Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen Fine 03 Nib Review

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is what is a good fountain pen for beginners. Being a fountain pen novice myself I have tried out several and always come back to one that I always recommend: the Platinum Preppy.

The reason I like the Preppy so much is that the nib writes very well for such a low cost pen. I of course prefer the Fine nib, but there is a Medium option if you prefer. When you first snap in the ink cartridge it takes a minute or two of scribbling to get the ink flow going, but once you do it is a solid, steady, and smooth performer. I keep this pen within reach at all times for when I want a no nonsense fountain pen experience.

Seriously, for $3.30 from JetPens you cannot go wrong. If you have never used a fountain pen in your life this is a good, inexpensive way to see if you like writing with a nib. If you do like it, then that is where the trouble begins. :)

Doane Paper Flap Jotter Giveaway - Round 2

Do you recall the Doane Paper Flap Jotter Giveaway I ran a few weeks back? I had three of the new 5.5 x 8.5 Flap Jotters to giveaway but only one went claimed. So, let's try this again with the two remaining Flap Jotters I have in my posession.

Here is how you can win:

1. 
   

   Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Wednesday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is limited to US residents only.

   
   


2. 
   

   For this contest, I will pick two winners at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winners.

   
   


3. 
   

   The contest winners will be posted on Thursday, April 12th. The winners will have one week to email me at the address posted in the right sidebar.

   
   

Good luck, and don't forget to check back to see if you won!

Maruman Eco Spiral Notebook Review

I am a big fan of all things Maruman. In fact, when I am not using my favorite Doane Paper product at my desk, I usually have the Maruman Inspiration or Imagination in use. Great care has gone into the design of these products and the paper quality is second to none. The Maruman Eco Spiral Notebook is a much different product than either the Inspiration or Imagination. Can it live up to its big brothers in the Maruman product line?

The selling point of the Eco Spiral is right there in the name. It is designed as an eco-friendly notebook alternative. Maruman doesn’t just phone it in with recycled paper either. The paper is FSC certified, which means it comes from responsibly harvested and managed forests. Maruman also uses eco-friendly ink to print the lines on the page and even the coating on the spiral binding is biodegradable.

What concerns me when I see eco-friendly products is the possibility of the quality suffering. That is not the case at all with the Eco Spiral. The paper is very smooth and handled every ink I threw at it with ease. There was no bleed or feathering with the exception of the TUL Permanent Marker, which is to be expected. An impressive performance for a very thin page.

Each Eco Spiral contains just 30 sheets, so that is somewhat of a downside. Students will enjoy the size and portability, and they make great project notebooks, but for any large scale or long term needs you might want a bigger notebook. But, if you are looking for a high quality eco-friendly notebook, I haven’t used any better.