Blake, Author at BLAKE'S BROADCAST

Shinola Paper Cover Journal Review

October 23, 2013 by Blake

Shinola is a Detroit based company that manufactures high quality American made watches, bicycles, leather products, and journals. The paper cover journals are sold in packs of two and come in three sizes and in multiple colors. The one I will be reviewing is the middle size measuring 5.25″ x 8.25″. Each notebook contains 144 pages (72 leaves) of blank paper…the cardboard packaging says “ruled paper” so finding blank pages was a bit of a disappointment. The acid free paper is a nice thick 60lb weight and comes from sustainably managed North American forests. Shinola’s notebooks are made by Edwards Brothers Malloy in Michigan. The cardboard packaging features a triangle ruler and a coaster (not sure why anyone would want a cardboard coaster).

Inside the cardboard jacket — Inside the cardboard packaging.

The notebooks look and feel very nice. I really like the clean design; there are no markings on the journal apart from “SHINOLA DETROIT” on the back cover. These books do not lay flat and the spine is slightly less flexible than a cloth bound Clairefontaine journal.

The paper is very smooth and quite nice to write on. I did notice some feathering with the Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang and J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir. There is bleed through from the Visconti but this particular pen and ink combination causes bleed even in Clairefonatine notebooks. The thick line from my semi-flexible Conway Stewart did not bleed. There is some ghosting but it isn’t bad enough to prevent me from writing on the other side of the page. The dry time for this paper is quite fast with most of the inks I tested drying under 10 seconds.

Overall I really like these journals and I consider them to be fountain pen friendly. I have been using this journal side by side with a Clairefontaine cloth bound journal and I definitely prefer the Shinola. They run $9 for a two pack which is about the same cost as one similarly sized 192 page Clairefontaine journal. In the future I am going to give Shinola’s more expensive soft and hard linen cover journals a try.

Pentel EnerGel Euro Liquid Gel Pen 0.5mm Blue – Reivew

October 22, 2013 by Blake

The Pentel EnerGel Euro uses a liquid gel ink that writes very smoothly and dries quickly. The line is crisp and a true 0.5mm. The pen has a blue almost metallic-looking body made of partially recycled plastic. The body has a lot writing on it as well as a bar code which make the pen ugly and generic looking. The latex free grip is quite comfortable and I like translucent blue plastic between the grip and the metal tip; it has these unusual faceted points. The cap also snaps onto the body when posted which is a feature I love.

The EnerGel Euro comes in black, blue, and red as well as four tip sizes 0.35mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm and 1.0mm. The EnerGel Euro costs $2.75 and is not refillable. This is an excellent pen and if you don’t mind the generic looks I highly recommend it.

Here are some great reviews of the Pentel EnerGel Euro:

No Pen Intended – Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen – 0.35 mm – Black

Office Supply Geek – Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen

The Pen Addict – Review: Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen 0.35mm Blue

A Penchant for Paper – Pentel EnerGel Euro 0.35mm Black

Gourmet Pens – Review: Pentel EnerGel Euro Black 0.5 mm Needle Point

Tomoe River Notebook Review

October 14, 2014October 20, 2013 by Blake

I have been hearing about this supernatural Tomoe River paper for a while but I could not find it in a format that I liked. Through The Fountain Pen Network I saw that is was available in notebook form from PaperForFountainPens.com (no affiliation).

Tomoe River Notebooks. — Tomoe River Notebooks

Tomoe River paper is ultra light weight at 52 gsm with a very smooth texture. This paper has been getting a lot of praise in the fountain pen community for its ability to handle fountain pen ink. I have been playing with this paper the last few days and it is amazing. There is virtually no bleed through. With some abuse I did get it to bleed in one spot. I used my Rohrer & Klinger glass dip pen without removing the excess ink first and the only point of bleed through is where the bottom of the “g” made contact with the “a” in “Scabiosa”. The wettest letter though is the first “R” in “Rohrer” which had zero bleed through. There is no feathering to mention and ink looks beautiful on this paper. The paper is fragile and easily crinkles; to me this is just part of the charm of the paper. Dry times are comparable to Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers.

