometihng that could probably be changed in the next version of the notebook. It's not a big deal but I would like it if it was fixed.
- There's only one color option and though it's not a problem I would love to see a plain un-colored version.
- No paper choices other than blank. No lined, graph, etc. Just blank...

All that aside this is an outstanding notebook that I will definitely be getting more of! Thank you CTF for letting my try one of these and review it! The notebooks should be available for purchase in approx. three weeks (around the end of May). I know I'll be stocking up!

One last artsy shot! This is a great notebook!

Please, drop me a comment below and let me know what you think of this review!

Regards,
777

Review - Greg Minuskin Re-Tip to a Parker 51 nib!

Recently I've changed my tastes in what nib sizes I enjoy. I used to love my fine/extra fine nibs but these days I'm loving broad, 2B, and 3B stubs. The more ink output the better, right!?! Anyway, my Parker 51 had a very nice medium stub on it which I have enjoyed for quite some time. I loved that nib but after I tried my first broad stub -  I never thought the same of that nib again... It was just a little to small for my new tastes.

Buying a new 2B stub for a Parker 51 is very expensive. I was quoted $130.00! Ouch is right... That's far to much for any nib. Along the road I heard about Greg Minuskin. He can re-tip your nib to any size (up to 1.8mm I think) for around $70.00! Not bad at all compared to $130.00! After exchanging a few emails back and forth, deciding on what size I wanted, and then selling the old nib to procure the funds, I was ready to get a re-tip. Let me just tell you this: Greg's work is amazing! The pictures will really tell the story so I'll leave the details to them. His turn-around time was way better than I expected. Less than two weeks! Just to show what he can really do, here are the before pictures of the nib. The tip on this nib was broken! This was (of course) no problem at all for Greg!

A bent nib with the left tine missing the tipping.

Here's another shot showing the bend and the broken tipping.

So, I sent my nib off in the mail to Greg who received it shortly thereafter. What I decided upon for my nib was a 1.3mm stub. This size is perfect for what I need though some people don't like nibs quite this large. After an appoximate 1.5 week wait I receiving it back in the mail, set it up in the pen, and tried it out, I'd say it's as good as a nib can get! Super smooth, excellent line variation, nice and wet! Greg was so pleasant to deal with and was very quick to respond to my questions. If I ever need another re-tip I know exactly who I'm going to.

Now for some pictures of the finished product! As always, just click on the picture for a super-sized view of it. I'll start with the photos that Greg sent me. They are much better than the ones I took, Greg is a great photographer!

There it is! Doesn't it just look gorgeous!

This nib looks good from both sides as Greg is very good at keeping things symmetrical.

Here's all of its 1.3mm of iridium goodness!

Underneath the nib. This is where all the magic happens!

A perfect 1.3mm! Nicely done Greg!

Here are the photos I took of both my pen and the nib compared to some other pens I had lying around. We have the Parker 51 with its 1.3mm stub, an Esterbrook with a 2284 Broad Stub, and a Hero 616 Jumbo with a fine nib.

Here's my favorite pen with my new favorite nib!

Uncapped it looks even better!

Here it is! Look at that 1.3mm tip sticking out! It looks awesome!

Here it is compared to the other pens. Hero 616 to the left - Esterbrook to the right.

Here you can really see the tipping sizes compared. Makes that fine nib in the Hero look so small!

Lastly, a hand-written sample of the nib compared with the other nibs. Greg really nailed down the line variation on this nib. This picture is certainly worth clicking on for a super sized view. You're gonna want to see this one big.

All in all I'm very pleased with my 1.3mm stub nib and the work Greg did for me. I have no doubts about his quality craftsmanship at all. I you ever need a re-tip please, give him a go, he will not disappoint you! His website is Greg Minuskin Nib Re-Tipping.

Please, drop me a comment below and let me know what you think of this review!

A big THANK YOU to Greg Minuskin for his awesome work!!!

Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl

Review - Goulet Pens Sample Ink Vials

Hello guys and gals! I just ordered some of these great little sample ink vials and I just had to do a mini review of them! They work extremely well at what they're made for. If you've been looking for a sample bottle to mix inks, or get the last drop out of your bottle then look no further than these! Remember to click on the pictures for a large view of them! Let's get started then:

So here's the bottle. I have one empty one and one filled with Private Reserve Sherwood Green (an awesome color by the way!). They hold approx. 6 ml of ink when filled to the top.

As you can see in this photo the threads of the cap are very secure. Apparently, earlier versions of this bottle had a very small screw section on it making them less secure than this version.

Here's an Esterbrook J (full-size) in the bottle. notice how the bottom is conical! This means you can suck the very last drops of ink out of this sample vial!

Really the only critique I could level against these awesome bottles is this: The mm markings (a very handy feature) can't be seen unless light reaches them from the backside of the bottle. Here in the picture you can see what I mean. The 5mm mark only shows because I'm tilting the bottle and letting light come through the back side. This is mainly due to the fact that the marking are imprinted inside the bottles. Aside from that these bottle are a must have for any FP enthusiast! 

I ordered mine from Goulet Pens which I highly recommend you order from also. They have great prices and excellent customer service! With your bottles they also include sticker labels so you can label your inks!

Please, leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of this review and this product!

Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl