(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
Esterbrook is officially the source of all desk accessories I didn't know I wanted until I saw them. The latest to hit my collection is the Brass Nib Bookmark. I've had pen nib inspired page markers before, but this one is huge and substantial, which is cool, but has a downside. It definitely says THIS PAGE in a way that broadcasts my love for fountain pens, but it's not going to work great for every book.
The brass nib bookmark is made from a thin sheet of brass that has been precision-cut to shape. The thinness of the brass gives it flexibility so that it can slide over a page or journal cover like a paperclip. As a decorative object, it's fantastic. It looks cool and adds a stationery sophisticated air to any writing kit. It is not, however, the most practical tool. You know I'm all for ditching practicality for aesthetics when I feel like it, but I am rather protective of my books.
The issue with the bookmark is that brass is heavy. And even when cut quite thin, this is still somewhat thick for a bookmark. When it slides over the page, it weighs the paper down and wrinkles it a bit. And wedging the layers of the bookmark open causes it to gape a little so that it doesn't lie completely flat. On thin paper, I'd worry it might tear a page. So it doesn't work as well as I'd like for its intended purpose. Definitely don't use it in your library books!
But, far be it from me to abandon a cute desk accessory. What I have found is that, because it slides over a page like a paperclip, it makes a decent paperclip. When clipped to a cardstock cover of a notebook, it doesn't have the same tearing potential as it does with a thin sheet of paper. Then it becomes a place to tuck away small notes--and we all know how I accumulate those. I know I'm not alone. It can't hold a lot, though, before it starts to gape like alligator jaws.
I do think this might work better with more sturdy paper, like in sketchbooks. It's also nice just as a display piece. I have still been using it, jut not as it was intended, and I think that's fine. It sells for about $17, which is not a bad price for a nice-looking brass desk accessory. It's on the steep side for a bookmark, I suppose, but even the regular cardstock ones at the bookstore can sell for $7 or $8 these days, which makes this a reasonably priced upgrade, if not the most functional one. Sometimes my notebook just needs to look good, because a good-looking notebook makes me want to write more.
(This product was purchased from Goldspot at a discounted price.)
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