Review: Quo Vadis Habana

I have had this Quo Vadis Habana sitting on my desk for some time now just begging to be used, but for some nonsensical reason, I am am just getting around to it now.  It was provided for review by the great folks at Exaclair, Inc. - or better known as the U.S. distributor for Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Quo Vadis, J. Herbin, and more - so you know it is going to be good, right?

Right.  After just a few minutes of using the Habana, I was kicking myself for not breaking this open sooner than I had.  Every pen I threw at it performed to perfection, and the lily white paper was far more enjoyable than I expected when compared to the ivory paper in my Moleskine.  There was no feathering or bleed through for any of the pens, and the colored inks really popped off the page.  If my photography skills were decent at all you would be able to see the color better, but this will have to do.

As great as the paper is, the exterior of the notebook is equally as nice.  The cover is soft and smooth, with a little bit of flex, and the best part it that it lays flat no matter which page you are on.  All of this adds up to a great notebook - probably the best I have ever used.  You would be well served to search one out the next time you are in the market for a new notebook or journal.

Sunday Funny: Bic Pen Reviews

I have been holding onto this email from a reader for the longest time that included a link to a Bic pen review on the Amazon UK site.  I don't know what got into my British counterparts across the pond, but these reviews span two years (so far), and are downright hilarious.  I'd be lying if I told you I read them all, but you have to go check at least a few of them out.

A quick sample:

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A bigger life saver than penicillin, 7 Oct 2008
By     Margaret Windows (UK) - See all my reviews
As a professional paramedic I jam, on average, 29.87 ballpoint pens per day into blocked windpipes and my simple wish would be that every blessed 29.87 of them were Bic Crystals.

As a medical instrument, they really are unbeatable and many of my doctor contemporaries would rather carry around 1 common or garden Bic pen than a whole bin bag full of stethoscopes and tiny hammers that check your knee reflexes.

Unfortunately, the number of tracheotomies required due to little fish bones and Action Man heads is increasing daily and I would like to use this review to make an appeal for Bic donors. 1 Bic pen can save 20 lives. Just give it a quick wipe in between.

I've never used one to write though. Are they any good?

Ps "Bic" is German for "I'm hungry".

Check out all of the reviews right here:  Bic Crystal Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point, Black

Ink Links

-- Pilot Fountain Pen  (Good Pens)

-- Pentel Slicci Gel Ink Pen 0.7 mm - Review  (Office Supply Geek)

-- Review: Lamy Safari Fountain Pen  (Coffee-Stained Memos)

-- Disposable? Fountain Pen  (Unposted)

-- Pilot Parallel Pen Review  (26 Symbols)

-- A Gallery of Fountain Pens  (Jordon Cooper)

-- The Notebook Desktop  (Lifehacker)

-- New Art Stuff!  (Drawing With A Squirrel)

-- Good to see Black Cover is still around  (Black Cover)

-- What I’m writing with these days  (Arghyle)

-- Compendium Reporter Style Notebook Review  (Writer's Bloc Blog)

-- The curious arithmetic of mechanical pencil refills  (Pencil Talk)

-- Good things - like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C  (J. Christina Huh)

-- Well made pen  (Apparently, Failure Is an Option)

-- An airplane that inspired the Pilot "51" Flighter  (Pentrace)

-- National Geographic and Your Fountain Pens  (Fountain Pen Restoration)

-- Review: Uni-ball Alpha Gel Shaka Shaker 0.5mm- Black Body with Rose Pink Grip  (Abysmal Musings)

-- Repeat Pattern Repeat  (Doodlers Anonymous)

-- Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi Pen  (School Supply Dance)