Category RSS Archive for the ‘Product Reviews’ Category

Friday review roundup

Posted May 11, 2012 by
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This is really more of a linkshare than a review roundup, but that’s just the way it’s got to be on this in-New-York lovely spring day.

  • Have you seen Brian Goulet’s new Fountain Pen 101 series? The idea, according to Brian, is that “there is a desperate need for education for those who are interested in fountain pens but who need to learn the basics.” In the video I’ve embedded above, Brian discusses how ballpoint pens, rollerballs, and fountain pens work. Worth watching, even for those who aren’t absolute beginners!

  • Guest blogger Kate Marshall posted a nice satiric writing exercise to her own blog recently, worth checking out on its own and because of the Rhodia cameo. O muse! O moon! O rich, dark, quick-drying ink!

Happy Friday…

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Want a blank small staplebound notebook?

Posted May 3, 2012 by
in Product Reviews | 4 comments »

We got a question recently from a fan of the pocket-sized staplebound Clairefontaine notebooks:

Is there any way you can produce that in a blank format? As a pocket notebook, I use it for sketching quick ideas as well and a blank format would be killer.

What do you think?

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Friday review roundup

Posted April 27, 2012 by
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Courtesy of Brian Goulet, we’ve got our first official review of the new A4 Habana! “What more can I say? It’s a Habana and it’s big.” To get his thoughts, watch the video above or check out the overview/summary on his blog.

(If you like what you see, don’t forget to enter our A4 Habana giveaway!)

Also worth sharing is this review of the new refillable J. Herbin rollerball at the Writer’s Bloc Blog. “With its transparent body and simple design, the J. Herbin refillable rollerball … is a welcome addition to Exaclair’s new products for 2012.”

Don’t forget to contact us if you review an Exaclair product so we can feature it here!

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Friday review roundup

Posted April 20, 2012 by
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It’s something old, something new this Friday with reviews of the Canadian Minister (similar to, but slightly different than, the US version) and the hot-off-the-presses Hebdo, a new format for 2013 with lots of space for Sundays!

  • The Minister is the “cadillac of agenda diaries,” says Heather Burke of Smart Space Organizing. “This is an excellent agenda for those who need to write some detail regarding their appointments, or for a busy family schedule that also relies on a calendar to keep them organized.”

  • The Hebdo is “an excellent addition to the Quo Vadis line,” says Laurie of Plannerisms. “The book is narrow, slim (less than 1/2 an inch thick) and very lightweight so it could comfortably go anywhere with you in your bag.”

Thanks for the great reviews, guys, and happy Friday!

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Friday review roundup

Posted April 13, 2012 by
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Today’s roundup is short and sweet — there’s just one review to feature. Nonetheless, it comes from an interesting source: Modern Vintage Man, a blog that advises gents “on what’s cool, awesome, and needed.” As Tim points out in his review of our Trinote:

The ability to plan ahead is a trait that sets truly great men apart. Planning requires discipline, wisdom, insight, and direction; qualities all men should strive for.

Read the full review here.

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Can I get a ruling?

Posted April 2, 2012 by
in Product Reviews | 5 comments »

I’ve been meaning to follow up on Beth’s recent comment about the lining on the new, small Habanas:

While I can fit my bigger nibs between the lines with practice, I find they really slow me down as I have to take care or I wander outside those lines… I like “college ruled” but this feels cramped.

Of course, everyone has different preferences when it comes to ruling size, but I wonder if others find the Habana’s narrowest ruling too cramped. What do you think?

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Reference pages and telephone codes

Posted March 8, 2012 by
in Cabinet of Curiosities, Product Reviews | 6 comments »

Laurie’s recent review of the Executive reminds me of a subject that came up in our recent survey, and that I’ve been meaning to blog about for a while… the international telephone codes that are listed in the reference sections of our planners.

As you might guess, they’re a holdover from the pre-Internet era, when that information wasn’t a Google search away and Skype had not been invented. Laurie says she still uses hers; I never have, but the data geek in me would still be somewhat sad to see them go. Uzbekistan is 10 hours ahead of us? Nepal and India 10 and a half?

As a bonus bit of trivia, I found myself wondering what “correspondent’s number” referred to in the Regional Area Code column. Nothing too mysterious, it turns out — simply that that country doesn’t have regional codes, so you should just go ahead and dial your correspondent’s number after dialing the country code.

Do you use the telephone access code chart?

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Friday review roundup

Posted March 2, 2012 by
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Happy Friday! We’ve got some great reviews to share with you today… don’t worry, we won’t let the praise go to our heads.

  • Laurie reviews the Executive at Plannerisms and concludes that it’s “an excellent, powerful planner with an extremely efficient weekly format, annual overviews, and spectacular paper in a compact and portable size.”

  • We’re late to the party on this one, but Margarita listed 10 reasons why our planners are special on Mom it Forward back in December. Number 4: “The paper is silky smooth…uh…yeah…uh… I think I have already said that.”

  • If you missed Karen’s post about Clem’s review of Ambre de Birmanie ink earlier this week, be sure to check it out! (The review, that is, not our post.) “A beautiful gem-like amber,” notes Clem, with the beautiful calligraphy and quotes we’ve come to expect in her reviews.

Finally, for those who are curious, here’s a scan of the full vintage brochure I blogged about earlier this week… I’m sorry it’s not more exciting, but it’s the best I could do with a copy of a copy of a copy. Continue reading »

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Rants of the Archer Ink Review

Posted February 29, 2012 by
in Beautiful Creations, Pens, Paper & People, Product Reviews, Where to Go? | Add your comment »

Clem, the Archer of “Rants of the Archer” just finished a review for J. Herbin’s Ambre de Birmanie ink. Please have a look here.

Clem writes some of the most memorable ink reviews I have ever enjoyed. Because of her beautiful, flowing language and imagery,  I’m convinced she was a poet in another life. Her reviews are always balanced, thorough and precise. She is one of the people I rely on for an expert opinion on notebooks and pens as well as different inks.

Besides our mutual affection for all things pen and paper, we both love lighthouses!

If you have published an ink review recently (all brand welcome), please include a link to your review in the comments section.

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Fisher space pen

Posted February 15, 2012 by
in Cabinet of Curiosities, Product Reviews | 5 comments »

I got a great deal on a Fisher space pen at last year’s National Stationery Show, and have been meaning to post my thoughts about it ever since. Online, I’ve learned they’re great for lab notebooks. Perfect for pockets. I have the “bullet” version, and it lives inside my bag.

The design itself is certainly impressive — smooth, nicely weighted, compact when capped but a comfortable length when opened. The space pen is a joy to hold.


It’s also fun to write with, and based on my own experiments, at least, it’s every bit as versatile as the manufacturer claims. Here are some experiments I did; click through to see larger images… Continue reading »

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