A good amount of ghosting but virtually no bleed through.

I did abuse the paper a bit more. I tried a drop Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang on the paper. There was no bleed through for about the first hour. Here is the result after 3 hours:

Noodler's Qin Shi Huang (notorious for feathering) still wet after 3 hours. — Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang (notorious for feathering) still wet after 3 hours.

The results are very impressive. I let the ink sit overnight and the ink finally bled through all the way. The ink did not spread at all and if you use the widest and juiciest of pens with blotter paper you should experience no bleed. This is an excellent paper for fountain pens.

The notebook contains 320 cream colored pages (160 leaves) that measure 4.9″ x 8″. There is ghosting so I only like to write on one side. It is worth noting that because this paper is so thin you will get ghosting even with a pencil. The notebook is nicely made and lays pretty flat. I am really happy with these notebooks and plan to use them as my primary journal. The price per notebook varies based on how many you order: 1 for $29, 2 for $53 ($26.50 each), and 3 for $75 ($25 each).

The only paper I can compare to the Tomoe River is Smythson’s Featherweight 50 gsm paper. Smythson’s paper handles fountain pen ink just as well but costs an absolute fortune. Think $29 is a lot for a notebook? A 5.5″ x 7.5″ Smythson notebook with 192 leaves (not refillable) costs £135 (approx. $220 USD)! To by fair, Smythson notebooks have beautiful leather covers, blue paper with gilt edges and three real ROYAL WARRANTS. Having been gifted a Smythson’s Panama diary a few years ago I can say that they are easily the nicest notebooks (calendar) I have ever used but for almost 1/10th the price of a Smythson, the Paper For Fountain Pens Tomoe River notebook is a fantastic value. I haven’t been this happy with a notebook in a long time. I highly recommend giving one a try.

Here are some great reviews of Tomoe River paper:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Ed Jelley – Seven Seas Tomoe River Paper Pad – Handwritten Stationery Review

Wonder Pens – Tomoe River Paper

Fountain Pen Geeks – Tomoe River Paper Review

The Pen Addict – Tomoe River Paper Review

Morning Glory Mach 3 0.38mm Roller Ball Pen – Review

October 19, 2013 by Blake

The Morning Glory Mach 3 is a disposable roller ball pen with a fine 0.38mm tip. The Mach 3 writes with a crisp and clean line but it is not very smooth. The ink is neither waterproof nor archival safe. There is an ink level window on the pen body and the grip is made of a translucent plastic that lets you see the feed. I like that the cap snaps onto the body when posted. The look of this pen is pretty mediocre and the clip has rough edges that gives an air of cheapness. At $2.00 the Mach 3 is well priced but for a little bit more you can have a much better pen such as the Pilot Hi-Tec-C and the Otho Graphic Liner.

Here are some other reviews of the Mach 3:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Good Pens – Surprise…Morning Glory Mach 3

The Pen Addict – Morning Glory Mach 3 Roller Ball Pen 0.38 mm Review

Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Medium Nib Review

October 18, 2013 by Blake

The Pilot Vanishing Point is an extremely popular fountain pen with a click mechanism that retracts the nib. I have had mine for several years now and while it’s frequently inked it’s far from my favorite pen. To me the Vanishing Point is purely a tool; it’s reliable and can be operated with one hand for quick notes but it’s not fun to write with. My VP has a brown lacquered brass body with rhodium accents weighing in at 30.9 grams with a full converter. The VP measures just under 5.5″ long and is about half an inch thick at its widest point. The Vanishing Point is a pretty ugly pen; it’s definitely not a show piece. The VP looks the most dignified in matte black and unfortunately for me it was released well after I purchased my brown one.

The stiff 18 carat gold medium point nib has no personality but is smooth and reliable. The medium point is a bit finer than most European mediums and the flow is pretty average.

