Archive for the ‘Pens, Pencils & Paper’ Category
August 13th
Gina Trapani is the founding editor and lead blogger for Lifehacker, the popular site that offers “tech tricks, tips and downloads for getting things done.” She is also a computer programmer, and the author of Upgrade Your Life, a wide-ranging reference guide to making one’s life more productive. 
Trapani was recently interviewed by Marci Alboher, the Shifting Careers columnist for the New York Times. Alboher asked her, “Is there anything that you think paper and pen are much better for than the computer?”
“Technology is deeply embedded in my life,” Trapani said, “but nothing can replace the feel of a pen against paper. I use paper and pen to brainstorm a lot. In fact, we just ran a feature story on all the neat things you can do with paper. It’s the ultimate tool. It’s affordable, compatible with everything, widely available. I also like it as a change of pace. Staring at a glowing screen all day is not a good thing for humans.”
Will paper hang on despite technology? Can they partner for work and writing?
August 8th
Many of our datebook covers come in a broad range of colors and designs, but so far, our Habana notebooks are only available in black, red, and orange. A blog reader recently suggested that we add more colors to this lineup, so I thought I’d put the question out there: would you like to see more colorful notebook options? Which colors interest you?
We’re already planning a blue cover for our 2010 Habana planners, and we can certainly look into using it for our notebooks, too. The RLH notebook collection also offers some more interesting and colorful covers. And we’ve been talking about teaming up with a laser engraving service to offer cool cover art like this and this, though that’s still in the early stages.
Decopatch, of course, is another option we offer for craft-minded cover enthusiasts…
July 24th
Lately, I have sent J. Herbin inks, Quo Vadis agendas, and Clairefontaine and Rhodia notebooks for some bloggers to review. Here’s an inks review from a calligrapher on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Reviewers for our new Habana notebooks are welcome! If you’re interested, please send us a message with your name, phone, blog or website. Thanks! 
July 18th
We recently got a very helpful tip from a reader named Ellie:
I have always had a problem with using pencils in planners because the lead rubs off onto other pages and it just looks messy. However, in some situations you don’t want to use pen because things change so much. My solution to this predicament was using Frixion pens, which come in a variety of colors and are completely erasable.
According to Ellie, JetPens.com has a big selection of Frixions and other erasable (and non-erasable) pens. “Some critique the Frixions for not having the strongest colors,” she writes, “but I don’t really mind. They also make highlighters, which I’ve recently tried and really like.”
Personally, I use ordinary ink and the oh-so-sophisticated scratch out method, but the Frixion certainly sounds like a tidier idea. Anyone else have suggestions? How do you ‘pencil in’ your appointments without, well… penciling them in?
July 1st
What’s the best book for left-handers? Does anyone want to offer an opinion?
Left-handed writers, myself included, grew up having to contend with ink smears and stains on our hand as we wrote. I have smeared on pocket and desk size planners, but finally settled on a Space 24, but that’s only because I write more notes than appointments.
Once at a pen show I asked one of the traders what was the best pen to use for writing, since my ink often smeared. He told me instead of a medium nib left-handers should use a fine or even extra fine nib, since the ink would dry faster. I made the switch, and rarely have that problem.
Many inks are marketed as “fast-drying.” While I certainly use J. Herbin inks (we distribute them), I also have to admit to a fondness for Noodlers Ink. I also like Swisher Pen’s own inks, which were made to be fast-drying. I have found them impossible to smear.
June 24th
In a Forum on Mac Resource, “Kap” asked:
“Do you still use a Daily Planner to keep track…of your appointments, reminders, contact info, etc.? I know thre are electronic devices made for such tasks but what if the battery runs out, the system crashes, the power is out, the device croaks, etc.?”
“Mr Downtown” responded:
“Quo Vadis Miniweek. 3 x 4 inches means never having to say ‘my calendar is in my bag/car/office.’ And it’s cool to occasionally look back at what was important enough to write in my 1979 appointment book.”
June 23rd
In a recent review of our Texagenda planner, a reader from Des Moines, IA, wrote:
“I think it is unfortunate that you do NOT carry the refills at Barnes and Noble, where I purchased my textagenda. If I buy the refill online, it will cost me $4 more than buying a brand new cover AND planner at Barnes & Noble.”
To clear up any confusion, let me first explain that it’s Barnes & Noble who chooses which products they carry—not us. (If it were up to us, they would carry everything we sell!) If you shop there, and you don’t see what you’re looking for, you can always try asking the customer service department.
Secondly, we do take pricing seriously when it comes to our online vendors—though keep in mind that they shoulder an additional expense for the product’s shipping and handling. Nonetheless, we’re going to talk around and investigate rates and carriers…
June 20th
Looks like I’m not the only one who’s grown irrationally fond of Rhodia pencils. Blogger Michelle Krell Kydd recently posted her own ode to the quirky orange writing utensils: “a pencil for the senses,” as she put it.
As a side note, Michelle mentioned that she thinks “deleted words and phrases from my computer documents are sent to a hidden folder and rearranged to tell a tale I will be held accountable for in the future.” Oddly enough, a friend of mine, an artist, created a computer program that did just that for a piece he made last year—appropriately titled “Lost Words.”
Happy scribbling!
June 18th
In a recent “Talk of the Town,” playwright David Mamet revealed his dedication to Clairefontaine notebooks—and longhand composition: “I hate the computer… I hate their spell-check. I won’t ever do e-mail.”
(He does sometimes use a typewriter.)
“I’m afraid of only two things,” Mamet said, “Being lazy and being cowardly. I get up early in the morning and go to work.”
No writerly angst for him, thankyouverymuch…
June 12th
Many thanks to everyone who wrote in with comments and questions about our new Habana notebooks…
By way of update, I’d like to announce that we will be importing the French Habana into the U.S. late this fall (rather than manufacturing it here with U.S.-made paper and French-made covers, as we’d initially planned). France, meanwhile, is going to start producing the Habana with 80gr ivory paper, instead of the 60gr they’re currently using. So there won’t be any difference between the notebooks you’d buy here in North America vs. the ones you’d find in Europe and the UK.
Please let us know if you have any further questions, of course!