Depending on how you hold your pen the clip may be an issue because it is so close to the tip. Having a pretty standard grip it does not bother me but this pen definitely wont work for everyone. Also, I do not find the VP to be comfortable for long writing sessions as the grip area is relatively wide and the pen is quite heavy. The Vanishing Point comes with a converter, a cartridge and a metal cartridge cap (that prevents the click mechanism from crushing a plastic cartridge). The VP offers a lot of pen for the money with an average street price $140. The build quality is excellent as with all Pilot products and it has held up well quite well for me. The nib has a lot of tipping material so I may have it ground down into a stub to give this great pen some character. I recommend trying the Vanishing Point in person before purchasing.

Here are some great reviews of the Vanishing Point:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

The Pencil Case Blog – Pilot capless/ vanishing point fountain pen

No Pen Intended – Pilot Vanishing Point Yellow Body Broad Nib Fountain Pen

Lady Dandelion – pilot vanishing point – a functional, chubby dolphin

Tyler Dahl Pens – Pen review – Pilot Vanishing Point!

The Fountain Pen Quest – Review: Pilot Vanishing Point “Matte Black”

Ed Jelley – The Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen in Matte Black – Handwritten Review

Everyday Commentary – Pilot Vanishing Point Review

Gourmet Pens – Review: Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point Raden – Medium

The Pen Addict – Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Review

Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang Ink Review

October 16, 2013 by Blake

Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang is rich red with a bit of a pink hue. The flow is average but this ink seems to feather quite a lot on the Maruman Smooth to Write paper I used for the written review. I tried this ink on a Rhodia No.18 pad and my Exacompta FAF pad and there was less but still noticeable feathering. I have heard of feathering issues even with extra fine nibs which is too bad because this ink is beautiful. There is some shading and the ink is fluorescent. Qin Shi Huang is not waterproof and has an average dry time. I really love the color of this ink but the feathering even on high quality paper is a turn off.

Field Notes Expedition Review

October 15, 2013 by Blake

The Field Notes Expedition was not well received as the paper does not agree with many pens. The Expedition edition uses a synthetic plastic paper and cover which makes the pages and cover tear resistant and waterproof. The pages have a grey dot pattern. I haven’t used any other waterproof papers so I don’t have anything to compare it to but I really like these Field Notes .

As you can see below, this paper is not the most pen friendly. I have found that regular (non-gel) ballpoint pens and pencils work the best. Writing in the notebook feels like writing in cold butter; it is so smooth and pleasant that even the finest points feel great on this paper. I dipped the notebook in water after doing a smear test and the plastic pages were completely fine, however, most of the ink was not.

1. Zebra Arbez Piitro Ballpoint – Smeared but not affected by water

2. Field Notes Brand Bic Clic Ballpoint – No smear no issues with water

3. Pilot G-Tec-C3 Gel Pen – Smeared but not affected by water

4. Caran d’Ache Technograph HB Pencil – Lightly smudges but is comparable with regular paper

5. Uni Woodnote Gel Pen – Very slight smear but not affected by water

6. Marvy Le Pen Drawing Porous Tip Pen – Smeared and affected by water

7. Pentel Energel Rollerball – Smeared and affected by water

8. Noodler’s Konrad w/ J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir – Smeared badly, ink completely gone with water

9. Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen – Smeared badly, ink completely gone with water

10. Platinum Preppy Sign Pen – Smeared badly, ink completely gone with water

11. Stabilo Bionic Worker – Smeared badly and affected by water

12. Staedtler Triplus Fineliner – Smeared badly and affected by water

13. Morning Glory Mach 3 – Slight smearing, ink completely gone with water

14. Itoya Paperskater – Smeared badly and affected by water

15. Ohto Graphic Liner – Smeared but not affected by water

16. Sakura Pigma Micron – Smeared badly and affected by water

In addition to the Field Notes Bic Clic pen below I have found that the Pilot Down Force, Lamy Dialog 1, and the Parker Jotter all worked well on this paper.

Here are some great reviews of Expedition Field Notes:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Pocket Philosophies – Finding the Right Pen for the Field Notes Expedition Notebook

Pencil Revolution – Field Notes Expedition Edition: Smeary?

The Well-Appointed Desk – Expectations and Expeditions, Field Notes that is.

The Pen Addict – What is the Best Pen for the Field Notes Expedition Edition

Uni Woodnote 0.38mm Gel Pen Review ….OUCH!

October 14, 2013 by Blake

The Uni Woodnote has a body made of North American cedar that is the same width and shape of a wood pencil, together with a bright green cap the pen looks fantastic. The Woodnote uses a Uni Signo gel ink refill and can take refills from the Uni Style Fit Multi Pen System so there are a lot options.

Everything sounds great right? WRONG! This the only pen that I can think of that is actually painful to simply hold. You have to be careful where you grip the pen because there are sharp points where hexagon body meets a cylindrical plastic section. The cap is loose when the Woodnote is capped and posted; this creates an annoying rattle. Take the cap off and you can hear the refill rattling in the body as well. The Woodnote is not a heavy pen by any means at 5.5 grams but it is too heavy to feel like a wood pencil. The Uni Signo 0.38mm refill is good quality and writes well for such a small point but considering the Woodnote is painful to use and costs $4.60 you would have to really like the pencil shape and/or pain to have a use for this thing.

Here are some more reviews on the Woodnote:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

The Pen Addict – Uni-ball Woodnote .38 mm Orange Review

The Pen Addict – Uni-ball Woodnote 0.38 mm Blue Review

Stabilo Bionic Worker Rollerball 0.5mm Review

October 13, 2013 by Blake

When I think of Stabilo I don’t think of great pens, I think of highlighters, as that is what they are most famous for. I have never been a fan of their pens but the Bionic Worker is the first that I would actually buy again.

The Bionic Worker is an unusual rollerball pen with a rubberized orange body. Stabilo labels this pen a 0.5mm but it’s definitely much wider than that; it seems like a 1.0mm to me. The rollerball is ultra smooth (as you would expect a 1.0mm tip to be) and the ink is nice and dark. Stabilo calls the nickle silver tip indestructible. I really like the details on this pen. There is a little knob on the side of the body that keeps the pen from rolling off the desk. The cap closes and posts flush with the body and there are three little portholes on each side of the pen that allow you to view the feed and ink level. The metal clip features the Stabilo swan and feels sturdy.

The Bionic Worker comes in black, blue, red and green ink with “0.5mm” and “0.3mm” tip sizes. This pen is not refillable which is too bad because it is expensive at $3.85. Next time I am going to buy the 0.3mm tip as I suspect that will be a bit closer to a true medium.

Here are some great reviews of the Stabilo Bionic Worker:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Pencil Talk – Stabilo bionic worker

No Pen Intended – Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball Pen – 0.3 mm – Black Ink

A Penchant For Paper – Stabilo Bionic Worker 0.5mm Black

Pocket Blonde – Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball Review

The Pen Addict – Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball 0.5 mm Review

The Goulet Pen Company Ink Drop October 2013

October 16, 2013October 11, 2013 by Blake

I purchased a Rohrer & Klingner glass dip pen and thought I would test it out on the lastest. For those that don’t know, Ink Drop is a subscription service through The Goulet Pen Company (no affiliation) that consists of monthly shipments of 5 ink samples. Each shipment is $10. It’s a great way to try ink without making a full commitment to an entire bottle. More than once I have paid $10+ for a bottle and ended up hating it. Last month I bought J. Herbin Gris Nuage and I know I wont be using it again…no idea why I thought a grey ink would be appealing.

The Noodlers Qin Shi Huang and Noodler’s Antietam are my favorites. You can read my full review of Antietam here and Qin Shi Huang here.